Two Player Game

Campaign Manager 2008 challenges players to develop a winning political strategy within the tumultuous context of the 2008 presidential campaign. Employing a new take on card driven game systems, each player will create a unique deck that represents their advice to their candidate. The players will struggle to influence voters in the critical swing states from this election, while targeting key constituencies that just might put them over the top. Players will try to define the key issue in the states. Will McCain dominate the national security debate, or can Obama play on people's fears over the economy? As the campaign manager of a national presidential campaign, you will either identify the road to the White House, or the road to irrelevance.

User review: The object of the game (and it is a game, not a simulation) is to lead your candidate, John McCain or Barack Obama, to victory by getting 270 electoral votes. Twenty battleground states are up for grabs in this game of cardplay.

Each player has a deck of forty five Campaign Strategy cards; only fifteen can be used in the game. (The rules suggest a selected fifteen cards for novices.) Each player also has a deck of ten battleground state tiles. Each player will select two of their states to put into play. (again, the rules make a suggestion for novices.)
In turn, a player either plays a card from one's own hand and follows the instructions on it or draws a card if fewer than five are already held.

To win a state, a player must get complete support from the state's voters in the issue which has more support of the people. Each state also has two key demographics. A shift in which demographic takes precidence also may affect the effect of a player's cards.

Some cards require players to go "negative." These cards require the opponent to roll a die and the result may give the opponent an unintended benefit.

Whenever a player wins a state, the electoral votes are added to that candidate's tally. A state is brought into play by the winning manager and chance card is put into effect.

The game is over when one manager scores 270 electoral votes. That player is the winner. A tie, resulting in winner, is possible.

Basilica, a game for 2 players, presents the duel of two medieval master masons who are ordered to build a medieval cathedral together. Players are planning cathedral layout and overseeing work at the construction site in tandem, in the same time trying to gain advantage over the opposite player.

The temple is built by laying square tiles adjacent to the board or already built tiles. Tiles form the plan of the cathedral. These tiles, distinguished by four colors, represent different elements of the cathedral. The pool of tiles available to players is random. Later, the players place pawns on the tiles – these pawns are the teams of builders: foremen, masons and carpenters, who will make the design a reality.

The players strive to achieve two goals: to lay their cathedral tiles so as to create the largest possible areas representing a single color, and to have more pawns in these areas than their opponent.

Every tile bears also one special action that could be played instead of adding a tile to the cathedral. Using these actions player may move pawns from tile to tile, promote them (increasing their value) or manipulate the tiles. Execution of specific order excludes the tile from being used as part of cathedral, so choice between expanding the edifice and making some action is strategic. Planning and optimal use of available resources is important, as both participants share the same selection of tiles. Thus, tiles and actions shown on them not used by the player in her or his turn become immediately available to his opponent.

Some tiles trigger movement of a special King pawn, which moves along the scoring track. Every few moves, the King pawn comes to a space indicating a royal visit to the cathedral. During each royal visit, the progress of work is assessed and Victory Points are assigned to the players. The number of VPs each player is awarded depends on the size and number of the areas controlled by their pawns at the moment of scoring. The more areas the player controls, and the bigger these are, the greater the reward for the player. At the end of the game, the winner is the player who has claimed more Victory Points.

From the publisher's blog:

This will be our first two Specialist packs: a Dwarven Battalion and a Goblin Skirmishers set. These packs introduce new units to the game, along with the Specialist and Weapon summary cards necessary to field them. For now, let’s just say that they will significantly alter your game.

Contents:

4 Iron Dwarf Bagpipers
8 Iron Dwarf Spear Bearers (16 more are found in BattleLore: Scottish Wars)
8 Iron Dwarf Axe Swingers (8 more are found in BattleLore: Bearded Brave)
14 banners
2×1 Green Bagpiper
2×1 Blue Bagpiper
2×1 Red Bagpiper
2×2 Axe Swingers
2×2 Spear Bearers

4-page Rules booklet with 2 new adventures
3 Specialist cards (Iron Dwarves Axe Swingers, Bagpipers, Spear Bearers)
3 Weapon Summary cards (Bagpiper, Battle Axe, Spear Bearer)

Expands:

BattleLore

The second of two specialist pack releases. Each Specialist Pack introduces 20 new figures and each unit type has new Specialist and Weapon summary cards that detail the fighting capabilities for these forces on the battlefield. Each pack also adds 2 new Adventures that feature the new figures, as well as additional Banners to deploy them within either camp.

Contents:

20 figures
1 Goblin Band Leader (also in BattleLore: Goblin Marauders Specialist Pack)
3 Goblin Drummers (also in BattleLore: Goblin Marauders Specialist Pack)
8 Hobgoblin Spear Bearers
8 Goblin Slingers

10 banners
2×1 Band
2×2 Slingers
2×2 Spear Bearer

4-page Rules Booklet with 2 new adventures
4 Specialist cards (Goblin Band, Goblin Drummers, Goblin Slingers, Hobgoblin Spear Bearers)
4 Weapon Summary cards (Bass Drum, Goblin Drum, Sling, Spear Bearer)

Expands:

BattleLore

The third specialist pack release (and 2nd expansion for goblins) for BattleLore. This Specialist Pack introduces new figures and each unit type has new Specialist and Weapon summary cards that detail the fighting capabilities for these forces on the battlefield. Each pack also adds additional Banners to deploy them within either camp.

The Goblin Marauders pack features 16 figures including the Goblin Band and mounted Hobgoblins - the Hyena Riders and Ostrich Riders, plus 2 new Adventures.

Contents:

16 figures:
1 Goblin Band Leader (also in BattleLore: Goblin Skirmishers Specialist Pack)
3 Goblin Drummers (also in BattleLore: Goblin Skirmishers Specialist Pack)
6 Hobgoblin Hyena Riders
6 Hobgoblin Ostrich Riders

10 banners (5 for each camp)
2×1 Band
2×2 Green Reflex Bow
2×2 Blue Reflex Bow

4-page Rules Booklet, including 2 new adventures
4 Specialist cards (Goblin Band, Goblin Drummers, Goblin Marauders (2))
3 Weapon Summary cards (Bass Drum, Goblin Drum, Reflex Bow)
1 Unit Summary card (Hyena Riders)

Expands:

BattleLore