If the ’80s could be called the decade of the role-playing game (RPG), the ’90s are shaping up as the decade of the collectible adventure card game.
Magic: The Gathering, produced by Wizards of the Coast and set in a fantasy universe, is still probably the leading product in this market and features an almost uncountable selection of cards and supplements. But Magic’s competitors are putting up a creditable fight.
For example, Decipher Games has released a popular card game based on the “Star Wars” movies. Chicago’s own FASA Corp.’s Shadowrun card game will attract both players of its Shadowrun RPG as well as newcomers. And, in an interesting bit of synergy, FASA has licensed its Battletech war game title to its competitor, Wizards of the Coast, which has in turn produced an interesting card game of the same title.
Here are some of the top games for the holiday season. Most of these are available at book stores and hobby shops; the card games at comic book stores; and the computer games at computer and electronic stores. Those products from The Gamers, however, can be bought only by mail order (888-842-6377).
– Achtung Spitfire, The Avalon Hill Game Co., $70. A computer game of air combat during the Battle of Britain in World War II. A very successful adaptation of the board game of the same title, the player commands a squadron of aircraft over a variety of very challenging scenarios and campaigns. The game is easy enough (at the introductory levels) for a 7-year-old to play and comes with a clearly written rule book containing historical background.Windows 3.1 or 95 or Mac, CD-ROM required.
– Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, TSR, $30. Still the leading fantasy role-playing product, AD&D has been re-released in an expanded and well-illustrated format. In addition, both the Player’s Handbook and the Dungeon Master Guide ($25) come in high-quality hardcover book formats. Easy to read and clearly organized, these books provide the foundation for getting acquainted with the role-playing hobby, but make no mistake: AD&D is a complicated game that requires a lot of time to both learn and play.
– Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, CD-ROM Core Rules, TSR, $35. This CD-ROM (Windows 3.1 or 95) is an extraordinary time-saver for the legions of people who play the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons games. It places on-line the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master Guide and three other books. It permits players to draw maps and dungeons easily in 3-D. It contains quick, simple character and monster generators, keeps track of wounds, spells, possessions, and character improvements. And this is just a start.
– Battletech, Wizards of the Coast, $9. A collectible trading card game based on the Battletech board game series. A deck of 60 cards includes different battlemechs, resource and various mission (special ability) cards. Players draw cards to shoot up their opponents’ battlemechs and use their resource cards to deploy more fighting units. The game system (which bears some similarities to Magic: The Gathering) is easy to learn, quick to play and rich in tactical nuances.
– Crusader, The Gamers, $38. A two-player board game of ground combat in the North African desert during World War II. By hobby standards, this game is easy to get into. Crusader includes two short rules folders and The Gamers’ usual high-quality map and counters. It is a recommended purchase for anyone interested in the campaign and is playable solitaire.
– D.A.K., The Gamers, $119. D.A.K. (Deutches Afrika Korps) is a board game of the campaign involving the Germans, Italians and British in North Africa from 1940 to ’42. This game is extremely complicated and thoroughly researched. D.A.K. has special rules layered on to consider the niceties of the Libyan desert: Supply is critical for victory. The game will take a team of players months of dedicated play to complete.
– Fifth Age, TSR, $25. An RPG of fantasy adventure, Fifth Age has much in common with its older sibling, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, but uses a simpler game system with an interesting twist: Many of the game’s actions depend upon the draw of 84 cards. Players assume the roles of different characters–humans, elves, etc.
– Gaines Mill, The Gamers, $49. This is a two-player board game of the battle of Gaines Mill, fought during the Civil War. Here, troops under Gen. Robert E. Lee caught and nearly chopped up isolated Union forces under Gen. George McClellan in 1862. The game uses what are arguably the best command rules on the market and does a terrific job of re-creating the problems presented to contemporary commanders, one of the most important being that your guys don’t always do what you want them to do. Designed for experienced war gamers.
– Magic: The Gathering, Wizards of the Coast, $9 deck, $3 booster pack. In the fifth edition of the popular system of collectible fantasy card games, players select a deck of 40-60 cards and receive 20 “lives.” Players employ their cards with the object of killing off their opponent’s lives (or exhausting the opponent’s card deck). The fifth edition contains some rule changes, and players should be careful when using cards from the earlier versions. Magic: Portal is a new product designed to introduce newcomers to Magic: The Gathering.
– Robo Rally, Wizards of the Coast, $40. This is Car Wars goes to the robot factory. Players race their robots over a factory floor that is littered with traps, walls, conveyor belts, laser beams and crushers–not to mention recalcitrant opponents. Players draw cards and arrange them to guide their robots’ movement–go straight two, turn left, etc. Game components are of extremely high quality and include six map-boards, eight pewter robots, game cards and rules. Designed for two to eight players ages 12 and up, Robo Rally is creative and amusing.
– Shadowrun Card Game, FASA, $9 card deck, $3 booster packs. This is a collectible card game based on FASA’s Shadowrun RPG. (You don’t have to know how to play the RPG in order to play the card game.) Players assemble a deck of about 60 cards and use their shadowrunners to accomplish objectives and gain reputation points while preventing their opponents from doing the same. The game is set in a hallucinogenic future U.S. populated by strange beings.
– Star Wars Card Game, Decipher Games, $9 starter pack, $2.50 to $3 expansion packs. This is a two-player collectible card game based on the “Star Wars” movie universe. Several introductory boxed versions are available (Premiere Set, the Empire Strikes Back, and an Anthology version) to get players started. Opponents take either the Light Side or Dark Side characters and assemble a 60-card deck. The first one to exhaust his opponent’s supply of cards wins. The rules could be more clearly written and the game is getting increasingly complex as new supplements and cards are added. Nonetheless, this is a terrific, entertaining and addictive game.
