State of Wonder: Review
Information:
Mechanics: Hand Management, Player Elimination, Competitive, CCGTime: 20 - 50 Minutes
Player Count: 2-5 Players
Designer: Emelie Rodin
Artist: Brandon Crampton
Publishers: BetterBuilt Studio
Age Range: 15+
BGG Weight (Game Complexity): 3/5
Components:
Rule Book: The full rule book needs to be accessed via the State of Wonder website which is filled with game examples, keywords from cards and clarifications. The rule book is located here as the game itself doesn't come with any rule book but has a quick reference guide and link to the website's rule book.Game Box: The game box won't last under duress however it is perfect size (both length and width) for portability and it fits in your pocket with ease.
Dice/Tokens: State of Wonder has a token pack available for purchase to add creature (referenced in-game as 'unit') tokens to the game. I can say for certain that tokens are utilised by the Ivory Syndicate and the Cult of Voices decks but since none came with the decks, dice were used as a substitute. Additionally, it was beneficial to use dice for keeping track of building/fortification hit points, and currency (as it doesn't come with State of Wonder).
Objective of the Game:
Unlike other collectable card games your deck will consist of only 17 cards (not including the wonder), and you don't draw cards at the start/end of your turn. When you start the game your entire deck is in your hand. This allows for increased accessibility and a more strategic game-play from the beginning.
There 5 types of cards in State of Wonder:
- The State/Wonder card - First placed on the State side during set up, this denotes how much health you have and the starting income per turn. The State can be upgraded three times to flip the card over onto the Wonder side. Each upgrade gives the player a reward for reaching the higher level (termed 'age' in the game).
- Buildings and Fortifications - Both cards have a production cost in the top right corner of the card, with the health found in the bottom left (see image below). The health for fortifications and buildings does not refresh so they will be destroyed when their health reaches zero. The text on these cards can do abilities such as increasing income, allow the player to perform one time effects, or even ongoing abilities. Effects that can be performed once per turn are represented by the symbol of a white capitalised 'E' in a black circle (see below). Fortifications and Buildings are essentially the same except only fortifications will stop the state/wonder card from taking enemy damage, buildings will not halt these attacks. Once all fortifications owned by one player are destroyed, their state/wonder can be attacked.
- Units and Hero Units - Similar to the building/fortification cards, units have a summoning (termed 'production') cost in the top left corner and health in the bottom right. The unit will die if the health reaches zero, although, the health will refresh at the end of the turn. The amount of damage they can administer is found in the bottom left corner, and the text in the middle of the card may relate to one time effects, card lore, ongoing effects, or effects that can be done once per turn as represented by the E symbol. The Hero Units are essentially the same although they cannot be targeted by enemy abilities, whereas unit cards can be.
How To Play:
There are 5 phases of your turn; Upkeep, Main, War, Battle and the End.Start of Turn/Upkeep
This is the first phase of your turn where a few mandatory actions occur:
- Gain income - this includes the income located on your State/Wonder and any building that increases your base income. When gaining income you also add any leftover income from your previous turn.
- Un-exhaust any units or buildings so they can be used this turn.
- Anything in production will now be built (discussed later), if the production is a unit it will have delay, meaning it cannot attack this turn (Tokens also gain delay when summoned).
- If there is any start of turn effects they will happen here.
Main Phase
In this phase the player can do a series of actions depending on the amount of income they have. These options include:
- Upgrading your State by spending the appropriate amount of income. This can only be done once per turn. If this is for the Wonder side, you can exhaust the Wonder and pay the cost, then put a progression counter on the Wonder. After 4 progressions are reached, you win.
- Activate any building/fortifications or units by spending the cost and exhausting the card by tilting it on it's side. An exhausted card cannot be exhausted again until it is un-exhausted.
- Produce units or buildings/fortifications. This is done by paying equal or above (to trick other players) the cost of the card and placing it face down with dice or counters on the card to signify the cost used. These face down cards will be produced on the next upkeep.
War Phase
This phase is optional. You can declare war on an enemy by sending any amount of units towards your enemy's base (if you are currently under siege you cannot declare war on another player), recall all your units from the enemy base (all or nothing - so not just one unit), or reinforce the units that are currently attacking an enemy by sending in more units. Upon initiating an attack on an enemy, the opposition can meet your soldiers in the field for battle, but if you are reinforcing your units that are already attacking an enemy fortification/state/wonder then the opposition cannot meet you in the field.
When declaring war the opposition has the option to meet you in the field, the open area in between bases. When meeting in the field the opponent can choose which units to defend their base. If the opposition survives then both armies will return to their base. However, if you defeat all opposing units, any of your surviving units will continue on to siege the enemy base. Your siege will also commence if you are not met in the field.
During a siege you will attack enemy fortifications first until they are destroyed then you can attack any buildings including the State/Wonder. At the end of the turn you remain at the enemies bases if your units remain alive.
If you enter this phase and you are currently under siege you can attack the invading enemy units from a hidden position behind your fortification(s), but only if you have any left standing. If you choose to defend without the protection of fortifications then battle will commence as normal.
Battle Phase
Starting with the attacking player, each opponent will choose a single unit (exhausted units cannot be chosen) to do one of the below options. Other players will continue in this way until all units are exhausted or one of the armies have died.
- Pass - do nothing and exhaust your unit.
- Activate a combat ability - pay the cost and exhaust the unit. The ability is in the text field of the unit card.
- Attack an enemy unit - both units deal combat damage to each other simultaneously, unless stated by a static (constant) ability. This combat damage will be equal to the card's attack value. Units do not recover health until the end of the turn, so a stronger unit can be attacked and taken down by multiple smaller units. For example a 3 attack/3 defence unit, can be defeated by three 1 attack/1 defence units.
End Phase
During this phase you will do any end of turn effects. Then you can draw back into your hand any cards in your graveyard (discard pile) that you would like.
Final Thoughts:
Let's begin by discussing the pros and the cons of state of wonder.
Pros
- The entire deck is accessible in your hand
- No Instant/Trap cards are played on other peoples turns so the game is all strategic planning
- Production creates a new dynamic of planning
- Due to the smaller deck size the game is more portable then other CCG's
- Currently limited supply of cards to modify your deck.
- Replayability is lesser.
- The war and battle phase can be confusing to learn for the first time.
State of Wonder turns my experience of collectable card games (CCG's) on their head by implementing a constantly accessible deck, allowing for more strategy and less randomisation. You have to plan sometimes two or more turns ahead, factoring in the delay that production creates. Furthermore, the ingenious form of currency eliminates the commonly annoying card payment issues that plague other CCG's.
Currently, there are 3 pre-made decks and a token pack available but the designer has re-enforcement packs in mind for later on this year so players can modify their decks to suit individual play styles. Early next year another kick starter is planned to release more pre-made decks.
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