Hordes High Command: Rapid Review
Information:
Mechanics: Deck Building, Shuffle-Builder, Head to Head, Area Control
Player Age: 12+ Player Count: 2 - 4 PlayersTime to Play: 60 - 90 Minutes
Game Designer: David Carl
Player Age: 12+
Game Designer: David Carl
Rundown:
Hordes High Command is an area control game where players are sending their warriors and beasts to certain locations to win control of that area. Players will fight over these locations until they have two units more than any other player. If this occurs, at the start of their turn they will gain that location and score any bonus ability and the points for the end of the game. These units are contracted through the individual marketplace that each player has in front of them. These marketplaces are made up of three deployment decks that are determined by the warlocks that each player chooses before game starts. At the end of the game, each player will gain victory points based on the cards they have purchased as well as the locations they control.
Alteration:
Hordes High Command is a combination of a shuffle building (where you shuffle part decks together to form a main deck, as part of setup) and deck-building game. With this unique makeup, it has a wide range of replayability. In the sense of deck-building games, you don't typically use every card for every single game so that always keeps the game fresh. In this game, there are four factions and each faction has five warlocks that will determine what three deployment decks are shuffled together out of the six. Each player will choose three of these warlocks and choose one colour out of the two options on each warlock to build the deck of cards you will be purchasing from the marketplace during the game.
There are also expansions available for purchase that adds new warlocks and additional cards to increase the options. There are also standalone expansions that provide new factions to play or fight against.
Production:
The game is purely card base, and the card stock is well produced. The main issue is the dividers that are inbuilt into the box which would normally be great, however, each divider spot only loosely holds the cards so a mere shake when placing the game into the shelf could cause the cards to come scattered throughout the box.
Interaction:
In Hordes High Command players are constantly engaging with each other as they are slaying each others creatures to gain supremacy of each location. This is the kind of interaction that people who enjoy head to head games are used to and will thoroughly enjoy in this game.
Determination:
Pros:
- Unique combination of shuffle building and deck building.
- Each player has their own unique marketplace.
- Locations you capture are added to your deck for resources and sometimes extra effects.
Cons:
- The insert is loose.
- The warlocks don't feel as useful as they should.
- Capturing locations can feel lacklustre.
- Quite luck-based.
Hordes High Command uses a unique deck-building style to create a confronting head to head/area control game. The principal of the game promises a tense battle in the field as you are purchasing and sending out units to seize control. This is the kind of game that can't be played like other deck-building games where you mainly purchase anything slightly captivating or cost worthy as many units in this game work off other units and pre-planned combos like a more traditional head to head game. If you play this game as a typical deck builder, the capturing of locations and back and forth defeating of each other units can feel lacklustre and methodical. There is a fun game of back to back duel with your opponent(s) but that comes with more experienced play and a deeper understanding of which units you want to reinforce your deck and which ones are better left in the marketplace deck.
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