Transformers the deck-building game: Rapid Review
Information:
Mechanics: Head to Head, Team Based, Deck-Building, Co-Operative, Competitive
Player Age: 13+Player Count: 1 - 5 PlayersTime to Play: 45 - 90 Minutes
Game Designer: Dan Blanchett, Matt HyraGame Artist: Matt FrankPublisher: Renegade Game StudiosYear Published: 2021BGG Weight: 2.60Disclaimer: A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher.
Player Age: 13+
Game Designer: Dan Blanchett, Matt Hyra
Rundown:
Transformers the deck building game, has players in the role of Autobots facing down three Decepticon bosses and their many robot minions either competitively or cooperatively. There is a crucial part of this game that sets it apart from other deck building games though; instead of having a face-up card row to buy from. The cards are face-down to create a matrix on which players move. Here players run into allies (cards that when purchased will have ongoing abilities and stay attached to the player), Decepticons and fellow Autobots, relics (strong cards but can be scored after they are played or removed them from your deck to give points at the end of the game) and technology and maneuver cards that have one-off effects.
There are also cards called sites that will stay in the matrix, creating a location with a benefit that can be used whenever you move onto that site.
Alteration:
The alteration comes from the many different play modes (aided by expansions). In the base game you can play competitive and cooperative modes, however, the game has been future proofed with the Decepticon cards where players will be able to play as Decepticons (having the Autobots as enemies and the Decepticons as purchasable cards).
Other expansions also allow for team vs. team and one vs. many. The replay-ability is also boosted by six different playable Autobots, multiple different card types such as allies, relics, and sites, as well as 6 bosses in total to fight. Due to the way the game is played it doesn't go through the deck at a rapid pace or use the whole pool of main cards during setup so you could have a different mix of cards and card types for each game.
Production:
Deck building games do not tend to have high production value as the game is mainly cards. Transformers doesn't stray too far from this norm as there are some tokens for victory points and game effect reminders. However, there is a second currency in the game called Energon that character cards and other main deck cards use for special abilities and activation. These Energon tokens could have simply been cardboard tokens, but instead, they are plastic pink cubes in two sizes. These really help to make the game stand out nicely from other deck builders.
Interaction:
The main interaction in both play modes comes from the adversaries, both the bosses and ordinary Decepticon enemies. In both modes, you are trying to defeat these enemies to end the game and make more cards available in the matrix. In the competitive mode, there is an additional sneaky layer to this. As the other player, you are trying to join the fight and reap the majority of the benefits while there. If you are within range and the active player has taken damage, then they have to accept help equal to the damage they have. As long as the helper card has range (the value in the red square) to meet the target from their location.
They can give this card to the opponent to help them defeat the enemy but will be a recipient of the victory and rewards. There are also interactions that work with both competitive and cooperative modes, including blocking for your fellow players and flipping face-down cards underneath player locations, hoping to reveal a Decepticon in wait to cause an ambush on your opponent.
Determination:
Key Points:
- Challenging rule-book (there is a revised rule book on BGG).
- Unique premise of moving on top of the card pool.
- Multiple game modes.
- Carries across a similar adversary system as the power rangers deck-building game that allows you to have a different game variety if you were to play Decepticons instead of Autobots.
- Multiple card types.
Transformers the deck-building game takes a lot of different mechanisms from other deck builders, including ongoing cards and scoring from a vault system instead of cards in a players deck. What I don't see often is this movement system that makes the card row feel engaging rather than being a static pile or a river system. This deck builder is a lot of fun that can continue over repeated plays. However, a main fault at first is the clunky rules that come with this system. This is helped by the revised rule book on BGG. The game feels like a prelude for good things to come once you buy more expansions and can play as the Decepticons. I love the adversary system in the Power Rangers deck building game, and I really enjoy that this game shares some of that material. As great as I found this game, it doesn't feel complete. I believe this will change with the darkness rising set and the coming expansions. I eagerly await to add those additions to the game and can’t wait to see how it transforms with future content.
Click...feed the addiction:
Comments
Post a Comment