It isn’t the sort of thing you bring out on a weeknight when you’re half tired and not paying full attention. This is the type of game you play when you’re alert and ready for a brain workout. This is great in the sense that you have a lot of important decisions to make, but it’s also punishing because failure to optimize even one aspect of your play can have disastrous consequences. Whichever side you’re playing, you have a variety of troops and weapons to manage and move. Boy, did it ever.Īs I noted above, there is a lot going on in this game. My favorites include Claustrophobia and Raptor but, as great as those games are, I was hoping that Stronghold would deliver a heavier, meatier experience. If both sides play very differently, then I’m thrilled to bits. I’m a fan of two-player asymmetrical games. This is a review of the second edition, only. Let me start out by saying that I never played the first edition of this game, so this review will not attempt to compare or differentiate the two. Take a Strong Hold on This One, Or Let It Go? If all seven turns pass and the Invader has not breached the Stronghold, the Defender wins. If the Advantage is higher than the overall strength of the Defender, the Invader breaches the Stronghold and the game is over. Those units are either killed or moved to the hospital (Defender only). The result is called the “Advantage.” The player with the lower strength loses the combat and loses units equal to the Advantage. Cauldrons, poles, orders, and strength resolution all are deployed during melee combat.Īfter melee combat is complete, the strength of the Invader and Defender units is tallied and compared. Once ranged combat is complete, melee combat begins. Ranged combat takes place first in the following order: Cannons, siege machines, and, finally, marksmen. Play goes back and forth until all actions are completed. (Actions can be completed more quickly by using stronger units, but slower units require more time, thus increasing or decreasing the number of hourglasses that your opponent receives.) The Defender then spends the hourglasses he receives in order to complete his own actions. After each action, the Invader gives the Defender a number of hourglasses equal to the amount of time required to complete that action, plus any extra hourglasses required by the action card. The gorgeous board.Įach Invader action takes place over a period of time, and time is represented in the game by hourglasses. The Defender has the use of the buildings inside the fortress, so his actions may include building weapons and fortifications in the forge and workshop, training scouts, placing marksmen and sharpshooters in the spires of the cathedral, training troops in the barracks, and healing units in the hospital. The Defender, on the other hand, uses his actions to prepare/conduct his defense of the fortress. These include gaining supplies, building siege machines, equipping and training units, invoking shaman rituals (because, you know, orcs gotta pray before combat), maneuvering units into position and issuing orders to those units. If all seven turns are played and the Stronghold isn’t breached, the Defender wins the game.Ī little more information: The Invader’s actions all revolve around preparing for the assault on the fortress. The game ends immediately if/when the Invader breaches the Stronghold, even if all seven turns have not been completed. Once all combat is resolved, a new turn begins. Once all Invader and Defender action phases are complete, the assault begins, using the weapons and troops placed during the action phases. After every Invader action, the Defender has a chance to take his actions. During each turn, players alternately take a series of actions which are determined by the cards in play. The very basic synopsis: An entire game of Stronghold consists of no more than seven turns. Instead, let me just give you an overview of what the game feels like. Stronghold is a long and involved game, so I will not even attempt to list and explain every rule, action, and phase. Her horde of goblins, orcs, and trolls are trying to take the fortress from the Defender. One player is the Defender, attempting to defend his medieval fortress. Stronghold is an asymmetrical two-player game. Well, maybe you can be surprised (most people would be if such an army showed up), but you’d still better be ready to defend yourself. So you can’t be surprised when a horde of orcs, trolls, and goblins shows up to take over your happy little domain. It’s no wonder, then, that there are some on the outside who covet your lifestyle and hate you just because you have what they don’t. Inside your fortress, you’ve got a church, hospital, livestock, gardens, and all kinds of workshops to provide and produce everything you need to keep you healthy and happy. You’re secure, living behind your solid walls.
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