Warlock Tiles Town & Village Review (vs. Dwarven Forge, OpenLock, etc)

Too Long, Didn't Watch Summary: The Warlock Tiles Town & Village set is a reasonably good deal for the money, even if you are already invested in 3D printing or Dwarven Forge sets. Some features will appeal specifically to owners of 3D printed tiles. Timestamps follow below.

Warlock Tiles offer some limited compatibility with OpenLock and DragonLock 3D tiles, but in my opinion, it would be nice if they allowed 3D enthusiasts to print their own combination clips to allow even more interchangeability. The Dwarven Forge City System is a bit more than twice as expensive than Warlock Tiles Town & Village, and Warlock Tiles offer more versatility, but do not have the same enclosed exterior presentation that Dwarven Forge buildings offer. In a sense, the two systems have different goals -- Warlock Tiles for interior playability and Dwarven Forge for an outdoor village or city display.

You can view more about OpenLock and DragonLock offerings here.

00:00  Intro
00:35  Warlock Tiles description
01:40  Town & Village box contents
07:00  Tile system using magnets and clips
09:05  How much can you build with the Town & Village box 
10:05  Using Warlock Tiles with 3D printed dungeon tiles
11:00  You can use Warlock Tiles with OpenLock and DragonLock
13:08  Warlock clip force issue
15:22  Standout Feature: Interior Walls and Doors
16:30  Example layouts using Town & Village box
16:45  Using the interior walls and doors to easily alter your layout
19:05  Using the interior walls with OpenLock or DragonLock
21:00  OpenLock and Warlock tile compatibility
22:00  Half height walls vs. full height walls
24:30  Thin doors and walls will also appeal to 3D printing enthusiasts
25:40  Warlock Tiles vs. Dwarven Forge City System
32:20  Warlock Tiles vs. OpenLock and DragonLock
34:30  Warlock Tile Pros
36:20  Warlock Tile Cons
41:40  Warlock Tile Mystery Notch
47:35  Wrapping Up
50:00  Owlbear Approved -- Please Like and Subscribe!

HeroQuest: Should you back it?

 In today's video I look at the Hasbro reprint of the HeroQuest board game.

For those who are not certain about backing the new crowd-funded reprint, I do a broad comparison between the HeroQuest mechanics (as we know them from the Milton Bradley version) and other popular dungeon crawlers such as the D&D board games (Ashardalon, Drizz't, Ravenloft, etc), Dungeon!, Talisman, Descent, and Gloomhaven. This is not a deep discussion of gameplay, but I do talk about the broad differences between the various offerings. 

I also discuss the variety of miniatures and quest options that will be offered in the difference pledge tiers. Hopefully, I will present you with enough of a picture that you are better able to decide if it worth your money. Reference time stamps follow below the video.

00:00  Introduction
01:00  Why crowd funding?
01:50  Mass market vs. niche market
05:13  What kind of consumer are you?
06:52  HeroQuest mechanics summary
08:00  HeroQuest is almost a roleplaying game.
13:08  Mechanical complexity versus other dungeon crawl board games.
13:35  Dungeon!
14:20  D&D board games - Wrath of Ashardalon, Legend of Drizz't, Castle Ravenloft, Temple of Elemental Evil, etc.
15:18  Descent: Journeys in the Dark
15:55  Gloomhaven
16:55  Where does HeroQuest sit in the dungeon crawl game hierarchy?
19:35  Who is the best audience for HeroQuest?
22:35  HeroQuest is probably a better dungeon crawler for the younger gamer.
23:12  HeroQuest is less strategically deep and more random.
25:18  Modern dungeon crawlers might be better for a more strategic group of players.

25:58  But... what about the value of the box contents?
26: 20  Base game: 9 Hero minis, 31 Monsters, 30 bits of dungeon dressing.
28:33  Game mechanics aside, the miniatures are a good deal.
29:30  The selection of miniatures is good for any fantasy TTRPG.
32:15  The $150 level is harder to justify, but it comes with a lot of play content.
33:30  Do you back it?
35:55  Wrapping up

Gloomhaven - https://amzn.to/3ipWr28 Descent - https://amzn.to/2EZtUDe D&D board games - https://amzn.to/33lUpfq Talisman - https://amzn.to/2SmJOus Dungeon! - https://amzn.to/3jsFBBo

Review: Tiny Epic Dinosaurs

In today's video, I discuss Tiny Epic Dinosaurs, the new worker-placement and resource management board game from Gamelyn Games. In Tiny Epic Dinosaurs, you construct a ranch and raise dinosaurs to sell to... well, dinosaur zoos, I suppose. You must balance the breeding of dinosaurs against the resources they consume as well as keep your ranch outfitted in order to house all the beasts. It has mechanics similar to other worker placement games such as Stone Age, Viticulture, or Lords of Waterdeep... but with dinosaurs! 

 While Tiny Epic Dinosaurs is still pre-order from the Gamelyn Games web site, [what appear to be] Kickstarter copies are starting to show up in retail such as here: https://amzn.to/3gX16YU 

 You should probably jump on that price while you can!

If this video was helpful or entertaining, please Like and Subscribe to help me out a bit.

Review: Monster Scenery Terrain

In today's video, I review Monster Scenery from MonsterFightClub.com. I discuss the three sets I ordered through their Kickstarter (now available to the general public) and measure their usability and value as compared to other popular terrain (*cough* Dwarven Forge *cough*).

If this video was helpful or entertaining, please Like and Subscribe to help me out a bit.

Review: Hero Forge Miniatures (2020)

It's been over five years since my very first review of Hero Forge custom miniatures... and a lot has changed in that time.

In addition to 3D printing technology improving, Hero Forge has significantly upped its game in its character building options and resin offerings. In this video, I look back and what was and review the latest entry level "Plastic" model I ordered from their site. Gallery shots after the video.

If this video is helpful for you, please LIKE and subscribe. The previous "Premium Plastic" review is here.

BattleTech and Alpha Strike Overview

In this video, I do a brief overview and comparison of BattleTech and Alpha Strike, as well as spend some time looking at miniatures old and new in the introductory box sets. I also note why I think Alpha Strike may be a better introduction for new players into the BattleTech universe. This is meant as a broad introduction to both games for an unfamiliar player. I don't get into the nitty gritty of mechanics and lore (of which there is a lot).

Addendum: There is a BattleTech RPG (BattleTech: A Time of War and the out-of-print MechWarrior RPG) that I was going to note briefly in the video, but forgot. I do not have experience with the RPG. I have only played the miniature skirmish games, so I don't have any particular insight into the RPG.

** LOCUST!  -- I had bugs on the brain and couldn't get past "Cicada".

Ep 10: Running the Giant Lairs - Running Storm King's Thunder

In Episode 10, I summarize events in my game after Kraken's Gamble and then dive into the challenges I faced running Grud Haug, Lyn Armaal, and Iron Slag. The first half is plot details specific to my game (i.e. - ideas for yours). My discussion on challenges running the enclaves starts around 29:00. Timestamps after the video below. 

00:00 Intro

01:00 Pacing Challenge

01:38 Summary of My Campaign

01:50 Yartir / Kracken's Gamble

05:25 Harshnag Set Up

06:48 Yartir Redux

07:15 Aboleths and Villain Contingencies

10:00 Eye of the All Father, Harshnag, & Zephyros

12:50 Frost Giant Subplot

18:15 Grud Haug - Focus on Prisoners

19:28 Lyn Armaal

22:30 Rescuing Felgelos

23:54 The Dark Side of Felgelos

25:40 A Surprising Turn

29:00 Challenges DMing Giant Enclaves

29:30 Grud Haug

30:42 Lyn Armaal Constraints

37:35 Iron Slag Issues

40:54 What To Do When Things Go Bad

41:22 Alternatives to a TPK

45:15 Keeping Players Focussed on Goals

47:00 Summing Up

49:36 Outtro