Great take on the classic "war" card game
351753
Great take on the classic "war" card game. The game is played by a player choosing one of six categories in an attempt to have the card with the highest stat. It's a game that can be played with little strategy, or as you get to know the stats, played knowing where your card would fit in a category's range to improve your odds. My young kids and I enjoy playing this game whether at home or at a restaurants. The cards can take a bit of a beating and still hold up great.

While some of the stats could be better balanced, and some characters are low-powered (looking at you, Lois Lane), but in all it is great fun.
1324035
This is a fun card game we used to play back in the days before Munchkin and Flux and MTG etc....etc.... simple straight forward and funny too. you get to be the head of a country and decide how to play politics with the other countries and decide if you will be diplomatic or if you will launch the alert aircraft and prepare the NUKES!
1441372
Took this camping with my husband and daughters (ages 24 and 13) and we spent long nights learning the game and then crushing each other. It's interesting how every player picks a strategy (say bidding zero, or bidding high) and then has to temper what their natural inclination is until they get "in the zone" where they know in general how many bids they'll win or lose depending on how many cards others hold and what the chances are that--say--a jack might win a hand even if you didn't want it to.

Big fun.

The cards themselves are sturdy and cool, and though we've since played "Oh Heck" with two decks of regular cards using the same general rules, it's not as much fun as with this medieval deck, which fits with the Wizard theme better.

This did take awhile to get to me, as it was out of stock (maybe 4 weeks?) but the price was reasonable for a high-end deck of cards and they arrived in perfect condition and quickly (once shipped).
2482870
I played this at a local community game night and jumped midway into a game that was already in progress between a very age-diverse group.  I was able to pick up the rules in a minute or two and found it to be a really enjoyable game.  It was apparent that the volume of cards supplied make for significant replayability as the chance that you'll ever have the same hand twice is incredibly thin.  I can picuture this being one I teach my boys once they're 5 or 6.
2681710
We used to play this game a lot in college, and it's been on my wish list for a long time.  Playing by the rules is fun, but we didn't play that way when I started playing.  Instead, we each took a few cards and didn't look at them, placing them face down in front of us.  Then we'd go around the circle, each person drawing their top card and adding a few paragraphs to the story to work their card into it.  At the end we'd each draw an ending card and do alternate endings.  So this game doesn't have to be competitive, but it is fun to play that way too.  (Though there is a bit of a learning curve for when you're allowed to interrupt, but that's no big deal.)

The cards themselves are sturdy plastic, a little smaller than regular playing cards.  The box is a decent way to store them but keeping the ending cards separate may require a little bag for them or something.  In instructions are fairly simple and easy to understand.
3049694
I really enjoy this game. You have to pay attention to each turn and make sure you are making efficient decisions because you can shoot yourself in the foot if you make the wrong moves. It's a slow paced race that involves going forward and possibly going back if you haven't managed your hand properly. It took me quite a while to figure out what was going on but overall the rules are not that difficult. Also, if you are a history buff, this game uses actual historical characters and each character's history is taken into account for the actions their particular card allows you to take. The rule book includes short bios with the historical significance of each character which is awesome. I also really love the artwork. Very well done and great to look at. I highly recommend this game if you like a really tight game that involves efficient hand management.
1920056
There are not very many games out there that are great for two players, and this is one of them. I initially thought that since it was a "deckbuilding game" that it would be something that I would have to purchase more cards for, but the full game is included. I bought Star Realms on a recommendation from a friend when I asked him for advice on a cheap-ish game gift... then I had to buy a copy for myself too, which I've probably played 20 times. The way my friend described it, it's like the fun part a draft in Magic the Gathering, turned into its own game. The rules are fairly simple, yet there are many possible winning strategies. If you, Magic, Dominion, or trick-based card games, you'll enjoy this too. Plus, it is non-habit-forming for your wallet ;)
1664399
These are two mini expansions to Dominion.  Both are good and I recommend them.

Guilds is one of my favorite Dominion expansions.  The addition of coin tokens, which can be saved and spent later, reduces early game luck and adds more tactical choices.  Definitely try this one out!

Cornucopia is a solid addition to the game.  I like adding it to the mix, but it's not particularly memorable.  The cards reward you for having a variety of cards in your deck, rather than specializing.  It's fun to have stuff like that come out on occasion, forcing you to adjust your strategies.  However, it can lead to all players pursuing the same strategy (a little bit of everything) -- ok on occasion, but not something you want happening every game.  However, despite those criticisms, I recommend adding it into your mix!
2005809
Fantastic little filler game that has you betting on monsters in an arena and then giving them modifiers to either buff or weaken them. Buff the monsters you're betting on so that they're more powerful than the other monsters in the arena, or weaken monsters you think your opponent bet on. Play buffs on random monsters to juke your opponents into thinking you're betting on a monster that you're not...there's a lot you can do with the simple concept and gameplay of Cheaty Mages.

This is a fast playing game that's a ton of fun, easy to learn, and easy to play. The artwork is great although it definitely has a particular style about it that may not appeal to everyone. Although the game involves "betting", don't get this thinking it's like poker...you don't wager any of your gold each round, but the concept of split tickets or three way bets are here. Monsters are put out as well as a Judge that puts limitations on what spells you can play to buff or weaken monsters. You place a bet (or bets) on which monster you think will be strongest at the end of the round and then take turns playing spells on the monsters. I've played this with 2 others (3 person game) and 3 others (4 person game) and had a blast with both sizes. There's always a lot of laughter when I've played and due to its ease of teaching it's something I'll be playing with others for quite a while.
697494
This game is so simple and so fun! Anyone can pick it up in less than a couple minutes. It gives me the same sort of feeling that I get when playing a game like&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Resistance-The-2nd-Edition/dp/B008A2BA8G/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Resistance The 2nd Edition</a>, only you don't have to have a huge number of people to play it. So, that means it will hit the table far more frequently. Which is a big plus in my book. The ability to deceive your friends, and then turn around and back stab them is so fantastic! The only complaint I have about this game is that the card quality is not that great. The cards are quite thin, and seem like they will crease rather easily if not handled properly. However, I am still giving this product 5 stars due to it's low cost, quick game play, and huge amount of fun. FYI: I got it for under ten bucks at my local game store. Go get yourself a copy, you won't regret it!
86676
VERY NICE FAMILIAR GAME

Pros
Simple rules and quick turns
Variable game setup provides meaningful decisions and good variety
Great mix of strategic and tactical play

Cons:
Early planning/placement is critical
Random terrain restriction can be frustrating
Some scoring card combinations are more interesting than others
3380583
Definitely a great game that can bridge the gap between those into games and the more casual players. Lots of strategy, but always a clear and simple choice to be made. Game moves very quickly and even when you are eliminated early in a round you still find yourself playing again before long.

One downside is as soon as cards are in any way noticeably marked, you are unable to play the game as intended. At least with people observant enough to notice. I'm sure there are easy solutions, but it is something to keep in mind.
2149279
I bought this game last September 2012 for my daughters birthday, and we've played it enough that I have a pretty good feel for its entertainment value. This is easily one of the best card games I have bought for my family. We've played it far and away the most of anything else. Another game we got for Christmas 2012 might catch up to it, but Loot is still the favorite.

The basic goal of the game is to capture the merchant ships of the highest values. Nested into that simple goal is a very complex, yet highly intuitive capture system. While a younger player might need to be coached a bit on bigger strategy, it is easy enough to understand that younger children can learn to play quickly.

In the ship capture system, each player has a chance to fight for the ship by playing pirates of a specific color (there are 4). Once a color is played then no other player can play that color on that ship, but they can play that color on other ships. So a player needs to manage their cards well. If they have a ton of green cards then they might want to hold onto them to fight over a high value ship rather than waste them on lower value ones.

On the other hand, I've seen games where the player who consistently fights over lower value ships wins because the sheer number of ships they capture, even at low values, adds up to a lot of points over the whole game. You have to watch what other players are doing and act accordingly.

Trump cards are also in available in the form of Pirate Captains (one of each four colors) for offense, and a single Admiral for defense. All cards are drawn randomly from the deck, so it is possible for a player to never get a trump card or for a player to get most of them. While the overall game needs strategy to win, the acquisition of the pirate captains/admiral is very much luck.

We play it a lot, and it's been quite fun. After six months the cards are still in great shape.
4131110
For $30, this is a great buy and value. The game is fast pace, has a low learning curve, but high degree of complexity once you get the basics down which is great for replay value.

I've played CCG's like the original Star Wars game and Magic the Gathering for years. For those of you unfamiliar with the LCG model of card games it works like this: instead of buying packs containing random cards ad nauseam or paying a ridiculously inflated price for singles, you purchase this core set and expansions which include all of the cards in a given expansion or set. This means you never have to hunt for the awesome Darth Vader or Han Solo card and can just enjoy the game as it was meant to be enjoyed.

As for the game itself, it's very well designed and easy to understand. The rule book is comprehensive, detailed, and a great reference. However, there is a cover sheet right behind the rule book which directs you a YouTube tutorial by Fantasy Flight Games which will cover 90% of the content in the rulebook. There are some specific game mechanics that aren't covered in the video tutorial, but the rule book covers any gaps the tutorial has. Personally, I watched the video tutorial with a friend and we played through a game only needing to refer to the rulebook once during the game. For best results, I would suggest watching the video tutorial then reading the rule book.

Gameplay revolves around resource and unit management. The ability to customize decks is a great addition adding some creativity and experimental elements to the game.  The core set seems to be relatively balanced between the light side / dark side and the accompanying factions meaning the games aren't lopsided.

As for the feel of the game, it has elements that make it feel epic at times - especially edge battles. While I didn't find this to be an issue, one thing to be aware of is that units all interact with each other on the same 'field' sort to speak. This means that an X-Wing could be blown up by a Stormtrooper. This might be a turn off to some people if you want something more hyper realistic, but I think its a fine compromise. In this regard, I think the FFG opted to have a smoother combat element in the game rather than a hyper realistic element.

I'll say this, as someone who played both the Decipher and WotC Star Wars C/TCGs, I like this game better because it has has the same degree complexity and strategy without the problems that plagued the other games. Namely that the Decipher game's rules where overly complex and had a steep learning curve. I also think compared to the WotC game, the idea that units operative in different arenas was overly complicated and led to blow out games.

The art on the cards is beautiful. It also helps that since the game doesn't use film shots, it should be much easier to do EU material (another problem both the WotC and Decipher games ran into).

Can't recommend this game enough.
4357319
Great game and this is a great value set. I just wish it had player mats, but I made my own custom ones. Also, it would be nice if these had card descriptions directly on the cards rather than just using symbols (as done for other decks). I love this game though. Only reason I give it four stars is because the card descriptions aren't written on the card.
2149333
An excellent continuation of the original, Corporate Wars, but still completely playable on its own.  It's a strategy game that can fit in your pocket, a deck-building game without the hundreds of annoying and random booster packs, and a fun turn-based and sci-fi experience over all!
1746524
This is a great card game. It's a game that when it's over, win or lose, you want to play again. The components are really nice. The modular expansions that come with the game help tune the difficulty to something you find challenging yet manageable. I have not tried the co-op expeience, but the solitaire version is really solid. The only real downside is that you need a fair amount of space to play it, since you need to make a 6x6 card grid. Otherwise, it is a great game in a series of great games.