Smash-Up Card Game

[Ahriman238]

Here's a shuffle-build that's fast and simple, and still a lot of fun.

You deal out a number of base cards, X+1 where X is the number of players. Each base card has a base limit, 3 different point values and a special rule. You play minions with a specific power number on the bases, when the combined power numbers of all minions equals the base limit it breaks or "scores" and you divvy up points. The three point values are for the person with the most power on the base, the runner-up and third place.

So for instance there's a base called the World Brain, limit 18, points: 4, 2, 1. Special is all minion on the base get a +1 to power.

The fun part is there are lots of 20 card faction decks, you pick two and shuffle them together. Factions like ninjas, pirates, wizards, fairies, spies etc. With the exception of robots, most of these are half minions and half actions. Action accomplish something or alter the rules, some can be attached to a specific minion or base, some have ongoing global effects, most are one-shots. Minions usually have some kind of ability that activates when they play, some are ongoing, some are specials that interrupt when a base breaks but before you divvy the points (a few actions are like that too) but most are one-offs.

Watch a demo play Here.

My brother described this as like Munchkin without the annoying bits. I recently got this and two of the three expansions.

I love how each faction has abilities that you can sort of see, like zombies can keep playing cards from the discard pile, and a couple of combinations are just broken.

As far as I know, there's no plot beyond "here's all these factions battling for world domination! Isn't it awesome!"


So factions, starting with core.

Ninjas kill other minions and dogpile a base between the breaking and the point division, letting you hop over the competition.

Pirates move around a lot, letting them be played scattered but then concentrate on a base. A few abilities can also move other player's minions and kill large numbers of weak minions.

Wizards are summoners, everything with them is "draw more cards, play more cards."

Robots have only two actions cards and instead have both normal power cards and tons of weak minions called microbots with enmeshing support abilities like "draw a card every time a microbot dies" and my favorite, Microbot Alpha "All microbots get +1 power. All your minions now count as microbots."

Dinosaurs have lasers, for whatever reason. They're all about brute strength including the strongest card in the game, King Rex. All their actions are buffs except a couple to kill enemy minions.

Zombies have minions that can waltz out of the discard pile, minions that let you play extra minions from the discard pile, and actions that let you bring minions out of the discard pile into play.

Aliens keep forcing other players to return cards to their hand, or letting you do the same. And they have a card, the Invader that gives you a free point (no base-creaking required the only such card) every time you play it. If you draw the Invader early you can pretty much loop it through play faster than everyone else can get points off bases.

Fairies (the rulebook calls them Tricksters, but damnit, they're Fairies) excel in making other players tear out their hair. Their main focus is forcing others to discard cards, but they can also shut factions out of bases and protect themselves from getting axed.


Then Awesome Level 9000;

Ghosts are the one faction I can't seem to make effective with anyone else. Their specials and actions mostly make you discard. There's a few minions with sweet abilities that only work if you have a hand of two cards or less (difficult when you draw two after each turn) and one super-broken Possession that lets you steal a minion indefinitely but has to be the last card in your hand for you to play it.

Killer Plants either have lots of power they can't use right away, or let you draw/play more cards and the weakest Sprouts can be sacrificed to search your deck for slightly stronger replacements.

Bear Cavalry have some kill other minions, but mostly let you move other people's minions around, keeping them from scoring or tipping a base you're strong on over the limit without having more power than you.

Steampunk have lots of actions and buffs that attach to bases, and minions with related abilities, like "play an extra action that attaches to a base from the discard pile" or "+1 power for every action on this base."


Sci-Fi Double Feature;

Cyborg Apes have a lot in common with Steampunk, they're all about actions and buffs that attach to minions and minions that get benefit from these actions.

Shapeshifters can duplicate the strength or special abilities of other player's minions. Some you can sacrifice to search your deck for a card to replace them.

Spies are totally broken in a control sense, letting you look at the top cards of your deck and arrange them as you like, or peeking at other's top cards and sending them to the bottom of the deck if you dislike. Two of their most broken are the Secret Agent, who makes everyone else discard a card each time they play an action, and the Base is Not Enough, which lets them hijack a minion when a base scores.

Time Agents can also rescue from the discard pile, though their rescues tend to get shuffled back into the deck or placed in your hand rather than directly into play.

[TronPaul]

I've played it. It was pretty fun. The various mechanics can get a bit confusing, especially when playing for the first time. It's really hard to prevent opponents from getting points when you don't know what their deck will do.

[Venator]

Big fan - it's one of our go-to games for two (or a small gathering).

You did miss the Obligatory Cthulu Set (yeah, it's really called that), though I find you're not missing too much. Each faction (Elder Things, Innsmuth, Miskatonic, Cultists) has its own unique twists and it introduces a Madness deck, but it just never found it as fun as the base set or Awesome Level 9000 - haven't played Double Feature.