Milton Bradley used to make games that were about as much fun to set up and look at as they were to play. Remember Broadsides and Boarding Parties?These were often middle-to-low-complexity strategy games that allowed adults to indulge their inner child and allow themselves one last game of toy soldiers.Alas, very few of these games are still available and many strategy gaming afficionados have moved on to the lush wooden pieces of German games.Suddenly, and seemingly out of nowhere, Milton Bradley has released Heroscape, a game that uses MB's past a springboard to its future (I hope).
What you get: Well, for one you get a VERY heavy box filled with assorted plastic terrain tiles which can be manipulated in a myriad of ways snapped together side-by-side or stacked.You also get over 30 nicely painted and detailed miniature figures. In many ways it's worth the relatively low cost of the game just to get the tiles and the figures as both are wonderfully made.You also get army cards (which explain what each character is capable of and how much damage each can inflict and absorb) along with dice for combat rolls and a few other necessary but standard markers.Here's the bad news: the box all of this wonderful stuff comes in is woefully inadequate.It's cheap and flimsy, so don't expect to get everything back in the box once you open it. I've managed to get everything except the figures back in the box, but that's only after considerable effort.
Heroscape features two sets of rules: a Basic Game set and an Advanced Game set.I see no reason to ever play the Basic Game unless you're introducing the game to a younger child. The Basic Game is just that BASIC. There's little incentive for strategy.That's where the Advanced Game comes in. The Advanced version includes much more detail, including character and terrain height rules and the use of glyphs strategic areas of the gameboard that allow rule bending and breaking.
The creators of the game have kindly included several scenarios to help get you set up and going with the Advanced game, but even with these you should plan on taking a little while to get set up.Once you get the gameboard configured for one of the scenarios you should probably plan on playing either one very extended game or several shorter ones using the same map as it will take quite a bit of time to take the board apart and reconfigure it for another scenario.
Is Heroscape worth the time and trouble? Absolutely!!! This is a fun and engaging game right out of the box. At this point there's nothing to collect (hopefully things will stay this way) so every player is on equal footing.It's clear to see that Milton Bradley has big plans for Heroscape, so look to see numerous expansion packs hit the shelves in the near future. Numerous fan sites are already popping up as well, promising a near-limitless variety of fan-created scenarios.
The problems with packaging notwithstanding, Heroscape is a real gem of a game.Buy it and encourage Milton Bradley to keep producing these plastic monstrosities for the kid inside all of us.
Upon opening the box I found about 30 well detailed minatures.I mean, MB REALLY did a good job on the detail.They were sitting on a little plastic tray on top of all the terrain pieces and all the other game parts.
In the under lairs was a big bag containing all the terrain pieces tightly packed in.Along with marker pieces, and all the cardboard unit descriptions all in this box.
The terrain pieces stack on each other kinda like a giant lego brick to build your terrain.This part is half the fun of playing the game provided you and your buddies have the time.
After setup of the first map, we reviewed both the basic ruleset and the full ruleset.We decided to play the full ruleset.We were playing two on two as a sort of team game so each of us got to pick up to 300 points of squads an heroes from the available unit pile, taking turns untill we either reached 300 or less.
The game raged on for about 3 hours with giant robots shooting down vikings, Secret agents dodging almost every long-range attack out there, and an elven archer becomming the hero of the day by taking out the enemies with his superior range.
When we finished the game we discussed our strategy for picking units.My team was the victor eventhough almost all our units were ranged.This left us open to many of the fast-moving melee guys that would wipe out our units quickly, but not quick enough i guess.I would suggest that we Pick a few long range units with some melee people to keep the others at bay next time around.
We had an excellent time playing this game and cannot wait untill the expansion packs come out so we can add more units in.Commandoes, Robots, roman centurions and Orcs are what is going to come down the pike next.
This is the crazy part... All the pieces are HARD to get back into the same box after taking them out but i managed.
Overall an excellent purchase for 40 bucks i paid at Wallyworld, but it is cheaper here on Amazon.You get LOTS of well detailed plastic parts, no cardboard except for the unit cards.The rules are well thought out and based on the Heroquest/Battlemasters rules loseley.
Only thing that i would relly like to see extra would be some sort of official expansion rules for leveling up your units in multiple combats or maybey some more terrain decoration pieces like the castle walls.
Buy Hasbro Heroscape Master Set: Rise of the Valkyrie Now
I had to come write this review in praise of this wonderful game that has captivated my family for the days now.I am a veteran D&D player and grew up playing Risk, Titan, Axis and Allies, etc.I'm now 31 and have three kids aged 7,5 and 3.I've wanted to find a way to share my love of games with my kids, but it's hard to find something that will catch all their interest.This game is the perfect solution!The game is advertised for kids 8+, but I'm telling you the my 5.5 year old can play the advanced rules (with my assistance) and she loves it.My 8 year old is already begging for the chance to play again.Even the 3 year old sits and "plays" with us for literally hours by pretending to play and moving around some of the spare pieces.My wife, who doesn't like games too much, actually played today with us and said she enjoyed it and will play again.I'm telling you that if SHE liked the game then ANYONE will like it.
The basic rules are ultra-simple.Each hero/villian figurine has a corresponding card that tells you how many spaces the figure can move and how many dice it rolls to attack (red dice) or defend (blue dice).My five year old completely understood the basic rules within 5 minutes because the hero cards and dice are color coded so she didn't have to read words to understand the rules.She knows her colors and can count--the only real prerequisites for the basic game. The figurines "battle" by rolling red dice for the attacker and blue dice for the defender.The red dice either have skulls or blank faces and the blue dice have shields or blank faces.If the red dice have more skulls than the blue shields then the attacker wins and the defending unit is removed from the game.It's that simple.Really.
The advanced rules add simple special abilities to each individual hero.I thought that these would be too complex for the kids to understand, but after the first time playing with the basic rules, my 8 year old son was already reading the advanced rules and perusing all the hero cards learning about their special attacks and powers.He was totally excited about which powers he liked best.We played for 5 hours straight the first day and about 4 hours the next day and then 3 hours today.I can't wait for more either.
The game is visually beautiful.The board consists of interlocking plastic hex pieces which are very sturdy and seem to me like they would last a long time without breaking.The hero figurines are also beautiful and appear to be airbrushed in terms of their detailing.Very attractive.The heros are all from different genres, vikings, dragons, men-in-black, the Matix, robots, etc.My 3 year old likes the "big robot", my 5 year old girl likes the Valkyrie (and oddly the duo of robot warriors).My older son likes the men-in-black.Something for everyone.
The game is never the same twice which makes for exciting replayability.There are an infinite combinations of ways to build the game board and different combinations of heroes to use.One game scenario was a basic slug-fest where you just had to wipe out the enemy army.Then another involved escorting a "secret spy" to a certain location on the board while the enemy team tried to find the spy and eliminate him.Online, fans are posting their own homemade game scenarios which include the instructions for building the specific game board (sort of like lego instructions, very easy to follow) and the rules for that game.There will be endless fun games to keep you entertained for a loooooooong time.
The game encourages strategic thinking and planning.My kids are so funny as they try to strategize about where to move the figures and which enemy figures to attack.They are really thinking and working at the game (in a good way).They also are learning about odds and probability, how to read, how to follow directions (to construct the hex board maps).I think there is real learning value here.
There are many add-on packs that you can buy with new figurines with their own new special powers.(...)I was surprised.My son is now reading books to earn an expansion pack of his choice.Not bad, eh?
In summary, this is a very simple game with lots of strategy that can be grasped even by the youngest school-aged kids.You can make the game as simple as you want or as complex.Adults could play this game seriously too and it would be just as fun.There is lots of room for customization and "house rules".You can combine multiple sets to make a huge game board and have a great battle-royale in your living room.
Best of all, the game appeals to so many interests.Most people will enjoy the game on some level and so it has broad appeal.I think it is the hands-down overall best "board" game I've ever played.And I'm a game fanatic, and have played tons of games over the years.It strikes the perfect balance between luck and strategy, board game and roleplaying game, not too short but not too long play time (per game), and yet is affordable and highly attractive.
Go buy this game now. Enjoy.
Read Best Reviews of Hasbro Heroscape Master Set: Rise of the Valkyrie Here
[Update: Hasbro moved the Heroscape line to its Wizards of the Coast subsidiary, and they subsequently killed the product line (as of late 2010).They are selling off the remaining product they have, but there are currently no plans to produce more.As such, sets like this one will become much harder to get, demanding higher prices through online retailers and auction sites.If you can get your hands on a set (or two, or three), I still recommend doing so.The game is a lot of fun.My family and I were sad to hear it was discontinued.We've written in to ask Wizards of the Coast to reinstate it.If you're a fan of the game, please consider doing the same.]
There are already plenty of great reviews for this game, but it is so much fun that I **must** add one more.Instead of repeating everything everyone else has said, I hope to add some unique tips and observations to help you get the most of this great game.
GAME MECHANICS AND RULES
The only time I questioned my purchase was when I opened the box and found the 28-page game manual (rules book).Don't let it scare you.
The first two (2) pages show off coming attractions, introduce the game world (the story behind the game), and the table of contents.
Three (3) pages cover the Basic Game rules.They are full of large color illustrations and everything is explained quite well.The Basic Game was fantastic fun by itself, and even the youngest players in my home were able to play under these rules right away.
Ten pages cover the advanced, or Master Game rules.Again, loads of large color photos and illustrations make this section easy to digest.The advanced rules are just an expansion of the basic rules, with some additional caveats and features added to the mix.As presented, they are pretty easy to pick up if you know the basic game.
The final tweleve (12) pages present five different game scenarios that you can use to get started.
This game has very simple game mechanics.Combat is very similar to Risk, and the advanced game introduces special abilities that remined me of Magic the Gathering.If you like either of those games, you're sure to love this one.
PLAYING SPACE
You will need more space to play this game than you do for a typical board game.I tried setting up the first battle field (game scenario) from the book, Table of the Giants, on a 30" x 30" table.Even set diagonally on the table, the completed battlefield extended at least 10" off the end of the table.I had to run a long piece of cardboard under it to keep it from falling.You can create other play areas that take less space, but I will definately set this one up on our dining room table next time.I am already looking forward to adding extra tiles to make even bigger battlefields!
STORING THE PLAY PIECES
Having read other reviews before making my purchase, I knew many noted that putting the pieces away was difficult if not impossible.Save yourself some trouble by numbering the plastic shell which holds the pieces, and place corresponding numbers on the underside of each figure's base.This will make putting the figures away a breeze.The big dragon in the Master Set is an exception--once its wings are attached, disassembly is not recommended (risk of breakage).I found a spot on a bookshelf for the dragon, but if it does not fit with your idea of decor, just find a place in a closet or another out-of-the-way location.
KIDS YOUNGER THAN 8 CAN PLAY!
I spent nearly a full day playing once I first opened the box.Each one of my school age kids and my wife all wanted a turn to play the basic game.The youngest player just turned six and is a pre-reader (he recognizes some letters and all of his numbers).He was able to play with no problems.Since the Army Cards (the cards that detail the attributes of each figurine) have color coded information for Move, Range, Attack, and Defense, it took only moments for him to associate the color with the number he needed (e.g. the number in the Red area told him how many Attack dice he neede to roll).This was a pleasant surprise, and it lets me enjoy this game with the majority of my children.The older ones quickly moved on to the advanced game.
WHEN THEY SAY TWO OR MORE PLAYERS, THEY REALLY MEAN IT!!!
Battles with three, four, five, or even more armies are possible.Given a large enough play area and enough figures/Army Cards, you could conceivably have an en masse battle royal.With eight kids, I'm looking forward to 10-way battles in a few years.For now, we'll have to settle for 7-way conflicts!
THERE IS AN ACTIVE FAN BASE
This means that there are lots of other folks out there who love this game and are making resources available to enhance your playing experience.You can vist either the official […] site, or fan sites like […] to view new scenarios, maps, and connect with other players about rules and strategy.Having an established fan base will keep this game going a long time, and will ensure lots of fun variants for years to come.
THIS GAME IS FANTASTIC FUN! Don't pass it up.You won't regret it.I let six months go by before I decided to pay the seemingly high price for this game.I don't regret it one bit!Had I known it would be this much fun for my entire family, I would have gladly paid twice as much!
UPDATES (12/08)
We've been playing HeroScape for about three years now.
We don't play it as often as we did at first (in part because of the long setup/teardown time, and in part because of now having two additional children--giving us four preschoolers in the house), but it is still a favorite on long weekends.
We've picked up additional sets and expansions, but still play with only a single master set when we want a quicker game, or when the boys are teaching their friends how to play.
We know another family that likes to play, and it has made for some fun weekends together.
I keep my master set in the original packaging when not in use, and my sets are still in great condition. My youngest sons have had some issues taking care of theirs, but inexpensive ($5) plastic toolboxes helped them keep track of their figures.
I bought cheap ($1) CD wallets (that have sleeves for CDs) and keep my cards in them.
You can print replacement cards at the HeroScape website if you lose any of the originals (we lost some when our basement flooded this past spring).
Want Hasbro Heroscape Master Set: Rise of the Valkyrie Discount?
Let me start off by saying that I find most board games boring and I am not a D&D gamer.This game looks like a D&D game, but plays much easier and is really fun.Never mind setting up the suggested scenarios that come with the instructions, just make your own terrains!Add or subtract rules as you see fit.Make a few custom units and terrain.You can do it all!The game comes with two sets of rules, simple and advanced... I tend to play the game with my son using a mix of the two.This game is great for everyone!Only problems with it are as follows:1) You'll need to buy a big container to hold everything because you'll never get it all back in the original packaging.
2) You'll spend too much time and money obsessing over and acquiring the many expansion packs.
Otherwise, this game is revolutionary for board gaming!
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