10 x 10 Challenge #11: 100 Swords - Game #5

Following on from my previous post, I got back on the 10 x 10 Challenge this morning; rounding off the last of the 100 Swords games that will include The Red Dragon's Dungeon, whilst breaking out The Darkness Dungeon Builder Set (DBS) for the first time.

In my last post I made a few assumptions and predictions regarding just how I thought the addition of this DBS might affect play. But where they accurate?

How did this Dungeon Builder Set change gameplay?

In short, no. Not even close. Whilst there where indeed a good few cards with the hide effect in this new DBS; none of those cards really seemed to amount to anything in the game that I played. The dungeon was also completely revealed on eight occasions this time! Which was not only completely unexpected but also seemed to throw the theme of this DBS completely out of the window.

In fairness, one of the reveals was as a result of several cards chain reacting; so I can almost let that go. That still leaves me with seven occasions to account for however, which is on par with The Chroma Dragon's Dungeon Builder Set. A set which is geared (or so I assumed it was), to reveal more of the dungeon over the course of a game.

Ultimately this leaves me wondering exactly what these DBS' do. Not to be overly critical of a game that I enjoy but, these two sets played almost identically.. So what's the point in owning both?

I suppose from my point of view there is the completionist aspect of ownership (although as I didn't kickstart this game, I am missing the two cards associated with being a backer); and I also like the idea of owning as many of the available cards as possible for when I build my own custom dungeon decks. If neither of these notions bother you though, I can well imagine you'd be left scratching your head as to what the point in purchasing both was.

So which of the two DBS' would I recomend?

Based upon the two games I played, I would have to hand victory to The Darkness.

Whilst there are no immediate differences (or so it seems) in the gameplay between the two expansions; there are in my opinion more interesting things going on in The Darkness. The Altar of Darkness for example is an obstacle that you almost certainly won't want to clear. There is no real need to! It isn't impassable, so it being in the dungeon isn't going to get in your way; and its ability can be really useful in thinning out your deck.

Then there is the introduction of a "bane item". A one-shot item that can kill the boss outright.

The Darkness Dungeon Builder Set is the first to introduce this concept in the series, and it's a real point in its favor. Having this option makes the boss stand out amongst its peers, in the same way that The Magic Computer being the first boss to be an item instead of a monster set it apart from those I had previously faced. It's small things like this that keep things interesting.

Win, lose, or draw?

I managed to rack up another victory, beating the A.I 56 to 49 Gold.

What's next?

Honestly, I'm not too sure. On the one-hand I am eager to press on with 100 Swords; with a view to ticking off the first game in my 10 x 10 Challenge. On the other hand however, variety is the spice of life.

Hmmmm, maybe I'll just roll a dice or toss a coin and go with whatever it comes up with; as I'll be quite happy whatever game I wind up playing off my list.

10 x 10 Challenge #10: 100 Swords - Game #4

Realising that I was getting behind on the commitment that I had made to the 10 x 10 Challenge, and just how much ground I still had to cover to achieve what I was setting out to achieve; I set aside a couple of hours yesterday to get some quality gaming in.

Picking up where I left off with 100 Swords, it was the turn of The Chroma Dragon's Dungeon Builder Set (DBS) to be combined with The Red Dragon's Dungeon. As with the previous two games where I had added a DBS to the The Red Dragon's Dungeon, I replaced the boss from the dungeon deck with the boss from the DBS. A dragon for a dragon in this case. 

How did this Dungeon Builder Set change gameplay?

Well it did introduce the vaporise effect, which was new to me; but as the A.I took the only card that carried this ability it had no impact what so ever on the game I played.

One bizarre thing that did keep occurring during this game however was the dungeon being constantly revealed in it's entirety. Seven times during this game by my count, which based on my previous experience of playing 100 Swords is almost unheard of.

The theme of this DBS is however light, so I suspect that it is by design that so much of the dungeon is being revealed with such frequency. Well, that along with a few other environmental factors. For example, there are more cards with reveal effects in the dungeon deck I am using than there are with hide effects; so The Red Dragon's Dungeon is by default weighted towards revealing cards (if only slightly).

Then there is the A.I, which reveals the first and last card in the dungeon every turn (if you haven't already done so); which coupled with my aggressive play style would often see at least half the dungeon being revealed every turn as I push on through it, trying to work out which cards I want to target for drafting in the next turn.

So whilst the Chroma Dragon's DBS cannot be said to be solely responsible for the dungeon being completely revealed almost every turn, I certainly think that there is some correlation between its introduction and the sudden increase in the number of times we're seeing only face up cards in the dungeon, at the end of a turn.

Win, lose, or draw?

It was another player win, scoring 49 Gold to the 39 taken by the A.I.

What's next?

Next up is the final outing for The Red Dragon's Dungeon in the 10 x 10 Challenge, where it will be combined with The Darkness Dungeon Builder Set. Something that I am suspecting will be akin to the yin of the Chroma Dragon's yang. More hiding effects are almost a given, but what else will it yield?

Time to get shuffling and to find out!

10 x 10 Challenge #9: 100 Swords - Games #2 And #3

One good thing to come out of yesterday's kerfuffle and letdown, was suddenly finding that I had some free
time on my hands. Quite a rarity at the moment with how hard I've been pushing to get myself back into work these past couple of weeks.

Being quite the scarcity, there was no way I was wasting it; and given that I had been hankering to do some gaming for days, I knew exactly how to unwind. I also saw it as a prime opportunity to tick a couple of more games off of my 10 x 10 Challenge.

Up this time was a return to The Red Dragon's Dungeon, but the dragon wasn't home. Instead the Glowing Plasmapede & Magic Computer had taken up residence; bringing their pals to the party. These were games that I had been looking forward to playing since I took on the challenge, as whilst I had played a few games of The Red Dragon's Dungeon prior; I hadn't yet  introduced any of the Dungeon Builder Sets.

First up, The Red Dragon's Dungeon combined with The Glowing Plasmapede's Dungeon Builder Set.

The introduction of this Dungeon Builder Set (DBS), didn't seem to change the flow of the game; but it was interesting to see some new cards in the dungeon. Something that was a first however, was the Awkward Sword actually being useful; giving me just the boost I needed to take down a Torch Skeleton.

I was also able to make good use of the Sleepy Potion to manipulate the Space Guardian, and therefore the dungeon to ensure that the A.I didn't get the best of the loot.The fungus at the front door issue that I encountered in the last game (which screwed me over royally), happened again; but learning from the experience I took the initiative and killed it the very turn after it wound up there.

The session ended with me facing down the Glowing Plasmapede, which I had no difficulty in taking down thanks to a favorable draw. That said, I had drawn pretty well all game; which meant I had a whole deck full of pretty impressive swords.

One thing that I did find a little weird about this setup was the boss itself. It has a strength identical to that of the Red Dragon, with some additional requirements to defeat it; but is worth less Gold (VP). Not that it really mattered in this particular game, as I beat the A.I on Gold, 55 to 43.

Next up was The Red Dragon's Dungeon, combined with The Magic Computer's Dungeon Builder Set.

This one changed the tempo of the game considerably. One of the cards in this set provides you with additional energy, when you use it for energy; whilst another discounts all of your future energy expenditure during your turn, making items easier to retrieve. Unlike the previous two configurations, the Magic Computer is both a boss and an item.

So the emphasis in this DBS is all about recovering as many items from the dungeon as possible, and it gives you the perfect tools to do just that.

Another new feature added by this DBS is the introduction of cards worth negative points. This didn't really impact my game, as the item that introduces this effect (the same item which discounts all energy expenditure during the turn in which it is played) came out within the first couple of turns; so I easily offset its penalty. In fact, thanks to it the dungeon was completely cleared at the end of one of the turns. Something extremely rare to see in my experience.

The game ended with the A.I taking out the boss, and me winning 55 Gold to 46. Remarkably close to the score of the previous game; which suggests to me that the two sets are incredibly well balanced.

It'll be interesting to see if the last two Dungeon Builder Sets are as balanced, and just how they change the flow of the game. The Glowing Plasmapede's Dungeon Builder Set did very little to the core gameplay, whilst the Magic Computer shifted the emphasis towards items over monsters.

Oh I wonder what wonders await us.

10 x 10 Challenge #8: 100 Swords - Game #1 - Part #2

Following on from my last 100 Swords post for the 10 x 10 Challenge; we pick up the action with a mushroom blocking the entrance to a dungeon literally littered with loot.

Knowing that I needed to get rid of the Mushroom at the entrance sooner rather than later, I hoped for a good draw.. I did not get it. Instead I got a Crappy Sword, the Awkward Sword (which is so much worse than a Crappy Sword), 2 pairs of Boots, and the Wither Sword. The problem here is again much as it was in the previous turn. In order to take out that pain in the ass fungus, I am going to have to expend several cards (1 to move to it, and 2 to slay it), which will leave me with very little in the way of resources to do anything else this turn. So I took the slightly more economical (but less permanent) of renting out the potion again and giving the Mushroom 40 winks. Using the remaining Boots and the Crappy Sword in my hand, I moved into the second chamber; and claimed the Fine Sword. Much better! I then used the Wither Sword to move further into the dungeon and to retire a Crappy Sword from my discard, before revealing.. Another bloody Mushroom! This one was getting it though, and was swiftly cut down by my new and shiny Fine Sword. "Ha ha, vengance is mine!". Victory was short lived however as the A.I revealed the entrance Mushroom (again), and a torch; taking the latter. It'll go nicely with their Torch Skeleton from the last round I guess.

The beginning of the next turn, and I'm hoping for a favorable draw.. Nope. A Crappy Sword, an Awkward Sword, the Wither Sword, a pair of Quick Boots, and a pair of regular Boots. Again nothing with enough punch to take out the Mushroom at the entrance, unless I am willing to burn through a few cards. Which given that the hand I drew is otherwise pretty good, I am not. So I opt for another nap time for the Mushroom, this time burning a Crappy Sword for the privilege; before using a regular pair of Boots to move into the second chamber chamber, and using my Wither Sword and Awkward Sword for the energy required to take the Cursed Sword. I then used the Quick Boots to move another two chambers into the dungeon, drawing another Crappy Sword into my hand with their special ability; and revealing a Wooden Door. Nuts! Running into an impassible obstacle that requires a key is very bad news at this point, as the amount of cards I would need to burn to dispose of it and possibly passify the Mushroom at the entrance next turn, would render that turn moot. Fortune favors the bold however, and as luck would have it this door can be kicked in by spending three point of movement.. Which the cards in my hand can generate. Exactly! So rather than another annoying road block, the Wooden Door becomes a trophy. Points not problems, that's exactly what I need! It was then the turn of the A.I to rain on my parade, revealing the Mushroom (again again), but taking the Thunder Sword at the end of the dungeon.. I could have really used that sword. *sigh*.

Turn 8, and my hand finally allows for the fungicide that I have been contemplating, and even willing for turns. This turn I drew 3 x Crappy Swords, a pair of Boots, and the card that would crucially break the deadlock; the Lullaby Sword. Typical isn't it, that the one turn I don't need to flip the Mushroom, I draw a card that will do just that. Never the less, time to press my advantage. I used a Crappy Sword to move into the first chamber, and the Lullaby Sword to put the Mushroom there into a very permanent slumber. All hail Tom, the mighty mushroom slayer. After a brief fist pump into the air, I used my Boots to move into the third chamber; revealing the Treasure Chest. Bugger! No key.. Again. However, on the plus side, given it's location in the dungeon, I know that the A.I can't possibly take it at the end of the turn (as the last thing I want to do is hand it 5 Gold / victory points. Using another Crappy Sword from my hand, I venture into the next chamber, revealing a Cave Wizard who uses their magic to conceal the chest. The A.I acts, revealing a Scary Door near the entrance to the dungeon and another pair of Quick Boots in the final chamber. Being helpful for once, the A.I takes the Scary Door as a trophy.

Turn 9, and I have a very definite plan. I want the Treasure Chest, which thanks to the actions of the actions of the A.I in the last turn is now conveniently located at the entrance. So I need a key, and my hand  this turn (an Awkward Sword, an Okay Sword, a Fine Sword, a pair of Boots, and the Wither Sword) gives me just the throw away card to acquire it with. Using the Awkward Sword (surprise surprise) to rent the All Purpose Key and, my Boots to enter the first chamber I claim the Treasure Chest. I then used the Wither Sword for its movement value and slew the Cave Wizard in the next chamber with the Fine Sword. On something of a roll I used the Okay Sword to move another two chambers, revealing the dungeon boss. The Red Dragon! It was now time for the A.I to act, who upon revealing a pair of Combo Gauntlets at the end of the dungeon left me with something of a dilemma. The A.I could take either of these cards (as they were of equal Gold value), and the choice would be mine. On the one hand, if I opted for them to take the Quick Boots, the dragon would find itself at the entrance. An ideal opportunity for me to take it out next turn, but should I fail; I'd be handing it to the A.I. It would all come down to a hand of cards that I could not vouch for. On the other hand however, if I opted that the A.I would take the Combo Gauntlets I would buy myself a turn; but little else. It would be unlikely that I could muster the cards to slay the dragon next turn if I made this choice, and at best I would net myself a pair of Quick Boots. As these would offer no immediate benefit in slaying the dragon, and delaying the inevitable would only result in the A.I gaining an additional trophy, I opted that the A.I take the boots. The next turn would be the last turn.

Balls, balls, balls, BALLS! 4 x Crappy Sword and a pair of Quick Boots was not the hand that I wanted to see! Still, when life gives you lemons, make lemonades.. And when a game gives you boots, make a run for it. Knowing that I couldn't possibly defeat the dragon this turn, and that I was going to hand it to the A.I for 8 Gold at the end of the turn; I decided to try and offset the loss by scoring as many points this turn as I could. Using a Crappy Sword, I rented out the potion to send the Red Dragon off to the land of nod. I then used Quick Boots to move into the second chamber, and the last of my cards to take the Combo Gauntlets.. Which would now drive me on using their special ability. Only one chamber however, where I revealed the Monster Bane Sword! Not that I could actually take it. Still, it was nice to get close. All out of options, the A.I acted and took the dragon; and ended the game.

But what were the final scores?

A.I: 39 Points

Me: 32 Points

As you can see, it was a very close run thing; and had I slain the Red Dragon at the end of the game it would have made all the difference. Close games are not uncommon with 100 Swords from my personal experience however, which I believe speaks of a really well balanced game.

How true that holds when I add a dungeon builder set to the deck, or play with the other deck remains to be seen of course; but so far, so good.