Millennium Blades

EvEvanstar5,9

This game is a bit of a flipluck mess, but I can't deny that the theme and the mechanisms combine into an incredibly appealing package. Essentially the goal of the game is to get the best set of 6-8 cards you can, while simultaneously collecting cards that have matching attributes for the purposes of trashing them to score points at the end of the rounds for set collection. During the deckbuilding rounds, you throw wads of money away on blind luck pulls from facedown assortments of cards. This hits way too close to home for me in theme, since in my misspent youth I used to be one of those CCG players the game parodies. At least in this game, the back of the card has some hints as to what sorts of things you might be buying. The game also allows you to trash large piles of useless cards in exchange for overpowered "promo" cards. The game feels a little like Galaxy Trucker, in that you are creating this fragile mess and then hoping for the best. There's a ton of player interaction as during the tournament phases when you play those 6 cards one by one and resolving their effects, often times other player's effects will mess up your carefully laid combos. As it's impossible to keep track of what everyone is getting every turn, this has a random feel to it. You play several rounds, each round improving your setup more and more, as the value of winning the tournament rounds increase. It's very possible to get hammered early and make a huge last turn comeback. Very compelling, very enjoyable game. ★ Art, Iconography and components functional ★ Clever or interesting mechanisms ★ Reasonably low downtime between turns with mildly AP players ★ Multiple plays stay interesting ☆ Low or mitigatable luck elements ★★★☆☆ Raw enjoyment

MeMestremutenstar5,0

Rating: 3/5 Production value: 2/4 Is the game in my collection/Love to have?: 0/1

Mario López Menésstar7,2

Fantastic, wacky game about the CCG world. Ths game is different from any other thing I've ever played. PROS - The mechanics match the theme beautifully. It gives you the feeling of ripping card boosters and grabbing rare cards without spending a cent! - There's something for everyone. If you're not big in deck-building, going for a set collection game allows you to score a ton of victory points too. - The ultimate deck-building experience. Hundreds of combos to discover in order to win the tournaments. - The theme is awesome. Homages and smirky, nerdy references are everywhere! Whatever aspect of pop culture you like, it's probably somewhere in this game. CONS - Huge cognitive load. Not a game to play if you're not fully charged and ready to try your brain limits. - Questionable graphic design that makes it appear even more nerdy and obscure. - Much less appealing if you're not into CCGs, as you will miss some jokes and more importantly the feeling of opening boosters and collecting cards.