Epic Encounters review: "Players will feel like they've achieved something genuinely impressive" - hermanrompairs
Our Finding of fact
With grotesque models and interesting possibilities for combat, Epic Encounters draw for perfect plug-n-work additions to your Dungeons and Dragons campaign.
Pros
- Fantastic miniatures
- Quirky, fun flavour
- Unfathomed tactical opportunities
Cons
- Can be overly punishing
- More or less maps are hard to show
GamesRadar+ Finding of fact
With marvelous models and intriguing possibilities for combat, Heroic poem Encounters make for perfect plug-n-bring additions to your Dungeons and Dragons campaign.
Pros
- +
Fantastical miniatures
- +
Quirky, amusive spirit
- +
Deep tactical opportunities
Cons
- -
Can be to a fault punishing
- -
Some maps are hard to read
I'm not doomed I took the public figure 'Epic Encounters' seriously at first off. Yes, IT looks awing in a 1980s-sword-and-sorcery sort of style. With the logo's splash of neon font and spiky, fanged monsters across the packaging, it's a homesick throwback to emeritus-school fantasize that ticks all the conservative boxes. But is it truly unforgettable enough to satisfy the title of respect and stand alongside the trump Dungeons and Dragons books?
Recovered, its creators aren't kidding. The scenarios you'll fight through therein series are roughshod. And I get into't tight that they'rhenium unfair; instead, the combatants you'll face Hera are legitimate threats. Once a party has struggled its means to victory in Epic Encounters, players will feel like they've achieved something authentically dazzling.
At its core, Epic Encounters is designed to make Dungeon Masters' lives easier. Conceived as plug n' play adventures you can expansion slot into whatsoever Dungeons and Dragons campaign, information technology allows you to take a break from your long-running narrative or cap one soured with an end-boss. Still, these aren't indiscriminate narratives like Curse of Strahd Revamped. They're single-session scenarios with one operating room two areas to struggle through and through. They also come complete with all the miniatures, tokens, battlemaps, and tips you take to run them in one of the best tabletop RPGs come out there.
Mostly, they work really well. The miniatures are gorgeous (which ISN't altogether that astonishing considering the fact that Epic Encounters is made by the same studio behind Godtear, one of the top board games for 2 players), the composition is punchy, and it offers fun twists connected D&D combat. Its box-sets can be taken as individual scenarios or bipartite adventures that complement one another, too.
Sure, they'ray not quite perfect. But would I still recommend them? Absolutely.
Shrine of the Kobold Queen
Essential info
Price: $49.99 / £39.99
Game system:D&adenylic acid;D 5e
Players: 2 - 6
Ages: 14+
Difficulty:Horny
Setup: Variable quantity
Lasts: 3 - 5 hours
In that location are a couple of things you need in a peachy Dungeons and Dragons take a chance: a threat Charles Frederick Worth your time and cool monsters to dress battle with. This box-arranged from Epic Encounters has some.
In Shrine of the Kobold Queen, your company is on the hunt down for a lounge lizard priestess who's been capturing locals for horrendous blood sacrifices. Or maybe you're tracking her because she's sitting along a giant hoard of treasure. Operating theater perhaps she's trying to turn a slumbering dragon into her yes-ma. It's busy you; the fun thing near this put back is that information technology offers plenty of maulers for a Dungeon Master to choose from. It's a neat come nea with more length of service than a single, readiness plotline.
Marvellous minis
No matter why the adventurers are there, they'll exist active high against the titular villain and her crew of kobolds (diminutive reptilian warriors). Each one is represented away incredibly detailed miniatures that are really rather impressive, especially considering their price. It's welcome news for DMs who like to enjoyment corporal minis - finding good models in volume that South Korean won't break the bank is a constant contend. Larger-than-life Encounters fills that niche, so Shrine of the Kobold Queen is worth considering even if you just want ample miniatures. It puts many of the best dining table games to ignominy therein regard.
Non that they're the only thing in the box. As with all Epic poem Encounters, you also get the battlemap and rules you need to run this scenario. The latter is an A5 booklet or so 35 pages unsound, and IT's filled with details about the pose of the dry land, stats, and defining characteristics that shuffling this narrative different from run-of-the-mill combat. Much specifically, information technology includes some truly grisly areas and ideas - like cultists that burn their arms in lava equally a rite of passage - to help it stand out.
Alas, these concepts don't always cut the leaf mustard. Although everything surrounding the central conflict - the cult's goals, its grim sacrifices, and their pet fire snakes - is interesting, the villainous priestess isn't as unforgettable. IT feels like more could have been done to help her stand out, leastwise in damage of her personality.
I'm too a teensy concerned that this scenario john equal too punishing at times. This is a difficult challenge with batch of pitfalls to remainder an adventurer's life, and I concern that some of it goes likewise off the beaten track. For instance, anyone that falls into the lava and dies cannot then be resurrected. Patc that adds tension for positive, it's something of a plainspoken instrument.
Good roll
Wholly the like, the vicious devil attacks lead to more thoughtful armed combat that is lawfully dangerous. Fire snakes cannot be touched or struck by battle royal weapons without inflicting fire damage to the attacker, for instance. Equally, the pack's basilisk can turn you to stone if you check out its eyes and break dow a saving roll. The boss herself also takes three attacks per turn around thanks to a double-over reap hook staff, poison, and wings that go with spellcasting abilities. It's a ruffianly fight.
Gross, then, Shrine of the Kobold Fagot is worth you and your party's time. While it's not perfect, the positives remote outweigh some negatives.
Lair of the Red Dragon
Essential information
Price: $49.99 / £39.99
Mettlesome system:D&D 5e
Players: 2 - 6
Ages: 14+
Trouble:Hard
Setup: Variable
Lasts: 3 - 5 hours
This is the poster-child of Epic Encounters; a fire-spewing Dragon that guards a mountain of gold. And even though players will be very intimate with these monsters by now, they shouldn't underestimate this particular model. It lives capable the franchise's name, and so some.
Open the packaging and you'll follow greeted by an enormous model Dragon, complete with wings that had to be packaged singly because otherwise it wouldn't all fit inside the already sizable box. Detailed, ferocious, and impressive, this is exactly the sort of thing Donjon Masters aspiration of slapping downwards on the control board in advance of their players (peculiarly because it's not wholly that expensive).
Touch modality of the theatrical
The booklet that comes with IT is also a hit. Adorned throughout with a crooked, elfish sentience of humor, it offers a clear film of the dragon's personality - if you take the suggestions, anyway. This is a cripplingly paranoid yet theatrical beast that should be a unforgettable foe, and I wishing other villains in the series were as riveting.
Eastern Samoa a result, Lair of the Red Dragon provides roleplaying opportunities to complement its battling. Because fights are only as good as their bad guys, I have a lot of time for this. Sure, the scenario doesn't provide many chances to talk things prohibited. But the DM should have a great time putting on the role.
The ideas behind combat are similarly near. On that point are many environmental hazards players toilet use to their advantage (be it razor-sharp stalactites they drop onto their foe operating room discarded dragon dentition they give the axe fashion into weapons), just these same hazards lavatory too be utilised against them. Information technology provides tactical depth worthy of the best cooperative board games, and the Book even has suggestions on how to preface those ideas seamlessly.
The dragon itself isn't as accommodating. Piece you have a pick of three monsters with varied difficulty levels (Young, Adult, OR Past), altogether of them are perfectly devastating and have the content to wipe down members of a group without much trouble. This definitely isn't a challenge for adventurers who are just starting out.
That makes for a greater payoff, yet it's a tricky balance. I worry it'll lean too far into 'cheating' territory if DMs aren't careful. For example, the dragon's flame lash out will maim or outright kill many heroes. DMs are advised to use it against warriorlike characters presumably due to the fact that they have more health than anyone else, only still, I'm slightly terrified of this thing. Though I suppose that's the point - this is an 'Epic' encounter, after all.
Darker shades
I'm less absolvitory of the map. I incur what the designers were going for, but IT doesn't quite ferment; information technology's much too undefined thanks to very darkened sunglasses, and I struggled to sleep with sure as shooting features even though I knew what they were supposed to be. It's confusing as a result, and a lot of those issues could have been solved by upping the brightness level.
Still, the impression Lair of the Red Dragon leaves is a expert one nonetheless. There's a lot of scaffolding to help DMs hit an engaging, smart battle here, and it's a proper threat worthy of questing heroes. The model you beat is undreamt of, overly; in fact, information technology's cool enough to apologize the price tag.
Halls of the Orc King
Essential info
Price: $49.99 / £39.99
Unfit system:D&D 5e
Players: 2 - 6
Ages: 14+
Difficulty:Hard
Setup: Variable
Lasts: 3 - 5 hours
Adventurers never seem to be done fighting orcs, merely Epic Encounters: Hall of the Orc King takes it one further. Videlicet, the King toilet't die. Not for good, anyway - he'll just recall after a short time period, good as new and ready to fight once more. How? Information technology's an interesting hook that draws players in.
...OR perchance information technology's a load of bull and ISN't true at all. That's the fun of this set; untold like other packs in the series, Epic Encounters: G. Stanley Hall of the Orc King offers 'rumors' like this unrivaled that you can use or ignore at wish, allowing Donjon Masters to adjust the backstory for taste. This helps it conniption into just about any game or setting. Indeed, that sort of tractableness is wherefore it ticks thusly many boxes.
No matter what backstory you opt, there's something odd about these particular orcs. Rather than sticking to the usual tropes, some interesting additions hold been plain-woven into their DNA. Sort of. OK, so they're still bog-standard in their have a go at it of the fight and dodgy food (looks like gone-disconnected nitty-gritt is back on the menu, boys). However, this is all made more riveting past additions the likes of Antarctic bear mounts. Yes, these orcs are riding illegible great polar bears into struggle.
It's the same story with orc cooks who seize whatsoever cuts of substance they can find (including eel bodies and yeti legs) to throw A weapons operating theatre brewers hardened by their toxic concoctions. This helps Charles Martin Hall of the Orc Riley B King stand out mechanically, and the villains have plenty of character as a lead.
Much like the sculpts, for that thing - as forever, they're enormously distinct and worth the Mary Leontyne Pric of admission by themselves. The icy bear riders and cooks in finical are a delight.
Their rules are equally unagitated. For instance, the Grog Edgar Lee Masters only pick out half damage when within five foundation of their drinks (due to them being absurdly sozzled) piece the cooks can scoff some chuck as a bonus action to find 1d6 health.
Breaking the ice
With those fun ideas on the set back, the Orc World-beater himself seems disappointing. The model is great and his characterisation is good throughout, but he doesn't have much to help him put forward in the memory when it comes to rules. His only unusual move is an ability to use two attacks instead of one when facing multiple opponents. Otherwise, atomic number 2's a trifle dull.
As luck would have it, it's not wholly bad. As with Enshrine of the Kobold Queen, Hall of the Orc Baron uses its environment in interesting ways. Also rules that can mold visibility and battle effectiveness, anyone that's knocked prone during part one slides back bolt down an icy slope and out of combat - they need to spend a turn getting support. Similarly, the ice connected a river can take damage and divulge during battle, dunking everyone in the drink without warning.
There's too more scope for stealth, too. Certain groups of orcs don't have to comprise tangled with in the least if you play your card game right, and the same is true of getting into the Orc King's hall itself. Find the right hand enchant and you can set up an ambush. Au fon, players have options. That force out draw a world of difference to their delectation in-back.
The quirkier elements of this scenario are where it truly takes bump off, though. If players opt to try some of the orc grog, they'll have to roll from a d6 remit that could replenish their hit points or make them blind drunk for a some turns. Similarly, the preparation pot's stink is so rancid that acquiring close to IT - operating theater dunking an orc in headway-first - will inflict poison damage. I'd have liked to see more of this. Atomic number 3 with Den of the Red Dragon, IT makes the story truly awaken.
When combined with a astonishingly low cost, Hall of the Orc Rex hits enough of the right notes to be worth checking out. Even if you only habituate the minis for your games, it's a worthy buy up that you won't be frustrated with.
Epic Encounters
With fantastic models and challenging possibilities for combat, Epic Encounters make for perfect plug-n-play additions to your Dungeons and Dragons effort.
More information
| Available platforms | Tabletop Gaming |
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As the site's Tabletop & Merch Editor, you'll find my grimy paws on everything from board game reviews to Lego buying guides. I've been writing about games in unrivalled contour or another for almost a decade (with bylines ranging from Metro.co.UK to TechRadar) and joined the GamesRadar+ team in 2018. I posterior normally be found cackling over some flagitious plan I've medium up for my group's next Dungeons &adenosine monophosphate; Dragons fight.
Source: https://www.gamesradar.com/epic-encounters-review/
Posted by: hermanrompairs.blogspot.com
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