Designers David Thompson and Trevor Benjamin are again with a brand new entry into the Undaunted sequence. Type of. It’s not set in WWII. It doesn’t even carry the Undaunted branding. However this title does discover itself firmly planted within the Undaunted 2200: Callisto universe. Set in area, battle over sources, and interference playing cards. It’s a spin-off!
Line of Hearth: Burnt Moon affords a brand new path for the Osprey Video games revealed product line. It strips the system right down to its core, permitting the gameplay to focus much more instantly on deckbuilding in a head-to-head battle over the moon of Io. Let’s see if this new providing is a worthy new path for designer and writer alike.
Gameplay Overview:
When you’ve performed an Undaunted sport up to now, you’ll be able to navigate a lot of this sport with out a rulebook. Gamers have a beginning deck of playing cards, a provide of potential additions sorted by kind, and are centrally centered on controlling territory to win. This can be a two-player solely system, one that ought to play in thirty to forty-five minutes. And it’s very simple to arrange.
Setup revolves round randomizing 5 an identical web site places for every participant. These are randomized every sport, which creates attention-grabbing web site matchups every session. The purpose is to manage eight factors value of territory. And if that’s not going your means, you may also attempt to get rid of the opponent’s control-type items (MOSS) for an elimination victory.
There are a number of unit sorts damaged down into two classes: Personnel and ROV (Distant Operated Automobiles). Beginning personnel playing cards are by no means performed to a web site however can help with bolstering your deck or offering extra playing cards, and even the flexibility to withdraw items. Gamers may also add new personnel playing cards that present highly effective results, reminiscent of disrupting or eradicating enemy items.
The ROV playing cards characteristic 4 sorts: MOSS, xED, TIR, and DaCU. Every of those are break up into A and B items. Websites have a compelled cohesion rule that requires items of the identical kind to be performed collectively. And sure items, when performed to a web site, add interference playing cards to your deck, which develop into a nuisance as they don’t present a profit.
Gamers draw 4 playing cards every spherical, select one to be their initiative card, and flip this selection over to check to their opponent’s selection. The upper worth card determines initiative, with ties conserving this the identical. The remaining three playing cards develop into obtainable actions. As soon as ROV items are in place at websites, duplicate variations of these playing cards permit gamers to take actions with the on-site items.
Actions that may be taken vary from attacking opponent playing cards in the identical lane, constructing or destroying fortifications, eradicating interference playing cards from hand, and controlling a lane if the participant has extra items in place than their opponent. Management might be shifted to the opposite facet, and this creates bottlenecks based mostly on the worth of every territory (which vary from one to 3 in worth). Items may also have a Transfer key phrase and might be shifted to new lanes if obligatory to aim to take new territory or reinforce a close-by battle.
Attacking opponents comes right down to a worth identifier between opposing items. You might select to assault an opponent’s MOSS unit with one ROV card in your facet. To take action, add up assault values out of your ROV and any boosts from web site or different ROV playing cards, and evaluate this to the protection worth of your opponent’s card (and probably web site). A defender loss inflicts a casualty, which removes the identical card kind from the discard pile, or if not current there, from hand, and if not current there, then the unit is faraway from the lane.
Sport Expertise:
Burnt Moon is Undaunted distilled. It takes away the central map, the cube for attacking, and any difficult goals. Gameplay is hyper centered when in comparison with these video games. You’re constructing your deck to manage territory and hearth off actions along with your items at websites. As with all Undaunted video games, every part comes right down to the way you handle your deck.
For somebody who has performed fairly a couple of of the Undaunted sequence video games, I do benefit from the centered method right here. I might be conscious of my choices whereas conserving the tug-of-war battle between 5 places within the forefront. And I might be extra conscious of my opponent’s choices as properly. As such, this turns into a tense battle the place every spherical’s card drawn turns into tremendous essential. It doesn’t take a lot to have management wrestled away from you.
Discovering new avenues to construct your deck whereas being observant of your opponent’s selections and the randomization of web site tiles is great. There’s sufficient replay worth right here with that in thoughts. It helps that the fight has been simplified (for essentially the most half), and every card that’s performed to a web site options condensed data to permit them to be stacked appropriately.
One other concept current right here that I really loved was the addition of personnel playing cards which are eliminated out of your deck after utilizing their powers. After all, these powers might be game-changing, permitting you to snipe at items with out having to guage assault numbers, or disrupting items and placing a halt to progress. The puzzle of when to make use of these provides a enjoyable ingredient to the deckbuilding.
I do suppose that the area setting brought on some points within the design. Initially, the ROV card names haven’t any context and really feel summary. I observed this as properly in Battle of Britain and Callisto (earlier Undaunted titles) the place the items develop into much less private. Right here now we have MOSS and xED items which have sure capabilities, however the names don’t lend to serving to perceive. A particular miss.
One other space that might use some work is refining the visible area. The ROV playing cards are break up into two groups of A and B, however these playing cards characteristic the identical colours. Why not diversify this one step additional? Then there are icons that present assault bonuses. These require gamers to take a second to step away from the battle to verify throughout assaults. It’s a minor ingredient that takes getting used to however might be overcome with repeat performs.
Gametime on the field states thirty minutes. I’ve discovered that some video games can go fairly longer as gamers vie for management, overstuff their decks, and should shift focus from territory management to eradicating MOSS items to win. After all, this will go the opposite means as properly, when a participant can not draw into the playing cards they should counter aggressive play and lose shortly. However that’s much less of a difficulty over time as gamers start to know their playstyles.
Closing Ideas:
I can sense a brand new path for the Undaunted designers. Burnt Moon, from the Line of Hearth sequence, feels just like the leaping off level of a brand new endeavor. As such, the design feels prefer it should work out some rising pains to really discover its footing. Most of this comes within the type of discovering a brand new setting to work with. After which turning that setting into an much more constant and comprehensible iconography and design. The deckbuilding has all the time been stable for this design workforce. I’m excited to see the place this takes them. Hopefully, this doesn’t develop into one other area sequence, however as an alternative a combat-oriented sequence that steps even additional away from titles of the previous. I’m nonetheless ready for the theming to get wild and shake off a number of the historic/warfare trappings.
Closing Rating: 3.5 stars – Undaunted evolves into a brand new product line that focuses on deckbuilding and lane management.
Hits:
• Undaunted distilled
• Web site tile randomization
• Simplified fight
• Compact card data
Misses:
• Card naming selection
• Iconography/design points
• Can overstay welcome
• Not a fan of setting
