As a person who has been playing Magic: The Gathering for most of his life, I have grown to love playing all kinds of card games and strategy games. Of course, when I found out there were such things as deck-building games, I knew I had to get my hands on them. My first experience was with a little known game called Dominion. Then came along Asension: Chronicle of the God Slayer. And now, the latest deck-building game I have been able to play is the DC Comics Deck-Building Game by Cryptozoic.
If you've never played a deck-building game before, they are very easy to learn. The main objective for most of them is to obtain the most victory points at the end of the game. Of course, each game is different, but the basic concepts are the same: you start with a small pre-determined set of cards, and each turn you add cards to eventually form your deck. Each card has a special ability and some are duds, but each one has a certain point value that you add up at the end of the game to determine the winner.
The DC Comics Deck-Building game is just like its other predecessors, but it does add a fun new theme that DC comic lovers will get a kick out of.
Here is a list of the game's components:
- 36 Punch starting cards
- 16 Vulnerability cards
- 114 Main Deck cards
- 16 Kick cards
- 12 DC Comics Super-Villain cards
- 20 Weakness cards
- 7 Oversized DC Comics Super Hero cards: Superman, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Batman, and The Flash
- 1 Rulebook
The first thing that stands out about the game is the artwork. All of the artwork featured in the game comes from DC's The New 52. Visually, this game is great. Of course, the main concern is how does the game play?
Pros: if you've never played a deck-building game, it's easy to learn, and if you've already played a game like this, then it's even easier to pick up. There's nothing like a small rulebook. In fact, with the great illustrations inside, it feels just like a comic book. There are definitely well-defined themes for strategies. Especially when you know which super hero you are playing as. The game is short, but not too short where you find yourself asking at the end, "That's it?" Achieving multiple games in one session can be easily attained. If you wanted to, the game can be modified for slightly longer game play. Finally, having a short game with plenty of cards and seven different super heroes means that there is a high replay value.
Cons: there are definitely some over-powered cards in the deck, and this can throw the balance of the game off of its mark. However, it was not completely detrimental to the game play. With 114 cards in the main deck, luck has to play a small part in obtaining these cards. Still, you never want to hear someone complaining about how something is "unfair" in a game. While it's nice to have seven different heroes, there should still be more super heroes to play as. There were many members of the Justice League. And where is the Martian Manhunter? Instead, we get Cyborg?
Here are my final grades:
- Visual: 5
- Difficulty: 4
- Game Play Mechanics: 4
- Replay Value: 5
- Overall Grade: 4.5
At the end of each game, my opponent and I always wanted to play another. This is a game I would highly recommend to others no matter what their deck-building skill level is.
As always, if you have any comments, sound off below. Questions are always welcomed, and can be emailed to BGExaminer@hotmail.com. Don't forget to follow me on twitter @SimeonCortezano. Also, please "like" and subscribe to stay up to date on the latest local news about hobby gaming, and don't forget to tell all your friends.
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