Andrew Tullsen
United States
Tigard
Oregon
Custom Prototypes, Game Parts, Print & Play Games, Short Runs, POD
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Intro
I'll be reviewing the old small publisher edition. I say old, as if you didn't know, this is getting rereleased.
Arctic Scavengers is a Dominion clone (in a way) but more fast paced and interactive. It forces you to be interactive.
Components
I got my copy with the cards sleeved, so the card quality didn't really affect me that much. They are thin and glossy, but sleeved they work fine. They come in a box but the label on the box is falling off, not sure if this is just mine or consistent with all the publisher's stuff. I don't really care, but it's something to think about.
(photo by ScottE)
Setup
Each player gets 10 cards - all fairly weak scavenger cards with a few stronger fighter cards and some tools.
There is a junk pile, and there is the "contested resource" pile of cards. Then there are all the cards you can buy (hire) spread out in stacks.
Game Turn Sequence
Each player uses his hand to get junk and recruit guys. Then they put all leftover cards in their fight section. After all players have done this, each person reveals the cards in their fight pile. The person with the strongest takes the contest resource card.These are better than the ones in the junk pile.
On your turn
Each card has a value for the different things you can do. "Dig", "Fight", "Draw".
You can combine a tool with a guy to give them a stronger power. But you can only do one thing with them. A shovel can help you dig (through the junk pile) but it can also help you fight. So you have to choose which you will use it for. You can draw more cards from you deck, you can use cards to dig through the junk pile to hopefully find good stuff, you can save your cards to fight for the better contested resource at the end of the round. You can also recruit new people to your group if you have the right numbers of meds and food.
(image by gabhart)
The interesting parts
Yes, this is a dominion clone. You draw 5 cards a turn, you can draw more cards, you start out with a crappy deck, you can buy better cards.
So how is it different?
-Units cost two different types of resources, meds and food. Sort of like Alchemy.
-The game has a set length. It doesn't go for much longer or shorter for most games. You go through the contested resource deck, and whoever has the most people in their deck wins (certain cards are worth more "people").
-Digging through the junk pile is cool. There are actual good cards, and then there are useless junk cards. So as the game progresses, the junk pile will JUST be junk.
-Fight at the end of the round - This is the interaction of the game, where you can fight other people for cards. You don't do things to their deck, but you can take away the good cards from them.
(image by gabhart)
My Rating
I really like Arctic scavengers. It's definitely one of the cooler "Dominion clones" but instead of just making it more complicated, it simplifies it (no +actions) and adds a few cool twists. Rio Grande is supposed to be releasing it and it'll have an "expansion" already added, which sounds cool. For those intimidated by the sheer variety of Dominion, or who don't care for the theme, or just want a little more interaction, this is a great game.
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Mike Cooper
United States
Flower Mound
Texas
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FYI: In case of a tie for the Contested Resource, that card gets shuffled into the junk pile where *anyone* can end up with it. It's a bit luck-based, but it can pay to be able to dig later in the game.
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Jacob Russell
Canada
Vancouver
British Columbia
Bullshit!
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I loved this game for about ten plays and then it got old fast. It has some great mechanisms it just needed a little bit more vaiety to get there. I was really looking forward to the expansion and the BOOM... no expansion, wait for the new release... Bummer, it's been like three years now or something and just that guy with the free meds would help gameplay immensely. Now though, with Nightfall just out, Rune Age right around the corner and Puzzle Strike dominating my lunch time gaming (plus thunderstone and expansions, Chronicles of the blah blah...) it seems much less likely I'll pick the new one up unless there is something really different in the gameplay to spruce it up a bit. Rio Grande has to strike while the iron is hot!
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Nate Simons
United States
Johnston
Iowa
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Great review. Nice artwork and components inclusion. Personally I'm excited for the Rio Grande version with the headquarters expansion to hit the shelves.
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Scott Everts
United States
Foothill Ranch
California
MITCHELL!!!
Push the button, Frank!
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Thanks for the nice review! I just sold my copy since the new one is coming out soon. Since any future expansions won't be compatible with the original didn't see a reason to keep it. I just hope it sells and we see more. There were 2 expansions planned and as I understand the first one is included in the new one.
I agree with Jacob, I have no idea why Rio Grande dithered on this for so long. They have the worst timing ever, releasing it now that a flood of deck building games are just coming out. They had the jump on the whole category but just sat on this game for a couple years. It makes no sense whatsoever.
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Tim Seitz
United States
Glen Allen
VA
Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him. 2 Sam 14:14
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ScottE wrote: Thanks for the nice review! I just sold my copy since the new one is coming out soon. Since any future expansions won't be compatible with the original didn't see a reason to keep it. I just hope it sells and we see more. There were 2 expansions planned and as I understand the first one is included in the new one.
I agree with Jacob, I have no idea why Rio Grande dithered on this for so long. They have the worst timing ever, releasing it now that a flood of deck building games are just coming out. They had the jump on the whole category but just sat on this game for a couple years. It makes no sense whatsoever.
Yea, I was tremendously excited when this game first came out. I wasn't able to get a copy, but I did mock up my own to share it with everyone else. We all enjoyed it and I was really looking forward to picking it up.
But that was quite awhile ago, and now, I'm afraid it has fallen quite behind the design curve of the other deck building games. For me, personally, if I am in the mood for a non-Dominion deck builder, I am going to play Barbarossa over this.
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Robert K Gabhart
United States
Keller
Texas
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JonJacob wrote: I loved this game for about ten plays and then it got old fast. It has some great mechanisms it just needed a little bit more vaiety to get there. I was really looking forward to the expansion and the BOOM... no expansion, wait for the new release... Bummer, it's been like three years now or something and just that guy with the free meds would help gameplay immensely. Now though, with Nightfall just out, Rune Age right around the corner and Puzzle Strike dominating my lunch time gaming (plus thunderstone and expansions, Chronicles of the blah blah...) it seems much less likely I'll pick the new one up unless there is something really different in the gameplay to spruce it up a bit. Rio Grande has to strike while the iron is hot!
There are definitely some compelling twists beyond the introduction of a Medic.
1. You also have the Engineer, which enables you to construct buildings at your headquarters. Buildings provide a really unique element to the game because they allow you to manage your hand better (i.e. store a critical tool in the armory and save it for a later hand when that tool will be more effective).
2. You have Tribe Leaders introduced. This gives every player at the table a unique capability that changes their options. Three examples:
- The Butcher: Each round you may kill 1 of your tribe members (remove the card from play) and sell his/her internal organs for 1 food and 1 med.
- The Ranger: All of your Refugees and Tribal Families have a hunt of 1.
- The Mentor: Each round you may play one Refugee card to grant another tribe member a +1 to any action
3. Saboteurs can disable buildings (increasing the usage of their special ability) to prevent them from being used. Snipers can snipe tribal leaders (increasing the usage of their special ability) to prevent them from using their unique powers. Meds can be used to heal tribal leaders and are also used as a tie-breaker for end-game scoring (which further increases their usefulness). Refugees can be used for certain tribal leader powers, constructing buildings, and repairing buildings (previously Refugees just clogged your deck).
4. End game scoring has a new dynamic in the form of 'Gangs'. There are three gangs of 5 points each that are determined based upon the player with the most meds, most tools, and most buildings. This provides additional paths to victory in which you could potentially go with a heavy focus on junk pile, hiring mercenaries, and constructing buildings with little, if any, regard for the contested resources and still win the game if you play it right.
All-in-all, lots of changes. I wish it had not taken so long (the base game was released 2 years ago in May and the expansion was not finalized until fall of 2009), but I assure you that the game is still viable, the expansion is dynamic, the new art is incredible, and the theme is just as rich and compelling as it ever was.
Enjoy!
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Custom Prototypes, Game Parts, Print & Play Games, Short Runs, POD
