Do you like deck building games? How about games that can fit in your pocket? HOW ABOUT BOTH OF THOSE THINGS AT THE SAME TIME?!
Yes, of course you do, because you’re not a real person, but in fact a representation I invented so I can address this post to someone who has said YES three times since it started.
So, imaginary person (and perhaps real people who are also listening at the moment), you’re going to love this week’s Tabletop. It’s Star Realms, and I play against delightful human and Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour player Melissa DeTora.
Did you know that I wrote and narrated a supernatural horror story? I DID, and it’s only five bucks!
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Just before Magic: The Gathering got big, a friend of mine told me he’d heard about this fun deck building game, and we went to our local gaming store where an employee built us two decks each and sold them to us. I really enjoyed playing…until my friend and another friend started spending lots of money on more cards and I couldn’t beat them with my starter decks. I didn’t like it enough to keep spending money on it, so I quit playing. </hipster nerd>
But Star Realms looks like a lot of fun AND you don’t have to spend tons of money on it to play! So it’s now on my Amazon wishlist!
(The next episode is the Fate Core one, right? So excited to see that!)
Note that there is a difference between games like Magic (in which you have to buy a bunch of cards and use some of them to construct a deck) and what are now called “deck building” games. In a deck building game, everybody starts the game with the same deck and there is a shared market of cards that you build from over the course of the game. So there is never a competitive advantage to spending more money on more cards. If you buy an expansion, it changes the game for all the players.
Thanks. I’m finally figuring that out.
I was unaware of Melissa DeTora prior to this episode, and she’s a total treat. Extremely competent yet engaging. An education on strategy vs. tactics combined with a desire to Kill Wil. What’s not to like?
I know nothing about MTG, much less pro gaming of any sort, but I’d be willing to learn if Melissa DeTora is the play-by-play announcer and analyst!
Having bought every physical and digital expansion for Star Realms, I was super hype for this episode. I have /OPINIONS/ on openings, but those really aren’t relevant to a show meant to introduce and entertain. It was an amazing match! The Royal Redoubt did /WORK/ to bring you back into the game >D! GGWP~.
I liked it enough that I immediately put Star Realms on my Amazon wish list! 🙂 It’s kind of hard to find 2-person games these days.
Always kill the bases, Will! 🙂
(or Wil – sorry!) 🙂
Yes, taking out the Hive would have let him squeak by that onslaught. But could he have taken her out on his next turn if she still had 6 Authority? The world.. may never know.
Love Star Realms. Have been playing Hero Realms, which is also cool, but hasn’t replaced Star for me, at least not yet. Need to try it with the character packs, though.
First time watching an episode of Tabletop, wow, great show. I’m a big Star Realms fan and like Wil mentioned, the Star Realms iOS app is a stellar port.
Also, do you guys not do ‘Phrasing’? Right at the 24-minute mark Wil says,
…you know what I don’t want to be banned from the boards for my very first post, so if you’re curious, you should probably see for yourself.
Okay, let’s find those archives.
Melissa was awesome 🙂 The game sort of reminded me a bit of Smash Up…
Looking forward to Fate Core and Codenames (they are weird down at the local BG group and play Codenames mashed up with Concept…)
I’m currently in a small hotel room with my kids sleeping (here it is around 9:30pm and they were really tired) and they are too small to leave them alone. i can’t turn on the lights without waking them but i’m not tired enough to sleep yet. For the past half hour I was playing Star Realms AI matches on my phone, but I got tired of it and decided to check your blog. Well played, sir. Well played.
Thanks for another great episode! Have you been playing games any more this year? I would really love to see you start enjoying the hobby again for your own sake.
I love Star Realms, I don’t play the cards that often, but I play the app ALL the time. You can send me a challenge if you like; PurplePepper
I was completely lost watching this episode, and yet… I Could Not Stop Watching. So fun to play with someone who appears to be a bit shy of the limelight but had One Goal. I loved how, in every hand, you each advised the other, and how you each ACCEPTED the advice of your opponent!
So Much Fun!
Loved the episode and the game. Went out and bought it the next day