February is wrapping up, and I’ve got a small collection of game-related news and items that may be of interest to some of you. These are in no particular order, but some do have a time limit on them.
Osprey Games Sale
If you’ve been looking to add some new wargame books to your library, you’ll be happy to know that Osprey Games is offering up to 70% off its library of books and games. I’m a HUGE fan of Osprey’s wargames, especially Frostgrave, Ghost Archipelago, and Gaslands.
You’ll be SAD to know that the sale ends in February. This means only ONE day left. Today. More details here.
Star Wars: Legion Rulebook
The Star Wars: Legion wargame from Fantasy Flight Games is less than a month from release (March 22). Those of you who have been waiting for this since it was revealed at Gen Con 2017 will be happy to know that the Learn to Play rulebook is now available in PDF format. It shows everything that comes in the Core Box, has complete assembly and painting steps for the figures, and more.
You can find the Learn to Play guide here. An additional, more detailed Rule Reference PDF can be found here.
Gloomhaven
Gloomhaven snuck up on me — I saw it being played at a local gaming store and knew I had to have it for my two boys and me to play. The legacy-style play, where one’s actions in a scenario directly influence the next and later scenarios is great, but what I really enjoy is the sense of surprise the game provides as you open different tiny boxes to reveal new characters and cards. 
There is, however, one thing I do NOT like about Gloomhaven — it’s the wear-and-tear on the game. In some instances, you are asked to place stickers on maps and tear up cards, but I just can’t bring myself to do that! Thankfully, the official Gloomhaven Removable Sticker Pack has once again become available for purchase. You’ll want to hunt around for the best price, but given the major investment in the game, I think the stickers are worth the price to keep the game intact.
And if you’re worried about those 1,000+ cards, you’ll be happy to know there’s a much more reasonable way to sleeve them all now. I was hesitant about the quality of the Dephia box of 2000 sleeves, but I should have trusted the reviewers who purchased before me. They fit great, and I’ve only torn two. $25 to sleeve every card is a steal, especially considering the cost of the high-end 50-sleeve packs.
Fat Dragon Games Anniversary Sale
Tom over at Fat Dragon Games is having a 13th Anniversary sale on March 4th on almost every product he offers, including the 3D printable DragonLock files and the papercraft stuff. This is going to be THE BEST TIME to grab anything you might be wanting from the FDG library. The best part about FDG’s library is that once you own it, you can use it as often as you like. For the DragonLock STL files, this means printing up dungeon tiles, monster miniatures, terrain (dungeon and outdoor), houses, mountains (!), and much more.
Those of us who buy and use the DragonLock stuff already know this — Tom never sits still. This guy is ALWAYS releasing new designs, and his annual DragonLock Kickstarter is something we all look forward to when Tom shows off his newest craziness. Even better, you can get a lot of the DragonLock stuff for free, including the free Dungeon Starter Set. Sign up for his newsletter, and each month you’ll get a free file of something new and unique.
Put it on your calendar – March 4th!
Arkham Horror: The Card Game – Third Expansion and Laser-Cut Play Aids
I am SO going to blame fellow Geekdad Michael Harrison for this one — he got me hooked on Arkham Horror: The Card Game. I love games based on H.P. Lovecraft’s Mythos… the only problem is finding people to play. My kids are too young, and many Cthulhu-style games are typically 2–4 hours, so I’ve had a hard time finding consistent players. Enter Arkham Horror TCG. The game can be played SOLO! And that’s exactly what I do. I play two investigators, and the game lends itself to stopping and starting at a moment’s notice.
Arkham Horror TCG is broken up into Cycles. Each Cycle takes place over six chapters. The Core game comes with two chapters, and additional chapters are sold as Mythos Packs (for around $15). Once you’ve completed the initial Cycle, there are two expansions available — The Dunwich Legacy and The Path to Carcosa. Both expansions come with two chapters and the remaining four chapters (per expansion) are sold as separate packs.
I am 100% hooked on Arkham Horror TCG, and I’m even more pleased to hear that the third expansion is due out later in the year — The Forgotten Age. It has an Indiana Jones feel to it, with a long-lost civilization deep in the jungle. I. Cannot. Wait. I’m finishing up The Dunwich Legacy and still have The Path to Carcosa to complete, but I’m pushing forward with the stories (and failing occasionally… okay, frequently).
One tip I absolutely must share with fellow Arkham Horror TCG fans involves these laser-cut play aids I found on eBay from Burnsibub1966. I ordered just about everything he offers for the game — two player trays, two decker holders, Act and Agenda holder, and a few other items. I keep everything on a table in my workshop, and these things keep me organized and my current game all in one place. It’s so easy to pick up right where I left off, too. I’m so pleased with these aids, I just have to give a shout out to Burnsibub1966 for a great set of play aids.
FYI — the stand-alone game pack for Arkham Horror TCG called The Labyrinths of Lunacy was released at Gen Con 2017 for those registered to play. The deck is finally getting released to the general public on May 31, 2018.
Mansions of Madness Expansion
Yes, ANOTHER Lovecraft game. I told you I’m a big fan. What I love about Mansions of Madness 2nd Edition is its solo-play ability. With 1st edition, someone had to be the bad guy… but with 2nd, those duties fall on an app available for tablets or computers. The app tells you what tiles to place, when bad things happen, and lots more. It’s an outstanding interactive app, and when I don’t have a game of Arkham Horror TCG set up on my workshop table, you’ll find a game of Mansions of Madness going on. (I honestly can’t tell you which is my favorite — I love them both and play them often.)
Just like Arkham Horror TCG, the Mansions of Madness 2nd Edition game has expansions that include new tiles, new investigators, and new horror miniatures. When you run the app, you can tell it which expansions you own and that opens up new adventures. There are also in-app purchases that offer up new missions for a very small fee. The games aren’t legacy-style, so failing one just means starting over or playing a different challenge.
Fans of the game will be happy to know that the new expansion, Sanctum of Twilight, is out on May 31!
FYI: A new Kickstarter has popped up containing short stories and artwork set around Miskatonic University! Check out the Kickstarter here.
