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Sohng: Prisoner of Fate (Tales of Arca #1)
6.0
Rate It
Book
n a world of hidden secrets, all will be revealed in this Dark, Science Fiction, Fantasy Adventure....
Paul Smedley (141 KP) rated Attention Attention by Shinedown in Music
May 5, 2018
They’re back!
Well! The Shinedown guys are back with another rip roaring album that doesn’t fail to please.
It’s been long awaited since the last album, Threat to Survival and it does not disappoint.
It’s got that recognisable Shinedown stamp on it so as soon as you hear the riffs and vocals, there’s no denying who it is.
The songs are fuelled by a rebellion feel and motivating you to stand up against what’s holding you back. It is perfect for the gym to keep pushing you.
My favourite track on it is Human Radio so far although it is quite hard to pick a favourite.
It’s good to see the album at the front of my local HMV too as the music I tend to buy is hidden away deep within the shelves of the metal/alt rock section with no deserved place of its own.
If you haven’t listened to any Shinedown then I recommend you check them out. There are quite a few albums to listen to. Sound of Madness would be a good starting point although feel free to start with Attention Attention and work backwards as you will find a vein of familiarity with the songs that everyone can relate to.
An epic album from an epic band. Been to see them six times live and one of the best bands I’ve seen performing. Their energy is relentless and the engagement with the crowd is awe inspiring.
Welcome back, Shinedown!!!!
It’s been long awaited since the last album, Threat to Survival and it does not disappoint.
It’s got that recognisable Shinedown stamp on it so as soon as you hear the riffs and vocals, there’s no denying who it is.
The songs are fuelled by a rebellion feel and motivating you to stand up against what’s holding you back. It is perfect for the gym to keep pushing you.
My favourite track on it is Human Radio so far although it is quite hard to pick a favourite.
It’s good to see the album at the front of my local HMV too as the music I tend to buy is hidden away deep within the shelves of the metal/alt rock section with no deserved place of its own.
If you haven’t listened to any Shinedown then I recommend you check them out. There are quite a few albums to listen to. Sound of Madness would be a good starting point although feel free to start with Attention Attention and work backwards as you will find a vein of familiarity with the songs that everyone can relate to.
An epic album from an epic band. Been to see them six times live and one of the best bands I’ve seen performing. Their energy is relentless and the engagement with the crowd is awe inspiring.
Welcome back, Shinedown!!!!
Combat Squad - Online FPS
Games
App
Tactical FPS Combat from former Counter-Strike Online developers. Get ready for an epic tactical...
BattleHand
Games
App
Join the battle! Recruit your team of heroes, assemble a guild and compete against other players,...
Tactile Wars
Games and Entertainment
App
--- Three words: ADDICTIVE, ENTERTAINING, and FREE! --- Join players from around the world in a...
The Last Stand (Empire of the Dragon Gods: Prequel)
Book
A priestess, a dragon god - and a lie that threatens to destroy them all. Celia is about to break...
Young Adult Fantasy
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Tiny Epic Tactics in Tabletop Games
Jul 8, 2021
One of the neatest things about the Tiny Epic game series is how they manage to fit so much game into such a small box. But alas, boxes are not always just mere storage devices – in Tiny Epic Tactics, they are components of the game! These nesting boxes will create a 3D terrain on which players will be moving across, over, and through on their way to victory! But how does this game fit into the Tiny Epic series overall? Keep reading to find out!
Disclaimer: There are 5 different modes of play in Tiny Epic Tactics. In this review, I will be focusing on the 2-4 Player Competitive mode. There are also expansions for this game, but this review will not cover those materials. I also do not intend to rehash the entire rulebook, but rather provide a general overview of the rules and gameplay. For a more in-depth look at the rules, pick up a copy of the game from the publisher or at your FLGS. -L
Tiny Epic Tactics is a game of strategy and combat in which players will lead their teams of 4 heroes to fight opponents and attempt to gain control of a number of areas in the realm. To setup the game, unroll the map scroll and place the boxes onto their corresponding spaces. Randomly deal each player 1 Unit card from each class (Fighters, Wizards, Rogues, and Beasts), and give them 4 Unit tokens (meeples) in their chosen color, as well as tracker tokens for Health, Ammo, and Mana. Players will select their 4-space starting location, and will place all 4 of their Units on the map. Shuffle the deck of Tactic cards, and deal 2 to each player. Players will look at the cards and select one to keep in hand, discarding the other. Place the Tactic card deck in reach of all players, and place the Control Card nearby, with the 3 Flag tokens on the Start space. The game is ready to begin!
Over a series of rounds, players will take turns performing actions until either one player has had all of their Units captured or one player has captured the final Flag token (based on player count). The remaining players will take one final turn, and then the game ends, VPs are tallied, and the player with the most VPs is the winner! A game turn is made up of four steps, the first of which being to check for Majority Control. To see if you hold a Majority Control over any of the Control Areas on the map, count the number of Units in each triggered Control Area – if your Units make up the majority of Units in that area, advance the corresponding Flag token on the Control card, and if you do not hold the majority, then nothing happens. Once a Flag has been advanced to the final space, it is given to the player who holds Majority Control.
The next step of your turn is to take up to 3 actions with your Units. Possible actions are: Movement, Melee Attack, Missile Attack, and Cast a Spell. All Units have a printed value on their cards for Movement, as well as either Melee Attack, Missile Attack, or Spell Attack value, based on the Unit’s class. All of these actions are pretty self-explanatory, with a couple of extra components – use of Ammo/Mana, rolling dice, advantages/penalties based on Elevation, etc. – that make the gameplay strategic and challenging. The third turn step is to remove Weakened tokens (more on this later), and the final step is to draw a Tactic Card. Look at the card, and either keep it in hand or discard it – you may only ever have 2 Tactic Cards in hand. Play continues in this fashion until the end of the game is triggered, either when a single player has had all 4 of their Units captured or a player has taken the final Flag token. All other players take one more turn and then VPs are tallied for final scoring.
Ok so first thing I want to talk about is the use of boxes to create a 3D map. It is SO COOL. It’s such a unique idea, and one that I honestly haven’t seen before. The added aspect of Elevation in regards to movement and range for attacks really ups the strategic gameplay for me. Want to climb to a higher peak? Ok, that costs +1 movement. Don’t have enough movement to climb up this turn? Then you’re outta luck. Your strategy must always be changing based on where Units are located on the map.
Speaking of strategy, there are several different game elements that you can base your gameplay on – there is no ‘right’ way to play! Maybe you really want to focus on getting Flag tokens, so you try to protect that area and maintain majority at all costs. Maybe you don’t care about the Flags and it’s all about combat to you – you’re on the hunt for enemy Units and Area Control means nothing to you. Or maybe your aim is to complete your Tactic Cards, which will then allow you to perform a special/bonus action upon completion. There are different ways to play this game, and that makes it engaging and entertaining as you must constantly adapt your strategy while trying to figure out how your opponents are playing too!
Another neat element of Tiny Epic Tactics is that on each turn you only have 3 actions – and a single Unit may only perform one action per turn! So you can’t just spend all 3 actions moving and attacking with the same Unit, they must be spread across all of your heroes. That adds to the strategy because you have to set your Units up in advance for certain actions, but must quickly adapt based on the movements of your opponents. You can have a Unit perform a second, different, action on the same turn, but it will then become Weakened. When Weakened, a Unit cannot perform any actions on the next turn, and will have the Weakened condition removed at the end of said turn. Or, on your next turn, you may choose to pay 2 Health to remove the Weakened token and be able to act in that same turn. It’s kind of a gamble – how far are you willing to push your Units, and are you able to sacrifice their abilities for an entire turn in order to removed the Weakened token?
Let’s touch on components for a minute. These components are great, as is to be expected of the Tiny Epic series. The art is colorful and unique, the boxes are sturdy, the cards are nice and thick, and the wooden components are quality. No real gripes from me regarding production quality of this game! The gripe I do have is about the gameplay – specifically a 2-player game. When playing a 2-player game in competitive mode, the game end is triggered after 1 Flag token has been secured. This really can negate any need for strategy or player interaction, because each player starts near a Control Area, and can simply just move there and camp out to take the Flag. In my first games at a 2-player count, I found the gameplay to be kind of bland and not engaging because of this. At higher player counts, you have to interact with opponents on the map as you try to capture Control Areas. If at a 2-player count, you were required to secure 2 Flag tokens, or maybe just mandate that the secured Flag must be the one located in the center of the map, it would encourage more interactions between the players, and thereby elevate the strategy and gameplay in my opinion. Just something to consider.
Overall, I think that Tiny Epic Tactics is a solid game in this series. It is not my favorite by any means, but the gameplay and mechanics fill a gap left by the other Tiny Epics. The strategy required can be high-level, but the simplicity of the physical gameplay makes it feel accessible and inviting to all types of gamers. If you’re looking for a great 2-player Tiny Epic, maybe keep looking, but for a 3-4 player game, Tiny Epic Tactics hits the spot. Purple Phoenix Games gives it a tactical 8 / 12.
Disclaimer: There are 5 different modes of play in Tiny Epic Tactics. In this review, I will be focusing on the 2-4 Player Competitive mode. There are also expansions for this game, but this review will not cover those materials. I also do not intend to rehash the entire rulebook, but rather provide a general overview of the rules and gameplay. For a more in-depth look at the rules, pick up a copy of the game from the publisher or at your FLGS. -L
Tiny Epic Tactics is a game of strategy and combat in which players will lead their teams of 4 heroes to fight opponents and attempt to gain control of a number of areas in the realm. To setup the game, unroll the map scroll and place the boxes onto their corresponding spaces. Randomly deal each player 1 Unit card from each class (Fighters, Wizards, Rogues, and Beasts), and give them 4 Unit tokens (meeples) in their chosen color, as well as tracker tokens for Health, Ammo, and Mana. Players will select their 4-space starting location, and will place all 4 of their Units on the map. Shuffle the deck of Tactic cards, and deal 2 to each player. Players will look at the cards and select one to keep in hand, discarding the other. Place the Tactic card deck in reach of all players, and place the Control Card nearby, with the 3 Flag tokens on the Start space. The game is ready to begin!
Over a series of rounds, players will take turns performing actions until either one player has had all of their Units captured or one player has captured the final Flag token (based on player count). The remaining players will take one final turn, and then the game ends, VPs are tallied, and the player with the most VPs is the winner! A game turn is made up of four steps, the first of which being to check for Majority Control. To see if you hold a Majority Control over any of the Control Areas on the map, count the number of Units in each triggered Control Area – if your Units make up the majority of Units in that area, advance the corresponding Flag token on the Control card, and if you do not hold the majority, then nothing happens. Once a Flag has been advanced to the final space, it is given to the player who holds Majority Control.
The next step of your turn is to take up to 3 actions with your Units. Possible actions are: Movement, Melee Attack, Missile Attack, and Cast a Spell. All Units have a printed value on their cards for Movement, as well as either Melee Attack, Missile Attack, or Spell Attack value, based on the Unit’s class. All of these actions are pretty self-explanatory, with a couple of extra components – use of Ammo/Mana, rolling dice, advantages/penalties based on Elevation, etc. – that make the gameplay strategic and challenging. The third turn step is to remove Weakened tokens (more on this later), and the final step is to draw a Tactic Card. Look at the card, and either keep it in hand or discard it – you may only ever have 2 Tactic Cards in hand. Play continues in this fashion until the end of the game is triggered, either when a single player has had all 4 of their Units captured or a player has taken the final Flag token. All other players take one more turn and then VPs are tallied for final scoring.
Ok so first thing I want to talk about is the use of boxes to create a 3D map. It is SO COOL. It’s such a unique idea, and one that I honestly haven’t seen before. The added aspect of Elevation in regards to movement and range for attacks really ups the strategic gameplay for me. Want to climb to a higher peak? Ok, that costs +1 movement. Don’t have enough movement to climb up this turn? Then you’re outta luck. Your strategy must always be changing based on where Units are located on the map.
Speaking of strategy, there are several different game elements that you can base your gameplay on – there is no ‘right’ way to play! Maybe you really want to focus on getting Flag tokens, so you try to protect that area and maintain majority at all costs. Maybe you don’t care about the Flags and it’s all about combat to you – you’re on the hunt for enemy Units and Area Control means nothing to you. Or maybe your aim is to complete your Tactic Cards, which will then allow you to perform a special/bonus action upon completion. There are different ways to play this game, and that makes it engaging and entertaining as you must constantly adapt your strategy while trying to figure out how your opponents are playing too!
Another neat element of Tiny Epic Tactics is that on each turn you only have 3 actions – and a single Unit may only perform one action per turn! So you can’t just spend all 3 actions moving and attacking with the same Unit, they must be spread across all of your heroes. That adds to the strategy because you have to set your Units up in advance for certain actions, but must quickly adapt based on the movements of your opponents. You can have a Unit perform a second, different, action on the same turn, but it will then become Weakened. When Weakened, a Unit cannot perform any actions on the next turn, and will have the Weakened condition removed at the end of said turn. Or, on your next turn, you may choose to pay 2 Health to remove the Weakened token and be able to act in that same turn. It’s kind of a gamble – how far are you willing to push your Units, and are you able to sacrifice their abilities for an entire turn in order to removed the Weakened token?
Let’s touch on components for a minute. These components are great, as is to be expected of the Tiny Epic series. The art is colorful and unique, the boxes are sturdy, the cards are nice and thick, and the wooden components are quality. No real gripes from me regarding production quality of this game! The gripe I do have is about the gameplay – specifically a 2-player game. When playing a 2-player game in competitive mode, the game end is triggered after 1 Flag token has been secured. This really can negate any need for strategy or player interaction, because each player starts near a Control Area, and can simply just move there and camp out to take the Flag. In my first games at a 2-player count, I found the gameplay to be kind of bland and not engaging because of this. At higher player counts, you have to interact with opponents on the map as you try to capture Control Areas. If at a 2-player count, you were required to secure 2 Flag tokens, or maybe just mandate that the secured Flag must be the one located in the center of the map, it would encourage more interactions between the players, and thereby elevate the strategy and gameplay in my opinion. Just something to consider.
Overall, I think that Tiny Epic Tactics is a solid game in this series. It is not my favorite by any means, but the gameplay and mechanics fill a gap left by the other Tiny Epics. The strategy required can be high-level, but the simplicity of the physical gameplay makes it feel accessible and inviting to all types of gamers. If you’re looking for a great 2-player Tiny Epic, maybe keep looking, but for a 3-4 player game, Tiny Epic Tactics hits the spot. Purple Phoenix Games gives it a tactical 8 / 12.
Suswatibasu (1702 KP) rated The Bear and the Nightingale in Books
Oct 29, 2017
A dark epic fairytale
This captivating fantasy is set in the frozen north of Russia in the 13th century, and used Russian myths and fairy tales as inspiration.
At the centre of the novel is the family of a local Lord, in particular the headstrong youngest daughter Vasya who is gifted with 'second sight'. The existence of the community is threatened when a dark power in the forests begins to wake up, just as the villagers start to turn away from the household spirits who've protected them, in favour of a charismatic new priest.
The Russian setting adds interest and mystique and the protagonist Vasya is fantastically outspoken and scrappy. The plot is easy to follow despite the odd Russian word. It truly is a compelling read.
At the centre of the novel is the family of a local Lord, in particular the headstrong youngest daughter Vasya who is gifted with 'second sight'. The existence of the community is threatened when a dark power in the forests begins to wake up, just as the villagers start to turn away from the household spirits who've protected them, in favour of a charismatic new priest.
The Russian setting adds interest and mystique and the protagonist Vasya is fantastically outspoken and scrappy. The plot is easy to follow despite the odd Russian word. It truly is a compelling read.