Cryptozoic CZE02583 The Arrival, Multicoloured

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The player must first do a little math. From the total number of face-down Fomori tiles they have collected, they take a number of tiles equal to the simple formula that follows: Strategy beyond cramming cats in a boat lies within card drafting and the various effects these cards award. The card types are as follows: Lesson, Rescue, Treasure, and Anytime cards. The player takes one of their collected Building discs and places it on the Map creating a new fortified location or strengthening an already claimed location. Players can place a Building disc on a location connected via a “road” that is connected to a previously placed Building token they own. The player can also place a Building token on any available Port space if they have a previously placed Building disc on a Port space, too.

The players face a dilemma: Do they spread across the island aggressively at the risk of growing more corrupt and strengthening the power of the Fomori, or do they proceed more carefully, potentially losing ground to the Fomori and the other Tribes. Collect Swords: The player collects a number of Sword discs equal to the total number of Sword icons shown on their Earning card row. Treasure cards can also gift players the most rare and friendliest cat of all. Not only are these rare, Oshax cats larger, they are also used to represent any species of cat. This is super handy when you need a particular colour of cat to add to a family. What is the cause for collecting these cats you ask? The home of the magnificent cats is under threat. The looming evil of Vesh Darkhand is spreading, a familiar enemy to those who have played The City of Kings. Although protecting the island itself is out of your hands, there is still time to save the island’s inhabitants.The value in red indicates the total number of Sword discs that must be spent and returned to the general supply if the player hopes to remove the Fomori (or the Balor’s Castle) from the Map. Removed Fomori are returned to the general supply, but Balor’s Castles are kept by the player who defeated it. When attempting to take out the castle, the player must first remove the Fomori that occupies it. The player takes one Shield disc and places it in the same Province where the player has at least one fortified location. A Province cannot hold any more than that number found in the Province (referred to as the “Province Bonus”). The same number is also used at the end of the game to possibly award additional Honor Points. Anytime cards have various effects that can be played, anytime. Examples being, draw extra cards, gain extra fish per treasure on your boat, or rescue two cats instead of one. Anytime cards are a fun way to spice up the game. Components

There are many elements which come together to make this boardgame addictive. However the polyomino style placement (geometric shapes like those in Tetris) is the highlight of the game. There is something extremely satisfying about slotting high quality tiles together and arranging colourful cats. The next item included in Late Arrivals is new cards. I would say this is the most important part of the expansion. Once you have played enough times with the original cards it can get a little predictable. But add in some new cards and it’s like a whole new game! What’s more, The Isle of Cats is a well-rounded game that both inexperienced and veteran gamers can enjoy. Overall, a very recommendable game bursting with high-quality and fun gameplay! Second, place the Building discs, Sword discs, and Shield discs into separate piles to create the general supply.As previously mentioned, each tile features a charming cat from the various species that grace the isle. Placing cats together of the same species (indicated clearly by colour and design) begins to form a cat family. The bigger the family, the more points you will net. The extra-special quality upheld by The City of Games publishers prevails within The Isle of Cats. There is attention to detail with each card, meeple and token. Clearly, a lot of love and thought has gone into the making of The Isle of Cats. The game summarized above is considered the “basic game”. An advanced version is also available for those seeking a more complex gaming experience. To play the advanced version, flip the Tribe Leader cards over. Described on the card is an action that only the owning player can take. Some of the new cards include ‘7 points if you have covered exactly 3 treasure maps’, ’25 points if the middle row of your boat is empty’ and 9 points if you have a group of at least 5 treasures’. Having new lessons to achieve is definitely my favourite part of this expansion. Overall Each turn is divided into two phases, the Earning phase and the Action phase, all players do one part then the other, rather than one player doing both and then moving on.