Gift Ideas: Cardfight Vanguard, Superman/DC, SW/ST Geek

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Sudy
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Gift Ideas: Cardfight Vanguard, Superman/DC, SW/ST Geek

Post by Sudy »

I'd like to get a friend a meaningful but inexpensive birthday gift ($30-40). I know him moderately well but don't have a really good idea of what he has.

I know his major interests are Cardfight Vanguard and boardgames in general, DC Comics (specifically Superman), and anything Star Wars/Star Trek (specifically TNG).

I'd like to get him something a little nicer than just a bunch of booster packs or a comic collection/book that I don't know if he wants/needs or has already. I was thinking perhaps a collectible, or a newer game he's unlikely to have already. (He frequents his local comics/game shop so would be difficult to surprise.)

He already has many of the older boardgames in these franchises. E.g. the Cryptozoic DC Deck Building Game, SW: Starship Battles, ST:TNG Deck Building, etc. I have to imagine he's considered most of the recent franchise entries, but possibly turned them down due to the investment required (e.g. X-Wing Miniatures).

What are the hottest recent sub-$50 boardgame releases that play well with two players? Perhaps something non-franchise that he may not have already considered?

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Isgrimnur
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Re: Gift Ideas: Cardfight Vanguard, Superman/DC, SW/ST Geek

Post by Isgrimnur »

Letters from Whitechapel is $37.49 at CSI. It plays well with two, and scales to 6, though I find the upper sweet spot to be 3-4.
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Re: Gift Ideas: Cardfight Vanguard, Superman/DC, SW/ST Geek

Post by hepcat »

:lol: You are such a shill for that game.
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TheMix
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Re: Gift Ideas: Cardfight Vanguard, Superman/DC, SW/ST Geek

Post by TheMix »

Sentinels of the Multiverse? Co-op superhero card game. Not tied to Marvel or DC. But if he likes games and superheroes.... Amazon has it on sale for $26 right now.

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Re: Gift Ideas: Cardfight Vanguard, Superman/DC, SW/ST Geek

Post by Isgrimnur »

hepcat wrote::lol: You are such a shill for that game.
It's the only game that I know well enough to teach. I can't teach Nightfall worth a damn. And any game that coop plays regularly can't be that bad.
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coopasonic
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Re: Gift Ideas: Cardfight Vanguard, Superman/DC, SW/ST Geek

Post by coopasonic »

Isgrimnur wrote:It's the only game that I know well enough to teach. I can't teach Nightfall worth a damn. And any game that coop plays regularly can't be that bad.
First, I thought my inability to play Nightfall was due to my brain, not your teaching ability.

Second, Coop's gaming habits aren't the worst guide, but probably in the same neighborhood as the worst guide.

Finally, I have nothing to offer this specific topic.
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Sudy
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Re: Gift Ideas: Cardfight Vanguard, Superman/DC, SW/ST Geek

Post by Sudy »

Sentinels of the Multiverse is intriguing. Letters from Whitechapel I find thematically interesting, but I'm not sure he would. Not that he's a stickler for theme if the game is good. However you say it plays well with two, but I suspect it might be better with more? [Edit: Actually, I see BoardGameGeek says it plays best with two!]

Any opinions on Splendor?

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Re: Gift Ideas: Cardfight Vanguard, Superman/DC, SW/ST Geek

Post by Isgrimnur »

Splendor is like Othello. It's easy to learn, but every game requires some strategy. It's very quick, an easy filler if you're waiting on others to get a bigger game going.
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Re: Gift Ideas: Cardfight Vanguard, Superman/DC, SW/ST Geek

Post by Isgrimnur »

As for LfW, when you play 3-4, Jack gets the opportunity to hear the investigators strategize and plan accordingly. With two, table talk tends to be limited to taunting, as the investigator can keep his own counsel.
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YellowKing
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Re: Gift Ideas: Cardfight Vanguard, Superman/DC, SW/ST Geek

Post by YellowKing »

Don't have any suggestions, but thanks to TheMix for the heads up on Sentinels of the Multiverse being on sale. It's been on my wishlist for some time, so I finally pulled the trigger.
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Re: Gift Ideas: Cardfight Vanguard, Superman/DC, SW/ST Geek

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

Sentinels of the Multiverse is an excellent choice for a superhero-themed game (though I much prefer the digital version, as keeping up with all the arithmetic involved with the various modifiers and such can become somewhat tedious with the tabletop game).

A couple of other science-fiction themed board games that both play superbly with two players:
  • Race for the Galaxy / Roll for the Galaxy: Top-notch galactic empire-building games. Not exactly new, but both play extremely well with two players. Race is card-based, while Roll is dice-based, and both are highly-regarded and ranked on BGG.
  • Star Realms: A fun and relatively quick-playing spaceship combat deckbuilder, with excellent portability. The base game currently costs only $12.25 on Amazon, and contains everything necessary for two players. Numerous expansions are also available, though the base game is perfectly playable and enjoyable on its own, with no shortage of replay value.
Also, just in terms of a more recent rock-solid two-player game, 7 Wonders: Duel is a great card-based version of the original civilizatation-builder, strictly designed for two players.
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Gift Ideas: Cardfight Vanguard, Superman/DC, SW/ST Geek

Post by Zarathud »

I also recommend Sentinels as perfect for a comic book guy. The record keeping is a bitch, but it's soot on with theme.

I will shill for Race/Roll for the Galaxy any time. And Star Realms wins the deck builder genre, IMO.

I expect any failing of Isg in teaching Nightfall could only be the result of his uncanny ability of winning the game before it starts. ;)
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Re: Gift Ideas: Cardfight Vanguard, Superman/DC, SW/ST Geek

Post by Isgrimnur »

I have never won a game against my wife.
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Zarathud
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Gift Ideas: Cardfight Vanguard, Superman/DC, SW/ST Geek

Post by Zarathud »

It's like you have this unnatural self defense mechanism...

...and a wife who sounds pretty cool. My wife enjoys all the fandoms but retreats at the sight of games because I lacked restraint in crushing her in Monopoly just ONE time. ;)

She shows the same lack of restraint in Scrabble, however.
"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." - Albert Einstein
"I don't stand by anything." - Trump
“Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” - John Stuart Mill, Inaugural Address Delivered to the University of St Andrews, 2/1/1867
“It is the impractical things in this tumultuous hell-scape of a world that matter most. A book, a name, chicken soup. They help us remember that, even in our darkest hour, life is still to be savored.” - Poe, Altered Carbon
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TheMix
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Re: Gift Ideas: Cardfight Vanguard, Superman/DC, SW/ST Geek

Post by TheMix »

YellowKing wrote:Don't have any suggestions, but thanks to TheMix for the heads up on Sentinels of the Multiverse being on sale. It's been on my wishlist for some time, so I finally pulled the trigger.
I should have warned you that the expansions are never on sale. And you are probably going to want some/all of them sooner rather than later. Grrrrr... :)

FYI, there are a couple of tablet apps that will help with keeping track of health. I currently use the free one. It's not too bad. But it only keeps track of health. I think the other one will actually track other things.

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