game review "Dragonscroll"

So last December I got to play a game at the ROBA (Rochester Oakland Boardgame Assoc) event called Dragonscroll.

We played 4 players, the game was simple enough.  And even with a small amount of time I could see some strategy in the game.

So off I was to find my own copy.  

It's by the Fragor Games and it was limited to 1000 copies.  Huge bright playing pieces are a highlight to the game, but are over shadowed by a huge colorful dice tower.

He's a blurb that says it very well.

"You are a dragonling. It is time to feel the wind beneath your wings and the scorch of flame in your snout. It is time for elves, knights, and dwarves to tremble; a time for orcs to have unhygienic habits; a time for arrogant wizards to be put in their place; a time to write your epic tale. Do well and minstrels will sing about your deeds for generations. Do badly, and you will not even have your name scrawled on the privy wall. It is time for your mighty deeds to be chronicled on your Dragonscroll."

Quality pieces, wooden balls to attack with.  The rules are very quick and easy to read.

Tiles are very sturdy and thick.  I'll get a TON of play off this game.

So you begin the game with 4 squares.  Drawing a tile and placing it like Carcassone you build the known world to explore.

You then move your dragonling to a place and grab foes to expand your rep and abilities.

When you are on a tile with Meeples (red for orcs, yellow for dwarves, green for elves, white sheep-ish for goats, white pawns for knights, and purple for wizards) you attack.

Dropping balls down the tower equaling in number to your current flame count, where each ball lands is how many opponents you vanquish.  One side is elves, another is the orcs, another this the dwarves, and the final side is your human foes (knights and elves).  Sheep are just taken at the end of the turn.   They are easy to grab and make off with.

A wizard, two orcs and a goat.  With a starting toss of two flames what is a dragon to do?

Why go get em!

Flipping an ability card will add a third fireball ball to the throw.

Remember that dice tower I mentioned?  here it is.

So here's the result of the result of my toss.

Three meeples taken.  Not bad.  The bad part is you discard a card or take a minstrel token.  

Those darn bards are singing of your failure.  That ruins your rep.

So placing the meeples on your character card (to eat and gain greater fire powers later) and playing cards to increase the tale (and points) of your Dragon as it grows.

At the end of turn #2.

A few turns later, we have towers, more lands to travel too, more meeples to defeat and goats to take.

These pictures are from a two player set up I did to review the game.

In the 4 player game I played the pace and feel was really different.

With 4 players the tiles get placed quickly and there's more thought as to placing tiles and meeples so you can access them and not other dragons.  Your dragon doesn't grow in power as quickly.  In the game I played I was last place with 2 points.  The winner had 9 points.  So much closer scoring games with more players.

By contrast, the two player game I laid out, my dragons were at 10 and 8 points and nowhere near finishing the game.

So different feel, different play styles lots of replay value.

Can't wait to play it again.