Page 50 - spielbox 03/21 - English

Review. Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
Untamed
Gloomhaven is one of the best games of all time – and it’s
a monster too: it’s expensive, big, unwieldy, and extremely time-consuming. Don’t expect to master it without investing at least 100 to 200 hours. Is
it possible to transform this beast into something tamer? Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion tries to do just thats.
By GERALD RÜSCHER
“G
ros (instead of 150 Euros), a smaller box, a shorter game duration, and simplified access. Indeed, many aspects of the game have been simplified: the base game has 17 character classes, but Jaws of the Lion offers a more manageable collec­
tion of four heroes; the original modular board has been done away with and replaced with maps in a scenario book, similar to Near and Far. And the campaign has been pared down from nearly 100 sce­ narios to 25.
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is aimed at both Gloomhaven veterans and newbies. The game has a tutorial that guides beginners step by step. In
the first scenario, you play with only six simplified action cards, which also have added explanations. As there are no monster cards yet, the opponents act ac­ cording to a set script.
We play through this streamlined sce­ nario in just 30 minutes, and gradually explore more game mechanics in the fol­ lowing scenarios as complexities are add­ ed such as more advanced action cards, monster decks, items, element handling,
and effects like stun or paralysis. Grad­ ually, combat objectives, experience and level advancement are added in. In the fifth scenario our characters meet the first boss, and only when we‘ve defeated him are our characters fully inducted in the Gloomhaven world.
The tutorial works because it avoids the initial overload of rules and decision complexity. The starting scenarios are as short as they are simple, so you avoid the frustration of the first scenario of the base game. A word of advice to veterans: those who, like me, play the tutorial with complete novices should hold back and let the newbies read the plot and make the essential tactical decisions. As pros, we’re far too tempted to rush ahead and whack everything on the board without any explanations. This is especially im­ portant from the fourth game onward, when beginners playing with a full hand of cards for the first time should be giv­ en enough time to familiarize themselves with the selection.
Once you get past boot camp, the cam­ paign quickly picks up speed. As is often the case, it‘s about nothing less than sav­ ing the world. This time we’re saving it from a pack of crazed cultists who wor­ ship a sinister blood god and want to re­ duce Gloomhaven to ashes. As usual. The main campaign includes 19 scenarios, along with six more side quests. The type and quality of the scenarios vary,
as in the main game, and are mainly based on the usual “kill
all enemies“ combat–which is occasion­ ally lightened up by other missions. As in the basic game, count on 30 to 45 min­ utes per player. The fact that you don‘t have to puzzle together the game board at the beginning makes setup faster, but also leaves you with a wobbly game sur­ face to place your characters on because of the spiral binding of the scenario book.
By now, the experienced Gloomhaven player is no doubt wondering how Jaws of the Lion feels compared to the full game. Three of the four heroes are fairly straightforward in design: Inox Hatchet is a typical ranged fighter, Quatryl Demoli­ tionist takes care of obstacles, area dam­ age, and melee, and Valrath Red Guard shines primarily as an excellent tank with decent hit points. Each has a little gim­ mick, but is otherwise standard fare for veterans and probably deliberately de­ signed to not overwhelm newcomers. By the way, all these characters are compati­ ble with the base game.
Only Human Voidwarden has notice­ ably more complex card functions pro­ viding support. And because of this you are often faced with the predicament of simultaneously bringing both joy and sor­ row to your allies. “Here‘s a blessing and
some poison for you. Have fun!“ is a typical dialogue often heard at the table at
this point.
Other than that,
there are just a cou­ ple of rule changes:
loomhaven Light“, is that even possible? The advertisements
boast a decreased cost to 60 Eu­
48 spielbox
Photos & Scans: Rüscher / Illustrations: Feuerland Spiele