Cephalofair – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com The best place on earth for nerds. Sun, 09 Apr 2023 16:59:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://nerdsonearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-nerds_head_thumb2-100x100.png Cephalofair – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com 32 32 All the podcasts from NerdsonEarth.com, under one umbrella. We create short run podcasts for nerds, covering D&D, Marvel, Starfinder, and more! You vote for your favorite shows and they just might get a second season. Cephalofair – Nerds on Earth false episodic Cephalofair – Nerds on Earth jason.sansbury@nerdsonearth.com podcast All the podcasts from NerdsonEarth.com, the best place on Earth for nerds. Cephalofair – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/noe-podcast-logo.png https://nerdsonearth.com/blog/ Board Game Review: Protect the Frozen Outpost in Frosthaven by Cephalofair Games! https://nerdsonearth.com/2023/04/board-game-review-protect-the-frozen-outpost-in-frosthaven-by-cephalofair-games/ Tue, 04 Apr 2023 12:00:00 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=40551 Frosthaven Board Game Box art

Abram reviews Frosthaven, the sprawling tactical combat game where you command mercenaries defending a frozen outpost, published by Cephalofair Games!

The post Board Game Review: Protect the Frozen Outpost in Frosthaven by Cephalofair Games! appeared first on Nerds on Earth.

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Frosthaven Board Game Box art
Frosthaven Board Game Box art
Frosthaven board game by Cephalofair Games

It is finally here. Frosthaven. The highly-anticipated sequel to Gloomhaven, the Frosthaven board game by Cephalofair Games shattered Kickstarter crowdfunding records. And now we can finally play it!

In Frosthaven, players take control of their own unique character, playing them through a campaign of scenarios centered around the frozen outpost of the same name. It is an epic, sprawling game that will have you upgrading the outpost, unlocking new characters, and fighting powerful foes at every turn.

I’m going to preface this review by saying that I have not played through every single scenario in the book, but I’ve played enough to get a feel for the game, including Scenarios and Outpost management. If you read through my Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion review, you’ll also know that I haven’t played through any of the physical version of Gloomhaven, only the Steam version. That being said, take everything I say from that frame of reference.

So bundle up and steel yourself against the frozen wastes as we dive into Frosthaven!

Frosthaven Gameplay

Where to begin with the Frosthaven board game? If you’ve previously played the Jaws of the Lion or with Gloomhaven, the base gameplay is going to be incredibly familiar to you. You will take control of a character, begin a character sheet, and play through Scenarios to improve that character and the party as a whole.

On your turn, you will play two cards; one represents the top-row action that you will use and the other represents the bottom-row action. When your place in the initiative order comes around, you’ll perform those actions, working towards the goals of the Scenario.

Frosthaven Board Game Illustration

A lot of the time, the end-goal of a Scenario is to defeat all of the enemies. However, you’ll also want to be aware of gathering treasure before the Scenario is over so that you can build up your wealth to improve the Frosthaven Outpost and buy items for yourself.

As much as like the ‘minis on a map’ portion of the game, the Outpost Phase reminds me a lot of a board game version of Pathfinder’s Kingmaker. You’re defending the outpost and upgrading it, all while keeping meticulous track of time and resources. On paper it sounds kind of dull, but it’s that feeling of progression and threat that makes you want to do it!

Progressing through the campaign brings unlocks in the forms of new character classes, additional mechanics, and even random dungeon encounters. That’s right – you don’t even have to play the official scenarios if you just want to delve into a cavern that nobody has even done before!

Staking Our C.L.A.I.M. on Frosthaven!

Frosthaven Icon board game Components

Opening the Frosthaven box was perhaps the most daunting unboxing experience I’ve ever undertaken. Right away you’re hit with a message to PLEASE WAIT and read this before doing anything else. And believe me, you’ll want to heed that warning so that you can get everything situated in the box for your first play.

But the organization of the game is honestly a really big selling point. Whenever you’re dealing with a game of this magnitude (of which there are few games to actually compare to), it’s important that you can find exactly what you need right when you need it. This is achieved through a combination of labeled tuck boxes, card dividers, layered inserts, and bags for all of the necessary components needed for each monster type.

Frosthaven has more components than you can shake a stick at. Between a miniature for every character class, tokens for everything from pipes to snowy trees, and hundreds of cards, Frosthaven is a masterclass in showcasing a premium board gaming experience. It’s like a Gamemaster’s ultimate dream of having tokens for everything you could ever need for a Pathfinder game, except you have it for a board game instead.

Frosthaven Icon board game Luck

The Frosthaven board is definitely a miniatures-on-a-map kind of game, but it’s also so much more than that. Each scenario feels like a mini optimization puzzle where you’re trying to get in and get out as quickly as possible with the maximum amount of loot in your pocket. And, on top of that, there are scenarios that don’t just end when you finish off all the enemies; several have other objectives that you’ll need to complete to be successful.

It also helps to have a semi-balanced team of characters playing, although the game scales for two-players as well as for a full table. Each of the character classes has their own niche and role to play within the greater scope of the party. And that’s a benefit for taking command of one character; you get to really learn that character and become an expert in it, hopefully surviving long enough to do so.

What I really love about Frosthaven is that I can build my character in any way that I want to. Sure, there are definitely things that each character excels at, but you can buy available items to really shape them into someone unique to you. And that might be the edge you need to power through that tricky scenario!

Frosthaven board game miniatures engaged in a battle with two wolves

Frosthaven Icon board game Aesthetics

Everything in Frosthaven seems to be covered in a blueish-grey filter, which really fits with the theme of ‘abandoned frozen outpost’. At the same time, this does make some of the components seem very similar. For example, stones and snow banks look similar enough where you almost might as well not even have different tokens to represent them.

That being said, the entire game exudes that high-fantasy feel that always seems familiar. At the same time, there’s plenty that helps the setting stand on its own merits, especially in terms of the character art. For example, one of the starting characters is Geminate, who is really a combination of two forms. The art is so strange and delightful, and unlike anything I’ve seen in other games.

The aesthetics support the theme in every way, with subtle nods to the climate with more furs and layered clothing. Add in the detailing to the cards and other components, and I really must commend the artistic talents for their exceptional job, so thank you to Francesca Baerald, David Demaret, Alexandr Elichev, and Josh T. McDowell.

Frosthaven Board Game Tokens
These tokens are incredible, and applicable to more than just Frosthaven!

Frosthaven Icon board game Interest

So it probably goes without saying but if you liked Gloomhaven and/or Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, then it’s a fairly safe assumption to say that you’ll like Frosthaven too. I don’t think I’m venturing too far out of the realm of possibility on that one. There’s just so much overlap between them all that you can really hit the ground running and focus on the things that are new in Frosthaven.

If you haven’t played those games before, then you have a much higher learning curve out in front of you. Luckily, the early scenarios aren’t as complicated as the ones later one, so the game still does ease you in. Jaws of the Lion holds your hand a lot more in terms of teaching, but you still aren’t thrown everything all at once.

Frosthaven is designed for people who love tabletop roleplaying games as well. If you play Dungeons and Dragons or Pathfinder, then you likely will find a chilly home with Frosthaven. The bonus is that Frosthaven‘s story doesn’t require a Gamemaster, so you can just focus on the scenarios and the downtime between them.

It’s a crunchy, grindy kind of game that really works best if you can find a group to dedicate regular playing time to it. Of course, you can always jump into random scenarios to teach people the game, but that can be a substantial time investment for a single play or two. However, that might spark their interest enough to make it a regular game night occurrence, so go for it!

Frosthaven Icon board game Mood

As a whole, the scenarios in Frosthaven are tense. Like I mentioned above, there’s a delicate balance between completing the objective and completing the objective while getting all of the treasure. It’s easy to get in the habit of trying to push your luck for that extra bit of coin, but it could mean disaster for the group.

Also, since you’re not supposed to explicitly discuss about where you’re going in the initiative order, it creates some interesting situations where you’ll need to pivot your strategy because you’re going sooner/later than you thought you might. In a game of optimization, it can really throw you for a loop!

Overall though, Frosthaven evokes that feeling of old-school and new-school dungeon dives. And the game really opens up a lot more the further you go, as the enemies get more varied and you have to use everything at your disposal to dispatch them.

I’m always surprised at how balanced everything seems to be. Despite juggling many different classes, enemies, etc, the scenarios always feel appropriate to the challenge level.

Frosthaven Board Game Rule books stacked
Rulebooks and Scenario book…that is a lot of content.

Frosthaven: Your Year in a Box

Nerds on Earth logo with 'Deal with It' sunglasses. Text inside the seal reads "Nerds on Earth Seal of Awesomeness".

That’s right – Frosthaven is an investment in your time. To really get a feel for the game and see everything it has to offer, you’ll need to commit to playing it semi-regularly with a group. But – if you can achieve that – you’ll find out why Frosthaven is worthy enough to top many ‘Best of’ board game lists.

We all saw it coming from beginning, but let’s make it official: Frosthaven earns the highly coveted Nerds on Earth Seal of Awesomeness award! Frosthaven packs so much around its core mechanics that there will never be a dull moment and you’ll always have a scenario to play, even if you’ve already played through Gloomhaven and Jaws of the Lion.

You can pick up a copy of Frosthaven from your FLGS!


[Disclaimer: Nerds on Earth was provided a copy of Frosthaven from Cephalofair Games in exchange for an honest review.]

The post Board Game Review: Protect the Frozen Outpost in Frosthaven by Cephalofair Games! appeared first on Nerds on Earth.

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Board Game Review: Cut Your Teeth with Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion by Cephalofair Games! https://nerdsonearth.com/2023/03/board-game-review-cut-your-teeth-with-gloomhaven-jaws-of-the-lion-by-cephalofair-games/ Tue, 07 Mar 2023 22:18:20 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=40409 Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion Map

Abram reviews Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, an epic fantasy board game of tactile combat centered around an intriguing story, published by Cephalofair Games!

The post Board Game Review: Cut Your Teeth with Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion by Cephalofair Games! appeared first on Nerds on Earth.

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Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion Map
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion board game by Cephalofair Games!

Up until recently, the Gloomhaven board game topped the BoardGameGeek charts, holding the spot for about five years. So it would make sense that its beginner-friendly version, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion would also be well-received! But what makes Jaws of the Lion stand apart from the shadow cast by its massive predecessor?

In Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, players start out as mercenaries searching for a missing blacksmith. But, as you can imagine, the story quickly takes a turn into a much broader campaign that would make any tabletop RPG Gamemaster blush.

Designed by Isaac Childres, the Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion board game takes your hand and guides you through the game instead of throwing you right into the deep end. It feels like a GM-less fantasy RPG, with the same kinds of character progression, battle, and treasure-hunting that comes with those sorts of games. And it’s even playable solo!

So sharpen your blade and prepare your potions because it’s time to dive into Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion!

Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion Gameplay

Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is a game that you invest in, because the entire experience encompasses an exciting fantasy campaign. Most of the time, people will play it with the same group of people, treating it like a legacy game.

The game is presented as a series of scenarios, all linking up to a broader story. You’ll flip to the Scenario in the booklet, set up the enemies, traps, and treasure, place your characters on the map, and you’re off to the races. Each character has a unique deck of cards, which drives the core gameplay loop.

On your turn, you’ll take two cards in your hand, choosing the top-row action on one and the bottom-row action on another. The initiative score of those cards determines the order of play for that round, with the lowest score going first.

After you run through all of your cards, one will be removed from the scenario, and when you’re out of cards your characters is officially removed as well. This creates an organic clock within the game that puts pressure on the players to accomplish the objective(s) as soon as possible.

Just like your other favorite dungeon crawlers and TTRPGs, enemies will drop loot and you can open treasure chests, further enticing you to stray from the objective in the hopes of wealth and glory.

With unique characters that specialize in different areas, having a full complement of four-players will allow each to shine in their own way. But fear not – the game scales for any number of players by removing combatants or weakening them to keep everything balanced.

Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion miniatures
Choose your character!

Staking Our C.L.A.I.M. on Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion!

Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion Components

Even though Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion doesn’t have the same 35lb box as its predecessor, there are still a ton of components that you’ll need to organize and prepare before you start playing your first scenario. In fact, there’s a nice little guide that you’re hit with right away that describes this process. If you don’t follow this sheet, you’ll find that your set-up and tear-down times may increase substantially.

The little things that make Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion shine are the color-coded pawn stands, which indicate the relative power level of the enemy pawn. I was also very pleased with the life counters, with their dual wheel system that’s reminiscent of Marvel Champions. With a game of this size and scale, it’s not economically feasible to have miniatures for every enemy. Instead, getting a wonderful mini for the playable characters and really good, quality pawns for the enemies is really all I could ask for.

The quality of everything is exceptional. From the spiral-ringed booklets to the in-depth rules, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion gets top marks for component presentation that serves both form and function.

Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion Luck

What’s really nice about board games like Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is that there are multiple strategies to any given scenario. A lot of times when I’m writing out this section of my reviews I tend to say ‘this game allows for many different paths to victory’, which sometimes feels disingenuous when compared to games like this one.

After from the opening hand in which players have access to all of their cards, players will need to adjust their strategies to complement what the other characters are doing. If the enemies get lucky and smash a character with a big hit, suddenly the group needs to weigh that character’s survival versus the running clock that continues to tick against completing the objective.

Some of the best moments in the game came from seemingly come-from-behind moments created by these situations. In one particular scenario, we really needed a monster to whiff on their damage if we wanted to beat the scenario and get the final treasure chest. When it happened, a cheer rose up from the table. Every action matters, but some actions matter more depending on context of the situation.

Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion battle
Battles unfold on the included scenario booklet.

Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion Aesthetics

Cephalofair Games knows the precise recipe for success when it comes to aesthetics. Sometimes when you look at games with a zillion tokens and pieces, there’s some level of incontinuity to the design. It might be from using different artists or something similar, but there everything gels perfectly with Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion.

Right away the box invokes memories of meeting at a tavern with your tabletop gaming party, planning out your next move on a map. The whole game revolves around a map, and having a gorgeous world map accompany the scenario maps really helps give those feels of progress and purpose. Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion has stickers that you’ll add to the world map as you unlock scenarios, further making the map a chronicle of your journeys.

The maps are amazing, and if you’re playing in any other hex-based tabletop games, you could definitely repurpose the scenario book as a random encounter book without much trouble at all. Everywhere you look, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion oozes with the gritty realities of the dangers of fantasy adventuring life.

Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion Interest

Obviously I’ve already heralded Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion as the premier accompaniment to the shelves of tabletop roleplayers everywhere. There is a ton of opportunity for you to stretch your roleplaying wings if that’s something that you’re going for, using the justification of the scenarios to narrate your turns. Since there’s no Gamemaster equivalent, it might take the entire table to collectively enhance the roleplaying aspect of the game.

However, at its core Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is really all about those combat scenarios, so if roleplaying isn’t your jam then you don’t have to worry about a thing. The game is crunchy, crispy, and just begging for you to figure out how to use your limited resources to solve the puzzle that’s presented to you.

As I mentioned above, it also really benefits from having the same group play it over an extended period of time to get the entire effect. If people have already played, allowing them to jump in with existing characters will work out just fine, but there’s something to be said about taking a fresh, clean character sheet and scribbling on it over the course of a multi-month campaign. It’s a feeling that you really can’t get anywhere else besides tabletop games, and provides a deeper connection between the player and the game.

Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion sample card
Keep everything snug for the next session in your own envelope.

Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion Mood

Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion can be brutal and difficult and easy and thrilling. Scenarios that you go into with unbridled confidence can turn at the drop of a hat, leaving you scrambling to salvage the pieces. Or you might think all hope is lost before a few exceptional turns put you right back in control.

Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion
Dual-wheeled trackers!

This ebb and flow is what makes Jaws of the Lion such an amazing game. Things aren’t always going to go your way, and those are the things that are going to make your stories so memorable. And, speaking of the story, I haven’t played through the entire thing but it certainly veers in directions that I didn’t see coming. I wanted to play the next scenario if for no other reason than to find out what happens next!

This board game is an experience; I can try and describe it in words to you but I’m afraid that I can’t do it the justice I feel it is afforded. Plus, it has one of the best introductory rulebooks in the business. You get to play five scenarios, each introducing new concepts and building upon what you already know. Before long, the entire breadth of the game is at your fingertips.

Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion: An Intro to Gloomhaven and Beyond

The original Gloomhaven may have been the one standing fast at the top of the BoardGameGeek charts, but I firmly believe that Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion deserves its current place in the top 10. It’s the best of meaty, tactile, fantasy combat that bridges an intriguing narrative. You could say that it’s Gloomhaven-lite, but that’s certainly not a bad thing. Considering it’s so easy to find out in the wild, it’s expanding the hobby board gaming purview in a big and impactful way.

Nerds on Earth logo with 'Deal with It' sunglasses. Text inside the seal reads "Nerds on Earth Seal of Awesomeness".

If there’s ever been a game more worthy of the Nerds on Earth Seal of Awesomeness, I haven’t found one. We are happy to award Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion with this prestigious digital moniker for its streamlined approach, and for standing out atop a what sometimes seems to be a tapped-out genre in traditional epic fantasy.

You can pick up a copy of Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion from Cephalofair Games directly, or look for it at your FLGS!


[Disclaimer: Nerds on Earth was provided a copy of Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion from Cephalofair Games in exchange for an honest review.]

The post Board Game Review: Cut Your Teeth with Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion by Cephalofair Games! appeared first on Nerds on Earth.

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