As a seasoned tabletop gamer with over two decades under my belt, I must admit that Godtear has truly captivated me with its unique blend of strategy and simplicity. Coming from a background where games often require hours to set up, learn, and play, Godtear is a breath of fresh air. It’s like stepping into a cozy tavern after a long journey, where the game master serves you a well-crafted tale in miniature form.
Board games using miniatures for characters and enemies is nothing new. Games Workshop has been doing it for decades, after all, but in recent years it has become more and more prevalent. The rise of 3D printing has allowed smaller companies to get into the space, while relatively large developers like Steamforged Games have been able to climb from strength to strength with titles like Bardsung, and their video game-licensed properties such as Horizon Zero Dawn and Monster Hunter World. Godtear is one of their original IPs, a skirmish game set in a high fantasy world that combines all of their experience into one finely-honed concept.
In the realm of Godtear, the true deities are absent, leaving behind a world imbued with potent energy from their departure. This energy surge has given rise to formidable Champions, mighty figures who command warbands in their quest to seize the Tears and ascend to divinity themselves.
At first glance, Godtear appears to be a relatively straightforward game. Upon opening the Eternal Glade starter set (one of two options, with The Borderlands being the first), I discovered a bi-fold board presenting two distinct terrains, several token sheets, around a dozen unique Godtear dice, and needless to say, two beautifully designed miniature sets.
Steamforged Games consistently delivers high-quality miniatures, and Godtear is no exception to this rule. Inside the box, you’ll find Morrigan, an undead witch accompanied by her skeleton retinue known as Coldbloods, and Nia, a druidic summoner who battles with nature magic alongside rock-carved golems. Additionally, I have utilized Rodhri, the Dwarven thain, the druid Shayle, Durthax resembling an Ent, and Kailinn the Centaur during my games. Each character is meticulously detailed and well-crafted, and while I haven’t painted mine yet, I’ve seen how stunning they look when painted.
As a gamer diving into this thrilling world, I’ve noticed each Champion arrives with an entourage – or Followers, if you will. Some Champions like Morrigan and Rodhri boast quite a crowd, up to three Followers each. On the other hand, there are Champions such as Shayle who travel with a single, larger Follower.
The goal is to complete five rounds with the highest total Victory Points, or reach 10 Victory Points first, signaling the end of the game. In Godtear, the process of earning points can be likened to a subtle yet intriguing dance. During each turn, you position a marker on the scoring track, and whenever a player earns any points, the token moves along the track by that amount. At the conclusion of a turn, the player whose side the token is on receives the points indicated at the back of the token. Additionally, the value of turn tokens varies, leading to an ebb and flow in the competition as the game progresses.
Turn 1: 1 point
Turn 2: 2 points
Turn 3: 3 points
Turn 4: 2 points
Turn 5: 1 point
The quickest and general method for earning points is by displaying your Banner as a symbol of power, leapfrogging ahead right away, and maintaining it until the end of your turn grants an additional 4 advancements – however, various approaches to scoring exist based on the type of Champion you’re using. These alternative strategies will be detailed on the cards provided with them.
In this game setup, you’ll receive three skill cards for each warband you choose. These cards detail the unique abilities and strengths of your selected Champion, including their Class. The cards come in four colors: Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow. Here’s what each color represents:
While Godtear is an engaging game, it does have a slight drawback. Each Warband must be purchased individually, ranging from £18 to £50, and the Starter Sets (approximately priced between £35 to £40) only contain two of each. Consequently, amassing three sets for friendly competition can become quite costly, and it becomes even more expensive if you wish to incorporate different Champions from your own collection.
Regardless of your chosen line-up, the game begins with deployment, where you decide who goes first (I like to roll off but it’s not necessary in the rules) and then fully deploy one Warband each into the zone allocated in the chosen scenario. These scenarios are detailed in the Core Book, and determine starting position, placement of points of power, and the conditions of the End Phase of each turn.
As I’m set on the battlefield, I find myself in the Plot Phase. Each of my Champions and Followers holds a skill card, with both light and dark sides. The abilities on the light side come into play during this phase. It’s a time for me to arrange my miniatures, cast buffs, spells, even plant Banners to draw Godtears. Usually, we don’t inflict significant damage in this stage, but Champions can sometimes surprise us.
Each item offers two options during an activation, implying you can execute just two tasks and not repeat the same one. This allows for actions like moving and attacking, or casting spells, utilizing “Recruit” to reinstate fallen Followers, or recovering a defeated Champion. After one player completes their actions, the other does the same, ensuring to add Boon and Blight markers to the cards to denote any enhancements or penalties enacted in the Plot Phase. Additionally, you flip the cards to expose their reverse side.
Phase Two is Combat, and here the skills are generally much more offensive and damaging. To cast a skill against an opponent, you must check their Range, Accuracy, and Attack stats. Range is simple to ascertain as it’s given in hexes, but Accuracy and Damage roll directly against the target’s Dodge and Defence stats. So, you select a target and roll a number of dice equal to your Accuracy. The special Godtear dice either have one or two icons, or blank faces. If you roll a number of icons equal to or higher than the target’s dodge, you hit them, and must resolve whatever the Hit Effect of the chosen skill is, usually a debuff. If any dice hit, you then roll dice equal to your Attack stat, and must beat your opponent’s Defence stat. If they have Defence of three, and you roll four hit icons, you deduct the three Defence and score one wound. You can also destroy Banners in this phase, but cannot plant them.
As a passionate player, I can share that in Godtear, my vanquished allies are reinstated via the Recruit action, while my defeated champions retreat 2 hexes and need to be rallied during their next turn with an action. No character in this game meets a permanent end, ensuring continuous gameplay and point accumulation. The strategic depth lies in the selection of abilities and boosts, which amplify my stats and debilitate opponents. Despite each round only lasting 5 turns, thoughtful players can extend games to last up to two hours or more. For those seeking quicker matches, playing with a single Warband is an option.
In simpler terms, Godtear isn’t a game that heavily relies on story or lore. While there is some backstory available on the character cards and packaging, it may require some digging to find detailed information similar to Warhammer 40K. However, unlike games like Warhammer, Godtear primarily focuses on gameplay rather than spending much time on history. If you’re interested in the lore, there are resources available online, but they aren’t essential to playing the game itself.
In simpler terms, Godtear stands out among the skirmish games I’ve played lately due to its strategic depth yet compact format, resembling a miniature arena battlefield. The fundamentals are easy to grasp, allowing you to delve into mastering your Champions, combining their skills and abilities effectively, and outsmarting your opponent. However, it can be costly and demanding in terms of management as you progress. The scoring system requires some practice, and you’ll find yourself frequently consulting your cards, but these aspects don’t detract from the engaging gameplay experience.
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2024-11-18 19:16