Saturday, February 12, 2022

#88: Arctic Scavengers (Mark's Top 100 2022)


Arctic Scavengers

  • rank: 1,394
  • rating: 6.8
  • published: 2009 (Driftwood), 2013 (Rio Grande) 
Print Status
  • I think it's OOP... but it doesn't seem difficult to find a copy.
Why It's On The List
  • This was the first game to take the deck-building mechanic from Dominion and create a game with a thematic arc... too bad it wasn't released by a major publisher for nearly 4 years.
Tips & Tricks:
  • Deciding when to fight is key - there is a definite memory element to the game which can get tricky when playing with four players.
  • There are multiple expansion levels in the box as published - they add some interesting twists. I'm not sure the Building stuff is entirely successful, but it does flesh out the theme really well - and theme is one of the strong points of this very enjoyable design.
Extras
  • The Recon expansion is well worth getting - and the larger box has a storage solution that allows you to put everything in it. With the expansion, you have the ability to craft particular sets of cards that change the flavor of the game (a trait it shares with its parent game, Dominion.)
  • This is probably my favorite of the deck-building with a specified set of cards to draft... while I admire the heck out of the innovation of Dominion that led to some really great games, I don't particularly enjoy playing it.)
  • I wrote a little bit about Arctic Scavengers in my Gathering 2013 recap post.

No comments: