#5: Heroscape (Mark's Top 100 2024)

Heroscape 

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 487
• rating: 7.4
• published: 2004
• designers: Stephen Baker, Rob Daviau, and Craig Van Ness

Print Status

• out of print... but not for long (see below)!!!

Why It's On The List

• Heroscape is the ultimate blending of board game & miniatures game... and, in a slick move that allowed them to make lots of cool figures, a great blending of genres, as all the characters are warriors sucked through time & space into the world of Heroscape. So, you've got Matrix guys & Braveheart & dragons & robots & kung fu monks & gorillas with guns. (And while kids can start with this one at 7-8 years old, there's enough going on that you keep playing it well into your adult years - in my case, age 59 & counting!)

Tips & Tricks:

• While I have a complete set of figures (including many double & triple sets of squads) as well as two of each terrain expansion, I'm a relative lightweight in the realm of serious Heroscape players.
• A tough side effect of our huge life change back in 2013 (three states/two moves/most of our stuff still in storage) had been the boxing away of the Heroscape armies... which was mitigated by three rolling carts... and solved by moving into a new house with enough space for a dedicated game room and adjacent office (which is technically also a game room).
• When designing boards, remember that "it looks cool" and "it plays well" can be totally different things.
• If you get a chance, find someone and play this. (Alternately, watch garage sales & the BGG Marketplace and start your own collection!)
• If you can wait until August 2024, new Heroscape terrain & figures are coming!

Extras

• I've written a BUNCH about Heroscape over the years... probably the best post to start with is Heroscape for Beginners (and Robo).
• I've chronicled a number of our massive battles - complete with pictures!
• Swarm of the Marro - September 2007
• Defeating the Marro Invaders + Heroscape Update - October 2007 
• Battle Royale + Battle Royale: National Heroscape Day + The Battle is Over - October 2008
• Marvel vs. the Citizens of Valhalla - April 2009
• Paddling Down the River of Blood - August 2010
• Arena of Doom - December 2010
• In 2010, I wrote a goodbye letter to Heroscape when Hasbro ended the line... of course, a much deeper remembrance was posted by Colby Dauch on the Heroscapers.com website.
• More recently, I've written about the revival of Heroscape courtesy of the good folks at Renegade Game Studios:
• Heroscape In New Hands: The RenegadeCon Panel (October 2023)
• The Gates of Valhalla Swing Open... Again: The Return of Heroscape (March 2024)
• I'll be covering the Heroscape Wave 2 reveal for the Opinionated Gamers site on June 14th... and will be following up with a review of the new sets as soon as I get my hands on them!
• This is the fifth of six (6!) designs on my list by Rob Daviau... and the second of two designs by Craig Van Ness and Stephen Baker.