Legends of Andor

Rafael Silva wrote: So, now that has been years, what do you think about Legends of Andor?

I'm looking for a coop to play with my so in PT-BR, I have three options:

LotR LCG R$150 ($62,50) small expansions for R$40 ($16,66);
Eldritch Horror R$225 ($93,75) no expansions yet but both promised; and
Legends of Andor R$250 ($104,16)

I'm leaning Eldritch, but I'm not feeling the love here in F:AT, none of those is also an option, but although sensible a rather boring one.

I like Andor. It's great looking, good story and the card board standees are awesome. It also has a ridiculous lack of a rule book, scenarios that are very tough to beat the first time through but on the second try, when you know what surprises are coming, are hard to lose. Replay ability is very limited. A super game with some serious drawbacks. No way is it worth $100 or more. The game was $30 or $40 when I bought it.

I really dig Lord of the Rings LCG. You both should like deck building because that is a large part of the game especially after you add a few packs. Also, the base set scenarios are super tough with just the base cards.

I thought it was good at first, but my opinion has changed entirely.

-The lack of a rulebook is such an awful decision. An interesting experiment, for sure, but if you're going to write a rulebook for people outside of the hobby game dungeon, then you'd best make sure that the game itself isn't made for the hobby game dungeon.

-As far as theme goes, how the story is executed is rather cool, though the story itself is mediocre and linear. What's really a problem is that if we're to call this a thematic game (and it is), then WHY ARE YOU PUNISHED FOR KILLING MONSTERS? This is a game of high fantasy, where you play a group of heroic characters who set out to stop evil monsters and their terrible plots. You would think that you should, oh, I don't know, do what any other protagonist in the history of the genre would do and slay the evil monsters? The game says otherwise. In addition to the innate, turn by turn timer of the game, you will advance the timer whenever you kill a monster. So you can totally lose just for doing what comes naturally in this type of game, just because the game needed a sense of urgency and the lazy ass designing the game couldn't come up with anything better. FUCK THAT.

-Others have commented on the replayability, and what they say is true. You'll likely lose your first attempt at a given scenario, but you'll be hard pressed to not win your second try. This certainly puts a lifespan on the game, and some might say that that's okay. 6-12 nights of gaming might be worth the price of admission. After all, Sherlock Consulting Detective has a set lifespan and that's an _amazing_ game. A lifespan isn't a problem, the problem is that its a lifespan on a game that when you really start to look at it, it brings absolutely nothing new to the table. What does Andor do that no other co-op adventure game does? Well, it doesn't have a rulebook, and we already established that that sucks. It has a story? Yeah, but that story is going to happen no matter what you do in the game. That's about all anyone could say in its defense. Mechanically, its soulless and hollow. You move, you chuck dice. The game has a timer. That's Legends of Andor.

Thanks guys, I had hoped this would be good since I think she would enjoy Eldritch Horror, but we already have Arkham Horror and we rarely play with two because of the setup, and we only have it in english so I have to read all the cards.

She never deckbuilded before so I have no idea if she'd enjoy that, maybe I will buy it since I can always play it solo.

Any coop (besides Hanabi) that is good with two and language independent?

Ghost Stories is the only one I can think of.

Knizia's Lord of the Rings, especially if you get the older big box edition and the Friends & Foes expansion. There's minimal card text on the Gandalf and special cards.

Elder Sign is somewhat language independent except for a few things: Flavor text on the cards, Ally abilities, Character abilities, and the occasional spell. You can play it with cards on the table (rather than having a "hand"), which would let you clarify/explain cards for those who don't read English. So it really isn't all that language-independent, but it can work.

Pandemic is better than Eldritch Horror. Quicker too. And the expansions actually change the game up significantly instead of adding more of the same. One expansion makes the game competitive, with one player playing as a bio terrorist. The other expansion adds a lab where you have to formulate the cures to diseases rather than just collect a certain number of a particular color of cards as in the base game.

I agree pretty much down the line with Josh said about Andor.

When I first got it, I thought it was a really compelling, possibly innovative design. But yeah, the discovery phase gives out and you're left with a really hollow experience with some questionable design choices (like being punished for killing monsters). The rulebook business was really exciting at first- the game literally explained itself as you play- but when you put the game up for a couple of weeks and come back to it...that whole programmed thing falls apart.

The whole thing just comes across as half-baked once you dig into it. There's virtually nothing interesting about it past the surface.

Pandemic is probably the only co-op I'd still be up for playing to be honest...it's a cool setting, the expansions were good and as far as that style of gameplay it was the best and smoothest playing.

I think a couple of the German co-ops are language independent like Witch of Salem...but it also sucks.

Michael, have you tried Freedom: The Underground Railroad? It's definitely got a Pandemic feel, though I think Pandemic does a better job of providing a tension crescendo as each game comes to a conclusion. Still, great co-op to play solo.

I was actually just crusing BGG looking for a trade on that...I've wanted to take a look at it for a while now.

wadenels, I have the older big box Knizia's LotR and forgot about it! We played a ton of that but never with two, I'll look into the expansion and Elder Sign, though I'd seen it on steam and it didn't grab me.

Applejack, I've played Pandemic twice, both times with four, it was fun but not very memorable, maybe I should pick one up. Do you recommend buying any expansion with the base game? It'll sure be cheaper than Eldritch.

Thanks for the suggestion guys.

On the Brink is the first expansion for Pandemic; it adds a lot of variety and an alternate vs play mode. You don't really need it right away. If you don't like the base game then the expansion won't change your mind, but if you enjoy the base game the expansion help keep the game exciting.

Legends of And/Or.