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Unplugged Games > Fist of Dragonstones (Card Game)
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by Dr. Matt J. Carlson
September 20, 2005
Bid for gemstones to try to gain victory points to get ahead, or win the auctions for special powers to hold your opponents back οΎ– where will you spend your fairy gold?
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If you simply hate not knowing the price before you buy, Fist of Dragonstones may not be for you, but those that thrive on finding a good deal or love to bluff their opponent into overbidding will find plenty to enjoy in this auction-driven card game by Days of Wonder.
Players begin the game with fairy gold, common gold, and silver pieces. The object of the game is to win bids using gold to earn the right to use the privilege revealed by the top card in the central stack of cards. There are 10 cards in the central stack. Eight of them are standard in every round of play, but two special cards are added each round from over 25 other specialty cards. Most cards revolve around the winning bidder obtaining either dragonstones, gold, silver, or the right to exchange dragonstones for victory points. Of course, it isn't as simple as all that as there are cards with special abilities that can affect other auctions. For example, the first card auctioned each round is the Witch card. The winning bidder receives a black token which can be used later in that same round to cancel any one auction (all bids are still spent, but no one wins that card's ability.) Other interesting cards include the Thief which allows the winning bidder to steal from the second-highest bidder (even a bid of zero if no one else bids on the thief). An example of the special ability card would be the Doppleganger. The winner of the Doppelganger may use it duplicate the special ability of any one future auction won by that player.
For privacy, each player gets a small screen to hide their gold, silver, and dragonstones from the other players. Bids are made simultaneously by all players by placing one's bid in fairy or common gold in their hand. All bids are then revealed and placed in front of each player's screen. While all players lose the cost of their bid, only the winner of the auction gains the ability shown by the center card. If there is a tie for highest bid, all players participating in the tie bid again using their silver coins. If a second tie occurs, no one wins the auction (but all the bids are still spent). Once an entire round is complete (all 10 cards have been revealed and bid upon), two new special cards are inserted into the stack of center cards, replacing the previous three special cards. Players then receive back all their bid fairy gold (but not their common gold or silver) and the next round begins. As fairy gold always returns to a player at the end of a round, common gold is quite valuable and only used late in rounds for particularly important auctions. Many of the character card abilities deal with rewards of silver pieces and sometimes common gold.
While the game is almost entirely a series of blind auctions, occurring one after another, there is still quite a bit of player interaction. As the game progresses, players' strategies become clear and offer opportunities for others to interfere with any perceived leaders. This can be performed by countering an auction or by out-bidding strategically important auctions. Adding two new cards into the mix each round adds variety to the game while the standard 8 cards allow the game to remain stable and balanced from round to round. It is quite portable, stored in a small box chock full of nice wooden bits, glass stones, cards, and player screens. However, with all the player resources to manage, it does require at least a small playing surface for the center cards and player screens. Players not fond of auctions should probably steer clear of this game, but anyone willing to bluff a bit and take a few risks here and there will find plenty to like in this game.
The game is rated for ages 8+, but requires planning an bluffing that may be difficult for some younger players. There are many 8 year olds capable of understanding and playing the game, but I would recommend it only for 8 year olds who already have some experience with more complex games. As it is a bidding game, players will do best when they can plan ahead and budget their resources for the entire round at a time rather than overspending their gold on the first few cards. While fun for a family to play, there is a considerable amount of "take that" style opportunities for revenge, so it may not be the best choice of a game for when sibling rivalries are running hot. The many pieces and cards included in the game are of excellent quality and add greatly to the fun factor of the game. They serve as an additional way to attract complacent gamers into the game.
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Unplugged Games > Fist of Dragonstones (Card Game)
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