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Unplugged Games > Warcraft: The Board Game (Board Game)
by Dr. Matt J. Carlson
December 18, 2005
Collect, Gather, Upgrade, and Conquer in the board game version of the popular computer RTS.
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More appropriately named, Warcraft 2: The Board Game, this title is actually a somewhat a set of rules and units with a modular set of boards that reflects the computer version's varied terrain and maps. It has the flavor of Warcraft 2 since the Undead and Night Elf armies are included along with the Orcs and the Humans. On the one hand, the game can be a slight disappointment for computer game fans, as the feel of the game is very close to the computer version. Early on, you focus on gathering resources, wood and gold, while you build troops and upgrade them through buildings placed in your town. Later in the game, battles are fought using the three unit types (ranged, flying, and melee οΎ– they attack and cause casualties in that order). Battles and other situations can be affected by a hand of cards drawn from your race's specific deck. Some avid Warcraft 2 players might feel that the game is too similar to the computer game, while other fanboys may find it the game's most appealing feature. I tend to find a little voice in the back of my head telling me "hey, this would make a nifty computer game!" as I play. Strangely enough, while the game will be very familiar to anyone who has played the computer version, there are several mechanics like resource gathering and town upgrades that are fairly unique to the world of board games.
The computer game has been slimmed down to make everything manageable. There are only three unit types, not counting the resource gatherers. Each unit type can be slowly upgraded to become more powerful, with the cost of upgrades balanced with the cost of unit recruit recruitment and other building issues. Some have found a minor quibble in resource gathering. Since a poor die roll can cause a source to dry up sooner than expected, consistently poor resource rolls can cause a player to fall behind. However, it is not a game-crippling problem, and tends to even out in the long term in multiple player games as most will tend to worry more about the strongest player.
The game is played using designed scenarios that use hex-based tiles to create many possible arrangements of the map. Location markers can supplement the map with objects of interest like mines, forests, and town locations. A player's town is thankfully represented on the board but all town developments are displayed on a town dashboard just off the main map area. With several provided scenarios and additional ones available on the Internet, there are plenty of variations to try out. I haven't played the three player versions, but rumblings on the net seem to indicate it is not the game's forte due to the classic "no one wants to be first to attack" issue.
For those that get addicted to the main game, there is an expansion coming that will be available in the fall. It adds in hero units, neutral "creep" units, and new cards for each race. Hardcore players of the game should take note of Fantasy Flight Games' rules changes to help balance out the four possible sides, just a few minor changes to each side's card abilities. When all is said and done, Warcraft a fine board game, with good production values. It succeeds in creating a slower paced, simplified version of the computer game. It is slimmed down for brevity and ease of play while preserving its core Warcraft feel, rather than a dumbing-down of the game just to reduce complexity.
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Unplugged Games > Warcraft: The Board Game (Board Game)
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