Played it. Tried to figure out how it used the booster minis, as we hoped that would alleviate the slow-as-snails, isolationist game that came in the core box. Turns out that the minis are either supposed to get brought in when you happen to draw a card that depicts the monster mini you own, or when you make something called a “shady deal” that involves a short stack of monster cards in your own deck, which the rules never adequately explain how you’re supposed to use anyway. Maybe I’m dumb and haven’t read the rules thoroughly enough, instead going by the way the Upper Deck rep taught me to play, but maybe the rules shouldn’t be this poorly organized and dense. In either case, you’d still be asked to move your pawn across a fifty-space-wide board, with a 25% chance of getting two spaces of movement on your turn. And maybe getting up to five.
I’d recommend picking up some of the miniatures boosters, for use in your Cheapass gaming, Epic Duels, or just as top-of-the-monitor toys, whatever. If you do end up picking up the core game box, though, try the following:
- Double the movement values on the movement table.
- Sort the monster cards for the minis you own out of the deck before play starts. Take turns selecting a mini and placing it in either the Roaming Monster spots or the Monster Traps. Then begin play as normal.
- Better yet, play as a Feral Monster, with the attendant special abilities.
I hope that teaches you all a little lesson.