Dice Masters Battle for Faerûn
Designers: Mike Elliott, Eric M. Lang
Publisher: WizKids Games
Ages: 14+
Players: 2
Time: 60 mins (I found it to be closer to 30 min)
(Review copy provided by WizKids)

Dice Masters is a line of collectible games based on rolling dice to get monsters and then using those monsters to attack one’s opponent. Dice provide both “energy” (a form of currency) and monsters which (when paid for with energy) are sent out to battle one’s opponent. Perhaps more importantly, energy can be used to purchase additional dice (from a pool in the center of the board) to be used later in the game. The newest release (just arrived) is based around Dungeons and Dragons. Previous editions, based on Marvel superheros, sold out repeatedly so the game is quite popular. Dice rolling (and the randomness that implies) is often fun, but the game also provides options for strategic decisions preventing it from becoming too random. While random rolls of the dice can sway the game in favor of one player, there is some strategy in choosing which dice to bring to the table. The result is a nice mix of chance and challenge. It is only a two player game but is a great fit for parents with kids or even a game between “grownups.”

Gameplay:
Each player starts the game with a set of 8 low-value dice. These dice show 4 different energy faces (one for each type of energy in the game), one side that is a very low level “creature/monster”, and one side serving as an energy wildcard. At first, these are all the dice you have to roll. Each turn you take four of them out of your bag and roll them. Energy is then spent on putting out rolled creature dice or using the energy to buy better dice – either new monster dice or new “spell” dice that have no monster side but can be used for a special effect. Every used die (you can save dice showing energy for later) and purchased die gets put in a discard pile. When you run out of dice in your bag and still need to draw, you put back in the bag your pile of used dice. In this way, the “better” dice you purchased start to come back into rotation.

The goal of the game is to “attack” the other player with your monster dice in order to “damage” them and drop their health to zero. (Typical games start with 15 health or so…) Monster dice usually have 3 sides showing energy (often double-energy symbols) and three sides showing a monster. Each monster side shows a “level” number in the upper corner. The level number indicates a more powerful side of the die but also is the energy cost to put the monster out onto the field. (Thus a level 3 monster costs 3 energy to put out.) Once a player puts his creatures out, he may attack the opponent. The opponent can use any of their fielded creatures to block. Creatures that collide with each other, doing damage. If that is enough to eliminate (either or both) creatures, they are “bounced” back into a player’s pool of dice that they get to reroll on their next turn. (Note that they may come up “energy” on the next roll and thus not appear again.) Dice that get through and damage one’s opponent are discarded into the used pile, to be eventually cycled through the bag and back onto the board. Rinse and repeat until one player loses all their life points.

Cost:
Dice Masters is a collectible game. This means there is a base game (actually several flavors) and available expansion packs. The base “starter” game is rather inexpensive (less than $20) and comes with enough dice for a fair bit of variety (each die is colored to represent one specific creature.) To make the variety greater, each creature die can have different abilities depending on the dice-card used. The initial set has two cards for each pair of dice, thus giving two options from which to choose in a particular game. “Booster packs” are available for $1 that provide two more dice, each with a matching card. These cards are typically different than those cards found in the starter set, giving any previous dice new options to try out. Of course, these cards can have different rarities so trying to obtain them all may be a bit expensive. Since the starter games have two of each dice included, a few booster packs are a nice touch as most creature cards allow a maximum number of 4 dice per card (ie. you can “buy” 4 of them with energy during the game.) Since there are much fewer dice types than cards, it is more feasible to attempt to collect at least a few of each possible type of dice in a set.

The Faerûn release:
Releasing this week, Battle for Faerûn is the third expansion for Die Masters, the first two having to do with Marvel superheroes: “Avengers vs X-men” and “Uncanny X-Men”. (There is another recent release based on Yu-Gi-Oh!.) Surprisingly, WizKids will also be releasing a set involving DC comics characters later this year. In the Dungeons and Dragons themed Battle for Faerûn, the available creatures obviously have a fantasy theme. Several types of dragons, various “heroes” such as paladins and thieves, and classic D&D monsters like Gelatinous Cubes, Beholders, and Trolls. Fans of previous sets will be happy to hear there are new abilities here. Dragons have a breath weapon (dealing damage to all opponent creatures and the opponent), Cubes can capture other dice, and “adventurer” dice types can gain “experience” and become more powerful when they stick around after killing an opposing monster. Perhaps the most unique item are the artifact dice. These are dice that became “equipment” for other dice, powering them up but also sticking around to be used by another die after their previous “wielder” is gone.

Longevity:
For a small cost, I had a great time playing around with just the dice in the starter set. Since it is only a 2 player game and each set of dice can have different cards, there is enough variety just in the starting game to prevent every game from becoming the same. After about 4 or 5 plays you will have seen all the card powers (if not all the combinations) in the starter set and may be “itching” for a few boosters to expand out your game. At $1 per pack they can be mighty tempting. Figure another $10 for 20 more cards and dice and the game should stay fresh for quite awhile. Adding in another $10 of boosters to the initial cost (to make a $25-$30) game provides additional fun. Players can then “build” their army of dice to use in any specific game rather than have to use the smaller pool of dice in the starter set.

Final Thoughts:
I was surprised by the game. I came in with a slight negative attitude towards yet another collectible game, but was won over by the theme and fast game play. Despite the 60 minute rating, I was able to complete 2 or 3 games in that amount of time. (Games can go longer if you opt to give each player more starting health.) The price is right, $20 gets you a fun little dice rolling game. If it appeals to you, feel free to spend a few more bucks to add to the variety. Contrary to some collectible games, outside of tournaments there isn’t a huge power advantage to players who have a lot more dice. Bottom line, the game combines superheroes, adventurers, magical creatures, and spells with rolling dice and combat. Who could ask for more?

Kid Factor:
OK, don’t let the tiny ones swallow the dice, but otherwise the game is quite kid-friendly. The rules are not complex, but each card has special powers so reading is a must. The complexity of card and dice interactions is such that the game is best played by tweens or older. Particularly advanced 8 or 9 year olds could follow the rules and play, but they will likely need a bit of a handicap to win regularly. The cards for the dice have nice art, but since they often represent “monsters” some of the images are probably best not seen by young kids just before bedtime. If you feel strongly about the monsters, go with one of the superhero sets as they present a more 4-color superhero style. Other than some of the monster images, just about everything else is completely kid-friendly.

Tags: Unplugged