*This is a protoype copy provided to us by Knights of Norwood, the final components are subject to change.*

Guardian’s Gambit is on Kickstarter now from Knights of Norwood.  We highly recommend taking a look at their campaign.  Guardian’s Gambit

Guardian’s Gambit

Guardian’s Gambit is a card based combat game for 2 players ages 8+.  In the game you face off against your opponent with a hand of cards consisting standard guardian cards and two special guardians of your choosing.  The game plays quickly with each round lasting just a few minutes but still being different enough that you want to keep playing.  

Each turn players may either make a standard attack (using a swordsman) or one of their two special guardian’s abilities.  When attacking they use the card to point at one of their opponent’s  cards to signify which card is being attacked.  If the attack is successful the attacked card is removed and added to the defender’s graveyard and the attacker returns to their original location.  At the defender’s discretion they may use a special guardians ability to block the attack (if available) or reveal one of their shield bearers an place it face out in front of the attacked card.  Play continues in this fashion until one player runs out of attacking guardians and loses.  The loser has the option of switching out their special guardians for two new ones and the game continues.  The winner is the first person to win 5 rounds.  

Guardian abilities fall into one of 4 categories:  

• Standard Attacks:  Destroys a guardian unless it is blocked by a shield bearer or special guardian.  If a standard attack chooses a hidden shield bearer the attacking card is destroyed  
• First Strike: A special ability that is only available the first time the guardian attacks, after the first strike is performed that guardian’s attacks are considered standard attacks.  
• Reveal:  To perform this ability turn the special guardian around revealing its location.  
• Sacrifice:  Remove this card from your hand placing it in your graveyard to activate this special ability.  

The biggest draw of this game is its small size with the whole thing easily fitting inside a pocket yet packing a surprising amount of strategy with the available guardian combinations.  The game is designed so that it can be played anywhere without requiring a table.  This has made it our go to game when looking for something small and light to travel with.  

 

Wynken’s Thoughts:

I liked that if you lost you could switch out your special cards for two more but that you knew what the other player had so you had a better idea of what they were going to do.  I liked the special abilities that were one-use cards because they were helpful and powerful.  The shieldbearers were fun because they kept your other cards safe.  I love that you can play this game anywhere even without a table but that its still a lot of fun.  My favorite combination was the healer and the death knight special guardians. 

 

Blynken’s Thoughts:

I liked that you got to keep the same special cards if you won but that if you lost you switched out your special cards.  I also liked that every time you had 4 of the same cards but got to add two special cards because that changed the game and how you played each time.  My favorite card was the assassin because you got to kill things without telling the other player where it was in your hand so it could stay safe longer.  

 

 

Guardian’s Gambit is on Kickstarter now from Knights of Norwood.  We highly recommend taking a look at their campaign.  Guardian’s Gambit