Doomtown: Reloaded Review

[@BoxofDelights]

great presentation Joel - so glad you showed us this one... great to see ! best, Rick

[@simonworger]

Great review as always. Just picked up the base set, being meaning to for a while and I'm pleased I have now when you mentioned the differences about NR etc needing to know opponents decks. I dropped NR basically because of this, I'm too much of a casual gamer so I hope Doomtown will scratch the LCG fix while still being casual enough to just pick up and play now and again.

[@couplevscardboard]

To tag off on what Todd Rowland said, you can start to build decks which feel tighter in shootouts. I think with the deck construction rules being what they are, folks will probably gear their decks around a couple values, Kings, 8's, 2's, etc., to give them boons in shootouts. It's possible for a lone redshirt to ace the opposing gang's hired muscle(s) -- but it actually winds up being rarer than you think. Additionally, as decks are tighter, you run into two other issues: 1. you lose at lowball (which means (a) you have less money in a round -- or worse, your opponent(s) gets your ante; and (b) they get the first player spot) and 2. people wind up playing more Cheatin' cards on you. Cheatin cards wind up policing other folks' hands a little, adding risk/reward to shootouts -- "do a risk a hand which is legal, or do I go for a better hand which someone could play a cheatin' card on me and suffer it's potential penalty". One last thing, while I'm here, I found during deck construction there were what I called "boroughs" in different values. That is, certain concepts were crowded around certain values. So, in the CCG, certain Outfits had values which naturally lent themselves to certain Values. Like Law Dogs had a lot of 5 stuff which had to do with Warrants and Wanted dudes -- while 9's and J's were very gadget heavy. Additionally, A-6 was very gunfighter heavy, which stunk for skill heavy decks -- like Mad Scientists and Hucksters -- because if you added gunfighter-y cards to their decks, you risked flubbing a skill pull. I assume things will be different, but that there will be certain "boroughs" still. It's surreal and so cool to see someone playing Doomtown! Glad you enjoyed. Excited to get it in our hands when the time arrives. If one of us moves toward the other's Home, I am calling you out to a game. Decline and you're a lily-livered greenhorn!

[@rickert566]

At least in the original CCG it was pretty easy to defeat cheatin decks that revolve around a few values. I never feared those decks. Remains to be seen exactly how powerful the anti-cheatin cards will be in the reboot. If there's a Jackalope runnin around, only greenhorns will dare play those decks that consistently cheat.

[@db0]

rickert566 In the current meta, where you can only run 4x per suit+value combination, Jackalope doesn't really hurt that much.

[@DriveThruReview]

Well this conversation excites me. I did not spend very long trying to puzzle out the deckbuilding strategies. I figured I would end up being wrong and the veterans would flay me alive for it :)

[@couplevscardboard]

Drive Thru Review Tar and feather is more apt, we think. In all seriousness, great review.

[@DriveThruReview]

Couple Vs. Cardboard That's what I meant... uhhh... mmm...tarnation!

[@GhostOfCroatia]

Everything I have read and seen about this game continues to drive me mad that I cannot have it NOW! Bring it on gang, I've already dusted off my boots and spurs!

[@manolios]

great review!! how did you get your hands on?? where do they sell this game???? thanks

[@DriveThruReview]

Thanks. It was a early review copy. I believe it's going to be on sale within the next week or so. -edit- I'm incorrect. It comes on sale at Gen Con!

[@freddieyu]

Nice review! The use of the deck to resolve combat reminds me of the old Avalon Hill game Up Front, where blowing through the deck is actually a valid strategy (ie if you blow through it faster you can end the game early, and vice versa). That's not a deckbuilder though, as the deck is fixed and shared with your opponent.

[@DriveThruReview]

Yep. It's VERY Up Front-ish!

[@theturdreich9546]

Just bought today so can't wait to play the art work is great

[@Chubtoaster]

That opening music sounded like a cover version of a song from Outlaws, a Lucasarts game that released in 1997. If anyone here can confirm if this is true or not, please reply.

[@DriveThruReview]

It's not. It's credited in the description text of the video. :)

[@Chubtoaster]

Drive Thru Review Thank you for responding so quickly.

[@JasonCookingham]

Thank you for the review. I used to play a lot of Doomtown. How are the prebuilt decks? Are all four complete and well made? Complete meaning I don't need to trade cards out between plays to have two full decks. I have no interest in deck building, but I will buy this if it is a complete game. I have been burned too many times by FFG's half-built poorly thought out initial decks.

[@db0]

All 4 decks can be built at the same time using only a single core set. Balance is in the eye of the beholder but we hope they're balanced enough between casual players, although some may be more tricky to pilot.

[@JasonCookingham]

db0 Thank you!

[@DriveThruReview]

Yep. I agree with what db0 said. The decks themselves are very diverse and I feel like they are balanced. There's definitely enough replay value just from those four decks to make the purchase worthwhile.

[@chadhackman1540]

Subscribed at "friggin' amazing!"

[@guyblin]

I was totally set on not getting into Doomtown and then you go and do this. Thanks for that, mate. ;) Did you ever play Jyhad CCG back in the day?

[@DriveThruReview]

I did not. I believe this has been cancelled and then picked up by someone else (not AEG). Unfortunately, it didn't sell very well :(

[@guyblin]

A week left on the KS (www.kickstarter.com/projects/545820095/doomtown-reloaded-there-comes-a-reckoning?ref=profile_starred)... that's the problem. $250 bags me EVERYTHING!!! I think you would enjoy Jyhad. It was WOTC's second CCG after Magic. Sadly too died a death but someone, somewhere is apparently hinting as resurrecting the IP in card form. I actually did a wee, nostalgic review of it a while back if you fancy a gander? www.tabletoptribe.com/games-from-the-crypt-jyhad-or-why-i-probably-should-have-collected-magic-the-gathering-instead/

[@DriveThruReview]

Oh wow. Didn't know there was a KS. Cool.

[@guyblin]

Sorry mate - did i just hurt your wallet? ;)

[@DriveThruReview]

No :) I stuck with VS 2PCG after that wave of LCGs hit over the last couple of years.

[@pauls3585]

Are you still playing Doomtown? Does anyone still play it?

[@DriveThruReview]

I'm not. It was cancelled about 18 months(?) after it's release.

[@Garnakesh]

Game is alive tough. After AEG cancelation Pine Box Entertainment partnering with Pinnacle Entertainment Group took over the game. Newest expansion just came out.

[@honesthonest]

Just found this question. Yes people are still playing and another expansion is due this year. In covid times Pine is also hosting online plays

[@midnightblue6668]

I just bought...well...everything! Really looking forward to it!

[@thepenskyfile]

Thanks for the review!

[@nathanearls1195]

What’s the song in the intro?

[@DriveThruReview]

Check the video description text :)

[@war_gamer]

good stuff!

[@vincivader]

Good review, but I remember this game back in the day being shite. I wish they had done Battletech, Overpower, or Rage instead.