Mechs vs. Minions review - with Chaz Marler

[@vagrantai45]

Loved the alliteration! My favourite part of watching your videos is your wonderful vocabulary.

[@redknight808]

Great review, Chad! I can tell that you put a lot into each presentation. Your level of showmanship really raises the bar. Thanks man!

[@JeffCBeck]

Do many other games include a "tutorial" like this to get you into the game quickly? It's pretty brilliant!

[@Stephen-Fox]

There are a few that are doing, but it doesn't always get you into the game faster (Depending on the game and tutorial, some require stacking a deck to make sure things are introduced in the correct order and slowly guide you through each and every rule in the book as they come up in the sample game - though that approach only really works with solo rulebooks, and maybe coops), what it does do is make the game easier to learn, if the tutorial is correctly done, which I'm glad this tutorial appears to be. But, yeah, if done well, a rules documentation can make a heavier game easier to learn than a significantly lighter game. Navajo Wars has a beautiful tutorial; heaviest game I own, was an easier learn than some mid-weight Euros (...Granted the one I've got specifically in mind there is a mid-weight Euro with a notoriously awful rulebook - Robinson Crusoe, a game I had to play solo to figure out how to play it well enough to teach. Which is how I got into solo gaming enough to decide to pick up primarily solo titles such as Navajo Wars, so... Good things can come out of terrible rules documentation, I guess?) The trip up that some tutorial & rule documentation splits fall into, and which is why some people hate the things, is some rules that are only in one half or the other (which... There seems to be some minor examples of that here, like not noting that the sand timer is the first player marker, based on Chaz's review), which either means you miss a rule for your first few plays or you can't find it when you're trying to reference something. (Dungeon Twister 2: Prison is particularly bad for that one.)

[@SpaceXtract]

Mage Knight has intro mission to run and I thought it went pretty well all things considered.

[@mikejonesnoreally]

Did you see the one on the Riot website Jeff? I thought it was pretty funny while also being educational. Pilot "education."

[@mikejonesnoreally]

"The Index is my friend." By the by, in my opinion "Gizensha Fox" should *totally* be the name of a Tokaido character....

[@johnrice9428]

I was already sold on the game, but I'm glad you pointed out the concerns you have with the game. As you've stated, an FAQ is an easy fix. Can't wait to add this to my (small) collection.

[@RapidVisionLoss]

Great review, informative and highlighted some issues I haven't heard in the others. Thanks!

[@GameNightPicks]

Thanks! I was hoping that the review would provide some additional perspective on the game, instead of just rehashing the other excellent reviews and tutorials that are already out there. I hope it was helpful!

[@Nurgleprobe]

The hardest thing about the game is still to learn the "Mechs VS Minions" instead of "and". ;) Awesome review tho.

[@GameNightPicks]

Indeed! One of my personal missions while producing this review was that I wasn't going to mess up the name. I double-checked my script for accuracy, and STILL managed to incorrectly say "and" instead of "vs". Apparently, my tongue was playing its own hidden traitor game while I recorded this video.

[@brownrhythms]

There already is a FAQ as Joel mentioned it and said he had no issues afterwards.

[@GameNightPicks]

Excellent! Yeah, the issues I encountered seemed like ones that a FAQ could easily clarify. Glad to hear that Riot is already on it. That should help people get up, running and enjoying the game easier. :)

[@kiwki13]

i bought mine yesterday, can't wait to get the shipping ^^

[@vwarrior2]

This game's tutorial is iso 9001 approved!

[@tylerlamb4108]

However its $95 now...

[@tjmarsh137]

Wow, after 5 1/2 hours of continuous attempts to purchase this game, I finally got through and got an order confirmation. I have a feeling that this game is going to be sold out soon.

[@davedogge2280]

Took me 28 minutes in EU starting from the second it went live .. I managed to get onto the store in Spain and buy it but it was a fight ... the Riot games site was so clogged the images on the website would not even load, you manged to get one into your cart and then checkout would not load .. it was horrible. Got my confirmation via email... it's 80 euros in Spain all inclusive .. not great but not bad..

[@mikejonesnoreally]

Thanks for the great review Chaz! I intend to order this if there are any left come November, This months game was Forbidden Stars which is great too! Is there any way to confirm is this is a game that Riot intends to keep in stock or a "get em' while you can!" situation. Thanks, talk to ya' Friday morn windows willing!

[@GameNightPicks]

From my understanding, I believe Riot is planning on doing two print runs of 15,000 units each, the first of these two batches being what goes on sale on October 13th. Now, this assumption may be completely wrong, but it it's not, then it increases the odds that people who miss tomorrow's initial offering may get another chance to get it when the second batch becomes available.

[@mikejonesnoreally]

Thanks so much for letting me know! So I at least have hope then, YaY! I really like this game and I watched the Dice Tower play through (Sam was glorious, as in 40K style "glorious!") and I went to the site and did the "pilot training" which was fun but I didn't know it was a limited release. I hope they sell out so they make more games at this price point (I'm hoping for a Leauge of Legends "trainer" for us slow folk) but I want to be able to get one first. You made a great point in your other video "How many games sell over 5,000 copies?" Although I heard from Cool Stuff that Imperial Assault sold 100,000 in it's first year! (I know, I know, it's "Star Wars" so see also: rhetorical. Yet still....

[@accountname2435]

mikejonesnoreally it's a 30000 print run. of you really want one go to bgg and pick up a direct link to the order in the forums. The servers are hammered right now.

[@JcGareau]

Awesome review Chaz!

[@mrsuitcase9799]

I'm at work, and can't watch the vid right now. Yet, ordering occurs in 20 mins. Any negatives out of this review?

[@LuisMontes]

Some unclear rules, but was minor. Major problem with them selling it themselves is their servers can't handle the load at all.

[@oldskidgrey]

Just got the game yesterday awesome! Chaz you need to give people the right information 2-4 players not 1-4 players tut tut.......................................!

[@Jeffs40K]

WOW took me 5 Hrs to purchase this Game, when it went live, think the spam kept crashing or Bottlenecking there web site !

[@patrakis]

I have yet to ear a negative review of this game. It must be a good sign. Nice review Chaz.

[@GameNightPicks]

Thanks! Hopefully, this review provides a some insight into the positives and potential negatives that players may encounter with the game. Overall though! Boy howdy, it's pretty nice. :)

[@mikejonesnoreally]

It's beautiful! If other game companies grab one take away from this production (An' let's be honest they will probably grab several.) let it be the insert! Even Tom won't throw that baby away, expansions or no! Doubtless you grabbed an extra copy just for the bits! There's enough bling in this set to make a rap star (or televangelist, take your pick) blush! So was it difficult putting your sizable cranium back together once you saw that you'd be getting 105 painted minis o' component Meister? ; )

[@GameNightPicks]

I did manage to get my dome reassembled. It took some doing, but I'd brought some extra duct tape, just in case. :)

[@Stephen-Fox]

The minor rules quibbles you mention look like a fairly standard from established publishers, yet alone new ones. Heck, you recently covered how... Iffy... rulebooks can be on Head In The Clouds. So if a new publisher (and in the context of board games, Riot is a new publisher) only has minor rules quirks... That's doing pretty well. Fantasy Flight rulebooks, anyone? (Though they have gotten better lately, but try and learn Arkham Horror from the rules. Just... Try.)

[@GameNightPicks]

Exactly! I couldn't have said it better myself (and I guess I didn't). Even with the rules quibbles that MvM has, its documentation is still way above the average. I completely agree. :)

[@Steve-L]

I will never spend $75 on any game, even if it is my favorite game.

[@saluk7419]

I will, but at the same time I wish these mini games were cheaper. This one is actually quite competitive (for how many minis it includes it's actually cheap) - but I wish that we could have the option to buy with standees or plastic tokens or meeples instead for less money. For me minis don't add a whole lot to the experience.

[@Steve-L]

I agree, cheaper versions should be available, like the newer plastic, instead of wood, Flick'em Up. I do like mini's but they aren't super important to me. The mini's in Talisman are fine, and those games and expansions were reasonable.

[@nickolasvanbeek]

Great review Chaz!