Solo Playthrough Showing How to Play APEX the Theropod Deck-Building Game

[@danieltyrrell3498]

Hey Dale, When you bringing this back to the table? Would love to see more of this one. There really isn't a lot out there and your playthroughs are always top quality.

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

Face it .. you just liked watching my "APEX" get eaten alive. ;) Soooo many games coming in right now that I'm trying to get played once before I go back for seconds on others. I'm thinking the dinosaurs with guns should be next though? :)

[@danieltyrrell3498]

@@DaletheCasualGamer I had almost the exact same experience my first game. Nearly the whole affliction deck weighing down my cards and never even made a scratch on the boss. I got that disease and it just kept going and going before i could get a card to get rid of it.

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@@danieltyrrell3498 All that fighting just to go extinct. ;)

[@jaysonolson516]

I hope you play more. Probably one of thebetter play throughs I've seen on this despite your ending. I enjoyed it and learned a bit. Thanks!

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@Jayson Olson Thanks for watching! I definitely want some more plays, but I need to get my first plays of other games in before I go back for seconds on others. :)

[@garyclarkson5246]

I always love your play throughs….I hope you are well and come back in the future !

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@Gary Clarkson Hope you are doing well too, and happy gaming!! :)

[@Bassist665]

Quick and clear explanation and gameplay, kudos! I hope you decide to film another game of Apex!

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@Bassist665 It's on my to do list ... but I've got a LONG to-do list. ;) Thanks for watching!

[@scuzzy19]

I just got this game today and just finished sleeving, thank you for this tutorial, super clear and concise. made me even more excited to get my first playthrough in tomorrow! super clear instructions, walkthrough and explanation! subbed and liked! thank you!

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@Scuzzy19 Good luck being the APEX Predator! :)

[@ryujincrear8998]

Weird thing to ask, but this game is out officially right? Me and my friend have been waiting the last three years for this game and he told me recently it got canceled but I’ve found it for sale on websites and I just wanna make sure it’s real, I think I’ve found it on their official website

[@scuzzy19]

@@ryujincrear8998 it's absolutely a real game! It's surprisingly not a common game to find for sale however. My flgs has a copy for sale

[@ryujincrear8998]

Thanks! Then I’ll order my own when I can!

[@ryujincrear8998]

@@scuzzy19 I managed to buy it and it just came in last night!

[@a.d.samano7873]

Always wanted to own that game before. Then it went out of print.

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@A.D. Samano I was that way too, and the secondary market was crazy priced, so I was glad for the newest kickstarter. Hope you can find a copy at a decent price! :)

[@bltwegmann8431]

Just picked this game up on a whim and it's turning out to be one of my all time favorites. To bad they aren't continuing with expansions.

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@BLT Wegmann Glad you are enjoying the game! :)

[@markslater8529]

Picked up a CE copy yesterday. Played 2 players with my son, he won. Good session, cleared up some rules too.

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@Mark Slater Congrats to your son being the Apex Predator! And glad the video helped clear up some rules. Happy Gaming!

[@z3k351]

I just picked up a box at a local shop. $80 less than what people were asking for on eBay, Amazon, etc. Thanks for sharing this play through video. I plan to play solo often and multiplayer with my son.

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

Sounds like a great deal! Happy gaming! :)

[@z3k351]

@@DaletheCasualGamer did those sleeves work out? I’m ready to order some to keep the cards in great condition. I love the art. Sleeve king’s standard, 60 microns? Will fit cards and back in box? Thanks

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@@z3k351 It was a tight fit, but it all went back in the box. :)

[@thejeffrosix1907]

Dale, late arrival to this video, but it's been a big help in understanding some of the nuances of the game. I think I am on at least my 3rd viewing to make sure I have everything straight. My attempts to play so far have been as equally brutal as yours so I definitely need to play a few more times to figure the best approach to take. Appreciate your helping me understand and enjoy the game more, even if I am losing.

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

Thanks for watching, and good luck being the APEX PREDATOR!! :)

[@writerguy911]

Wicked looking game. When I get my camera fixed I can't wait to get back to filming. Until that time, I am just going to live vicariously through your videos!

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@writergy911 Dang! Sorry to hear about that. Was it Future Hugh sabotaging your camera? Hope you get back to filming soon!

[@treytechie]

Got my copy which came with expansion cards a few weeks ago. Thanks for posting this! It certainly helps clear up gameplay for me!

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@Trey Techie So which dinosaur did you pick for your first game? And good luck being the APEX! :)

[@boardgametime3727]

Wow this one caught me off guard!! Looks sweet. Thanks Dale!

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

I got caught off guard with this one too, hence all the “flesh wounds”! ;) Thanks for watching!

[@kerumicaYa01]

Thanks for the play through. Looks hard but fun.

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@kerumica True. Best case scenario, you become the APEX predator just to go extinct. ;)

[@steviepickles9174]

I’m late, but... in my plays, ambush is everything. Having to discard a strong attack due to an “alert” is no better/worse than not being able to draw it when you need it. At least, if it’s on the ambush point then you’ll more likely than not get to use it. I choose my own 20 cards, always play on easy, and I even add 2 easy rounds (shuffled into the middle ten cards) as I’m trying to kill the boss and score points so I find it much more enjoyable building up than stressing over every affliction cards I get. The game is too short and difficult for the sake of its randomness so I extend the game a bit.

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@Stevie Pickles Life of the APEX predator is short and brutal ... then that big asteroid flies out of the sky. :)

[@MrMac1219]

entire reason im here is trying to figure what im doing wrong, i've done 5 solo runs all with 3 emergence now and have yet to beat a boss. Extremely difficult to build to a point where you are dealing >11 or upwards of >16 damage every turn for multiple turns in a row. My last attempt even ended in only 6 turns in due to the hunt deck eliminating itself to 4 cards (every turn is a boss battle)

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@@MrMac1219 Being the APEX Predator is tough!

[@florianb4901]

Wow! This was brutal. And awesome! I want more :D Please :)

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@F B Haha, so you like seeing me get beat up? :D

[@florianb4901]

@@DaletheCasualGamer I honestly don't mind :D I'm curious how the other starting decks work^^

[@mcsauteuse]

savage world !!!! and it's easy mode :) you were very unlocky on this one !!! try to set ambuh with the dino who dont gain alert cards there are several in this deck. hope to see more battle on your channel.

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@franck berger Haha! Some of us just aren't cut out to be the APEX Predator! :) Yep, setting ambushes is a strategy that needs to be done.

[@OPxZenith]

I'm on the waitlist for this game. Can't wait to get my hands on it! What did you use for sleeves?

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@ZeltronSixBillion I initially used Dragon Shield clear matte sleeves, which I consider top tier in sleeves, but with that, they did not all fit back in the box. So I saw through a thread that some people have used Sleeve Kings sleeves and got them all back in the box, so I have an order of them on the way. Sleeve Kings sleeves are 60 microns thick vs most premiere sleeves at 100 microns, so I'll see how they work. And unrelated, Sleeve Kings is also planning on making sleeves comparable to FFG sleeves, which I had used for over a decade before they were recently discontinued. And they are planning on sending me some samples to compare. I hope to have that up in the next few weeks.

[@jayplays4215]

@@DaletheCasualGamer I use Sleeve Kings for Marvel Champions. They're really nice, especially given their cost.

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@@jayplays4215 Hope to have them sometime next week. :)

[@OPxZenith]

@@DaletheCasualGamer Awesome, thank you for the information! I may have to give Sleeve Kings a shot. I currently use Mayday Premium Sleeves for a few of my games. They aren't great by any means but they do the trick. I'd like to hear how you like the samples that Sleeve Kings sends you. Also, nice video! Cheers.

[@PickleTheHutt]

I fit everything in the box using FFG (I have a huge stash of them). The extra height means you have to cut up the cardboard insert keeping only the middle and end of the divider. Entirely cut off the bottom and sides. This allows you to move the card rows off-center freeing up over an inch (even using FFG) along one long edge. I sleeved and bagged the cards needed only for multiplayer (this is almost exclusively solo for me) and tucked them into this inch+ space along the side. That makes just enough room in the card rows to fit everything else sleeved with the dividers.

[@FFXIVBotMan]

Dale, don't give up. If you hatch a lot more to get more free cards in your hand it may help. You did get a very rough set of environment cards though. Maybe try the Veloster Raptors or the Utah Raptors next game. This is a fun game solo and I did try it multiplayer with two people but the boss fight just felt flat.

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@Board game fan Thanks for the advice. Not giving up being a dinosaur ... I don't mind losing. :)

[@monicaelidaforssell5542]

Thanks for this playthrough video!! I tried it first time yesterday, and felt totally confused. Now I feel revitalized to die another day in the days of prehistory! :P

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@Monica Elida Forssell lol I know how that feels, this game is brutal!! Good luck! :)

[@markwilliamson3043]

I got this a few weeks ago and played a fair bit now. I've only been beaten twice and u need to make good use of the ambush points and try and stop taking hits all the time. i amways buy evolve cards that get rid of afflication cards and always seem to be able to keep those low. its a great game and tonnes of replayabilty

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@Mark Williamson Note to self: don't get hit. ;) Yeah, I need to use find the right time to set ambushes. You are definitely the APEX, where I barely survived birth in the dinosaur world! :)

[@WhyteRabitScribe]

High Dale, Just wondering what sleeves you use for this game? Trying to find some good sleeves for my deck-building games. Thanks!

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

I initially used Dragon Shield clear matte, but they wouldn't fit back in the box, so I changed to Sleeve Kings. Not as nice as the Dragon Shields, but it all fit back in the box. :)

[@WhyteRabitScribe]

@@DaletheCasualGamer Thanks! Are they slippery when they are stacked? Hate when cards fall over during a game

[@coopornotgame]

Hello, What sleeve did you use? thanks you for the video

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@CoopOrNot For that play I had them in Dragon Shield clear matte, but they didn't fit back in the box. Have recently changed to Sleeve Kings. Definitely not the same quality, but they all fit back in the box sleeved. Hope that helps, and thanks for watching! :)

[@coopornotgame]

@@DaletheCasualGamer can you give me the size and thickness for the sleeve and do you think 50 Premium Card Game Sleeves ( 63.5x88mm ) can work?

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@@coopornotgame Following is a link to the sleeves I used from them (60 microns thick) typical "premium" sleeves are 100 microns thick, so I'm not sure if that would fit. Dragon Shields are 120 microns. Hope that helps. sleevekings.com/collections/sleeves-by-skus/products/sleeve-kings-card-game-card-sleeves-63-5x88mm-110-pack-60-microns-5

[@riccardoconti6929]

Good video, Two questions, How many cards can I hold in my hand? Do I have to use the cards I have left in my hand or can I keep them for the next turn?

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

Thanks for watching! At the end of your turn you will play all cards, and then draw 6. During your turn, you don't have a hand limit. Hope that helps.

[@PhoenixFighter09]

Love the game but just watching your run clarified some of the rules for me, so thanks for that! But yes, just because this game has an easy mode doesn't mean it's actually easy.

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@PhoenixFighter09 Glad I could help! And so true, this game is brutal!! Thanks for watching! :)

[@Cslaters]

My first game was against Allosaurus Boss, it is not affected by Flesh Wounds... at the end, my affliction deck only had 3 not Flesh Wounds cards and i should cause 4 more damage -_-. Thx for this video, it helped a lot.

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@Matheus Santiago This game can be brutal, good luck in your next game!! :)

[@xslamdownx102]

Which sleeves are you using?

[@xslamdownx102]

Nevermind, i saw it in the comments

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@@xslamdownx102 Thanks for stopping by, and hope you enjoy sleeving your game! :)

[@fernandovila238]

Oh dear! That's brutal for sure, and you're right it seems to be pretty random, but... DINOSAURS am I right? Hahaha. I really don't know if you made any big mistakes, seems like you depend on getting one or two of those cards that heal you early. Do you know if this game is a Kick starter exclusive or if it's going to be available in retail? As always thanks for the great content man, I would really like seeing you suffer a bit more against some dinos :P

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@Fernando Vila Yes, DINOSAURS!! :D I haven't heard anything about retail, but was definitely hoping it would have some available for retail because it seemed to be a popular game before the latest kickstarter. And I really want to get the "weaponized" dinosaurs to the table to suffer some more. I'll get that on my to-do list. :)

[@fernandovila238]

@@DaletheCasualGamer I hope so too, I may get it if it comes for retail, seems like a really nice brutal game haha

[@xXStylinKillerXx]

Got really lucky and my FLGS had a few copies of the Collector Edition. This is my first deck-builder on the shelf, and I was a little overwhelmed at first, but after watching your video I feel MUCH better. I do have a question about the cards. What type of sleeves are you using for them? I wanna try and keep that artwork nice and pretty for as long as I can :)

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@Jaykaster. Congrats, and good luck being a dinosaur! Not sure I was cut out for that rough life. In the video, I was using DragonShield clear matte sleeves. Top tier in my opinion and a top tier price. Sleeved with them, they didn’t fit back in the box. I just resleeved them with Sleeve Kings for much cheaper and they all fit in the box. Definitely not as nice (thick) of a sleeve and my first time using them, but I think they will do the job. Hope that helps!

[@ThePolwac]

#NeedMorePlaythroughs ;)

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

lol It's a tough life. #IwentExtinct ;)

[@gilchecksix]

Too many affliction cards in your deck. Not lucky 😩 Thanks for the game

[@bornTwoFight]

I will watch your video if am getting my copy in europe... Still waiting!

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@Born2FightB Well ... I hope your aquatic dinosaurs make good time! :)

[@jayplays4215]

That was a rough game! It was good to see the T-Rex being played; I had only seen Velociraptors and Carnotaurus before. It seems like you just got slammed with Minions and other prey with nasty Hunt effects, and the healing cards were few and far between. Compared to other playthroughs I've seen, though, you were pulling down some major prey early in the game, and buying some super tough dinos for your deck. Having the Boss pop around several times doesn't help, either. This game does seem super random, but for a deck builder, that kinda just means that you never truly dominate the game and feel like there's nothing else to do with it. Hopefully I can get my copy out this weekend. Like you, I had been seeing this game all over the place for the last few years, and I flipped out when I saw it return to Kickstarter, so I'm pretty pumped to try it out.

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@Jay Plays For me, I think this game is going to be a fun solo game on occasion, due to all the super randomness, not sure my typical play group will enjoy it competitively. Some of the bosses, just reading through them, are definitely harder than others, especially the ones that can only take a certain type of wound. But its DINOSAURS and deck-building, and to be honest, it had to be a tough life, so eat or be eaten. :)

[@AmaieG]

I've been curious about this game and kept eyeballing it on their webstore. Do you think it lives up to your standards of deck-builder?

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@Amaie G I haven't played it since making the video. It's still in my collection ... just too busy playing other games. I'd say it's more difficult than other deck builders and more random, but a solid system. It wasn't well received multi-player, mainly due to "fairness". Random cards on one person can be way worse than on another. Hope that helps! :)

[@PickleTheHutt]

I backed the CE and was initially excited about it but after 4 or 5 plays I just don't like it that much. That's too bad as I can see potential for a good game but there's just too many issues to ever want to play it over my other deck builders. It really doesn't help that the CE's seemingly intentional rules changes from 2ed (mostly regarding playing evolution cards during boss battles) fundamentally break the game from the old edition even though Outland said they didn't want to change the solo game at all.

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@Kenny Felts I don't know what changes they made, I'm just assuming the Boss is a maybe at best for me. I don't see this game being pulled out like I do other games (like marvel champions), but I see it staying in my collection for a while and being pulled out on occasion when I feel the need to roar with the dinosaurs. So what are your deck builders are your go to games, and are you playing solo or mult-player. Thanks for watching! :)

[@PickleTheHutt]

The major change is the bit in the rules that says "in boss battles, evolution cards can only be played to draw or eliminate cards" whereas in the older editions the wording is "in boss battles, evolution cards can be played for any desired effect but evolve points can't be spent". This is massive difference as in the CE about half of all the evolution cards (any that don't simply draw or eliminate cards) are worse than useless as they do nothing and clog up your deck while doing so. It also completely destroys some species that rely on certain cards (like Velociraptors needing Metabolic Growth to beef up their weak attacks as that card is essentially blank now). Many people on BGG are just ignoring the new rules and playing Solo using the 2ed rules which, even with some issues, are better than the CE. For other deck builders, I almost exclusively play solo or co-op (Tyrants of the Underdark being the only competitive one, and I hate "reduce opponent to zero health" games like Star Realms) and only those that pair deck building with doing something else beyond just playing cards for points (i.e. something on a board, or fighting enemies, accomplishing an objective beyond just earn points). My favorites are Venom Assault, Battle for Greyport, and Tyrants of the Underdark. I also like Rune Age (co-op only) and the Legendary games fine but not as much as the others.

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@@PickleTheHutt I like the "play any evolve card" much better. And that's a good list of other games. I'd like to try Venom Assault at some time, couldn't find any for sale at the moment and really loved Tyrants of the Underdark! Rune Age has been eyeing me on the shelf to get played again. Wish FFG would release some other deck building games. :) Thanks for the feedback!

[@markwilliamson3043]

@@PickleTheHutt i disagree. its too eady to be able to heal all those afflictions and its more challenging not being abke to do that during boss battles. you can still draw cards so just stock up on those. you could always play with the 2e rules and just house rule it.

[@PickleTheHutt]

You can heal afflictions as that falls under the "draw or eliminate cards" rule. What you can't do, by RAW in the CE, is play Evolve cards that do anything else. So for example, that Metabolic Growth card that is so important for Velociraptors (it's explicitly mentioned on Apex cards) and was so useful in every other round, becomes a dead card that clogs up your hand against the boss. You have a better chance of winning if you never buy roughly half of the evolve cards (those without card draw) as a single bad hand against the boss means a loss. It's either terrible game design or, more likely, terrible attention to rulebook writing (especially considering they have the 2ed to look at) that they haven't yet corrected.

[@matteas3206]

I think the reveal on ambush (Minions) is for multiplayer right? So you have to reveal other players your hand/card or does it work in solo as a "free to jail card" Thanks for the gameplay, looking forward for more if you plan too :)

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@Matteas Yes, for multiplayer some other player may attack you, or you attack them so the ambush cards would need to be revealed. In solo play, the "alert" cards can ruin your well laid plans to ambush. :)

[@matteas3206]

@@DaletheCasualGamerSo the reveal option can still be used to avoid bad effects? thats cool :) thanks for answer

[@CLAREROMVoid]

How I wish they would make an expansion for this game with ice age theme... I already got suggestions for the most awesome carnivores of ice age... 1-Entelodont; 2-Simbakubwa; 3-Sarkastodon; 4-Andrewsarchus; 5-Arctotherium; 6-Epicyon; 7-Enhydriodon; 8-Smilodon; 9-Kelenken; 10-Thylacoleo; 11-Levyatan; 12-Amphicyon e 13-Megalania.

[@claudiomendes1227]

The game was really cool, I was really interested in deck building games. As I understand it they are games that do not need expansions like the Marvel Champions CCG, correct? What are the best deck buildings in your opinion? Hugs bro

[@DaletheCasualGamer]

@Claudio Mendes Correct, this game does not have monthly expansion packs like Marvel Champions. This version has the expansion already included. As for my favorite deck-building games, I still haven't found one that I love solo, but some do have solo options. Marvel Legendary and the DC Deckbuilding Games are in my top spots. Marvel takes a bit for set-up and take down, but is a great game! I love DC for the ease of getting to the table and teaching the concept of deck-building to new gamers (was a great success with my daughter and nieces and nephews). I did a top 5 about 2 years ago, and honestly not much has changed. I would add Terrors of London, and I haven't played APEX enough to put on that list yet, but the few times I have played it, I enjoy it. Hope that helps. :)

[@claudiomendes1227]

​@@DaletheCasualGamer NIce... didn't see this Top 5. I will see. Thanks a lot.