How To Play Smash Up - A Deck Building Game - Learn To Play In Less Than 15 minutes!

[@TolarianCommunityCollege]

Cool little thank you to my viewers from the makers of Smash Up! They saw the review, and as want to offer a deal (this isn't sponsored, just a nice offer that I am passing along) If you visit alderacstore.com or specifically alderacstore.com/smash-up/ for the Smash up deal, and use the code SMASHED at checkout, you will receive a Buy one Get one on any two smash up items. Buy any Smash Up title and get one of equal or lesser value free. That means buy the base, get any expansion. Buy an expansion, get another free. This is for TCC viewers and is active until the end of June.

[@Gieli0]

to bad, they won't send to eu.

[@zerorequiem42]

Looks really cool. Can get 4 expansions shipped for $60. Coolstuffinc had them on sale, but this BOGO is even better value.

[@ty_sylicus]

Okay. So I totally made a purchase. BOGO is super good, even with expensive shipping. Picked up to expansions for just under 40 USD.

[@TolarianCommunityCollege]

With an MSRP of 39.99, you can buy and play this entire game for what you'd spend on 1.5 Collectors' Booster packs. Call up your local game store and order yourself a copy. It's great fun!

[@uberubben]

What is this "MSRP" of which you speak?

[@emmab6253]

Lol ikr

[@Happypea]

It's truly ridiculous when you put it that way. MTG needs more poking at to wake up!

[@mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299]

Hi Prof any chance you could check out Domain? It is a free digital TCG and reminds me of MTG meets chess ;p

[@zztzgza]

Yeah but, I want to invest in the cards. Which ones are the most in demand cards? I'm being sarcastic.

[@TheMartijn66]

press F for poor card that fell victim to the difficulty of shuffling while not looking in 2:31

[@TheBlueCollarConservative]

I love the reference

[@_somerandomguyontheinternet_]

F

[@Graemyr]

F

[@chromarush1749]

F

[@Frostgiantbutsmall]

F Ohno lol

[@DinobotTM2]

Get used to that, kids. JumpStart will be exactly this...

[@adolphus28]

If Jumpstart is ripping iff Smash up, it's not something i'd want to buy.

[@notme222]

I like this. Feel free to do other tabletop game reviews and recommendations.

[@PsychoEditor]

Agreed

[@_somerandomguyontheinternet_]

“There’s also one or two about Mtg on my channel.” Yes, and the sun warms up our planet one or two degrees. 😂 Humble as always, Prof.

[@TheAmericanDragn]

Well this is a surprise! Smash Up is one of my favorite games!

[@Sonus2011]

This is my fav game to play competitively for anyone curious how good it is for that. We think its best for 3 players, but 2 players is also good and many prefer it as their competitive way to play. This was one of the best how to plays for smash up ive seen, and ive seen basically all of them.

[@kamon242]

out of curiosity, how do you handle the faction selection for it to be 'competitive'? Also, competitive as in multi-round tournatment with prices or competitive as in 'the ones who loose must buy the beer/pizzas today'.

[@raven6717]

@@kamon242 Hey, there's fairly competitive scenes at local shops around the world. Though I'm not sure how high that goes exactly. The most comeptitive faction selection ruleset I'm aware of is one where you take 3 times the number of players plus 3 random factions to be in the 'draftable' pool after which there's a ban round where everyone gets to ban one out again and then you go Queensbury draft (so: p1, p2, p3, p3, p2, p1, with 3 players)

[@Sonus2011]

@@kamon242 We have messed around with the process, but mostly just for how we handle bans. The most competitive way to do it we feel is full open draft of all factions, with bans for each player, then snake draft. If you only draft from a pool of factions it will create imbalances. Sure, that will test your ability to make the best out of what there is, but that does not mean it was a balanced situation for all players. its fine to run a tournament that way, but i would say its not the most "competitive" version you can do. ive done local store multi round tournaments, online multi round tournaments, and just multi round with my group.

[@rickxhoshinji]

2:30 wow, that shuffle was hilarious.

[@teifan6674]

2:32 that one card slipping away into oblivion fills me with unspeakable anxiety

[@Grand_Admiral]

I really like games where the rules can be explained in 5-10 minutes. So easy to introduce them to new players.

[@Threnodist1]

My quarantine hobby has been making a bunch of 20 card MtG decks for a "Smash-Up" style format. Pretty solid casual format especially if you can get 10+ decks made.

[@chromarush1749]

Maybe this is something to try put myself. I already have 2 decks that could go towards this.

[@DinobotTM2]

Hasbro announced the JumpStart boosters, that will be exactly that

[@e2shamir675]

Many magic the gathering players ask the question: how to play smash up

[@CastleGoCrash]

Smash up, also called: "how i wished unsanctioned was going to play"

[@Toasty25000]

Ugh, no kidding.

[@dandiaz19934]

Damn how did I not hear about this game?? This sounds amazingly fun!

[@eeflos]

It's one of my favorites!

[@kaijuwulf412]

Had this game for a while. It’s amazing. I love it so much I actually sleeved every one of the cards. Everyone give it a try.

[@eeflos]

Same! I love this game!

[@skidawg22]

Love this game so much that I have been playtesting its expansions starting with That 70's Expansion.

[@aClockworkTomato]

AHH!! I LOVE Smash Up! My friends and I are way into Magic, but we get quite a bit of fun out of this game, especially lately. We have all but two expansions. Steampunks/Princesses forever! 😆❤

[@garrysorensen9087]

Hey professor, i remember playing mtg back in the day with my green fearie and leprechaun deck when i was 8 and i havent played in almost 15 years and your videos has reawaken my love for this amazing game.

[@naejin]

2:32 Professor doesn't need all the cards. Some intentionally start on the ground.

[@agunsson]

Great to see board games on here! Spreading out the eggs from the basket and great information to boot. Can’t wait for more!

[@Sylarium9119]

Here I was thinking the JumpStart spoilers would start later this month

[@karlwebb4799]

Smash Up is a fantastic game. Its so accessible, and with so many factions, there's something for everyone. I keep seeing Dice Masters in your backdrop. It be great to see a video on that.

[@J3R1CHO]

I love that you did a video on this game! My wife and I have collected all of the expansions and it’s a lot of fun.

[@theguy106]

What happens if there's a tie for 1st and also a tie for 2nd/3rd?

[@sandwichboy1268]

Hell yeah, I love Smash Up! Nice to see the prof covering games that respect their players instead of just MtG all the time.

[@CarlosCastillo-kh1wk]

I love seeing the prof making this kind of videos, even more now that WOTC has priced me out of their products, because “this product is not for me”, well I guess smashup is for me ;)

[@seandaugherty3769]

This video has added Smash-Up to the list of products I now purchase from my LGS. Bravo!

[@curstdragon]

All of the magic channels I follow have been straight up advertising alternate card games lately and I can't help but take it as a sign that even the most dedicated people are right on the verge of abandoning magic all togeather.

[@sethchapman1425]

I don't think it is that. Even though I only play edh now. Maybe they just like the other games and want to share. Also it is good to be well rounded in games. Also not going to say you are totally wrong either. Could be.

[@eeflos]

Also, not everyone plays Magic, so it's good to find alternatives to play with your friends, but with something that you will also like as a Magic player.

[@toddbean7582]

With so many people stuck inside right now, I think people are consuming a lot of content and creators are looking to supply that. You can only create so much content about magic in a certain period without burning out. Especially right now when its hard to play outside of arena.

[@sethlarson9433]

Man, you look so happy when you’re not talking about magic. More table top reviews please.

[@guyquattlebaum6526]

This sounds amazing

[@mishization]

For at least the first minute I was holding out for the big reveal that the Prof actually is the first person to show off some Jump Start packs (since the premise to building the decks is basically the same) xD

[@adolphus28]

Makes me not want to buy Jumpstart.

[@nerd_mor]

I already know how to play Smash Up. That said, I've given the video a like, because it's awesome

[@ivrissgaming8006]

I love playing smash up with all of its expansions. glad to see you covering it!!!

[@TheSilence420i]

I enjoy this non-mtg card game stuff, nice change of pace

[@Michael-po5zu]

A long time ago, I watched a video explaining smash-up and I thought it looked really dumb. But leave it to the professor to do it justice and make me want to give it a chance.

[@jayko-mayko2285]

I really like those shelves in the background. Whoever came up with that idea, well done!

[@lukek.5773]

this game has been a fave of mine for almost a decade. good shit

[@xreage]

Video just came out, two dudes are both claiming to be the first viewer. We can therefore deduce, one of them is a liar

[@_somerandomguyontheinternet_]

How DARE you accuse me of having a 50% chance of being a liar! I am truly and deeply offended by this comment. I have never been more wounded by anything in my LIFE! 🤣

[@ericmkelley]

No, they watched it together

[@NCISfreak123]

Prof you crushed it. I've always been curious about this game, and now I'm all in! Looks like a blast :)

[@19RaiD88]

this game is so good that I played it 4 years while taking a break fram MTG and I didn't miss MTG one bit. Nice decksmashing, endless combinations, awesome interaction, new mechanics with each expansions... AND NO CHASE AT ALL. this game is great.

[@richmoser1621]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm so lazy and haven't even played this game with my kids. It's sat on my shelf for a year. Magic does get in the way a lot, but these gaming tutorials help out so much. And it's hard to know what game to buy online. This is a time-saver that we can watch together and get right into playing. Thanx, Prof!

[@VivaLaReverend]

I keep waiting for these cards to curl

[@wierdo884]

I’d love to see more board game how to classes

[@imreadydoctor]

Heads up, if you're looking to buy, I'd strongly urge anyone to get the base set along with the Awesome Level 9000 & It's All Your Fault expansions. They both add a ton of fun to the game.

[@Eramiserasmus]

Love SmashUp! My personal favorite is ninja time travelers. They keep being ninjas and jumping through time!

[@MrValleyteacher]

Excellent video. I love the additional visual explanations.

[@rachelsullivan8585]

If anyone is interested in the competitive side of smash up, I highly recommend the KZbin channel Crank It Up. They’re basically the only channel that is dedicated to the game.

[@tobygrisdale7385]

Great video on how to play smash up! I have been playing this game with my dad on Thursday nights and it’s a lot of fun. Collecting a lot of the expansion packs for the different factions and always keeps it interesting to mix up many factions and see which works with which. Also I usually sleeve up the cards and normally use the Ultra pro eclipse standard size 80pk (yellow and blue) and find them good for the job. Anyway keep up with the videos and more on smash up in the future.

[@zombietotseater3894]

Loaded on my 48th birthday. Love your channel. You are awesome!!!!

[@FenrisChosen]

I was surprised to see this video on your channel, but pleasantly so! I've had some great game sessions of Smash Up in the past.

[@captainvyse4224]

Love this game, glad to see it still being talked about.

[@saulherrera4750]

My brother has the Big Geeky Box for this and we have together purchased all other facions that were released. This game is a blast! Not to mention you can have more players the more factions you have purchased.

[@kennethayers6225]

I am a big fan, but was unaware of the special club factions. I learned something today! Thanks.

[@PMAvers]

Honestly, I do think we could use a series of videos like this shining the light on some games that deserve more love from smaller companies. There’s a lot of great stuff coming out lately, and I’m afraid that they’re going to get hit vastly worse from The Current Times than That Company That Sells Five Cards For $350.

[@L1ttleWarrior13]

I love Smash Up. I've been playing it for a while. It's easy for people who are just trying to get into card games to get into, and a blast for a small group of people.

[@00Clank]

This game is an absolute blast, my brother and my friend both nearly have full collections. If you can try it out first at a store before buying, do so, see if you like it, and consider getting the bigger, geekier box to make storage much easier from the start. Shapeshifters and Ignobles are two favorite factions of mine.

[@buraddorun3043]

Smash Up is another great game. I really enjoy it. Keyforge, too, which I know you've done videos on as well. You have great tastes! Now you just need to go watch a great movie, like Star Wars. 😉

[@thejoho3867]

I love this game! I've played all of the expansions and it is so much fun. Cthulu expansion adds a different layer with madness cards

[@RandomNickname1234]

I've been a bit out of the loop lately and only now learned what Jumpstart is going to be; came here to check if maybe they had mentioned it on a Dies to Removal or something and was pleasantly surprised with this video having being published less than a week ago. I already knew and liked the game, but watched this anyway and it managed to tangentially be what I was looking for: hilarious shuffling, delicious pokes at WotC and a great review. So, thanks!

[@prodicalking]

The best experience for me so far was playing as Mega Troopers, Kaiju, and Magical Girls. Highly unoriginal, I know but I will often reach for these factions either in combination with each other or with something else. Being a lover of midday schlock, old godzilla movies, and super sentai, the personal victory comes for me at every turn when I get to play schlock theme songs and speak like an anime character calling out their every move to their opponents during a battle... it feels as though my inner 13 year old weeb is satisfied. Mega Troopers and Magical Girls I am especially fond of, since they always pay off in the 11th hour on a base and really shine like an afternoon episode whenever someone scores. It's brilliant.

[@erichanson2641]

Great video, Prof! I love SmashUp! I would love to see a video for Keyforge Mass Mutation when it (hopefully) drops next month. Other fun games that could be turned into videos: The Duke Dungeon Mayhem Forbidden Island/Desert Trash Pandas Rat-a-Tat-Cat Gubs Go Nuts for Donuts Sushi Go! 5 Minute Dungeon Castle Panic! Onitama Dragonwood Lanterns Exploding Kittens Smallworld

[@MonkeyDToriko]

LOL I thought this was just gonna be a video of the prof smashing a stack of mtg cards together into a deck

[@sirqcumber5088]

Yes, I love these videos! My family can't even begin to comprehend MTG, so these games are great to play with them, as they are still interesting for me as well!

[@wmcduff]

I believe in your ability to learn Magic! You can do it of you want!

[@symingtonreed3174]

Very cool, wouldn't mind more of these kinda videos

[@cantrip7]

The base mechanic in this game is SO COOL! Love that creativity. I've been wanting something other than creature vs. creature combat in card games. If you want to do a follow-up, I'd like to hear about your favorite factions. Maybe in a top X format?

[@workoutwithrob1700]

Keyforge isn't just creature vs creature combat

[@Frostgiantbutsmall]

I was completely unaware of your game reviews! This was a good piece, I'm actually fairly interested in checking this out now. As a suggestion for next time, I saw a game a few years back called Dreamkeepers: Skirmish that looked interesting.

[@LordRazzia]

Hell yeah I love smash up. Unfortunately I haven’t played in years, but I enjoy it.

[@goncaloferreira6429]

video idea: how do other card games compare to magic? How do other magic players see other games? and what could each game learn from the other?

[@mattwcook9127]

I've seen this game at my LGS, but had no idea what it was. Looks pretty fun!

[@justinaulislong3950]

Always enjoyed this game. Played a combo of robots and tricksters yesterday.

[@blakelively3242]

I love this game and I love that you've done a video on it!

[@mrbelbobaggins8959]

Is there a foil alternate art version available at a ludicrous price?

[@erysecret]

Only if you beg for it!

[@douglima8344]

This entire video seems to be a big advertisement, but is also an interesting content, which I think is really good. Well done

[@Aaron-bb5gi]

This game is awesome, especially with the new decks

[@kamon242]

After much teasing and quick appearances in the 'is it worth it to buy the latest wizard's money grab' videos we finally got the Smash Up video. This game is a ton of fun, as a boardgame enthusiast and magic player I'm always looking for card games that offer some interesting decisions and interactions, so far this might be the best. Easy to learn, each faction plays very differently, cards are pretty much self explanatory and the game design prevents the gameplay from getting too repetitive. warning: you will get to the point where you'll want to own every expansion.

[@empyrion8789]

I play this with my friends who enjoy games but struggle with the complexity of mtg. Plus it can be more enjoyable with 4 people than commander at times :)

[@phyrexianagent4655]

The last time I was this early, wizards acknowledged the secondary market.

[@raven6717]

Awesome video Prof. Love this game, Zombie Horses where you at?

[@jakefernandez6623]

Also Prof, a bit off topic. But it would be interesting to see a window into your production process. I'm thinking of getting into content creation (as many of us are trying to), and I'm curious on your process in producing these stellar videos! Maybe you can shoot a video outlining that in the future? That would just be great!

[@johnnyrios-castro1744]

I would love to see morels these board game tutorials

[@cruthius6154]

Great video. Professor you should do a tutorial for Ascension. It’s another deck building game also designed by a Magic the Gathering player. I love the game and the variety of expansions you can put into it. I’ve even played in an Ascension Tournament at GenCon. Easy to learn and fun to play.

[@lordgriselbrand4600]

thanks for the video prof! looks fun!

[@perfectpersona7861]

What a smashing review!

[@ronan3394]

Hey Professor, really cool video. On the theme of non magic games, there is one really awesome tcg that came out recently that I think you should check out. It's called Flesh and Blood, it is set up kind of like a fighter game where you start with your hero (character) and some equipment and weapons. Then battle it out in a duel that is really fast paced and highly skill intensive. I have had more fun playing it than any other game in recent years, and I encourage anyone to check it out. I can't recommend it enough, it has great art, fabulous gameplay, and an amazing rarity system.

[@RecklessFables]

Smashup is one of the filler games for my tabletop RPG group when we don't have a full party. The non-magic players love it and the magic players still find it satisfying. The base capture/control mechanic is fun as hell. One caution, there was some power-creep in later sets, so I might carefully consider just how many you buy. However, the base set is still fun for quite a while.

[@castsmeteor3]

TCG fans this game is the real deal. If you have a friend that has it, then try it. You won’t regret it. My whole EDH playgroup just bought the core set (featured in the video) so we don’t argue over some of the best factions and helped pitch in on more expansions… In less then 2 weeks. Our meta was getting stale. And I’ve noticed a loop with “upgrading” decks just cuz a new set comes out makes the power level slowly creep up a bit, then everyone else “catches up” and then new set drops! repeat!! money money money. It’s exhausting after 8 years.

[@BadFanFiction]

Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll get this. Have you considered do a video for Arkham Horror or Marvel Champions LCGs?

[@timhipkiss]

Thanks for branching out into other games that might be of interest to MtG players. I am a mere casual player, hardly even a deck builder, of MtG, but enjoy your videos and would appreciate your views and suggestions for other (card) games!

[@johnbrown6230]

Excellent tutorial! Thanks

[@bd35mtg28]

Looks interesting but not something I'm all that interested in. But here is some interaction and engagement anyway! Keep up the good work Prof!

[@TheKalazar]

I love Smash Up! Grannies are the POG faction!

[@triznorbob]

I’ve played this for years. It’s methadone for MtG players.

[@ELemcke]

Ninja Pirates! An unbeatable combination!

[@Punintentionally]

An excellent game tutorial for an excellent game. What are your favorite factions/combinations Professor? I like the Halfling/Innsmoth pairing.

[@Ss-qr3ht]

I love this game! Thanks!

[@jackb.fletcheriii7396]

Like you always preach, I picked up Boss Monster from my local game store to support them during this weird time. Have you played Boss Monster? I would love to see you do a How To Play for the game!

[@viniscreios]

Amazing video, profs!!

[@alihamedinia8989]

Can you make a video that what cards go high in price after 3 or 5 years or something thanks

[@Chokonoi]

Amazing video!

[@Foxbeep_]

Professor is showing off other games THIS is the correct timeline