War Chest Review - A Bubbling Vat of Consequence Soup

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[@shutupandsitdown]

Hello! Tom here - A previous upload of this video contained a rules error! It’s my first, it will not be my last, do I get a medal. The rules error in question pertained to one specific example where multiple troops were deployed to multiple spaces on the board in a unique way. When it happened in the game I was playing it in I went ‘Huh, that’s a cool weird use of those chips that I didn’t think of before’. Turns out it was such a cool and weird use of the pieces in the game that it was… not allowed in the game. I have now excised that error from the vid and can only pinky promise you, the viewer, that said rules error did not impact my playtesting of War Chest - in fact, 90% of the playtesting was done in an online implementation of the game that doesn’t allow idiots like me to goof it, and the 'multiple troops of the same kind on the board' happened in just one game I can recall. Apologies, and enjoy the rest of the day it is today xoxo

[@jasoncronin9145]

Everybody gets one. In the future we'll expect self flaggelation with a galaxy trucker anniversary edition box.

[@testoftetris]

Didn't know there was an online version of this game somewhere. Are you able to link to it?

[@AlephN]

@@testoftetris Yucata.de has the official adaptation, and warchestonline.com has an unofficial adaptation (but very low player count if you're trying to play with strangers).

[@AlephN]

Now that you've fixed the rules error and reuploaded it *today*, I can say thanks for the birthday gift. Thanks, Tom!

[@Pilsnerp1c]

So nice, I'll watch it twice.

[@42thursday42]

Tom fits in so perfectly with the SU&SD aesthetic and tone that I am half-convinced they cooked him up in a sinister lab somewhere outside Bristol

[@geoffgoldplum1231]

Don't be ridiculous, Alex! It was a shed somewhere near Brighton...

[@lordbiscuitthetossable5352]

Or a bungalow in Birmingham!

[@Veggieman87]

Or perhaps a storage unit in Battersea?

[@42thursday42]

Banefully brought into being betwixt Bath and Basingstoke, blackening the skies but brightening our hearts

[@Veggieman87]

@@42thursday42 Now you’re just showing off!

[@tessereq]

0:50 glad to see Christopher Nolan joining SUSD

[@MatthewTaylor86]

I'm watching this half an hour before my second viewing of Tenet.

[@mikealex6659]

I got that! I understood that reference...

[@z3nev3r]

haha i kept replaying that moment until i found this comment.

[@NinjarioPicmin]

@@MatthewTaylor86 lol same

[@JEGranberg]

Does it have Uncle Iroh’s favorite White Lotus tile?

[@nexttoradio]

Ah. A person of culture I see.

[@Armuks]

Not many still cling to the ancient ways.

[@ubeinn]

Try having a draft of the units instead of picking them at random, it adds a lot to the game and makes it more enjoyable in my opinion. We deal three cards (at random) to each player: pick, pass, pick, discard. Repeat and there's your four starting units!

[@meathir4921]

There’s an official drafting mode. 8 cards are drawn and players take turns taking in this order: P1, P2, P2, P1, P1, P2, P1, P2

[@jesseclark7105]

STOP SHOWING ME MORE GAMES I WANT TO OWN, YOU'RE DESTROYING MY INCOME AND STORAGE SPACE. PLEASE have mercy on me and review something bad.

[@andyisverydumb]

Hint: you can play warchest on yucata

[@Reflexzzzz]

The editing, pacing and humor of the intro are just... excellent. Glad you're part of SU&SD!

[@SpaceGravy]

I wish the pacing of War Chest was as good :)

[@mosiah.torres]

SU&SD have a great team - great review!

[@cplmackinnon]

At 1:18, there is a bug making its way from the plant to the tray!

[@shutupandsitdown]

All bugs were paid adequate appearance fees.

[@bboyauron]

fantastic find

[@pandubiel]

I have a thought, is there a rule that only Quinns can use a table in a review? Is that some kind of challenge?

[@Veggieman87]

Maybe it’s a seniority thing?

[@lost_pantheon]

@@Veggieman87 Junior intern reviewers don't even get a board game to review. They have to review it in the theatre of the mind, outside in the rain-soaked muddy hills.

[@aclabonte]

Think this is a first, I own a game *before* the SUSD video comes out. I get to sit back and watch the SUSD Effect from my easy chair

[@tylerrapillo377]

Tom's chaotic energy at the beginning of this video gives me strong Caddicarus vibes

[@Kill3rballoon]

To quote Aragorn from The Twin Towers: “Its the beards”

[@Padmansana]

YES! Thank you

[@Kasigil0]

boardicarus

[@stefanopaolini1345]

I have both War Chest and Undaunted: Normandy. I feel like there is a huge gap in accessibility between those two, and also the strong presence of luck in UN (even if is not so prevalent it can really ruin some games, and it happened twice) makes me a lot more prone to propose someone to play this instead of UN. Also, the presentation. I really like the higher agency you feel due to the low numbers of chips compared to cards you have in the deck and how many you draw per turn. It really feels like a quicker to explain and quicker to grasp game, and it has far enough depth to be interested in mastering it. Since unamtched this was my best acquisition in the board game department. I really advice to buy this if you likes UN but find it difficoult to involve people in playing it, the chips feels fenomenals in hand and the strategy goes a lot longer then just "choose the best path to reach the square with the points" and "decbuilding optimally", like in UN. It feels a lot deeper and more strategic and chess-like and more asimmetric then UN. It is a pity because i love UN, but I really struggle to see when I would pull it off instead of WC (ok, i should probably write the name extended: War Chest).

[@PL-px3gw]

That is the most well behaved bird I've ever seen.

[@SigynsHope]

I've watched and loved dozens of zany Tom videos. Only now do I discover he wasn't there all along and I'm shocked because he's so good and fits in so well with the others. Tom, you rock! You deserve your SUSD spot ❤

[@rubesqubes1997]

Great work finding a unique personality so early in your reviews! Really knocked it out of the park here. I am thoroughly entertained and informed. I look forward to seeing more of you in SU&SD's future

[@Carsf100]

Really love war chest, especially the 4 player rules. The coins themselves are super satisfying to just mess around with between turns, too, so I don't mind waiting.

[@Ipsenscastle]

Haha I loved the kinetic quick cut component intro followed by just sweeping the entire thing onto the floor. Genius.

[@abhimanyuyeri8779]

Tom you have a young fan. My 8 year old son loved it. Mid way he exclaimed " Dad buy this game". And at dinner table he was telling his mum " if you focus on defence you cant attack" ie parroting your words. 😀. And as instructed I have ordered it😎

[@sirqxxvii8457]

I actually screamed out loud when he put the chips in his mouth, great review

[@matthiash.3749]

Honestly, strategy-wise I think War Chest Mobs the Floor with Undaunted. It's not even close. For my liking there is too much dice-tossing involved in Undaunted and you cannot mitigate it by clever thinking as much as you can in War Chest

[@jedipoz]

Loving your reviews Tom! You have a great energy and really fit into the SUSD style well.

[@michaelmay597]

Think the whole SU&SD team deserves an applause on Tom. Great hiring choice and Tom is killing it.

[@Electroporcupine]

Yes. Chess Month. Of course. That one month long event that this is definitely part of.

[@gazgibbons5923]

Excellent video Tom. Thanks. So much more relaxed in front of the camera now. You're a natural!

[@jamesirwin1168]

Awesome review! Tom, you've been doing a phenomenal job! I look forward to your reviews as much as Quintin or Matt's. Keep up the great work!

[@Cuix]

This is Tom's best work so far. Really excellent video, and extremely enticing review.

[@CarriedbyGg]

Bolstering can also be a clever tactic in that you can empty your bag from useless units and draw 3 chits for your horsies to jump around with every round. Devastating!

[@Echodonut]

That is pretty clever. I'm going to try that out.

[@revimfadli4666]

Always love when deck thinning comes with explicit incentives

[@brettsplay8628]

got my WC today after it was my #1 wishlist title for a looong time. and just saw that there's a SUSD review. brilliant. AND THEN TOM DRAWS A LINE TO SLAY THE SPIRE, a game I've played for about 400 hours. Thank you so much. Great review, brilliant humor, well produced. Thumbs up!!

[@jernfuglen]

It's nice to see that they made the card board pieces bigger, than they were in the first print. Now it's much easier to see that a piece is standing on one. Another thing: It's fun think up new units to use in the game.

[@bookedroomer]

I already have fond memories of this game from the first time playing it where someone brought it in to play and our group oohed and aahed at the quality of the box and chips and we played it and realized the endless possibility of it and made some silly strategical mistakes and setting it all up again to play again

[@DanielCornerthe]

Thanks Tom. Love you xoxo. I've been eyeballing this one for a bit.

[@alex7ink]

I laughed out loud when he pushed the pieces off the table. Loved the review!

[@Shenaldrac]

"...with a review of a game that isn't related to chess month in any way." Oh, time for SU&SD to finally tackle Settlers of Catan? :V

[@tobiaslangager]

now that it's back again i will once more call upon a shout out to the little spider crawling from the pot of dirt! Great cameo ma spader friend!

[@mikemckenzie1397]

Unearthing that lead got me good, great and informative review!

[@thomassteenkamp4575]

Is it just me or is this review super meta? Love the work Tom keep it up!

[@mr_baa]

If you make me laugh out loud in 30 seconds, you obviously have done something correctly. Thanks for the review! :)

[@TheDeadmanTT]

I thought the british called them poker crisps.

[@Maseiken]

It's always an interesting exercise when you can follow the development of ideas across multiple games by the same cerrrrlever people.

[@luigiscazzari4724]

Love that Tom is bringing back the game title with no players screen in the intro

[@reddish22]

Just wanted to chime in and say how much I appreciate Tom as a newer part of the channel. He's a great fit and really good at what he does!

[@NikolajLepka]

this looks like a variation on The Duke but on a hex grid I'm sold

[@IronSalamander8]

We've played 2 games of 2v2 of this one and really liked it. It's simple enough that I was able to teach it with both expansions in full use (forts, decrees, and the new pieces). Will have to try the drafting in future. Highly recommend it. I have yet to play Undaunted, and am a fan of WW2 as a subject for study and games, but I'm sure I'd enjoy it too.

[@alexanderlapierre4994]

Favourite part of the review, the reversed footage of chips flowing up into his hand

[@wjhull]

Ohh, so you're re-releasing this every day of the week to make that sign-off a "Have a good every day". I see. Clever, and totally intentional.

[@JarlDM]

Always so pleased to see a Tom review!

[@molybdnum]

I have made it 53 seconds in and I need to take a break this man is too powerful

[@MrZombieplague]

"the final secret pleasure" made me giggle

[@dgu454]

Seriously man, you Tom have the best reviews! SO funny!

[@besidethebishop]

Both pleased and slightly worried to see Tom has picked up the SUSD addiction to (variations on) the phrase "bury the lede"

[@venyapo]

Please review Spirit Island with at least Branch and Claw expansion. Would love-love-LOVE to see your take on it

[@IoFoxdale]

I own both Warchest and Undaunted and honestly while they're both fueled by the same tiny deck building tension the random chance and long range weapons in Undaunted make for a vastly different game feel and texture to the experience. Warchest is a game of every move counting and where shifting position is scary because you're signalling that someone can come stab that unit *probably* without reprise. Where having 2 Scouts in a hand is the chance for a dramatic upheaval if you play it right. Undaunted is a game of attrition. You want to muster your platoon to always be firing with the most effective option. Games end when you whittle down your opponent to bad options and the goal is to keep flinging the dice as often as meticulously as you can without losing the core objectives on the board.

[@meathir4921]

Also, Undaunted’s Fog Of War mechanics that allow for variety in strategy. You could clog an opponent’s large deck to make it so they’re seeing the most crucial units inconsistently, or add Scouts to thin the deck.

[@unwrittenbook]

That was a lovely and enjoyable video!

[@Darwins_Fink]

tom is amazing. a great addition to the team. his humor and editing are on point

[@modularcuriosity]

2:56 Most subtle joke ever.

[@NyleGames]

Another excellent review Tom!

[@henriwhitehead]

Great video, Tom!

[@danielengel4593]

Really appreciate that comparison aspect, these days we have sooo many choices, and some are very similar, but we do not recognize, only after playing the game 5+? years (sitting on the shelf and collecting dust) after purchasing it. As a board game lover I always have the feeling missing out, if ignoring a game that is praised so high like war chest. I own both (Normandy), war chest is ready to leave my collection after your video.

[@willbeplayin]

02:30 about the initiative: It won't affect the current round, but the NEXT round. It also can't be selected if you already are the first player.

[@ironsilk6438]

That intro was hilarious!

[@2MeatyOwlLegs]

Great review!

[@kamil-cn7vf]

Great video! Give Tom a raise so that he can afford a table. It must be uncomfortable sitting with your friends around a chest of drawers.

[@sthilaid]

War chest is awesome! Thanks for reviewing it!

[@FosukeLordOfError]

You had me sorting them

[@martinteece8983]

Loveing his puns especily the lead and earth. I actual spilled a drink

[@LozNewt]

I do enjoy this game, yet to try it with 4 though but I bet it would be quite tactical

[@user-cs9sy6zc2i]

Remnids me a lot of For the Crown, a mashup of Dominon and Chess that is a lot better than either. It's from Victory Point Games so the components were rubbish but the game itself is REALLY interesting. The balance between deckbuilding and board control is very cool, and the fact you start with only one piece each(your king/regal unit) means it ends up playing a lot more like the open Go than the stodgey Chess in terms of board development.

[@JoaLoft]

The Metal Gear Solid 1 alert theme, and not a single Solid Snake appearance/reference? How dare you, SUSD. 😤

[@peterfiser]

Archon Ultra, the board game. That brings back memories.

[@JarradShaw]

I love this game! Of the 200 some games I own, this is in my top 5 favorite. So clever, pretty, and fun. I did an interview with The Chubby Meeple while we played War Chest on my channel, Limeliting.

[@Max-pj9km]

What are your top five Jarrad?. Thanks.

[@SamiPaju]

This doesn't make think of Undaunted, but of Tash-Kalar. Which is a blast and also plays well with 3.

[@shutupandsitdown]

We agree! www.shutupandsitdown.com/videos/review-tash-kalar/

[@pdughi]

1:19 - unearthed spider crawls under the chips.

[@TheMalarz1989]

Have you seen Neuroshima Hex 3.0? Quite similar idea. You may enjoy it.

[@zmbates99]

Having played War Chest here's my review. It's beautiful, sleek, pretty, and overall fun. Until you play against someone who matches your skill. Then you may end up with three hours of stalemate moves because once the units are down and unable to counter your opponent there really isn't much you can do with them besides give up ground. We eventually called a draw. But, overall I still quite like the game.

[@highfrequencymonkeyman]

What do you think could be done to prevent these situations?

[@matthewmcneany]

MGS VR training music, excellent choice.

[@pedrobianchi2412]

The MGS music in intro was sweet.

[@CharlesCom-bd2qb]

Oh shit nice! I was really hoping for you guys to do a warchest video, its finally here ! Also Tom, I think we need to slowly think about stop saying you are «new» guy. Quinn if you see this please remove the «junior» from his name plate.

[@JosephLachh]

I have undaunted, but what I think I’ll like about war chest is the combination of different units. (Undaunted always has a scout and a riflemen every time) Maybe I’ll make some house rules to allow my friends and I to draft the cards we want instead of random which looks like how it works. It also looks like a much simpler game that is more approachable. Thoughts?

[@lasthenge]

I have sold my Undaunted boxes after few plays. I am never selling War Chest. Absolutely different stuff. The abstract setting fits these games much more in my opinion. In Undaunted you can try to shoot at important unit from anywhere on the map just because there is a little chance you will finish the only unit capable of completing an objective. War Chest is pure tactics with zero fiddliness and there are 20 units for limitless combinations and their own thematic logic. War chest units are better connected to the boardstate than Undaunted units.

[@tomd2666]

Great review. I'd want to play this game but don't know if I'd get it to the table enough to justify buying it. On to the gift list it goes.

[@Heiru3]

...... I'm tempted and I want it.

[@TheHexyBeast]

loved the mgs theme lol

[@mikemaddox9166]

The 2v2 game mode is truly excellent!

[@Soulflame27]

I really wanted to like this game and I do somewhat, but the endingbof every game is lackluster. The reason for that is that so far, every game tends to go the end game where most chips have been killed and both sides only have 1 or 2 units left with chips in their bags. You get to do crazy things when you only have 1 unit left with 2 of its chips and the royal coin. It is kind of like chess in that way where ending with just a few pieces creates a very boring end. Also, not sure if you missed 1 important rule (which I don't particularly like): you can only have 1 unit (1 stack of chips) of any type. So you can't have 2 cavalry units on the board, only 1 (but it can be more than 1 chip high)

[@massive323]

Properly decent game this, one of my most played - there's a new expansion called 'siege' coming out real soon also...

[@Furycrab]

If only the reason for Chess month being a good idea could go away.

[@alexanderb302]

So it's Undaunted. Edit. Oh I should have watched all the video before commenting.

[@weatherbutinspace6799]

I like your videos, Tom.

[@AutumnReel4444]

Sold by second :15. Well played Tom.

[@dickoon]

Is the tiny clip of music at 2:23 an excerpt from the theme to Noel's House Party? If so, why... ask why?

[@dodopapapa4557]

Tom is very good.

[@PMMagro]

War Chest is really nice. The tray for chips is less fine but otherwise a very nice game. Daunted ... is much more complicated with varied maps etc. Not sure it has the same players.

[@HeinzMcDurgen]

Plus with Undaunted you've got all the setup/teardown time. SUSD was pretty high on it, I picked it up and felt it was pretty "eh". My wife and I have played and enjoyed Summoner Wars a lot more.

[@ubeinn]

War Chest is better than Undaunted just by having no dice.

[@Nagi2100]

There's a little overlap but Undaunted is for people who like Warchest but would want something a little more... investing? I'd play both, but I already have Normandy so I wouldn't buy warchest for that reason.

[@jellyrolls2765]

0:46 honestly expected him to say 'mouth'

[@nuclearphish8051]

Tom! No! Board games are not food! Bad Tom!

[@LebowskiAcheiver]

I love the MGS intro!

[@leftwingdragon6235]

Tom is so funny and amazing what a great choice for a new SU & SD employees. I love his humour and great beard so much, I don't really care about the game now I just want to watch him.

[@CrutchCooper]

The MGS music 😍

[@MrBongoking]

This is all very well, I’ve been bracing myself since early July for a terrible pun on a par with crokinole. Are you just going to leave us hanging?

[@Table53]

It's back!

[@rootbeer6634]

I eyeball this one everytime I walk into my lgs. I own both undaunted but usually play with my 8 year old and sometimes losing a soldier with a real name can make him too emotional. This might be a great balance until he's a bit older.

[@skarnl]

I bought this one because I heared in an other review that Undaunted didn't had that much strategy, but was mostly random ... and now I start to doubt 🤔

[@ifnyou]

Both titles have some randomness in them, but this one less so.