The Return of D&D's Weirdest 90's Game

[@WilliamSRD]

Support DragonStrike on Kickstarter and get your copy of the game and support the revival of a piece of D&D's fascinating history! kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6WvdKNrZtakesk

[@dagroth123]

hold on, my youtube says this video came out 48 minutes ago, but this comment is from 7 hours ago. can you post comments on videos not released?

[@WilliamSRD]

@@dagroth123 I had the video unlisted last night so I could have the comment ready when I launched!

[@ValdVincent]

D&D draws most of it's inspiration from the casting to magic items, and more, from Dying Earth.

[@anduinelungoldagnir7766]

Done! This looks fab.

[@dmpunks]

They're a trio of different games named "Dragonstrike". Not a franchise. That's like calling the Great War and WW2, the "World War" franchise.

[@aardee]

I can't stop imagining being a farmer in this world, working away, proud of your crops, and a huge dragon corpse drops out of the sky on to your field because of a joust in the air.

[@ReshawnFacey]

That would be a Great Boon! Magical Dragconic Fertilizer

[@assassindelasaucisse.4039]

You would be rich. Dragon parts are priceless for wizards and alchemists.

[@clashofspears8131]

Right after having an "old man yells at clouds" moment...:)

[@HuntressDarkmoon]

My cabbages!!

[@Demonskunk]

But imagine being the farmer whose field gets surprise fertilized by a dragon in the middle of a joust- big win!

[@redredkrovy]

On a side note that's Malibu from American Gladiators playing the Warrior in the DragonStrike VHS video.

[@ericwhite1942]

I never noticed that until know

[@redfeildre349]

I own this game. I'd always thought that guy looked familiar and now I know why. LOL

[@DjDreamcastle]

Im a proud owner of the original Dragonstrike board game. I remember seeing ads for it in X-men comics in the 90's. Years later I found it at the local antique store. The VHS and miniatures are true gems.

[@Viglin123]

I too have this and Hero Quest. The video was cool, and the King was actually played by a real character actor.

[@CrowePerch]

God this was so much fun. Would highly recommend anyone to play a 4v4, but the greatest appeal of this game is shouting your name whenever you joust someone.

[@clashofspears8131]

Lol, I thought only William was allowed to do that! We have a couple of pledgers coming from here already we should coordinate a big bad dragon melee amongst all pledgers from the channel!

[@TheLordWinter]

As a sort of "welcome" ritual for all new players joining my old D&D group, we made them watch the DragonStrike video while we all cracked up at it. At least for me, it never got old/stopped being funny.

[@deathstinger13]

new tradition acquired. Probably gonna have other similarly cheesy DnD/DnD-esque movies(and the cartoon) as options. Also maybe Record of Lodoss War for fun

[@diamondhamster4320]

William is forgetting that famous Yoko Taro (Nier) also created Drakengard series which have all the dark tones, dark themes and dragon riding and was inspired by Dragon Strike DND.

[@AlexJames-jv3em]

I would also like to recommend Drakan I for the PC and Drakan II for the PS2.

[@diamondhamster4320]

@@AlexJames-jv3em Yes, those games too.

[@nikoladedic6623]

Really?

[@diamondhamster4320]

@@nikoladedic6623 Well, I mean not by it exactly but a generalized DnD-esque/Wizardry (Based on DnD) dragon riding themes and schticks.

[@Dizerfullpower]

Drakengard was cringe rather than dark

[@robintst]

The videotape that came with the old DragonStrike is great, I found a copy at a flea market several years ago. The big haired warrior dude is the guy that portrayed Malibu on American Gladiators.

[@AdamaGeist]

You know, I feel obligated to mention that there WAS, in fact, an official Dragonlance flight sim board game. It's sitting in my closet right now, as a matter of fact. Got it for Christmas as a kid after all. Came out in '88... Which means that the Dragonstrike board game is an in name only adaptation of the video game, which is in turn an adaptation of the original Dragonlance Board Game.

[@fernandosacchetto5215]

Oh man, seeing this board-game Dragonstrike adaptation reminds me that a little while ago I was going through the Council of Wyrms boxed set (basically a D&D campaign setting where you play as dragons) and thought that would make a really kickass board game. You could have a dragon character to grow in size and power, gain territory in the Io's Blood isles, and gain influence in the dragon political bodies like the eponymous Council of Wyrms. Just a daydream, but still, I'll leave the reference to this really off-the-wall setting here, lol

[@Bluecho4]

That sounds so rad.

[@nateshandy2070]

I only got to play it a handful of times, but the Star Trek TNG VCR board game hit my 'sweet spot' when I was like 12. Some Klingon who looks an awful lot like Gowron takes over the Enterprise, aiming to disrupt the Klingon-Fed alliance, during a maintenance thing when there's only a few crew guys left on board and you play those crew guys. You have to collect computer chips to put in your pretend tricorder for various access levels while Definitely Not Gowron is doing his shenanigan, putting you in stasis fields, and generally causing trouble. Eventually you get to the bridge and phaser him, or you reach the end of the tape and watch some stock footage of the the Enterprise fighting Klingons and losing. It's not aerial dragon jousting, but it was pretty dope.

[@LarsOfTheMohicans]

The Mahere brothers. I love how in your headcanon, Raistlin and Caramon are hispanic.

[@enriquejoseantequerasanche6180]

Well, Raistlin had golden/olive skin, and like all spaniards they were either ripped or extremely sickly

[@JakalairVG]

🤔 I seem to recall there being a dragon riding board game one of my friends had back in the mid 90s. It was called Dragonlance (go figure) and the chaos was high. It also little plastic things the dragons sat on to show how high they were. This game looks fun! Thanks for the great video on it.

[@Shaderaygun]

Space Hulk is definitely up there and used to be my favorite, but my current favorite board game is the second edition of Mansions of Madness. It finally fulfilled the promise of games like Knightmare or others with VHS integration, but using an app instead.

[@ZacHawkins42]

Guy I used to know had Mansions. We played one round in which I ended up having the secret goal of sacrificing another player to some dark god. Good times.

[@joshuakanapkey6570]

Very cool! Thanks for spotlighting it! My current favorite boardgame is Cthulhu: Death May Die, with Zombicide a close second.

[@alanjones3569]

Thank you for keeping the memory of these old D&D games alive. I loved Dragonstrike back in the day, but I can imagine if I tried to explain it to a kid today myself I’d get the, “Sure grandpa, let’s get you to bed” treatment.

[@clashofspears8131]

lol we were able to convince our kids and their friends at least that dragon jousting is cool :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJCUZ5iMq6yinKM

[@IosonoRob]

The lore tape is absolute GOLD 6:00 Ahah this is so goof- 6:06 OH MY GOD

[@azarisLP]

It's the Vince McMahon orgasm meme of silliness.

[@electric_boogaloo2114]

Not a board gamer myself, but I do own Castle Ravenloft, the Legend of Drizzt and Wrath of Ashardalon. Bought them right before this big flu that people started to catch and made us not meeting friend for two years, hoping we could use the figurines for D&D sessions.

[@damsonrhea]

I actually had the original DragonStrike boardgame. I remember that video. Like, I don't remember anything specific about it, I just remember it in a generic "that was part of my childhood" kinda way.

[@Halovex]

I only ever hear Spoony’s commentary for the Dragonstrike video now.

[@vahlok1426]

I miss back when he hadn't self-destructed...

[@AL-lh2ht]

@@vahlok1426unironically one of the best of that era of video essayists. With some minor adjustment he wouldn’t be much different from the modern video essayists

[@AL-lh2ht]

Honestly he could have been incredibly successful right now similar to Lindsey is. It’s tragic what happened.

[@Zeithri]

I feel this. I still watch his old videos.

[@manegirl93416]

I miss him too, but it's probably better for his mental health that he retired. I hope THACO the doggo is bringing him all the joy in the world!

[@Rob-nq6br]

I watched and rewatched the Dragonstrike VHS tape when I had the game. I have now only just realised that the King really has a Jerry Lawler vibe to him.

[@thegamedesignlexicon]

Favorites: Tom Wham's 'Kings and Things' followed by Games Workshop's 'Man-O-War'

[@jinchoung]

oh man, the tech for a dragon based flight sim totally exists now! it'd be cool as hell to have a DCS: Dragon Strike module. although thinking about it practically, i can't really see how a rider would be any help whatsoever. a lance seems completely pointless with a crossbow MAYBE being helpful at point blank range. a magic user as GOOSE casting defensive spells would probably be the most sensible.

[@enriquejoseantequerasanche6180]

The point is that they're dragonslayer lances, that's why they're more effective than other weapons. Yeah, you could "fire them", but dragons aren't big enough to carry the ballista

[@ericwhite1942]

I remember this game. I played this with my older cousins alot when I was 11 or 12. They had never played D&D, and after I informed them it was a D&D property, they dropped it immediately. The Satanic Panic was in full swing at the time

[@ulmka]

Hero's Quest is probably my favorite D&D themed board game

[@quillogist2875]

Memoir 44 is my favorite war game. Shadows over Camelot is my favorite coop game.

[@Zwanling]

Any video that shows any of the dragon strike video has me glued to it

[@alexanderwsm6296]

0:30 D&D is based on Howard, actually. I remember some interview where creators said that they just took some fantasy races and other elements from Tolkien. The game itself was supposed to resemble Sword&Sorcery plot progression.

[@BloodWolfXZ]

I remember this VHS so well. I never even played the boardgame. I never had friends nerdy enough to play it with me as a kid. But I did watch that VHS over and over.

[@e.prybylski5665]

I was OBSESSED with that game back in the 1990s and early 2000s. I remember that VHS. It was so bad, and I loved it so much.

[@BriGuyIL1980]

The Dragonstrike video is a blast. Pure camp all the way from the costumes to the acting. Also, the writer of the story is Flint Dille, who usually ends up writing things that can be pretty campy (episodes of the Mr. T cartoon, episodes of G.I. Joe, the first Dead to Rights game). I love his work.

[@Kaltrogdor]

13 dead end drive is my favorite board game. Playing with my family back when I was a kid it was one of the coolest things ever. Also, crossbows and catapults is pretty awesome but I only got to play a couple times at a cousins house.

[@gorvarhadgarson5227]

When I see Dragonstrike I can't help but think of Spoony riffing it a decade ago. Damn, good times...

[@forgototherpassword]

Ever played Twilight Imperium? A group I used to play games with introduced me to it, and then made an entire homebrew for Starfinder based on it.

[@allthingsnerd.4484]

There was also an actual Dragonlance game back in like ‘89-‘90. Six different color squadrons of dragons (3 evil, 3 good) all engaged in altitude based aerial dogfights in order to steal the Dragonlance from atop a central tower and return it to their “base”. Much more in line with the PC Dragonstrike than the HeroQuest-like board game.

[@LegalKimchi]

A new video 9 days later? Nice! WILLIAM!!!!!

[@WilliamSRD]

And now I can finally sleep

[@davecam4863]

Even back in the 90s we watched that VHS and just laughed our asses off. I loved this game!

[@hartthorn]

For my favorite board game, would probably say Risk Legacy. Was a huge Risk fan growing up, and the idea of having your own personal version with semi-unique modifiers to the game based on actions taken by your friend group. That it locks off 2 whole armies until you make some specific achievement is such a flex.

[@lukerogers9348]

Not going to lie, one of my favorite board games was the TSR Dragon Strike. As a 90s kid, my dad was usually too busy to teach my brother and I how to play Advance D&D. So my brother and I played a cap load of Dragon Strike. Also, we never stopped watching the video lol

[@613aristocrat]

10:27 You know what this reminds me of? There's a really fun flight simulator board game called Screaming Eagles. If this is a more fleshed out version, it has suddenly become my most wanted game of all time.

[@Ashwgun]

Questh with me! I will quote that forever, me and my friends loved this and Hero Quest.

[@metaltornado3457]

6:50 My favorite childhood board game was Splat! because you got to make and squish little Play Dough bugs. Anyone else remember Splat?

[@falselogic]

Panzer Dragoon series is the best dragon flight shooter.

[@ColonelSandersLite]

I completely forgot about that VHS.... It's awesome in that ridiculous camp sort of way.

[@andrewnewell1142]

If Cole Werhle’s name is attached, it’s my favorite board game. Root, Oath, John Company, Pax Pamir

[@pieisgood13]

I'd like to see more board game stuff on the channel. I enjoyed your SpaceHulk TT video too

[@TKnightcrawler]

Very cool game, and I can certainly see why you accepted this sponsorship. I may pick up a copy when my new game room is done.

[@Nexusofgeek]

Dragon Rampage is my favorite, followed by the old 3.5 starter kit, which was kind of like a board game using 3.5 mechanics.

[@divra1994]

Star realms is probably my favorite. But i also really enjoy Catan, 7 wonders, Dead of winter, Jungel Speed. But the deck building and optimising of Star Realms and Hero Realms is just so addictive to me.

[@codytierson845]

I read 12 dragonlance books growing up, didn't know till now it was a DND setting

[@Seer_Xaeo]

Betrayal at house on the Hill - Scooby Doo edition is my favourite board game by far.

[@JWS1313]

Is it sad I find this old VHS movie the best D&D movie ever made, including the crappy new one that treats D&D more as a joke setting then a real setting? And Terapist the best D&D movie villain created. XD My favorite board games are Hero Quest, Balderdash, Gloom Haven, and Tyrants of the Under Dark.

[@dewdropnutbutter]

Dragon Strike seems really interesting! Thanks for making the vid! My fave D&D-esque board game is Wiz-War; terrible name, but great game!

[@joshua1281]

Favorite board game? Probably Mage Knight (the board game, not the miniatures game). Love the co-op game modes, great memories with my friends and family. War of the Ring is also a favorite, but I haven't been able to play it for many years.

[@jonothanthrace1530]

Wild, I thought the only characters anybody ever remembered from Dragonlance were Raistlin and Tasslehoff.

[@wilhelmschmidt7240]

I have the old DragonStrike board game, it's a good time. Definitely worth watching the VHS with your friends before, but only if you have a suitable supply of enhancing aromatics available.

[@alarin612]

You mentioned two of my favorite board games: Dragon Strike and Hero Quest.

[@fryepharmacy]

Our friend group would watch the Dragon Strike VHS tape for fun and ended up creating a drinking game around it.

[@ThePhantomSquee]

Was not expecting a board game video, but I can vibe with this. I've been loving Root recently. Fantastically designed game!

[@ElSpiko]

I love the original Dragonstrike board game! I learned a lot about DMing from that silly video, and it was great for inducting kids like me into the culture when we didn't have older gamers around to help us learn. I just recently got the comic book prequel to the board game that Marvel released😁

[@willmistretta]

It's impossible to stop laughing at the Dragon Strike GM and just as impossible to not wish you could play at his table.

[@drokangel]

My weird experience is that I missed out on getting either Hero Quest or Dragonstrike in the first go around. I ended up getting them after they went on clearance at Kaybee Toys for $10 each (after debuting at $40) a year or so after their popularity waned. Last Christmas (please don't) my family got me the updated Hero Quest, and I have since gotten several of the expansions, but mostly to use the minis for DnD.

[@1senhart]

I had a Dragonlance board game but it was a territory control/capture the flag thing with different colored dragons trying to get the LANCE in the center of the board.

[@angrytheclown801]

We made it even funnier by ending every GM's sentence, and half of each players' sentence about how the GM is wearing no pants.

[@B-019]

My favorite boardgame is probably Twilight Imperium. My buddies and I played it once over the course of a long weekend in college, and I've been chasing that feeling ever since. Can't find the time or people to play it these days, but the box sits in my closet... Waiting.

[@christiansorensen7567]

I remember wanting that game when I was a kid, but never got a hold on it. I did get to play Drakan: Order of the Flame later in life.

[@RexyRonin]

I love TSR's Dragonstrike. I was hoping this video was about that. 🙁It's still a nice to see a board game based on SSI's fantasy flight sim!

[@inthefade]

Wow, I remember my brother playing Dragon Strike. I guess it was on his Amiga 2000? That game must have been my introduction to Dragonlance. I read dozens and dozens of those books as a kid.

[@clashofspears8131]

Welcome to the club :)

[@Billy.Bacsko]

I work in the video game and tabletop industry as a contract artist. i really dig your videos, and I would love to see more tabletop showcases. Crossing my fingers this video does well and the great KZbin God "algo" shines upon you favorably.

[@VincentVanZigel]

Huge FFG Lovecraftian Horror series fan here (Mansions of Madness, Eldritch Horror, Arkham Horror). This video is a delight.

[@andrewflanagan9301]

I still have an original box sitting on my shelf! Totally complete.

[@andrewflanagan9301]

And yes, the VHS still works.

[@vahlok1426]

Favorite board game? Hmm, as of today I think my favorite is a bit of a tossup. I really like Talisman, a lot, but I also like Munchkin for its chaotic energy, my favorite variant being Munchkin Cthulu with all the fun and funny joke variants of classic Lovecraft monsters and locations. However, another big contender for me is the Bloodborne board game, because it somehow works both as an adaptation of the video game and as a board game in and of itself. It has beautiful miniatures, easy to learn but deep combat mechanics, and multiple branching story decks to play through with up to four players. Super difficult, very strategic, but incredibly satisfying when everything comes together.

[@Grinnar]

That VHS tape is sending me to the afterlife. I can't stop laughing.

[@Gadlight]

man... i was wishing for you to pull a "pugachev's cobra" against an enemy dragon or something... well in this case it would be a "pugachev's drakken"?

[@roberthartley8516]

Advanced Heroquest was my favorite from that era.

[@caseykoons]

I came to your channel b/c Wraith, and love your ttrpg content, if you want to branch out, I'm here for it.

[@youngimperialistmkii]

I had this game, back in the mid 90's.

[@Awoken_Remmuz]

So wierd seeing footage from that Dragon Strike VHS and not hear Spoony's riffing of it.

[@jonothanthrace1530]

5:21 oh hey, it's Weird Eye Stripe Elf. I'll never understand that choice.

[@ngryleprechaun87]

You had me going with that *other* DragonStrike teaser. Don't do that. Don't give me hope.

[@TheOldDragoon]

Currently, my favorite board game is Return to Dark Tower. It's a GREAT remake and improvement on the original- only no commercial with Orson Welles, sadly.

[@clashofspears8131]

YES TO THIS

[@McSmacks]

I LOVED playing this in college.

[@violentfrog_]

Also a note that the original Dragonlance board game from 1988 was a dogfighting dragons game, so a precursor to the PC game.

[@clashofspears8131]

True that!

[@redfeildre349]

The old TSR boardgame was very good. Better than Hero Quest at times. Having the dragon as a timer for how long the game lasts was brilliant. My only major complaint is the grid needed to be bigger. A problem Hero Quest fixed in it's current for. I would LOVE for Hasbro take another stab at this version of Dragon Strike. The modern D&D adventure board games are fun but way more complicated than they need to be.

[@PsychedelicScrafty]

Got a feeling this guy likes DragonStrike

[@samuelclemens6841]

I know that 1990 is a little early for the kind of game that DragonStrike was trying to be. But MagicCarpet came out in 1994. MagicCarpet was a very hard game to beat and it was a bit rough around the edges. But the technical ability on display is impressive to say the least. If you haven't heard of or played MC I strongly encourage taking a few minutes to watch a video on that game think about doing this in 1994.

[@MD-mw6rb]

Quick fast battlestar galactica...*6hours later* "when does this end!?"

[@Revikra]

The return of William SRD!

[@Petrovic22]

5:44 Malibu was always the best American Gladiator.

[@grinningbuck]

Favorite board game is Risk, but only with my brothers.

[@falconashek8913]

Favorite board games Pandemic, Marvel Legendary, Quarriors!, Disney Villainous and Growl. Top 5.

[@jakubmakalowski6428]

I Wish I knew where my copy is. Last I recall I think one of the dragon's wings snapped off.

[@boriscat1999]

For board games, I'm always down for Merchants & Marauders.

[@urzathehappy72]

My favorite board game is Betryal on House on Haunted Hill.

[@Interference22]

Dragon Lance's novels are like the reverse Baldur's Gate: the characters are so good that you can't think of your own character in that place, whereas Abdel Adrian from the BG novelisations is so bad that whenever he turns up or is referenced in D&D work, anyone that's played the first two games just immediately replaces him with their own player character. Seriously, sod that guy.

[@alexwatts1064]

My favorite board game is definitely a toss up between the Shadowrun: Sprawl Ops and pretty much any edition of Runebound

[@grahamcarpenter691]

Kids: "I want Drakengard (2003)!" Mom: "We have Drakengard (2003) at home!" Drakengard (2003) at home:

[@Afro-Futurism]

I'm a Risk person, nothing makes me go to my friends throats. I assume that's why we all play games, for petty slights.

[@shontivafeva511]

Awesome video! Not sure I have a favorite, but I did recently play Talisman and had a lot of fun with that!

[@CMDR_B0B]

Almost, my friend, Almost... ... Dragonlance was actually the Only AD&D setting that had a (Deity enforced) Hard Level Cap. DarkSun would be the Highest power setting (Trust Me I'm a 34th century SnakeShip Salesman;-). Indeed the Level Cap was even addressed within the rules for Spelljammer if you happen to fly into that system/sphere. Just thought you should know. Have Fun&Post Dangerous -Lakon Marketing Division, Keelback Office -'We scale the Learning Cliff together or we All Fall down '