#Gloomhaven vs jaws of the lion how to
#Gloomhaven vs jaws of the lion plus

Some situations can create an advantage or a disadvantage, where the player will draw two cards and choose either the better (advantage) or worse (disadvantage) and this system just works so well. When a player uses their card to attack (either ranged or melee) or when a monster attacks, a modifier card will be drawn – this may add or subtract value from the strength of the attack, or it may cancel it altogether. This is as simple and intuitive as it sounds, and whilst it is not infinitely flexible, it allows for some scope to change your plans depending on where you fall in the initiative order. On their actual turn, they will then play the top half ability from one of their cards, then the bottom half ability from the other. Each character has a deck of cards that expands as the game goes on (and in particular as the characters gain experience.) At the beginning of each fight, the player has access to their entire deck, and on their turn, will choose two cards to play face down (with the bottom one being used to set their initiative value for the upcoming turn.) The players will then flip their cards simultaneously, compare initiatives among themselves and against enemies, and set turn order. Whoever goes into battle to represent the Jaws of the Lion, the player will have interesting choices to make. On offer here are the Hatchet, Demolitionist, Voidwarden and Red Guard – with ranged, melee, support and balanced play styles to choose from.

Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion does support solo play, but in such a situation, the lone player will need to choose two characters. The original Gloomhaven was known for having a huge number of characters to choose from, but in Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion the selection is just four – all of whom will be in play if you choose to play a four-player game. This makes Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion super streamlined and helps new players focus on what is important – choosing their character from the four classes available. Even the first map has a number of handy tooltips on it to enable setup and play. This theme continues into the “Learn to Play” booklet, which not only explains some of the fundamental rules, but also walks players through the first few scenarios should they need it.

#Gloomhaven vs jaws of the lion how to

Before even beginning to play, a clear and concise sheet explains what to open and punch, how to bag it and where to put it within the box.

The first thing about Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion which I really love is how much care has been spent to ensure that players who might have been put off by the sheer weight of Gloomhaven will feel a lot more comfortable here. The scenario book hints that an attack by Vermlings this close to the city is particularly uncommon – could it be a sign of what’s to come? Things soon go awry however, with the introductory scenario seeing us ambushed just as we are returning to the city. Our adventure begins innocently enough, with our crew (featuring between two and four heroes from a set of unique and varied classes) returning home from an unsuccessful mission to find a missing blacksmith. Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is a completely standalone adventure that centres on the titular “Jaws of the Lion” who are one of the most renowned mercenary companies in the fantasy world of Gloomhaven. Clearly, I am not alone in this, and to address these very points, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion was released earlier in 2021 – and I have finally taken the plunge.

#Gloomhaven vs jaws of the lion plus

There’s a simple reason for that it’s just too large and involved an experience for me to commit to, and with hundreds of items, tiles, cards and other components in the box, I doubt I could even get my head around sorting it and preparing it for that first play – even if I could get over the £100 plus price tag. I’ve also kept my descriptions of gameplay beyond this first scenario to a minimum, except to describe some of the effects and gameplay features that are obviously referenced in the opening few hours of the game.Įven though it has been available for a few years now, I’ve personally never got as far as playing Isaac Childres’ Gloomhaven. This review includes photos of the first scenario and a few of the other components, but nothing beyond the first scenario. No Spoilers Here! Please note that Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is a campaign-based experience that takes place over approximately 25 scenarios.