I just watched the video on Natives and Legends.
I have a copy of the base game coming.
Is it worth considering the expansions now or waiting? I was unclear if these expansions will ever see distribution.
If an expansion is important, Daniel, do you have a strong preference having seen what both have to offer?
Or would you use some of the rules from the expansions with the base game and not worry about buying the new bits?
Thanks.
Edit: From KS discussion with Active Magic, no retail distribution and Desolation is only available as a bundle with Natives & Legends ($130)
Alright, Iâll take a swing at trying to answer this oneâŚ
So, Desolation is the expansion from the first crowdfunding campaign, and it does have an entry on Mr Bâs webshop. But itâs also sold out. I imagine theyâll print some extras and have them on the shop again after this current crowdfunding campaign delivers, but Iâve no idea how frequently theyâll reprint their stock or how long it will remain available. Same for Natives & LegendsâŚ
I will say that Desolation is the sort of expansion that gives you more of the same for the sake of variety. Itâs got new terrain sets with their own monsters, merchants, treasure sites, quests, and civilizations. Itâs got additional lineages and classes. It gives more options for play. So if you really like having variety in your games itâs worth it. But itâs not as if you canât get just as much play out of the core box. You just have less variation. But I also donât feel like playing with the core box will feel like a much smaller experience overall. Swamps & mountains are very similar in mechanical function. Plains and woods are too. The quests and monsters in each terrain set are comparable to one another. And itâs unlikely that youâre going to be playing with more than 3 terrains at any one time anyway. Youâll miss out on half-orcs and half-elves and some classes. But youâll still have plenty to mess with.
As for Natives & Legends, it does add a much-desired new mechanic. In the game that inspired this one you had more interactions with the peoples of the various civilizations. And this expansion adds that in. You wonât necessarily need Desolation to use it, but some of the content wonât be seen if you donât have it. That said, thereâs plenty of folks thatâve played hundreds of games of Dragons Down already without this expansion⌠So again, the core box is a solid experience on its own. But I think Iâd be hard pressed to pass on this one, as I generally want all the gameplay options for a game. And I canât see myself not using the new stuff in every game once I have it.
Also, to quote the designer, Scott DeMers, when asked if Natives & Legends can be played with just the core box:
"They will work, but not all natives are summoned to all terrains so you may not be able to use all of the Natives & Legends content.
Also, as folks are learning, there is no guarantee of future availability of Dragons Down expansions. We are sold out of everything but the core game at the moment."
Iâve never played with everything. As a matter of fact, I only ever play with 3 terrain types. Any more, and it just takes up too much room. Playing with only 3 terrain types does limit the types of natives I will see in a single game, and thatâs fine by me. Sometimes you wonât roll the native summon icon at all, so youâll never see a new native in your game. Personally, I like that. I like having the options of having all the terrain packs available, just for variety.
I just bit the bullet and ordered the base game from the website. The expansions potentially not being available is somewhat concerning, but I canât justify backing the current kickstarter as I have not even played the base game yet! I assume the base game has tons of content and should last me a long time. Perhaps they will reprint the expansions for the website. I am dreading paying shipping again as the game is 190AUD with shipping costing 170AUD! Not gonna lie though, I am super excited to play this game as it really seems like it will scratch the somewhat complex fantasy adventure itch (that I always seems to have) that my current collection doesnât really have an answer to.
Well, I can honestly say that in my large collection of games, Dragons Down is unique in its approach and mechanics. It does scratch a fantasy adventure itch in a way thatâs not mirrored by anything else I have. Hope you enjoy it!
The approach I took was âIâll get the base game and see if I like itâ, and oh man it grabbed me. I was immediately bummed I couldnât get the expansion as it was out of print. I totally jumped in the kick starter for the new expansion and am picking up the original one as well.
As I go through my solo board gaming journey Iâm discovering that actually, the majority of solo board games arenât going to be for me, but the ones that I love, I really adore. Dragons Down being one of those.
For those reading this, I have played the base a few times, and it is not recommended if you want a âfairâ game where everyone has the same obstacles. It is an old-school game in which you might find a shrine while your opponent has three monsters attack her. In addition, you need to be ready to run from a fight. Fights in this game can get you killed in one round, so beware.
That said, I am really enjoying it as a solo game and have yet to try a co-op scenario.
I realize I am horribly delinquent in seeing this post, but am happy to answer any questions on gameplay, mechanics, or availability. We will be launching Eastern Reaches some time in 2026.