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Feb 1st, 2017 at 20:46:21 - Munchkin (Other) |
Munchkin: Jan. 28th (Sessions 1 & 2)
Munchkin is a multiplayer card game typically played by 3-6 players, however, expansion packs for the game have been released with the intention of increasing the number of players able to participate. In the base version of the game the premise is simple, kill all the Monsters in the Dungeon and be the first to reach level 10. In this version the theme of the game incorporates fantasy viewed through a layer of sarcastic humor. For example, a Monster found in the game is the Lawyer who does not attack a thief out of "professional courtesy." There exist many different versions of Munchkin ranging from Cthulhu to Superheroes, so it attempts to satisfy many different interests.
-Players-
At the beginning of the game every player is deemed a "level 1 human with no class (Heh, heh)." Characters decide at the start whether they are male or female, as this will affect certain aspects of the game later on. Each player is described by the cards they possess and have in play, so as an example, say I have the Wizard class, Elf race, and Boots of Butt-Kicking played, then I am a Level 1 Wizard Elf with Boots of Butt-Kicking. In this example I have played three different kinds of cards: a class, race, and item respectively.
Over the course of play the goal of each player is to reach level 10, this can be accomplished through many different avenues, however to go from level 9 to level 10 a player MUST kill a monster. Otherwise, a player may either sell items totaling in at 1000 gold or play certain cards that grant an automatic level up, but cards can also cause a loss in level.
-Setup-
The game area is set up by separating the cards into two, shuffled decks. One deck represents the "door" and is denoted by an image of a door on the card back while the other deck is "treasure" and noted in similar fashion as the door cards. There are specific types of cards found in each deck, the door deck contains Monster, Race, Class, Curse, and some generic cards that cause certain effects when played. Meanwhile, the treasure deck contains cards designed to help the player, such as items, that give them a bonus. Players are dealt four cards from each of the decks for a total of eight in the starting hand. Once it is determined who goes first, by a dice roll or whatever means you would like, they are allowed to take several actions on their turn. At ANY time they may discard a Class or Race card, play a Go Up a Level or Hireling, and play a Curse. The following actions can also be taken at any time UNLESS the player is in combat: Trade an item with another player (this would require the other player to not be in combat either), change which items the player has equipped, play a card that you have just received (although some cards are allowable in combat as stated earlier). Then there are actions that can only occur on the player's turn: play a new Class or Race card, sell items for levels, and play an item. At this time it is important to note that there are cards who may not agree with the rules, in this case go by what the card says.
With this in mind the player starts their turn by taking any number of actions they can/want to do. After doing this they must proceed to "Kick Open The Door" by drawing a card from the door deck and turning it face up. If it is a Monster they must fight it according to the rules of Combat (explained later), or if it is a Curse card it is applied immediately to the one who drew it, otherwise they are allowed to take whatever card they drew. In the case in which a Monster was not drawn, the player can either "Look For Trouble" by playing a Monster from their hand and fight it or "Loot The Room" via drawing another face down card from the door deck. Now, after the player has taken any more actions they wish to take, they check to see if they have more than five cards in their hand. If so, then they must do what is called "Charity" and either play the number of cards to get back to five, discard them if they are the lowest level, or give the excess to the lowest level player. At this point that player's turn is over.
-Combat-
Combat in Munchkin is very simple. You compare your level to the Monster's level (applying any bonuses/penalties either of you might have from items, curses, etc.) and if your "combat strength" is higher than the Monster's you win. If it is tied or lower you lose, and take whatever penalty is described on the Monster's card. An important note is that another player (only one) can attempt to help in a fight (they simply add their combat strength to yours) if you win then they get whatever you promised them, but they don't go up a level. Keep in mind though, that while players can help you they can also hinder you by playing cards that either negatively impact you or positively impact the Monster.
-Game Play-
Session One: We played this game with two players, all first timers, so it took a little while to set up the game and lots of rule checking occurred. However, once the game got going it really began to pick up speed and was pretty simple to play.
I ended up going first via heated debate based upon the results of a dice roll that fell off the table. Immediately I played the race card I had been dealt, the Elf, which gave me a +1 to running away from Monsters and allowed me to level up whenever I helped someone kill a Monster. Then it was my time to Kick Open The Door, only to discover the Warrior class card, so now I was an Elf Warrior. I decided to loot the room, and received a Curse I would later use to ensure the other player's defeat. The procession of turns played out in a fairly straightforward manner, the unfortunate result when playing with less than three players it would seem.
The first game was pretty close due to the fact that we both agreed to help each other on numerous occasions, the cutthroat nature of the game had not quite sunk in by that point, but I ultimately won by heaping misfortune on the opposing player. He drew the Monster card Dominant Genie (an additional card that came as a bonus with the game) at which point I played the Wandering Monster card (it allows me to play an additional Monster from my hand on top of the one he had just drawn) and playing the Shrieking Geek monster. This significantly increased the combat strength of the Monsters and caused him to lose the fight, resulting in a deduction of two levels. Then upon my turn I got lucky and drew the Level 1 Lame Goblin monster, an easy kill and win for me since the opposing player had burned most of his cards in the previous turn against the Dominant Genie.
Session 2: This game was played by the same two people as the previous session and immediately after the first game. In this game the conclusion was incredibly one sided. I made the mistake of blowing a lot of my cards early on in the hopes of trying to jump levels quickly, but the opposing player was able to play in a reactionary manner because of this and simply bided his time.
By the end of the game I was a lowly Halfling Thief at Level 3, meanwhile my opponent was looking pretty good as a Half Dwarf Elf Warrior (he had played the half breed card allowing the player to be two races at once), fully equipped and able to handle most of the monsters that came his way. This, of course, resulted in a landslide of a victory for him.
-Overall-
Munchkin is a very fun game and, though it might seem complex at a glance, is a very approachable game for most anyone. From my play experience it is apparent that, while the game does continue to function with only two players, the true way the game is meant to be played is by following the recommendation of 3-6 players. I would point out that the base game can provide a very good starting point, but it might become a bit problematic with constant replay, as the cards become more familiar the game loses some of its initial enjoyment. So, the game seems to be very much designed around its ability to be expanded upon and, with the addition of expansion packs and other bases, one can create a wholly unique set of Munchkin cards to be played with. All in all, Munchkin is a great game for quick and dirty fun with friends that possesses the potential for customization and catering towards whatever "theme" one might be interested in.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Feb 1st, 2017 at 21:04:43.
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