Tuff Stuff's Gamer Summer/Fall 1996 - 66 - Gaming Guide
chosen to get out of "Gridiron," leaving Prec-
edence to produce the game on its own.
-Steve Fritz
GANGLAND!
Corglenburg Ltd.
"Gangland!" allows players to relive the
thrills and chills of the bloody 1920s and
'30s, when criminal mobs fought for
control of America's streets.
During a game, three to eight players
each build a gang around colorful char-
acters like Scarface, Prettyboy Padukah,
Ernie the Enforcer, and Tick-Tock O'Riley.
Once a player has selected his gang's
boss and bodyguard, he can establish
illegal businesses, collect extortion, or
recruit new members. To liven things
up, players can launch assassination
attempts against a rival gang's charac-
ters. Event cards like Police Arrest, Police
Harassment, FBI Harassment, and The
IRS offer other hurdles for would-be
gangsters.
It's very easy to get caught up in the
violence of "Gangland." One way to win
is to wipe out all of your opponent's
characters. Since the results of a hit are
determined by the roll of a die, there's no
guarantee that you'll be successful. More
often than not, the best strategy is to
amass money through illegal business-
es. When the Event card deck has been
cycled through twice, the player with the
Most business income wins.
"Gangland!" holds a few pitfalls for
CCG purists. First, all players draw from
the same Character and Event decks.
While this makes the game more bal-
anced, it eliminates the challenge of
deck-building strategies. Second, the ini-
tial card set is sold complete with a six-
sided die and a detailed rulebook.
Though this may be positive for anyone
who just wants to play the game, it
downplays "Gangland!'s" collectibility. In
truth, "Gangland!" is a rather enjoyable
board game cleverly disguised as a CCG.
-Mike O'Connell
LEGEND OF
THE FIVE RINGS
Five Rings Publishing
violence of "Gangland." One way to win
is to wipe out all of your opponent's
characters. Since the results of a hit are
determined by the roll of a die, there's no
guarantee that you'll be successful. More
often than not, the best strategy is to
amass money through illegal business-
es. When the Event card deck has been
cycled through twice, the player with the
Most business income wins.
"Gangland!" holds a few pitfalls for
CCG purists. First, all players draw from
the same Character and Event decks.
While this makes the game more bal-
anced, it eliminates the challenge of
deck-building strategies. Second, the ini-
tial card set is sold complete with a six-
sided die and a detailed rulebook.
Though this may be positive for anyone
who just wants to play the game, it
downplays "Gangland!'s" collectibility. In
truth, "Gangland!" is a rather enjoyable
board game cleverly disguised as a CCG.
-Mike O'Connell
LEGEND OF
THE FIVE RINGS
Five Rings Publishing
The first thing I noticed about "Legend
of the Five Rings" was its rich artwork
and intricate card design. The brilliant
colors shine throughout the set - almost
jumping off the paper stock - and really
make the modern interpretations of tra-
ditional themes of feudal Japan pleasant
to behold.
I also like the devices used to frame the
art and text; the dragon borders are par-
ticularly stunning. And the text on some
of the cards crowns the superb design.
The back story presented in the rule-
book is essential to the aura of this game
of eastern sword and sorcery, and feudal
warlords in flux over control of a king-
dom. The story details six clans - Crane,
Crab, Dragon, Lion, Unicorn, and
Phoenix - that struggle to control the
ancestral lands of the dying Emperor.
The creators of "Legend" plan to draw
that story to a conclusion in 1997 with
the release of its final expansion set.
There are elements of "Magic" in this
game that should please seasoned
gamers. The rulebook is lengthy, but fla-
vorful. It even teaches players how to
pronounce some of the words and names
in Japanese.
of the Five Rings" was its rich artwork
and intricate card design. The brilliant
colors shine throughout the set - almost
jumping off the paper stock - and really
make the modern interpretations of tra-
ditional themes of feudal Japan pleasant
to behold.
I also like the devices used to frame the
art and text; the dragon borders are par-
ticularly stunning. And the text on some
of the cards crowns the superb design.
The back story presented in the rule-
book is essential to the aura of this game
of eastern sword and sorcery, and feudal
warlords in flux over control of a king-
dom. The story details six clans - Crane,
Crab, Dragon, Lion, Unicorn, and
Phoenix - that struggle to control the
ancestral lands of the dying Emperor.
The creators of "Legend" plan to draw
that story to a conclusion in 1997 with
the release of its final expansion set.
There are elements of "Magic" in this
game that should please seasoned
gamers. The rulebook is lengthy, but fla-
vorful. It even teaches players how to
pronounce some of the words and names
in Japanese.
I enjoyed this well-designed game
and look forward to doing so further as
"Legend" unfolds. I may even look for
the role-playing game fashioned after
the CCG, which is planned for release
sometime this year.
-Jeffrey Archer
HERESY
Last Unicorn Games
Few CCGs have as much going for them
as "Heresy." The game mechanics are
simple and easy to learn. The individual
cards beautifully display the work of pop-
ular artists like Michael Kaluta, Bernie
Wrightson, Rick Berry, and Brom. Despite
their slightly larger size, "Heresy" cards
are actually easier to shuffle and much
nicer to look at than, say, "Magic" cards.
Above all, "Heresy" boasts one of the
most imaginative and entertaining back
stories in the CCG industry.
and look forward to doing so further as
"Legend" unfolds. I may even look for
the role-playing game fashioned after
the CCG, which is planned for release
sometime this year.
-Jeffrey Archer
HERESY
Last Unicorn Games
Few CCGs have as much going for them
as "Heresy." The game mechanics are
simple and easy to learn. The individual
cards beautifully display the work of pop-
ular artists like Michael Kaluta, Bernie
Wrightson, Rick Berry, and Brom. Despite
their slightly larger size, "Heresy" cards
are actually easier to shuffle and much
nicer to look at than, say, "Magic" cards.
Above all, "Heresy" boasts one of the
most imaginative and entertaining back
stories in the CCG industry.
Hundreds of years in the future, a
renegade scientist named Dimeon Wu
conducts a dangerous computer experi-
ment. With the failure of Project Demi-
urge, the world lays in ruins and the link
between heaven and earth is shattered.
Fallen angels walk the earth trying to re-
create the computer Matrix that will
open a gateway to heaven. Players try to
accumulate Tau points by stealing an
Opponent's Tau or destroying his loca-
tion cards. Once a player has enough
Tau, he jacks into the Matrix and opens
the gateway to heaven.
The premiere set of "Heresy" intro-
duced 374 rare, uncommon, common,
and ultra-common cards. The recently
released first expansion, "Project
Demiurge," adds more character and
Matrix cards to the mix.
"Heresy" is pure, unadulterated
cyberpunk fun. More people should be
playing - and collecting - this game.
-Mike O'Connell
KULT
Heartbreaker Hobbies
renegade scientist named Dimeon Wu
conducts a dangerous computer experi-
ment. With the failure of Project Demi-
urge, the world lays in ruins and the link
between heaven and earth is shattered.
Fallen angels walk the earth trying to re-
create the computer Matrix that will
open a gateway to heaven. Players try to
accumulate Tau points by stealing an
Opponent's Tau or destroying his loca-
tion cards. Once a player has enough
Tau, he jacks into the Matrix and opens
the gateway to heaven.
The premiere set of "Heresy" intro-
duced 374 rare, uncommon, common,
and ultra-common cards. The recently
released first expansion, "Project
Demiurge," adds more character and
Matrix cards to the mix.
"Heresy" is pure, unadulterated
cyberpunk fun. More people should be
playing - and collecting - this game.
-Mike O'Connell
KULT
Heartbreaker Hobbies
At first glance, I thought the "Kult" CCG
would be some sort of Jim Jones or
