Maracaibo

This post's average rating is: 5

My Favorite Games are those that focus on making smart, clever, and unique decisions!

 The Legacy / Campaign aspect of this game is such a nice touch. Key Points:
———- It’s not a destroyable Legacy style and can be reverted easily.
———- There are instructions that you can ignore the Legacy timeline If desired, and just pick chapters, and still enjoy all the Legacy content at your leisure!
———- New cards and locations to the board are added, so you have a changing setup and card potential making the game have great replay-ability
———- Light story is introduced as you complete tasks, and it’s no Tainted Grail, but for an extremely competent euro game it just helps it be even MORE amazing!

 Upgradable Player Board!
———- You discard cards with required goods on those cards to unlock abilities on your board.
———- You then lose the card, so you can’t build it later, so you must play the game of balancing what to keep, and what to get rid of! Do you upgrade using a card to help thin your hand out? Multiple things to consider which is great!

 How far you move, (how fast you end the round), determines how many actions you can get!
———- How do you navigate this balance?

 You can get cards that put out people (Kind of like buildings in Great Western Trail),
———- When you get there, you have another option for an action decision, which is more powerful!

 Team up with the 3 military forces!
———- You pick from the 3, with different military values, that you can add to your own, to help displace one of the other 2 military groups, increasing your standing with that military group.
———- Where you put new military influence cubes gives you an additional varying bonus too.
———- What group you pick to support has more than just a different military value, there can also be an additional cost, or an additional gain of goods!

 Hunt Lightsabers of 3 different colors and thicknesses!
———- It’s a race to get there before anyone else does
———- There are plenty of bonuses along that track, and you only get where you stop, so do you stop early, or go further for a “worse” reward?

 Build an engine of cards!
———- Get cards that give you additional perks and powers!
———- Do you want to be better at lightsaber hunting, get more guys so you can put more guys out, or better military power, or … so many things!

 Prestige Buildings game end objectives
———- Something to work towards for extra points, but do you neglect something else to get more into the 4 buildings’ perks?
———- Nice variant, where you can stagger their reveal throughout the game, or see all 4 at the start for better planning!

 Build Round Income
———- Do you like setting up income for coin and even full victory points and getting multiple payouts for your work? I know I do!

 Light Area Control
———- You help modify which of the 3 military groups are more prominent on the board, and increase the victory point bonus for those you supported the most.

 Starter Personal Career Card
———- Gives you some things to focus on from the beginning of the game, and when you finish them all, you flip the card over, and it turns into a FLAG that literally connects to your player board! How neat is that!?

 Combo Tokens
———- Some cards give you a “Token Type” that shows up on other cards, and if you have the token, you get additional benefits on those other cards! True card play combos!

 Completing Legacy Quests
———- You get the card, and it increases the size of your mast on your player board… wow!

This post's average rating is: 5

Great game!
I’m mostly a solo player, and the solo mode is challenging, but not so much that you can’t win. Solo player does push you along though, so it’s a race to the finish. Timing is everything; do I explore, or help out the French?

Great deck builder, and worker placement game.