Wait no longer, step into the legend!
Back in February 2015, 16,038 Kickstarter backers pledged $3,327,757 to see newcomer Monolith’s Conan game become a reality. Delivery was planned in October, but it wasn’t until a year later, at the end of November 2016, that I got the core box, and an extra box of stretch goals, in my quivering hands. All par for the course for Kickstarter campaigns really. And in the end, Conan is an excellent game, though it lacks that final level of polish and support that would have come from a more experienced company.
The miniatures are mostly excellent, though there are some signs that were done at different times by different sculptors – some of them are in almost a different scale. The rulebooks were universally panned. Why don’t new publishers learn to get professionals in to write and design rulebooks? In the end it’s just cost them bad press and extra expense. The scenarios often need quite a bit of online research for clarifications before you can start playing. Also frustrating is the huge amount of extra plastic that has no rules and doesn’t appear in scenarios. Great figures, sure, but Monolith really needs to back this stuff up with more scenarios – thankfully, new scenarios are appearing on their website, and a campaign book was recently released.
On the positive side, Conan is a refreshing scenario-driven skirmish game with a flexible and ingenious activation system based on ‘energy gems’. It’s particularly nice how players can share their turns: activating movement, combat and other abilities when they’re most needed. It’s amazing no one came up with this break from strict turn-based systems before. When it works, it’s a fast-paced, cinematic game that really captures the feel of a key scene in a fantasy film. And there’s nothing like the time when you you’ve sent Conan off on an axe-swinging rampage, only to have him come up short at the crucial moment because he’s run out of puff.
By Crom is this wondrous! I have played the game about 6-8 times and this will help greatly in our gameplay! Many thanks! May the bards sing of your skill in days to come!
Is there a changelog for 1.6? It would be great if you could mark what is different. 🙂
I wonder what that button called UPDATE LOG up there means? 😉
thanks a bunch! It’ grayish letters on grayish background, I guess I am not great at seeing those colors. 🙂 After reading your comment it did take me a while to spot it 🙂
Wow! I also have to admit i never realized the “Update Log” button was there underneath the summary links!! It definitely blends in with the light gray color. I’m glad i now know the button is there! 🙂
OK, that’s two mentions so I better increase the contrast a bit!
Good grief. All this time I’ve been frequenting this site, I’ve NEVER noticed that “Upgrade log” link! 😮
See, I’m working away in the background doing things for all your benefit that you don’t even realise! 🙂
If it makes you feel any better, I noticed the update log…
Yay! 🙂
Will it make you (UH) feel better if I said I notice it NOW? 😀
Does this rules reference take into account the revised rules that Monolith published as PDF?
Of course! 🙂
I assumed as much, but thought I better ask.
*ahem*
Very minor issue, but the contents for this has “Page 1, 2, 3, 3, 4” where I think that the last two should be “4, 5”?
Thanks so much for this and your other summaries! (I’ll be donating as minor recompense)
Thanks Zell, fixed! And thanks for the donation, much appreciated. Don’t forget to sign up to the newsletter!
Soooooo good! Puts the official rules to shame and makes gearing up for a first play worlds easier.
Thankyou! Please consider my Patreon or donation pages if you find my work useful. 🙂
Finally got my KS copy in! I was wondering, are these player aids up t date with the 2.0 rulebook? O noticed my copy came with the regular rulebook and then a 2.0 version extra.
I don’t have any 2.0 rulebook. Are there any changes? Is it online anywhere?
Yeah, the revised rules are here: http://www.monolithedition.com/conan-en/
It looks like a lot of the changes are translation issues and clarity. I believe a few skills changed as well.
This is weird. The new books just say, for Web Projection, to put a web token next to the target. But then there’s no more info! That seems worse than what it was before.
Crazy how hard it is for companies to make a clear rulebook.
Yes, it’s ridiculous. But why bother when you’ve got the EOG to clean up the mess every time? 🙂 😉