Star Realms Expansion: Gambit

Star Realms is an amazingly fun deck building game designed by two professional Magic: The Gathering players, one of which was a lead designer of the popular deck building game Ascension, to which Star Realms has a lot of similarities. For fans of either Magic or Ascension, Star Realms is a must buy. This promo set, however, is only for fans of Star Realms. I say that because what you get here are 18 unnecessary cards for nearly the price of the full game itself. Normally I'd cry foul about the price, but I understand these cards were incentive promos for Kickstarter backers. We non-backers are fortunate enough to even have the opportunity to acquire them.When I say these cards are unnecessary, I don't mean they aren't cool. The two solo/co-op adversary cards add extra value to the game by giving players new ways to experience the game. The co-op game is a great way to bring new players into the game to learn the ropes instead of getting crushed by experience opponents. My only objection is that the base game should have included at least one co-op adversary of it's own. This shouldn't be limited only to those who seek out the promos. The two neutral ships are a very nice addition as they add to the game without adding any power to any specific factions. I also greatly appreciate that these ships are only moderately powerful. This game is already overflowing with powerful cards, and it's actually a good thing to add a little dilution to that. The gambit cards add a completely new element to the game, that I expect to see added in the upcoming expansion. I hope so, because they are a fun mechanic to add to the game. They allow players to have a special ability in the game. Often these abilities are one shots, and the gambit is trashed after use, but a few stay in play and have ongoing effects. Players get to decide how many gambits to deal out to each player at the beginning of the game. The more you add, the more volatile the game is. I've been testing with three per player and it's seems a bit too much for my tastes. I would suggest instead dealing three to each player, and each player keeps only one and pitches the rest.As a huge fan of the game, I had no problems splurging on these cards. I simply cannot get enough. However, I have to admit these cards don't really add that much to the game to be worth it otherwise. The game is just as fun without the gambits or the two mercenary ships in the game. And truthfully you don't actually need the solo/co-op adversary cards to play those variants. I printed out the Star Beast from the publisher's website and used that as a reference to play.If you haven't played Star Realms yet, you shouldn't even be looking at this. But if you like deck building and the fun of card dueling games such as Magic, you really should check it out. $15 is a great price for what you get.

The Gambit set adds some much needed Options for Star Realms. The base deck is loads of fun but may start to feel samey after a few dozen games. The Gambit set adds a random element for each player, though often a small one (a tactful change from the even stevens nature of the base game). Also included are co-op and solitaire options, a must have that really should have been included in the base. The merc ships are useful but not game changing, i like that. The price point, however, i do not like. $9.99 for 18 cards that arguably should have already been included almost doubles the price of the base game, which was msrp of $15 for 128 cards (the math of card v price just doesnt add up) And now some vendors are scalping this for over $20! Shame, as the cards reinvigorate a great "quickly pick up n play" game that *USED* to be a cheap pasttime.

3 of 5 for first impressions. I haven't played it yet but I feel "so-so" about the multiplayer and solo play mechanics. They're the same, just tweaked a bit for play with either one or many. I guess I shouldn't expect much since this expansion is merely a stretch goal from the Kickstarter. It adds value to the overall gameplay. How much? We'll just have to play and see. But the base game is awesome and so far, everyone I've played it with has given positive remarks about it. Best played with aggressive players who don't take losing personally. I played a 4-player game with folks who wanted to cause damage evenly rather than trying to knock out opponents. This just makes the game longer. I would much rather lose quickly and exact my revenge the very next game rather than drag the game on, so as to not hurt somebody's feelings. It's a game of last man standing. The faster we go, the sooner we get to go again.

This is a worthy expansion if you enjoy the base game. Compared to games like Love Letter where you pay $10 for 16 cards, this expansion is priced appropriately. If you pay more than $10, then you're paying too much. This expansion only seems pricey if you payed $15 for the base game (80 cards). However if you bought the base game for $15, then you got a pretty good deal. Some will say otherwise, but compared to similar quality games like Fairy Tale or Citadels, this game and it's expansion are very priced well at $15 + $10.

Arrived in perfect condition and add to the value and variety of the game. Definitely helps newcomers get a leg up on an experienced opponent.

Great expansion to the game. You need one of the base sets (Star Realms or Star Realms Colonies) to play. Like all the products, these are not "booster packs" where you have some random selection of cards. You only need to buy one of this expansion, they all have the same series of cards in them. It adds on to your total deck

The Gambits and new cards are really fun, especially recommend this to add to either Colony Wars or Star Reams base sets.

I love star realms and this expansion adds some cooperative and solo options. Highly recommended.