I remember playing (polish) 1st edition in late 80ties. Never saw anything like it: multiple characters, 4 huge puzzles that made full-colored map, a stack of Adventure cards just waiting to be reveled..... I still treasure my own 2nd edition copy of the game, but I do play it rarely and only with people who remember it from their own childhood.
Harris and GW did a sterling job with it, so much intriguing fantasy and story wrapped up in those cards and pieces. And Gary Chalk's art is just something else!
Yeah, history how rpgs and assorted games reached Poland at the end of communist era and in early, wild days of transformation is pretty fun. Imagine that D&D did not really play huge role in that, WFRP was very dominant and of all possible things, Cyberpunk gained decent traction there. Ever wondered, why CDP Red created Cyberpunk 2077? Most of the old management knew it from early 90-times.😊
This was my gateway into gaming. I remember getting fastest death at a convention. Turn 1, turned to toad. Another player landed on me and encountered me instead of the Hag. I move, get a dragon, another player lands on me again, repeat of last turn. One more move..... another dragon. 3 turns, 4 lives down. Still remember that 30 years later. :)
Greetings from Poland. I have both versions you mention. These games are now iconic in our country, because many children and teenagers of that time grew up on them, as a futrue board game players.
@@jordansorcery Gameplay is pretty much identical though the tone of the game is much darker & there are some slavic folklore inspirations. Absolutely amazing video Jordan. You keep on delivering, thank you for your outstanding work
@@jordansorcery I loved both versions and the Magiczny Miecz even a bit more because I had add-ons for it. I also liked the fact that in Magiczny Miecz you went from inside to outside, and then you stepped on a stone bridge that went over all the lands.
Love Talisman! My sister and I used to play 2nd Ed for days in the holidays. I even got her a 4th Ed for her 40th. I brought it to my Club and we had to play it over 2 sessions. There were 3 Toadings and much hilarity ensued.
I had a polish version (rip off?) in the 90s. Couple of my friends had expansions and overall, we owned complete game. We used to gather, spread out everything on the corridor of our appartement building, and play for hours. Adding our own rules, switching players in and out, many times playing in a group of 8-10 players. Great memories. And You totally butchered the polish pronunciation but I can't blame You ;) I'm happy I've found Your channel. Since yesterday I'm watching one video after another. Great content, high quality, tons of info and history of our beloved games. Last evening, while watching Your Warhammer history, I even dug out my old dwarven army with the plan to repaint it, and prepare for (hopefully coming soon) new edition of WFB. Keep up the great work my friend!
This 50 year old Yank is still a huge fan of 2ed! A buddy of mine bought it in 1986 or 1987, soon after I’d introduced all of us to D&D. We all loved it. He sold it to another friend, who soon after sold it to me. So within a year or so I bought “Expansion” and “Dungeon”. (I’ll forever regret not buying “Adventure”, “City” and “Dragons”, each something I wanted. More’s the pity.) Ive shared not just Talisman, but this specific iteration of the game with a wide variety of fellow nerds, including many girlfriends on the cusp of being nerds in one way or another…. Ya know what? It’s never failed! Ever! Everyone LOVES it….whether a game takes one hour or five…they’ve ALL loved it and wanted more! Not kidding. Heh And….even trying to upgrade with 4th (despite also having 3rd), the Gary Chalk art always spoke to me so, so very much more! Long live Talisman 2nd edition!!!!!❤
Talisman 2nd Edition got me into board games before being into board games was cool. We had so much fun with that game. It was a gateway drug to a lifelong addiction of love.
I never played Talisman, but I can vividly remember the feel of fantasy products in the 70's into the 80's. It was influenced far more by fairy tales than what we have today and was, consequently, far more innocent. Fantasy today has way more horror elements in it. Strangely enough, that's how it began with Lovecraft, Smith and Howard. I prefer it that way, but it makes me feel a bit wistful to think about. Games like King's Quest and Talisman wouldn't get made in the same way today. I've watched it evolve within my lifetime.
That’s an interesting point. Gary Chalk’s art in particular has always had a more folkloric feel to me. Something that definitely receded from a lot of mainstream fantasy worlds over time
@@jordansorcery a time period I remember fondly as you could still get the old citadel minis and the new 90s look minis. And magic was power cards - aaaaaahhh such fond memories of the magic phase in WHF lol.
You’re talking my language, incredible games back then! I love a lot of the games now too, but there’s still something magical about that ridiculous era!
@@jordansorcery same here I play many different games but a real sucker for dungeon crawlers lol, yeah it was a great time period and had many great games and armies still in their infancy before the rot set in. Many great memories.
I still have my original 1st edition set, plus the Dungeon, City and Timescape expansions, plus some reviews and other clippings relating to the game. Played the hell out of this at university with my pals in the late 80s.
If you want to play a bad game for several long hours and still enjoy every second of it, Talisman is unmatched! Truly an amazing game, I love it so much!
My brother bought Talisman as soon as the 2nd edition was released in Australia. I later bought it of him for $20. I still have that edition but my collection has grown vastly since and I still play to this day. My son and I will play several times a week and I never get sick of it.
I love it when I find a game like that - one I can play again and again and find something new every time, and especially when it’s a game I want to share with others!
I just discovered your channel today with this video! It is fantastic. I cannot wait for part 2! Talisman is the hobby game that got me into hobby gaming. Started with 2e and all expansions (except that elusive Dragons one) and then grabbed 3e base set only. Didn’t like the look of it and stuck with 2e. Fast forward MANY years and I happily grabbed the Black Industries/FFG 4the edition and ALLLLLLL those expansions. Even got to be a play tester for Relic and one of its expansions (have all those too). Have now even spread out into the IP themed Tallies like Harry Potter, Batman, Kingdom Hearts, and my absolute favorite version; Star Wars Talisman! I even have a tattoo of the Talisman on my calf so I will always be prepared to enter the Valley of Fire!😆. And yes; we ALWAYS chant “TOAD! TOAD! TOAD!” when the time comes to roll the dice to see if someone is turned into a toad or not. We even added a Jar-Jar Binks Lego minifig to the Star Wars Talisman set so that a “disoriented” (Star Wars Talisman’s word for being toaded) player gets full ridicule and mockery.😆😆
I love that Jar Jar idea! That's a wonderful Talisman career, some fantastic editions in there! 3rd edition was the one that was out when I first got into Warhammer and it is indelibly etched into my consciousness as THE version of Talisman, despite it being a very particular flavour (bright red and skulls all over!), but the only version I actually own is Relic - a lovely edition that's for sure!
Thank you! Have you been able to find a supplier for 4th Ed or is it 2nd hand? I didn’t realise until recently that it’s not currently in stock most places
Another great retrospective, fella! Doing golden work on classic games. Looking forward to part two, and the potential look at Lone wolf. Also, as Shakespeare once wrote, "TOAD TOAD TOAD TOAD TOAD!"
Growing up we had the 2nd edition. It was localized to Finnish and there are some little differences I spotted watching this video. It had the old folding style board and contained all the characters and monsters from the first expansion. The backs of all the adventure cards are black and white as are the backs and borders of all the character cards. The box art in the front is the same 2nd edition but the name of the game is in bright red letters instead of the original gold. The rest of the box is actually a light blue color.
The three concentric boards, and the punishing fall backs remind me of the game Ratrace, in which you have to climb from working class, through middle class, to high society, but could get sent back to the bottom of you fall on the Divorce squares. You have to collect status symbols in order to progress to the next tier.
Excellent material as always. Talisman was and still is my favourite board game. I've played it since the Polish version was released in 1989. To my surprise and delight I actually learned some new things from your video. Keep them coming :)
I am a happy owner or the 90s polish "remake" - Magiczny miecz (Magical Sword) along with all the expansions. Just yesterday I met with a group of friends and we played an 8-hour long game. Still has the magic in it 😉
Recently found my copy of 2nd edition Talisman in my mum’s loft along with the Expansion Set and various extra character sheets me and my friends created and lovingly illustrated. We’d play the game for hours - if not days - over the summer holidays. Despite all the roll and move randomness of it all, it created some great stories. From making our first tentative steps on our quests, as lowly adventurers, to someone believing they had built up enough strength, skill and courage to enter the Portal of Power and run the gauntlet of trials to ultimately make their claim for the Crown of Command. Epic stuff! 😀
I got Magiczny Miecz for Christmas in the 90s, loved it! :D Also a small pronunciation guide: Magia i Miecz -> Magya ee Myetsch (g as in 'get') Magiczny Miecz -> Mageetschnee Myetsch Cool video as always!
I played this at the age of 9 or so back in 1989-1990 at a friends house...honestly i loved it but i didnt really know what i was doing. I think that was my first experience of fantasy gaming! Great vid ❤
I love these types of video. I was lucky enough to find a copy of Talisman 2nd edition but haven’t played it yet. This vid has inspired me to get it out of the box!
I'm not sure how i missed this one, i spent months of my life playing this with my mates. Games taking all day only to end with the vortex thingy at the end. Possibly the best game I've ever played. Ill be spending this evening watching this.
Hey man, just a comment to say how top notch the quality of these vids are. Appreciate the research you are putting into these and sharing with community. Big nostalgia feels for many of the game series you've covered!
This was a classic game from my youth I played a lot of this with a friend who owned it. He was always the prophetess naturally, and I would struggle to keep up trying out different characters. He owned a lot of the expansions too. I had always wanted this game myself so when found out that 4th ed came along I plunged in and bought what I could being a hard up graduate student meant that was not everything released, having to decide to let go of some of the options that were less well received. And then it disappeared from publishing. When it was re-released, I instantly went and filled in the missing components now I made actual money. Favorite 4ed memory playing the troll going into the dungeon and pulling nothing but craft 1 and 2 monsters that beat me up! Talisman is a game about the journey not the destination. The crown of command is really just a reason to go traveling. People who get upset when the horrible black void is revealed instead of laughing are probably not the right fit for the game.
I think you're dead right, it has to be about the fun of the wild adventure more than who actually wins - otherwise there's too much to get upset about on every single turn!
I've never played Talisman but I remember it being about from my earliest days in the hobby. Thanks for filling in some of the blanks and I'm looking forward to your video about the skaven!
Such a great channel, I heard about talisman recently and was surprised it was held to such a high regard next to games like monopoly in the board game scene, and this video got recomemmded to me at the right time! Subscribed and waiting excited for part two.
Soooooo many memories of spending all day playing this game as an adolescent (before that horrible era of adulthood befell me). It outstayed its welcome every time and we came back for that experience again and again. It has lots of flaws yet still a wonderful experience. "Stop stealing my horse and cart you jacka$$." "Face my Finger of Death!" :)
If Kevin MacLeod is really one guy he should go down as one of the greatest composers in history, I've never thought of a single situation he hasn't already written the perfect background music for
@Jordan Sorcery I think the current edition is my favourite. The base game gives you enough, but I like the sheer amount of add ons (The Reaper is my go to add on).
OMG! So excited when I saw this drop! I never knew which version of the game it was that I fell in love with as a kid. As I didn't see it here I'm guessing it'll have been 3rd edition. Thank you so much for covering Talisman! My family and I enjoy a game or two every year, and it's always an event. Looking forward to Part 2!
That’s awesome, love the idea of a family game that keeps coming back to the table. My family enjoys the odd party game, but no one title lasts long - current family favourite is Monikers!
The city map was also released in the music paper sounds for a Christmas game where gobbos had to run round the city to get tickets to see bolt thrower play in the city,fun game but a shame it wasn't done in colour,I still have photo copies of the game and must paint it one day,also you can't beat bolt thrower to listen to when painting ork boys.
Another wonderful video! Talisman is one of those GW games I'm not as well versed in. I'm thinking of trying out the first few editions of WHFB at some point, but Talisman seems like such a fun game to try. And yes-yes! A Skaven video is something I'm so looking forward to! I've had to restrain myself from making a Skaven AoS army for the longest time, since I already have an Arch-Warlock mini.
I find Talisman to be most fun with a group of good friends where no one is taking it too seriously - it's a perfect beer and pretzels game to my mind. Restrain yourself?! This is an outrage against the horned rat, that arch-warlock needs a retinue!
Indeed it is, Martha wanted to do her own intro! Truth be told I completely forgot that microphones don’t just pick up my voice and nothing else in the room!
Really enjoyed this, thanks. Looking forward to part 2. I have most content for 2nd edition and I always remember it growing up as my older brother had it. But it’s the 3rd edition I’m most fond of. Back in the day that copy was my own and the early/mid 90s was when I was most into GW games and minis. I’m also interested to hear you talk through all the expansions for 4th edition 🤣
Thank you! That 3rd edition is a classic to me - it was the one they were selling when I started in the hobby and I remember it vividly. Plus the dragon tower was incredible!
Thanks for review. Now l want to play talisman again, but not just vanilla, but with more additions (which l didn't know the existed in foreign language).
Great video. I remember seeing the articles for Talisman when they came out, but never picked up the game - it’s reputation for dragging on dissuaded me. I’ve played the current iteration many times & love it. Glad to hear Bob got paid.
3rd edition was on the shelves when I was getting into the hobby and it didn’t appeal as much as WHQ so it was many years before I actually played any Talisman! Well deserved pay off for Bob, that’s for sure!
I found your channel a few days ago and I've already almost binged the whole thing haha. Stellar stuff, keep up the great work and give Martha a wee pet for us.
And alas I have gone through your entire video library already! Talisman was a weird one for me. I played it once when I was ten(ish) and remember nothing about it except losing horribly. I don't think the rules were very clearly explained to me and overall I just had no sense of what I was doing. Which is a shame, because so many of my friends have told me about their great experiences with the game. Wonderful job sir, I'm looking forward to Part Two, and I hope you feel better soon! Also, love the cat!
Losing horribly is 90% of Talisman! But that’s what makes it a fun beer and pretzels kind of game, I think, as ever my one suffers the same ups and downs! Glad you’ve been enjoying the channel, plenty more videos to come!
I played Talisman First Edition at my war games club. It was not my game so when Second Edition came out I very much immediately bought it at my local GW store.. I have to tell you that it did indeed have the fold out game board NOT the jigsaw type version.. I assume that as it was an early print of second edition it was using boards that were originally destined for the first edition game. My edition is definitely second with new box art and coloured adventure cards ect.. it is a small point but one that is never mentioned in any review of second edition.
Great start - I can’t wait for the next installment. Will you be covering the iOS game and all these strange variants which seem to have appeared in recent years? (Disney, Batman, Harry Potter etc) TOAD TOAD TOAD
I'll definitely be touching on the franchise editions of Talisman, and the video games a little, assuming I can track them all down! I'm loving this toad chant!
I like Talisman but there are two absolutely huge issues with it that dates the game: 1. Dying in the early stages is almost fun while in the midgame it will completely damn you to boring hopeless hours 2. It is at least 30min too long for its own sake since there isnt a lot of variation. Id love to play a slightly quicker / shorter version with some bonus for players who died to keep them motivated. (Like leveling up faster or altering the goal)
2nd Ed Talisman was great, although the quality of the expansions was a bit hit and miss. Having watched this it seems the better ones were by Bob Harris himself, and the others... weren't. I remember the version we got came with an FAQ and errata document covering the main game and first two expansions. There was huge amounts of corrections needed for Talisman the Adventure. Now I understand why!
Interestingly enough Bob Harris shares that opinion on his website - he was disappointed with the number of corrections needed for that expansion and knew he could have resolved them himself if he'd been involved!
Nice intro to the history of Talisman, looking forward to part two. I have the current edition (plus Relic) and love the game. I also vaguely remember getting a free plastic wizard in White Dwarf back in the 90's that may have been linked to Talisman?
I know the Wizard you mean, I have a odd memory that some Talisman minis were reused for Warhammer Quest? Also shout outs to the Talisman Goblin Fanatic mini, probably one of the best!
Relic is actually the only version of Talisman I currently own, its a beauty! I think they put a few of the different plastic wizards out with that White Dwarf, but I need to confirm!
They showed some of the Talisman plastics in the preview materials for Warhammer Quest as the new Quest heroes weren't finished yet, but they were all new sculpts for WHQ. Though I think some of the monsters crossed over later on
TALISMAN! Talisman, the Enduring! Talisman, the Legendary! Talisman, the...Croaky! I have all of the third and fourth editions -- save for the physical dragon's tower itself for the third, and whatever most recently came out for the fourth. I like Third much more - Being able to play a goblin, skaven or chaos warrior, sign me up! Hope you feel better soon!
Cheers Ash, definitely on the mend now! For some time I’ve been regarding those copies of Talisman on your shelf behind you with envious eyes! A fine collection indeed!
Fantastic stuff! I was there from 1st edition, but never got the Dragons expansion as I was growing distant from GW at that point as a depressed late '80s teenager. Was it my imagination or was the Dragon set a mail order exclusive which might also have been cause for me to miss it? I did somehow manage to get 3rd edition in the early 90s(?) via a GW sale, which lured me back in. Also got both Slaves to Darkness books at the same time, and some quite unusual Citadel minis that were all loose in a big tub! Hated the art on 3rd edition though. It seemed that after Chalk and Blanche, it was a case of diminishing returns, especially City... Never heard about the French set! I'll have to look that up on Talisman Island?
I saw some ads in White Dwarf for the Dragons set and they didn’t say it was mail order only, but knowing GW it’s certainly possible. The 3rd edition art is definitely a very different thing, but I don’t mind it these days! Thanks for the comment!
As a base game it's not great, and if you just indiscriminately throw in all the expansions, it's horrible. But... if you carefully curate a list of addons and choose a ruleset (home rules) that complements it, it can be a lovely game. People tell me it's a horrible board game, but I love it. ☺
Me my brother and our geek friends loved playing the Swedish translation of the original Talisman as kids in the 80s. I seem to remember it was always best to play as the Monk character and believe we might even have banned him as a choice. Was Talisman a gateway drug to D&D or was it a more chill respite from long D&D campaigns? Don't remember maybe it was both? Interesting to hear the Lone Wolf name mentioned I used to play a lot of those books and have been thinking they were Fighting Fantasy branded but coming to realise they were maybe their own thing. They were also Swedish translations and maybe branding got a bit diluted in the translate and re-publish process.
My partner and I play Talisman 4th revised often and we have all of the expansions except for Sacred Pool, Harbinger and the Cataclysm. I’ve always been interested in the crossover between Talisman and the larger Warhammer Fantasy World. The Crown of Command for example is a Warhammer Fantasy artifact that has made appearances elsewhere in the lore. In the White Dwarf expansion to WHQ: Shadows over Hammerhal for example, a Crown of Command artifact card comes with that issue. Did you come across or are you aware of any other appearances of the Crown of Command? And of course Talisman Third Edition is entirely set in the Warhammer World. I’m interested in hearing your thoughts and observations on these connections.
I think this is a great point! I’ve been trying to research more about whether 3rd edition can truly be considered set in the Warhammer Old World, and it still doesn’t feel quite as conclusive as I’d like. Things like the Crown turning up elsewhere is a good argument in favour though!
@@jordansorcery I found that the Crown of Command is a magical item/artifact found in Warhammer Fantasy Battles in at least 4th, 5th and 8th Edition. It had its own card in the 4 & 5e “Battle Magic” supplements for WFB and is listed in 8e books.
Fantastic stuff! I'm always a little jealous when people have that continuity from their youth as I've made the mistake of selling many wonderful games off only to have rebuy them!
That’s an interesting suggestion! It’s a good shout for the project long list! In the meantime, if you’ve not seen it @arbitorian did an excellent play through of it a little while back
Unfortunately not, GW took the rights back from Fantasy Flight Games a few years back and there has been no sign of it since. I'm thankful to still have my 4th edition set as it's a wonderfully simple little game. Perfect for those game nights when you don't have much mental bandwidth.
Well, sort of…. The OP (USAopoly) has been making alternate themed versions of it for a few years now under license from GW. The Star Wars version is my personal favorite, but there is also Harry Potter, Kingdom Hearts, and Batman Villains.
Yeah it looks like the franchise remakes are the only 'current' editions still in print. Strangely the GW site still has details about all of the revised edition releases, but no way to actually buy them, sadly
The PC version's great and you can spend weeks on a single game. I've also got the PC version of GW's dracula game. But with 'inflation' (yeah, sure. We all know it's just an exscuse to increase prices) Warhammer games've become a bit expensive. COME ON, PARLIAMENT. DON''T DEBATE THE MATTER AND SET UP COMMITEES. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT INSTEAD BEFORE THE PEOPLE DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOU!!!!
I remember playing (polish) 1st edition in late 80ties. Never saw anything like it: multiple characters, 4 huge puzzles that made full-colored map, a stack of Adventure cards just waiting to be reveled..... I still treasure my own 2nd edition copy of the game, but I do play it rarely and only with people who remember it from their own childhood.
Harris and GW did a sterling job with it, so much intriguing fantasy and story wrapped up in those cards and pieces. And Gary Chalk's art is just something else!
Yeah, history how rpgs and assorted games reached Poland at the end of communist era and in early, wild days of transformation is pretty fun. Imagine that D&D did not really play huge role in that, WFRP was very dominant and of all possible things, Cyberpunk gained decent traction there. Ever wondered, why CDP Red created Cyberpunk 2077? Most of the old management knew it from early 90-times.😊
This was my gateway into gaming. I remember getting fastest death at a convention. Turn 1, turned to toad. Another player landed on me and encountered me instead of the Hag. I move, get a dragon, another player lands on me again, repeat of last turn. One more move..... another dragon. 3 turns, 4 lives down. Still remember that 30 years later. :)
Greetings from Poland. I have both versions you mention. These games are now iconic in our country, because many children and teenagers of that time grew up on them, as a futrue board game players.
Thanks for commenting! How similar does Sfera’s loose remake feel to the original?
@@jordansorcery Gameplay is pretty much identical though the tone of the game is much darker & there are some slavic folklore inspirations. Absolutely amazing video Jordan. You keep on delivering, thank you for your outstanding work
@@jordansorcery I loved both versions and the Magiczny Miecz even a bit more because I had add-ons for it. I also liked the fact that in Magiczny Miecz you went from inside to outside, and then you stepped on a stone bridge that went over all the lands.
Love Talisman! My sister and I used to play 2nd Ed for days in the holidays. I even got her a 4th Ed for her 40th. I brought it to my Club and we had to play it over 2 sessions. There were 3 Toadings and much hilarity ensued.
You literally can’t beat a good toading! One of the best mechanics in board games if you ask me!
I had a polish version (rip off?) in the 90s. Couple of my friends had expansions and overall, we owned complete game. We used to gather, spread out everything on the corridor of our appartement building, and play for hours. Adding our own rules, switching players in and out, many times playing in a group of 8-10 players. Great memories. And You totally butchered the polish pronunciation but I can't blame You ;)
I'm happy I've found Your channel. Since yesterday I'm watching one video after another. Great content, high quality, tons of info and history of our beloved games.
Last evening, while watching Your Warhammer history, I even dug out my old dwarven army with the plan to repaint it, and prepare for (hopefully coming soon) new edition of WFB.
Keep up the great work my friend!
This 50 year old Yank is still a huge fan of 2ed!
A buddy of mine bought it in 1986 or 1987, soon after I’d introduced all of us to D&D. We all loved it.
He sold it to another friend, who soon after sold it to me.
So within a year or so I bought “Expansion” and “Dungeon”.
(I’ll forever regret not buying “Adventure”, “City” and “Dragons”, each something I wanted. More’s the pity.)
Ive shared not just Talisman, but this specific iteration of the game with a wide variety of fellow nerds, including many girlfriends on the cusp of being nerds in one way or another….
Ya know what? It’s never failed! Ever!
Everyone LOVES it….whether a game takes one hour or five…they’ve ALL loved it and wanted more! Not kidding. Heh
And….even trying to upgrade with 4th (despite also having 3rd), the Gary Chalk art always spoke to me so, so very much more!
Long live Talisman 2nd edition!!!!!❤
One more history is still uncovered: history of DungeonQuest!
Love you stories, thanks a lot for them!
and yes...
...Toad, toad, toad :)
DungeonQuest is on the long list of projects, that's for sure!
Talisman 2nd Edition got me into board games before being into board games was cool. We had so much fun with that game. It was a gateway drug to a lifelong addiction of love.
These fun games have a sneaky way of taking over our lives, don’t they!
Always love to find new RUclipsrs covering old GW stuff. Great content so far.
Thank you, glad you’ve enjoyed it!
@@jordansorcery Just want second this comment and add a comment for the algorithm. The quality and production values of your content is astounding.
Thanks so much, really appreciate the comment!
I never played Talisman, but I can vividly remember the feel of fantasy products in the 70's into the 80's. It was influenced far more by fairy tales than what we have today and was, consequently, far more innocent. Fantasy today has way more horror elements in it. Strangely enough, that's how it began with Lovecraft, Smith and Howard. I prefer it that way, but it makes me feel a bit wistful to think about. Games like King's Quest and Talisman wouldn't get made in the same way today. I've watched it evolve within my lifetime.
That’s an interesting point. Gary Chalk’s art in particular has always had a more folkloric feel to me. Something that definitely receded from a lot of mainstream fantasy worlds over time
Sir, i have to commit your videos are supreme. Thank you very much for those splendid informations.
Thank you for the kind words, I do my best!
I thoroughly enjoyed that. You are a seriously charismatic presenter, too. TOAD TOAD TOAD!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for the kind words! And those magic words - TOAD TOAD TOAD!
Would love a fighting fantasy deep dive! Toad toad toad toad!!
Fear not, I am working on one! Toad toad toad!
I remember Talisman 3rd Ed all plastic and skulls. Loved the game then many years later got a copy of FF edition and loved it even more lol.
3rd edition is such a time capsule of 90s GW - classic designs and colours in that one!
@@jordansorcery a time period I remember fondly as you could still get the old citadel minis and the new 90s look minis. And magic was power cards - aaaaaahhh such fond memories of the magic phase in WHF lol.
You’re talking my language, incredible games back then! I love a lot of the games now too, but there’s still something magical about that ridiculous era!
@@jordansorcery same here I play many different games but a real sucker for dungeon crawlers lol, yeah it was a great time period and had many great games and armies still in their infancy before the rot set in. Many great memories.
I still have my original 1st edition set, plus the Dungeon, City and Timescape expansions, plus some reviews and other clippings relating to the game. Played the hell out of this at university with my pals in the late 80s.
If you want to play a bad game for several long hours and still enjoy every second of it, Talisman is unmatched!
Truly an amazing game, I love it so much!
My brother bought Talisman as soon as the 2nd edition was released in Australia. I later bought it of him for $20. I still have that edition but my collection has grown vastly since and I still play to this day. My son and I will play several times a week and I never get sick of it.
I love it when I find a game like that - one I can play again and again and find something new every time, and especially when it’s a game I want to share with others!
I just discovered your channel today with this video! It is fantastic. I cannot wait for part 2! Talisman is the hobby game that got me into hobby gaming. Started with 2e and all expansions (except that elusive Dragons one) and then grabbed 3e base set only. Didn’t like the look of it and stuck with 2e. Fast forward MANY years and I happily grabbed the Black Industries/FFG 4the edition and ALLLLLLL those expansions. Even got to be a play tester for Relic and one of its expansions (have all those too). Have now even spread out into the IP themed Tallies like Harry Potter, Batman, Kingdom Hearts, and my absolute favorite version; Star Wars Talisman! I even have a tattoo of the Talisman on my calf so I will always be prepared to enter the Valley of Fire!😆. And yes; we ALWAYS chant “TOAD! TOAD! TOAD!” when the time comes to roll the dice to see if someone is turned into a toad or not. We even added a Jar-Jar Binks Lego minifig to the Star Wars Talisman set so that a “disoriented” (Star Wars Talisman’s word for being toaded) player gets full ridicule and mockery.😆😆
I love that Jar Jar idea! That's a wonderful Talisman career, some fantastic editions in there! 3rd edition was the one that was out when I first got into Warhammer and it is indelibly etched into my consciousness as THE version of Talisman, despite it being a very particular flavour (bright red and skulls all over!), but the only version I actually own is Relic - a lovely edition that's for sure!
As always, an in depth story of another great game, this always take us down memory lane, great job.
Happy to help dust off the nostalgia!
Instant sub.Massive Respect for Polish version play them all.Can't wait for second part.
In process of buying 4th edytion
Thank you! Have you been able to find a supplier for 4th Ed or is it 2nd hand? I didn’t realise until recently that it’s not currently in stock most places
Another great retrospective, fella! Doing golden work on classic games. Looking forward to part two, and the potential look at Lone wolf. Also, as Shakespeare once wrote, "TOAD TOAD TOAD TOAD TOAD!"
When we got the toad it wasn't "Toad toad toad" more "Oh F off, not again!!!" Followed by many grumbles until you reverted back 🤣🤣🤣
@@Mark-nh2hs hahahaha
Yes! Knew I’d get some chants going!
Growing up we had the 2nd edition. It was localized to Finnish and there are some little differences I spotted watching this video. It had the old folding style board and contained all the characters and monsters from the first expansion. The backs of all the adventure cards are black and white as are the backs and borders of all the character cards. The box art in the front is the same 2nd edition but the name of the game is in bright red letters instead of the original gold. The rest of the box is actually a light blue color.
The three concentric boards, and the punishing fall backs remind me of the game Ratrace, in which you have to climb from working class, through middle class, to high society, but could get sent back to the bottom of you fall on the Divorce squares. You have to collect status symbols in order to progress to the next tier.
I’ve not seen Ratrace but it certainly sounds similar, and an eerily accurate approximation of real life!
Just discovered this Gem, Thanx Jordan;-)
Excellent material as always. Talisman was and still is my favourite board game. I've played it since the Polish version was released in 1989. To my surprise and delight I actually learned some new things from your video. Keep them coming :)
Thank you, glad I had a few new bits of history for you! Plenty more on the way!
I am a happy owner or the 90s polish "remake" - Magiczny miecz (Magical Sword) along with all the expansions.
Just yesterday I met with a group of friends and we played an 8-hour long game. Still has the magic in it 😉
Recently found my copy of 2nd edition Talisman in my mum’s loft along with the Expansion Set and various extra character sheets me and my friends created and lovingly illustrated. We’d play the game for hours - if not days - over the summer holidays. Despite all the roll and move randomness of it all, it created some great stories. From making our first tentative steps on our quests, as lowly adventurers, to someone believing they had built up enough strength, skill and courage to enter the Portal of Power and run the gauntlet of trials to ultimately make their claim for the Crown of Command. Epic stuff! 😀
I think that’s why Talisman has been so long lived - the opportunities for wild, fun stories with random twists and turns is unrivalled!
God i played with game for the for the first time in late november of last year and fell in love with it, Of course I bought the 4th edition board lol
I got Magiczny Miecz for Christmas in the 90s, loved it! :D
Also a small pronunciation guide:
Magia i Miecz -> Magya ee Myetsch (g as in 'get')
Magiczny Miecz -> Mageetschnee Myetsch
Cool video as always!
Amazing, thank you! I was definitely playing a dangerous game even attempting a pronunciation!
Best newish gaming channel on youtube dude! Keep it up!!!
Thank you!
I played this at the age of 9 or so back in 1989-1990 at a friends house...honestly i loved it but i didnt really know what i was doing. I think that was my first experience of fantasy gaming! Great vid ❤
Fantastic first step into the hobby!
Excellent video - looking forward to next part.
Thanks so much! Not long to wait now!
I love these types of video. I was lucky enough to find a copy of Talisman 2nd edition but haven’t played it yet. This vid has inspired me to get it out of the box!
I’m glad! That’s great, always pleased to inspire more gaming!
I wish I could've played this as a kid, it looks incredible! Thanks for sharing this slice of history as always.
It's a great family game I think, a level playing field and if no one takes it too seriously it can be terrific fun!
I watched this and immediately started looking for part 2...well, guess we'll have to wait for it
Hopefully not too long a wait!
I remember poring over 2nd edition in WH Smiths as a teenager. I was desperate to have it and got it on my Birthday. Still got it!
I'm not sure how i missed this one, i spent months of my life playing this with my mates. Games taking all day only to end with the vortex thingy at the end. Possibly the best game I've ever played.
Ill be spending this evening watching this.
Hey man, just a comment to say how top notch the quality of these vids are. Appreciate the research you are putting into these and sharing with community. Big nostalgia feels for many of the game series you've covered!
Thanks so much, really glad you’re enjoying the channel!
Love this
I lived through this and talisman was a special part of my childhood
Thank you! It’s a true classic, I’m glad I could bring a bit more of its story to light
This was a classic game from my youth I played a lot of this with a friend who owned it. He was always the prophetess naturally, and I would struggle to keep up trying out different characters. He owned a lot of the expansions too. I had always wanted this game myself so when found out that 4th ed came along I plunged in and bought what I could being a hard up graduate student meant that was not everything released, having to decide to let go of some of the options that were less well received. And then it disappeared from publishing. When it was re-released, I instantly went and filled in the missing components now I made actual money.
Favorite 4ed memory playing the troll going into the dungeon and pulling nothing but craft 1 and 2 monsters that beat me up!
Talisman is a game about the journey not the destination. The crown of command is really just a reason to go traveling. People who get upset when the horrible black void is revealed instead of laughing are probably not the right fit for the game.
I think you're dead right, it has to be about the fun of the wild adventure more than who actually wins - otherwise there's too much to get upset about on every single turn!
and here I thought my gaming group was the only one with spirited Toad chants!
Great video to help erase some of my ignorance; get well soon!
I'm happy to help, and feeling a lot better now thank you!
I've never played Talisman but I remember it being about from my earliest days in the hobby. Thanks for filling in some of the blanks and I'm looking forward to your video about the skaven!
Glad you enjoyed it! Just got to find enough warpstone for my computer and then I can get that skaven video edited!
Such a great channel, I heard about talisman recently and was surprised it was held to such a high regard next to games like monopoly in the board game scene, and this video got recomemmded to me at the right time! Subscribed and waiting excited for part two.
Glad I was there at the right moment!
Soooooo many memories of spending all day playing this game as an adolescent (before that horrible era of adulthood befell me). It outstayed its welcome every time and we came back for that experience again and again. It has lots of flaws yet still a wonderful experience.
"Stop stealing my horse and cart you jacka$$."
"Face my Finger of Death!"
:)
It really reminds me of Risk in that sense - so compelling that you always want another game, even though they can end up costing you days to play!
I’m really enjoying your videos, and I did join in chanting “Toad, toad, toad” at the end.
That’s what I like to hear!
The art on that Toad card is GREAT
It’s so good, isn’t it!
If Kevin MacLeod is really one guy he should go down as one of the greatest composers in history, I've never thought of a single situation he hasn't already written the perfect background music for
Kevin MacLeod is a music making machine! Maybe literally!
LOVE THIS GAME. The Prophetess is so OP.
Great video! Talisman is my favorite board game of all time and you certainly did a great job informing people about its rich history.
It’s a classic, glad you enjoyed the video!
Thanks Jordan, this was brilliant, cannot wait for the next part, I have bought and played all editions of the game, and still play it today.
My pleasure! Which has been your favourite edition to play?
@Jordan Sorcery I think the current edition is my favourite. The base game gives you enough, but I like the sheer amount of add ons (The Reaper is my go to add on).
There’s a lot of options in 4th, that’s for sure!
Excellent video
What a great peek into the history of my favourite board game, well done sir.
My pleasure, glad you enjoyed it!
OMG! So excited when I saw this drop! I never knew which version of the game it was that I fell in love with as a kid. As I didn't see it here I'm guessing it'll have been 3rd edition. Thank you so much for covering Talisman! My family and I enjoy a game or two every year, and it's always an event. Looking forward to Part 2!
That’s awesome, love the idea of a family game that keeps coming back to the table. My family enjoys the odd party game, but no one title lasts long - current family favourite is Monikers!
Looks a very interesting game to play
Lone Wolf is responsible for me getting into Citadel Miniatures products
The city map was also released in the music paper sounds for a Christmas game where gobbos had to run round the city to get tickets to see bolt thrower play in the city,fun game but a shame it wasn't done in colour,I still have photo copies of the game and must paint it one day,also you can't beat bolt thrower to listen to when painting ork boys.
That sounds amazing! What paper was that in?
Another wonderful video! Talisman is one of those GW games I'm not as well versed in. I'm thinking of trying out the first few editions of WHFB at some point, but Talisman seems like such a fun game to try.
And yes-yes! A Skaven video is something I'm so looking forward to! I've had to restrain myself from making a Skaven AoS army for the longest time, since I already have an Arch-Warlock mini.
I find Talisman to be most fun with a group of good friends where no one is taking it too seriously - it's a perfect beer and pretzels game to my mind.
Restrain yourself?! This is an outrage against the horned rat, that arch-warlock needs a retinue!
Be that a Fur Beast Thunder Purrr I can hear in the intro lol
Indeed it is, Martha wanted to do her own intro! Truth be told I completely forgot that microphones don’t just pick up my voice and nothing else in the room!
@@jordansorcery hahaha it's always nice to hear a Fur Beast purr. At least she got her moment of fame 👍
Really enjoyed this, thanks. Looking forward to part 2. I have most content for 2nd edition and I always remember it growing up as my older brother had it. But it’s the 3rd edition I’m most fond of. Back in the day that copy was my own and the early/mid 90s was when I was most into GW games and minis. I’m also interested to hear you talk through all the expansions for 4th edition 🤣
Thank you! That 3rd edition is a classic to me - it was the one they were selling when I started in the hobby and I remember it vividly. Plus the dragon tower was incredible!
Thanks for review. Now l want to play talisman again, but not just vanilla, but with more additions (which l didn't know the existed in foreign language).
Also, in our group it wasn’t “Toad” we chanted, but “Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit”
Great video. I remember seeing the articles for Talisman when they came out, but never picked up the game - it’s reputation for dragging on dissuaded me.
I’ve played the current iteration many times & love it. Glad to hear Bob got paid.
3rd edition was on the shelves when I was getting into the hobby and it didn’t appeal as much as WHQ so it was many years before I actually played any Talisman! Well deserved pay off for Bob, that’s for sure!
I found your channel a few days ago and I've already almost binged the whole thing haha.
Stellar stuff, keep up the great work and give Martha a wee pet for us.
And alas I have gone through your entire video library already!
Talisman was a weird one for me. I played it once when I was ten(ish) and remember nothing about it except losing horribly. I don't think the rules were very clearly explained to me and overall I just had no sense of what I was doing. Which is a shame, because so many of my friends have told me about their great experiences with the game.
Wonderful job sir, I'm looking forward to Part Two, and I hope you feel better soon! Also, love the cat!
Losing horribly is 90% of Talisman! But that’s what makes it a fun beer and pretzels kind of game, I think, as ever my one suffers the same ups and downs! Glad you’ve been enjoying the channel, plenty more videos to come!
Brilliant thank you
The Leprechaun mini for Talisman rivals the toads for best miniture ever
Ha, he is awesome, but those toads have too strong a hold on me!
Toad, Toad, Squeak-Squeak 🐸🐀🌠
Oh I get, Jordan Sorcercy kind of sounds like Sword n Sorcery. nice.
I played Talisman First Edition at my war games club. It was not my game so when Second Edition came out I very much immediately bought it at my local GW store.. I have to tell you that it did indeed have the fold out game board NOT the jigsaw type version.. I assume that as it was an early print of second edition it was using boards that were originally destined for the first edition game. My edition is definitely second with new box art and coloured adventure cards ect.. it is a small point but one that is never mentioned in any review of second edition.
Heroquest was only one vid but Talisman will be mutiple....am intriged now.
All those expansions got on top of me! Plus I wasn't too well recently so editing really fell behind and I didn't want to skip a week!
@@jordansorcery take your time, no rush needed.
Great start - I can’t wait for the next installment. Will you be covering the iOS game and all these strange variants which seem to have appeared in recent years? (Disney, Batman, Harry Potter etc)
TOAD TOAD TOAD
I'll definitely be touching on the franchise editions of Talisman, and the video games a little, assuming I can track them all down! I'm loving this toad chant!
I like Talisman but there are two absolutely huge issues with it that dates the game:
1. Dying in the early stages is almost fun while in the midgame it will completely damn you to boring hopeless hours
2. It is at least 30min too long for its own sake since there isnt a lot of variation.
Id love to play a slightly quicker / shorter version with some bonus for players who died to keep them motivated. (Like leveling up faster or altering the goal)
Thank you for the awesome content 🤜
My pleasure!
2nd Ed Talisman was great, although the quality of the expansions was a bit hit and miss. Having watched this it seems the better ones were by Bob Harris himself, and the others... weren't.
I remember the version we got came with an FAQ and errata document covering the main game and first two expansions. There was huge amounts of corrections needed for Talisman the Adventure. Now I understand why!
Interestingly enough Bob Harris shares that opinion on his website - he was disappointed with the number of corrections needed for that expansion and knew he could have resolved them himself if he'd been involved!
@@jordansorcery I will definitely have to check his website now! Thanks for the info 🙂
Nice intro to the history of Talisman, looking forward to part two. I have the current edition (plus Relic) and love the game. I also vaguely remember getting a free plastic wizard in White Dwarf back in the 90's that may have been linked to Talisman?
I know the Wizard you mean, I have a odd memory that some Talisman minis were reused for Warhammer Quest?
Also shout outs to the Talisman Goblin Fanatic mini, probably one of the best!
Relic is actually the only version of Talisman I currently own, its a beauty! I think they put a few of the different plastic wizards out with that White Dwarf, but I need to confirm!
They showed some of the Talisman plastics in the preview materials for Warhammer Quest as the new Quest heroes weren't finished yet, but they were all new sculpts for WHQ. Though I think some of the monsters crossed over later on
The inquisitor is clearly a terminator from nemesis the warlock with slightly altered termight symbol (which I have tattoo of)
I think you're probably right, some clear inspiration there!
TALISMAN!
Talisman, the Enduring! Talisman, the Legendary! Talisman, the...Croaky!
I have all of the third and fourth editions -- save for the physical dragon's tower itself for the third, and whatever most recently came out for the fourth. I like Third much more - Being able to play a goblin, skaven or chaos warrior, sign me up!
Hope you feel better soon!
Cheers Ash, definitely on the mend now!
For some time I’ve been regarding those copies of Talisman on your shelf behind you with envious eyes! A fine collection indeed!
Fantastic stuff! I was there from 1st edition, but never got the Dragons expansion as I was growing distant from GW at that point as a depressed late '80s teenager. Was it my imagination or was the Dragon set a mail order exclusive which might also have been cause for me to miss it?
I did somehow manage to get 3rd edition in the early 90s(?) via a GW sale, which lured me back in. Also got both Slaves to Darkness books at the same time, and some quite unusual Citadel minis that were all loose in a big tub! Hated the art on 3rd edition though. It seemed that after Chalk and Blanche, it was a case of diminishing returns, especially City...
Never heard about the French set! I'll have to look that up on Talisman Island?
I saw some ads in White Dwarf for the Dragons set and they didn’t say it was mail order only, but knowing GW it’s certainly possible. The 3rd edition art is definitely a very different thing, but I don’t mind it these days! Thanks for the comment!
As a base game it's not great, and if you just indiscriminately throw in all the expansions, it's horrible. But... if you carefully curate a list of addons and choose a ruleset (home rules) that complements it, it can be a lovely game. People tell me it's a horrible board game, but I love it. ☺
I’m a big fan of experimenting with house rules and add-ons to get that perfect personal blend!
Me my brother and our geek friends loved playing the Swedish translation of the original Talisman as kids in the 80s. I seem to remember it was always best to play as the Monk character and believe we might even have banned him as a choice. Was Talisman a gateway drug to D&D or was it a more chill respite from long D&D campaigns? Don't remember maybe it was both? Interesting to hear the Lone Wolf name mentioned I used to play a lot of those books and have been thinking they were Fighting Fantasy branded but coming to realise they were maybe their own thing. They were also Swedish translations and maybe branding got a bit diluted in the translate and re-publish process.
TOAD TOAD TOAD
TOAD! TOAD! TOAD!
You can keep your Heroquest and any other fantasy board-game... Talisman was the best!
This is a bold offer! I've enjoyed a good bit of Talisman and HeroQuest over the years, but I will proudly claim Warhammer Quest as my dungeon BAE!
Great vid 👍
My partner and I play Talisman 4th revised often and we have all of the expansions except for Sacred Pool, Harbinger and the Cataclysm.
I’ve always been interested in the crossover between Talisman and the larger Warhammer Fantasy World. The Crown of Command for example is a Warhammer Fantasy artifact that has made appearances elsewhere in the lore. In the White Dwarf expansion to WHQ: Shadows over Hammerhal for example, a Crown of Command artifact card comes with that issue. Did you come across or are you aware of any other appearances of the Crown of Command?
And of course Talisman Third Edition is entirely set in the Warhammer World. I’m interested in hearing your thoughts and observations on these connections.
I think this is a great point! I’ve been trying to research more about whether 3rd edition can truly be considered set in the Warhammer Old World, and it still doesn’t feel quite as conclusive as I’d like. Things like the Crown turning up elsewhere is a good argument in favour though!
@@jordansorcery I found that the Crown of Command is a magical item/artifact found in Warhammer Fantasy Battles in at least 4th, 5th and 8th Edition. It had its own card in the 4 & 5e “Battle Magic” supplements for WFB and is listed in 8e books.
Toad! Toad! Toad!
I actually was "toad"ing! Lol ❤😅👍
I played the Spectrum version
Best game.
I got the Swedish version and we loved it. Then we bought, by mail order, the expansion, adventure and dragon set. Still keep it close :)
Fantastic stuff! I'm always a little jealous when people have that continuity from their youth as I've made the mistake of selling many wonderful games off only to have rebuy them!
I'm sure others have asked - can you do Chainsaw Warrior?
That’s an interesting suggestion! It’s a good shout for the project long list! In the meantime, if you’ve not seen it @arbitorian did an excellent play through of it a little while back
Of course I chanted
😇
I chanted🤘
Excellent work!
Nice vid, I'm not even a talisman fan :)
Thanks! It feels like Talisman is the great marmite of the boardgaming world!
Available on STEAM
Is anyone still selling Talisman? I can only find broken links and missing products.
Unfortunately not, GW took the rights back from Fantasy Flight Games a few years back and there has been no sign of it since.
I'm thankful to still have my 4th edition set as it's a wonderfully simple little game. Perfect for those game nights when you don't have much mental bandwidth.
Well, sort of…. The OP (USAopoly) has been making alternate themed versions of it for a few years now under license from GW. The Star Wars version is my personal favorite, but there is also Harry Potter, Kingdom Hearts, and Batman Villains.
Yeah it looks like the franchise remakes are the only 'current' editions still in print. Strangely the GW site still has details about all of the revised edition releases, but no way to actually buy them, sadly
@@garysmith6218 You tried STEAM?
For the Polish pronunciation the accebted letter "l" is pronounced as a w and the "cz" is pronounced as a "ch"
Think of a scouser saying my watch, "me wa'ch"
Hank on video when?
Haha, he made a guest appearance on instagram, but he doesn’t love gaming as much as Martha does!
Yeah, I said toad!
Toad!
The PC version's great and you can spend weeks on a single game. I've also got the PC version of GW's dracula game. But with 'inflation' (yeah, sure. We all know it's just an exscuse to increase prices) Warhammer games've become a bit expensive.
COME ON, PARLIAMENT. DON''T DEBATE THE MATTER AND SET UP COMMITEES. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT INSTEAD BEFORE THE PEOPLE DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOU!!!!
Demon king…. You meant dragon king??
I did indeed! I caught my mistake right at the end of editing and included a blink and you'll miss it correction to try and redeem my shame!
Who's the moggy?