Great tips. I agree about defense. Also after a monster battle you set your shield level to your defense level. I lean toward cards that have ‘chain tab(s)’.
@@XShrike0 In the base game rulebook. Top left corner of page 27. It's easy to miss. It reads... Regardless of the Fight outcome, perform the following steps: 1 - Shuffle all Monster Fight Cards together to form a new deck. 2 - Shuffle the Action Cards in your deck, discard pile, and hand together to form a new deck. Then proceed to Phase III of your Turn (see page 18) *** 3 - Raise your Shield level up to your Defense level. *** === One thing for me, it sure helps to keep my Witcher's Shield level to the max it can be. Especially since it can only be done 1-during a fight with a Defense Action card, 2-when you raise your Defense level, and 3- Right after a Fight. As you know... It helps a lot to go into a fight with max Defense. If the your Shield is high enough it can often negate the first attack by a monster.
Defence will nearly always be my first attribute, closely followed by the special ability. For some like wolf school, the special comes first but defence is so much more important in early game than drawing cards. Potions (and bombs) are nice but leveling alchemy just for those is imho less effective than traveling through one of the two potion-cities. And when I play bear-school, I tend to ignore the trail just because the special ability of the bear school wants your shields down at least once per game so fighting first isn't really helping the build.
@@meeple second wave backer, we had to wait until the end of September for the game to arrive 🤷🏻♂️ But yeah, it's a great game and always fun to play 😁
It's worth not forgetting that when you buy cards in phase III, paying the cost of the card goes into the discard pile and not into the box. The first two games my deck didn't want to grow 😂.
Oh wow! That is worth mentioning. I had another friend who just reported to me that they played the free upgrade locations a bit wrong too. They hadn't realized that those were only usable if the attribute is equal to or less than the witcher's level. Little things like that can make for a very different play experience.
@@jaspersnippe4383 So for the locations that allow the player to raise only a specific attribute (such as "combat" at Ard Modran in the lower right of the map) -- those are all free of charge, BUT in order to legally use that action, the players "combat" (in this example) cannot be at a higher level than the character's overall level (the column left of your attributes on the player board). However, at the school locations (such as Stygga for example), you must pay the appropriate coin, but the attribute you train can climb to the next level whatever it may be, regardless of the character's overall level.
this was my 3rd board game i’ve ever played EVER and i had such a fun time playing it! i met up with a mate who got the kickstarter deluxe edition with the metal coins and ocean expansion (forgot what it’s called) and we (as well as 2 others) played for 6 hours straight. we plan to play again soon, might play as mages this time hehe
It’s amazing to hear about such a great experience for someone relatively new to board games! Considering that you played for 6 hours, and look forward to it again-that’s just awesome. Mages are cool, and play a bit differently than the witchers. The card combos are even more satisfying. Have fun, thanks for watching, and welcome to board gaming!
@@meeple thanks for the welcome hehe. i’ve been playing video games for so long and felt like i needed a new medium or platform to play on as i wanted to make more gamer friends irl and local. soon realised that board games were the perfect solution! and the time i’d spent playing would relatively be the same amount i’d put in playing a online multiplayer game. so overall, i’m having a blast 😋
@@5h274 Awesome! There's certainly enough room in life for both video games and boards games. Playing this game has recently prompted me go back and restart The Witcher 3 on PS5! 😁
I generally don't score anything on BGG, but this game is going to likely be a contender for my Top 10 list for 2023. The ranking system is a mystery on there too, but I personally think this game should climb into the Top 100. Will it? Who knows. 🤷♂
I got the "washed" edition of the game, which has pre-washed miniatures. I like a good wash, which I've also learned to do myself more recently. I've painted just a couple minis (from Oathsworn), and found it more satisfying than I expected. The results you can get from some of the more accessible painting techniques are pretty good! Look up some videos on the "slap chop" method if you haven't already.
The ones with the names (and without the reddish/bloody edges) are the standard location tokens to be used in the game when the rules refer to location tokens for any purpose. The ones with the Roman numerals (I to VI), and WITH the reddish edges are the "Weakness" tokens which are used in addition to the location tokens when using the "Monster Weakness and Special Attacks" module from the Monster Trail expansion content.
We house ruled that you get the trail tokens right away as they weren't really worth it to get otherwise. Somebody tends to snipe the monster before you can gain and use the token,
Interesting. I need to play it more before I'd consider something like that. Perhaps if there were a bit more of a penalty for running into a fight Leroy Jenkins style.
Isn't that a great mechanic actually ? You are trailing a monster for days, planning, you get your oils, potions, bombs, ready. Your body and mind are one, you need only one more day and the trophy would be yours. You get to the field where monster is lurking, just to find its beheaded corpse laying in a pool of it own blood... Another witcher beat you to it =)
The order of operations for the trail tokens and accompanying coins is as follows: 1. When you first acquire a trail token, you place it face up with a coin on it. 2. When you enter the specified location, you flip the token face down, keep it until you fight the corresponding monster, and take the coin into your personal supply. 3. When you ultimately fight the monster, you discard the token back to the general supply, which allows you to attack first. Does that all make sense?
@@sujan001 I don't know if I ever saw that in the rule book, but the general consensus is that the trail token and coin are discarded back the general pool.
question about phase 3 - can u draw 3 cards even if u didnt discard down to 0? or can u only draw up to a max of 3 going into ur buy phase and next turn with a max of 3 or less cards
You always draw up to 3 cards when going to ,,buy phase'' (unless you get a card in exploration phase that says otherwise) you can start your turn with minimum 1 card to maximum I think 6 cards, if you get lucky.
@@DEFUHR62 so when you buy a card you add it to the top of your deck not your hand? and that means when you buy a card you will start your next turn with fewer cards in hand and thus have less movements available to you?
@@lucasmccauley3995 the card you purchase goes right to your hand. So if you purchase a "0" cost card you can end your turn with 4 cards in hand, if you buy a "2" cost card you'll end your turn with 2 cards in hand
I hate to admit it, but no I didn't know the translation. I heard it in one of the publisher's videos, so I trusted it was safe. 🤣 Be sure to come back, and let us know what you think of the game once you've played it.
@@meeple a few games behind me. Anyone who hasn't played The Witcher doesn't know what downtimie means 😂 I'm happy with the games. It is the board game I was expecting. That is, a light adventure with competition. But the gameplay in 4 people or more is tiring and takes too long. Additional materials for the game are essential!
@@andrzejduda_wwa I actually think 3 players might be the sweet spot. I don't know that I'd ever play with 5 unless trying out the co-op Wild Hunt mode. At two players, it feels really great to me, in terms of staying involved with the play even off-turn. At 4+ players, it is truly "event gaming" and would be the kind of thing we'd set aside a whole afternoon or evening for tackling in a relaxed fashion with lunch or dinner involved. 😁
In the base game, you visit specific locations that give you a target location to catch the monster’s trail. In one of the modules, there is a new tracking system.
That might be true for more experienced gamers but I myself felt far more comfortable starting with just the base. It lets me see how the expansions modify the original game.
@@meeple I get what you are saying. But Monster Trail is so good there is no reason to ever play without it. Even if you are completely new. Besides the much better monster system, mutagens actually help newbies as they typical help guide your deck building.
Great tips. I agree about defense.
Also after a monster battle you set your shield level to your defense level.
I lean toward cards that have ‘chain tab(s)’.
I do too, I love that Deckbuilding aspect
Where is setting your shield level to your defense after a monster battle in the rules? I am going through the rules and am not finding it.
@@XShrike0 In the base game rulebook. Top left corner of page 27. It's easy to miss. It reads...
Regardless of the Fight outcome, perform the following steps:
1 - Shuffle all Monster Fight Cards together to form a new deck.
2 - Shuffle the Action Cards in your deck, discard pile, and hand together to form a new deck. Then proceed to Phase III of your Turn (see page 18)
*** 3 - Raise your Shield level up to your Defense level. ***
===
One thing for me, it sure helps to keep my Witcher's Shield level to the max it can be. Especially since it can only be done 1-during a fight with a Defense Action card, 2-when you raise your Defense level, and 3- Right after a Fight.
As you know... It helps a lot to go into a fight with max Defense. If the your Shield is high enough it can often negate the first attack by a monster.
@@tonybowers9490 they must have added that. I have been using an rulebook that is on online and step 3 isn't there.
@@XShrike0 It can be found on page 27 -- step number 3 in the upper left portion of the page. Very easy to miss.
Defence will nearly always be my first attribute, closely followed by the special ability. For some like wolf school, the special comes first but defence is so much more important in early game than drawing cards. Potions (and bombs) are nice but leveling alchemy just for those is imho less effective than traveling through one of the two potion-cities.
And when I play bear-school, I tend to ignore the trail just because the special ability of the bear school wants your shields down at least once per game so fighting first isn't really helping the build.
Great points! It's been a while since we've gotten the game to the table, but hearing you talk about it, just makes me want to play! 😄
@@meeple second wave backer, we had to wait until the end of September for the game to arrive 🤷🏻♂️
But yeah, it's a great game and always fun to play 😁
Awesome video! Would really like to see more of the Witcher Old World. 🙂
We plan on doing more on it as well!
It's worth not forgetting that when you buy cards in phase III, paying the cost of the card goes into the discard pile and not into the box. The first two games my deck didn't want to grow 😂.
Oh wow! That is worth mentioning. I had another friend who just reported to me that they played the free upgrade locations a bit wrong too. They hadn't realized that those were only usable if the attribute is equal to or less than the witcher's level. Little things like that can make for a very different play experience.
@@meepleoh i read this also wrong than... How to use it if its equal or higher?
@@jaspersnippe4383 So for the locations that allow the player to raise only a specific attribute (such as "combat" at Ard Modran in the lower right of the map) -- those are all free of charge, BUT in order to legally use that action, the players "combat" (in this example) cannot be at a higher level than the character's overall level (the column left of your attributes on the player board).
However, at the school locations (such as Stygga for example), you must pay the appropriate coin, but the attribute you train can climb to the next level whatever it may be, regardless of the character's overall level.
this was my 3rd board game i’ve ever played EVER and i had such a fun time playing it!
i met up with a mate who got the kickstarter deluxe edition with the metal coins and ocean expansion (forgot what it’s called) and we (as well as 2 others) played for 6 hours straight. we plan to play again soon, might play as mages this time hehe
It’s amazing to hear about such a great experience for someone relatively new to board games! Considering that you played for 6 hours, and look forward to it again-that’s just awesome.
Mages are cool, and play a bit differently than the witchers. The card combos are even more satisfying. Have fun, thanks for watching, and welcome to board gaming!
@@meeple thanks for the welcome hehe. i’ve been playing video games for so long and felt like i needed a new medium or platform to play on as i wanted to make more gamer friends irl and local. soon realised that board games were the perfect solution! and the time i’d spent playing would relatively be the same amount i’d put in playing a online multiplayer game. so overall, i’m having a blast 😋
@@5h274 Awesome! There's certainly enough room in life for both video games and boards games. Playing this game has recently prompted me go back and restart The Witcher 3 on PS5! 😁
I would like to know whats you bgg score for this game? And i would like to read your bgg comments too.
What rank do you think it will get?
Thanks.
I generally don't score anything on BGG, but this game is going to likely be a contender for my Top 10 list for 2023. The ranking system is a mystery on there too, but I personally think this game should climb into the Top 100. Will it? Who knows. 🤷♂
Why are your minatures a different colour? Did you prime them, and if so what colour is that? About to start painting for the first time ever.
I got the "washed" edition of the game, which has pre-washed miniatures. I like a good wash, which I've also learned to do myself more recently. I've painted just a couple minis (from Oathsworn), and found it more satisfying than I expected. The results you can get from some of the more accessible painting techniques are pretty good! Look up some videos on the "slap chop" method if you haven't already.
@@meeple thank you. Too many different versions you can buy of this game I get lost easily lol.
@@starsofsirius559 No problem. These days, every game seems to have many...many versions. 🤣
There are two types of terrain tokens, the ones with location names and ones with numbers 1-6. What are the difference between the two?
The ones with the names (and without the reddish/bloody edges) are the standard location tokens to be used in the game when the rules refer to location tokens for any purpose. The ones with the Roman numerals (I to VI), and WITH the reddish edges are the "Weakness" tokens which are used in addition to the location tokens when using the "Monster Weakness and Special Attacks" module from the Monster Trail expansion content.
We house ruled that you get the trail tokens right away as they weren't really worth it to get otherwise. Somebody tends to snipe the monster before you can gain and use the token,
Interesting. I need to play it more before I'd consider something like that. Perhaps if there were a bit more of a penalty for running into a fight Leroy Jenkins style.
Isn't that a great mechanic actually ? You are trailing a monster for days, planning, you get your oils, potions, bombs, ready. Your body and mind are one, you need only one more day and the trophy would be yours. You get to the field where monster is lurking, just to find its beheaded corpse laying in a pool of it own blood... Another witcher beat you to it =)
@@nenadpavlovic8405 You paint a “pretty” picture. 🤣 I love that mechanic too!
@@nenadpavlovic8405 it’s thematic, sure. But the game is a race to 4 trophies, it can be a waste of time when there are more efficient moves.
do you know what happens with the gold coin on the trail token when it gets discarded?
I didn't find it in the rules
The order of operations for the trail tokens and accompanying coins is as follows:
1. When you first acquire a trail token, you place it face up with a coin on it.
2. When you enter the specified location, you flip the token face down, keep it until you fight the corresponding monster, and take the coin into your personal supply.
3. When you ultimately fight the monster, you discard the token back to the general supply, which allows you to attack first.
Does that all make sense?
That was clear but what happens if someone else kills the monster and you had a token with a coin on it.
Does token and coin get discarded?
@@sujan001 I don't know if I ever saw that in the rule book, but the general consensus is that the trail token and coin are discarded back the general pool.
Thank you !
question about phase 3 - can u draw 3 cards even if u didnt discard down to 0? or can u only draw up to a max of 3 going into ur buy phase and next turn with a max of 3 or less cards
You always draw up to 3 cards when going to ,,buy phase'' (unless you get a card in exploration phase that says otherwise) you can start your turn with minimum 1 card to maximum I think 6 cards, if you get lucky.
You can only have 3 cards in hand going into the buy phase. So if you end phase two with 1 card in hand, you only get to draw 2 cards from your deck
@@DEFUHR62 so when you buy a card you add it to the top of your deck not your hand? and that means when you buy a card you will start your next turn with fewer cards in hand and thus have less movements available to you?
@@lucasmccauley3995 the card you purchase goes right to your hand. So if you purchase a "0" cost card you can end your turn with 4 cards in hand, if you buy a "2" cost card you'll end your turn with 2 cards in hand
Exactly this!
Funny watching the material while hearing the interlude. Do you know what is sung there? "I hear" in Polish 😂 super material, I'm picking up the game!
I hate to admit it, but no I didn't know the translation. I heard it in one of the publisher's videos, so I trusted it was safe. 🤣
Be sure to come back, and let us know what you think of the game once you've played it.
@@meeple a few games behind me. Anyone who hasn't played The Witcher doesn't know what downtimie means 😂 I'm happy with the games. It is the board game I was expecting. That is, a light adventure with competition. But the gameplay in 4 people or more is tiring and takes too long. Additional materials for the game are essential!
@@andrzejduda_wwa I actually think 3 players might be the sweet spot. I don't know that I'd ever play with 5 unless trying out the co-op Wild Hunt mode. At two players, it feels really great to me, in terms of staying involved with the play even off-turn. At 4+ players, it is truly "event gaming" and would be the kind of thing we'd set aside a whole afternoon or evening for tackling in a relaxed fashion with lunch or dinner involved. 😁
What’s the best school?
Not sure I have a "best school" thought. They're all fun to try for different reasons.
Hi guys, great and helpful video! I have a question about the playmat - does it feel good? Would you say it´s better than normal game board?
I love the playmat but the board is pretty solid too. But the artwork and everything stands out pretty well.
The mat is really nice, but I don't think it's significantly better than the board. I play with the board more since I don't always play with Skellige
What are the different methods on obtaining Monster Trails?
In the base game, you visit specific locations that give you a target location to catch the monster’s trail. In one of the modules, there is a new tracking system.
There are also exploration and quest cards that result in taking a trail token of you choice.
I would love to play this but I’m dumb as rocks
Low five 😅
When is the release date?
It’s being shipped now. Backers across Canada and the US are receiving. Europe shipment starts today in Poland
Great video. Horrible sound between sections.
Thanks! That sound is used in the video game (or one like it), and in the publishers videos. Obnoxious 10 times in a row? Perhaps. 🤣
@@meeple fair enough. What about the Gwent sound? Anyhoo, I appreciate the tips!
@@alexrichter4590 Ha! Maybe for our next video. 😁
Suuiissss heeaaaaaaaah!
Number 1 Mistake, not uploading a solo gameplay video lol
We are still determining that :)
@@meeple it would be great if you can include the Wild hunt/Legendary Monster in that determination lol
Gameplay please!🎉
Completely disagree about expansions. You can jump right in to most. They improve the game without much new rules to learn.
That might be true for more experienced gamers but I myself felt far more comfortable starting with just the base. It lets me see how the expansions modify the original game.
@@meeple I get what you are saying. But Monster Trail is so good there is no reason to ever play without it. Even if you are completely new. Besides the much better monster system, mutagens actually help newbies as they typical help guide your deck building.
Number 11 - Don't forget you spent too much money to buy this game!
Ha! NEVER! 😅