El Grande

03/06/23 • 45 min

The panel drops in on El Grande, the 1996 Spiel des Jahres Winner. El Grande was designed by Wolfgang Kramer and Richard Ulrich and was first published by Rio Grande Games in the US in 1995.

Episode Summary:

In this episode, we discussed the 1995 board game El Grande, which has been popular for almost 30 years. We discussed our experiences with the game, both online on Board Game Arena and in person, the latter we agreed is vastly superior. We then discussed the appeal of El Grande, noting its simple yet effective game mechanisms. Finally, we discussed the game in-depth and shared our personal experiences and ratings. We noted that it is a good game, and should be played face-to-face and with five players whenever possible.

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Chapters:

(0:00:00) - Playing El Grande in Person (0:12:27) - The Appeal of El Grande (0:19:38) - Area Control in El Grande (0:31:05) - A Battle of Wits (0:42:40) - Interpreting El Grande

Chapter Summaries:

(0:00:50) - Playing El Grande in Person (12 Minutes) El Grande is a 1995 board game by Wolfgang Kramer and Richard Elrick. It is an area-majority game that requires players to manage their resources and successfully use power cards to get cubes onto the board and gain points. After 9 rounds, the player with the highest points is the winner. The participants discussed their experiences with the game, both on Board Game Arena and in person. They agreed that playing in person was vastly superior, as it allowed for more interpersonal interaction and tactics.

(0:12:27) - The Appeal of El Grande (7 Minutes) El Grande is an example of an early Euro game and has been popular for almost 30 years. The game is a 'cube pusher' with an interesting bidding mechanism. It lacks an engaging theme or narrative, a common trait of early Euro-style games. The game mechanisms are simple but effective and have been difficult to replicate in later games. The game also has an interesting scoring system and the potential for resource manipulation. The conversation also touches on the preferences of different players, with some preferring flashier fare, and some preferring games with dinosaurs and lots of colors.

(0:19:38) - Area Control in El Grande (11 Minutes) El Grande is discussed in depth and is compared to other board games of its era. The conversation focuses on the mechanisms of the game and its strategic depth, with the ability to choose between depth and width when scoring points. It is noted that there is a good amount of downtime in the game and that there is a two-step process to putting pieces on the board, which can be challenging. It is also discussed that there is an interesting decision space in the game, with players having to choose between cards and trying to read their opponents.

(0:31:05) - A Battle of Wits (13 Minutes) In this section of the conversation, we wrap up our thoughts on El Grande, with the panel sharing their personal experiences and ratings. The participants discuss the components of the game, how the game plays, and how it is best played in person rather than online. They also discuss the different decision points and their importance to the game. The participants agree that it is a good game, but that it needs something to bridge the gap between the hard decision points and the waiting for someone else's turn.

Shownotes created with assistance from https://podium.page

The panel drops in on El Grande, the 1996 Spiel des Jahres Winner. El Grande was designed by Wolfgang Kramer and Richard Ulrich and was first published by Rio Grande Games in the US in 1995.

Episode Summary:

Visit our website and join the conversation on Discord!

Chapters:

(0:00:00) - Playing El Grande in Person (0:12:27) - The Appeal of El Grande (0:19:38) - Area Control in El Grande (0:31:05) - A Battle of Wits (0:42:40) - Interpreting El Grande

Chapter Summaries:

Shownotes created with assistance from https://podium.page

Previous Episode

Blood Bowl Team Manager

This week, the panel tackles Blood Bowl Team Manager: the Card Game.

Blood Bowl Team Manager, designed by Jay Little and Corey Konieczka, was first published by Fantasy Flight Games in 2011. In 2012, Blood Bowl Team Manager was nominated for two BoardGameGeek Golden Geek Awards, Best Card Game, and Best Thematic Board Game.

Episode Summary: In this episode, we explore Blood Bowl Team Manager: the Card Game, a two to four-player light-weight game. We discuss the strategy of the game and how to manage the zones of control (called Highlights and Tournaments). We also explore the game’s ability to provide a great experience for any player count, even the odd count. We then move on to exploring card game complexity, the balance between factions, and production. Overall, this episode provides an in-depth look at how Blood Bowl Team Manager plays and our experience with it.

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Chapters:

(0:01:18) - Introducing Blood Bowl Team Manager (0:12:32) - The Joy of Blood Bowl (0:17:32) - Exploring the Design Complexity of Blood Bowl Team Manager(0:32:09) - A Brutal Balancing Act (0:41:48) - Polished Game Design at Fantasy Flight (0:53:54) - Two-Minute Warning

Chapter Summaries:

(0:01:18) - Introducing Blood Bowl Team Manager (11 Minutes) The game features a number of zones of control (based on player count) called highlights and tournaments. Players must use their star power and player abilities to control these zones to earn points and upgrades. There is a secondary fight over control of the ball token, worth additional star power. Cheating tokens can also be used to gain points and fans, which are the victory points of the game. They can also result in a player's ejection from the highlight, negating their star power. After a round is played and points are tallied, upgrades such as star players, team upgrades, and staff upgrades can be drafted to add to each player's team.

(0:12:32) - The Joy of Blood Bowl (5 Minutes) The panel discusses the game Blood Bowl Team Manager and how it is a great game for three players, in addition to even player counts. They discuss the levity of the game, as well as its comedic art, and the fact that there is just enough dice-rolling involved. There is also a deck-building aspect where players can collect new players and ways to manipulate their deck. We discussed our own experience playing the game and found it to be a tight game with a small playing field, allowing players to see all their options. Overall, we found it to be a great game and enjoyed playing it

(0:17:32) - Exploring the Design Complexity of Blood Bowl Team Manager (15 Minutes) The panel dives into the complexity of designing a card game with a football theme. Each player essentially has the same amount of resources and has the opportunity to (mostly) play to equal Highlights zones. Players earn the opportunity to earn many upgrade cards during a round, however, each player can only keep one of each upgrade at the end of each round. It is possible to have up to five of each upgrade by the end of the game.

(0:32:09) - A Brutal Balancing Act (10 Minutes) We discuss the various symbols used in a game of Blood Bowl Team Manager. The panel discussed how the different teams interact with the symbols differently. For example, Dwarves don't interact with the Sprint symbol and Skaven interact with Cheating symbols. The Wood Elves were discussed in more detail, as they are passers and have an easy-to-remember symbol for throwing, which is a football. The conversation highlighted how the symbols are easy to remember as they have their analog in the other game pieces. The panel further explored the teams of Elves, Dwarves, and Skaven. It was noted that the elves have the ability to draw multiple cards and discard weaker cards, while the dwarves have a star power advantage and the Skaven are a bit more well-rounded, Jacks-of-all-Trades. It was further discussed that the difference between standing and tackled star power is a balancing mechanic used to make sure each faction has its own strengths and weaknesses. Ultimately, we concluded that the game was well-designed in terms of thematics and gameplay.

(0:41:48) - Polished Game Design at Fantasy Flight (12 Minutes) The panel discusses the well-balanced design of Blood Bowl Team Manager, a card game released in 2011 by Fantasy Flight Games. We compare the level of polish of the game to other Fantasy Flight games produced during the same time period. We also discuss the level of development that went into the game, referencing the two game designers, producer, editor, production management, executive produc...

Next Episode

Dinosaur Table Battles

The panel plays and discusses Dinosaur Table Battles, designed by Amabel Holland and illustrated by Wil Alambre, which was first published by Hollandspiel in 2020.

Episode Summary:

Dinosaur Table Battles is a unique head-to-head battling board game from Hollandspiel. Players draft dinosaurs, use dice to power up their units, and then attack their opponents in head-to-head dinosaur combat. Strategy and attrition in conflict games are discussed, along with the potential for team play. The game has an excellent presentation, easy-to-learn rules, and can be up and running within twenty minutes. Lastly, the panel compares the game to the historically themed Table Battles and considers the potential for a head-to-head battle between the two.

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Chapters:

(0:00:58) - Make Battle, Not War (0:06:06) - Strategy and Attrition in Dinosaur Table Battles (0:22:18) - For the Fossil Record

Chapter Summaries:

(0:00:58) - Battling Game, Not War (5 Minutes) Dinosaur Table Battles is a unique board game from Hollandspiel, that looks like a war game but isn't. Players pick dinosaurs with which to battle. There is also a draft rule that can be used to select dinosaurs. Dice are then used to power up the units to attack their opponent. It is a head-to-head battle game with dynamic strategy and artwork that is incredibly evocative and colorful.

(0:06:06) - Strategy and Attrition in Dinosaur Battles (16 Minutes) Dinosaur Table Battles is a game of strategic decision-making, where players must decide where to place their dice in order to both defend and attack their opponent. In the Dinosaur version of Table Battles, any unit can attack any unit. Each of the dinosaurs has a unique mix of attacks, defenses, and special abilities, so using your allotted dice effectively is your key to success. It is focused on initiative and holding control of the game while preventing the opponent from doing the same.

(0:22:18) - For the Fossil Record (8 Minutes) Stephen and John conclude with their final thoughts on Dinosaur Table Battles. It is described as a fun, quick game suitable for two players. The game's unique art style and surprising mechanisms make it enjoyable. The conversation then shifts to the possibility of playing it with more than two players, and how a team game could potentially work. The panel is excited to add the game to their rotation and recommends it to others. John ends the conversation with his preference for the original Table Battles game due to its historical theme but admits that the dinosaur theme is enjoyable. They briefly discuss the differences between the two games and the potential for a head-to-head battle between the two.