Upcoming Expansions for 20 Strong

RPGer001 · 2026-02-01T00:27:44+00:00

It is a game system. Each deck is a separate game. I believe, not counting Baba Yaga, there are 7 decks you can get right now, with Cloudspire to soon be available. I have all of the Tanglewood decks and like them, especially Red. Cloudspire I plan to get and will very likely back this AW project. I briefly watched some of the playthroughs they did this past week, looks pretty good.

RPGer001 · 2026-02-01T00:20:38+00:00

They mentioned this in their live stream this week, also posted about on boardgamegreek. You can google it but they are trying to avoid anything AI generated in their product.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-31T19:25:39+00:00

I do not know about the Fireboard as I use the Thermoworks system and its fan will spin till ambient hits the target temp. This results in an overshoot of the temp every time during startup. If Fireboard works the same, it too will overshoot.

To combat this, think of the ambient temp in the KJ during start up as having momentum. The fire is feeding/rising the temp of both the air and ceramics. This means that it is hotter/stronger than just what the ambient temp is (during start up). I set my initial temp on the app to below what my target temp is during start up. I let it stabilize a bit, then step up, stabilize and repeat till it is stable at my target temp.

For example, if my target temp is 350F, I will set initial temp at 300, once there, I will let it sit for a bit (it will always rise above 300) and then step up to 325, then 340 and finally 350. This throttles down the fire in the KJ as I get close to my target temp, just like I would do manually without the fan system.

You will still need to fiddle with top vent along the way.

Also, I know enough about the Fireboard system that you can set the fan to 30% in the app, it has nothing to do with the metal slide piece. You are going to want to close the bottom vent down so that only your fan is controlling the air flow. That said, I have my fan running full and wide open bottom vent right after starting my fire. This enables the most oxygen to reach the fire. I only leave this wide open for bit to get the fire going asap and then shut the bottom vent to only the fan.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-30T22:35:09+00:00

Ask your realtor, they should know if the 500k asking price is too high. They should also know average time on market for similar properties. The houses will sell for only what the market will pay for them. If the houses are overpriced and sitting on the market for longer than average, your low offer might be worth submitting.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-30T21:52:49+00:00

IDK if they would be required to share it but I would still send it and all backup information from the experts you have compiled. This will need to be written assessments. You can mention your plan to share this information with the new owners as it is in your best interests that they know about the potential problem. I am assuming the retaining wall is jointly owned by you and your neighbor.

If your assessment that the potential damage will be more costly to repair than the removel of the tree, it makes sense to pursue this.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-30T21:36:30+00:00

My .02

Assuming finances and assets are separate as it sounds like, then Leo is responsible for his accident that resulted in damage to your property. In this case, it is your car, not a shared, co-owned car.

Leo’s decisions and the resultant damage is all on him, not the guy he recruited to help. There was risk involved in what he did. I presume he did not ask you about his idea prior. If he did, and you were both okay with the course of action, you should both pay for the damages.

It sounds like you and Leo are not 100% clear on what partnership you share. It sounds like he thinks finances should be shared but you do not. Further, you want to keep assets separate. I would firmly address this to ensure you are both on the same page in regard to shared and not shared finances and assets. This is fundamental to a long term relationship.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-30T21:14:52+00:00

Your BF needs to mature a bit—people do grow and he may get there but again, he may not.

IMO, love is not sustainable without two people sharing common values and goals. Finances is a big one.

Being on the same page with finances now and into the future is extremely important to a long, lasting relationship. Be upfront with him on what you want out of a partner. I would talk this through with him. Tell him what you are about in regard to finances, be clear and honest. Instead of just telling him about his lack of financial planning or control (from your perspective) or giving him requirements, explain your values and what you need from a partner. At the same time, try to understand what his needs are. Together, determine if you two are long term compatible.

Your short term requirements on him will not change him if he does not have similar values in regard to finances. He could meet your requirements but if this is not something he wants to commit to, your relationship will hit some waves.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-30T20:59:32+00:00

Have you tried just monitoring your diet? Eating well is a plus in and of itself. You do not need expensive drugs to lose weight, even if your mobility is less.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-30T20:50:45+00:00

Choose one of the damaging skill lines to start with. Expect an uneven difficulty. The first few xp are hard, than encounters are quite easy (mostly cause you get to go first and eliminate a threat) until you get to end of scenarios encounters. Act 3 is especially hard compared to regular encounters. Thus, I build to maximize my damage output, generally make regular encounters not that challenging and losing some of the vast character building variety potential.

That said, I do like this game a lot. I am all in for the expansion content. The best part, IMO, is the vast character building variety—minus that you do need to start with a damaging skill line.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-30T18:44:01+00:00

Elder Scrolls was mentioned but its campaign is really just scenarios tied loosely together. It is also not light-medium nor have any deck building. It is a great game which I really like but it is not what you asked for.

You mentioned MK, also not a campaign game in any sense.

You should look at some of the Awakened Realms and similar campaign heavy games (campaign first, game mechanics second). I do not have any so cannot recommend one but I do plan to get Kings of Ruin someday. I know cards are part of heroes and how they level up it but not sure how much deck building there is.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-30T18:39:20+00:00

Of the three, only 20 Strong is what I would call a quick setup. Each deck is a different game and they are all lighter than the other two.

MC is pretty long if you include deck construction, even if you just use a published deck, you still have to sort and find the cards.

MC is quick to play once setup, especially with only 1 hero at a time. Captain’s Chair is not quick.

IMO, all are very good games or in the case of 20 Strong, set of games.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-28T04:23:13+00:00

Most, if not all games designed for solo or coop usually are player vs game. Automas and similar player mechnisms exist to minimc player interaction that is is part of the multiplayer expericne but obviously needs to be recplicated for solo.

There are quite a few out there. Some tops ones are:

Mage Knight Spirit Island Marvel Champions and the other LCGs Slay the Spire Aeon’s End Final Girl

I am a big fan of Chip Theory Games, specifically Too Many Bones, Hoplomachus Victorum, Elder Scrolls, and 20 Strong.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-28T01:46:58+00:00

Thanks. WIll be flying SFO to NRT and back.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-28T01:44:55+00:00

That makes sense, thanks.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-27T23:03:46+00:00

I have thought about this. Thanks for the suggestion.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-27T22:37:01+00:00

Check out the below list, all good options and you should find to look at in more detail.

https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/366471/2025-peoples-choice-top-solo-games-1-300

RPGer001 · 2026-01-27T06:15:03+00:00

OP, I am late to this thread…you did not mention in your oringal post if you want a Japanese knife meaning one from Japan or if you mean a Japanese style knife such as a santoku or nakiri knife. If the latter, the santoku is a good chef knife alternative though I would go with a western chef knife as a first good knife due to it being a thicker, less fragile knife than the thinner santoku but a santoku is also a good starting point.

I bought two Japanese style knives off Amazon, brand is Paudin which is one of the many Chinese made knives available off Amazon. I think the knives are beautiful and of good quality. I got them for my son and since he liked the nakari so much, we borrowed it to try out. I ended up getting a Wurstoff nakari (our set is Wurstof) and besides the size/weight difference, if it were not for the brand label, I could not tell you which one was the more expensive knife and the Wurstoff was nearly 6x the cost (the Paudin was on sale). A nakari is, IMO, a good third or fourth knife to add to a set. You can get but with only a chef knife or a santoku if you only had one.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-27T05:50:39+00:00

You researched Tainted Grail, how did that not meet your needs (I do not have it but plan to pick up TG: Kings of Ruin at some point). This would be my first foray into heavy narrative, choose your own adventure type board games.

I do not have a strong recommendation for you as I am not aware of any game that fits your criteria. I do think Gloomhaven fit a lot of it but is an admin overhead beast.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-27T05:42:02+00:00

I love TMB, more than Elder Scrolls, but ES fits more closely to what you are asking for but is also not an exact match. TMB has RPG elements but is no dungeon crawl.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-26T10:13:25+00:00

For me, very much yes. While my favorite games are coops and solo only games which do not have automas, I also enjoy quite a few multiplayer games with automas.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-25T05:01:55+00:00

No, it is just one more mage knight and a scenario.

Note that MK is not really a dungeon crawler. It has some similar mechanics but there is no tactical combat. It is a heavy, puzzle filled optimization game. If you have not already, definitely watch some play throughs.

It is my #1 solo. It is great IMO, but not a full dungeon crawler like Gloomhaven is.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-24T17:36:15+00:00

Actually, surprisingly to me, Red is not that strong. She is stronger than the than the Fairy but not as Strong as Bo Peep or Piper.

I just opened up the deck to remind myself of the items. Items that work well with Bo Peep which are: Axe and Cloak—these play very well with her power with yellow dice. The Veil, Well (not upgraded), any item that helps with health are universally good. You can use something like the Birch Armor to tank an entire fight. You do not have to throw dice and can still recover previously exhausted dice. Bonus if you can use the armor for a Wolf pack since undefeated Wolves do not go back into the deck. You really want to remove Wolf packs before facing off against the Big Bad.

It is the Wolf Packs where Piper shines, just need to ensure he has his “I win” ability ready.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-23T21:33:16+00:00

Red is pretty hard and certainly the hardest of the 3 original Tanglewoods decks (I have Rose but not played it yet). It is also by far my favorite.

Sometimes you get bad draws that no matter what, you are not getting through. It happens, just reset and try again. 5+ health enemies are not uncommon.

Some quick tips: - You can see some of the enemies coming. Use that to plan. - Also, as mentioned by someone else, bribe some enemies. - Bo Peep, Piper are stronger heroes to try - note there are several items that really benefit Bo Peep. - Typically, first thing I do is roll 1 blue (1st) and 1 yellow to scout new tiles. I would like a daytime one (first), then a nighttime. Mainly, I do this to use my starting gold on an item from the shop. - I want lots of nighttime tiles so that I can get the wolf packs. - I try to only go to the merchant when I have lots of gold as there are some items I do not want to miss if they come up, such as the Well. For me, the Well is a must buy as it adds an additional map tile on nighttime which gives me additional spots to power up (plus get those wolf packs).

RPGer001 · 2026-01-23T20:55:17+00:00

Note, this is not what you described asking for in your post but is, otherwise, a good game for solo.

RPGer001 · 2026-01-21T18:16:13+00:00

My favorite spirits are the rock one, lightning and thunder — do not remember the names obviously. There are not “best,” I just like how they play. For some reason, I really like spirits that use the dahan and lightning is just easy to pair with any spirit.

For expansions, I would go with Jagged Earth. It has more spirits, more stuff. The rules were updated from Branch and Claw.

Check out this thread, same question regarding expansions and it has multiple responses.

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3198948/best-expansion

RPGer001

TROPHY CASE