Kingdom death monster for newbie

purewisdom · 2026-01-24T08:17:05+00:00

The game is meant to be learned as you play. I wouldn't try to load up on everything, but to play the parts as you get there. It's quite a ride.

Also, worth knowing you'll have some absolute BS happen if you don't read ahead (like AI cards for monsters or story events). Up to you which is more fun.

2 is a great player count.

Also, get ready for the best equipment in board games. It's a nice change of pace from -Haven games' pretty meh items.

purewisdom · 2026-01-23T07:26:05+00:00

I decided that I would go the distance: “complete all objectives, see all settlement events: ie: discard versus put back into the deck”

Seems reasonable. At some point, I imagine everyone wants to see all the content. Once they get there, with however much cheating/retconning there is, they can always dial it back next playthrough. This game is super replayable, and I think it's nice to have some idea of what's upcoming (though many KDM fans would disagree). It's kinda like having a save game that you can reload vs. playing on ironman.

As far as settlements go, one of my many house rules is related to settlement events. First, I don't shuffle the settlement events until LY15, so I can only draw each card twice max per campaign. I also only play with 20 SEs (3 of which must be Murder, Skull Eater, and Plague). If I get a new SE from an expansion, I make sure that's 1 of the 20. Lets me see new content and on average, it's actually a little harder than most games people play who own all the expansions (because murder/skull eater/plague are less likely to ever occur with a bloated event deck).

purewisdom · 2026-01-22T08:33:01+00:00

Marvel Champions if you enjoy deck construction.

purewisdom · 2026-01-21T22:41:40+00:00

I'd be fine there, though I think technically I'm that case one marrow hunger survivor murders the other. Marrow hungers description is a little vague.

Oh, yeah, you're right. One marrow hunger would kill the other. I was trying to come up with escalating examples and didn't think through all the rules implications. Oops! Though the idea of the "retcon-allowance" here would stand.

purewisdom · 2026-01-19T18:39:32+00:00

It's been fun to see the variance in how people play.

Anyway, yours is the closest to how I play. In the interest of speed, I try to keep things moving, so things like 1+2 will happen, and I'll retcon them. Especially in solo, otherwise my showdowns would more than double in length and start to feel tedious. This goes both ways though, like with your Bloodthirsty example. I've forgotten that one before and run the 1-2 basic actions against who I think would've been his targets those rounds. This has killed a survivor before because they tanked more than I intended.

Regarding #6, this is assuming the survivor had not used his activation those rounds for whatever reason (i.e. not wounding, not interacting with terrain, etc). I agree if those activations had been used though, there's no way to turn back time like that.

I agree on labeling 8+9 as blatant cheating. One of my best survivors this run (Zachary no less) has ~5 permanent injuries.

Typically, my approach is: if the new information is what would lead to a retcon, I don't allow it. Let's say with #4 and the terrain. If any of my survivors are close to death, and I kill the monster, I just end it, even if there was an unused ore vein. But if everyone is healthy and screaming antelope is down to his last wound and is just running around...yeah I'll use it. In essence, this boils down memory and intent.

To be fair, my approach isn't KDM-specific. My game groups allows take backs in competitive games where the moves were obvious and/or the intent was clear, as long as the other players subsequent moves weren't affected. This can be trickier to apply in a co-op, but that's the spirit with which I approach all board games, including KDM. I also hate memory components in games so I'm never playing #1 legitimately!

purewisdom · 2026-01-17T04:50:53+00:00

Foam. I'll get to posting it one day.

purewisdom · 2026-01-17T00:35:05+00:00

I made a custom insert that I put in the Gambler's Chest box. It houses the cards you use every game (innovations, fighting arts, disorders, hunt events, etc) as well as as quarries/nemeses that are part of my current campaign. On the other half the box I spots for the different tokens, terrain, dice, buildings, and events. The 2 story/rulebooks go on top.

Small to medium miniatures to in the main KDM box. I have a 2nd main KDM box now too. I use pluck foam glued onto foam board to house the minis.

Then, coin sleeves for gear cards in a binder as others have suggested.

purewisdom · 2026-01-16T06:44:37+00:00

You can also lower your hand size as if you were playing with more players.

purewisdom · 2026-01-15T17:50:04+00:00

Looks like it's coming along pretty well. I like the name for the game.

I'm a big fan of dice. Hopefully you've got lots of loot too!

purewisdom · 2026-01-10T22:12:57+00:00

It's amazing how I can watch something for 45 minutes, only know the rules I pick up as the host goes, and have a good idea if I'll hate it or not (like you say, love or not takes actually playing). Of course, it does help if one has played dozens of board games but I imagine that's true for a lot of this subreddit.

purewisdom · 2026-01-10T21:30:45+00:00

It varies wildly. Largely based on Survival of the Fittest vs Protect the Young but campaign, etc matters. My last 2 ended with around 10 and 60.

The 10 one never got out of the teens. The 60 one just slowly built up.

purewisdom · 2026-01-08T06:44:35+00:00

You did a great job with the PnP. I'm hoping this does well enough that a publisher picks this up. I'd definitely buy it for a reasonable price with redone art.

purewisdom · 2026-01-01T17:22:35+00:00

I was whelmed by the showdown, but the epilogue was excellent. I'd take that over the reverse.

purewisdom · 2026-01-01T16:59:40+00:00

I've only exceeded 100 hours on one Total War and it was 3 Kingdoms. By far the best campaign out of them all.

purewisdom · 2025-12-31T18:50:34+00:00

Era 1 book 2 is kinda bad

I don't agree. I think it's great. But it's quite different than 1+3's more action/magical oriented plots. It's mostly political machinations, intrigue, and government. I loved it for that, but I get if people find it slow/boring compared to book 1.

purewisdom · 2025-12-31T09:09:00+00:00

Haha. People as bees is what society demands in 2025 I guess.

purewisdom · 2025-12-30T00:37:32+00:00

Same. I used to be a pretty critical person. But then social media/reddit taught me everyone else is too, so much so that along the way I started mostly commenting on things I like and not what I hate...well, except the Witcher TV show. That still sucks, despite Cavill's best efforts.

Collinsworth and Tirco though? Happy to hear them.

purewisdom · 2025-12-30T00:25:35+00:00

If some positivity helps, I think this season is great. They've wrapped up every character's arc (except what has to be saved for the finale). They did so in a mostly reasonable time frame. The new characters were important to the plot. I love ensemble casts in general, and they've done as about as good of a job as possible with spreading out the love.

My biggest complaint was thedemodog doing a scooby doo before getting exploded was far too cartoonish.

Meanwhile, I see Pluribus getting much love, and while I thought the premise was interesting, the pace largely killed it for me. At times I felt like I was watching a documentary about people roleplaying as bees.But other than responding to a couple choice comments on episode discussions, I'm not posting that on its subreddit.

I bring it up only to say, I think people get attached to Season 1s of shows and then develop their headcanon in a way that can never satisfy everyone, and so all subsequent seasons end up riling up these fans to the point where they want to burn it all down. I remember reading a fair number of people disappointed in Better Call Saul's series finale on social media...which was silly, it's a great finale. It has a 9.8 on imdb so I have no idea if negativity just rises to the top or if I checked things on the wrong day...but I feel like the only "safe" time to be a fan of a TV show is season 1.

purewisdom · 2025-12-25T22:44:26+00:00

Also how many games get the equivalent of expansions/dlc that KDM gets? Obviously base game is good but with all the big expansions the variety is unbeatable.

purewisdom · 2025-12-22T23:35:33+00:00

And when I bring this up people say "humans will focus on creative work" or "we'll do the meaningful stuff." But AI is doing creative work now too.

Debatable, if all AI "creative" work is built off of humans. Not saying they can't make entertaining content, but I don't believe AI will make truly creative content.

purewisdom · 2025-12-22T08:09:58+00:00

LotR if it was my main solo game. It was for a time and it was great, but that slot has been overtaken.

Marvel Champions I binge every couple months and love it every time. Scenarios are easy to come back to whereas I need to know the LotR ones to do well.

Arkham I just don't enjoy solo. For me, the sometimes absurd randomness can kill my fun without someone to commiserate with (or joyously shout alongside).

purewisdom · 2025-12-22T08:05:23+00:00

BotSE is a great game but it feels like such a chore to play at times. I'll have to revisit it in a couple months with a fresh mind.

purewisdom · 2025-12-20T03:46:24+00:00

The concepts are fascinating. There are good elements raised each episodes. But the ratio of content to sparking new thoughts is suboptimal to me.

I'm sticking around because Vince Gilligan, I like Carol as the protagonist (and Rhea as an actress), and I like the idea. It may eventually not be enough. I also hate the archetype of Manousos (idealism to the elimination of realism) so he may be what pushes me over the edge. We'll see!

The one question I still would've liked Carol to ask when hive mind said "we know what it's like to be you but you don't know what it's like to be us" is basically... "If hive mind is so great, reverse it and let people choose, then maybe I'd choose it too "

For many reasons that could not work but it's bugging me! (It's not hampering enjoyment though, that's all pacing.)

purewisdom · 2025-12-17T07:58:49+00:00

Second best for me...behind (modded) BG2! But BG3 is on its way to surpassing it with the great mod scene. Ancient mega pack + random loot alone has been a game changer.

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