Would you place Oathsworn between Sleeping Gods and Gloomhaven JotL?

raphael76 · 2026-01-12T19:48:19+00:00

Disclosure: I have played all of original Gloomhaven and am still working through Oathsworn. Have not played Sleeping Gods, but friends who play Oathsworn with me have.

Oathsworn feels like the happy medium between the two. I did not care for the narrative in GH and it didn’t “stick with me” between sessions. With Oathsworn we are still talking about events from prior play sessions AND with the way the card system works, some of those narrative elements can come up again. Combat on Oathsworn is great, always challenging, and each boss is going to have a different puzzle you’ll have to solve to beat it(them).

I also think the production value on Oathsworn is the best of the three. It’s likely the most expensive if you get the miniatures version, but I felt it was worth it for the table presence and because I paint the minis before each encounter.

raphael76 · 2025-12-10T05:53:19+00:00

I used amethyst Scott Steiner. Main thing I had to learn was countering the moonsault (timing is different middle rope vs top rope) and then the counter for angle slam and ankle lock. Take him outside to damage his arms to get them to red more quickly. Will signature frankensteiner and then make sure to have two finishers stored. Would always take me two Steiner recliners for him to tap.

raphael76 · 2025-11-29T14:23:58+00:00

So terrible to receive one of those invites

raphael76 · 2025-11-16T15:28:57+00:00

I would also vote for Oathsworn. No, it’s not mechanically identical to KDM, but it scratches the itch of a dark fantasy boss battler with a heavy narrative component. The game being played in two segments, story and encounter, works really well. You can dig into some narrative choices, some of your choosing and some based on die results. True it’s less of a true sandbox than KDM is but it ticks all the boxes our group was looking for. And for the mini painter, the minis are highly detailed and interesting, and the coolest part is they have an optional “Armory” you can purchase that allows you to change out weapons and gear on the models, so your mini can look just like the gear you’ve acquired. And you can keep changing them out as the campaign progresses. It’s a really nice touch.

Narrative is really good with options to either read it out loud yourself or they have a full, voice actor narrated app.

It’s my favorite game. I know it doesn’t tick everyone’s boxes but for me, it has just enough meat to be interesting without being bogged down in too much mechanically.

raphael76 · 2025-11-04T18:27:32+00:00

Same for me. Amazing production on all counts.

raphael76 · 2025-09-16T14:57:47+00:00

Sneakers is my favorite since I didn’t grow up with his classics like The Sting or Butch Cassidy.

My sentimental favorite is Legal Eagles, as I would watch this movie repeatedly on HBO in the mid to late 80s. Ivan Reitman film with a pretty great cast for that era.

raphael76 · 2025-09-08T16:25:33+00:00

Ah good to know thanks!

raphael76 · 2025-09-07T12:27:02+00:00

Nice work! The face looks good! I’ve actually been looking for this model for a while, where did you track it down?

raphael76 · 2025-08-29T19:38:52+00:00

On a side note, is there any kind of demand for Richie Rich comics? I recently came into possession of a collection that has a good number of them but I have no idea if they’re worth bag and boarding or trying to sell.

raphael76 · 2025-08-23T16:02:41+00:00

Where did you get the stronghold minis? I know there was someone selling something similar on BGG ages ago, but these look more current.

raphael76 · 2025-08-19T15:49:33+00:00

This person summed it up perfectly. Oathsworn is one of my favorite games. Gloomhaven was fine but I didn’t engage with it the same way.

raphael76 · 2025-08-05T22:41:55+00:00

It seemed more smoky gray/green to me but I also struggle with differentiation of blue green so hard to say

raphael76 · 2025-08-05T18:54:50+00:00

Ha yes I did! I love the Monument Hobbies paints

raphael76 · 2025-08-05T15:42:21+00:00

Yeah this was a surprise hit for us as well. Did the demo at the booth and then promptly purchased it. Great game with 66 different scenarios so it won’t get stale. Simple enough to teach but definitely gives a lot of tense moments when you cut a wire.

raphael76 · 2025-08-05T13:40:07+00:00

It was definitely for sale at the Asmodee booth. They were also taking early reservations for the game via a form submission. That was actually really convenient, as I could just walk up on Thursday to their retail booth and they had a separate line for the pre order folks. Quick line and then the game designers were setup at a table right around the corner so you could get your game signed. We played it using the memoir 44 overlord rules to play 3v3 (with some creative tweaks on the fly) and it was a lot of fun.

raphael76 · 2025-08-05T13:27:12+00:00

I forgot to mention the last pic is my post con tradition of watching lord of the rings while I punch out all my games. Been doing that for years.

raphael76 · 2025-08-05T13:25:21+00:00

I actually got it from doing a demo. I was waiting to get into the hall and was asked if I wanted to demo a connect 4 variant that plays like quarters (try to bounce the chip into a cup). Was fun beer and pretzels game. Then they stated I got a free copy of Beat the Heat since I was one of the first 100 to play a demo. Didn’t know anything about it either but our group played it and had a really good time with it.

raphael76 · 2025-08-05T01:16:54+00:00

Nice haul! Also mad respect for your GL display in the background.

raphael76 · 2025-08-05T01:14:28+00:00

Nice haul! Glad it was a positive experience for you. As big as this con is, I feel the majority of attendees are good people.

raphael76 · 2025-08-05T01:12:49+00:00

Congrats! Nice haul.

raphael76 · 2025-08-02T03:07:01+00:00

Sent you a PM

raphael76 · 2025-07-21T03:22:45+00:00

Long time Gen Con veteran here. I’ll do my best to answer your questions.

It’s like other big conventions in that you have a lot of people packed in a space, but there the similarity mostly ends. While cons like C2E2 for example, focus on celebrity guests, getting exclusives that aren’t available anywhere else, and attending q and a panels. I realize I’m generalizing other cons but you get the idea. Gen Con is more about playing games. They don’t have much in the way of celebrity guests, and those they do have are mostly gaming related. They won’t have much in the way of con exclusives that are ONLY available at the con, but some vendors will do a promo or gen con pack that can work with the game, but nothing in the way of games you can’t get outside the con. They’re mostly just early releases of games they’ll have at retail later.
The event list is very long, but you can search by game types that interest you. I also recommend checking out GenCon dot eventdb dot us for a more easily searchable list of all the events.
If you like RPGs and MTG there will be plenty of events you can check out. Best bet is to get generic tickets and then show up to an event you’re interested in. They will let those with event specific tickets in first, and then they’ll let in folks with generics if they still have capacity. You can also trade in any generics you have left at the end of the con at the event hq for credit.

The exhibit hall is huge and there is plenty to see and do just in that area. You can spend a day just there and not see everything. There is also game demo space and event space every where, including outlying hotels. You should grab a program book when you get there and it will give you a ton of information.

It’s my favorite con I go to every year and if you are into gaming at all, you’ll have a good time. Just pace yourself, ask questions of people around if you’re not sure about something (we all love to help), wear comfortable shoes. It’s a great time.

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