The Games You Want to Play – Part XXI…

Lords of Waterdeep

I imagine many of you are familiar with this game set in the Dungeons and Dragons universe. This game for 2-5 players was designed by Peter Lee and Rodney Thompson and released by Wizards of The Coast in 2012. It even has a few expansions available.

We had intended to finish our game of Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea, but for a variety of reasons that group of players was not able to return (hence our need for the cruise’s uninterrupted gaming!) So, instead, we did a training scenario from Blue Water Navy – I promise, once we start the campaign, I will update you – and then finished the night with Lords of Waterdeep. We had 4 players (two who had never played) and not a lot of time, so this brief and easy to learn game (while still challenging) was an easy choice.

You are one of the Lords of Waterdeep, scheming for more power and dispatching adventurers on quests to earn yourself victory points. Your agents (represented by meeples – 2 to start) scour the city in search of these adventurers and other valuables. By placing agents in different locations around the board, you recruit adventurers, earn gold, build buildings, collect Quest or Intrigue Cards, and change the turn order. Many locations only allow a single agent each turn. Once built, buildings provide additional locations to find many of the above for every player, but when used the builder receives something, also.

Victory points are primarily earned by playing Quest cards, though there are other ways (primarily small change, though the special victory points for your Lord’s secret goal – shown on a card you keep hidden – can add up quickly).

Each Quest card indicates how many of which type of adventurer (represented by wooden cubes of four different colors – white, black, purple, and orange) you need, whether any gold is required, what type of quest it is, and your reward – usually victory points, but often more. Once you have collected enough of the required adventurers and gold, you launch the quest. Also, some Quest cards are “Plot” cards that give you permanent bonuses.

Intrigue cards give you a number of special activities, some of which can be used on your opponents, including allowing you to play an Agent on an already occupied space, earn an extra Agent, or require your opponents to give you adventurers.

On turn 5, you earn an additional Agent to further your agenda. Also, each turn, a victory point is place on each building not selected. This can get to be a good amount of cash.

You play until Turn 8, when you add your Lord’s bonus points and any special victory points (i.e. earned from buildings) to the points on your track (which have been earned through your successful quests).

Be sure to vote for this fun and quick, but challenging, game for the cruise when your register! By the way, it comes standard with one of the best trays out there to hold all of your pieces.

See you onboard,

Gaming By Sea
www.gamingbysea.com

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