BattleLore

BattleLore is a big box, fantasy miniature game for two players, originally published by Days of Wonder and now by Fantasy Flight Games. The pieces are well produced, the artwork is fantastic. I planned to introduce it to our gaming club at school with my year 11 students and to play the occasional game with my wife.

The first run with my wife was a bit daunting. There were hundreds of plastic miniatures, two manuals and multiple decks of cards. She looked at me as if I was crazy. I had intended this as a bit of a gateway game for her and was wondering if I had made the right choice.

I needn't have been concerned. Although I would strongly suggest that one player reads the rules thoroughly, they are well summarised on cards given to each player. We started with the first mission, with a cut down version of the rules and basically completed the missions until all the rules were introduced. More missions can be downloaded from Fantasy Flight Games as well as from fan sites. It plays a bit chess-like but is great fun.

The boys at school quickly became hooked and are still playing during lunch times. Turns move quickly once players learn the rules and a game typically takes 45 mins to an hr, easily completed each day.

If you would like an easy to learn, "all-in-one" miniature based game, this has to be one to consider. We've had some of the published expansions since the beginning, but haven't opened them as the basic game has kept us playing. It is currently my favourite game.

I was irked to pay $160 at Gamesworld in Perth for the same product and thought I would give BestGames a go (the discount and shipping was also a factor). The service was fantastic, the purchasing process smooth, the game arrived quickly in one piece and was well packaged. Based on this experience I would definitely recommend them again.

Russell Miln (Happy Customer)