Horizon Zero Daybreak Expansions assessment

Final week we shared our assessment of the bottom recreation of Horizon Zero Daybreak: The Board Sport from Steamforged Video games.

For the reason that online game is such an enormous, open-world expertise, it was clear to see from the outset that there would must be recreation expansions to create extra looking encounters for gamers to go up towards much more menacing machines.

That why this week we’re sharing our ideas on 3 of the sport expansions.

The primary time I got here throughout a Stormbird within the online game, I didn’t final lengthy. It swooped down, attacking from above, then flew away once more and I had bother looking for it within the sky. Earlier than I knew it, it had landed on me once more after which attacked from the bottom. I didn’t stand an opportunity.

The addition of the Stormbird to the HZD board recreation is so welcome – and so menacing.

Simply check out how massively it towers over the hunters on the board. It’s a terrifying problem to tackle except you’ve leveled up properly. Which is why it’s a great factor that you just don’t take it on till the ultimate encounter.

That ultimate encounter will be executed utilizing the newly included monitoring playing cards from the growth, or you’ll be able to add the Stormbird Hunter’s Name card to the top of the monitoring playing cards used from different HZD video games. If including within the Stormbird this fashion, it’s really useful to play by the usual Hunter’s Name first, then doing a Campfire section and leveling up some extra earlier than going through the Stormbird within the ultimate encounter.

Earlier than going into extra, right here’s what you get within the growth:

• Huge Stormboard miniature (although it’s arduous to name it a miniature when it’s that massive)
• 2 Stormbird information playing cards – with all of the machine’s stats
• 1 Stormbird reference card – displaying whether or not it’s airborne or landed
• 9 Stormbird conduct playing cards – with the way it will assault when airborne or landed
• 13 Monitoring deck playing cards – for a brand new set of encounters
• Sport board – for the ultimate encounter vs. the Stormbird

The massive twist with this growth and enemy is what I discussed on the outset – that the Stormbird has totally different assaults from the air and when on land. As such, the conduct playing cards are separated into 2 decks as labeled both Airborne or Landed.

So when the Stormbird prompts throughout the enemy step, gamers draw a conduct card from the deck that matches its present mode (proven on the reference card). When an motion exhibits a mode image, gamers flip the reference card over to the opposite facet earlier than persevering with to resolve any remaining actions.

One other newly added ingredient within the recreation is Construction Threshold. As a result of the machine is so giant, as gamers whittle it down, they achieve glory factors. If a participant offers harm that takes the Stormbird over the following threshold (listed on the cardboard), they instantly achieve a glory level.

General, we just like the problem of taking up the Stormbird. With the towering determine shifting across the board, we really feel underneath stress each time. And with such excessive hit level worth with a view to take it out, we like that there’s rewards for damaging it previous thresholds. Like we talked about in our authentic assessment although, it’s no enjoyable to have your hunter faint since you lose the glory factors you’ve gained. And when it takes some time to take down the Stormbird, the possibilities of fainting are excessive.

So mix your forces and attempt to coordinate your assaults as greatest you’ll be able to along with your fellow hunters.

The Thunderjaw is one other large machine within the online game that takes some observe to take out. Likewise, getting aware of the way it assaults within the board recreation is helpful in preventing again properly sufficient to take it down.

And like with the Stormbird, going through down this foe when our personal hunter miniatures are dwarfed by it’s a daunting activity.

Right here’s what you get within the Thunderjaw growth:

• Huge Thunderjaw miniature (identical remark in regards to the Stormbird)
• 2 Thunderjaw information playing cards – with all of the machine’s stats
• 8 Thunderjaw conduct playing cards – with the way it assaults the hunters
• 2 Disc Launcher playing cards – knock these off and use them towards it
• 13 Monitoring deck playing cards – for a brand new set of encounters
• Sport board – for the ultimate encounter vs. the Thunderjaw

Just like the Stormbird, the Thunderjaw has a Construction Threshold that grants gamers glory factors as they harm the beast previous sure level values.

Whereas the Thunderjaw doesn’t fly – and thus doesn’t have airborne and landed conduct playing cards – it does have parts that the gamers will have the ability to use!

The Thunderjaw has a number of parts that gamers can knock out. And one such part is the disc launcher. Really it has 2 disc launchers on its again and gamers can knock off each of them. The cool factor is that when a participant knocks out one of many disc launchers, they take the disc launcher card and equip it!

Utilizing the disc launcher takes 2 participant actions, however it additionally lets the participant roll 4 assault cube and may do 3 harm on a crucial hit image.

One other ingredient added on this growth is the Water terrain kind. As you’ll be able to see on the Thunderjaw recreation board (used for the ultimate encounter towards this beast), there may be loads of areas with water. Whereas water doesn’t have an effect on enemies, hunters might solely make sneak actions whereas on areas containing water. They’ll transfer into such areas as a part of a melee assault, however it their motion will then cease.

Each the Stormbird and Thunderjaw even have a Barrage assault image that targets the hunter that has been attacked the least variety of instances throughout its present activation. You realize, they’re equal-opportunity attackers.

Amongst these 3 expansions, The Sacred Lands growth is essentially the most sturdy.

Whereas the earlier two are targeted on one main machine enemy, The Sacred Lands brings in much more goodies:

• 2 new characters: Nora Trapper & Nora Scavenger – every with their very own miniature, profile card, talent tree, 3 beginning gear playing cards, 16 motion deck playing cards, and 12 improve playing cards
• Further Service provider playing cards – 5 degree 1, 4 degree 2, and three degree 3
• 4 Redeye Watcher miniatures – with accompanying information card and machine conduct card
• 2 Longleg miniatures – with accompanying information card and three machine conduct playing cards
• 2 Stalker miniatures – with accompanying information card and 4 machine conduct playing cards
• 2 Snapmaw miniatures – with accompanying information card and 5 machine conduct playing cards
• 2 Bellowback miniatures – with accompanying 2 information playing cards and eight machine conduct playing cards
• 13 Monitoring deck playing cards
• 6 Sport boards for a number of encounter setups

Along with all this, the growth introduces a brand new kind of lure card that can be utilized with out utilizing a Tripcaster weapon. As an alternative of setting the traps by performing an assault motion with a Tripcaster, hunters now have a Set Lure motion they’ll carry out. If they’ve a lure card of their hand, they’ll merely use it for his or her motion. A Lure token is positioned on both the identical or adjoining area to the starvation.

We additionally like the brand new Nora characters to select from. They’re a welcome addition to the sport to assist combine issues up in how we are able to work collectively to defeat enemy machines.

One other addition we like are the terrain areas on the brand new recreation boards that embody Zipwires. Within the online game, they helpful ziplines are an effective way to maneuver over an space shortly, excessive above the heads of enemies. Within the board recreation, hunters can go from one area with a zipwire to the opposite area with a zipwire as an motion – likewise getting across the board shortly.

The brand new machines on this growth additionally introduce some new assault traits. Some enemies can now Stun the hunters which makes the hunters discard playing cards earlier than doing their evade rolls. The Bludgeon assault trait forces gamers to discard playing cards from their hand based mostly on the harm. And the Drag trait pulls hunters into the areas with the enemies dragging them. And if that enemy strikes, the hunter will get pulled to the brand new area as properly.

General, we actually like the variability introduced into the sport by The Sacred Lands growth. And though the large Stormbird and Thunderjaw are cool to go up towards, The Sacred Lands growth feels just like the extra meaty addition to the sport expertise.

As we talked about in our assessment of the bottom recreation, the audience for Horizon Zero Daybreak: The Board Sport is followers of the online game. And when you’re a fan of the online game, chances are high excessive that you just’re going to need extra enemies to battle than simply these included within the base recreation. That’s why these three recreation expansions are tempting. Should you’re attempting to decide on, we’d suggest you begin with The Sacred Lands growth first.

Pleased looking!

We’d wish to thank Steamforged Video games for assessment copies of Horizon Zero Daybreak: The Board Sport and expansions.