Mistborn Deckbuilding Game ►►► SOOOO much better than Magic the Gathering, but...

Summary

In this video, the reviewer discusses *Mistborn: The Deck Building Game*, designed by John DeClair, based on the popular *Mistborn* book series. The game is a competitive, dueling wizard-style deck builder with a co-op mode. While the reviewer praises the deck-building mechanics and strategic depth, they note that the co-op mode feels less compelling compared to the competitive gameplay. The main issue cited is the often-forgotten personal power meter, which disrupts the flow of the game. Despite this, the reviewer finds the game enjoyable and highly recommends it for competitive play.

Takeaways

• 😀 The game discussed is *Mistborn: The Deck Building Game*, designed by John Declaire, which is based on a popular fantasy book series.
• 😀 The game features a competitive deck-building mechanic similar to *Dominion* and *Star Realms*, but with its own unique twist based on the *Mistborn* universe.
• 😀 The game offers both competitive and cooperative modes, but the reviewer prefers the competitive aspect, believing it to be the game's primary strength.
• 😀 The cooperative mode involves facing an automated player who sends minions to challenge the group, requiring 70 points of combined damage to defeat the villain.
• 😀 Despite the cooperative mode being enjoyable, the reviewer suggests that it doesn't offer the same engaging experience as playing against human opponents.
• 😀 The game's mechanics revolve around players building a deck of cards, using metals (copper, zinc, etc.) as a resource to play abilities or summon allies.
• 😀 A major challenge in the game is managing limited metal resources, which can be used to power abilities or discard to play additional cards.
• 😀 Deck-building is a critical element of the game, and successful strategies often involve focusing on particular combos of metals to optimize card plays.
• 😀 The game's design allows for a more dynamic deck-building experience compared to other games like *Star Realms*, requiring more effort to make effective combos.
• 😀 One key flaw mentioned is the difficulty of remembering to advance the personal power meter at the start of each turn, leading to frustration and disrupting the flow of the game.
• 😀 Despite minor frustrations, the reviewer believes that *Mistborn: The Deck Building Game* offers a vastly superior system to *Magic: The Gathering* and ranks it highly as a competitive deck-building game.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the Mistborn deck-building game discussed in the transcript?

The Mistborn deck-building game is primarily a competitive dueling game where players use a deck of cards to deal damage to other players. The game is set in the Mistborn universe, where characters use metal-based powers to perform magical abilities and summon allies.

How does the cooperative mode of Mistborn differ from its competitive mode?

In the cooperative mode, players work together to defeat an automated villain, using their cards to deal damage to minions and the big bad guy. The goal is to deal 70 combined points of damage, unlike the competitive mode where the goal is to deal 30 points of damage to a single opponent to win.

What mechanic is central to the Mistborn game’s gameplay?

The central mechanic of the game is deck-building, where players use metal-based cards to perform actions like dealing damage, summoning allies, and gaining money to purchase more cards. The game involves managing the metals to power cards and build effective combos.

Why does the reviewer feel the cooperative mode of Mistborn is not as compelling as the competitive mode?

The reviewer feels the cooperative mode lacks the depth and excitement of the competitive mode, as the villain in the cooperative version is simple and not as engaging as a human opponent. The competitive mode offers more strategic decision-making and excitement, which the reviewer prefers.

What issue did the reviewer highlight regarding the game's power meter mechanic?

The reviewer finds it frustrating to remember to move the power meter cube at the start of each turn. They feel this mechanic is easy to forget and disrupts the flow of the game, which could have been avoided by moving the cube at the end of the turn instead.

How does the game incorporate the Mistborn universe’s metal-based magic system?

In the Mistborn deck-building game, players use metals like copper, zinc, tin, and steel to power their cards and perform magical actions. These metals are ingested by characters in the Mistborn universe to absorb energy for spells, and in the game, players manage these metals to fuel their abilities.

How does the deck-building mechanic in Mistborn compare to games like Dominion and Star Realms?

Like Dominion and Star Realms, Mistborn is a deck-building game where players buy new cards to add to their decks. However, Mistborn is more complex in terms of managing the metal-based resources and creating combos between specific types of cards. Unlike Star Realms, Mistborn doesn't rely as much on colors for combos, offering a more strategic experience.

What are the two main types of cards in the Mistborn game?

The two main types of cards in the Mistborn game are Powers (which offer one-time effects) and Allies (which remain in play until damaged and later return to the deck). These cards help players build their deck and perform actions in the game.

What is the reviewer's opinion on the overall design of Mistborn?

The reviewer praises the design of Mistborn, particularly the deck-building mechanics and the strategic depth it offers. However, they suggest that the cooperative mode is not as strong as the competitive mode, and a small tweak to the power meter mechanic would improve the game significantly.

Would the reviewer recommend Mistborn for players who prefer cooperative games?

While the reviewer acknowledges that the cooperative mode works, they suggest that Mistborn is better suited for players who enjoy competitive gameplay. The cooperative mode lacks the excitement and depth found in the competitive version, making it a secondary choice for those who prefer playing together.