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Hi everyone,

So I recently wrote an article for my site discussing what I think are the 5 best modern strategy games.

I'd love to hear what you think - did I miss any that you think should be added?

Here's the article: http://therollingdice.com/best-strategy-board-games/

Thanks!

Sorry, it looks very boilerplate as a list (including even referencing that they're usually tops of lists), they're very short "reviews" and so generally positive that it felt mostly like a promotion.

Tbh I wasn't too fond of Dominion out of the box. After playing it a few times it really needs the expansions to fill it out- just the core gets very predictable.

 Sinful Hero wrote:
Tbh I wasn't too fond of Dominion out of the box. After playing it a few times it really needs the expansions to fill it out- just the core gets very predictable.

Agreed; the only place I've played the core is on the official online site and it's quite a difference from having played IRL using other expansions.

When my local family-based group started playing we had the base cards (VPs, Monies, & Curses) plus Hinterlands and it was definitely a rocky start, so the reviews pointing new folks towards Prosperity and then maybe Seaside or Intrigue are spot on.



That all being said, I'm not sure I would place/rank Dominion into this type of list as linked to by the OP; it can have strategy and best plays depending on the kingdom cards, but it's not really the same kind of game at all.

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No Settlers of Catan?

I personally can't stand Agricola, but I think it's the setting more than the game mechanics.

I agree with the comments about Dominion, I found it got stale really quick.

 Smilodon_UP wrote:
That all being said, I'm not sure I would place/rank Dominion into this type of list as linked to by the OP; it can have strategy and best plays depending on the kingdom cards, but it's not really the same kind of game at all.

I agree, Dominion is more of a card game, and it doesn't have anywhere near the depth or nuanced strategy of games like MTG or Netrunner.

For example, you can't usually plan turns ahead much in Dominion, as you are usually forced to discard your hand after each turn, and what you draw next is often down to luck. Luck can certainly be a big factor. While it irks me to hear people complain about how they "never drew an action card with their Throne Room" (which is annoying but predictable), there is no doubt that drawing something like a turn three chapel with all three of your Estates is a huge advantage. As would be managing to buy a turn-three gold, while your opponent keeps pulling hands with just four coins. I like Dominion, it's a good game, it's even a game I would recommend, but "Top 5 strategy boardgames", I don't think it belongs.

Game of Thrones, I've played quite a bit, and I've played it on Thronemasters against people who are good at it. Personally, I don't enjoy it as much as other games. Even if you play it well, you have very little control over what is going on elsewhere, you are always at the mercy of what the other players do. So another player being bad at the game is usually more critical than you being good.

Dominion has some incredible deck cycling potential (drawing your whole deck, chewing through trash, etc), but absent of the right combos (and being able to see them), there's often fairly basic strategy. And yeah, it's not a board game and not the most strategic.

 spiralingcadaver wrote:
Dominion has some incredible deck cycling potential (drawing your whole deck, chewing through trash, etc), but absent of the right combos (and being able to see them), there's often fairly basic strategy. And yeah, it's not a board game and not the most strategic.

There is certainly room for creativity at the start when you might be able to spot a decent combo, or strategy. Cards like the Counting House can be very powerful, or Tunnels in combination with a card that discards a lot, or buying up lots of cards that work together like Fool's Gold or Treasure Maps. Occasionally you might spot an alternative way to win with something like Gardens, or Feodums. I remember a random game, where I was able to buy nearly all the silver using the masterpiece, and it made my Feodums unbeatable. Usually though, I just look for cards that trash, or things that will draw faster, like villages and smithys. And obviously, if there is something you can use to flood your opponent with curses or ruins, then those are usually worth having.

Once I decide on a strategy, however, I think I play most of my turns on auto pilot, because there aren't many decisions to be made (even cycling through villages and smithys). The only time I might stop to think is if I need to calculate money, or if my opponent does something weird (like buying Gardens). The rest of the game is kind of just following through with the plan as efficiently as possible.

I don't think it compares to situations I've had in MTG, where you really have to think about how to play your hand, and what your opponent can counter. You get a much deeper sense of battling against them, rather than just racing to buy the most provinces.

 spiralingcadaver wrote:
Dominion has some incredible deck cycling potential (drawing your whole deck, chewing through trash, etc), but absent of the right combos (and being able to see them), there's often fairly basic strategy. And yeah, it's not a board game and not the most strategic.

That's true of most deck building games though- some actually encourage thinning your deck to an exact combination to win such as Resident Evil.