cthulhuccg (original) (raw)

Cthulhu	[Dec. 26th, 2008\|10:10 pm]Call of Cthulhu CGG
[Current Location \|At home.] [mood	good] [music	None.]Just afore Christmas I treated myself to the new CoC starter box. Inside you get 3 decks of cards (including ten new stories), some wound and success tokens, 6 Cthulhu markers for used domains, and a board for placing the story cards. The new white borders on the cards don't look as bad as everyone seemed to fear, and to cover the new backs just use deck sleeves. The only downside is that some of the cards have not been reprinted with errata. As a little bonus, heres a picture of the domain markers.
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New cards in the upcoming Asylum packs	[Aug. 5th, 2008\|01:58 am]Call of Cthulhu CGG
In the new article Polar Opposites some cards from the new Asylum Packs Mountains of Madness and Ancient Horrors are shown.( Spoilers...Collapse )
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Three for Three	[Aug. 1st, 2008\|11:10 pm]Call of Cthulhu CGG
A new article is up by designer Nate French, explaining an upcoming rule change that will come into effect when the Core Set is released. The card limit is lowered from 4 to 3, to accommodate new players, and make the game easier to collect, in the spirit of the new LCG format. At the minor cost of some deck consistancy, the game will be even cheaper to collect, while deckbuilders are forced to look to make a little more varied decks.Three for Threeby Nate FrenchThe release of the Call of Cthulhu LCG Core Set this fall will come with a simple rules change that has far reaching consequences in the realm of deck-building, game play, and the economics of buying in to and keeping up with the game. The new rule is that no more than three copies of any card, by title, will be allowed in a tournament legal Call of Cthulhu LCG deck. For those who are new to the CoC LCG, this is a reduction from the old maximum of four copies of a card, per deck.I'm going to look at this change through the lens of our vision for the LCG format, which is to take the "fun" of the CCG, eliminate a number of the perceptions that work against such games in the eyes of most gamers, and bring these games to a wider audience. A big part of carrying out this plan involves finding ways to get the LCG to appeal to a more casual type of gamer. And that's essentially where the motivation for this rules change originated.First, to clear up a misconception: a "casual" gamer does not in any way, shape, or form imply a gamer who is weaker at the game, or less intelligent than a "competitive" gamer. It simply implies that having fun with the game is more important to the player than winning, and that his investments in time and money might be more casual as well. Looking through the eyes of such a player, the rule change makes sense when we look at the decision as it affects economics, deck-building, and game-play. And while the change may seem shocking to the more competitive players at first, I'm thinking they may also find something to love under the new rule.From an economic standpoint, everyone's a winner. The move simply drops the buy-in and upkeep cost of the game, from 40/monthto40/month to 40/monthto30/month for a complete playset. Or, if you only want to spend $10 a month and buy a single copy of each Asylum Pack, you will have a complete playset of half the cards in the entire cardpool, as 10 of the 20 new cards in each pack appear 3 times. Finally, for a new player who is looking for older cards, the acquisition of a playset of any older card just became that much easier.From a deck-building standpoint, the biggest effect we're going to see is more variety in card choice. Those power cards that dominate the game aren't going to do so quite as often. Players will be forced to play with cards that, under the "4 per card" rule, would not have made the cut for their decks. In short, players will get to use more of their cards more often, and this is an appealing situation for the casual player who is not out to find the 13 cards that can win the game with the most consistency. Granted, the competitive player will, at least at first, feel that his ability to build a consistent deck has been thwarted, but keep in mind that consistency is a relative thing, and all the other competitive players will be facing the same obstacles you are. And keep in mind that we didn't strip all strategic consistency decisions out of the game, as we could have done if we wanted to go down to a "highlander" format.More variety at the deck-building level will also lead to more unpredictable game-play. With more different cards in his deck, and more cards in yours, the tactical situations that arise over the table will be more difficult to anticipate, and players will be faced with a wider range of over-the-table decisions to make. So even if the casual player loses 5 games in a row to a more competitive deck, he'll have more "fun" in the process as he'll be faced with a wider range of tactical decisions in each loss. Again, we could have maximized this aspect of the game by going all the way down to a high-lander (1 copy of a card per deck) format, which is a lot of fun from time to time, but we felt that 3 copies of any card was the right mix of strategy and tactics for this game. And again, strong deck-builders may feel that their efforts are being thwarted with a nod to the more tactical player, but the game's strongest players will inevitably see the new rule as a new challenge, and figure out what it takes to dominate the new tourney scene. I'm looking forward to seeing who rises up to meet that challenge.
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Three for Three

[Aug. 1st, 2008|11:10 pm]Call of Cthulhu CGG

A new article is up by designer Nate French, explaining an upcoming rule change that will come into effect when the Core Set is released. The card limit is lowered from 4 to 3, to accommodate new players, and make the game easier to collect, in the spirit of the new LCG format. At the minor cost of some deck consistancy, the game will be even cheaper to collect, while deckbuilders are forced to look to make a little more varied decks.Three for Threeby Nate FrenchThe release of the Call of Cthulhu LCG Core Set this fall will come with a simple rules change that has far reaching consequences in the realm of deck-building, game play, and the economics of buying in to and keeping up with the game. The new rule is that no more than three copies of any card, by title, will be allowed in a tournament legal Call of Cthulhu LCG deck. For those who are new to the CoC LCG, this is a reduction from the old maximum of four copies of a card, per deck.I'm going to look at this change through the lens of our vision for the LCG format, which is to take the "fun" of the CCG, eliminate a number of the perceptions that work against such games in the eyes of most gamers, and bring these games to a wider audience. A big part of carrying out this plan involves finding ways to get the LCG to appeal to a more casual type of gamer. And that's essentially where the motivation for this rules change originated.First, to clear up a misconception: a "casual" gamer does not in any way, shape, or form imply a gamer who is weaker at the game, or less intelligent than a "competitive" gamer. It simply implies that having fun with the game is more important to the player than winning, and that his investments in time and money might be more casual as well. Looking through the eyes of such a player, the rule change makes sense when we look at the decision as it affects economics, deck-building, and game-play. And while the change may seem shocking to the more competitive players at first, I'm thinking they may also find something to love under the new rule.From an economic standpoint, everyone's a winner. The move simply drops the buy-in and upkeep cost of the game, from 40/monthto40/month to 40/monthto30/month for a complete playset. Or, if you only want to spend $10 a month and buy a single copy of each Asylum Pack, you will have a complete playset of half the cards in the entire cardpool, as 10 of the 20 new cards in each pack appear 3 times. Finally, for a new player who is looking for older cards, the acquisition of a playset of any older card just became that much easier.From a deck-building standpoint, the biggest effect we're going to see is more variety in card choice. Those power cards that dominate the game aren't going to do so quite as often. Players will be forced to play with cards that, under the "4 per card" rule, would not have made the cut for their decks. In short, players will get to use more of their cards more often, and this is an appealing situation for the casual player who is not out to find the 13 cards that can win the game with the most consistency. Granted, the competitive player will, at least at first, feel that his ability to build a consistent deck has been thwarted, but keep in mind that consistency is a relative thing, and all the other competitive players will be facing the same obstacles you are. And keep in mind that we didn't strip all strategic consistency decisions out of the game, as we could have done if we wanted to go down to a "highlander" format.More variety at the deck-building level will also lead to more unpredictable game-play. With more different cards in his deck, and more cards in yours, the tactical situations that arise over the table will be more difficult to anticipate, and players will be faced with a wider range of over-the-table decisions to make. So even if the casual player loses 5 games in a row to a more competitive deck, he'll have more "fun" in the process as he'll be faced with a wider range of tactical decisions in each loss. Again, we could have maximized this aspect of the game by going all the way down to a high-lander (1 copy of a card per deck) format, which is a lot of fun from time to time, but we felt that 3 copies of any card was the right mix of strategy and tactics for this game. And again, strong deck-builders may feel that their efforts are being thwarted with a nod to the more tactical player, but the game's strongest players will inevitably see the new rule as a new challenge, and figure out what it takes to dominate the new tourney scene. I'm looking forward to seeing who rises up to meet that challenge.

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Call of Cthulhu CCG National Championships announced.	[Apr. 24th, 2008\|10:15 pm]Call of Cthulhu CGG
The Call of Cthulhu CCG National Championships are announced: Belgian National Championships (Deurne, Belgium) Location: The Gamestore Tournament Organizer: Ben Bogaerts Dates: May 18 Additional Details: Starts at 1pm, 5€ entry fee covering prize support Norwegian National Championships (Oslo, Norway) Location: Outland Østbanehallen Tournament Organizer: Gunnar Olai Dates: May 23-25 Additional Details: Friday, 5pm — Draft tournament Saturday, 11am — Main event, 6 rounds of swiss elimination Sunday, 12pm — theme deck tournament (details forthcoming) Austrian National Championships (Salzburg, Austria) Location: eaglecard Tournament Organizer: Wolfgang Penetsdorfer Dates: June 1 Additional Details: 12pm National Championships (four rounds and top four finals) 7pm Draft Tournament (three rounds) Finnish National Championships (Helsinki, Finland) Location: Fantasiapelit Tournament Organizer: Teemu Alaranta Dates: June 6-7 Additional Details: Friday Night, 5pm Draft Tournament Saturday, 6pm National Championships French National Championships (Poitiers, France) Location: Le Labo de Merlin Tournament Organizer: Manseau Vincent Dates: June 14-15 Additional Details: Saturday 9a-1p — Peasant Tournament Saturday 2p-7p Highlander Tournament Sunday 9a-1p - Team Tournament Sunday 2p-7p - National Championships Northern US National Championships (Jamesville, WI) Location: Kryptonite Kollectibles Tournament Organizer: JohnPaul Cupentino Dates: June 21 Additional Details: Store opens at noon, event starts at 2pm. There will be a raffle for various Cthulhu-related items. Optional side sealed deck tournaments will occur after cut to the finalists. This is not a complete list. We are still waiting for Applications from several locations, and this will be updated as more information becomes available.For updates check: http://www.cthulhuccg.com/nationals.html
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Call of Cthulhu CCG National Championships announced.

[Apr. 24th, 2008|10:15 pm]Call of Cthulhu CGG

The Call of Cthulhu CCG National Championships are announced: Belgian National Championships (Deurne, Belgium) Location: The Gamestore Tournament Organizer: Ben Bogaerts Dates: May 18 Additional Details: Starts at 1pm, 5€ entry fee covering prize support Norwegian National Championships (Oslo, Norway) Location: Outland Østbanehallen Tournament Organizer: Gunnar Olai Dates: May 23-25 Additional Details: Friday, 5pm — Draft tournament Saturday, 11am — Main event, 6 rounds of swiss elimination Sunday, 12pm — theme deck tournament (details forthcoming) Austrian National Championships (Salzburg, Austria) Location: eaglecard Tournament Organizer: Wolfgang Penetsdorfer Dates: June 1 Additional Details: 12pm National Championships (four rounds and top four finals) 7pm Draft Tournament (three rounds) Finnish National Championships (Helsinki, Finland) Location: Fantasiapelit Tournament Organizer: Teemu Alaranta Dates: June 6-7 Additional Details: Friday Night, 5pm Draft Tournament Saturday, 6pm National Championships French National Championships (Poitiers, France) Location: Le Labo de Merlin Tournament Organizer: Manseau Vincent Dates: June 14-15 Additional Details: Saturday 9a-1p — Peasant Tournament Saturday 2p-7p Highlander Tournament Sunday 9a-1p - Team Tournament Sunday 2p-7p - National Championships Northern US National Championships (Jamesville, WI) Location: Kryptonite Kollectibles Tournament Organizer: JohnPaul Cupentino Dates: June 21 Additional Details: Store opens at noon, event starts at 2pm. There will be a raffle for various Cthulhu-related items. Optional side sealed deck tournaments will occur after cut to the finalists. This is not a complete list. We are still waiting for Applications from several locations, and this will be updated as more information becomes available.For updates check: http://www.cthulhuccg.com/nationals.html

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From a collectable card game to a... living card game...	[Feb. 6th, 2008\|10:59 am]Call of Cthulhu CGG
Fantasy Flight game made an important announcement today about Call of Cthulhu CCG._“That is not dead which can eternal lie.And with strange æons even death may die.”It was the year 2006 and Fantasy Flight Games announced the end of the collectible aspect of the Call of Cthulhu CCG. Darkness fell across the city of Arkham, but a shaft of light still graced a corner of the city. The shadows lifted, to reveal the Asylum Pack. Through this innovation, the Call of Cthulhu CCG was able to transform and evolve beyond its collectible roots, move into unexplored territory, and pave the way for a new aura to cover the city. This strange light beckons both the Ancient Ones and mortals alike, who will take part in the struggle for the planet..._So what does that mean?Coming October we'll see:• Call of Cthulhu Core Game - A 110 card set, which contains reprints of older cards• The core game also includes a brand new story deck.• Monthly Asylum Packs, featuring an ungoing story and themes.- And -To bridge the gap between now and October: 2 new Asylum Packs.So, this is all very good news. Read more on http://cthulhuccg.com.
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From a collectable card game to a... living card game...

[Feb. 6th, 2008|10:59 am]Call of Cthulhu CGG

Fantasy Flight game made an important announcement today about Call of Cthulhu CCG._“That is not dead which can eternal lie.And with strange æons even death may die.”It was the year 2006 and Fantasy Flight Games announced the end of the collectible aspect of the Call of Cthulhu CCG. Darkness fell across the city of Arkham, but a shaft of light still graced a corner of the city. The shadows lifted, to reveal the Asylum Pack. Through this innovation, the Call of Cthulhu CCG was able to transform and evolve beyond its collectible roots, move into unexplored territory, and pave the way for a new aura to cover the city. This strange light beckons both the Ancient Ones and mortals alike, who will take part in the struggle for the planet..._So what does that mean?Coming October we'll see:• Call of Cthulhu Core Game - A 110 card set, which contains reprints of older cards• The core game also includes a brand new story deck.• Monthly Asylum Packs, featuring an ungoing story and themes.- And -To bridge the gap between now and October: 2 new Asylum Packs.So, this is all very good news. Read more on http://cthulhuccg.com.

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Slowly but surely they drew their plan against us...	[May. 15th, 2007\|12:49 pm]Call of Cthulhu CGG
From the comercial blurb that FFG send out to the shops:"Chaos is coming, and Cthulhu awaits! The third Asylum Deck for the Call of Cthulhu collectible card game, this 40-card Conspiracies of Chaos deck introduces 20 new cards to the Call of Cthulhu metagame, and features a revolutionary new card type - the Conspiracy - that will forever change the way the game is played."So, what is going on!?Anyways; Conspiracies of Chaos is now planned for Gencon, in August. There are some spoilers planned for it later this week though on the official site.And there is this art:
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Slowly but surely they drew their plan against us...

[May. 15th, 2007|12:49 pm]Call of Cthulhu CGG

From the comercial blurb that FFG send out to the shops:"Chaos is coming, and Cthulhu awaits! The third Asylum Deck for the Call of Cthulhu collectible card game, this 40-card Conspiracies of Chaos deck introduces 20 new cards to the Call of Cthulhu metagame, and features a revolutionary new card type - the Conspiracy - that will forever change the way the game is played."So, what is going on!?Anyways; Conspiracies of Chaos is now planned for Gencon, in August. There are some spoilers planned for it later this week though on the official site.And there is this art:

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News from R'lyeh...	[Jan. 18th, 2007\|02:08 pm]Call of Cthulhu CGG
• Your 2006 sanity certificats are still valid in 2007!• A new promo is coming up: Profane Messenger._"Join Fantasy Flight Games between Thursday February 8th and Wednesday February 28th for a promotional tournament. All players playing in one of these sanctioned events will receive a copy of P14, Profane Messenger."_• The new Asylum deck "Kingsport Dreams" is currently shipping. I've got an advance look at it, and played it last night, and it's awesome!• The 3rd Asylum deck, named "Conspiracies of Chaos" have been announced for May.
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News from R'lyeh...

[Jan. 18th, 2007|02:08 pm]Call of Cthulhu CGG

• Your 2006 sanity certificats are still valid in 2007!• A new promo is coming up: Profane Messenger.

_"Join Fantasy Flight Games between Thursday February 8th and Wednesday February 28th for a promotional tournament. All players playing in one of these sanctioned events will receive a copy of P14, Profane Messenger."_• The new Asylum deck "Kingsport Dreams" is currently shipping. I've got an advance look at it, and played it last night, and it's awesome!• The 3rd Asylum deck, named "Conspiracies of Chaos" have been announced for May.

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