To give my readers some concrete idea of what Shadows of the Tusk is about, I'm putting up a few replays. These are illustrated turn-by-turn. A chess-like notation is used to indicate board spaces and moves. On the board, each character is denoted by the first 3 letters from his name, followed by Hp and Ap values on the next row. Square brackets indicate the [leader]. My characters and actions are in blue, and the computer's are in red.
| a5 | b5 | c5 | d5 | e5 |
| a4 | b4 | c4 | d4 | e4 |
| a3 | b3 | c3 | d3 | e3 |
| a2 | b2 | c2 | d2 | e2 |
| a1 | b1 | c1 | d1 | e1 |
This one was a game I played against the computer.
To learn about the rules of the game or the characters, please visit the links at the bottom of the page.
set-up: ( ), Hsu-Wang, [Pamera], Tsu-Lung, Tsu-Lung
stock: Ranka Chank, Richard, Cloud, Savage
weight = 5 + 7 + 5 + 5 = 22
This is one of my average decks. It is not particularly strong, but is quite balanced except for the low Hp of the leader. This is basically an 'orthodox deck', with lighter weight (and thus a heavier first-turn summon) because I am worried about Pamera being taken out quickly if the opponent goes first. But still, the weight of 22 is not light enough to undercut dedicated rush decks, which can take Pamera out on Turn 1. Against other than all-out rush decks, Pamera's low Hp shouldn't be too much of a problem, since Hsu-Wang can heal her, and she can also heal herself.
Beasts have been excluded from the deck so that Pamera can use Rotting Mist with maximum efficiency.
| _ | Rum 19-4 | [Ric] 12-5 | Rum 19-4 | _ |
| _ | _ | _ | _ | _ |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| _ | _ | _ | _ | _ |
| _ | Hsu 7-2 | [Pam] 8-1 | Tsu 8-3 | Tsu 8-3 |
It turns out that the computer is playing a Richard-Rumble deck. Richard and Rumble make quite a good combo: Richard enhances Rumble's low Ap so that Rumble can deliver strong attacks turn after turn while his high Hp lasts. However, the characters are all quite expensive: Richard costs 12 Mana and Rumble costs 9, so the 3 characters cost a total of 30 Mana, leaving the computer no surplus Mana to start the game with.
The modifier for Richard's Leadership is being included in the Ap values in the board diagrams.
My deck is "lighter", so I go first.
Ranka Chank summon c2 Tsu-Lung e1-e3 Tsu-Lung d1-d2 Hsu-Wang b1-b2
My Mana: 8 + 5 - 13(summon) = 0
I move forward, but stay out of striking range of his Rumbles. Tsu-Lung and Hsu-Wang have the advantage that they can move 2 spaces, as opposed to the slow Rumble who can only move 1.
| _ | Rum 19-4 | [Ric] 12-5 | Rum 19-4 | _ |
| _ | _ | _ | _ | _ |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | Tsu 8-3 |
| _ | Hsu 7-2 | Ran 16-5 | Tsu 8-3 | _ |
| _ | _ | [Pam] 8-1 | _ | _ |
Rumble b5-b4 Rumble d5-d4
Computer's Mana: 0 + 5 = 5
His Rumbles march forward.
| _ | _ | [Ric] 12-5 | _ | _ |
| _ | Rum 19-4 | _ | Rum 19-4 | _ |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | Tsu 8-3 |
| _ | Hsu 7-2 | Ran 16-5 | Tsu 8-3 | _ |
| _ | _ | [Pam] 8-1 | _ | _ |
Tsu-Lung e3-e4 Attack d4 for 3 Tsu-Lung d2-d3 Attack d4 for 3 Hsu-Wang b2-b3 Attack b4 for 2 Ranka Chank c2-c3 [Pamera] c1 Thunderbolt [c5] for 3
My Mana: 0 + 6 - 5(Thunderbolt) = 1
His characters are in range, so I charge forward and strike, but his Rumbles don't seem to be very worried about the wounds. Following the general advice that an enemy Richard leader should be targetted, Pamera fires a Thunderbolt at him. The Thunderbolt is a very versatile attack which can target any character on the board except for characters protected by Magic Shield or Anti Magic. However, it is quite costly in terms of Mana. You can see that using Thunderbolt often leaves me with no Mana to summon, and vice versa. That's exactly why I use Pamera as the leader despite her low Hp: if I use another character as the leader, he will not have enough Mana to summon when Pamera casts Thunderbolt, and if I don't want to risk putting him in the front line to fight, he'll be left with nothing to do, and that would leave me with one less character to fight in the front line.
| _ | _ | [Ric] 9-5 | _ | _ |
| _ | Rum 17-4 | _ | Rum 13-4 | Tsu 8-3 |
| ___ | Hsu 7-2 | Ran 16-5 | Tsu 8-3 | ___ |
| _ | _ | _ | _ | _ |
| _ | _ | [Pam] 8-1 | _ | _ |
Rumble summon c4 Rumble b4 Attack b3 for 4 (Kunfu applied) Rumble d4 Attack e4 for 4
Computer's Mana: 5 + 5 - 9(summon) = 1
The computer summons and strikes. However, the AI is not good enough, and the computer has made a fatal mistake which will become apparent next turn.
| _ | _ | [Ric] 9-5 | _ | _ |
| _ | Rum 17-3 | Rum 19-4 | Rum 13-4 | Tsu 4-3 |
| ___ | Hsu 3-2 | Ran 16-5 | Tsu 8-3 | ___ |
| _ | _ | _ | _ | _ |
| _ | _ | [Pam] 8-1 | _ | _ |
Tsu-Lung e4-d5 Attack [c5] for 3 [Pamera] c1 Thunderbolt [c5] for 3
My Mana: 1 + 8 - 5(Thunderbolt) = 4
| _ | _ | [Ric] 3-5 | Tsu 4-3 | _ |
| _ | Rum 17-3 | Rum 19-4 | Rum 13-4 | _ |
| ___ | Hsu 3-2 | Ran 16-5 | Tsu 8-3 | ___ |
| _ | _ | _ | _ | _ |
| _ | _ | [Pam] 8-1 | _ | _ |
At this point, it becomes clear that I am winning the game on my next turn. Without any character with a healing spell or Magic Shield in play, there is simply no way for the computer to stop me from killing Richard with another Thunderbolt on my next turn. Thus I'm cutting the replay here.
The game ends on my next turn with the Thunderbolt, despite that the computer, with his powerful, tough Rumbles, doesn't seem to be behind in terms of overall material .
An intelligent (i.e. human) player using Richard as the leader would often consider putting some healing in his deck so that he isn't easily killed by Thunderbolts and such.
Copyright 16 June 1999 Alan Shiu Ho Kwan
review (with some rules descriptions)
Alan Kwan / tarot@netvigator.com / created 16 June 99