7 Wonders Armada Expansion

Description

7 Wonders is undoubtedly a modern classic in board games. The card drafting combined with a quick play time makes it a go to ‘gateway’ or entry level game. Various expansions have been released over the years and the danger or adding ‘too much’ is always a worry. Armada adds a lot of content but does it in a way that compliments the base game nicely – there is even a recommendation to not mix it with other expansions! The downside of Armada is it almost doubles the game length, now being as the base game only takes 20 minutes this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean I won’t use it every game or with new players. Armada adds a new side board split into four columns. At the base of each column you place a plastic ship, one red, one blue, one yellow and one green. As you take your turns normally you can also move one of your ships up it’s column as long as you can pay the costs and have played a card of the same colour. These costs are familiar to anyone who has played the base game – access to various resources from the cards you have drafted. Each time you go up a column you gain a reward, including rewards you are familiar with or new ones like naval strength and visiting islands. Naval strength is separate to military strength, which is now called land strength. Naval battles are waged against everyone not just your neighbours. Islands are new cards you visit with your green ship for Island cards which offer your rewards, such as resources, points and extra moves. The added gameplay time comes not from complexity (all the options are straightforward) but from the increased options Armada adds. Now, when drafting cards, you aren’t just thinking of your tableau but also of your ships and which rewards are worth gaining early, at the potential cost building up the cards you want on the table. Where as in the base game the choice was sometimes obvious, Armada makes it pleasingly difficult. Player Count: 2-7 Time: 40 Minutes Age: 10+