Reflecting the Real World in the Fantasy Board Game, A First Look at Factions: Battleground

Board games nights are currently a distant dream of the future, but I am always on the look out to expand my collection in preparation for the future. The thing about board games is that everyone has their own particular threshold for various mechanical complexities and sometimes, players find the idea of fantasy combat much more compelling the actualities of drafting decks or piecing together various synergies. Enter Factions: Battleground, a new multiplayer fantasy combat board game that has drawn me in its premise:

Representation of diverse cultures and mythologies. No decks, no luck, just choices.

Certain games always feel a little bit too up to chance and many deck building games suffer a steep learning curve where you have to learn how to play the game and then learn how to play the game effectively and your conventional strategy games often time have a luck component that doesn’t necessarily feel great losing a great tactical position on a dice roll. Factions: Battleground offers several unique twists on the conventions. “No luck” in practice means that players actively choose how the battleground is set up and that the set up of Terrain tiles is part of the game and the game is balanced around a risk/reward system where tactical play can usurp an opponent’s lead. “No deck” means that you’re capable of picking your faction, either based on its mechanical identity or its flavor and learn how to maste…