Afternoon all - I'm relatively new to the Talisman universe, and have just bought my first expansion (Bloodmoon).

I guess I am just after some help on how to manage the cards etc.

I wish to keep the expansions separate from the core game, however the adventure cards in Bloodmoon have no distinguishing features to tell them apart from the core cards. Some of the cards have the 'Bloodmoon' logo (werewolf head) on the back, am I missing something?

Sorry if I don't make myself clear - been a long day :|

Any help appreciated!!

The little wolf's head mark is your only key to the expansion. When you separate the decks you will have to watch for those. Each expansion has a similar 'token' or symbol to match with the theme. Some are easier to see (nearly 60 year old eyes here) than others.

If you read the expansion rules carefully you'll find a description on how to distinguish the expanison cards from the core game. Although, when playing with the expansion you've to mix adventure cards and spells with the once from the base deck.

Take a look at the Rules sets for each expansion that you can download from the products page on this site. Each one will show you the symbol for cards from that expansion. Of course, the unique adventure card decks (City Deck, Dungeon Deck, etc.) all have the respective symbol on the back of the card, but for the standard adventure deck, each expansion has that special symbol on the face of the card. As mentioned, some are harder to see than others (and no symbol means the core/base set).

As to managing the cards, it depends on how you play, and how often you play. If you often play with different groups of people, and don't decide which expansions you want to play with until you sit down to play, then I would separate them after each game. Keep them in a box or small zip lock bags (like you find at a craft/hobby/jewelry store, like those that came in the expansions), and sort them by card type and expansion. Once you decide which expansions you are playing, pull those out and shuffle them into the main decks. This takes some time after you play, as you have to go through the decks and re-sort them after you are done. Time consuming and tedious, but time better spent on the back end after you play, rather than on the front end getting everything ready before the game begins.

I imagine, though, that what most people do is have their favorite expansion always shuffled in and ready to go (like the Reaper expansion), and others sorted and waiting, depending on whether to play with them or not (like the Firelands expansion). Still other people have their favorite ways to play and decks all built, and only add to them what they want from each expansion, and keep the unwanted/unplayed sections on the side. Again, it's what you want, how often you play, and you play style that will dictate.

Personally, I am one to keep most of the decks all shuffled together and ready to go, and play with every expansion I own. If I ever got one I didn't like (hasn't happened yet), I'd keep that one separated, but ready to be shuffled in, in case the gaming group wants to add it and play.

Just my $.02

See my Forever Talisman rules it was designed to help with expansion inclusion: https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/176044-forever-talisman/

We add in expansions before every game and seperate the cards at the end of the game. For us, we feel the game is more balanced this way - that is we dont play with every expansion in a single game (we own all of them). It may sound tedious, but seriously it takes 5 minitues.

We add in expansions before every game and seperate the cards at the end of the game. For us, we feel the game is more balanced this way - that is we dont play with every expansion in a single game (we own all of them). It may sound tedious, but seriously it takes 5 minitues.

yeah but 5 mins per game gets a bit old after awhile plus most of the "Adventure Deck" added expansions are always fun to play with all the time anyways. Basically in my Forever Talisman ruleset you play with all the expansions and by drawing "Start Game" cards players choose expansion boards and some expansions like the new The Harbinger and endings etc etc. if you end up playing with a expansion that links to spaces from a expansion board not included in play then you just ignore the space ability of the card and thats all. So you never need to go through decks before games just shuffle and setup .