Hi there,

I'm new to Battlelore (just bought the game online today, did not even receive it yet) and I know I have a LOT of catching up to do. I don't want to bother you guys too much, espacially for the basic stuff. All I would like to know is if I should buy the Call to Arms expansion right away and start my Battlelore experience WITH Call to Arms (because I've been reading everywhere that it is a necessary expansion) OR should I just start with the base game only, like a newbie, and buy it later? Basically, I want to know if Call to Arms is the kind of expansion that should've came with the game in the first place or is it really an expansion that can wait? Thank you and happy new year.

In MHO Call to Arms can certainly wait. Don't get me wrong, It's a great expansion in that it allows you to deploy customized troop mixes to the field of battle. I certainly recommend purchasing it, and all the expansions for that matter. But it's the basic game that you'll want to spend some quality time with and truly enjoy before you start adding supplements like Call to Arms. In this way I think you're more likely to fully get your money's worth without feeling the need to rush through to the original 10 scenerios.

There's lots of play in the box w/ the original 10 adventures, so I'd say there's not a priority rush.

FWIW, I now teach people to play the game pretty much by playing the scenarios in order. In fact, I play the first scenario twice with folks, once ignoring all follow-on actions. The second time we play the exact same scenario and sides, but add in the follow-on actions (bold, pursuit).

OTOH, I actually do think that Call to Arms should have been included in the base box because eventually you'll want the extra flexibility.