If FFG is serious about only buying content you want for this game they need to make big box expansions like Rise of Red Skull standalone. Or go the Runewars Minis Game route and offer a supplement box with the essentials to play the game.

The base game still offers the most value, but offering options while minimizing SKUs would make this a game I could recommend to casual players.

Hum.... I've got mixed feelings about your proposition to be honest.

On one part I admit a stand-alone box would help people not already in the game or not willing to invest much money in it to have fun out of the box and FFG wouldn't suffer from having an income of customers.

Now, I'll say that it could ask much in term of production : reprint the tokens, reprint the rule books, etc. It asks to make those expansion no more expansions but new core sets even in a smaller size and with fewer decks. And the price tag would increase (even a little) by doing so.

But maybe others have better arguments in their hand to discuss it ?

1 hour ago, ratent said:

If FFG is serious about only buying content you want for this game they need to make big box expansions like Rise of Red Skull standalone. Or go the Runewars Minis Game route and offer a supplement box with the essentials to play the game.

The base game still offers the most value, but offering options while minimizing SKUs would make this a game I could recommend to casual players.

I don’t think that would be a good idea at all.

Once this game has a litany of expansions, giving a players a way to opt in at any point is ideal. Maybe offering a $15 'starter' with tokens, dials, and the 7-card standard encounter?

You still need the core box components when buying hero packs and scenario packs. A buy-and-play expansion means you don't need to deckbuild to make it playable, not that it's a self-sufficient product. They are expansions , after all.

As is, the core set is playable and not broken. expansion just expand the range of possibilities for it (and maintain it and the company afloat).

But I don't think it would be a good idea at all to make stand-alone expansions. Yes it could help expand the customers base but how to retain them and create a loyalty among them ? While if it's true that the quantities produced are posing a problem for many who don't catch the ball when it passes buy (I just saw comment on a MC product page putting 0/5 to Doctor Strange for the sole reason of not having been able to buy it on that very site). And it's true that I'm always on the frontline to pre-order all packs when they are released.

Ok I took a side-road there :-D

I don’t think it’s bad to require a (single) core set to play the game. When Core + anything equals a full game with no deck building required, I think that’s more than fine really...

With the exception of 10 encounter cards (standard and expert), tokens, and dials I don't see why it wouldn't be standalone. You can use dice, coins, pen and paper, etc to stand in for the tokens and dials. Of the encounter cards you'll probably only ever miss Shadows of the Past if you're unwilling to proxy.

In this case I'd recommend just adding your hero's nemesis to the encounter decks at the beginning of the game. Done.

Haven't they said that the $15 Hero Packs with premade decks is the "entry level" point for the game? That is, if you're interested in trying it find a group that plays and show up with your hero pack. If you wind up liking it, get the Core Set.

Otherwise, I agree that the 9? standard and expert encounter cards should be included in big box expansions. Is there official word if that's the case?

13 minutes ago, Daverman said:

Haven't they said that the $15 Hero Packs with premade decks is the "entry level" point for the game? That is, if you're interested in trying it find a group that plays and show up with your hero pack. If you wind up liking it, get the Core Set.

Otherwise, I agree that the 9? standard and expert encounter cards should be included in big box expansions. Is there official word if that's the case?

It’s 10 cards, and no they aren’t included. You’d also need to include tokens and dials which takes up a lot of space and isn’t particularly useful to everyone with a core already. I think at least one of the scenarios recommends you use Legions of Hydra for the modular set as well.

I’m not opposed to a new core down the road as an alternative entry point, but I think it’s clear they’ve been able to cram a lot into this box by specifically not making it a core set - you get 2 prebuilt heroes (but no spare hero cards) and 5 new scenarios that can either be used as stand alone or together in a campaign and 3 more modular sets. That’s a lot of value for the price point I’d say...

Like any game, you need to buy the core to have a complete game, but the beauty of this line is that once you have the game (i.e. the core) you can buy any of the expansions and start playing immediately without needing any other products.

I'd have to go with ratent on this one. I've played other ffg games, and if you're interested in a game that's been here for a while, it can get confusing! Like, really confusing! I've looked at the other lotr games, and there's a lot of content! So much in fact, that I couldn't navigate the ffg page. And then when you find the actual core set, and can be pretty underwhelming sometimes. I also at that point, know that I can't, and won't, buy a lot of expansions. I think a stand alone expansion would help new players a lot in this area. It's a good way to actually play the game, but not feel overwhelmed or obligated to buy a bunch of older or deemed less cool expansions to feel right about how you play. Does that make sense?

Also, I don't know if I'm the only one, but I occasionally play with kids. And you know, kids brake stuff, or lose them, or just make it flat out gross. I for one, would eventually love to buy an expansion where I'd get cool new content, but also replenish my used or worn pieces. Which might make a little more pricey, and less content, but I'd for sure buy it.

Or they could do what they do with other games. Where they have separate expansions with just "pieces". Which could help replenish pieces, or if you're new to the game, buy a newer big box, and buy the said expansion so you can have the pieces to actually play!

And I'm sure there's a lot more ideas out there to fix these problems. And when the time comes, I'm sure the devs will have a solution.

No. I don’t want to pay for stuff that I already have.

2 hours ago, Venompuppy said:

I'd have to go with ratent on this one. I've played other ffg games, and if you're interested in a game that's been here for a while, it can get confusing! Like, really confusing! I've looked at the other lotr games, and there's a lot of content! So much in fact, that I couldn't navigate the ffg page. And then when you find the actual core set, and can be pretty underwhelming sometimes. I also at that point, know that I can't, and won't, buy a lot of expansions. I think a stand alone expansion would help new players a lot in this area. It's a good way to actually play the game, but not feel overwhelmed or obligated to buy a bunch of older or deemed less cool expansions to feel right about how you play. Does that make sense?

Also, I don't know if I'm the only one, but I occasionally play with kids. And you know, kids brake stuff, or lose them, or just make it flat out gross. I for one, would eventually love to buy an expansion where I'd get cool new content, but also replenish my used or worn pieces. Which might make a little more pricey, and less content, but I'd for sure buy it.

Or they could do what they do with other games. Where they have separate expansions with just "pieces". Which could help replenish pieces, or if you're new to the game, buy a newer big box, and buy the said expansion so you can have the pieces to actually play!

And I'm sure there's a lot more ideas out there to fix these problems. And when the time comes, I'm sure the devs will have a solution.

There are a lot of expansions for say Lord if the Rings the card game, but if you look at the products page now, it’s still very clear what the core set is.

Whats not immediately clear is how many cores you need to make a play set and what expansions you need to get together. The advantage Marvel has (which is a big one in my view) is that you only need 1 core, and you can buy any of the expansions without needing any of the other expansions. So if you come to this game in 6 years and want to start, you can buy the game (the core set) and then get any and all expansions you want - don’t want Wrecking Crew of Green Goblin? Cool - don’t get them - you can just pick up Kang or Captain America or which ever character packs appeal to you - you don’t need a whole cycle to have access to a particular scenario - you can be assured that you as long as you have a core set, and product you buy is usable. So even if you’re unable to get lots of older packs, it shouldn’t matter in terms of being able to play with what you can get...

On 7/13/2020 at 11:05 AM, FearLord said:

There are a lot of expansions for say Lord if the Rings the card game, but if you look at the products page now, it’s still very clear what the core set is.

Whats not immediately clear is how many cores you need to make a play set and what expansions you need to get together. The advantage Marvel has (which is a big one in my view) is that you only need 1 core, and you can buy any of the expansions without needing any of the other expansions. So if you come to this game in 6 years and want to start, you can buy the game (the core set) and then get any and all expansions you want - don’t want Wrecking Crew of Green Goblin? Cool - don’t get them - you can just pick up Kang or Captain America or which ever character packs appeal to you - you don’t need a whole cycle to have access to a particular scenario - you can be assured that you as long as you have a core set, and product you buy is usable. So even if you’re unable to get lots of older packs, it shouldn’t matter in terms of being able to play with what you can get...

I'm just saying, most other games that ffg owns, have an expansion that resupplies your essential gear. At this point in life, I personally would not get it. But me and my brother each paid for half of the products. So when me and him move out, we're each going to get half of all that we've bought. Which in my opinion, would than be a good time to resupply my tokens, seeing as how I'd only have half.

On 7/13/2020 at 12:05 PM, FearLord said:

The advantage Marvel has (which is a big one in my view) is that you only need 1 core, and you can buy any of the expansions without needing any of the other expansions. So if you come to this game in 6 years and want to start, you can buy the game (the core set) and then get any and all expansions you want.

I continue to contemplate purchasing a second core. There are a few staples cards I would like to get as my ideal goal is 16 Heroes and 8 decks (2 per aspect). Waiting for 16 Heroes only proves I am not a patient man.

If I do buy a second core set, knowing that somebody might want just the encounter and hero cards makes the idea more tenable.

On 7/15/2020 at 6:01 PM, IceHot42 said:

If I do buy a second core set, knowing that somebody might want just the encounter and hero cards makes the idea more tenable.

Question is : who might be solely interested in Hero and encounter cards ? I'd be interested in the tokens but nothing else except some few cards

I keep finding my self wishing for another copy each of Strength, Energy, and Genius. If I pre-build hero decks I usually cut an Energy from Black Panther, a Genius from Captain Marvel, and a Strength from Ironman. Haven't been able to justify getting another core for just a few cards... but maybe... "for the kids". ::wink wink::

1 hour ago, HirumaShigure said:

I keep finding my self wishing for another copy each of Strength, Energy, and Genius. If I pre-build hero decks I usually cut an Energy from Black Panther, a Genius from Captain Marvel, and a Strength from Ironman. Haven't been able to justify getting another core for just a few cards... but maybe... "for the kids". ::wink wink::

Buy another Hero. All the heroes come with a set of the 3 ressources.

I would be interested in getting a second copy of standard and expert sets. A few copies actually .

Then I could have more than one encounter deck ready to play.

18 hours ago, aermet69 said:

Buy another Hero. All the heroes come with a set of the 3 ressources.

That would save my quite a bit of money. Of note, I do own everything to date. So this would give me a duplicate of a hero's kit. I think Black Widow would be the one to get for extra set of Justice cards. I wouldn't mind having extra encounter cards or tokens, but just while writing this it occurs to me that I could just gift the Black Widow extras to a friend I bought the core set for. He's not as serious about Champions as I, but they would be going to a good home!