Played our first game last night. WOW! A splendid time was had by all. The game is a blast, and seems to go by very fast. There are plenty of fun decisions to make, and "planning ahead" is absolutely required.
Just a few quick notes....
Play time:
4 hours for 4 players, which included teaching time.
Rules:
We had no problem understanding any part of the rulebook. It's very clear and concise. For those having problems grasping the "Military Action", I suggest you read the "Important Terms" on page 6, and then the description of the Military Action on page 11. The player aids are terrific.
Rules mistakes:
We forgot to give the defender of a Tower ane extra die during the Intrigue contests. Not bad at all when you consider how much is going on here.
Stuff I want to do better next time:
In general, I think we were guilty of "overkill". Thematically not a bad thing in a "Conan" game, but next time I will not bid so extravagantly for control of Conan. It's easier than you might suppose for non-Conan players to get Adventure Tokens.
I want to build more Towers early on. Gold is hard to come by, and those "play-on-the-table" cards are REALLY nice.
I want to be more aggressive in attacking opponents. That extra "hit" symbol for attackers is a big advantage!
I want to get and use more Sorcery tokens. In a typical display (for him) of good sportsmanship, Ernie Zapacosta (of Lotechgames.com) reminded me to use my Sorcery in a failed attack on one of his cities. It saved the day for me, but cost him the city!
To sum up: I REALLY enjoyed this!
TK