Product Information
Board Game Geek Rating: 5.67. Board Game Geek Avg Player Rating: 6.06. For 2 - 4 players, published in 2014. This is the Kickstarter Edition of the Melee Board Game, featuring special action cards. It comes with the core game and an exclusive promo pack of 'Special Action Cards' for backers. Note that paid add - ons from the Kickstarter Campaign are not included unless stated otherwise. At the dawn of a new year, the childless old king has died, and the throne succession must be decided. As a local baron or countess, it's your chance to claim the throne. Your peers respect force, and your subjects want gold. Gather your men, pay your knights, and assert your claim. The strongest and richest will be recognized as the rightful monarch. In Melee, you aim to be the first to capture an opposing castle (ending the game) or have the most land and gold by year - end. Gold is scarce and used for building units and attacking. The more you spend on troops, the higher your success chance. Each player starts with a Castle, one unit of foot soldiers, and 15 gold coins. The game begins with a drafting session to buy units and bid on special abilities. Then, it's played over four turns (seasons). In each turn, players choose from three actions: tax, build new units, or move and attack. Each turn ends with income collection. To attack, move your unit into an occupied area and secretly decide how much gold to spend. The defender must guess. If wrong, the attack succeeds; if correct, you lose your unit. You must balance conserving gold for future moves or spending now for a better chance. With different abilities in each game, strategies vary and replayability is high. The game can end suddenly with a bold attack. At TheGameSteward, we're happy to support campaigns like Melee. A large percentage of your spending on Melee will go towards backing new Kickstarter games. If you have purchase questions or need game advice, contact The Game Steward.
Let's start with how to play Melee. First, each player gets a Castle, one unit of foot soldiers, and 15 gold coins. The game kicks off with a drafting session. Here, you can buy different units like soldiers, knights, camps, and catapults. You can also bid on special abilities that will give you an edge in income, attack, or other game options. The game has four turns, which represent the seasons. In each turn, you have three choices: tax your land to get more gold, build new units to strengthen your army, or move your troops to attack an opponent. At the end of each turn, you'll collect some income. When it's time to attack, move your unit into an area where an opponent has their troops. Then, secretly decide how much gold you'll spend to motivate your soldiers. The defender has to guess how much you spent. If they guess wrong, your attack is a success. But if they're right, you lose the unit you sent to attack. Now, some important things to keep in mind. The paid add - ons from the Kickstarter Campaign are not part of this game unless it's specifically mentioned. Also, be careful with your gold. You need to decide whether to spend it now to increase your chances of winning this attack or save it for future builds and attacks. As for maintenance, just keep the game components in a dry place to prevent any damage. If you have any cards, try not to bend them too much. And that's it! Have fun playing Melee and trying to claim the throne.
