The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Ok, while I had a lot of problems with the game mechanics for the KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE inspired ORCS AT THE GATES, it's still pretty fun to play with a bunch of other KODT fans. That said, when I read about this expansion pack being offered, I was quick to snap it up... anything to make the game better, right?

umm... maybe.

To be fair, there's some decent stuff here. You get brand new treasure, player, and GM cards, updated to reflect events in the KODT comic since the original game came out... there's also a single double-sided sheet with some new rules updates as well as 4 additional player cards ("Flak Jacket" Monty, Ty Ferrel, Johnny Kizinski & Cody Winkle-- aside from Johnny, these arent exactly key figures in the Knights Mythos, are they?. The biggest new rule is sort of a wild one... there are a bunch of new cards which enable the Orcs in the game to have GUNS! Yep, guns which allow them to attack the PCs from up to 5 spaces away (there goes THAT advantage!). I haven't had a chance to playtest this new rule yet, so can't say how it balances or unbalances gameplay. Not sure about anyone else, but the few times i HAVE played OATG, the games have gone on for a lot longer than 2 hrs. Maybe this will speed things up a bit.

Now, for the bad. First off, $10 for this supplement is pretty outrageous. Sure, i guess I should have expected it since the original set cost $30, but still. Not only are we paying $10 for 2 sheets of cardstock and about 8 pages of photocopied cards, but they dont even provide playing pieces or stickers for the new chatacters! How much more would a few pieces of plastic have cost? Pretty inexcusable.

Still, if you're a KODT fan, and already have forked out for OATG, you might as well go the rest of the way...

Style: 3 (Average)
Substance: 2 (Sparse)

Orcs: The Reckoning (ORCS AT THE GATES ADD-ON)
Author: erm... Gary Jackson Category: game Company/Publisher: Jolly Roger Games Line: Orcs at the Gates Cost: $10.00 Page count: n/a Capsule Review by Matt Sommer on 05/29/00. Genre tags: Fantasy Comedy	Ok, while I had a lot of problems with the game mechanics for the KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE inspired ORCS AT THE GATES, it's still pretty fun to play with a bunch of other KODT fans. That said, when I read about this expansion pack being offered, I was quick to snap it up... anything to make the game better, right? umm... maybe. To be fair, there's some decent stuff here. You get brand new treasure, player, and GM cards, updated to reflect events in the KODT comic since the original game came out... there's also a single double-sided sheet with some new rules updates as well as 4 additional player cards ("Flak Jacket" Monty, Ty Ferrel, Johnny Kizinski & Cody Winkle-- aside from Johnny, these arent exactly key figures in the Knights Mythos, are they?. The biggest new rule is sort of a wild one... there are a bunch of new cards which enable the Orcs in the game to have GUNS! Yep, guns which allow them to attack the PCs from up to 5 spaces away (there goes THAT advantage!). I haven't had a chance to playtest this new rule yet, so can't say how it balances or unbalances gameplay. Not sure about anyone else, but the few times i HAVE played OATG, the games have gone on for a lot longer than 2 hrs. Maybe this will speed things up a bit. Now, for the bad. First off, $10 for this supplement is pretty outrageous. Sure, i guess I should have expected it since the original set cost $30, but still. Not only are we paying $10 for 2 sheets of cardstock and about 8 pages of photocopied cards, but they dont even provide playing pieces or stickers for the new chatacters! How much more would a few pieces of plastic have cost? Pretty inexcusable. Still, if you're a KODT fan, and already have forked out for OATG, you might as well go the rest of the way... Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 2 (Sparse)

Orcs: The Reckoning (ORCS AT THE GATES ADD-ON)