Review of Dragon War Pregame Character Enhancement Cards

About two years ago, I reviewed the game Dragon War. In that review, I had promised to review some of the expansion packs for the game. Well, I may not be timely, but I am honest, as I am finally getting around to writing those reviews.

For a review of the basic game, please click here.

The Pregame Character Enhancement Cards are oversized cards that are used BEFORE the standard game starts. This set contains cards for the 5 basic characters and the 5 characters in the RAK character pack (DW005). On the front of each card is a large portrait of the character and a pithy quote. The quotes range from the seemingly appropriate (“From the Temple to the field of battle, I do what I must to protect the earth mother” from the Priestess) to the amusingly absurd (“I don’t know where I am or how I got here, but I’m killing everyone and everything.” from Stephen Darklord).

The backs of the cards contain a mini board of 18 squares. Each square contains a certain special ability. Before play, each player runs their character across the board by rolling the die and moving their piece that number of squares. When you land on a square, you get that ability. You note these abilities however you want (put markers on the cards, write the abilities down, etc.), and then use them at anytime during play. The abilities are somewhat matched to the relevant character concept. For example, the priestess character card contains a lot of healing abilities, while the barbarian card contains a number of abilities affecting combat. This is the only significant way that character selection matters, and is a nice addition to the basic game.

The cards themselves are well done, with bright, vibrant graphics and easily readable text. Overall, these cards are a good addition to the basic game. Realize, though, that serious chaos (the good kind) can ensue from the use of these cards. The last time I played with these cards, the mage player had an ability taken from his enhancement card that let him roll a die and take that many extra turns. He used it and rolled a 5. Then the priestess player used his enhancement ability to reverse another player’s enhancement, so the mage player lost 5 turns! Hilarious. The mage player still won, though.

To find out more about Dragon War, visit www.rakgraphics.com/dwar.