Review - War For Edadh: The Beginning

Collectable card games are, basically, simplified wargames. The cards played define the protagonists and the environment in the same way that the map and the figures/counters do in a conventional wargame. War For Edadh fills the gap between the two – a collectable card game that has the same depth and complexity as something like Advanced Squad Leader.
The rules are divided into two books: The Art of the Apprentice (basic) and The Art of the Warrior (advanced). Each book eases you into rules at each level, gradually adding more complexity. What's missing are any examples of play. A played-though sample battle at each level of difficulty and examples of each of the optional rules would have been a big help.
Despite my introduction, it isn’t truly a CCG. Each pack, and each of the planned booster packs contains an identical, fixed set of cards preventing the local metagame from being dominated by the one guy who got this game’s equivalent of the Black Lotus (not that War For Edadh appears to have anything as unbalanced).
The cards are very pretty, with detailed artwork in soft, atmospheric tones. One army has a steampunk feel while the other is more arboreal. Build quality is high, throughout – the cards even come in resealable plastic film packets.
While this is a complete game, the choice of units, terrains and strategy cards is a little limited for long-term play. More packs are in development, adding more terrain, factions and troop types.
Even the basic rules are more detailed than (say) Magic: the Gathering or Munchkin,so this game would probably appeal to wargamer looking for something different rather than a conventional collectable card gamer. Don't let this put you off, though. It really is a great game.
Review Total: 8/10

Reviewed by: Richard Fannon