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Woodland Warfare
Cole Wehrle’s megahit Root is a woodland war-game like no other. It’s incredibly cute, asymmetric players fight to be the first to 30 points. Each playing a very different game. Everything about this game oozes charm with incredible illustrations from Kyle Ferrin. Since its release in 2018 there have been a multitude of expansions and accessories. Even a new RPG set in the blood soaked forest itself has hit the shelves this year. But back in the base game, one of the most iconic factions was the loveable rogue, the Vagabond. Since then, this single character faction, slipping around from clearing to clearing was calling out for its own expansion.
A Vagabond World
The Vagabond works differently to the other factions. It’s actions are dictated by items it has it it’s satchel which change from game to game. The base box came with three possible characters all of which start with a very different set of items. You could be the thief (the character the meeple design is based on), which allows you to easily move around and steal cards. The Ranger is more aggressive and starts the games with weapons. Whereas the Tinkerer makes it easier to craft. Over the years, new cards have been added offering a variety of different characters. One of my favourites being the Scoundrel, a cat who wears a pumpkin mask and can torch a clearing making it unusable for the rest of the game.
In this pack you will get three new Vagabonds to play with. The Harrier, the Ronin and the Adventurer. The Harrier, a squirrel, starts with gold coins allowing card draw much easier and a sword and crossbow allowing her to fight straight away. Her torch ability allows her to move without spending a boot meaning that she can get across the board much quicker than some others.
The Ronin, a racoon, however, is faster, starting with two boots as well as a sword. His torch action allows him to exhaust a sword to do an extra hit, being one of the more violent vagabonds. The strongest in the set for me is the Adventure. A wise old owl, the Adventure starts with a boot and hammer and is able to damage an item to use it as any other one. This makes him much more adaptable. However, with so much care and design in the rest of the aesthetics, it always feels sadly dissatisfying to be playing a character that doesn’t look like the meeple in front of you. Well not any more!
A Myriad Of Meeples
The main bulk of this expansion is purely aesthetic. But don’t let that deter you. In the box comes seven unique meeples, shaped and screen printed to represent all available Vagabonds. The quality, as always, is exceptional and the design makes it crystal clear who you are playing as. This may seem like a very small addition. But when the immersion of this game is so high, it makes a big difference in getting lost in the world of the game. You certainly don’t need this expansion, especially due to the variety of vagabond characters available in the other bigger expansions. But, if you love the world of Root and enjoy investing in your faction as you battle through the woodlands, then this is for you.
That concludes our thoughts on Root: Vagabond. Do you agree? Let us know your thoughts and tag us on social media @zatugames. To buy Root: Vagabond today click here!
