Transformers Deck Building Game Review

Transformers Deck Building Game is based on the successful and beloved Transformers Franchise. No matter if you are a established fan, newcomer to the world of Robots in Disguise or just trying a new game, you will find this engaging, fun and challenging.

Now, as I will elaborate on later, this game could seem daunting to players who are used to games that are static in terms of content. Due to its nature as a Deck Builder, one game can be very different to the last. Especially when building your Deck, which will be covered in more detail later.

For now, let’s jump right in with some context and the objective of the game. This is a game for 1-5 players, that can either be played Solo, Co-operatively or Competitively. In Competitive Mode players are engaged in a friendly competition to determine the best of the best by accumulating Victory Points by defeating enemies, thwarting schemes or obtaining powerful ancient Relics. If playing Cooperatively players work together to defeat Adversaries and achieve a group victory. No matter the mode you choose, victory is achieved by surviving and defeating 3 Bosses of increasing power and difficulty.

Setup

It’s worth noting at this game does require a more detailed setup than other games I’veplayed. While most games from Renegade require some setup before you can play, this one is more in depth than most given the variety of card types available.A phrase you will hear a lot is Main Deck Cards. The Main Deck is a preselected collection of 85 cards. Regardless of the game mode you play the Main Deck will always include a variety of Robots, Manoeuvres, Allies, Sites and Technologies; as well as three Bosses. On top of this a game may contain a number of Relics and Schemes, depending on which game mode you decide to play. The first step in setting up any game will always be creating your Main Deck from which you will build the playing area called The Matrix. Unlike a traditional board game, this doesn’t include any actual boards or fixed play surfaces. Instead players will build a randomised board from anywhere between 12 to 20 cards depending on the number of players. In a two player game for example The Matrix will be a grid of 12 cards laid out 4 across and 3 down. As the game progresses the contents of The Matrix will change as new cards are added, presenting players with new options to take advantage of and new challenges to overcome.

Deck Building

Deck Building is a concept at the very core of this game, a concept that can be daunting or confusing to those used to playing games that make use of static content. Each player will begin each game with a deck built from the same 10 cards. As the game progresses players will have the chance to purchase new cards from the Matrix to add to their Deck; be those Robots, Technologies, Allies, Manoeuvres or Relics. Each card type offers different benefits and abilities. There are some characters that benefit from certain cards, so choosing them carefully is key to victory. To that end, I will break them down below. With the exception of Adversaries which I will explain shortly, all Robots, Technologies, Allies, Manoeuvres and Relics can be brought and added to your Deck to improve it.

Robots - each Robot card will belong to a faction, Autobots or Decepticon. For the purposes of this game, Decepticon cards are considered Adversaries. As such they cannot be bought, only battled, where they will grant you bonuses and rewards when they are defeated. Autobot cards can be bought from the Matrix and will provide benefits like additional move, range and power. Regardless of character chosen, purchasing robots will always add extra benefit to your deck.

Maneuvers represent combat skills your characters can learn. These often provide less range and power, but make up for it with additional abilities to either gain advantage or protect your player. In some cases they can be used to support other players as well. Give an example here.

Sites are notable locations that cannot be bought but rather offer benefits to players that either move onto or begin a turn on that location. Some will have a cost for the benefit while others will be free. These effects will always be an advantage to a Player so ending a turn on a Site is always a strong move.

Technology Cards represent equipment and tools a player can use throughout the game. As such, these cards tend not to offer additional move in favour of more Power, making them ideal for purchasing more powerful cards.

Allies, like Sites, are not added to your Deck when purchased or gained. Instead they are immediately put into play with an effect that can be used once per turn. These cards represent organisations or individuals that have assisted the Autobots through their battles and can offer effects from extra moves to destroying cards from your Deck.

Relics represent legendary artefacts or Technologies that are among the most powerful cards in the game. They are also among the most expensive to purchase. While most cards cost between 2 and 4 power to gain, Relics can cost 7 or 8. These cards are unique and along with their in game effects, provide additional benefits at the end of game.

While the overall aim of the game is to defeat the final boss, that goal will be aided by successful Deck Building; not just through adding cards to your deck to improve it but thinning out cards with less value; usually your Starter Cards. Striking a balance between acquiring new cards and keeping your deck size under control is a key skill in this game. Less is very often more in this game.

Game Terminology The Transformers Deck Building game uses some terminology that players might not have encountered in other games, so I will define some of those here.

Starter Cards - Starter Cards form a Deck of 10 Cards that each Player will begin the game with. Each Player will receive a Deck identical to each of the other Players. These cards have generic effects that are less powerful than other cards that can be acquired but are perfect for buying cards to add to your Deck.

Buying Cards - Many of the Cards you will encounter playing Transformers Deck Building Game can be purchased to add them to your deck. Each card that can be brought will have a cost. The higher that cost, the more powerful the card.

Power - Power is one of the resources a card can generate. Power will mostly be used for buying new cards for your Deck, along with battling adversaries and thwarting schemes.

Move - Many cards will have a move value. Each move a card offers will allow you to move a single space on the Matrix or interact with a space you might also be standing on.

Range - Range is a resource that can be applied to both Power and Move, extending the distance at which you can perform certain actions. For example, a card that offers 3 Power and 1 Range could buy a card 1 square away from you without requiring you to be on that square.

Start of Turn - Some game effects, both positive and negative, will trigger at the start of a Player’s Turn. Too many negative effects triggering at once can bring a game to a hasty defeat so it is wise to clear these as soon as possible.

Ongoing - On the flip side we have Ongoing Effects. Often not detrimental by themselves, Ongoing Effects represent a challenge to be overcome, sometimes limiting players actions or available cards until they are cleared. Similarly to Start of Turn effects, too many active at once can prove painfully restrictive to Players.

Victory Points - Victory Points are a reward gained for completing challenging tasks like defeating Adversaries or Bosses, Thwarting Schemes or obtaining Relics. During gameplay each Victory Point will gain an equivalent amount of Energon. During Competitive Games, the amount of Victory Points a Player has amassed at the end of game will determine the winner. The more challenging a task, the more Victory Points will be earned. For example, defeating a Boss will earn more Victory Points than defeating an Adversary.

Vault - The Vault is an area controlled by each player where cards that earn Victory Points will be stored until the end of game. Each Player will control a separate Vault. This area can be checked at any time during the game by the Player that controls it.

Energon - Energon is both the fuel and lifeblood that powers The Transformers and their Technology. Energon can be spent to activate both a characters unique abilities and special abilities on cards they control. Energon can be obtained by card effects and by amassing Victory Points. 1 VP translates to 1 Energon. It’s worth noting here that spending Energon does not decrease the amount of VP gained at game’s end.

Final Thoughts

On the whole, Transformers Deck Building Game is a very solid game. Lots of scope for replayability. Great for both fans of the franchise and casual players. You certainly don’t have to be a super fan to enjoy this game, though there are lots of little details that will appeal to longtime fans. Don’t let the apparent complexity of the rules put you off. Just play and have fun, you’ll pick up the nuances as you go along.