LCG Exposé
Part One: The Core Set
by Morgan Stana
Remember the old saying, "Don't miss the forest for the trees"? It's a good perspective to keep in mind, but it needs to be balanced with a saying of my own: "Don't miss the trees for the forest." Sometimes the "big picture" is simply overwhelming, and you need to stop, catch your breath, and appreciate the details where the deeper devils reside.
I feel that such a situation is upon us with the LCG format. It's a big change. There's a lot going on. And it's all happening on a number of different levels, with a number of different audiences — and prospective audiences — in mind. There's a temptation to try and bring up the entirety of this perspective every time the letters "LCG" appear, and it is precisely within this temptation that the possibility of "missing the trees for the forest" arises.
In an attempt to give every tree the appreciation it deserves, I'm going to be spending each of the next few weeks focusing on one particular aspect of the new format, as opposed to the broader "forest level" overview we've presented thus far.
Welcome to part one of the LCG format exposé: The Core Set.
The core set brings a new level of immersion to the ‘card game' aspect, by adding a board, counters and tokens, and game pieces, just like one would find in a typical board game. This is exciting for several reasons:
First, it appeals to a previously inaccessible player base: Those interested in board games but not card games are now finding the game more accessible and playable. Attracting typical 'board gamers' to a collectible game is always a difficult task -- they want something available completely within the box. Why buy boxes and boxes of booster packs to maybe get what they want when they can just buy one box and get everything they need for gameplay for themselves and friends? The Core Set answers this concern with a product that holds up as a single, self-contained purchase that offers a strong, replayable gaming experience.
Second, the Core Set is an amazing starting point for new card game players, as it's probably the most valuable and attractive "entry point" or "starter" type product on the market. The large, attractive box will catch many more eyes than the previous "Premium Starter" display. and the contents of the Core Sets will take new players deeper into the game than any "starter deck" ever could.
Third, collectors and fans of the source material will love the Core Set. The game box can also stand proudly next to other A Game of Thrones or Call of Cthulhu products, making them much more noticeable additions to the fantastic universes from which they draw their content. The cover art and the card art in these sets is top notch, and the sculpted playing pieces are to die for.
Fourth, the Core set appeals to the casual audience. Many casual gamers have weekly game nights, and the Core Set creates a viable purchase for those players who would previously not consider a game that had competitive gameplay. In most CCGs, each player needs to purchase their own starter deck, and then build on to that deck from their own collection if they want to vary the game experience. The A Game of Thrones Core Set is not just a starting place for one player, but potentially four. Players can play any combination of the four pre-built decks head to head in a "joust," or the entire gaming group can play out a mutliplayer "melee" using all four decks. The Call of Cthulhu Core Set offers an incredibly broad spectrum of replay value, with 21 different deck combinations that can be played casually, straight out of the box.
Finally, the Core set will appeal to well-established players, who have never before been able to get so many cards for so little. With 220 Cards (in AGoT) or 165 cards (in CoC), never before could so many cards be achieved for such a low price -- the entire set of cards costs considerably less than a booster display would. And it's only natural that some of the board gamers, collectors, new card game players, and casual players who are drawn in by the Core Set will really be drawn into the game, and start showing up on the tournament scene. And more tournament players makes for a more exciting organized play environment, which is good news for everyone who comes out to play.
Next week, I'll take a look at another aspect of the LCG format: the fixed releases. See you then!
