Previewing: Princes of the Dragon Throne

Welcome to Lo’en, a land ruled by us dragons. Sure, there are other kingdoms of humans and goblins and the like, but they all answer to us. We control the Dragon Throne, and our lordship is not in question.

However. . .

Our father, the Dragon King, decided to up and die on us. It’s only a matter of time until one of my siblings makes a run at the throne. But I have a better idea. I think it should be me instead. The others clearly are not worthy of the title, though a few are somewhat capable. It will not be easy, but I will convince the lesser clans to support me.

“A Kobold in every pot” has a nice ring to it, no? I think so…

Now bring me a peasant, for I am hungry!

 

Prototype Shown

It’s not an easy life, being one royal dragon sibling among many. In Princes of the Dragon Throne, you are playing as the heirs to the aptly-named Dragon Throne, and you’re looking to solidify your claim as you maneuver for the seat of dear old dad.

The mighty dragon court will need to be swayed to your cause in order to pull it off, however, and that requires a lot of influence. You’ll need the influence of the various guilds around the land, the support of the subject kingdoms, and the clout of the lesser dragon lords themselves.

Princes of the Dragon Throne has an amalgamation of mechanics, involving resource management, area of control, and deck-building combined. There’s no hiding the fact that this is not going to be a filler game in the slightest. Just look at the board when it’s empty.

The game starts out as a deck builder, but it quickly grows from there. The deck-building part is simple enough: your starting deck represents your initial supporters. You use your cards to generate resources such as Gold and Sheep. (Seriously, dragons love gold and sheep.) You’ll use them to get even more resources, as well as additional supporters.

You’ll then by able to deploy those supporters throughout the various kingdoms, in order to secure the loyalty of the various guild factions within those kingdoms. Taking control of one such guild house gets you some previous VP, but they also allow you access to guild-specific cards for your deck, as well as a Clan Lord for the teddy bear picnic dragon summit going on in the center.

Prototype Shown

Gameplay is not for the timid; this is not a short deck-builder. It actually hovers more towards traditional board game time spans. Prepare accordingly.

You will also have to be perceptive, and plan wisely, as your enemies are attempting to do the same thing. While there is not huge level of direct conflict in the game, few territories are truly safe, and if things go poorly, a usurper may steal your territories right out from under you.

The game’s intent is to end with the most VP, and you will need to ensure you’re working towards them in both the short-term and the long-term. Will all the maneuvering your clever dragon brain came up with pan out? We shall see. In Princes of the Dragon Throne, your end-game scoring is contingent on you having more of something than everyone else. Most Soldier Guilds? Most Guilds in the Troll Kingdom? Most Dragons in your deck? Points. Points. Points. Don’t get left behind, lest people start thinking you’re a bit, let’s say, Goblin-minded…

What you have here is a tactical strategy game with a deck-building engine at its core. Princes of the Dragon Throne is the deck-builder for people who think Dominion just isn’t complex enough. In addition to managing your deck, your resources, and available minions to secure territory, you’ll also have to pay attention to what other players are up to. You will benefit from the effort though. Princes of the Dragon Throne is a game that’s both challenging and rewarding, with people clawing their way towards victory, step by step.

Hey, no one said being king was supposed to be easy.

If you think you’re up for the challenge of ruling Lo’en, head on over to their Kickstarter.