Tonight after work I sat down for a few games of Squire for Hire. I decided to play with Core Set 1 and the Squire Pack 1 squires so I could experience some of the "rookies to our group".
✅ Game 1 was with Muffins. He was HIRED (win) with 27pts (25 pts gets you hired).
❌Game 2 was with Pascal. A narrow loss at 24pts.
✅ Game 3 was with Loghorn. He was HIRED with 28pts (a new personal best!)
Core Pack 2 (Squire for Hire: Mystic Runes) brought along a revised setup rule. The original rule playing solo was 'after shuffling the quest deck, draw two cards. From those two cards, choose one to keep as the start of your "bag". The other shuffle back into the deck, and begin...' I only now realize why that rule was revised. It was TOUGH. Sometimes you couldn't do much of anything on the first couple story cards depending how they turned up. Meaning your squire was doomed from the start.
The revised setup rule (for solo) now has you 'draw two cards after shuffling. Choose one card as the start of your bag. The other card you can now place in your bag to start, however you MUST cover up one item from your bag card with it (not junk)." That gives you more items in your bag at the setup, which has definitely increased my win percentage.
[*In multiplayer, the second card would be passed to the person on your left. The card you receive from the person on your right, would be your second card to place in your bag at the start. I like it. Nice little change. *]
For me this little game sticks to it's theme well throughout, with its creative characters and the story cards. Nothing extravagent, but there is a theme that makes me smile. Loghorn really impressed me tonight. As a "practicing pacifist" he obviously doesn't like fighting. So his 'junk bonus' only makes perfect sense;
Broken swords count as 2pts each if you have more than the number of weapons in your bag.
For me this 'junk bonus' made me think the most. This pacifist moose doesn't like fighting and therefore doesn't want weapons, so making sure to get any weapons out of the bag and load it with broken swords that are no good for anyone, will make him happy. 😁
In the end, Loghorn and I were both happy; He gets hired and I get a new PB score in the end. 😀 Thank you my friendly antlered giant. 🤣
A new Personal Best? Woo-Hoo! I always like it when that happens. Goes to show, violence isn't always the answer (but it can be a good back-up plan). 🙂