Care to take a guess where those tiles go during the game? And even longer if your fingers struggle to hold the tiny stacks of tiles with just the right amount of correctly directional pressure to keep them together without the centre tiles popping out and scattering over the table like cardboard confetti. How was it allowed to go into production? After that maybe wait for one of the sequels to 2E set in NZ and Argentina coming in the next 2 years. The trouble is, its likely to stay that way unless I bin the insert, something Im reluctant to do because its both a waste of plastic and so nice to look at. The only thing in 2nd that would make it worth it IMO is the dual layer player boards. The new cover is sooooo generic though. Your email address will not be published. 2nd edition adds a few new mechanics like growing your cattle, and its also replaced the Trade with Indians mechanic with something more sensitive (I thought it was one of the weaker parts of the game anyway). The mini-expansion introduces Simmental cow cards to the market. Will you hire more engineers, so you can move your locomotive more quickly to powerful upgrade stations? It comes down to one simple thing: the box insert. Im used to (i) games with no inserts, (ii) games with half-arsed inserts that are little more than space dividers, and (iii) games with inserts that dont work, failing to hold components in place if the box is tipped or jostled. For me the cards dont fit no matter how Ive sorted them they only just fitted when in shrink and after using them once they never did again. Clicking on these banners and making a purchase will result in financial compensation for Meeple Mountain. Press J to jump to the feed. Sign me up for Meeple Mountain's newsletter! Private buildings grant their builder a couple of actions each time they land in those spaces, while other players may have to pay a fee to get through those buildings. Required fields are marked *. Also, there are two more GWT games coming out in the coming years, it's unclear if these will simply be new versions of the game, or if there is any connectivity. 1st edition is great, didn't need an upgrade at all. Ad #q%FI}O$EJoG$, If the aesthetics of the new one appeal to you (its definitely prettier!) The Tennessee Meeple t-shirt is printed on soft and comfortable 100% ring-spun Anvil 980 t-shirts and is available in sizes S through XXXL. I absolutely agree with you Andrew that spotting the difference between the cattle type icons is really tricky, I always have to look twice to make sure. Kansas City coin/points value is different. I truly don't understand the hate for the cover. Or will you go for a construction strategy, hiring builders to get as many of your private buildings on the board as possible? Taking care of hazards (bandits) gives you positive points. One aspect of the second edition that has not improved over the first is the rule book, which is still long, cluttered, and difficult to navigate. The Simmental cows are neat but not essential. Another centralreasonfor Great Western Trails popularity is its designer. Read more, The 2022-2023 Guide To Board Game Conventions, Looking to attend a board game convention? The result is a heavy but fun game that offers plenty of decision-making opportunities. It strikes me as a great practice mode, but perhaps too fiddly to play often as a solo experience. I do like the art of the 2nd edition, but don't like the cover of the first. After all, not all games come with an insert included, and few of those included inserts are as pretty as this one is when everything is in its right place, all neatly arranged and organised. I did end up ditching the insert for baggies. I actually did some internet searching before this was published to check if it was just me and found others who had the same issue. It has re-worked teppee rewards and exchange tokens (from the expansion) which make the game feel less punishing. Mainly minor things. Here, though, is an insert thats had time, care and money put into it, an insert that technically works everything is held in place however the box is stored. And Im no over-eager sleever with a fever either my cards are nude and they still dont all fit. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Whats different between the first and second editions of Great Western Trail? One bump of the table and everything on everyones player boards get jostled. That uncanny valley will haunt my waking dreams. The insert sucks, the meeple hats make them top heavy, and the cards feel incredibly flimsy. And especially dont do it when youll be trying to sell me an expansion and the Argentinian and New Zealand sequels over the next two years. When does Great Western Trail second edition come out? Andrew Holmes is a husband, father, scientist, poet and, of course, gamer who lives in Wales, works in England and owns a Scottish rugby shirt. However, all of that isn't important compared to the gameplay. Get 2nd edition if you don't have the original. You then will add up all of the values on the cards to deliver one presumes this would mean beef, although the game is not that grisly to the farthest city possible along the railroad track, culminating in New York City. A friend recently gave me Great Western Trail Second Edition for my birthday. Pfister has become a bit of a celebrity in the scene, garnering his own throng of fans. Im really glad to hear the insert works for you Bert! After about 6 plays its become one of our favorite games of all time, so Im happily picking up the 2nd edition too. It pushes you to choose a strategy early on. See our ethics statement. You could read this article twice in the time it takes me to put just those little numbered tiles away properly. Theres absolutely no reason not to keep the tiles in their numbered cotton bags, except that the insert doesnt fit properly if you do. I haven't seen any real compelling reason to choose one over the other. Now each players starting stuff is in its own baggie and ask the other components are sorted with an eye to setup. If you buy something from a Polygon link, Vox Media may earn a commission. These do not influence editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased through affiliate links. Now includes a solo mode, a mini-expansion, plus better art and components. New MMORPG on Steam dies after just 81 days. And all the cards fit just fine if you sort them right. Sam is based on rules for Garth, an automa developed by Steve Schlepphorst, a fan of the first edition. Players take on the role of ranchers in the Old West, forming cattle herds and a network of buildings to make larger deliveries of cows to Kansas City. Theyre all worth points at the end of the game in the original, from one to 13 points. Being a hobby board game, its more complex and evolved than the mainstream board games everyone is familiar with. Lastly, but probably most attractively, are new rules and variants. You can make do with bags though. It did take some thinking to make it work, and Id certainly agree it would have made more sense to simply have somewhere to put the full token bags! It's very pretty, but kind of useless. This second edition has all-new art, and some of the changes are functional as well as aesthetic. Mechanically speaking, the second edition introduces three major changes to the mechanics of the original version. There are also some smaller tweaks, notably that delivering to Kansas City gives you only $4 instead of $6 in the original (with the same 6-point penalty, so its a less appealing tradeoff to get some fast cash). He has never passed up a challenge to play Carcassonne. Show me a game that looks as good in the box as it does out of it and my money is yours unless the consequence of that in-box glamour is tired irritation from a terrible design. We are a group of passionate individuals who share our love of board games through written and video reviews, articles, and humor, so that others can join us in our journey. This game, which is one of my favourites, is ever so slightly harder to play since the redesign. Read more, Enter a Board Game Giveaway! The second edition builds on that popularity and reinforces Great Western Trails status as a hobby classic. But it's similar enough. See the bags in the bottom left? All are worth points at the end of the game, in the original, from one to 13 points. I kind of like the original but man is there widespread dislike for it. Perhaps instead the insert was designed on a computer by someone whos never had to go through the laborious process of setting the game up and putting it away. The aim and result of these little changes is to speed up gameplay and provide more resources and options to players; this simultaneously results in a deeper strategic experience as players can pivot and dabble in multiple strategies in one game. EDITED to add: The insert, FYI isn't good. You can also hire three types of workers so that you can make your actions more powerful. Quick). I'd happily buy Dual layer boards for my first edition for $15. See: Hear that? As for the game itself, its an interesting mix of two existing game systems, using deckbuilding and rondel mechanics. Glad youve ditched the insert and dont seem to look back in regret. I'd say save 15 bucks. At the start of the game the number 1 tiles are all put into the number 1 bag and mixed up. Sam just keeps things moving so you dont have nearly infinite turns before the game is over, and he gives you a score to beat. By following some logic guidelines, Sam gives players the ability to play Great Western Trail in solo mode. Mhl"!oYsWcgn43':y2 MFF4;;*t`h4 sACe$g|+kNO/cPYWu"$ +PK[.BnY@48]6$YIat{L_HS L2RBbBU;'KLdyQ9f:8}{ -]/Gi&I`A 9PBNe`oG7hI`Q\,L{1a5$i%?VJ(S!sSx.axdL&z=b;*yf. Or will you go with a construction strategy, hiring builders to get as many of your private buildings on the board as possible? In this historic frontier setting, players must maintain their herd, breeding more valuable cattle, while moving up the eponymous Trail. Here are what I see are the changes in the 2nd edition. Vox Media has affiliate associations. Quite a lot, actually. I would recommend getting it at the lowest price available because it is an amazing game. Great Western Trail (Second Edition) | What is the Hype Behind the New Edition. This second edition has completely new art, and some of the changes are both functional and aesthetic. B9>8(TfY0md&-Y4E# The result is a heavy but enjoyable game that offers a ton of decision-making opportunities. Firstly, the second edition features a rework of the game's graphics and illustrations. Splendor springs to mind Tom Franklins 3D-printed box for Splendor is a quarter of the size of the original. Sam will move his train quickly around the track, take the most valuable hazard cards, remove workers from the job market, and occasionally grab a cow or two. Yes, its all a bit fiddly maybe, but I reckon less so than ditching it and using baggies for everything. After watching a bunch of videos, I just bought the Rails to the North expansion and got on with life. Great Western Trail Second Edition was previewed with a retail copy of the game provided by Plan B Games. The slated release date for the second edition of Great Western Trail is Oct 22, 2021. I agree with so much of this article. Why is this box insert so rubbish? This is a fun little change to the game, but it shouldnt substantially change anyones strategy, especially since these cows make up a small fraction of the entire deck. (The greatest city in the world, natch.). Some of the colors on the board are brighter and more appealing, although the private building tiles have more muted colors for no apparent benefit. Im not overly impressed with it, wish Id kept my 1st edition. But he doesnt get in your way very much, which is a mixed bag it makes the solo mode more fun, but doesnt replicate the multiplayer experience that well. I don't own the 1st, but do own the second. Expansion "Exchange Tokens": These were originally part of Rails to the North, but are now in the base game. Hell, I could even applaud how its right and proper that the game presents Hereford cows as the best type of cow. Well I applaud and am envious of your card organising skills Bert! Alexander Pfister has designed several other games that have become popular in the scene, such as Maracaibo, Isle of Skye, and Blackout: Hong Kong. Meeple Mountain believes that board gaming is the gateway to building better relationships. These links are clearly indicated by the Amazon banner near the top of the page. So for 1, 2, 3 player counts it'll all be double layered, except for those pieces. Sam will move his train quickly down the track, grab the most valuable hazard cards, pull workers out of the job market, and occasionally grab a cow or two. And all this is before you hear that the card holders in the insert arent deep enough to hold all the cards. The board changes are nice, and the additional cattle rule is fine as well. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. If you do, skip it. Plus, the expansion is imo crucial for variety and balance of strategy, and it can be found fir pretty cheap online (versus waiting who knows how long for a new version). It's up to you whether it's worth the extra money. I decided to go for the prettier one. If I were an addict with a baggie habit I could halve the set up/tear down time by throwing the insert away and using plastic bags. Gameplay: There are some differences in the gameplay. After that, we go to the slaughterhouse with you, Bessie. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a76b9d28a3b2932d1e963c465468e7b8" );document.getElementById("aa8d4cab20").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The mode is only adapted from one developed by Steve Schlepphorst, an avid fan of the original. If youre interested in trying a heavier game, or some of the aesthetic options from the original put you off, this second edition of Great Western Trail its a vastly improved version of what I consider to be the best game in its weight class, and a welcome return to the North American market. Will you hire more engineers so you can move your locomotive more quickly to powerful upgrade stations? I already own the old base game and I think I will just "patch it" with those changes and call it a day. I might have to get the NZ one JUST for the sheep. I did feel guilty about ditching the insert but it is a terrible piece of design. The heart of the game is the deck of cow cards that you try to update as the game progresses; by the time your pastor reaches the end of the trail (in Kansas City) he will get money based on the number of different cows in his hand. There isnt a lot of time left to reserve a copy! Secondly, there are numerous small gameplay tweaks. Weve all seen board game boxes that are too big for the games inside. Longer if you want to reduce set up time for the next game by organising the tiles by number before you put them back in the box. Why is the Splendor box so big? It pushes you to choose a strategy from the beginning. Upgraded components "Bags": There are now 3 bags marked "1", "2", and "3" for the various tokens at Kansas City. Some tiles and cards have changed dark backgrounds for light ones, which makes it easier to distinguish their icons. I would go with the First edition with the Rails to the North. Sounds like a great practice mode to me, but perhaps too complicated to play often as a solo experience. And take a lot of objective cards, all of which score as if they were completed at the end of the game. I'd actually rather some cool looking Rancher standees, say make 3 men and 3 females, and let people choose who they want. The private buildings grant a pair of actions to their builder anytime they land on those spaces, while other players may have to pay a fee to pass through those buildings. Plan B Games Eggertspiele imprint has been working on a new edition of the original that will serve as the first in a trilogy of games, and the first one, simply called Great Western Trail Second Edition, will be out at Gen Con in mid-September. Expansion "Simmentals": These add a small market piece and cows that you "upgrade" every time you deliver. Simmental cows are initially expensive but score a small number of points; Later on, though, they mature and earn players much more points,rewarding the players patience. (The largest city in the world, natch.). The insert puts me off playing Great Western Trail Second Edition. Enter each board game giveaway and you could win free board games from some of Read more, Now you too can show pride in your state, and more importantly your love of board gaming. Great Western Trail Second Edition was reviewed with a retail copy of the game provided by Plan B Games and Asmodee. Thats the contented sigh of a game well boxed. Its tougher to see which cattle types are used by each building and the cowboys and outlaws look way too similar. Youll also move your locomotive along a track on the outer edge of the main board, which gets you points, might give you bonus actions, and which allows you to deliver cows farther along the line. Meeple Mountain uses Amazon affiliate links to generate revenue. Players take on the role of ranchers in the Old West, building up herds of cattle and a network of buildings to make bigger deliveries of cows to Kansas City. The second edition comes with not only improvements to the games strategic balance, but a bunch of other goodies to add variety to repeated plays. You have a better chance of improving your actions or your card-based economic engine than you can achieve in a single game, which is one of the GWTgreat strengths. The mini-expansion introduces Simmental cow cards to the market. Great Western Trail is a commitment once you start rustling them cattle, its awful hard to stop but this second edition should bring even more people to the table. The two new buildings include a 20-point building that can only be built as an upgrade to an existing structure, and one that gets you coins based on how many engineers you have or how many discs youve placed on the board. Whilst each individual issue is only tiny, they definitely add up. The publishers want to grab your attention as it sits on the shelf in your local game store, they want you to feel like their game is worth the price point. The player boards are okay, but they're fine in first ed, too. Then you will add up all the values on the cards to hand over, this is supposed to mean beef, although the game is not that scary, to the farthest city possible along the train track, culminating in the city of New York. The meeples with hats, I can take or leave, it's a gimmick. To begin with, its a good game. You can find Additional information on Polygons ethics policy here. Some of the dashboard colors are brighter and more attractive, although private building tiles have duller colors to no apparent benefit. Great Western Trail Its my favorite complex board game, a two-hour affair with a 20-page rulebook that manages to hit all the correct notes in a game of its length and weight. Meh. For me, I never got into GWT, and when I started looking at it, the 2nd edition had already been announced. The dangers have gone from teepees to bandits (who are clearly white), and the workers you hire during the game have gone from being all white men to a white man, a white woman, and a black man. But its a fantastic game either way. Publishers take note: there are enough barriers to playing board games as it is, dont add to them with your beautiful but shoddy insert just for the sake of promotional photos. GWT, and it works more like a timer than a true opponent (or automa, as those solo opponents are sometimes called). But he doesnt get in your way much, which is a mixed bag he makes solo more fun, but he doesnt reproduce the multiplayer experience as well. They called it "Lonely are the Brave". Great Western Trail (GWT) incorporates multiple ideas you might have seen in other modern board games, sometimes called Eurogames, all into one coherent package. The same applies with value two cards, upgrading them to value three, which is their peak. Additionally, the player boards all have been improved by a dual-layer design, that holds each tile and token and piece in place in their own little pockets and slots. Copyright 2015-2022 | Meeple Mountain , And Im no over-eager sleever with a fever either, In Defence of Monopoly: Why a Toxic Attitude is Bad for the Hobby, The Pursuit of Happiness: Community & Experiences Expansions Game Review. Please check your email to find a confirmation email, and follow the steps to confirm your humanity. There isnt a lot of time left to reserve a copy! There are games for the first timer and for friends who have been playing for years. When it comes right down to it, if you just want the game and don't care about the slight upgrades, and want to save some cash, get the first. #boardgames https://t.co/W8sJgd12gT. Come discuss games like Codenames, Arkham Horror, Terra Mystica, and all your other favorite games! Sad to hear that the insert is more frustrating than useful I agree with you Gary, static minis are about the worst type of board game component! Our guide to board game conventions can help you decide what to pack, play, and pass on! You have more possibilities to improve your actions or your card-based economic engine than you can possibly achieve in a single playthrough, which is one of GWTs great strengths. Also, while the extra diversity in the components and design is very good, the overall graphic design has taken a backward step. You start with a basic deck of cow cards and will buy better cards to update that deck as the game progresses. It removes some of the bad art options from the original without negatively affecting the strategic depth that made the original so great. But I'll bet in another 5 years we'll see a "10th Anniversary" one anyway. Well I like the insert, and it works just fine for me! The two new buildings include a 20-point building that can only be constructed as an upgrade to an existing structure, and one that awards you coins based on the number of engineers you have or the number of discs you have placed on the board. The first edition of Great Western Trail has been highly reviewed and rated by the hobby game community, as demonstrated by the games scores and activity on BoardGameGeek. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. tj@E Then maybe I can squeeze the expansions into the box. The Eggertspiele label of Plan B Games has been working on a new edition of the original that will serve as the first in a trilogy of games, and the first, simply called Great Western Trail Second Edition, will be available at Gen Con in mid-September. I've been playing a hybrid version between first and second edition on BGA, where it's in alpha and I enjoy it a lot that way. One aspect of the second edition that hasnt improved from the first is the rule book, which remains long, crowded, and difficult to navigate. 7WGa"= `jc>i+f") Solo Mode: It has a solo mode that is based on the one on BGG. . So why is the Great Western Trail Second Edition box insert so impractical despite all appearances? Great Western Trail: Argentina comes out sometime in 2022, and Great Western Trail: New Zealand is expected to arrive in 2023.

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