Tears of the Dragon
From: Avalanche Press
Reviewed by: Scott J. Magner
If you are looking for good, quick, and reasonably challenging gameplay, Tears of the Dragon (a recent release from Avalanche Press) may be the answer to your search. And after looking it over, the only real way to improve upon it would be to get rid of the box
Set in a self-contained fantasy setting, Tears of the Dragon follows the efforts of feudal warlords vying for the hand of the dragon princess Erynmil. Players ( or player, the game lends itself quite well to a solo experience) move their forces across a full color game board, amassing knowledge and experience from battling not only each other, but also the terrors found with the many ruins dotting the landscape.
Gameplay is well structured, and although there’s not much to it, a lot of information and strategy is packed into this very small game (12 page rulebook, with a 4 page index of magic). The tiles, game board, and rulebooks combined are small enough to fit in a regular file folder, making us suspect that the only reason it was packaged in a box may have been as a delivery system for the two-ten sided dice needed to play the game. However, the full color box is quite sturdy, and will hold its own on the shelf with much larger releases. Plus, the options for expanding this title are limitless, and the box will come in handy for storing any future new factions if (hopefully) they are designed and released.
Like most tile games, movement and positioning are paramount. The default placements for the included factions are very challenging, and the small size of the map allows little time for feeling out the rules: expect battles on the first turn of play. Conflicts are resolved by an ingenious initiative system, and by comparing die rolls to a well designed and easy-to read chart. A similar system was used in Avalanche Press’s release of Granada: The Fall of Moslem Spain; players familiar with that game will have no difficulties in picking up the mechanics of Tears of the Dragon
With the straightforward, easy-to-grasp rules, well-defined turn sequence, and the simplicity of play, Tears of the Dragonis a sleeper hit.
For more details on Avalanche Press and their board game Tears of the Dragon
check them out at their website
http://www.avalanchepress.com , and at all of your local game stores.
Tears of the Dragon is a Trademark of Avalanche Press, Inc.
and all related characters, places and events are
© 2003 Avalanche Press, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
(Product Summary )
Tears of the Dragon
From: Avalanche Press
Type of Game: Board Game
Game Design by: John R. Phythyon, Jr., addl by Rob Markham, Doug McNair
Developed by: Doug McNair
Box, Map, and Counter Design: Terry Moore Strickland
Art Direction and Counter Design: Peggy Gordon
Editing: Mike Bennighof
Game Components Included: 1 game board, 1 rulebook, 1 spell index, 2d10, 1d12, 2 player cards, 60 cardboard tokens
Retail Price: $ 19.95 (US)
Number of Players: 1-2
Player Ages: Young adult to Adult (
Play Time: 2 hours (minimum)
Website: http:www.avalanchepress.com
