EN GARDE!!

Hello Dear Reader!


I say...it would be ever so decent of you if you could pass the chardonnay and then of course... EN GARDE!!


GAME DESIGNERS: Another great card game put out by the Slugfest people! Geoff Bottone, Colleen Skadl, and Cliff Bohm. Art by the amazing Beth Trott! Art Direction by Cliff Bohm.


PLAYERS: 2- 6 people, ages 10+, there's some small glass jewels so keep the babies away!


GAME BASICS: Where Kung Fu fighting was full of slam-bang karate fighting, En Garde aptly embodies the suave, sophisticated, sword fighting of swashbuckling movies all over!


Each player gets a handy card and gem to keep track of your Poise, lose your Poise and well, most anything can kill ya! So keep your cool and learn to dodge! Each player is dealt cards that allow them to both attack and defend themselves in a smooth dueling style!

GAME DISSECTION: Inigo: You are using Bonetti's defense against me, uh?

Man In Black: I thought it fitting, considering the rocky terrain.

Inigo: Naturally, you must expect me to attack with Capo Ferro.

Man In Black: Naturally, but I find that Thibault cancels out Capo Ferro, don't you?

Inigo: Unless the enemy has studied his Agrippa, ... which I have!

ART: The art in this game is by the classically trained Beth Trott, who, on top of being a fabulous artist, is a gamer gal herself! In many games you either have a game in which the art was a secondary consideration, or a game which would look better in a museum than it does on your kitchen table....Beth's art finds that elusive middle ground where the art adds to the quality of both the aesthetics and the gameplay! Cliff's layouts make the game art flow smoothly from cover to rules pages and cards.

PRICE: 20.00$ ! Don't get me wrong, I have lots of games way over the 20$ dollar mark, but I'm always most pleased with the ones that rock my socks for only a Jackson! I got mine at the convention in Ohio and along with two other games still spent less than 50.00$ I own the games and can play them with lots of people. Conversely... my kids and I saw Iron Man and paid about the same for 2 hours of entertainment and candy. You can see why I favor board games above other forms of entertainment!

REPLAY: Not as fast as Kung Fu Fighting yet still you could polish off a couple-three games in about an hour. The 2-6 player style allows you to gather your friends or have a couple of couples over and join you and your spouse for some swashbucklery! ( Maybe play a POTC movie in the back round .. for ambiance... Why's the rum gone?)

MECHANICS: Smooth. I think that best describes how the games flow from the good Slugfest people. The rules make the steps of play clear and there's an intuitive nature to the design of the cards themselves. This is a great asset when teaching the game to new people!

FUN: If you don't find yourself quoting lines from the Princess Bride while you play.... you either have not seen the movie or the game-gremlins have eaten your soul.... roll a D20 for a new gamer soul! Or go buy the movie! FAST!, so you can get back to playing the game!!

GAMER PROFILE : HELLO! MY NAME IS INIGO MONTOYA!....

CASUAL: Put down the crossword puzzle, turn off the internet games, click off the gameshow on TV and interact with your people over a nice game of swashbuckling!....

"ITS CULTURE!!" ~ Mama and Papa

ACTIVE: Its pretty. Its sophisticated. Its a game about sword fighting. Its affordable and fits in your Backpack O' Games .... need I say more? Ok but only because I like to talk....

GAMER: A game for Talk Like a Pirate Day to be certain! In fact, you could play En Garde!, Battleship, and Seafarers of Catan and have a whole nautical theme night....I mean seriously...have you ever thought about pirating? You'd make a wonderful Dread Pirate Roberts...

CREATOR: Buy it. Study it. Pay attention to the art, not just the obvious stuff like the good half-dried blood color of the art...but the consistent facial features like how the blonde girl's nose is the same in each picture she's in.... the consistency of the art means you put some effort into the design of your game. Then read the rules and note the progression of information. Some games just blast away with a bunch of items listed and then take nigh unto a coon's age to actually explain the point of the game or how to win. The game rules for En Garde! fit neatly onto a single sheet of folded paper. That saves you cost and that increases profit.... both are important for a game creator!

FOR THE LADIES: Smart women are EVERYWHERE! Most of the bright-minded women I know have a great smile and love kicking butt in boardgames! BE A BUTT KICKER!! Moreover this is again another game created with the talents of women! SOLIDARITY BABY! Show Colleen and Beth they are not alone! Besides.... who doesn't like a Lady Pirate? I mean REALLY!

ABOUT ME: I'm a Gamer, Game Designer, and above all, a good guy who loves sharing games with people! if you have any questions, write me at redearth72@gmail.com