Talismanis a celebrated board game series, famous for paring downa typical D&D gameto a straightforward board game that requires little to no prior knowledge to play. The 5th edition of the game wasreleased earlier this year, the first update in over a decade, and it was well-received across thetabletop gaming community.
Now, the first new expansion is here,Talisman Alliances: Fate Beckons, and the game will change once again, as players team up to defeat new evil forces. You’ll need a copy ofTalisman 5th Editionto playAlliances, as well as a bit more TTRPG experience — if you want to win with your friends, that is.
What’s in the Box?
The box forTalisman Alliancesis much, much smaller than the core game’s container, and most of the parts will fit right in with the base game. The expansion comes with:
Design & Setup
The first thing you’ll see when opening the box is a warning, like an old manga, yelling, ‘STOP!’ This page is a nice touch for two reasons: it prevents spoilers or confusion, and it’s printed on a ‘tattered’ piece of laminated paper.Talisman Alliances: Fate Beckonswas planned almost alongside the core game, and as such, the design of the cards, figures, and counters bring a cohesive style that can make it tough to tell the new cards from the old.
Just Fold in the Cards
Alliancesuses the base game board, but the use of cards isa bit more complicated. The first part of the setup that you’ll have to deal with is removing some of the base game’s cards, and I really do meansome. The game instructs you to take cards out piecemeal, more than once asking for one card out of a handful of copies, so you have to essentially dig through your entire deck to find the right cards.
Next, you have toaddin some cards. The first instruction says to remove three adventure cards, but it could have just said all three of the white cards, which arrive at the bottom of the deck. After that, all of the spell cards get added to the purple spell card deck in the base game.
The final steps of preparing the deck are like a puzzle in and of itself. The number of ‘villain’ cards that get added varies based on the number of players. Then, there are a handful of instructions that have you handling the deck in two stacks, meticulously adding in new cards and shuffling them.
It’s certainly not rocket science, but it is a bit of a pain to deal with, and it’s unclear how easy it would be to play the base game again once all the cards have been moved around, especially if you want to play while trying to tackle the four quests, or ‘trials’. It’s something to consider, and may deter players from jumping intoAlliancesuntil they’ve fully become bored with the base game.
Mysterious Beginnings
The first secret envelope doesn’t get opened until after you finish the first trial, and even though it’s understandable that Avalon Hill wants to create a great air of mystery around the game, it’s a strange choice to play the first trial so close to the chest.
If you don’t want any spoilers, skip the next paragraph.
The first trial is essentially the base game, culminating with a ‘corrupted’ dragon with the same stats as the base game’s final boss. The plot provided through the handbook is enthralling, and this humble beginning is written in such a way that it easily pivots to a cooperative adventure, but it’s a bit of a let-down to flip that ‘sealed’ card and find the same old villain staring you down.
Gameplay
The secretive nature ofTalisman Alliances: Fate Beckonsmakes it difficult to talk about, but rest assured there are no surprises as far as basic gameplay goes. What is interesting is the addition of villain characters and new playable characters that are unlocked along the way.
Each trial lasts about an hour and a half, just as the base game sessions do. It’s totally possible to play through the entire expansion in one sitting, though players looking for a Dungeons-and-Dragons-light kind of experience will probably not want to sit around for five to seven hours. On the other hand, D&D andGloomhavenfans may find that this expansion turnsTalisman 5th Editioninto exactly their kind of game.
The goal of each trial is to find and bury two Talismans in two separate Places of Power. Although this is more tedious than the base game, you’ll be working together with your friends, which helps keep the total play time down. Once that happens, you’ll simply unseal the Portal of Power and be faced with a new BBEG (big bad evil guy).
Are You Up for a Challenge?
Despite the first boss being almost identical to the base game’s, each trial gets more difficult, eventually leaving players hounded by villains that can be as powerful as some bosses. Many players have already played through the trials and can attest to its difficulty. It’s unlikely that players would be able to defeat all of the trials with even two attempts each.
Not everyone likes a challenge like this, but if you don’t mind getting back up again and again,Alliancesmight be for you and your group. This high difficulty is a creative solution to the problem of replayability with the expansion. After all, secret envelopes are only secret once. Thus, with a higher difficulty and a somewhat long total playtime, fans can rely onTalisman Alliancesto challenge and entertain for entire weeks’ worth of game nights.
Verdict
It appears that Avalon Hill doesn’t miss, especially with their current development team.Talisman Alliances: Fate Beckonstransforms a quick, approachable, and competitive TTRPG into a board game that will fit naturally in any beginner’s board game evolution. Swapping competition for cooperation, lengthening the total time to play, and adding significant challenge ratings to enemies and bosses,Alliancestakes everything beginners loved aboutTalisman 5th Editionand adds in everything veteran players love about other RPG board games.
The replayability isn’t as strong withAlliances, but after getting through the gauntlet of trials, players will be more equipped than ever to compete once again in the base game.Alliancesis the perfect example of a board game refresh, even if it does come on the heels of the base game’s release. New players can easily join in the adventure throughAlliances, and the gameplay is different enough that it’s tough to imagine players not being eager to return to 5th edition, especially with the introduction of new player characters who come with unique abilities.
Talisman Alliances: Fate Beckons
Talisman Alliances: Fate Beckons is a cooperative expansion of Talisman 5th Edition. Join forces with fellow players and set forth on an epic adventure to complete 5 daunting Trials! With a vast world of possible scenarios, new spells, new characters, and new dangers, this expansion is perfect for fans looking for a brand-new adventure in the world of Talisman!
If you enjoyedTalisman 5th Edition, you should buyAlliances. Similarly, if you have a group of friends that still need a bit of convincing before they’ll join you at the table to claim Talismans, you might have better luck with this mysterious, cooperative version. Plus, it certainly doesn’t hurt thatTalisman Alliances: Fate Beckonsis available for less than $40.
Related Products
Avalon Hill has been on a roll lately, thanks to Hasbro investing in their creative team. If you haven’t already picked up theTalisman 5th Editionbase game, definitely do so before grabbing theAlliancesexpansion.
For those looking for more streamlinedTTRPG action,HeroQuestis getting new updates all the time now, and offers high-quality figures and in-depth adventures that are easy to dive into. There are a lot of HeroQuest adventures to choose from, but Avalon Hill hasa beginner’s setthat’s affordable and perfect for newcomers to the series.
On the other hand, gamers looking for a light and quick board game to add to their library should make sure they get a copy ofLife in Reterra. I gave thisboard game a glowing review, and a new expansion will only add to its incredible replayability!
