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Lego X-Pod Faceoff is a really cool game that uses the nifty little Lego X-Pod sets to create a true constructible strategy game. :)
Here's the basic idea. Each X-Pod contains a few dozen small pieces organized around some theme...wings and propellors in the Air Pod, wheels in the Auto Pod, lots of joints in the Robot and Wild Pods. Each set is dominated by one color (red for Wild, green for Robot, blue for Auto, yellow for Air) plus various common colors like gray, black, etc. Each comes in a plastic "pod" that can also be incorporated in your designs, and comes with instructions for building a bunch of stuff, plus ideas for more. While they have plenty of specialty pieces, they really get back to the "old fashioned" Lego ideal of making fairly abstract models and filling in the blanks with your imagination.
X-Pod Faceoff is a boxed set exclusive to Toys R Us and Amazon, which includes all four of the first wave Pods (the second wave has dragons, insects, monsters and sea creatures), plus a special black colored Robot pod, and the actual game stuff. You get a bunch of plans for creations to be made for each of the five pods, inventory sheets (so even if you lose a bit, you can probably replace it from your other Legos), a nice folding heavy cardstock playing board, rules and special action cards. Additionally, a year or so ago the Lego Club magazine came with an alternate thin cardstock map and six more sets of plans (one of which duplicates one that comes with the game), which I thankfully held onto.
The goal of the game is to get three of your creations across to the home row of your opponent. A number of squares are filled with obstacles that only flying and jumping units can cross. Every time you get a creation into the end zone, you take it apart and put one of its pieces into your pod to keep score.
And here's where the game gets really clever. It's all about resource management. If you don't have a particular piece available, you can't use any plans that require it. If your unit is damaged when it hits the end zone, you have to use one of the remaining pieces to mark the win, which can keep you from making some of your other units later. If you build a new unit using parts from a damaged but still living unit, you may not be able to repair the damaged unit.
Each turn you may only do one thing: build a new unit, move a built unit into your home row, or activate one of your units in play (most can move and then do something else, like destroy adjacent enemies, repair adjacent allies, etc). The rules are a little minimalist, unfortunately, and have some obvious holes (i.e. one rule says you can't use any special abilities after using the Push movement to shove someone, another line talks about using special abilities after Pushing).
Due to the limited number of pieces, you have to be careful what you build...the smaller units that require less pieces are also wimpier and easier to reduce to impotence. Many "level 1" units can't even move, so you could "decon" an enemy unit into immobility and deny your opponent the use of the remaining (often fundamental and commonly used) pieces until he can get a repair unit out to it.
I'm sure there's exploits and balance issues to it, it was designed for children. But it's promising, and maybe Lego will issue plans for using the new X-Pods in the game. Too bad it's only available at TRU/Amazon. But it is on sale now...five X-Pods for $15 plus a game is a pretty good deal.
Here's the basic idea. Each X-Pod contains a few dozen small pieces organized around some theme...wings and propellors in the Air Pod, wheels in the Auto Pod, lots of joints in the Robot and Wild Pods. Each set is dominated by one color (red for Wild, green for Robot, blue for Auto, yellow for Air) plus various common colors like gray, black, etc. Each comes in a plastic "pod" that can also be incorporated in your designs, and comes with instructions for building a bunch of stuff, plus ideas for more. While they have plenty of specialty pieces, they really get back to the "old fashioned" Lego ideal of making fairly abstract models and filling in the blanks with your imagination.
X-Pod Faceoff is a boxed set exclusive to Toys R Us and Amazon, which includes all four of the first wave Pods (the second wave has dragons, insects, monsters and sea creatures), plus a special black colored Robot pod, and the actual game stuff. You get a bunch of plans for creations to be made for each of the five pods, inventory sheets (so even if you lose a bit, you can probably replace it from your other Legos), a nice folding heavy cardstock playing board, rules and special action cards. Additionally, a year or so ago the Lego Club magazine came with an alternate thin cardstock map and six more sets of plans (one of which duplicates one that comes with the game), which I thankfully held onto.
The goal of the game is to get three of your creations across to the home row of your opponent. A number of squares are filled with obstacles that only flying and jumping units can cross. Every time you get a creation into the end zone, you take it apart and put one of its pieces into your pod to keep score.
And here's where the game gets really clever. It's all about resource management. If you don't have a particular piece available, you can't use any plans that require it. If your unit is damaged when it hits the end zone, you have to use one of the remaining pieces to mark the win, which can keep you from making some of your other units later. If you build a new unit using parts from a damaged but still living unit, you may not be able to repair the damaged unit.
Each turn you may only do one thing: build a new unit, move a built unit into your home row, or activate one of your units in play (most can move and then do something else, like destroy adjacent enemies, repair adjacent allies, etc). The rules are a little minimalist, unfortunately, and have some obvious holes (i.e. one rule says you can't use any special abilities after using the Push movement to shove someone, another line talks about using special abilities after Pushing).
Due to the limited number of pieces, you have to be careful what you build...the smaller units that require less pieces are also wimpier and easier to reduce to impotence. Many "level 1" units can't even move, so you could "decon" an enemy unit into immobility and deny your opponent the use of the remaining (often fundamental and commonly used) pieces until he can get a repair unit out to it.
I'm sure there's exploits and balance issues to it, it was designed for children. But it's promising, and maybe Lego will issue plans for using the new X-Pods in the game. Too bad it's only available at TRU/Amazon. But it is on sale now...five X-Pods for $15 plus a game is a pretty good deal.
