What do you get when you combine a history lesson and battle card game/Collectable Card Game? Heroes Of History. This is a very novel approach to the card battle genre.
It was a successful kickstarter. Designed by Sam Friedman.
I asked him what made him want to create a history CCG?
As someone who grew up with a learning disability, I know how difficult the task of teaching kids who would rather play games or learn through doing is. As a former employee of a non-profit that focused on local education issues, I had a first-hand view of the challenges students have in learning and realize many are going through the same thing I did. I’m a huge history buff, the kind of guy who goes to battlefields, and I grew up playing a lot of TCG’s. Heroes of History was created out of my love of tabletop games, my desire to make my own game, and my passion to getting kids engaged with learning and offline social activities.
Game play is simple. Each player takes turns drawing cards and playing Characters to the Trench. Players can also play Supply cards that have some temporary effect much in the way Item cards from Pokemon or Spell cards from Yu-Gi-Oh! do. They can also equip weapons to characters and play Battleground cards that give bonuses to all Characters in play for the player that has summoned them. Players begin with 50 State Points and take turns attacking each other until one player is reduced to 0. You will spend your state points to use cards or attack as well, so you have to learn to manage your SP.
The cards are well done with amazing artwork
With my praise for the artwork out of the way, let me get to a big negative. The text on the cards is VERY SMALL, and super hard to read, as it blends it with the background.
The designer is aware of this problem and told me
I recognize the font is too small for most people so on the next set of cards I will correct that with less text and I will make it larger. I am going to post a PDF of every card in large size on the website so people can read the cards and effects if they have trouble with the font.
When I was doing my play test of this, I just used a magnifying glass, Full disclose I am almost legally blind in my right eye and wear glasses, but the friend that was with me has good vision and also had problems, so just be aware the first printing will have this problem. It’s good to see that he is aware of the issues and working to correct it.
Game play will take place on your game board (Which fold out and has a semi gloss look to it)
Here is what it looked like when I was play testing with a friend (Mine is the one that is facing the camera)
Each of your combatants that are in the “trench” can either be in Attack or Defense mode. when the card is sideways your in defense mode.
Game play was fairly quick and easy to pick up. If you have ever played another CGG then you should be right home, Where this stands out is you will be using people and places from history and learning about it as you go. Each card has a bit of lesson it.
As we were play testing the game, we ran into a few questions where the rule book was not clear, there is an Advanced rule section on the official site, that answered all this questions though.
My Final Thoughts
As a fan of history I like the twist this puts on the CGG/Battle card game genre. Art is top notch. Great lesson on the cards. When the text size issues get fixed, it will make game play much better. I could say younger children enjoying this, and you will get the side effect of they will be learning a bit about our history and probably not even know it!
With all the minor issues facing this early print run, I enjoyed it still. Though I got TROUNCED, and I saw that this suffers from what a lot of this type of game does, One person can build his army/engine and pull way ahead, then just pick away at you. Again, it’s not just this game that has the problem, I think it’s a built in problem with any CGG/battle game. so don’t let that fact stop you from checking this one out.
I would be remiss to point out the fact I keep calling this a Collectible Card Game. and that’s not really the case, it plays like on, but the publisher says
Despite our name, we are more of a “Living Card Game” (LCG) than a true collectible card game, because we don’t intend to sell randomized booster packs. When you buy a core deck box or expansion set, you will get all the cards in that deck set or expansion pack. However, the LCG term is trademarked by Fantasy Flight Games. We also hope that, even if you don’t play card games, you will collect the cards which features incredible artwork done by our professional artists.
Heroes Of History can be purchased for $19.99 on Amazon or via The Publisher eBay store
Thanks to Same from Bradans World for sending over the review copy!
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