Dinosaur Table Battles

Games from the Cellar

The panel plays and discusses Dinosaur Table Battles, designed by Amabel Holland and illustrated by Wil Alambre, which was first published by Hollandspiel in 2020.

Episode Summary:

Dinosaur Table Battles is a unique head-to-head battling board game from Hollandspiel. Players draft dinosaurs, use dice to power up their units, and then attack their opponents in head-to-head dinosaur combat. Strategy and attrition in conflict games are discussed, along with the potential for team play. The game has an excellent presentation, easy-to-learn rules, and can be up and running within twenty minutes. Lastly, the panel compares the game to the historically themed Table Battles and considers the potential for a head-to-head battle between the two.

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Chapters:

(0:00:58) - Make Battle, Not War (0:06:06) - Strategy and Attrition in Dinosaur Table Battles (0:22:18) - For the Fossil Record

Chapter Summaries:

(0:00:58) - Battling Game, Not War (5 Minutes) Dinosaur Table Battles is a unique board game from Hollandspiel, that looks like a war game but isn't. Players pick dinosaurs with which to battle. There is also a draft rule that can be used to select dinosaurs. Dice are then used to power up the units to attack their opponent. It is a head-to-head battle game with dynamic strategy and artwork that is incredibly evocative and colorful.

(0:06:06) - Strategy and Attrition in Dinosaur Battles (16 Minutes) Dinosaur Table Battles is a game of strategic decision-making, where players must decide where to place their dice in order to both defend and attack their opponent. In the Dinosaur version of Table Battles, any unit can attack any unit. Each of the dinosaurs has a unique mix of attacks, defenses, and special abilities, so using your allotted dice effectively is your key to success. It is focused on initiative and holding control of the game while preventing the opponent from doing the same.

(0:22:18) - For the Fossil Record (8 Minutes) Stephen and John conclude with their final thoughts on Dinosaur Table Battles. It is described as a fun, quick game suitable for two players. The game's unique art style and surprising mechanisms make it enjoyable. The conversation then shifts to the possibility of playing it with more than two players, and how a team game could potentially work. The panel is excited to add the game to their rotation and recommends it to others. John ends the conversation with his preference for the original Table Battles game due to its historical theme but admits that the dinosaur theme is enjoyable. They briefly discuss the differences between the two games and the potential for a head-to-head battle between the two.