Playing Cards To Control Time Itself!
Shadowfist
ZGames
www.shadowfist.com
We don't often review collectible card games here at Fanboy
Planet. Fans of collectible card games usually already know
what's out there and non-card game players could care less.
But every so often we find a product that hasn't quite hit
the mainstream with full force and also has nice crossover
appeal to untested card gamers.
Shadowfist is a collectible card game centered
on the action packed and often cheesy world of Hong Kong
fighting films (think Kill Bill but shorter and better).
Each player is armed with a deck of cards consisting of
henchman, heroes, cars, guns, sword and other twists and
turns. Each player also has property cards called Feng Shui
sites. The goal of the game is to use your cards to generate
power to eventually control six Feng Shui sites.
But the game isn't limited to samurai and ninjas. The Feng Shui sites also control time. Whichever faction ultimately gains control of them will be able to remake reality in their image and erase their enemies from the past. With such high stakes, armies and factions from throughout history are battling for control.
Shadowfist was originally produced by Daedalus
Games who only printed a few expansion sets before going
under financially.
Current producer Z-Man Games revived and revised the game
in 2000 and it is once again thriving. Starter decks and
the Year of the Dragon expansion set should be
available at your local comic and gaming store (look behind
the stack of Yu-Gi-Oh cards).
Either this week or next, Z-Man will also be releasing
the expansion Two-Fisted Tales of the Secret War
...also known as the "Pulp" set. Among the characters
available in that set are the fearsome Marmojets -- flying
monkeys with that little extra bit of deadly oomph. And
you know how we feel about monkeys here.
The
eight different factions fighting represent different playing
styles so that each gamer can find an army that compliments
his or her personality and skill level.
The most fun aspect of Shadowfist is that anything
is possible in the context of the game. Hong Kong fighting
legends, shaolin monks or ninja monkeys from the future
are all at your disposal plus an arsenal of weapons from
throughout history. Each card is not only a playable element
in the game, but an often humorous story element waiting
to be revealed.
Its fast pace, high body count and irreverent sense of
humor make it something every gamer, action film fan and
bored guy with a friend and $10 should check out.
(Editor's Note: Yep, you betcha that our sponsor Brian's
Books has them. We're a lot of bored guys with friends and
$10.)
