Radlands

In a post-apocalyptic future, water is the most valuable resource. Warring camps battle over supremacy and resources and of course, water.

Radlands is my number 8 favorite board game of all time. Radlands is a two-player head to head battle card game. Players begin play with three camps and 3 water tokens. The water tokens are expended to pay for cards that you play from your hand. When you play a card it is placed in front of one of your camps. You can have up to two cards in front of each camp. Your opponent must destroy all of your camps to win. If there are cards in front of a camp, these must be eliminated first.

Game play in Radlands is very dynamic and very tactical. Cards are played and destroyed quickly. Incredible card combos can be created, but its tricky to keep cards in play long enough to see these combos occur. A good player will learn to bait their opponent and sacrifice good cards to create combos with other cards that appear weaker up until that elusive combo kicks in and creates major chaos!

In addition to the cards in your camps, there are raid cards. These cards move through a track each turn, triggering when they reach the end. Raid cards are a great way to damage camps, but your opponent can see them coming and prepare for them.

Radlands is one of the best tactical card games that I have ever played. All of the camps have special powers and which camps you get will influence your strategy during play. It's clever. It's quick. The combos are many but elusive, and it feels great every time that you make one work. The art on the cards is neon bright and super stylized. It gives Radlands its own special feel.

Since the first time that I played Magic the Gathering way back in 1994, I have had a passion for head to head tactical card battle games. Radlands might be the best of the best. It certainly is the best of those currently available, and it's my number 8 favorite game of all time!