Bullfighter Board Game

A boardgame where the board has most of the game time!

This four player competitive kids game has a simple premise: on your turn you roll some dice, move some spaces and hopefully you're the first to cross the "finish line". The track happens to just be the exterior of the arena (which is cleverly built into the storage box itself), and the die pair have symbols other than numbers as well: maybe you'll be drawing some cards, putting on some temporary armor, or most likely - activating the large battery powered toy bull in the center of the stage.

This mini red roomba then randomly moves across the arena for 15 seconds while playing some themed bull fighting music and making everyone pray that it doesn't trigger their spring loaded character clip. If it does, your character is sent flying and basically have to go back to the start unless you've got a resurrect card.

Quick to learn but a little long to set up the first time as you need to put all the stickers on, including the die faces. The best component is no doubt the bull, but it's not so much Bull fighting as it is trying to sneak around the arena hoping it doesn't spot you! Also, given the number of times its going to activate - it sure feels like the bull gets more game time than the players do. 

Theoretically it can be a quick game if the beast misses you each time but really its the bull who is going to decide if and when someone is going to win. All up an amusing distraction but not something that you'll want to play over and over.

Tales of the Blight II: The Inquisitor

[Part of my Dragon Age: Inquisition play through. Spoilers ahead!]

Two years after the defeat of Corypheus, the Inquistor finds himself and his remaining comrades summoned by the Divine Victoria to an Exalted Council to determine the future of the Inquisition. While the Court of Orlais maneuvers to control them, the Nobles of Ferelden - nervous at having a free standing army at their doorstep, would prefer to see them disband entirely. Talks are disrupted when Qunari saboteurs are detected within the palace, and while Leliana deactivates all their hidden gaatlok explosives, the Inquisitor's team chases them through an elven magic mirror through the fade where they face both Qunari and ancient elf spirits.

Feeling he can help ease their suffering, Cole decides to remain with the spirits while the rest of the party reach the Qunari base of operations. Here, Iron Bull sides with his people and is killed by Cassandra while Sera deals with the Qunari pet dragon. This buys time for Inquisitor Trevelyan to pursue the Qunari leader through more mirrors, the anchor in his hand becoming more painful and powerful through each one - until he finally catches her - but she has already been turned to stone by Fen'Harel, the Dread Wolf of elven legend - better known to Trevelyan as Solas.

Solas reveals it was his orb Corypheus had been using, as he intended the magister to simply power it up and get killed in the following explosion. He didn't realize Corypheus had a way to cheat death at the time. With the orb destroyed he had to resort to killing Flemeth to take her power of Mythal instead, with the goal of freeing his people from the fade by removing the barrier to it altogether... and destroying the current world. With the power of the anchor now killing him, Trevelyan still vows to prove to Solas that this world is worth saving. The elf cuts off Trevelyan's arm (to save him) and departs - telling him to enjoy what time he has left.

Critical hit in the feels!

Back at the Exalted Council, the Qunari disavow all actions of the terrorist splinter group that caused the disturbance, promising their continued alliance to Divine Victoria. As for the Inquisition, it is disbanded effective immediately. This is both to retain balance in the realm and to hide their next move against Solas, who is all too familiar with their inner workings. In secret, Trevelyan, Cassandra and Leliana decide to find people Solas doesn't know about to help stop his world ending plot.

And Sera goes back to doing whatever.

Insight: I was getting wrecked when starting the Trespasser DLC, mainly because I didn't realize I wasn't wearing my armor. Duh! Check your gear before going into battle!

Tales of the Blight II: Blackwall

[Part of my Dragon Age: Inquisition play through. Spoilers ahead!]

Sounds like legitimate banditry.

 

As the only Grey Warden in the Inquisition, it was no surprise that I'd be the one sent to secure an alliance with the dwarves of Orzammar especially now they've asked for aid with all the recent earthquakes disrupting their trade routes and reopening passages for the darkspawn to pour out from.

Soon enough I made contact with a unit of their "Legion of the Dead" in the Deep Roads. They're a good bunch. Tough in a fight. Fearless. Two of them, Renn and Valta, decided to come along to try determine the unnatural nature of the quakes. Down and down we went, killing darkspawn by the dozens, until we reached a place of darkness that even the darkspawn knew better than to enter.

Renn died there in that darkness, against "pure" dwarves infused to lyrium armor. Valta and I pushed on, found what they were guarding: a lyrium heart which Valta thought to be part of a sleeping titan. Somehow she managed to calm it down, stopping the quakes it was causing. She chose to stay with it, with them, to let me return to the surface. She fulfilled her duty. Orzammar was happy with this result, accepting the Inquisition alliance.

Upon my return, Bull asked how I was still alive. I told him the Maker has a soft spot for fools.

Insight: I didn't realize the Deep Roads is a DLC which means it is WAY harder than other content. From it I learned early on you can actually revive downed companions which makes a rogue's invisibility very useful. Doubly so in that you can abuse enemy leashing, and the fact they don't heal. Fights might take awhile but as long as you can get far enough away to get everyone up, you can make progress.

Tales of the Blight II: Iron Bull

[Part of my Dragon Age: Inquisition play through. Spoilers ahead!]

So much rain. The Storm Coast reminds me of Seheron, only colder. The Inquisition has sent me and my chargers to the region for a two prong mission, like a pincer attack! First, to find the missing Grey Wardens because somehow that entire group has just vanished, and second to provide cover for a dreadnaught laying down fire from the shore on a Vint operation here to secure an alliance with the Qunari.

If the reports are true, the inquisition is going to need all the alliances it can muster as all the templars just suddenly decided to defect from their sacred Chantry to join the bad guys. Maybe that's why the boss hired us despite telling him up front that I was a Qunari spy.

After searching all the spider infested caves and questioning many bandits we finally found one Grey Warden called Blackwall who maybe we can use. As for covering the ship against the Vint mages and their magic crap, we did our duty. The alliance is secured at the cost of all my guys.

His real name is "Liar".

Shit. Damp just gets in everywhere, doesn't it. I need a drink!

Insight: You can only get to the lightning dragon in this region once you are level 16 or higher. I recommend being level 20+.