In February Fantasy Flight Games is planning to release some major board game expansions, Cosmic Encounters: Cosmic Conflict, a brand new expansion that adds several new wrinkles to the game, and Runebound: The Collected Chronicles, which contains six previously released expansions for Runebound in a convenient and specially priced package. 

 

Cosmic Conflict (MSRP $24.95) is the second expansion for the FFG version of Cosmic Encounters.  It introduces 20 new alien races to the galaxy that are certain to complicate a player’s quest to make his adopted race the dominant life form.  Cosmic Conflict also adds another player (and cool black components) to the game, which can now accommodate up to 7 hardy souls, ages 12 and up, who are ready for the rigors of Cosmic Conflict. 

 

Another key component introduced to Cosmic Encounters in Cosmic Conflict Expansion is the “Hazard Deck,” which confronts players with dangerous and even amusing events that can crop up at any time.  The “hazards” are game-altering conditions that can have a major effect on a player’s Cosmic Encounter experience.  Special destiny cards, drawn during the destiny phase of the game, display a “hazard warning” in the upper left hand corner, which indicates that a player has to draw a “hazard card.”  Hazard cards, which can be either temporary or permanent, can have a variety of wild effects and will definitely spice up gameplay.

 

While Cosmic Conflict is a brand new expansion for Cosmic Encounters, Runebound: The Collected Chronicles (MSRP $29.95)contains six previously-released single deck expansions for Runebound consisting of two Adventure variant decks, two Challenge card decks, and two Items, and Ally card expansions.  The Essential Collection includes two adventure variants for Runebound that tell the tales of The Cataclysm (2008) and The Seven Scions (2008).  Each of these Adventure variants is comprised of new game rules and an Adventure deck that can replace The Rise of the Dragonlords Adventure in the core set. These expansions not only tell new stories, but they give the players new objectives and alternate win conditions.

 

Also included in The Essential Collection are the Beasts and Bandits (2008) and Traps and Terrors (2008) Challenge card expansions, which can add variety to Runebound encounters and can be mixed in with any Adventure scenario.  In addition to the two Challenge card expansions, The Essential Collection contains two Item and Ally card expansions, Weapons of Legend (2008), and Rituals and Runes (2008).  These decks provide new cards for Market decks, featuring new item types, plus dozens of new weapons, allies and artifacts.