Reviewed By: Pugilist & PerAnon

Name: Sen So
Publisher: TwinBlade Games, LLC
Game Type: Miniatures
Number of Players: 2
Solo Play Ability: None
Playing Time: 45 minutes
Ages: 10
Game Cost: $19.95
Expansion Cost: $9.95 (Add 1 player)
Game Score: 90.5% / 100%

Overview

Jen and Nelson Beach, the people behind Cheese Weasel Logistics, LLC, turned us on to the premier game from TwinBlade Games, Sen So.  It's billed as a Ninja combat game, and as there are both ninjas and combat, it's a fair, if inadequate, description.  We don't mean this as a criticism, rather we need to set the tone, right off, that this game is packed with strategy. tactics, and the opportunity for some incredibly crazy maneuvering. 

We've classed Sen So as a miniatures game because it falls into the same grey area as the Wings of War series of games.  These are games that are, essentially, 2-D but tread into the 3-D world and are all about geometry and opportunity.  We'll explain that a bit later and probably won't do justice to the effect it has on the game.

What's Included?

Let's start with a breakdown of what you get when you plop down your $19.95.  The game is packaged in a white DVD case, the classic kind that actually opens, not the moronic double tab-key lock that's become rampant as of late.  Inside you have a CD with extended rules, additional printable cards and play boards, and a host of game related support material.  You also have two full-color Ninja figures of a pliable plastic, two color coded play disc ids should you decide the Ninjas are not your cuppa, a heavy cardstock board, two play mats, eight (8) card holders, and two decks of octagon shaped cards that consist of weapons, blocks, and movement.  It's a tight, but not poor, fit, and you'll not have to worry about destroying your game contents as long as you don't do anything silly.

So, how's the production quality?  I was pleasantly surprised to find the ninjas figures where not made of brittle and easily breakable plastic.  I don't have small children but I do tend to knock things over or drop them and brittle plastic appears to love to snap when dropped from the least imaginable height.  The cards are well designed of heavy cardstock with clear lettering and are easily understandable at a glance.  The card holders are similar in construction to the standard CCG card holders, a pliable plastic designed for wear.  The play mats are heavy paper foldouts and the heavy cardstock board is substantial enough to last years with normal play.  More money could have been spent on the production of the game to absolutely no positive effect.  All of this is bound up in an easily to store and durable case.  High marks for the production quality all around.

So we see the game is made well; fine and dandy.  Most of us don't buy a game to set it on our shelves and look at it or to admire the contents.  No, we buy a game to play the hell out of it, we hope, or at least have something we can enjoy in those all-too-brief times we actually have the time to play.  We'll begin with the rules. 

The rules of Sen So consist of a single 8.5" X 11" piece of paper tri-folded into booklet form.  In this space they manage to adequately explain how to play the game, the turn structure, some basic strategy, and general suggestions.  The rules tell you generally how to play the game, point out the essentials and, unusually, do not leave grey area as far as movement, illegal actions, attacks, defenses, or scoring.  That's a tall order, especially for people like us who enjoy picking apart rules and forcing the game into dead areas the rules do not cover..

To learn exactly how to play the game you must review the cards.  This is where your specific information will be stored, your exception form the standard rules, etc.  Cards fall into four categories:

• Weapons
  • Control the available direction(s) of your attack
• Blocks
  • Control the direction of your block
• Movement
  • Control your movement around the board and, with some weapons, allow attacking
• Attack
  •  Control when you attack and the specific direction in which you attack

These cards, at times, extend the rules and are the last word in any rules dispute.  It's important to note that we never ran into an issue where the cards and the rules left us hanging.  The one time we thought we had, it turned out we'd not read the rules sufficiently.  I know, that's such a shock.  A quick review and our gut reaction turned out to be correct.  Basically, what happens when you try to execute an illegal move?  Nothing, you just throw away your turn and hope your opponent doesn't pound you into jam.

At this point we know the rules are solid and we know you play on a board, and that you have a lot of cards to use.  Wonderful, but that doesn't really tell you much, does it?  We should delve into actual game play, just on a lark, and see what happens.

Game Setup

Before you begin you must make some hard choices.  Each weapon card has a point value and each game you will specify the total weapon points allowed.  We followed the rules and did our games with no more than 10 points of weapons. This system lets you balance style and range and maneuverability and keeps the game dynamic and interesting.  We made our point choices and I avoided the bo staff, mainly because I have 30 years experience with the weapon and everyone expects me to choose it in games that offer it.  I wanted to throw PerAnon off.  It worked.

To start a game of Sen So you place your Ninja figure or token in the appropriate stating spot.  It's marked and impossible to miss unless you are really, really, trying and after that, well, you're not a member of our desirable demographic so our level of concern drops.  Go watch more about Paris Hilton, reading is obviously hurting your brain.

Next you choose a starting block and weapon and place them FACE DOWN on your play mat.  Don't worry, the mat is marked and the only people who will not understand this have already exited to glean the latest news about Paris Hilton finding God and then getting upset when God won't date her and buy her a new life.  As you place your block card, it's important to CAREFULLY note where you want to block.  The cards, as we have indicated earlier, are octagon shaped and the play board is covered with octagons as well.  This means, simply, that you will be blocking only in the direction the block card indicates, REGARDLESS OF CURRENT FACING.  This is critical thing to remember.  Facing in this game is not dependant on you turning your character around.  These are Ninjas, remember?  Ninjas are masters of movement and they can face any damn way they please from second to second.  Luckily you have these card holders that help you out.  More on these, and the dangers of not using them, later.

Likewise your starting weapon will indicate the directions in which your attacks may happen.  There are eight (8) sides to an octagon, which is fortunate, otherwise it'd be named incorrectly, so your weapon card will indicate which of those spaces are considered in range.  Facing matter here as well; the facing of your weapon, of course, as individual facing of your pip or figure is unimportant.  Ninjas, remember?

Game Play

Once you've chosen and placed your starting weapon and block cards, you place two cards depicting your next two actions.  These can be move actions, a new weapon, a new block, or an attack.  All of these cards are placed face down and turned over simultaneously and the results resolved.  The important thing to consider at this point is that when you place a card on your mat, it's facing is one way; when you turn it over, it's another.  This can be embarrassing as you leap into a wall a couple of times or attack the darkness while your opponent clubs you into submission.  To alleviate these kinds of mistakes, Twin Blade Games included the card holders we mentioned earlier.  We ignored them, thinking "BAH!  They'll be more of a pain than they're worth!"  And then the afore mentioned leaping into the wall and attacking the darkness ensued.  After that the value of the card holders was evident.  You place your card in the holder, the opening always indicating the front of the card and thus how the card will face.  As if by magic movements and attacks become more controlled.

You're on your starting position, you've placed your weapon and block and first two (2) actions and, most importantly, decided the time length for the game.  The suggested length of a game is 25 movements.  We found this to be a good span that allowed us to move and attack and develop and execute plans.  Variations of the game exist to restate victory conditions or time limits and although we've not tried them all, the ones we did play were balanced and enjoyable.

Now comes the hard part.  The actual execution of Sen So, having to commit to two (2) actions and simultaneous execution of all players' actions makes this a game of geometry and action and bluff.  What appeared to be a small play area now swells and shrinks, depending on your position in relation to your opponent, your planned actions, and their responses.  No small amount of tension can develop; that's good.

Nothing in Sen So is a matter of luck.  There are no dice, no random cards to dictate movement or opportunity, there is just your plan and your opponent's actions.  Scoring points can only happen when you play an attack card (remembering here that some weapons allows for specific movement cards to behave as attack cards) and then only if your attack intersects with a space your opponent occupies or, in the case of a glancing blow, is next to a space your opponent occupies.  What's more, you do not only gain points when you manages a hit on your opponent, they lose points when they do not block.  It sounds harsh, but works well, especially in 3 player games.

Scoring is tabulated as follows:

Attack Results In Score Successful blow (non blocked) landed (attack hits space opponent occupies) 5 attacker/ -5 defender Glancing blow (attack hits unoccupied space next to space opponent occupies) 1 attacker Give & Take (players exchange blows) 0 Block (defender blocks attack)   5 attacker

As you go through the game, setting out your moves, changing weapons, changing blocks, initiating attacks, you will see the geometry of a dogfight.  It's not about circling and trying to get inside the guard, it's about forcing your opponent to react badly to your moves, about setting them up with a combination, it's about bluff and chutzpah and out-thinking your opponent.  And that's what makes this game fun to play.

We love dice games as much as anyone, but, at times, it's great to play a pure strategy game.  Sen So is a game where luck is excluded.  You choose your weapons, you choose your defense, you choose your movement combinations and attacks.  If we had to class Sen So, aside from our arbitrary assignment of miniatures, we'd put it in the league of the old Ace of Aces and Lost Worlds games from Nova.  We'd also class it in the same vein of the Wings of War series of games from Fantasy Flight Games.  If the people from TwinBlade found inspiration here, it's well executed.  It is not, in any way, a lift and re-package.  The games mentioned merely share a tactical and strategic bond while playing excellently in their own space.

One of the things that sets Sen So app art from this genre is the ability to change your focus and attack style.  In the Nova and Fantasy Flight games, once you select your avatar, you are locked into a set of capabilities.  With Sen So, your capabilities change with your weapon selection and defensive posture.  It makes for a dynamic and entertaining session.

Conclusion

We didn't get the whole octagon rather than hex thing at first.  After all, octagons don't make a seamless playing field and hexes do.  But hexes don't give you side attacks, and the side attacks can be critical as you leap and move around the board, dominating your opponent or maneuvering yourself right into the path of their attack.  The latter is not near as much fun as the former.

With a easy to understand rules set, a variety of play styles, a wealth of optional rules, and a great and durable storage case, Sen So would be a wonderful, and affordable, addition to your gaming library.  Added to this are the files and instructions on how to print your own cards and boards included on the CD.  If you've ever bent or lost a card for a game, you'll understand what a wonderful thing this is to have.

Spewgilist.com definitely recommends buying this game.  Hell, buy two (2) so you can play four (4) players, after you give one to a friend for their birthday.  See, we're always thinking here, solving your gift giving problems, providing the best reviews on the net (just ask us),and , most of all, having a blast playing Sen So.

Get your copy at http://twinbladegames.com/