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View Full Version : MUNCHKIN: Epic Tales of Scheming



Chaucer85
2013-03-11, 02:29 PM
Aw, Munchkin.

The humorous fantasy card game where the objective is to win. AT ANY COST.

It's a game inspired by the settings of D&D, but more-so the attitudes of "munchkin" players: people who love to tweak and rules lawyer their way to any advantage that might give them the ultimate edge.

And I am definitely one of those people (despite not really playing D&D at all).

After seeing Geek & Sundry's excellent episode of Table Top (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6oMBSiL7Zs) (a good intro to the game, featuring creator Steve Jackson), I knew I had to buy a deluxe edition and play this with my friends.

We've only had four full games, but they've been some exciting matches of brinksmanship, check/counter-check and debate-level arguing. And only partnered wins. Nobody wants to let one person win, but they'll help somebody else if they can win too.

The best story probably comes from the second-to-last game, where I'd managed two turns of attempting to win the final two levels (and in Epic Munchkin's second playthrough, so there'd been a lot of jockeying earlier in the game). I was stopped over and over, just depleted of all cards and monsters I could use to net myself two levels. Then came the next player's turn.

They are ready to beat a monster, two levels worth for the final victory, they have the cards, and I have no Curses, Items etc. to hinder them. This entire time, I've held on to a pair of cards I wanted in case of emergency, and now might be just the time to use them.

The first card I feel can give me the game: Transference Potion. Use it on a Combat Round to take somebody out of the fight and force somebody else in. I want it to be me.

But, I'm eventually argued down from this, as our interpretation has it that one cannot take out another player only to insert yourself into combat, based on the exact wording of the card, so I can't do that.

But I can use it on a player not in combat, and throw down my other card, Pick ME! Pick ME! as well. (A Race Card of Elf lets me gain levels by helping others win Combat).

I've shoved the leading player out of the Combat Round, and forced the new player to let me assist them for a mutual win. All when it's not our turn.

Not to mention last game I got an assisted win with an Elf Wizard who was using a floating Big Rock as his weapon. I love this game.

What stories can you share of playing MUNCHKIN to the true spirit of the game?

Pahvimato
2013-03-12, 04:48 PM
I thought you can't win by gaining an assist level as an elf. :smallconfused:

But I do have to say I love the game as well - especially when there's a large group of players. Top this with the fact that the house rules that are created after playing several games with the same people can be quite amusing, although situational.

Also, combine Hungry Backpack and Chicken on your Head for absolute hilarity.

ObadiahtheSlim
2013-03-13, 07:37 AM
Yes you can as an assist elf. The only rule about winning levels is that you must kill a monster to get the winning level unless the card specifically states that it can grant the winning level (i.e. divine intervention). I've seen it attempted and it was hilarious to see the guy who took the help suddenly do everything he could to lose the fight.

Chaucer85
2013-03-13, 09:35 AM
Indeed. Those, "oh no... I didn't want to do that!" moments are great tension builders. I keep trying to have a poker face when I'm holding on to a jerk move, tricking someone into doing something to my benefit/against their own, but my smirks keep betraying me.

As for House Rules, we just started playing Epic Munchkin the last two games, and after the first time saw too many base deck monsters be easily defeated by characters with Attack Levels up into the 60s, we added a base +10 to any monster encountered by an Epic player (we'll see in the future if it unbalances the game too much).

I'm looking forward to buying more decks, but just getting used to the base rules with a Cleric Errors addition takes a few games. Merging in the Mounts and Dungeons decks will be like a whole new game :P