Extremely beginner-friendly and cooperative - the game deserves attention!

Who opens the box of Andor for the first time, is perhaps first think: Phew, no matter how complex a part ...

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Package Contents:
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- 1 lot game instruction booklet + 1 (with important key words to look up)
- 15 sorting bags (one is literally to death with little plastic bags for sorting the pieces :)))
- 1 double-sided game board (Caution: Do not just tiny, the country Andor needed in width estimated 1.5m square, not exactly suitable for the small glass table in the living room ...)
- 4 hero panels (! Double-sided, mind you because there is every figure as male / Weiblein variant, which I find very exemplary!)
- 1 board equipment (it were the stockroom of the dealer, where you can buy equipment and potions later)
- 1 "checklist" (so you will not forget with every new batch prepare everything right)
- 71 Legend Card (The heart of the game, I go on it later on)
- 66 Event Cards (ensure that the gameplay never stays the same)
- 20 colored cubes (in the colors of the heroic figures - not everyone gets the same number of dice Depends but with the character class together, you play!)
- 1 narrator (drives the narrative forward)

- And lots of other stuff: Lots of characters with plastic holder (the 4 heroes in 2 sex variants, 4 different enemy types, raid bosses, friendly NPCs, ec.), Gold Coins, poison potions, herbs, rune stones, farmers, equipment (plate, sheet, helmets, etc.), precious stones ....

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PREPARATION:
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Unlike some other board games with many materials Andor, however, designed to really scary beginner-friendly. The guide includes just 4 large pages (2 double-sided pages) and contains only a step-by-step instructions for the first adventure. "The first adventure" means nothing more than a wash real tutorial on how it is used, for example from computer games. We started the game very late yesterday and were not entirely receptive, but the explanations were so simple and clear that we have really understood everything in one go. :)

Who now but thinks that Andor would be an extremely simple little game for in between with only 4 pages manual is wrong. For where the instruction stops because begin the legend card. These are large, numbered with letters and numbers card, on the back instructions and historical events are that drive the plot of Andor on. For the first game we therefore must necessarily begin with "Key 1" because this gives the best entry. Once you have done all that was required in the 4-page-lot game instructions, you can map the "Key 1 - A1" take from the pile and read aloud to all players.

One finds Story Text in italics ("The spies of the king hardly believe their eyes." Etc.) and instructions in normal font. The instructions are pretty formulated "idiot-proof", eg: "The tasks are as follows:. 1. At least one hero must uncover a fog platelets 2. At least one hero has the merchants a strength point this he needs 2 Gold.." etc.). And from then takes one of the gameplay itself to the hand.

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HOW TO PLAY:
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Each chooses to start a hero (or heroine) and marks the corresponding strength points (= additional combat strength) on the corresponding hero panel. The same you do at the point "willpower" (= health). Then, you look at dice as marked on the hero Brett. If you start, for example, with 7 willpower, you may use as an archer 4 cube, as a warrior 3, as a dwarf 2, ... everything is described on the heroes board. Then you put a wood chip its color at the top of the timeline of the game board.

The timeline is very important: Every action consumes usually exactly 1 hour, with each new round you start early in the morning. Normally, every hero has to make his features exactly 7 hours (so you can run, for example, 7 hexes, because each field records 1 hour of time), but you can also sacrifice willpower to let the hero to make up to 3 overtime. Do all heroes ended their day, the night Phase starts: First, an action card is drawn (whether it is good or bad is completely arbitrary). Then the opponents are at the train: Each monster moves in the order as described on the Sunrise field the timeline, one space forward towards the castle. At the end of the narrator, which is located on the legend bar (right side of the game board edge are boxes with the letters A to N) moved one space forward. Depending on the legend that is being played (in addition to the entry Legend "1" there are 4 other legends) are on the letter boxes Star Chips.

Example: Legend "1" Legend cards on which big "A", "B", "C", "D", "F", "H" and "N" stands. In these fields a star chip is placed now depending. So players always know that the narrator in these fields a new Legend Card "triggers". This drive, as already mentioned, the plot forward: new events happen, new game objectives are added (eg "Escort person X from field to field XZ XY") and improve conditions or deteriorate. But then you see yourself when you play the legend in question. Importantly: A legend ends _always_ when the narrator, the "N" field has (ie the last) reaches. Players have until then does the work, the legend is lost. And that happens damn easy! But kindly are always tips on how to do it better next time, if you lose on the last map legend.

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GAMEPLAY:
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The country is divided Andor different, numbered areas in about 70. The meaning behind it understands the latest on the game preparation, when it is called "The Archer starts at box 56, the warrior on the field 14 ... [etc.]" - Later are also monsters and allies, the new entrants into the game, after this unmistakably a position assigned system. This is sorely needed, because an unfair position the monster could make the game from the outset unschaffbar. Eternal main aim of the game is to prevent namely that too many monsters in the castle on the "0" (the castle is to see on the map ... barely) penetrate. How many opponents are allowed a maximum of storm the castle, depends on the number of players from (3 monsters with 2 players, 2 of 3, and only 1 in 4). That sounds partly perhaps by a lot, but very little, because the monsters are becoming more and run all at the end of each round stoically to the castle (the arrows on the edge of each numbered area indicate the direction in which to move the monster).

Now it would offer purely in logic that you simply sets itself up with his hero group in front of the castle and the monster as long kloppt until the cube smoke. That seems to make sense at first glance, but since you have not reckoned with the narrator: This is also moved by defeating a monster by 1 field forward. Before you know it, "nudges" to the narrator by constant struggle towards "N" and therefore has automatically lost because other victory conditions (eg, "find the witch" or "Kill the Skral on the tower") could not be met. That's what makes the real difficulty of Andor - that on the one hand defends the castle, but on the other hand does not neglect the other tasks. We needed yesterday alone for 2. Legend and several attempts are almost desperate at the bosses, because he naturally has more strength points with an increasing number of players. Where would we be in the fighting:

Not only the players have strength and will-points, the respective enemy types have a different number of these points. The "Monster board" is built into the board itself, there you have just another mark before every fight the corresponding points with the red wooden blocks. The strength of the opponents vary greatly: "Gor" are the typical cannon fodder of the opponent group and are the most common. "Skrale" are for individual players, however, to fight even harder, to say nothing of "trolls" or "Wardraks".

A battle is in the details from the following: The player rolls as many dice as hergibt (as I said, that explains the heroes board the respective heroes of themselves) his willpower. It then adds its strength to the highest points added diced result. Example: I cube as a warrior with 3 cubes and get: 5, 3, 2. Then of course I'll take the 5 (because highest profit) and add add my current 2 strength points: 7 makes attack! Another player makes for the opponents side exactly the same thing (opponents are extra red cube) and rolls following: 5.6 + 4 strength points. So 6 plus 4 = 10 attack. The player has lost in this round of combat and will have the difference between the two attacks (10-7 = 3) to deduct from his willpower. Now he can decide whether he will continue (cost 1 additional hour on the timeline) or gives up. For recovered Monster fights there are gold and / or willpower for lost monster fights you lost 1 point a strength. If you invest early in the game with "Skralen" that happens all the time because this strength over 6 points and 7 willpower have - almost single-handedly without equipment unschaffbar.

But can fortunately - no, MUST - yes you fight together with Andor! :) It is worthwhile in any case, jointly to draw into a monster field and together draufzukloppen (archers can even the neighboring field mitangreifen). The diced results and the strength points of the individual heroes are simply added together and then are considered combat resolution. The fatter the monster killed, the more natural the booty recovered. But as I said, to fight alone is not sufficient to cause the particular legend to a successful conclusion.

And one more thing: When dealer (marked on the board) you can strength points and equipment for sale. The latter are pretty cool: On the panel the hero heroic figure holding her left arm already slightly bent, a white circle indicates that you can tackle problems one item here. If you then drauflegt a shield or a hawk (or a helmet on the head), then it looks really chic! These items also bring important benefits, without which one later hardly progresses (eg absorbed the shield up to 2x the damage that you would take in battle or by event cards). Another cool detail: If an item that you can use 2x already used once, simply turning it to the other side. When the sign back of example again shows the sign, but this time in battered condition (so that you see the same: aha I've ever used) - those are details that I think was very smart and make the game even more likeable.

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CONCLUSION:
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The game looks with all the cool characters and other materials not only look good, it plays that way. After the first legend you might feel that the game might be too easy, but that would be a fallacy. As simple as the tutorial it is no longer the difficulty pulling hard on. Personally, I think that's very good, because thus one has continued enjoyment of the game and can all spend hours at a legend teeth auszubeißen. The biggest plus point for me is definitely next to the beginner friendly the fact that you are dealing with a pure Koperativspiel. One has even willy-nilly learn to share: monsters that you killed together, do not throw away more loot than if it had been killed by a player - so you have to divide the booty sense and understands quickly that it takes sometimes more tasks distribute and to leave all the gold, for example, a player so he goes shopping for the other (you can trade items and dropped to areas). Basically Andor is nothing more than a story co-op RPG for the coffee table and for families, as well as for long game nights with friends highly recommended. Who Andor also played similar games knows, I would be very grateful if he could leave me recommendations in the comment box! I love these games! (:

PS: Before any false suspicions arise - I am not an employee of COSMOS! Only a satisfied board game geek, night had a lot of fun with the game yesterday. ;)