The Waylanders

The Waylanders was one of those impulse buys that joined my hoard because it ticked the right boxes: dice, hexes, wood. It is a skirmish game based on a video game that seems stuck in early-access hell, and the board game delivers an equally awkward first impression. The manual drowns in story and artwork while making almost no attempt to gather the rules in a clear, readable way. The translation has obvious issues, and the whole experience could very easily make me quit halfway through the first game and put it up for sale.

And yet, behind all that paperwork there is a decent skirmish game. Its core is a nice action-point system, with relaxed strategy and a feel somewhat like Shadespire without cards. If I can get past the rules hurdle, I can explain it in five minutes and have us throwing punches within ten.

The interaction is direct, without demanding that the person across from me earn a degree in cards, decks, and character abilities before they can take part. With four players it works better than I expected, especially with certain scenarios and the events that keep things moving chop chop. With a few house rules, I even think it can offer real value.

I would not recommend it to many people: this is a game for serious fans of the genre, and certainly not at its retail price. If you find it at a more sensible price, though, it may be worth it for the miniatures alone. They are solid 28 mm work and, if you play RPGs without having already made Wizkids rich, they can find a use there too.