First off,
This review is not intended to relay all the rules and subtle game mechanics of the game. It is simply a list of what does and doesn't work in the game (in my opinion). It should be a good way to find out if you want to buy the game. If one is interested in learning about the game mechanics I would suggest linking to this review by Tom Vasel: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/14262 It explains the rules and gives a great overview.

Also, if you feel that anything should be added to the list, then post a reply or geekmail me. If I agree with your opinion (I usually do) I will add it to the review and mention you at the end. My goal is for this to become a large list of everything that could possibly be good or bad about Fist of Dragonstones.

With that said, let's get started on the review. Take note that the pros and cons aren't listed in any particular order of importance...

Pros:

1. Quality of Components
Fist of Dragonstones, like most other Days of Wonder games, has excellent component quality. The player shields are sturdy and serve as a player aid, the stones and coins are high quality, and the cards are made from good stock with excellent artwork. My one complaint is that the card backs are a boring black and white. Otherwise, the pieces are beautiful. Just check out the picture:


2. Price
This game can be found for around $15-$20, nuff' said. The one problem is that prices could go up now that the game is out of print.

3. Replayability
Dragonstones has a very high reply value. Due to the random order of the cards each round, there are no set patterns it can descend into. Plus, adding the two random characters each round also serves to mix things up.

4. Player Interaction
The bidding nature of this game drives the player interaction through the roof. Players are constantly trying to second guess each other and make deals about who's going to bid on what. The witch is great for this.
"Hey John, if you don't outbid Mark on the Sorcerer he'll win."
"Well why don't you use the witch?"
"Cause if you outbid him then I can use it later."
"Screw you Tim!"
"Fine."
30 seconds later...
"Wow, you selfish suckers both decided to bid nothing. I win!"
-Mark does a victory dance-

5. Travel Size
I love any game that I can easily slip into my backpack and take on a trip. Fist of Dragonstones is one of those games.

6. Easy to Learn
Dragonstones is a very easy game to learn and can be taught in about 5 minutes.

7. Short Playtime
Thanks to the three point victory conditions, a typical game will only take between 1/2 hour and 45 minutes if everyone knows what they're doing. Some groups can go even shorter. I have found that a game with newbies can last up to an hour. (Although this usually doesn't happen)

8. Online Support
If you and you friends like this game, then you can go to http://www.daysofwonder.com and play each other over teh interwebs.


Cons:

1. Blind Bidding
Attention! This is the con that tends to make or break the game for people! Be sure to read this! Fist of Dragonstones hinges on a unique bidding system known as blind bidding. Basically, all players hold their bids in a closed fist and reveal them at the same time. (If you don't get it, then look at the hands on the box cover)

Everybody has to pay ALL the money they bid, even if they don't win the auction. There is no prize for second place. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS TYPE OF BIDDING THEN DO NOT BUY THIS GAME! I personally find blind bidding a tad undesirable, but it doesn't affect my enjoyment of the game. Other people hate the system. Go read the player comments under 1's and 2's and you'll see why.

2. The Thief
This con stems directly from the one above. There is a character called the Thief that punishes the second highest bidder. Due to the nature of the bidding, many people will refuse to bid on the Thief because they don't want to get caught in 2nd place, making the Thief auction an awkward one indeed.


3. Unbalanced Random Setup
When setting up the game, each player draws four random stones from the bag. This can give a very unfair advantage to anyone who manages to get four stones of the same color due to the Sorcerer card.


4. Sometimes Ends too Soon
While the 3 point victory condition does keep the game short, I sometimes feel like the game ended just when it was getting exciting. It's possible for a player to get 2 points in the first turn and already be 2/3 the way to victory. Heck, it's even possible (although rare) to WIN in the first turn.

5. Out of Print
Fist of Dragonstones is currently out of print. As with most other out of print games, this will mean a hike in the hard-to-find department and an inevitable price boost. Hopefully DoW will reprint it in the near future. If not, then get your copy while you still can.

6. No Online Community
While this game does have online support, there is no online community. That means you and your friends will have to schedule computer playtimes. Plus, the online version only supports 4 players.

7. Two Points Usually Wins
When a player manages to nab 2 points he/she gains a huge advantage and will usually win. This is due to the fact that Mr.2Pointer no longer has to split up his funds between multiple bids in a round. He can just throw it all on that one card he needs to win. Not to mention that there are usually 2-3 scoring options for a player each round. Players who try to outbid him will get screwed over for the rest of the round if they end up winning. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

8. Repetitive Auctions
Each round you basically bid on the same 8 cards, the 2 random ones usually don't have too large an effect on the overall strategy. This can get old after extended play.
"But wait, you said the game has a high replay value!"
That's because it does. What I mean by replay value is that there is always a different set of options. This game is not affected by same-strategy-every-game syndrome. Even though the auctions can get repetitive; the random order of the characters coming out creates variability in each game.

9. Less Fun With Strangers
Dragonstones suffers when played with a group who doesn't know each other very well. Interaction, bluffing, teaming up, and screwing your neighbor are all deeply ingrained in the game, so while it's great with friends, I wouldn't recommend playing it with people you just met.

Final Thoughts:
I personally find Fist of Dragonstones to be a fun, short and light game that is great for taking on trips. It's easy to learn rules make it good to teach to non-gamers. The player interaction is excellent. I rate it a 8-9. I can also understand why some people loathe it with a passion. I recommend making one decision before buying this game: Do you hate, love, or are you at least able to tolerate blind bidding? If you think you can make the relationship work then I suggest getting it before it's gone. Curse you out-of-print demons!

Special thanks to cymric,sagrilarus and Kyellan for their input.

P.S. Please remember to reply or geekmail me if you think this list is missing anything.