The Dwarves are on the loose!

Klemens Franz

(Mavericius)

Austria

Recommend

"The Mines of Zavandor" are done and being printed (right now I assume). In the meantime, we'd like to introduce the game to you by having a closer look at some of the dwarves that you'll meet during the game. Each entry consists of a little backgrond story (of course it is from the world of Zavandor) and a gameplay hint by the designer Alex Pfister. The little guys are pretty decent, so be nice and polite and don't mention anything regarding their size!

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Posted Fri Jul 9, 2010 1:11 pm

1. Board Game: The Mines of Zavandor [Average Rating:6.93 Overall Rank:953]

Klemens Franz

(Mavericius)

Austria

Durnbold of Clan Oddear (Clan Kauzohr)

This 198 year old dwarf is in quite a good shape for his age. The secret of his still brown beard yet has to be resolved. Some say it's magic - other think he inherited it from his dead mother Drumpella (and attached it with duct tape). Anyway ... he works hard in the Mines of Zavandor to serve King Grimmborn like his father Ruffbold did. As the father of his father - Drinkbold. And as the father of his father's father - Drunkenbold.

Alex: Durnbold can be found on the Clan Oddear card. It is an improvement card that increases the player's income. When fully upgraded, it earns 3 gems from the Wooden Minecart deck, while other Clans just have an income of 2 gems. However, upgrading is expensive. In most cases it costs 2 gems. Moreover, the costs of upgrading varies from turn to turn and depends on the King's position on the game board.

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Posted Fri Jul 9, 2010 12:51 pm

2. Board Game: The Mines of Zavandor [Average Rating:6.93 Overall Rank:953]

Klemens Franz

(Mavericius)

Austria

Przmek the Foreman (pronounced Pr-sh-Mac)

The 212 year old vegetarian Przmek has seen them all: King Rulphbert the Stubborn, King Lurg the Hungry and of course the resigning King Grimmborn the Sitting. And he honestly doesn't care, because no King has ever changed anything at all. It's always: Dig. Dig. Dig. He's more curious about the clans working in the Mines of Zavandor and his shoulder dragon Fexil, named after his third wife. Which by the way cooked the most delicious Brew-Stew in whole Zavandor (in her own opinion).

Alex: Prizmek is an improvement card, which earns you victory points depending on the number of clans you have. Therefore Prizmek is very useful for players following a production strategy, i.e. having many clans. Don't forget to count your own family clan! By the way, every player starts with a different familiy clan, each with indiviual strengths and weaknesses. On the back side of the player board, you will find a standard family clan for gaming groups who prefer equal conditions.

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Posted Tue Jul 20, 2010 10:40 am

3. Board Game: The Mines of Zavandor [Average Rating:6.93 Overall Rank:953]

Klemens Franz

(Mavericius)

Austria

Erdikt the Druid (of Clan Guglhupf)

Technically Erdikt is no dwarf. He's too tall, too thin and the worst ... a human. But due to a night full of bitter beer, dirty songs and a really really weird initiation-ritual* he became legally a dwarf of Clan Guglhupf. Erdikt's search for the legendary Scepter of Zavandor brought him to the Mines. The high frequency of Shrines appearing in the tunnels led him to the conclusion that they might have to do something with magic powers entrapped in the montains. Smart one, indeed!

* He doesn't like to talk about the ritual but it was revealed that it included rhythmic movement, half of a toad kidney and the enchanted dress of Lady Fetherstick.

Alex: Erdikt gives a bonus on all of your finished upgraded shrines. Shrines are improvement cards giving it's owner a permanent advantage. But the main reason for buying shrines is the huge amount of victory points at game end. Therefore buying Erdikt is a good choice, if you follow a shrine strategy.

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Posted Thu Jul 29, 2010 12:55 pm

4. Board Game: The Mines of Zavandor [Average Rating:6.93 Overall Rank:953]

Klemens Franz

(Mavericius)

Austria

Also called "Grimmborn the Sitting", "Grimmborn the Stoic" or (only by his closest friends and behind his back) "Grimm B. Stiff". Some years ago he left his competitors Grumdig, Hilfar and Weldag far behind when walking the King's Path in the Mines of Zavandor. He became King. The others became dispensable (to be accurate Grumdig became a motivational-trainer for miners, Hilfar wrote a book called "The Dwarf - There and Back - Again and Again" and got sued and Weldag opened a jewelry store in Erhavel). And all became drunk. Now his time of office is drawing to a close, and he has only one task remaining: to arrange for his succession.

Alex: The King is moved by the winner of the sapphire auction into a neighboring hall along the path. Mostly the player can choose between 2 halls. This is an important decision, because the position of the King defines the upgrading costs of several improvement cards as well as the players family clans. A game will last for 10-12 rounds depending on path of the King. Usually players following a production strategy prefer longer games.

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Posted Tue Aug 3, 2010 11:42 am

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