Thunderstone (card game)

Thunderstone is a fantasy deck-building card game series designed by Mike Elliott, with artwork by Jason Engle. It was first published by Alderac Entertainment Group in 2009. Each card has dimensions of 6.3 cm x 8.8 cm (2.5in x 3.5in). It has been translated into several languages.[1]

Thunderstone
Box cover of Thunderstone Base Set
DesignersMike Elliott
PublishersAlderac Entertainment Group
Players1 to 5 players
Setup time~30 minutes
Playing time~60 minutes
ChanceMedium
Age range12 & up
SkillsResource management
Turn decision

Gameplay

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Gameplay involves building a deck of adventurers and equipment to defeat monsters. Each turn players must decide whether to visit the Village (to purchase cards, upgrade heroes and other actions), or if they will face a monster in the current dungeon (using the heroes and equipment in their hand). Defeated monsters are added to a player's deck as well, where they may contribute money and/or other bonuses when in hand.

Thunderstone Advance

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Many game elements including the card layout have undergone a major redesign in 2012.[2] This has caused the game series to continue under the new name Thunderstone Advance. Cards from the original series and the Advance series are compatible as they share the same back cover artwork. In the Thunderstone Advance series, each set comes with a handful of Thunderstone Bearers that act as monster bosses in the game.

Thunderstone Quest (2017)

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Thunderstone Quest brings new play modes to the table. The game will tell a specific story with a series of pre-set dungeon tiles, monsters, heroes and support cards. Each will come with a series of mini-adventures and a story booklet that tells players what happens as they progress through the scenarios.

Once players have completed the quests they will be able to enjoy great replay value with the available selection of monsters, heroes, and support cards, as well as the new dungeon tiles, by choosing random set-ups before the start of play. Aside from heroes such as wizards, fighters, rogues, and clerics, cards will include supplies that heroes need like weapons, spells, items, or light to reach further into the dungeon.

The dungeon deck is created by combining several different groups of monsters together. Certain groups of monsters may be more or less susceptible to different hero types, so players have to take this into account when they choose what to buy.[3]

Releases

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The games denoted as B contain Base cards (Militia/Regulars, Daggers/Longspears, Torches, etc) and experience cards (tokens in Advance) and can therefore be played standalone.[4][5]

Original series

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Name Release
Date
Type Total Cards Types of Cards Extras
Thunderstone (Base game)B 2009 Stand-alone 530

1 Thunderstone card
5 Reference cards
32 Experience Point cards
38 Randomizer cards
80 Monster cards
90 Basic cards (including Disease)
132 Hero cards
152 Village cards

50 Card Dividers
Thunderstone: Wrath of the Elements 2010 Expansion 340

1 Thunderstone card
5 Reference cards
12 Trap cards
33 Randomizer cards
42 Basic cards (incl. extra Disease cards)
51 Monster cards
84 Hero cards
112 Village cards

76 Card Dividers
Thunderstone: Doomgate Legion 2010 Expansion 317

1 Thunderstone card
12 Treasure cards
30 Randomizer cards
25 card Special Disease deck
60 Monster cards
84 Hero cards
104 Village cards
1 Guardian card

28 Card Dividers
Thunderstone: DragonspireB 2011 Stand-alone and Expansion 630

2 Thunderstone cards
5 Reference cards
46 Randomizer cards
16 Special Dungeon Feature cards
103 Past set Randomizer cards Basic cards
84 Basic cards
80 Monster cards
141 Hero cards
144 Village cards
7 Setting cards
2 Guardian cards


53 Card Dividers
1 Dungeon Board (use is optional)
30 Experience Point (XP) Tokens

Thunderstone: Thornwood Siege 2011 Expansion 284

1 Thunderstone card
90 Hero cards
112 Village cards
50 Monster cards
1 Guardian card
30 Randomizer cards


27 Card dividers
18 Tokens

Thunderstone: Heart of Doom 2011 Expansion 302

1 Thunderstone card
84 Hero cards
104 Village cards
6 Treasure cards
70 Monster cards
3 Guardian cards
3 Setting cards
31 Randomizer cards

29 Card dividers
Thunderstone: Promo Pack 2011 Promo 17

6 Harruli Initiate
4 Harruli Spellsword
2 Harruli Avatar
1 Harruli Randomizer
1 Blade Trap (Trap - Death)
1 Mammoth (Evil Druid - Familiar)
1 Death Sentinel (Doomknight - Sentinel)
1 Vision (Cultist - Humanoid)

Thunderstone: For the Dwarf Promo 2010 Promo 13

6 Clan Sergeant
4 Clan Commander
2 Clan Champion
1 Clan randomizer

Thunderstone: Werewolf Promo Pack 2011 Promo 14

1 Void Apocalypse (Hydra - Dragon)
1 Thornwood Forest (Setting)
1 Guardian of Revenge (Guardian)
1 Werewolf Randomizer
1 Istvan Torok (Werewolf)
2 Direhowl (Werewolf)
2 Ragetalon (Werewolf)
2 Wolf Pack (Werewolf)
3 Grimbite (Werewolf)

Thunderstone: Promo Pack #2 2011 Promo 13

1 Guardian of Strength (Guardian)
1 Stormhold (Setting)
2 Skywyrm Warrior (Dragon - Humanoid)
2 Skywyrm Mage (Dragon - Humanoid)
3 Skywyrm Scavenger (Dragon - Humanoid)
1 Skywyrm Overlord (Dragon - Humanoid)
2 Skywyrm Priest (Dragon - Humanoid)
1 Dragon Humanoid Randomizer

Thunderstone Advance series

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Name Release
Date
Type Total Cards Types of Cards Extras/Notes
Thunderstone Advance: Towers of RuinB 2012 Stand-alone and Expansion 566

95 Basic card
132 Hero cards
100 Monster cards
3 Thunderstone Bearer cards
152 Village cards
45 Special cards
39 Randomizer cards


50 Card Dividers
1 Dungeon Board
50 Experience Point (XP) Tokens

Currently out of print

Thunderstone Advance: Caverns of Bane 2012 Expansion 282

84 Hero cards
60 Monster cards
3 Thunderstone Bearer cards
104 Village cards
4 Special cards
6 Treasure cards
27 Randomizer cards

27 Card Dividers
Thunderstone Advance: Root of Corruption 2012 Expansion 336

84 Hero cards
72 Monster cards
1 Thunderstone Bearer card
1 Guardian card
120 Village cards
6 Treasure of Dun Ordha cards
4 Special cards
30 Randomizer cards
18 Reprinted cards


30 Card Dividers
1 Siege Poster

Thunderstone Advance: Avatars 2012 Expansion 25

25 Avatar cards

Thunderstone Advance: Starter SetB 2013 Stand-alone and Expansion 259

70 Basic cards
60 Hero cards
30 Monster cards
1 Thunderstone Bearer card
80 Village cards
18 Randomizer cards

24 Card Dividers
Thunderstone Advance: NumeneraB 2013 Stand-alone and Expansion 602

81 Basic card
156 Hero cards
100 Monster cards
1 Thunderstone Bearer card
6 Treasure card
168 Village cards
45 Special cards
45 Randomizer cards


55 Card Dividers
6 Oversized Setting cards
1 Dungeon Board
54 Experience Point (XP) Tokens
1 Experience Point (XP) Bag
40 Mark Tokens

Thunderstone Advance: Worlds CollideB 2013 Stand-alone and Expansion 550

91 Basic cards
132 Hero cards
152 Village cards
100 Monster cards
4 Guardian cards
30 Disease cards
41 Randomizer cards

The set showcases 550 cards from the first six

Thunderstone releases, including some of the
previously hard to find promos, all updated and
fully compatible with Thunderstone Advance.

63 Card Dividers

Thunderstone Advance: Into the Abyss 2014 Expansion 381

128 Hero cards
80 Monster cards
136 Village cards
33 Randomizer cards
4 Guardian cards

33 Card Dividers

The Worlds Collide and Into the Abyss sets are selection of cards from the original series (Thunderstone and its 5 expansions), redesigned to match with the Advance series. Also many cards have been tweaked for more balance.[6][7]

Reception

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BoardGameGeek rates Thunderstone a 7.0 out of 10, garnering it a thematic rank of 177 out of over 500 "thematic" board games.[8]

Awards

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  • 2012 Juego del Año Tico Nominee
  • 2011 Fairplay À la carte Winner
  • 2010 JoTa Best Card Game Nominee
  • 2010 JoTa Best Card Game Critic Award
  • 2010 JoTa Best Card Game Audience Award
  • 2010 Japan Boardgame Prize Voters' Selection Nominee
  • 2010 Golden Geek Best Card Game Nominee[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Thunderstone 2009". Boardgamegeek. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  2. ^ Quick, Jeff. "Get Down To Basics". Alderac website. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  3. ^ "Thunderstone Quest".
  4. ^ Thunderstone. ISBN 1594721270.
  5. ^ "Worlds Collide". Boardgamegeek. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  6. ^ "Thunderstone: Worlds Collide [5021] - $39.99 : AEG Online Store, the Official Alderac Entertainment Group Store". Archived from the original on 2014-10-12. Retrieved 2014-09-03.
  7. ^ "Thunderstone Advance: Into the Abyss".
  8. ^ "Thunderstone". BoardGameGeek. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  9. ^ "2010 Golden Geek Best Card Game Nominee | Board Game Honor | BoardGameGeek". boardgamegeek.com. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
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