Great question, Derek! The Lich King is static only in his representation. There are a few ways that he differs between plays. First, you can choose to give him 0-4 bonus cards during setup. These bonuses allow him to earn victory points in other ways. The more bonuses, the more difficult he is to beat. And it definitely holds true! This ability to customize him and randomize the bonuses also adds some variability.

Next, each round features a unique chapter for the Lich King. There are 5 types, and 4 unique cards for each type. These differ in the number of immediate victory points, amount of army strengths, and drafting bonuses. This is really where the heart of the variety comes in because these cards help to guide decisions about which units to pick.

Let’s say you play back-to-back with exactly the same units, in the exact same order in the draft. Change up just one of the Lich King’s cards, and the choices you make about which units to draft will likely guide the plays in different directions. Granted, you’re not looking at the world’s most unique experiences, though I don’t see myself getting bored with it!

Coincidentally, I’m working on my first proper review of a board game… And it’s for this one! It should be posted today, and it will include more information about reusability and variability. I hope all of these details answer your questions!

That sounds like a lot of fun, Sara! I always have high hopes of trying out other creative hobbies, though I’m happy to keep board games at the top of my list. There never is enough time for everything!

I’m slowly finding similarities in my collection, too, and will probably downsize at some point. It’s good to recognize when you don’t need a game. I’m sure your wallet appreciates you. Ha!

The art style is very approachable. A few of the characters are rather frightening, but you’re right: Nothing is over the top nor terrifying. Plus I like to think that I’m hiring them to help me out. They’re vaguely friendly!

So I love the art! I feel there is some gameplay similarity in some ways to Nations: The Dice game, and so I likely won’t ever get Paper Tales, but it’s possible, especially as my dice games have exploded of late.

I enjoy your reports on it, and I’d definitely play it. I love that the more gruesome characters aren’t gruesome, and maybe scary, but not horrible. The deathly ones make me think a bit of some of the paper crafting for Day of the Dead.