Direwolf | Dune: Imperium: Deluxe Upgrade Pack | Board Game | Ages 14+ | 1-4 Players | 60-120 Minutes Playing Time

Product Information

In December 2020, Dire Wolf Digital released Paul Dennen’s Dune: Imperium, which I reviewed on GeekDad. I awarded it with a GeekDad Approved badge, and it went on to be my favorite game of 2021. I wasn’t alone in my enjoyment of the game; it went on to win several awards, including our own GeekDad Game of the Year. Now you don’t need to be a mentat to realise that there is already one Dune game available. Gale Force Nine re-released 1979s classic Dune, a game of strategy, intrigue and betrayal, at the tail end of 2019. This was very well received as many of the gaming community had heard of it but never actually seen it. It was also a game designed to be played best with the full complement of six players – which is why I haven’t been able to play my copy yet this year. You can optimise your hand by sending an agent to Selective Breeding or with Fedaykin Death Commando, Gene Manipulation, Guild Administrator, Seitch Reverend Mother Tip 7 (Easy) – Acquiring Your High Council Seat Direwolf have also promised an app-based AP to confound your plans – there aren’t any details of how this will work as yet, but they are wanting to make it as intelligent and involved as possible. A Last View from the Shield Wall

A slim tray holds all of the leader cards from both the base game and the expansion. As you can see, there’s room even if you’ve sleeved those cards. The resource tray. Image by Paul Benson.The fastest way to use this action is through the placement of your first agent on Stillsuits (requires Diplomacy or Seek Allies), then your second agent on Research Station (requires Signet Ring or Reconnaissance) The Mid-Game Sleeving game cards is a surprisingly divisive practice in the board gaming hobby. There are some people that sleeve their cards religiously, and others that absolutely hate the feel of holding those plastic sleeves in your hands. Dispatch cunning agents to further your plans. Send loyal troops into battle on Arrakis. Employ the Mentat to outsmart your rivals. Claim the Alliances of the most powerful factions in the Imperium. With 65 beautifully sculpted miniatures figures and a hefty coin to bestow upon the first player, your game will be fit for an Emperor. Maybe it’s down to my explanation, but it does sound complicated on the surface. However, even my son loves the game. Once you know the basics, everything fits together like a well-constructed sci-fi jigsaw. All the symbols are easy to recognise, the board is laid out well and the cards all make sense. It is an easy-to-play game, full of options and rewards for you to manage. I love the game arc too. It starts out slow to earn victory points but, as the battle rewards ramp up towards the end, it really ends in a nice crescendo of players trying to wring out every victory point they can. Dune Imperium: Final Thoughts

It’s very helpful to be able to pull out some of the trays from the game and put them on the table for use during play. In my last game, we simply drew cards directly from the card tray, and resources from the token tray. Costing 6 spice, this is the most expensive action space on the board but it is almost always worth it as it immediately allows you to place five troops into the combat, establishing you as a major contender for that round, and you can also add two from your garrison. The space also gives you two water, which will come in very useful in gathering more spice to take the action again as soon as possible. Alongside this, the Carryall is a very powerful card, as it can provide you with up to six spice, allowing you to do the action again as soon as it is free. The Kwizatz Haderach is also a very useful card to have in this situation, as it enables you to gain access to the Heighliner even if another player has taken the action. Tip 12 (Medium) – Use Of Intrigue Cards In Conflict Similarly, players will replace their wooden cubes with 12 small plastic Troop miniatures. These are molded in the player colors, with a different sculpt for each color. The new Mentat. Image by Paul Benson.You also get a tray of miniatures that replace your troops with, unique for each player, to do your combat-based bidding. You are also treated with very detailed miniatures for your three agents, the mental and a miniature for each faction. These miniatures, unlike the smaller troop ones, are begging to be painted and I have added them to the never-ending list of board game stuff I need to paint. With the trailer dropping for the second instalment of the new Dune films I thought this would be a good opportunity for me to revisit one of the best games of the past couple of years to see if it has stood up to the sands of time. I split the game up into 3 main phases; the opening (first two rounds), mid-game (all subsequent rounds up to the Conflict III rounds), and the endgame (the Conflict III rounds). This is largely due to the acceleration of victory points after the first few rounds, once you start to consistently draw the new cards you have bought, and the 2VP rewards in most of the Conflict III cards. The Opening

The last component from the top tray, this bas-relief metal coin replace a cardboard token as the First Player marker. The bottom level of trays. Image by Paul Benson. Certainly, if a game has cards that see a lot of use, like in Dune: Imperium, then card sleeves will extend the lifespan of your game. Everything in this deluxe upgrade screams quality. From the detailed miniatures to the branded card sleeves. The storage solution and box are much improved over the base game and boy does it give the game a much better look on the table. To get you started, here is the movement of the Dune Imperium starting cards: 2xNone, 2xYellow, 2xGreen, 1xBlue, 1xYellow/Green/Blue, and 2xFremen/Bene Gesserit/Space Guild/Emperor Tip 3 (Medium) – The Third AgentProtect your game with 75 gorgeous full-art sleeves for use with Dune: Imperium or other card games. The Spice Must Flow featuring the fearsome sandworms of Dune.