Games Workshop isn’t just about Warhammer, you know. We’ve made some absolutely banging board games over the years – including the likes of Fury of Dracula, and Warrior Knights. Talisman is another classic, a game that’s been around for more than 40 years across numerous editions – and which is, for fans of a certain vintage, a glittering shard of pure nostalgia.
The premise is simple. Two to six players* select a character – a Warrior, a Wizard, a Prophetess, a Troll, and so on – and embark on a quest to claim the Crown of Command and rule the land. You roll dice to move and traverse a board, encountering a card deck of enemies and allies, levelling up and finding loot, followers, and spells. It’s all wrapped up in about 60 to 90 minutes, and it’s great both for a family games night or for a midweek throwdown between friends.
And for the first time since 2008 (various themed editions notwithstanding) there is a new edition of the game on the way. It’s the same fantastic game, but there’s a fresh set of brilliant art and a handful of smart refinements to make the game play much faster without losing any of what makes it so magical.
The 5th Edition of Talisman: The Magical Quest Board Game is produced by Avalon Hill and is currently available to pre-order. It contains 12 classic characters, 100 Adventure cards, 24 spells, and all the other accoutrements you expect – including those iconic coloured cones to demonstrate stat improvements. The new art is gorgeous, and the refinements to the rules are clearly picked out.
We won’t spoil too many of the surprises, but the Elder Dragon and Crown of Command work in a smoother way, while levelling up is now a lot quicker.
Talisman Alliances
Talisman has always been defined by its expansions – each edition of the game has been accompanied by corner pieces to the board adding new areas, actions, and adventures, while other expansions have introduced the Reaper, cults, and – way back in 1995 – the first ever plastic dragon from Citadel.
The first expansion to the 5th Edition was announced at the UK Games Expo last weekend – and we’ve got the inside track. Entitled Talisman Alliances: Fate Beckons, it mixes things up immediately – introducing co-operative play to Talisman for the first time.
You’ll work together with your fellow players to overcome unique challenges called Trials. Instead of claiming the Crown of Command for yourself, you’ll join forces to bury Talismans in the Places of Power, unseal the Portal of Power, and defeat the adversary of each Trial. Overcome all five to complete the game and win together. This is a ‘legacy’ format – you’ll play five linked games, and as you complete each Trial, you’ll open envelopes and boxes to discover mystery cards and new figures to add to your next game.
The Talisman 5th Edition core base game is currently on pre-order from board game retailers and will be out on the 1st of July. The first Talisman Alliances expansion will be along later in the year.
* Or more, if you’ve got enough expansions, patient friends, and time to burn…
** In the game…