Review Details

Godtear: The Borderlands Starter Set

Product Review (submitted on February 5, 2020):

Having played a solid bit of Warhammer: Underworlds, I found the game's deckbuilding elements intimidated the more casual gamers in my playgroup from taking up the system. After learning a bit about Godtear and hearing from a friend that it takes 15 minutes to learn, I decided to give the system a go.

They were right, and I'm glad I did. The core rules of the game are simple, intuitive, and well-preserved by the game's full-color rulebook. I was delighted by the fact that the rulebook itself uses images and references from the two Champions present in the box, and I assume this holds true for its sister set. The set's other ancillary components - cardboard tokens, proprietary dice, cards, objective hexes, and a surprisingly massive double-sided board - are all of similarly high quality.

The models themselves are brilliant as well. I found a handful of trivial issues (they are of a softer plastic, so some easily-corrected bending is to be expected), but the level of detail and artistic direction for the sculpts are both quite good.

Most importantly, the game is quick, brutal fun. Champions and their followers feel different and characterful, and the tug-of-war nature of the scoring track makes for tense and highly enjoyable clutch moments. While I haven't yet had the opportunity to play a "standard" 3 Champion vs. 3 Champion game, I'm champing at the bit to explore new combinations of champions and their synergies.

This one is a slam dunk, and well worth the cost of entry with a starter set. This box contains everything you and a friend need to dive into the mechanics of the broader game, or enough for one person to bring two Champions to a "small" game. If you're looking to get your team ready to mix it up in a Standard match, check out any of the single-character expansions. I'd recommend going for a Slayer (Red) or Shaper (Green) character of your liking, to give your lads a bit more in the way of Champion-killing or battlefield control, respectively.

In conclusion, while I'm not sure that I'd say that Godtear is God-tier, it's a brilliant addition to any miniature or competitive gamer's shelf.