This sounds like it could be my favorite game ever... that no one else will ever want to play...
mikepittmanpov
Having played Dune since the 1980s, one of the things I've learnt is that no matter how badly you've ballsed up, no matter how profoundly you've been owned, and no matter how much of your gameplan lies in tatters, there is always a chance you can pull it back. Dune's a game of patience, opportunity and underhand determination as much as anything else, and there's no better victory than the one you pull with your last few troops after the big dogs have chewed each others legs off during their own epic yet tragically failed struggles for victory. The slow blade penetrates the shield, as they say.
MrGibbonici
If you want to play DUNE remember not to fear it since if you do, you already lost.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
elmer
When friendships are too strong to be destroyed with Risk, this is the game for you.
Redskies
I can't say I'm sold on this game. I've sat through a 28 minute overview and not one mention of a mechanic around drinking your own piss. Seems like this is a very loose adaptation of the Dune setting.
lovemiracle
This game is indeed vicious. We played this many times in the 80's. I remember an Atreides/Bene Gesserit alliance putting one unit into a region against an entire army of at least 15 units. The Atreides player knew the enemy faction had a lazgun, so they played a cheap hero and a shield, and the BG player used his ability and told the enemy player to play the lazgun. BOOM! Entire army wiped out. Classic.
mikeem
I've never been happier than when I saw Matt reprising his role as a worm
TheShadesOfBlack
I agree about the Bene Gesserit. Winning using their ability is the single highest high I've ever experienced in a game.
mjlaufgr
"How often do you play the board games that you already have?" I feel personally attacked.
jackstanton
27:45 So much water a man might submerge his body in it! Such luxury
THESP-rzhg
Additional comment - This NEEDS a "We Play" in the vein of your most excellent Twilight Imperium stream. Matt in the diary room sharing his Harkonnen plotting would be pure gold
acerumble
The basic mode is the original game's *normal* mode. As the designers intended it. The optional rules largely clutter the play-balance.
It absolutely has to be played like this as each faction needs to balance the others properly.
Other factions he didn't mention, all hilariously broken:
The Fremen are the cockroaches of the game - nearly unkillable (half damage from the storm) and breed like them as well(no shipping costs, which means lots more spice to bring back units - Hardest solo win in the game, but EVERYONE wants to ally with them. They pretty much permanently own one victory location. They are always where the Spice is as well, siphoning it off like little vacuum cleaners - who then ride away into the desert like ghosts.
The Bene Gesserit can run on no spice(charity - an actual function in the game!)/down to zero and suddenly overthrow an entire faction by turn 5 or 6. Every turn they are asked if they will remain neutral. And do so, effectively counting as zero units on the board until they aren't. They also can force you in combat to not play or play a certain card through their "voice" ability. All of their leaders are also at maximum strength in combat. And their predict the winner ability. If that member is part of a faction, that also counts.
The Guild drops people on planet for half cost and are the only faction that can move them BACK(for free). Since combat in Dune is Pyrrhic in nature, getting out of Dodge with 8 troops and leaving the other two factions to die off is hugely powerful at times. If nobody has won by the end of the last turn, they de-facto win, Bebe Gesserit prediction or not. They also can choose to take their turn out of sequence on any round since they control the ships. Yes, they simply decide when to go, often last, and laugh as you try to pin them down.
The game is a lot like Twilight Imperium in scale and complexity, so it will take 3-4 games to play at full effectiveness.
BUT... When you do get to that point, it's absolutely epic. Better than Cosmic Encounter, better than any Euro-Game, better than Diplomacy, and honestly about tied with Twilight Imperium in the hands of players who know how to play it properly. Of the classic Avalon Hill games, this is without a doubt their single best one they ever made.
For $40, it's worth it a dozen times over. Imperium Rex is just as good for only a little more money, but TI themed.
plektosgaming
Matt's gentle yell as he hopelessly tries to escape Quinns is completely hilarious.
RustalWolf
Walk without rhythm and you won’t attract the worm, Quinns.
MichaelBoehnlein
Once a year, YouTube's algorithm actually presents a video I would enjoy. This is that video. Fantastic work and an instant subscription! Now if you'll excuse me, I have a massive back catalog to binge watch.
akareject
"Just wait for the new Dune movie coming out in 2020"
Me in 2020: *laughs in quarantine*
kikamac
Played this a bunch of times over the years with an ancient copy that was looking worse for wear after being bought off Ebay. Didn't matter it was falling apart, we had some of the most memorable experiences playing. The well defined when you can make break alliances is such a good mechanic. It helps a player who just got crushed from instantly losing and stops a player ahead from steam rolling. I've seen the Bene Gesserit win by prediction. I've seen Harkonen hit all 4 traitors. I've seen the Emperor and Spicers Guild team up to have all the money. I've seen somebody buy 3 useless cards in a row. I've personally been ruined by family atomics twice. It's messy and fun and brutal and when nobody had troops because they were all dead and you can only bring back 3 per turn, it was more politicking than fighting for quite a long time. I live it.
calvinthegreat
A sheer legend indeed. Amazing game and still playing to this day in 2022! When you find 4-6 brave souls, the experience is like no other. 100% player interaction. The teach is actually easier for those familiar with the Dune story because all the cool Dune rules happened in the books. For my group we hit the ground running; instant treachery, shady deals, epic battles and plenty of hardships BUT, the hardships only made us want to play it again and again. And the complete uniqueness between the factions makes it feel like a whole new experience each time you play. You get 6 "new" game experiences in one box and every game is never the same.
dynomite
Once you revealed that a laze gun combined with a shield nukes all the units in the battle, I knew I had to buy this.
AndrewRichesson
Me: See Dune in shop, take it mindlessly because I am a Dune fanboy.
Me after seeing the video: Now, how I am gonna find people to play with me...
