Root: The Marauder Expansion - Kickstarter Critique

3 Spectacular Reads For Any Kickstarter Creator:

From The Publisher: Root: The Marauder Expansion introduces two new factions and new gameplay options:

• Lord of the Hundreds is both charismatic and terrifying. He rules over a vast horde of warriors recently arrived to the woodland and is interested only in its domination. To help speed his conquest, he lights massive fires which can spread throughout the woods and destroy the buildings of other factions. The Lord also interacts with crafted items, which he can plunder from players. These items increase his strength, but also cause him to develop an increasingly fearsome monomania.

• The Keepers in Iron are strangers to the Woodland, here only to recover the scattered and lost relics of an ancient civilization. The Keepers work to establish way-stations across the woodland and form alliances with other factions in hopes of recovering their relics more quickly. They will often find themselves deep within enemy territory as they search for their relics. Thankfully their finely crafted armor makes them difficult to dislodge.

Both of these factions are suitable to Root's two-player game, bringing the total number of two-player factions up to five without the use of bots.

Root: The Marauder Expansion also introduces a new level to the conflict for the woodland: Hirelings! These small factions can be used at any player count and introduce surprising new power combinations as well as a chess-like tension to lower player count games of Root.

Finally, The Marauder Expansion also includes a new set-up draft system suitable for both casual and competitive play.

[shanerion]

I don’t get the confusion. At least to me it’s clear what is being offered. You said you’d been warned about some confusion and then seemingly experienced some confusion yourself.

The first pledge level is 50 and includes everything shown under that level. Then the next pledge level is 80, and includes everything from the 50 pledge plus the expanded hirelings. Then for the 110 pledge you are all in. At least from my perspective it is clear.

[bgt]

Love your excitement!

For someone like me, who played hundreds of Root games both physical and digital, here my perspective and to some extent confusion (which I figured out later...)

The hirelings basically allow players to "borrow" the strength of 3 (always 3) factions (of your choice) in a game to allow players to do extra stuff each turn. It support 2-4 players, there's side A and side B for all hirelings, u use side A for lower player count and side B for hire player count, my assumption is that side A are more impactful and give more board presence.
The way that the hirelings improves 2-4 (especially 2) player experiences is by fixing an issue called "reach", some factions in Root are very passive and doesn't have high "reach", making games of certain faction combinations stale and sometimes unbalanced, the hirelings fills in that gap by providing "reach" for any factions (when being "hired" each turn)

The hireling and clockwork expansions both solves the "reach" issue but the clockwork expansion uses a different approach from what's mentioned above by adding an autonomous new "players", and of course, clockwork allows solo games which hirelings does not.

Issues (from my perspective) with this KS:

1. The confusion of hirelings, clockwork expansions and the bundles...
2. The KS fails to clearly mention that u can ONLY play with the hirelings factions that is NOT chosen by players, that means, you HAVE TO buy every single hirelings (Riverfolk hirelings + more hireling box) if you want to take advantage of it's full purpose (play with any faction combination)
3. Another very important module for the expansion was unfortunately not shown on the infographic, which is the competitive faction draft + instant setup rules. For people like me who plays the game competitively, it was frustrating that such an improvement was almost completely left out in the information...

So in short:
On top of the marauder base expansion box...

1. If you want to enjoy the games with all sort of faction combinations at 2-4 players: get ALL the hirelings expansions
2. If solo experience is important for you: get clockwork expansion
3. If you mostly play with 3-4 players and want to see how much hirelings add to the experience, try out the 4 hirelings from the marauders box and if you enjoyed them, buy the hirelings later
4. If you are a completionist and Leder hardcore fan, don't bother reading this, you've already backed everything...

P.S.
The Root digital game by Direwolf on steam/IOS/Andoid is one of THE best digital board game made, up there with the digital production quality Terraforming Mars and Wingspan.
Even though there's only 4 base factions available, you are going to enjoy and appreciate the game on a whole new level. I really hope you try it out.
P.P.S.
Sam actually made a super informative video about this expansion, he's channel is Lord of the Board, check it out.

[michelwynants]

Like how you rage through but the scrolling made me dizzzzy! 😅

[shanerion]

“In order to enjoy this solo, you need to buy the more hirelings expansion, you can’t just buy the base game”... no. No that’s not what it says. In order to play solo you need the Clockwork expansion. In the pledge manager, surely you’ll be able to get whatever add on you want a la carte.

Once again, it’s 50 for the expansion and some nice Kickstarter doodads. It’s 80 for that, plus new hirelings and a hireling specific box to keep storage clean. For 110, you’re all in, getting all of the above plus the clockwork expansion which provides bots for solo or even 2-3 player games. It’s not quite as complicated as you’re making it

[Pandemonium]

Thanks for the vid. I pledged 80 dollars. I dont play solo at all so it didnt make sense to add the clockwork.

[shanerion]

“Why would I need to get this in order to get that” (regarding the clockwork for riverfolk and underworld as part of a pledge also containing the new expansion). You don’t need to get one to get the other. It’s just a pledge level. It’s bundled together. If you just want the one or the other, that type of stuff is ALWAYS done in a pledge manager.