Why Kraken Is A Solid Expansion. . .Except For That! - Beyond The Base Game

Now we look at the 2nd expansion for Abyss - you should certainly grab this expansion if you want to add a little more meat in the game, but what part am I explicitly warning you to stay the hell away from?

00:00 - Kraken came first, but you should get second!
01:20 - The Kraken and Nebulis Pearls
02:33 - The new "Kraken" allies
04:07 - Smuggler & Sentinel Lords
06:41 - The Loot Deck - AVOID!!
11:54 - Summary (Let me know your feedback)

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[Oaklestat]

I am not sure why I waited for a grown man to tell me I could just rip the treasure deck out of my game of Abyss. I always play with it. Sometimes we are definitely annoyed by it. But after this video. Luke told me I could get rid of it! It's out of there! Excellent

[HansJoachimMaier]

I just spotted that video. We played with the loot deck only once and got rid of it immediately after.

[wsiegel]

I'm glad you followed up with the Kraken expansion. I agree, I would put them all together except for the loot deck and locations and teach it that way.

[alexlord]

Kraken expansion arrives tomorrow. Thank you sooo much for showing me how to optimize the experience from the start. Saves me time and more fun will be had!! Great service to the community.

[goujin]

Here is my house rule: For the loot deck, what I do with my group is that you don't gain anything unless you say that you are done. Which means that you lose the bonus if you push too far. Also to balance it out, even if you pick a duplicate people could continue. Say they get a 7 and 7, then all other 7 picked would be removed too, but you still have an opportunity to reach for unique cards. It still makes them some of the better location in the game, but I like the idea of those location because they provide points and utilities, making them safer than a lot of the location from the basic game which requires buying lords or federating allies very specifically.

[fabienbervas]

Very good explanation about the loot deck! I think I bought Abyss and the expansions thanks (or because 😉) to you, but I did not follow your advice on the first plays (I tend to trust board designers in their choices). But now I see your explanation again, it really makes sense, and I totally agree with you now ;) Very good series, even if they probably won’t have the same amount of viewers than top ten or base game reviews. It’s nice to have a true opinion with explanations on wether or not an expansion should be added to the base game. Thanks

[npckse]

Another great video Luke! I am sold on incorporating Kraken and Leviathan into my Abyss games from now on, sans the loot deck and locations.

[kimoro]

cool series! you could do Amber Mines for Near and Far, that’s an essential one for us :)

[bertyking]

Yes, that is very useful. Here some suggestions: Flamme Rouge, Gloom, Firefly: the game, lifeform, set a watch, Trickerion and Anachrony

[R.A.Stewart]

I personally agree with everything you said regarding the push your luck aspect. I think it is ok but can create balance issues purely based on the luck of the draw. This can be the problem... Two of the people in my playgroup love it, really, really, love it. Both have made comments wishing it was integrated into the game in more ways and more frequently. So I recommend everyone try it and if your group likes it, use it. If not, cut it out.

[joseg.]

Great video...fiends and familiar would be great. Been on the fence about it.

[do_hickey]

Herb witch expansion for quacks
Any RFTG expansions
Targi expansion
7 wonders Duel expansions
Orleans expansions
Castle Panic expansions
Pandemic expansions

And yea, love the series even though I've never so much as played Abyss

[jamiebullingham]

Great series Luke. Kraken expansion is now ordered, although that loot deck sounds awful!

[alexanderarnaud]

Cool ! How about SmallWorld and 7 Wonders expansions?

[tomasxfranco]

I like keeping it in because it gives the person in last place at least a long shot chance of catching up.

[gidiyaniv]

Hi Luke,
You speak so highly on Abyss, can you share your experience with it as a 2 player game?
Thanks!

[bushibayushi]

wholeheartedly agree on the loot deck- it's terrible. I never house rule games, but I made an exception for Kraken (it's not modular by design, but I've treated loot deck and locations as a module and I keep them in the box).

[Daley]

Can one play with both Kraken and Leviathan in the game (sans the loot deck)? I'm thinking, yes!

[vangelisevangelou]

I know this is probably not what you asked for, but can you please do a series of your favourite sentinels heroes, villains, environments? Some sentinels expansions introduce new ways to play.

[rysiuvg]

Maybe vinhos expansions? was your fav lacerda right?