Highlander: the Card Game by Thunder Castle Games is the first Swordmaster game, which presumably means that TCG intends to use this game's mechanics in another setting. If they decide to do so, I'll buy it. The best part about this game is how straightforward it is. When your turn starts, you defend against the attack I made against you on my last turn. Then you attack me. That's it. It's generally that simple. The strategy and tactics in this game come from two areas - deciding where to attack and defend, and what special cards to use.
The simple back and forth of block then attack would get repetitive and boring fairly quickly if not for the special actions. Drawing from things that have happened in the syndicated T.V. series, actions can have seriously game-altering effects as well as special attacks, defenses and other more devious effects. One of my favorites is that Amanda (the most sublime of the immortals that you can play, in my opinion) can play the seduce card so that her next attack cannot be blocked.
Each of the immortals in the game have their own special abilities which correspond to the character's style on the show. The actual card for each immortal is rare, which makes it unlikely that you will get one if you only have a few cards, but if you don't play one of the immortals from the show you can play a "generic" immortal which is more versatile but less focused. As a generic immortal, you don't have any special cards of your own, but you can put one from each of the immortals in your deck.
This is a fast-paced game because your turn shouldn't ever take more than 30-45 seconds and is usually done with in about 15 seconds. The simplicity of the core mechanic makes sure that the game doesn't drag. Games last about 5-10 minutes consistently.
Your hand size indicates how skillful you are at any time and you fill up to your "ability" at the end of your turn. If you are hit, the damage reduces your ability. If you go through your deck, you have become tired and lose ability, although you do get to reshuffle. As you become more wounded, and tired, you have fewer cards to choose from which beautifully simulates the fact that a wounded fighter becomes more and more desperate and has fewer options. You can make "exertions" to look at 5 more cards for an attack or defense, but all five get discarded, and you get closer to being exhausted.
As good as this game is, there are only about 170 cards, so the number of combinations and different strategies is limited by that. I have already encountered a lot of decks that are very similar to each other in both the immortal chosen, and the basic card strategy. The first expansion set is supposed to have cards and immortals from the movies (I'm waiting for Ramirez), and hopefully that influx of new cards will refresh the game. The card quality is good, but the printing quality isn't quite up to the standards of some of the other games out there. Stills from the series are used on the cards where many games use artwork, and while some if it is outstanding and appropriate, some of the shots just don't seem to fit at all with what the card does.
In summary, this is an easy game to pick up. There are no major holes, and the game play is quick and fun. There may not be enough cards yet for the very long term, but an influx of new cards can easily fix that. This is definitely a game that any fan of the movie or T.V. series will want to check out, and is also a good bet for most card players.
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