A card game for 2-4+ players based on the TV show Agents of Shield.
There are 2 decks: the SHIELD Deck and the PLOT Deck. All cards have a numerical level and most cards have one or more traits (Combat, Leadership, Support, Espionage, Computers, Engineering, Biochem).
Flip over the top 5 cards of the PLOT Deck. These are called the revealed plots.
Players take turns with each turn comprising 4 phases:
1. Recruit Phase
- A player fills his hand to 7 cards from the SHIELD deck.
2. Action Phase
- A player may reveal one card from his hand (do not discard it) and get one special benefit from it dependant on its trait (e.g. If it is a Spy card, look at an opponent’s hand and steal any 1 card)
3. Investigation Phase
- Play (discard) SHIELD cards from your hand with a total level matching or exceeding the level of a target revealed PLOT card. The SHIELD cards must also have traits that at minimum match the traits of the target PLOT card. If this is done the PLOT card is captured and put into the player’s victory pile. If possible, you may capture multiple revealed PLOT cards in a single turn. Every time a revealed PLOT card is captured immediately flip over another one from the top of the PLOT Deck so that there are always 5 revealed PLOT cards available.
4. Recovery Phase
- You may discard up to 2 SHIELD cards from your hand.
The game ends when all PLOT cards have been captured. The winner is the player who has the greatest number of PLOT cards in his victory pile when the game ends. If tied the player with the most levels worth of PLOT cards wins.
- The spy theme is enjoyable for the host.
- The campaign structure with ongoing investigation is engaging.
- Nick Fury's dual-sided suit (stealth/assault) is cool.
- The game mechanics for threat removal and campaign progression are well-received.
- The Batrock scenario provides an interesting objective beyond defeating the villain.
- The host mentions difficulty with advanced game elements ('I'm not that good.')
- The encounter deck can be challenging, with cards that increase threat or add complexity.
- Investigating a missing SHIELD computer specialist and uncovering a mole within SHIELD.
- Park Slope, Brooklyn and Washington D.C.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Campaign — The game is played as a campaign with multiple scenarios and a persistent narrative.
- Deck Building — The host discusses building Nick Fury's deck with justice and neutral cards.
- evidence cards — Evidence cards are gained throughout the campaign and impact future scenarios.
- Secret Counters — Secret counters are placed on board members, and having none can grant benefits.
- Staging — The game progresses through different stages, with villain health and abilities changing.
- Threat — Threat is added to schemes and other game elements, and removing it is a primary objective.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This spy theme is totally my jam.
- I love the idea of being Nick Fury, someone who has no special abilities, taking on other enemy, uh, you know, villains and trying to defeat them.
- This is going to be the means. This will be the motive and this will be the opportunity of whoever it is that is being uh the mole inside of shield.
- That was such a sweet turn.
- The game starts with the player phase. Remember that we can flip our identity once per round or once per player phase.
- The scenario was made for Nick and this deck we are a thwarting machine.