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Reavers of Midgard box art

Reavers of Midgard

Game ID: GID0261623
Collection Status
Description

Reavers of Midgard is a single worker placement game with elements of set collection, dice combat and engine building set in the Champions of Midgard universe.

In Champions of Midgard, your quest was to become Jarl. You battled back the trolls, draugr and some of the epic monsters that once threatened the sanctity of your humble port town. Now it's time to go on the offensive.

In Reavers of Midgard, you'll be looking to gain glory by raiding nearby villages for their riches, sacking well-fortified castles and battling both man and monster on the open seas. You'll not only need to take your rowdy crew of vikings and the food needed to keep them happy along for the ride but you'll also have to recruit a crew of elite warriors - the Reavers.

Reavers can be used in three different ways. They can be made your ship's leader, earning you a one-time bonus and enabling your warriors to be more versatile in combat. They can also be used to rally more warriors to your cause, filling your ship to the brim with the right fighters for the right situations. Finally, they can also be used to help your crew specialize, earning you a bonus every time your crew sails into battle.

Whoever can earn the most glory after six rounds will be the winner.

Year Published
2019
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 3
This page: 3
Sentiment: pos 1 · mix 2 · neu 0 · neg 0
Mentions per page
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Showing 1–3 of 3
Video D8xYxfSIVAE Broken Meatball game_review at 0:00 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 11071 · mention_pk 32564
Broken Meatball - Reavers of Midgard video thumbnail
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
  • Gorgeous, colorful board and high production value
  • Deep, multi-path strategy with many card synergies
  • Upgradable Reaver cards add depth and replayability
  • Good scaling for 2-3 players; strong table presence
Cons
  • Very fiddly with many cards and tokens; can be overwhelming
  • No solo mode; teaching time can be lengthy
  • High price for what is a relatively dry theme/experience
  • Downtime and long rounds at 4 players can slow the game
Thematic elements
  • deck-building and action selection with Viking motifs
  • Viking-era sea raids and territory conquest
  • procedural theme integration; heavy on mechanics
Comparison games
  • Lords of Waterdeep
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • action selection — Place a ship on an action space to gain a set of bonuses based on turn order.
  • deck-building / card collection — Acquire Reaver cards, crew cards, and gear to unlock effects and scoring options.
  • dice usage and upgrades — Use dice tied to Reaver cards; dice faces can be promoted or used as wilds.
  • downtime and simultaneous resolution — Many abilities trigger before actions resolve, causing potential downtime.
  • end-game point salad — End-game scoring arises from multiple independent card/territory variables.
  • negative tokens / pillage — Pillage tokens impose penalties that can be mitigated through play.
  • set collection / scoring — Collect cards and artefacts that contribute to end-game scoring from multiple paths.
  • territory/territory tile control — Claim and conquer tiles and structures like farms, walls, and towers.
  • upgradable actions — Reaver cards upgrade bottom-row actions, triggering more effects when used.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • it's basically collect these cards and putting them into what is called your glory pile
  • it's a point salad a euro game with the Vikings themes slapped onto it
  • the board is chunky and it is colorful
  • this is a full-on euro version of the game
  • there's no solo mode
  • downtime can be a little annoying at times
  • I would give this a seven out of ten
  • the game feels dry and lacks a strong thematic thread
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video cSC-2YwjlkU Grey Fox Games general_discussion at 0:23 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10771 · mention_pk 81279
Grey Fox Games - Reavers of Midgard video thumbnail
Click to watch at 0:23 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Standalone sequel with clearer euro-weighted mechanics compared to Champions of Midgard
  • Distinct six action spaces provide depth and variety
  • Clear engine-building structure with a meaningful distinction between above-deck leadership and below-deck development
  • Multiple paths to progress via boats, raiding, and territory control
Cons
  • More complex than Champions of Midgard, which may deter casual players
  • Some players may find the learning curve steep due to the number of mechanics and interactions
Thematic elements
  • Viking exploration, raiding, boat-building and religion
  • A Viking-era mythic world where players raid, trade, and voyage to claim glory across the mid- and high seas.
  • cohesive saga with a shared universe (standalone sequel to Champions of Midgard)
Comparison games
  • Champions of Midgard
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • below_deck_engine_building_vs_above_deck_leadership — Engine-building happens below deck (dice, card synergies) while the captain/leader operates above board as a persistent engine modifier.
  • card_and_dice_interactions — Reaver cards grant dice; players can rally a card, upgrade it to be their leader, or install it below in the action engine to gain ongoing benefits.
  • dialectic_of_action_and_voyage — Six distinct action spaces cover gathering, raiding, recruiting, trading, fighting, and upgrading; actions scale in power and risk as the round progresses.
  • epic_sea_battles_and_territory_control — Sea battles form a central challenge with rewards for controlling sea lanes and raid success to gain resources and upgrade boats.
  • single_worker_placement — Each round, players select one action space; you get the best possible result on your chosen space, while others receive progressively weaker versions of that action.
  • worker placement — Each round, players select one action space; you get the best possible result on your chosen space, while others receive progressively weaker versions of that action.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • Rivers of Midgard is the sequel to Champions of Midgard, set in the same universe.
  • This is a standalone game and a single worker placement game.
  • It's a little bit more of a Euro tilt than the original.
  • There are six different action spaces on the board.
  • Engine-building is all below deck whereas the captain or the leader is all above that.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video z5jM93Fxv34 Chairman of the Board game_review at 0:02 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 7902 · mention_pk 23299
Chairman of the Board - Reavers of Midgard video thumbnail
Click to watch at 0:02 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
  • Engaging, inclusive worker-placement feel where all players stay involved
  • Innovative river/leader mechanic that adds flexibility and engine-building potential
  • Beautiful artwork and high-quality components with tactile dice and storage
  • Strong thematic flavor with monsters at sea and raiding motifs
  • Solid player boards and upgrade paths that reward strategic planning
Cons
  • Heavy reliance on luck due to top-decking and random tile draws
  • Set collection can dominate scoring, reducing strategic balance
  • Tension and competition over key locations feel weak, diminishing player interaction
  • Depth of strategy can feel wafer-thin relative to the rule complexity
  • Overall pacing and weight may not satisfy true euro-heavy players or those seeking high interactivity
Thematic elements
  • Viking mythos with dungeon-crawl-like monster challenges and raiding economy
  • Viking-age exploration, raiding, and monster encounters across land and sea
  • mythic-adventurer in a Euro-inspired engine-building framework
Comparison games
  • Champions of Midgard
  • Lords of Waterdeep
  • Puerto Rico
  • Rising Sun
  • Twilight Imperium IV (TI4)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Compound Scoring — Certain cards or actions generate curses or negative points, adding tension to long-term planning
  • Dice-based actions and combat — Dice are used for many actions, including fighting sea monsters, with choices between controlled or luck-driven outcomes
  • engine building — Leaders, artifacts, and board upgrades increase capacity and unlock new actions over the course of the game
  • Engine-building on player boards — Leaders, artifacts, and board upgrades increase capacity and unlock new actions over the course of the game
  • Negative scoring via corruption — Certain cards or actions generate curses or negative points, adding tension to long-term planning
  • River cards and leaders — Cards called rivers provide resources, dice, and can be slotted as leaders to grant instant bonuses or function as wild dice
  • Set collection and scoring — Points come from collecting armor, tapestries, treasures, and other cards; set completion drives endgame scoring
  • take that — Tokens or actions can be used to impose penalties on other players, introducing direct player interaction
  • take-that style interactions — Tokens or actions can be used to impose penalties on other players, introducing direct player interaction
  • Tile flipping and blind draw scoring — Spots allow trading resources to flip tiles with hidden rewards; end-of-round bonuses depend on revealed tiles
  • worker placement — Single worker per player; players place on various spots and the first to act gains an initial advantage, while others still get bonus effects when their turn comes
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • it's like having a Ferrari kind of car with the engine of a go-kart
  • the depth of the game is wafer thin
  • top decking and lucky dips determine the winner more than decisions
  • I can't recommend Reavers of Midgard
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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