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Unmatched Adventures

Tales to Amaze

Overview

Unmatched is a fast-paced, asymmetrical miniature dueling game that allows you to choose from an ever-growing roster of legendary heroes and villains from ancient mythology, classic literature, and blockbuster movies. This is a crossover like no other with many volumes, sets, and expansions that offer a wide variety of characters and playstyles.

Unmatched Adventures: Tales to Amaze is the first cooperative Unmatched game set and features heroes and villains themed around the pulp adventures, tall tales, and local legends of the mid 20th century.

Tales to Amaze includes:

4 hero miniatures
2 villain miniatures
6 minion tokens
8 doom/alien tokens
14 health dials
222 cards
1 double-sided game board
1 adventure rulebook
1 set rulebook
1 core rulebook

Presentation

One way Unmatched stands apart from other games is the game’s dedication to art. In Tales to Amaze, both game boards are colorfully printed with easily identifiable zones for combat. For the first time in Unmatched, Tales to Amaze includes villains with their own miniatures, minions, and decks. All decks feature unique, stunning, and thematic artwork for each hero and villain. Staying true to the concept of a crossover, each all fighters and their decks feel as if they were pulled directly from their source material and placed in an arena to battle one another. Each deck is incredibly thematic, featuring special abilities and card titles that include an abundance of references that fans of each hero are sure to appreciate.

Objective

In Unmatched Adventures: Tales to Amaze, the goal is to gather your friends, pick your favorite heroes, and use their unique playstyle and abilities to work together and defeat one of two villains and their minions. You must take two of the following actions each turn: maneuver, scheme, and attack. You may choose two different actions or the same action twice. Each card has a special effect or value, leading to exciting and unique engagements every time you play. Each villain features a unique battlefield with unique objectives. If the villain completes their objective or defeats the heroes, the players lose. The included maps are designed for up to 5 heroes and provide new environments with unique mechanics that you can incorporate into regular Unmatched play.

For the Unmatched Adventures rulebook, click here.

For the Tales to Amaze set rulebook, click here.

For the Unmatched core rulebook, click here.

Gameplay

Unmatched Adventures: Tales to Amaze can be played with up to 4 players vs 1 villain, competitive 1v1, 2v2, or with up to 5 players in a free-for-all battle, the latter being our favorite since it is ripe for unofficial alliances and betrayals. A single match can take 20 – 60 minutes and is full of constant action. The basic mechanics might seem complicated at first glance, but they are easy to learn once you start playing. Some heroes do have more complicated mechanics than others, so there can be a learning curve. Fortunately, every card has specific instructions written on them, but if you are still left with questions, you can always turn to the included rule book and our FAQ for more clarification.

This is the first game in the Unmatched series that offers cooperative play that has players team up to face two unique scenarios, each with its own set of objectives and challenges. Perhaps the most exciting feature is the ability to combine this game with any other set or hero in the Unmatched series, offering hundreds of potential combinations for play. With that said, each of the four heroes included in this set offer a wide variety of playstyles, from those who enjoy strategic planning to those who just want to do massive damage without thinking. Unmatched Adventures: Tales to Amaze strikes a perfect balance between challenging encounters and accessible gameplay. Check out our individual hero breakdowns for more information regarding each hero featured in this set.

Heroes

Annie Christmas

A literal tall tale, Annie was a 7-foot keelboat captain on the mighty Mississippi and strong as the river on which she piled her trade.

Golden Bat

From the ancient world of Atlantis, he traveled through time to the 1930’s to fight crime wherever it might rear its ugly head.

Jill Trent

Along with her trusty companion, Daisy, these gals brought the power of science to bear against the forces of evil… and weren’t afraid to engage in a bit of fisticuffs if things got dicey.

Nikola Tesla

The renowned Serbian-born inventor and not-at-all-mad scientist is best known for his work with alternating-current electricity. Who knows what other wondrous creations the world never learned about…

Battlefields: McMinnville & Point Pleasant

With Tales to Amaze, Unmatched has returned to including two maps in one set. McMinnville can be played with up to 5 players and features ten unique zones. The zones are all spaced well with plenty of openings to move around the board freely, but there are not many spaces that can be used to pin down opposing fighters. Considering how the board is designed around farmland, the positioning and layout of the board does an excellent job of representing the space.

Point Pleasant can also be played with up to 5 players and features seven unique zones. While there are fewer zones than McMinnville, the spaces are spread out well and even offer more opportunities to create choke points and pin down opponents. While both maps only feature one tri-colored space, Point Pleasant proves to offer better opportunities for ranged fighters since there are fewer zones their opponents can flee to. Additionally, each board features unique spaces for the extra tokens and cards you will use when playing coop against the Martian Invader or the Mothman.

Final Thoughts

The production quality of Unmatched Adventures: Tales to Amaze is top-notch and includes stunning artwork, high-quality tokens and playing cards, and well-crafted miniatures that bring each character to life. Including three rulebooks was a great way to break down each new aspect of the game and facilitates a smooth learning curve for players new and experienced alike. The combination of strategic depth, asymmetry, and unique scenarios makes this set a must-have for fans of Unmatched and board game enthusiasts alike. Whether you are a seasoned Unmatched player or a newcomer to the series, Tales to Amaze is an excellent addition to the series and deserves a place on everyone’s game shelf.

If you are looking begin your Unmatched collection or expand your roster further, check out the following sets and expansions: