You know that I only get to do videos about board games because you teach me how to play them all. I also am noticing how masterful you truly are with editing, positioning of cards perfectly centered and aligned, well timed and with a great pace. It all seems effortless and easy, but that's the illusion that only the true great work is able to create. I know this well because I know how hard it is, and how many unexpected things go wrong. You deserve every bit of success you have, and much more that will come in the future :)
I just want to say how much your videos help me learn games. As a visual learner, I struggle with instruction manuals but never fail to learn from you. I've actually pulled back from buying a game because you didn't have a video on it. Keep up the good work! You are needed!!
Looks really great! I am still digging the box flip, especially for the intro, where the box ended up in upright, readable position! How many takes did that take? I like the new starter with going to the shelf, with a fixed camera on a tripod, and your backstory going through until you sit down at your AWESOME game table (that I secretly am coveting). I definitely am liking the new polo-less approach. You are definitely the best in the business!
Once again, delivered with panache and great clarity. I fell out of the gaming loop for more than three years after moving to Florida. Glad to be back in the game (so to say) and back watching it played! Er, I mean watching, "Watch it Played".
Played this after my friend bought it at a games fair this weekend, came here to check we were playing it right. I’ve said this elsewhere, but part of our collective criteria is whether there’s a ‘watch it played’ for a game.
You are absolutely by far THE ABSOLUTE BEST at explaining a game! So complete. You should do your explain how to play, AND do a playthrough. Then sell the download for $5 a pop. I would buy one with every game I purchase.
Love how you *ALMOST* crack up after those cheesy box spins in the beginning and end. The spins were cool, sure, but how you're able to hold back that grin that was already trying to take over is way more impressive. :D
Thanks For the video Rodney. Really clear and logical as ever. I watched this after playing 4 games with my dad and I really should have watched it before we played because you pointed out 4 minor rules mistakes I made 🤦♀️
Rodney, we got our copy of Res Arcana and played today. I managed to beat young Derek 11 to 6 in our first game. (That is certainly better than my AireCon score of 4!!)
I have watched this before, but we are finally in the same State again (long story). No doubt about it. You are simply amazing. Your productions are so amazing. I really, really hope that BGG Con is not cancelled. I really want to meet you in person finally....
Dang it, Rodney, my wife always beats me and the first game out of the box, she beat me 12 to 7...... I swear she cheated. (I looked at Taverns of Tiefenthal yesterday after she crushed me and she has beaten me 72% of the time we have played!!!). Why do I torture myself?? LOL
@@WatchItPlayed You could have easily had an entire grade dedicated for that though: your courses would be Dice Throwing 101 (dice are your friend, not enemy), Losing is Okay (How to not hate your friends after Catan). You could definitely get clever with it!
Great video as always Rodney, thank you. By itself it didn't quite convince me to purchase, however your playthrough video with Nikki etc sealed the deal and it's on it's way, along with the first expansion.
I am tired of games where all you do is exchange a resource for another, but the card art is stunning, and the mechanics look interesting for those who enjoy this genre. btw, Rodney, you had asked a question a few weeks back about what people think about you doing game reviews. Have you decided if you will make review videos in addition to "How To Play" videos?
Thanks for the video rodney, its really helpful, i will be glad if you can just answer few questions related to Res Arcana, 1. Do i keep collecting essences each turn if i did not exhaust a cards in my spell? (Each turn) 2. After passing, i should swap my magic items with another one, and the new magic item should be faced down, do i face it up and use it the next turn when it comes my turn? 3.if all player passed thier turn, we should check if anyone has 10 points or more then he is the winner, if not we start a new round and all the exhausted cards should be flipped back and then we do the collection phase right? Thanks in advance and forgive my bad english typing
Let's see if I can help: 1) Not sure what you mean (this might be a translation thing). You always collect essence each turn, from your components with the Collect Essence symbol on them. Remember, none of your cards are exhausted at the start of your turn. 2) When you pass, you will not take anymore turns for that round. So you will not turn the new magic item face up until after everyone has passed and a brand new round has started. 3) Yes.
How much tries it take to spin the box that it shows right side up? Also, that elegant closing ... too bad you haven't some special move to put the box back in the shelf :) Like! Subs!
I do my best to answer all rules questions on the games I cover, but I avoid individual card effects, as that's a level of detail beyond what I can manage across all the videos I do. I'd suggest checking the rules forum for the game on BoardGameGeek or the publishers website. I hope you can find your answer there - have fun playing! That said, as I recall, most untap effects have a cost, so it's unlikely you could do it indefinitely.
I cant seem to find an answer for this: when you must pay resources due to a life loss effect and dont have green resource to pay, who decides which resource you then pay? Is it the owner of the life loss ability or the person who is paying for the effect? If it is the person paying for the effect, then why would you ever get green resource for this purpose since it can be any resource you can pay with. Would be cool that if you dont have green, then the owner of the life loss effect can punish you for it by making you pay it with gold instead. This way green resource would have a value for being your "life"
Hi, I need some accurate explanation for the word "color" used in the Windup Man artefact (page 10 at 12min09s), does colour mean only green, blue, red and yellow (and not black and white since there's no such thing as black or white wavelength for a color). With the pearl essence expansion, the Windup Man becomes too powerful and unbalance the game : First you leave a pearl essence, then round 2 you got 2 more pearls, rounds 3 two more ...
I do my best to answer all rules questions on the games I cover, but I avoid individual card effects, as that's a level of detail beyond what I can manage across all the videos I do. I'd suggest checking the rules forum for the game on BoardGameGeek or the publishers website. I hope you can find your answer there - have fun playing!
9:08 So I can gain 4 any essences with any combination +2 additional essences from Elemental Spring (e.g. 6 death)? Not the initial cost of Elemental Spring (2 fire, 1 life, 1 water + 2 any other (except gold))
Hi Artem, I'm not quite sure what you're asking, so let me rephrase to say exactly what you can do: You must collect EXACTLY the types of essences matching the cost of the artifact you're destroying (except any gold), plus you can then pick any 2 other essences of your choice (except gold). When I say "in this case I'd get 6 essences", I'm just pointing out that in this specific case, the total number of essences you'd be gaining is 6 - but you still have to follow the rules, that the initial 4 (in this case), must be 2 fire, 1 life + 1 water. Hope that helps - sorry for any confusion!
Can you look through your deck at any time? Also can you keep the item you have if you are last to pass in a two player games or are you required to select a new one?
You can’t look through your deck at any time (there are effects that will let you look though), and you always have to give up the token you used in the previous round - you can’t take it again.
@@UniTea__ Hey there, I think you’ll find the video indicates you get one action “per turn”, and players take turns around and around the table, during a round (meaning you’ll get multiple turns per round). Hope that helps!
If you do not have essences on a place of power (eg., Sacred Grove), do you still get the +2 victory points when checking for victory points? In a previous comment, you answered "you continue to collect essences each turn". Did you mean each round? We quickly ran out of essences doing that, and one player kept loading up a place of power each turn. If that is correct, collecting essences each turn, do you still collect if you rotated the card on a previous turn?
Re: Sacred Grove. Yes, you'd still get the 2 victory points for it. The points for the green essence are in addition to that. I'm not sure exactly what you were doing, so it's hard to say. It would be strange to 'quickly' run out of essences. You could run out in some cases, if someone is collecting a lot of a particular type. I'm also not sure which comment you are quoting me from. If I said each "turn", that's a mistake. It should be at the start of each round.
Hi rodney i wanted to ask for a clarification on the fiery whip artifact you showed. What if the artifact you destroy has a cost including gold? Do you not get that as well or does the no gold restriction apply to the two extra essences only?
Rafael My understanding is that you total the number of essences on the original card, no matter what they were, add 2 to that number, and then you collect that many resources, in any combination you want (excluding gold).
Watch It Played Thanks for the clarification Rodney! You really helped the decision to buy it. I'll be getting this game as soon as its available here in my country (Philippines)
Pretty, and cluttered cards. The symbols/icons on the cards are very easy to identify. Did these people make Imperial Settlers? It feels like it has the same turn structure.
That’s more of a review question, and I avoid getting into that with my tutorials. I don’t feel I can say for someone else what they will or won’t enjoy based on their personal tastes, but I do hope the tutorial can help give you a sense.
@@WatchItPlayed Not really a question so much as pointing out the grammar error. Also wondering if this game is from a company that is translating rules/cards from another language into English.
That spin alone deserved a like.
I like to believe he got it on the first take.
@@pier-lucboivin6645 not even a question. What are even takes. :) he probably didn't have anything soft out of view in case he missed either :)
Which of them? 0:10 or 14:43?
I want to see the stack of dented boxes under that table:-)
Empty box?
You know that I only get to do videos about board games because you teach me how to play them all. I also am noticing how masterful you truly are with editing, positioning of cards perfectly centered and aligned, well timed and with a great pace. It all seems effortless and easy, but that's the illusion that only the true great work is able to create. I know this well because I know how hard it is, and how many unexpected things go wrong. You deserve every bit of success you have, and much more that will come in the future :)
You are very kind - thanks for the lovely words. It was really fun to get to do a video together this year :)
I think we need a live playthrough on this one!
I second this. That would definitely seal the deal for me
This man is the most loveable nerd on the planet
I just want to say how much your videos help me learn games. As a visual learner, I struggle with instruction manuals but never fail to learn from you. I've actually pulled back from buying a game because you didn't have a video on it. Keep up the good work! You are needed!!
So nice to know you've found the video helpful Ryan - thank you!
Looks really great! I am still digging the box flip, especially for the intro, where the box ended up in upright, readable position! How many takes did that take? I like the new starter with going to the shelf, with a fixed camera on a tripod, and your backstory going through until you sit down at your AWESOME game table (that I secretly am coveting). I definitely am liking the new polo-less approach. You are definitely the best in the business!
Once again, delivered with panache and great clarity. I fell out of the gaming loop for more than three years after moving to Florida. Glad to be back in the game (so to say) and back watching it played! Er, I mean watching, "Watch it Played".
Glad to have you back :) Nice new avatar!
Box flip like a boss.
Played this after my friend bought it at a games fair this weekend, came here to check we were playing it right.
I’ve said this elsewhere, but part of our collective criteria is whether there’s a ‘watch it played’ for a game.
So glad the videos have been a helpful part of your gaming experience Ben :)
You are absolutely by far THE ABSOLUTE BEST at explaining a game! So complete. You should do your explain how to play, AND do a playthrough. Then sell the download for $5 a pop. I would buy one with every game I purchase.
Thanks for the kind words Chris, very glad you're enjoying! We have a Patreon, or other ways that support can be shared, if you like.
This is a sweet looking engine building game. I'm digging the theme! Looking forward to seeing more to judge if my group would like it.
I wasn't sure about this game, but watching this may have converted me. I will have to give this one a play through at the very least.
Love how you *ALMOST* crack up after those cheesy box spins in the beginning and end. The spins were cool, sure, but how you're able to hold back that grin that was already trying to take over is way more impressive. :D
I'd watch this video 20 times more just for that super boardgame spin xD he didn't even look!
Now we are getting fancy with the one hand no look flip. Tip of the hat to you sir.
Yet another rich and concise how to play vid. Just got the game and feel ready to play. Thanks Rodney!
Have a great time playing Dave!
Thanks for the comprehensive and easy to understand rules. I am about to play my wife and had no idea what I was doing until I watched this.
I hope you both have a great time playing!
Thanks For the video Rodney. Really clear and logical as ever. I watched this after playing 4 games with my dad and I really should have watched it before we played because you pointed out 4 minor rules mistakes I made 🤦♀️
It happens :) Glad it helped!
Great video. The extra insights beyond the rules are really nice. Such as why you'd want to discard an artifact early on.
Glad you liked it Danny!
rodney is a wizard, he can summon a bell out of thin air !
Love this game and appreciate your how to play series so much. Keep it up. Great job.
Thanks Jason!
A box flip at the beginning and lid twirl at the end. Rodney doesn't like to talk about his flair.
Ha! You know me well Carla :)
Rodney, we got our copy of Res Arcana and played today. I managed to beat young Derek 11 to 6 in our first game. (That is certainly better than my AireCon score of 4!!)
Another great video. I can't get my hands on this game soon enough.
I have watched this before, but we are finally in the same State again (long story). No doubt about it. You are simply amazing. Your productions are so amazing. I really, really hope that BGG Con is not cancelled. I really want to meet you in person finally....
Thank you kindly Frank.
Dang it, Rodney, my wife always beats me and the first game out of the box, she beat me 12 to 7...... I swear she cheated. (I looked at Taverns of Tiefenthal yesterday after she crushed me and she has beaten me 72% of the time we have played!!!). Why do I torture myself?? LOL
Excellent as always Rodney, thanks!. Planning to give this a go tonight with gaming group.
Hope you have a great time with it!
I wish Rodney had been my teacher for grade school, high school, and college. Another beautifully explained, thorough video.
Thanks so much. I'm not sure if I would have been much help in grade school, unless the course was board games ;)
@@WatchItPlayed You could have easily had an entire grade dedicated for that though: your courses would be Dice Throwing 101 (dice are your friend, not enemy), Losing is Okay (How to not hate your friends after Catan). You could definitely get clever with it!
Awesome walk through! Read the rules booklet before watching and I am ready to roll now.
Fantastic - have a great time playing!
Wow, very interesting game. May have to add this to my list! Thanks for the great explanation as always Rodney!
Thank you kindly!
You're my savior, and this is not overstatement.
Great video as always Rodney, thank you. By itself it didn't quite convince me to purchase, however your playthrough video with Nikki etc sealed the deal and it's on it's way, along with the first expansion.
I hope you have a great time playing Simon!
When I see the no-look perfect spin I have to rewind to watch it again and then giggle for a long time.
:)
I am tired of games where all you do is exchange a resource for another, but the card art is stunning, and the mechanics look interesting for those who enjoy this genre.
btw, Rodney, you had asked a question a few weeks back about what people think about you doing game reviews.
Have you decided if you will make review videos in addition to "How To Play" videos?
I don't think there's as much trading of one resource for another in this game as you think. It's certainly NOT like Century, for example.
Still not sure if reviews are a space I want to get into, but have relaxed my "no opinions" approach in some of the non-tutorial content.
You're really good at these. Thank you!
Very kind of you to say Dan - glad you enjoyed!
Thank you for these videos.
Thanks rodney! It was really helpful video~ gotta put this on the table tonight!
I hope you have a great time with it!
Just picked this up. Another great video!
Thank you kindly Darren!
How many times did you have to film that opening, before you got the boardgame toss right?
You are The Man on explanations!
Thank you kindly - glad you're enjoying :)
Ordered. Merci Rod!
Glad you liked it - I hope you have a great time playing :)
Good tutorial. Well explained in an engaging way.
Thank you kindly Isaac!
Wow, what an excellent explanation! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed!
That flip though, Rodney the Boxomancer
I’ve just ordered it! Great video!
Thanks Hugo, I hope you have a great time with it!
Thank you for your videos. Your explanations are very clear :)
Thank you for the kind comment Alexander!
Great job -- super clear as always.
So glad you enjoyed!
I really like those shelves. Is there a video about how they are built or maybe where you got them. (Looking into redoing my own shelves.)
Afraid not. I told my carpenter what I wanted in terms of measurements, but they were constructed while I was travelling at a con.
@@WatchItPlayed Ok, thank you.
This looks really fun! Sorta like Splendor or Century Spice Road on steroids.
Splendor maybe. Nothing in common with Century.
That spin at 0:10
Great job as always Rodney!
Thanks Eric!
Explained perfectly :) thanks a lot
You're very welcome David!
How many takes did you have to do before you made that catch ;)
The Force is with Rodney.
The first time, every time ;)
Reminds me of 51st state or Imperial settlers.
How many times you think Rod had to retry the flip? lol
How many takes did the spin at the start took? Admit it, Rodney!
Excellent!
I was hoping you would do a counterclockwise flip when you put the game back down at the end of the video...
I love you Rod! hehe
Thanks for the video rodney, its really helpful, i will be glad if you can just answer few questions related to Res Arcana,
1. Do i keep collecting essences each turn if i did not exhaust a cards in my spell? (Each turn)
2. After passing, i should swap my magic items with another one, and the new magic item should be faced down, do i face it up and use it the next turn when it comes my turn?
3.if all player passed thier turn, we should check if anyone has 10 points or more then he is the winner, if not we start a new round and all the exhausted cards should be flipped back and then we do the collection phase right?
Thanks in advance and forgive my bad english typing
Let's see if I can help:
1) Not sure what you mean (this might be a translation thing). You always collect essence each turn, from your components with the Collect Essence symbol on them. Remember, none of your cards are exhausted at the start of your turn.
2) When you pass, you will not take anymore turns for that round. So you will not turn the new magic item face up until after everyone has passed and a brand new round has started.
3) Yes.
Watch It Played thanks rodney, rules are clear for me now
I appreciate it
Rodney’s wearing BGG colours!
Ah the fabled essence of the "5 times chip"...
Fun fact: "Res Arcana" literally translates to "magical thing" in Latin.
Actually, it's a little more like "the mysterious/esoteric/secret/hidden". "Magical thing" would be "Res Magica" or something like that.
Cool game
How much tries it take to spin the box that it shows right side up?
Also, that elegant closing ... too bad you haven't some special move to put the box back in the shelf :)
Like! Subs!
Welcome to the channel! :)
Wow! how many takes until you managed the flipping at the begining?
First time, every time! ;)
Can you infinitely tap and untap cards if you have 2 of the untap ones?
I do my best to answer all rules questions on the games I cover, but I avoid individual card effects, as that's a level of detail beyond what I can manage across all the videos I do. I'd suggest checking the rules forum for the game on BoardGameGeek or the publishers website. I hope you can find your answer there - have fun playing! That said, as I recall, most untap effects have a cost, so it's unlikely you could do it indefinitely.
I cant seem to find an answer for this: when you must pay resources due to a life loss effect and dont have green resource to pay, who decides which resource you then pay? Is it the owner of the life loss ability or the person who is paying for the effect? If it is the person paying for the effect, then why would you ever get green resource for this purpose since it can be any resource you can pay with. Would be cool that if you dont have green, then the owner of the life loss effect can punish you for it by making you pay it with gold instead. This way green resource would have a value for being your "life"
When you must pay resources due to a life loss effect and don't have green resource to pay, you decide which of your other resources to pay instead.
@@WatchItPlayed Thanks alot!
Can you do a how to play for game of thrones LCG and root?
Thanks for the interest! I talk a bit about that here: czcams.com/video/EdtDuvIUa6A/video.html&t=342
Hi, I need some accurate explanation for the word "color" used in the Windup Man artefact (page 10 at 12min09s), does colour mean only green, blue, red and yellow (and not black and white since there's no such thing as black or white wavelength for a color). With the pearl essence expansion, the Windup Man becomes too powerful and unbalance the game : First you leave a pearl essence, then round 2 you got 2 more pearls, rounds 3 two more ...
I do my best to answer all rules questions on the games I cover, but I avoid individual card effects, as that's a level of detail beyond what I can manage across all the videos I do. I'd suggest checking the rules forum for the game on BoardGameGeek or the publishers website. I hope you can find your answer there - have fun playing!
9:08 So I can gain 4 any essences with any combination +2 additional essences from Elemental Spring (e.g. 6 death)? Not the initial cost of Elemental Spring (2 fire, 1 life, 1 water + 2 any other (except gold))
Hi Artem, I'm not quite sure what you're asking, so let me rephrase to say exactly what you can do: You must collect EXACTLY the types of essences matching the cost of the artifact you're destroying (except any gold), plus you can then pick any 2 other essences of your choice (except gold). When I say "in this case I'd get 6 essences", I'm just pointing out that in this specific case, the total number of essences you'd be gaining is 6 - but you still have to follow the rules, that the initial 4 (in this case), must be 2 fire, 1 life + 1 water. Hope that helps - sorry for any confusion!
@@WatchItPlayed Now I understood. Thank you a lot for a fast response and detailed explanation
Can you look through your deck at any time? Also can you keep the item you have if you are last to pass in a two player games or are you required to select a new one?
You can’t look through your deck at any time (there are effects that will let you look though), and you always have to give up the token you used in the previous round - you can’t take it again.
Awesome! Thank for the reply!
I'm not following why turning/unturning action cards matters if you only have 1 action per round and the cards get unturned at a new round anyway?
@@UniTea__ Hey there, I think you’ll find the video indicates you get one action “per turn”, and players take turns around and around the table, during a round (meaning you’ll get multiple turns per round). Hope that helps!
Hey, guess what?
MAGE you look!
RODNEEEE ma boy !
If you do not have essences on a place of power (eg., Sacred Grove), do you still get the +2 victory points when checking for victory points?
In a previous comment, you answered "you continue to collect essences each turn". Did you mean each round? We quickly ran out of essences doing that, and one player kept loading up a place of power each turn.
If that is correct, collecting essences each turn, do you still collect if you rotated the card on a previous turn?
Re: Sacred Grove. Yes, you'd still get the 2 victory points for it. The points for the green essence are in addition to that.
I'm not sure exactly what you were doing, so it's hard to say. It would be strange to 'quickly' run out of essences. You could run out in some cases, if someone is collecting a lot of a particular type. I'm also not sure which comment you are quoting me from. If I said each "turn", that's a mistake. It should be at the start of each round.
@@WatchItPlayed Got it! Thank you!
Could I have a permission to do the Vietnamese subtitile on this video, Rodney ?
If you send me the .srt file for it, I'd be happy to add it. You'll find the email in the About section of the channel.
If do you check for victory in the middle of the game, is the 1st player still counts?
Yes!
@@WatchItPlayed thanks
Hi rodney i wanted to ask for a clarification on the fiery whip artifact you showed. What if the artifact you destroy has a cost including gold? Do you not get that as well or does the no gold restriction apply to the two extra essences only?
I’m travelling currently and have limited wifi, could you provide a time stamp?
Thanks! Its at the 9:00 mark
Rafael My understanding is that you total the number of essences on the original card, no matter what they were, add 2 to that number, and then you collect that many resources, in any combination you want (excluding gold).
Watch It Played Thanks for the clarification Rodney! You really helped the decision to buy it. I'll be getting this game as soon as its available here in my country (Philippines)
Is it possible to discart a card in use ?
Nope.
I like 🥓
Did you get that Spin in one take? :O
Always! ;)
Pretty, and cluttered cards.
The symbols/icons on the cards are very easy to identify.
Did these people make Imperial Settlers? It feels like it has the same turn structure.
Different designer and publisher.
Ah. Just the turn structure borrows heavily from Imperial Settlers. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
How is it for 2 players
That’s more of a review question, and I avoid getting into that with my tutorials. I don’t feel I can say for someone else what they will or won’t enjoy based on their personal tastes, but I do hope the tutorial can help give you a sense.
@@WatchItPlayed In a two player game, when one player has passed, the other player continues taking turns until they pass?
Daley Portland Correct.
Is Rodney calling it “Ray’s arcana”? 🤣
Yeah, that’s what I saw the designer call it. Not what I would have guessed personally.
wicked hair do
thx
So i get an elven bow as a Duelist to construct the Great Pyramids of Giza... Got it.
That's how it works! ;)
I just thought of something. these are the same colors as MTG (magic the gathering) just white with gold is the stretch
I wonder if white will be another essence in a future expansion. The insert is built for a 6th essence.
Rodney after 3 espressos = 1.25 speed
"Does any player has 10+ VPs?" ???
Not sure what the question is?
@@WatchItPlayed Not really a question so much as pointing out the grammar error. Also wondering if this game is from a company that is translating rules/cards from another language into English.
Saul Jaffe I know the designer is English, but the publisher might not be.