Stats:
No. of players: 2-4
Amount of time to play: 60-90 min
Age requirements: 12+
Set-up time: 5-10 minutes

Castle of the Keys is the first campaign expansion for Hordes High Command. It adds the usual warriors, warbeasts and warlocks as well as new locations and Winds of War cards.

Castle of the Keys Description:

If you have not played High Command before, read my review and basic rules overview for the Hordes and Warmachine versions. The rest of this article will only discuss elements introduced in Castle of the Keys.

The only new rule is the same one introduced in the Invasion of Sul campaign expansion. You can only have one copy of a location in play at one time.

The biggest new additions are the new locations and Winds of War cards. The new locations add some interesting challenges for units deployed there. The Perilous Ruins are worth 6 VPs but if you only have one card there at the end of your turn it is destroyed. The Blighted Passage requires one of your cards here to lose an ability at the start of your battle step. At Pyromalfic, worth a huge 13 VPs, you must destroy a card there at the start of your turn.

Amassing for War is a new Early Winds of War cards let you rush or purchase a card for 2 less War or Command than usual. Caluclated Risk is found in the Early and Mid-game. It lets you add an extra card to your occupying forces deck when you reshuffle. Decisive Assault is a Mid-game card that you rush cards with a cost less than 4 for their purchase price. Isolated Forces is found in both the Mid and Late game card, it forces solo units to lose 2 Power. At Any Cost is a Late game card that lets you draw four cards but you skip your next turn. The Day of Reckoning card is unchanged from the one in the base set.

Circle Orboros’ new warlock, Grayle the Farstrider, has 3 Power and let’s you move your units to other locations after your battle step. They also get the Reeve Master Huntsman, a 3 Power and Health card worth 1 VP that boosts the Power and Health of other Reeves cards at his location.

Dominar Rasheth is the new Skorne warlock. He brings 2 Power and enemy cards at his location lose one Health. The Praetorian Karax is a warrior with 1 Power and 4 Health. Their Ranked Attacks ability keeps all other friendly cards at their location without Ranked Attacks from being destroyed.

The Trollbloods get a new warcaster, Calandra Truthsayer, Kriel Oracle. She has 2 Power and lets you draw two cards after attack at her location. The Runebearer Elders let you bank your top card when you bank any cards

Rhyas. Sigil of Everblight is the new Everblight warlock. She helps in games with three or more players. Her 3 Power is doubled if more than one opponent has units at her location. Longbow Archer Champions have 3 Power and 2 Health and are worth 1 VP. They cannot be destroyed if there are any cards without Superior Range at their location.

Quick Review of the Castle of the Keys Expansion:

Castle of the Keys adds some fun new options to Hordes High Command. The new Winds of War and location cards change the flow of the game from the base set. And force you to create new strategies and decks to win.

The components for this game are in line with the rest in the series.

The locations encourage you to deploy multiple units on them. Playing a lone big stat unit on a location is less desirable with this expansion. You need to tailor your detachments to include units that are cheaper and easier to deploy.

The new Winds of War cards can be helpful depending when they appear. Amassing for War and Calculated Risk can give you a nice boost. But if they come out at the wrong time, they are kind of useless.

All I all I think Castle of the Keys is a great expansion for Hordes High Command. It refreshes the series’ gameplay and adds new viable strategies to the game. If you own the base game and are ready to change things up pick this expansion up.

Score and synopsis: (Click here for an explanation of these review categories.)
Strategy 4 out of 6
Luck 4 out of 6
Player Interaction 4 out of 6
Replay Value 5 out of 6
Complexity 4 out of 6
Fun 5 out of 6
Overall 5 out of 6