Stats:
No. of players: 2-4
Amount of time to play: 45-60 min
Age requirements: 10+
Set-up time: 5 min

In Raids you control a viking clan that sails around the board picking up tiles. Tiles gain you VPs or other resources, but you might have to fight to get the tile you want.

Raids Rules Description:

Raids is played over four rounds called voyages. You start the voyage with one to three Vikings on your longboat (depending on player order). There are sixteen spots on the board with tiles where you may move your longboat. The player furthest back goes first. If there are tiles between you and the next player’s longboat you remove them from the board (except on the first turn).

On your turn you take the tile from the space you are on and then move to another tile in a clock-wise direction. If you stop at a tile with another player, you fight. To resolve the fight the attacking player must discard one viking from their ship. The player currently at that spot must discard two vikings to stay. The player wanting to stay will continually need to discard vikings equal to what the last player discarded plus one. If a player does not want to discard the necessary number of vikings they must sail on to another spot. They can even sail to a spot that starts another fight. Once the current player is alone on a spot their turn ends.

Some tiles grant you things just for passing them or for being the first or second player to pass them. The tiles you gain can get you goods to sell at port tiles fro VPs, runes that score more VPs the more you have, axes to kill monsters, or VPs for total vikings at the end of the game. Monster tiles must be defeated by discarding vikings equal to the monster’ strength. Or you may bypass them by discarding one viking. They are not removed from the board unless they are defeated.

You score additional VPs for meeting the goal for that voyage. The first round scores based on the order you finish the lap. After that the three goals are random but visible from the start of the game. For example you might score based on who has the most monster tiles or port tiles.

After four voyages the player with the most VPs wins. There is no tie breaker so you’ll have to share the victory.

Quick Review of Raids:

Raids is a medium weight board game with an auction mechanic and some take that. You can choose where you go but getting the tile you want might require some viking strength.

The components for this board game are really great. There are metal coins and cool wooden vikings.The art is well done and the game looks nice on the table. The insert is fantastic too. Unfortunately things are perfect. The rules are not the best and you will want to read them and then watch a playthrough video.

It thought this board game would play a lot like Tokaido and I was wrong. Since tiles between you and the closest longboat are removed from the board, it plays very differently. Add in the fact you can fight for each space and these two board games are really nothing alike.

This game took my a couple plays to really understand. The rules are pretty straightforward but learning how to get the tiles you want takes a bit of time. You need to be able to defend yourself or you will get kicked across the board collecting nothing.

If you are too aggressive in spending vikings, you are left in a weak position. You must learn when it is worth spending vikings for what you want or to deny another player what they want.

Raids is a unique board game that mixes a point salad with some direct conflict. It plays best with three or four players and has excellent components. If you like this type of Eurogame with some conflict, pick it 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 4 out of 6
Complexity 3 out of 6
Fun 4 out of 6
Overall 4 out of 6