Second Look—Kaijudo: Quest for the Gauntlet and Draft Play

So I’ve finally gotten to take a crack at Kaijudo draft play, as well as gets some hands-on experience with one of the Duel Day decks, and the Quest for the Gauntlet Master Challenge Evolution Swarm Deck.

Those 3 items right there are a huge turning point for the game, in my opinion.

Kaijudo is, and will continue to  be, a very fast, tight game. Deck are trim and streamlined, containing only 40 cards. Any card can be played as a mana card, so it’s a lot different than needing lands, like in Magic, or energy cards, like in Pokemon. Even with all of that, Kaijudo felt a bit…weak/light. It was still a lot of fun, but didn’t feel anywhere near as deep or competitive as the other two games I’ve mentioned.

Now, with draft play and the increase of cards in the booster pack, we get a solid tournament format. Not only that, but with the Duel Decks and Evolution Swarm Deck we get decks that are much better constructed for serious play. These decks are balanced, and containing enough blocking power, attack power, and special combinations that make them versatile and interesting.

I see great things in Kaijudo’s future if things keep going in the direction they are now. This game has gone from a fun distraction to a serious competitor for the CCG play time in my household.

Wizards of the Cost provided a Master Challenge Evolution Swarm Deck, along with enough Quest for the Gauntlet boosters for a 4 player draft, free for review.