f2040c26768c0aa165b6692452caa39d_originalRoots of Mali is a new, abstract strategy game from SunCoreGames that’s hitting Kickstarter tomorrow. It’s a stand alone game that follows in the footsteps of the company’s earlier game, Light of Dragons (which I just reviewed on my personal site).

I received a prototype in the mail a couple of weeks back, and have had some time to play it, and compare it to Light of Dragons. The rules to both games are identical, but the tribes in each game play drastically different. While the tribe included in Light of Dragons hits hard and plays fast, the tribe in Roots of Mali is slower, requiring a bit more thought, build up, and placement.

The goal of Roots of Mail is to earn 10 Might Points. You do this by attacking your opponent’s dice. Defeat a level 4 creature, get 4 Might Points. Do so in one of the 3 rows on your opponent’s side of the board for +1/+2/+3 bonus points, depending on how close to their side of the board you are. Creatures can only attack creatures that have a lower value, with the exception being that level 3 creatures can also attack level 6 creatures. Creature powers and spells include creatures that can’t be exiled, creatures that spawn weaker creatures in their wake, creatures that can build up power to level up other creatures, and more.

I’m not sure which tribe I like better, the one in Light of Dragons or this new tribe getting ready to Kickstart. I certainly like playing the two against each other, making both boxed sets a must have if you’re interested in the series. Both games have amazing art and an overall top-notch production.

Once the project launches, around $40 will secure you a set if it’s funded. You can also snag Light of Dragons now for $40 on SunCoreGame’s site.

A copy of Roots of Mali was provided by SunCoreGames for this preview.

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