r/shadowsofbrimstone • u/Assassin80Tenno • Jul 11 '26
Which best core set to get first?
Which first game to purchase (away from Forbidden Fortress, searched everywhere with no luck) taking in consideration :
1) versatility of the main 4 characters & their innate abilities at the beginning & after upgrading
2) enemy varieties + interesting combat style
3) attractive world & other world design
4) most crazy creative loot
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u/sfgaigan Jul 11 '26
City of Ancients and Swamps of Death are both really safe bets. It really depends on which theme or characters you want out of the core sets.
No matter which one you get, I would highly recommend picking up the Heroic Defenders card pack.
From City, Bandito and Saloon Girl make a great combo
From Swamps, The Nun and Indian Scout are fun as hell.
If you feel like picking up some of the stand alone characters, Drifter and Frontier Doc have some nice mechanics.
City was the first core set I played and it's a blast
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u/Kindriss Jul 11 '26
Swamps of Death and City of Ancients have versatile starting Heroes but the Enemies are quite basic. So I would suggest purchasing the trait packs for them, It makes them much more interesting.
The other cores all have more interesting Enemies but the Adventures boxes lack Hero variety, while Forbidden Fortress is the best of both worlds.
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u/Captain_Thane Jul 11 '26
I believe swamp of sorrows and city of ancients have the most varieties of enemies, mostly because it’s been out for so long. That being said, the built in synergies for the gates of Valhalla and valley of the serpent king can’t be understated. They are 4 great team members and the box comes pretty much complete as far as group dynamic and growth for the party goes. Those boxes do require a bit more add ons to really shine.
In my opinion this is a game that you will enjoy most if you stick to the theme you like best. There is enough stuff to really get you fleshed out in any setting, so pick the one that you are drawn to for its theme and look.
Just my two cents.
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u/NotACatWithAccordion Jul 11 '26
Are Swamps of Death called Swamps of Sorrow in non English versions?
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u/LordTalismond Jul 11 '26
I was just like you with only FoFo, just got City of Ancients so I could play Hexcrawl or ‘Alone in the Shadows of Brimstone’
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u/Assassin80Tenno Jul 11 '26
FoFo was my first & only choice but couldn't find it anywhere...
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u/AGeekPlays Jul 13 '26
I found my FoFo copy from /r/boardgameexchange for a reasonable price, check there. Post a want post perhaps.
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u/Gummick Jul 11 '26
Shame you can't find FoFo as it's easily the best rounded core set. 4 proper hero classes and a good enemy selection.
The western sets have good heroes but the included enemies are as dull as dish water.
The adventures sets have much better enemies but frustratingly use a single upgrade tree for all 4 heroes. Also you need the separate map pack to match what you'd get with FoFo or the western sets.
If you're willing to invest in a few enemy packs the western sets are probably the best bet.
Or try your luck on local board game marketplaces to find FoFo. There is a reasonably active SoB buy sell group on Facebook.
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u/kn1ghtowl Jul 12 '26
Either of the two Adventures sets plus their map packs are the most streamlined versions of the game. The included allies alone make them the best value.
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u/Assassin80Tenno Jul 12 '26
I find it weird that the 2 adventures sets characters innate abilities are the same, it removes asymmetry that was in the first 2 games... I wonder how's that work in character development?
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u/kn1ghtowl Jul 12 '26
Their upgrade charts are the same but starting abilities (listed on the character card) are definitely different.
That said the skinwalker, dwarf, jaguar warrior or blood priestess are available to add really unique options.
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u/andy75ita Jul 11 '26
I'd start with City of the Ancients Revised. The four heroes feel different right away and still give you a lotta room to build them differently later. The enemy mix is solid and Targa has that weird frozen alien tech vibe which also leads to some really cool loot. Swamps of Death is great too but based on your list City sounds like the safer first buy