Edge Quest preview — As close as you can get without drawing blood.

Growing up, I was always fascinated by the epic sword fighting scenes in movies. Errol Flynn in “Captain Blood,” the epic “Duel of the Fates” playing behind the fight between Qui Gonn, Obi Wan and Darth Maul, the witty banter in “Princess Bride,” Antonio Banderas in “Mask of Zorro,” and the playful fight between Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp in the first “Pirates of the Caribbean,” all hold fond memories in brain. While I never took up sword fighting of any kind myself, there has always been a hope in the back of my mind that I might be able to take a lesson or two and take on a dastardly villain while protecting a fair maiden. In the meantime, there is Edge Quest.

Edge Quest is a new tactical, head to head game from Clay Castle games and designers Jason Maliska and Aaron Vorce. In Edge Quest, players will control either the light or dark fighter in a literal table top sword fight to score hits and reach victory. Throughout the game, fighters will be playing cards featuring attacks, defenses, movement, and skills, trying to out-maneuver their opponent and keep the “edge” in the fight.

At the beginning of the game, players will decide on victory conditions ranging from scoring a certain amount of hits on an opponent to draining their opponent’s health to zero. Health is tracked using tokens on one of two player boards each fighter will control. Players will also choose a special “Combat Modifier" that gives players special skills to use in combat such as re-rolling attack or defense dice. Fighters will begin the game with a hand of cards from a combat deck and will maneuver their fighter character into a starting position on the board.

Controlling “edge” in a fight will help determine your position in different phases of the game. The first three phases of the round serve as a setup to combat. The first phase allows players to keep up to five cards from previous rounds and then draw up to a starting hand of ten. The second phase is a way to earn more edge tokens by discarding cards from your hand. Players have to be careful, or they might not have the cards they need for combat. The third phase allows players to maneuver their figures into a starting position for combat by moving their feet and changing the placement of their weapon. Weapon placement is determined using a 3x3 grid and determining whether the point is forward or back.

The battle phase is where the bulk of the game takes place. On a turn, players will play one of the cards available to them to the right side of their board. Cards have two different techniques printed on them. Techniques range from red attacks on the opponent’s body, purple or red takes targeting the weapon, blue defensive maneuvers, and other footwork and transition cards. There are also a variety of instant techniques and special maneuvers that can be played when triggered.

Each technique has requirements of how the fighter is positioned on the board, from stance to sword position and may show where the sword will end up after execution. Opponents have the opportunity to play a defensive reaction to help block an attack or move their figure out of danger. On an attack, the player will move through the icons step by step until they reach the battle dice. A roll of the battle dice will show swords and shields with the attacker picking swords. If the defender plays a card, they will also work through the battle steps and roll their dice. The player with the most icons will be declared the winner and will then apply their outcomes. Outcomes of combat can include scoring hits on the opponent, repositioning, removing health, blocking blades, and a variety of other moves. After each player has a chance to play a turn, an assessment phase commences to determine turn order based on the amount of edge tokens a player has. If a player has played a red or purple card, battles will continue.

If players don’t move back into battle, they will move to a transition phase where all edge tokens are returned to the supply, all played cards are discarded, and players move back to the beginning of a round. 

Edge Quest is one of the most unique gaming experiences I’ve had in a long time. It is also one of the best two-player experiences I’ve had this year as well. There was a lot more depth and complexity to the game than I first thought and I won’t lie to you and say that I picked it up in the first go. After a couple of playthroughs, you begin to see the nuance needed and the strategic thinking required for each phase of the game. A variety of questions came up in my brain:

• Do I discard cards to gain edge in the movement and battle rounds? 
• Do I go for forceful attacks and leave myself open to counters? 
• How can I reposition my character with the cards I have? 
• Do I force the attack this round, or bide my time until we reset? 
• Do I use this card to block and lose the attack on the other side?

This is definitely a game for someone who loves to plan moves in advance and think tactically about how to defeat an opponent.

The fighter characters are also something special. The fighter has been designed and 3D printed so that it can move like an actual fighter. The feet have magnets that attach the fighter to a magnetic board, which add stability when moving the figure into different stances. The rapier can be placed in either the left or right hand, adding more versatility to fighting styles. The realism that is added to the game from how the character moves across the board is spectacular. Included in the game is a measuring tool that helps players move the character to the proper position. Depending on the placement of the feet and the position of the blade, an Area of Effect is determined to be weak, strong, focused, or rear. This AOE determines which cards can be played during battle. The tool also helps players determine the effective range of targets and whether attacks will hit with their current technique.

Edge Quest is not going to be for everyone and will cater toward a more niche audience. However, people who love tactics and strategic movement and just a good old-fashioned sword fight are going to love it. Each time I walked away from the table, I couldn’t help but try and strategize more about how to improve my next bout. Until I pick up a rapier for myself, I can’t wait to introduce this to more people.

Edge Quest is running their Kickstarter campaign through Tuesday, April 1st, and you can back the game by visiting their campaign page here. They even have an option for four players if you can believe it! You can also see more information about the game at their website here.

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