Pentantastar: Difference between revisions
Entranced98 (talk | contribs) Adding short description: "Board game" |
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{{Short description|Board game}} |
{{Short description|Board game}}{{Infobox game |
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| name = ''Pentantastar'' |
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{{Orphan|date=June 2023}} |
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| designer = {{unbulleted list|[[David R. Megarry]]|Alexandra Megarry|Kit Megarry}} |
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| publisher = {{unbulleted list|[[Adventure Games]]|[[Flying Buffalo]]}} |
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| date = {{Start date and age|1983}} |
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| genre = {{unbulleted list|[[Fantasy games]]|[[Wargames]]}} |
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| players = 2–4 |
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| playing_time = 120 minutes |
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| ages = 12+ |
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}} |
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'''''Pentantastar''''' is a [[ |
{{Italic title}}'''''Pentantastar''''' is a [[fantasy wargame]] published by [[Adventure Games]] in 1983. Players fight on opposing sides of a battle for power between two rulers, engaging in militaristic combat as they vie for territory, all the while searching for a magical weapon called the Pentantastar. |
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== Publication history == |
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==Gameplay== |
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''Pentantastar'' was published in 1983 by Adventure Games, and was their last game before the company was acquired by [[Flying Buffalo]] (FBI) in 1985.<ref>{{cite web |author=Sacco, Ciro Allessandro |title=An Interview with Dave Arneson |url=http://www.enworld.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=47&page=1 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040707092754/http://www.enworld.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=47&page=1 |archivedate=July 7, 2004 |accessdate=June 3, 2009}} (Alternative URL: [http://www.thekyngdoms.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=35].)</ref> FBI continued to sell the remaining stock purchased from Adventure Games, even sending free copies of the game to former subscribers following the cancellation of their gaming magazine ''Sorcerer's Apprentice,'' according to an account by [[Ken St. Andre]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=St. Andre |first=Ken |author-link=Ken St. Andre |date=1985 |title=Batsignals |url=https://tunnelsandtrollstreasury.com/gallery-zines/ |journal=TNT Zine |issue=17–18 |pages=1 |via=Tunnels & Trolls Treasury}}</ref> |
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''Pentantastar'' is a fantasy wargame. |
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== Gameplay == |
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Players take on the roles of either King Farin of Vanzar in the East (yellow), who commands an army of eagles, elves, and dwarves, or Lord Arkhon of the West (red), who commands an army of rolls, [[Wyvern|wyverns]], and snakes, as they fight for control of the land represented by a paper map. While the military conflict ensues, both sides send out Quest pieces–Farin’s wizards and Arkhon's wolf–who move and search different locations for the five scattered charms that make up a magical city-destroying weapon called the Pentantastar. This means that there are two possible means a player can win; each side has a set of locations their forces must occupy in order to win by military victory, and a magical victory can be achieved by transporting all pieces of the Pentantastar to the opposing side's capital city. In a four-player game, the military and magical aspects of each side are divided between two players and victory is shared by the players on a side.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lombardy |first=Dana |date=January 1984 |title=Gaming |url=https://archive.org/details/Asimovs_v08n01_1984-01/page/n23/mode/2up |journal=[[Asimov's Science Fiction]] |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=24–26 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> |
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*''[[Asimov's Science Fiction]]'' v08n01 (1984 01)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/Asimovs_v08n01_1984-01/page/n23/mode/2up | title=Asimov's v08n01 (1984 01) }}</ref> |
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*''[[Games (magazine)|Games]]'' #47<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/games-47-1984-january/page/n61/mode/2up | title=GAMES Magazine #47 | date=January 1984 }}</ref> |
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Each side begins with an equal number of troops, represented by small coloured pieces of cardboard, which have varying strengths and movement capabilities. On their turn, a player move any number of these pieces. Any troops adjacent to opposing forces enter into combat and cause the defender's pieces to retreat if the attacker's strength is greater than theirs. Certain pieces, spaces, and cards give Magical Points (MP) and the player with the greater amount of MP moves and searches with their Quest pieces on their turn, in addition to their military action.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Costello |first=Matthew |date=January 1984 |editor-last=Schmittberger |editor-first=R. Wayne |title=Games & Books; Pentantastar |url=https://archive.org/details/games-47-1984-january/page/n61/mode/2up |journal=[[Games World of Puzzles|Games]] |publisher=[[PLBY Group|Playboy Enterprises]] |issue=47 |pages=54 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> Cards are also drawn each round, which can be played for either MP or a military function (to mobilize more troops or introduce hazards which negatively influence the board in some way). |
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*1984 Games 100<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/games-57-1984-november/page/n45/mode/2up | title=GAMES Magazine #57 | date=November 1984 }}</ref> |
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==Reception== |
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Writing for ''[[Games World of Puzzles|Games]],'' Matthew Costello wrote that "from its delicately shaded map-board to its intriguing rules of play, Pentantastar stands out as a fantasy adventure game of uncommon beauty and intelligence", positively referencing the flowchart's ease of use and the "fast and strategically demanding" gameplay.<ref name=":0" /> ''Games'' also featured ''Pentantastar'' in their 1984 [[Games 100]].<ref>{{Cite journal |date=November 1984 |title=Games 100; Fantasy Worlds |url=https://archive.org/details/games-57-1984-november/page/n45/mode/2up |journal=[[Games World of Puzzles|Games]] |publisher=[[PLBY Group|Playboy Enterprises]] |issue=57 |pages=44 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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* {{bgg|3045|''Pentantastar''}} |
* {{bgg|3045|''Pentantastar''}} |
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[[Category:Adventure games]] |
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[[Category:Board games introduced in 1983]] |
[[Category:Board games introduced in 1983]] |
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[[Category:Fantasy board games]] |
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[[Category:Wargames]] |
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Revision as of 07:29, 19 December 2024
| Designers |
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|---|---|
| Publishers | |
| Publication | 1983 |
| Genres | |
| Players | 2–4 |
| Playing time | 120 minutes |
| Age range | 12+ |
Pentantastar is a fantasy wargame published by Adventure Games in 1983. Players fight on opposing sides of a battle for power between two rulers, engaging in militaristic combat as they vie for territory, all the while searching for a magical weapon called the Pentantastar.
Publication history
Pentantastar was published in 1983 by Adventure Games, and was their last game before the company was acquired by Flying Buffalo (FBI) in 1985.[1] FBI continued to sell the remaining stock purchased from Adventure Games, even sending free copies of the game to former subscribers following the cancellation of their gaming magazine Sorcerer's Apprentice, according to an account by Ken St. Andre.[2]
Gameplay
Players take on the roles of either King Farin of Vanzar in the East (yellow), who commands an army of eagles, elves, and dwarves, or Lord Arkhon of the West (red), who commands an army of rolls, wyverns, and snakes, as they fight for control of the land represented by a paper map. While the military conflict ensues, both sides send out Quest pieces–Farin’s wizards and Arkhon's wolf–who move and search different locations for the five scattered charms that make up a magical city-destroying weapon called the Pentantastar. This means that there are two possible means a player can win; each side has a set of locations their forces must occupy in order to win by military victory, and a magical victory can be achieved by transporting all pieces of the Pentantastar to the opposing side's capital city. In a four-player game, the military and magical aspects of each side are divided between two players and victory is shared by the players on a side.[3]
Each side begins with an equal number of troops, represented by small coloured pieces of cardboard, which have varying strengths and movement capabilities. On their turn, a player move any number of these pieces. Any troops adjacent to opposing forces enter into combat and cause the defender's pieces to retreat if the attacker's strength is greater than theirs. Certain pieces, spaces, and cards give Magical Points (MP) and the player with the greater amount of MP moves and searches with their Quest pieces on their turn, in addition to their military action.[4] Cards are also drawn each round, which can be played for either MP or a military function (to mobilize more troops or introduce hazards which negatively influence the board in some way).
Reception
Writing for Games, Matthew Costello wrote that "from its delicately shaded map-board to its intriguing rules of play, Pentantastar stands out as a fantasy adventure game of uncommon beauty and intelligence", positively referencing the flowchart's ease of use and the "fast and strategically demanding" gameplay.[4] Games also featured Pentantastar in their 1984 Games 100.[5]
References
- ^ Sacco, Ciro Allessandro. "An Interview with Dave Arneson". Archived from the original on July 7, 2004. Retrieved June 3, 2009. (Alternative URL: [1].)
- ^ St. Andre, Ken (1985). "Batsignals". TNT Zine (17–18): 1 – via Tunnels & Trolls Treasury.
- ^ Lombardy, Dana (January 1984). "Gaming". Asimov's Science Fiction. 8 (1): 24–26 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ a b Costello, Matthew (January 1984). Schmittberger, R. Wayne (ed.). "Games & Books; Pentantastar". Games (47). Playboy Enterprises: 54 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Games 100; Fantasy Worlds". Games (57). Playboy Enterprises: 44. November 1984 – via Internet Archive.