Immersion in Destiny – I. A Theme to Die For

Last week, I was trying to convince a friend to have a look at the game, and I was asked how can Star Wars be put on a die?

So naturally, I pointed to the easy stuff: blasters do ranged damage, lightsabers do melee, and that a grenade is destroyed after it explodes amidst the opponent’s’ team. However, I could not go deeper. Therefore, (again) I had a closer look at the cards that we knew already and looked past the fabulous artwork to see how Fantasy Flight Games put the theme on the dice. Well there are a lot of candidates, but here are two I enjoyed very much:

The much talked about [infopopup tag=aw066] is right up there. So of course, a jetpack does not make a ranged attack by itself, but it does get the character into a better position to line up that perfect shot. Also, it can be used to sneak up on the opponent from behind and damage their resources. Just as easily, one can get out of range or into hard cover. Occasionally, one can even fly straight out of a melee combat and into light cover, making the opponent hit some hot air instead. And unfortunately, sometimes it does malfunction too.

Another die that fits the card perfectly is [infopopup tag=aw057]. While one can throw a die (as the artwork suggest) at an opponent’s character for damage, there is also the possibility to push and break some resource crates. It is however used most effectively, to throw the opponent’s assets right back at them. And yes, even for a Jedi Master, the force throw sometimes could miss the intended target.

I have a strong feeling that if we take the time, we could come up with similar little stories like that for every die in the set. This just speaks volumes about how well FFG translates the Star Wars theme, not only to the artwork and the card abilities, but also the core dice mechanics of the game.

I am really looking forward to see what the die for the Thermal Detonator (AW67) will look like. Is it just a bigger grenade, or will it do more? And will the special on the die of the Flame Thrower (AW24) introduce a damage over time mechanic?

In the next article, I will have a look at cards which ooze theme from their abilities (with or without a die). In the meantime: What do you think? Which dice do you like most for their theme?  Which ones are you looking forward to see revealed?

May the dice be with you!

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