Free Comic Book Day! May 7th!

Dozens of Free Comics!  Material for All Ages!  Tons of Sales!

Every year for the last 10 years, FREE COMIC BOOK DAY has been an opportunity for families of all sizes to come out and get some great material… for free! Held on the first Saturday in May, The Dragon’s Den invites everyone to stop by to get some free comics. No matter what age, no matter what interest, we’ve got comics for everyone!

Special Guest!

The Dragon’s Den is proud to host Artist Chris Batista. Currently working on Booster Gold, Chris has worked on numerous Marvel and DC properties, including Legion, JLA, Green Lantern, Thunderbolts and more!

 Chris Batista will be doing free sketches from 11 am to 2 pm.

Special Guest!

The Empire City Garrison, or ECG, is the New York divison of The 501st Legion, the world's definitive Star Wars costuming organization. One of the original garrisons in a 5,000 member organization that spans across the United States and to nearly 50 countries around the world, ECG covers all of New York City, Long Island, and the five boroughs, enforcing the Empire's rule and spreading the magic of Star Wars through appearances at charity events.

From 11 am to 2 pm on Saturday May 7^th, The Dragon’s Den is proud to host a member of the Empire City Garrison. One $5 donation to the Great Strides Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will get one member of your family a picture with a Stormtrooper!

Magic: Knights vs Dragons Duel Deck

Now that the new Duel Deck from Wizards of the Coast, Knights vs Dragons, is out and it's time to take a look at what you get in the box.

Dragons: This is a mono Red deck featuring dragons and their goblin allies. The deck involves a foil alternate art Bogardan Hellkite. It also includes the following rares: Thunder Dragon, Shivan Hellkite, Kilnmouth Dragon, Mordant Dragon, and Voracious Dragon. It also includes several other alternate art cards, including Punishing Fire and Seething Song.

Knights: This is a twin color deck using White and Green knights.  The deck involves a foil alternate art Knight of the Reliquary. It also includes the following rares: Loxodon Warhammer, Kinsbaile Cavalier, Knight of the White Orchid, Knotvine Paladin, and Knight Exemplar. It also includes several other alternate art cards, including Silver Knight and Loxodon Warhammer.

Both decks include some great cards that are useful in current decks as well as EDH... soon to be called Commander.  We have the decks in stock and priced competitively. Stop in and check out the latest Duel Deck from Wizards. Get them while they are in stock as the Duel Decks move quickly and the prices tend to go up eventually.

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks

West Point Historic Gaming Weekend

The United States Military Academy at West Point has a fantastic museum that has started to offer historic game days at their location. We participated with this event in the Fall and they asked us to come down again in the Spring. If you are interested in historic games, then you should check out this event and have some fun.  To recap some of the events for the weekend:

Axis and Allies (massive Europe and Pacific double map) 
Conquest of the Empire
Wings of War (Even had Snoopy vs the Red Baron)
Battle Cry

We will be helping out again in the Fall, so you should come down to West Point and play some great historic games!

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks

Nightfall by AEG

So Dave and I just completed our first game of Nightfall by AEG.  The game is real cool with plenty of interaction between the players.  Nightfall is the newest Deck Building game to come out and as this genre of games continues to grow, it is fantastic to see a new game concept!  Here are a few highlights that we saw as we played, and a few questions that maybe we missed as we played. 

First, the cards look spectacular! The art is dark and really gives you the feel of a world full of Vampires, Werewolves, Ghouls, and Hunters. There appear to be more vampires in the starter set, and I hope to see some more of the rest as expansions come out. Oh wait... and I did not see a single sparkle on any of the vampires!

Second, the game flows in a very straight forward manner. To give a very simplified quick review: Combat Phase, Chain Phase, Claim Phase, and Cleanup Phase. Combat is very easy at first glace... all minions must attack other players. The Chain Phase is the most interesting as it allows you to play multiple cards, and to allow other players to play cards as well. The Chain Phase allows for players to also access a "kicker" effect, this allows players to really look/think about what cards they have in their deck as well as what other players have.  The Chain Phase mechanic really increases the interaction between players as they play cards not only on their turn but also on your opponents turn as well.  Additionally, most card games that involve playing cards when it is not your turn focus on prevent or blocking what your opponent does.  Nightfall instead allows you to benefit from playing the right cards during the Chain Phase, be it your turn or not!  Claim Phase lets you acquire more cards for your deck.  The last phase is Cleanup. This phase a chance to draw more cards, up to 5, and to take care of wounds.

One point to think about, and this goes for all Deck Building games, sleeve your cards! As you continue to play the game and shuffle the cards, you will begin to wear they out.  There are many different companies that make sleeves, but Mayday Games and Fantasy Flight Games make a clear back sleeve that is less expensive then most of the other companies.  The basic box that Nightfall comes in has several different foam spacers as well as indexed dividers with plenty of room left over for many future expansions.

Questions:

Well the game designer, David Gregg, got back to us on Twitter. He was able to answer some of our questions... which was so COOL that he read the blog and gave us an answer. He created a great game and we are having some fun trying it out in the store.

1. What happens when you need to draw more wounds then there are left in the wound pile?

Answer: As per game designer David Gregg: The wound stack should have all 60 wounds. Once face up run out, use face down. After that, exiled then pen/paper.

2.  When you discard a starting minion after the end of the Combat Phase, are they exiled?

Answer: As per game designer David Gregg:  YES!

3. How do we get the promo cards for our players?

4. Will AEG be running events, or organized play?

5. Are the Starter Minions Exiled if you discard them to gain additional influence?

Answer: As per game designer David Gregg: no, the starters are only exiled if discarded or destroyed while in play.

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks

The Ants Go Marching...

...and so do the Spiders, Crabs, Inchworms and Nanos.

What are Nanos you ask? The smallest robotic insect available from Hexbugs, of course! Created by Innovation First International, the Hexbug line is a great look at the hobby-robotics section of the toy industry. Easily affordable, battery powered and numerous unique designs make this relatively new product a great toy for an child who likes technology. It's little wonder that the Hexbugs Habitat won the 2011 Specialty Toy of the Year Award by the Toy Industry Association!

With 6 different designs available, and numerous tracks/habitats, we've decided to create a review of all the various Hexbugs on the market today, including the Glow-In-The-Dark sets that only small box stores like ourselves can carry this year!

Original Hexbug 
This little six-legged robot has wiry antennas that, when touched, will cause it to change direction. It also reacts to loud sounds and vibrations, such as clapping or certain music. It comes in Purple, Black, Orange, Blue and Green and has 5 shell different designs, too! (Batteries Included, MSRP $11.99)

Inchworm Hexbug 
The first full-range insect, this one comes with a remote control. All 4 legs will walk in whatever direction you wish, and can spin on the single 'pedestal leg' for even more maneuverability. Unlike other toys, these operate on a dual-band controller, so 2 can be used at once with no mistakes! Comes in Red, Green, Indigo, Pink and Orange, all with the same design. (Batteries Included, MSRP $19.99)

Crab Hexbug 
Much like actual crabs, this particular Hexbug loves to hide in the dark. Their 8 legs will bring them to any shaded place, and will stay there till light or loud noises 'scare' them from hiding! When scurrying around, the it will change direction according to pre-programmed intervals, or will run from a flashlight/clapping. Comes in Red, Indigo, Turquoise, Green, and Black, all with the same design. (Batteries Included, MSRP $14.99)

Ant Hexbug 
Perfect for those who love racing, the ant will run as long as you let it. Equipped with 6 'propeller' legs, it can easily move over most carpets/flooring. Ever the busy-bug, it will run till it hits an obstacle then bounce back using the touch-sensitive antennas on its back and head. Comes in Green, Pink, Orange, Blue and Red, all with the same design. (Batteries Included, MSRP $11.99)

Spider Hexbug
Easily the largest of all, this newest Hexbug has full-range actions that you control. Use the enclosed remote to determine where it moves, and it will continue in that direction until it sees there is an obstacle in the way. How? It has a bright-red sensor 'eye' that allows it to notice things in its path! Comes in Teal, Orange, Red, Blue and Green, all with the same design. (Batteries Included, MSRP $24.99)

Nano Hexbug 
Quite possibly the most well-known of all, these Hexbugs, love running everywhere. Only about 2 inches long, they move by vibration on their numerous rubbery legs. While they don't have light, noise or touch sensitivity, they do have numerous colors available, and are considered collectible! Very hardy, they will scurry over any hard horizontal surface and flip themselves over if they fall. Can be played with separately, or with any of the below Hexbug Habitats. (Batteries Included, MSRP $9.99)

Hexbug Habitats 
Made specifically for the Nanos, these tracks come in many varieties. Choose from the Raceway Set, Normal Set, Elevation Set, Spiral Set, Starter Set and our store's favorite, the Bridge Battle Set. Can be used alone, or combine different sets to let your Nanos run for hours! (MSRP $14.99-$49.99)


Glow-In-The Dark Nano Hexbug and Habitats
Exactly the same as the other Nanos, these are made far cooler by the fact that they glow (quite brightly) in the dark. Just leave the Nanos and their Habitats in bright light for an hour or two, then set them up in a dark room and watch the resulting 'light show'! Currently, the Habitats available for these are the Starter Set and Normal Set. **Our store was very excited about this particular product because big-box stores can't even carry it til 2012. Thank you, Hexbug creators, for supporting the local gaming stores!**

Batteries
Each of these designs runs on a standard battery, available in packs of 2 wherever Hexbugs are sold. The batteries are easily changeable, and only require an eyeglass screwdriver to open.  (MSRP $4.99)

As you can see, Hexbugs has made something for everyone, or at least everyone who enjoys technology and insects! My personal favorite is the Crab, but any of them are great fun. Now it's up to you to find your favorite Hexbug, too! 

Stasi King