Arcs is an excellent board game. One part trick-taking game, one part socio-political duel, and all parts space opera, Leder Games' board gaming sci-fi opus is arguably the best title the storied developer has ever produced. The Kickstarter campaign for Arcs' next salvo of expansions promises some strong additions to this top-tier formula - enough to garner over $1.2 million (£923,000) and pique our interest here at Wargamer.
As you might expect for a Kickstarter campaign, Arcs: Beyond the Reach offers a range of tiers to back and a variety of add-ons for each.
At $40 (£30), you can get access to the Lost Vaults and Fated Leaders expansion. This allows a fifth player to join the fray, as well as an alternative Court deck for new political intrigue, new star system types, and Fated Leaders - special faction leaders you can play, which directly alter the flow of the short-form, one-session version of the game by borrowing mechanics and ideas for the highly popular Blighted Reach campaign variant of Arcs (which takes the shape of a three-session mini-saga).
Those who enjoyed the legacy-like grit of Arcs' Blighted Reach campaign box will find similar experiences at the Beyond the Reach tier. For $90 (£68), you'll get access to the Beyond the Reach and Halls of Power campaign expansions, in addition to the Lost Vaults and Fated Leaders expansion outlined above.
Beyond the Reach and Halls of Power are both add-ons for the Blighted Reach campaign expansion. The former introduces an extraplanar threat and gives each playable leader their own secret agenda. As someone who's played Blighted Reach to death, I can't wait to sink my teeth into these additions.
By contrast, Halls of Power aims to augment Arcs' political game, introducing new leaders with new abilities, allowing enterprising players to pull more political levers and push more diplomatic buttons.
With weeks to go before pledges end, there's still plenty of time to check out the campaign for yourself. Arcs sits comfortably on our list of the best board games, and these expansions may well take a place alongside the core box in our pantheon of top titles.
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