Wondrous Creatures: Gargantuan Beasts
Bad Comet, DSV Games, GaGa Games · Board game · 2024Goal of the Game
In Wondrous Creatures: Gargantuan Beasts, players explore islands to study massive mystical creatures that awaken when they are near others of the same species. The goal is to uncover the mysteries of these beasts, utilizing their unique abilities to earn victory points (VPs). The game ends when a player completes their fourth Major Achievement, and the winner is the one with the most VPs at the end of the count.
Setup
- Shuffle the 14 Creature Cards from this expansion with those from the base game.
- Shuffle the 4 Captain Boards from the expansion with those from the base game.
- Follow the base game setup, with these exceptions:
- Place 1 Beast Card more than the number of players, with the Awakened side face up, forming a Beast Pile visible to all.
- Each player receives a Beast Tracker and places it on the first space of the Beast Track.
- Variant Rule: Players may choose Beast Cards in reverse turn order, adding 1 random card to the pile after choices are made.
Refer to the manual for details on the base game setup.
Gameplay Flow
The game follows the structure of the base game, with alternating turns where players perform Basic Actions (such as "Place a Crew Member" or the new action "Gain a Beast"). Expansion highlights:
- Beast Track: Advance on it by playing cards with icons of your Beast's species, completing Achievements, or using specific abilities.
- Awakening the Beast: Upon reaching the end of the track, flip your card to the Awakened side to use its ability.
Actions and How to Play
New Basic Action: Gain a Beast
- Choose: Take 1 Beast Card from the pile and place it in your reserve (with the Dormant side face up).
- Limit: Each player can only have 1 Beast.
- Bonus: Gaining a Beast also unlocks your Captain's ability (if not already active).
Advancing on the Beast Track
Three ways to advance:
- Play a Creature Card with an icon of your Beast's species (+1 space).
- Complete an Achievement (choose +2 spaces instead of the standard reward).
- Use specific card abilities (e.g., Chimeetah advances +1 if there is a dormant Beast).
Note: Cards with multiple icons only advance +1 space.
End of Game and Scoring
The game ends when a player completes their 4th Major Achievement. In addition to the base game scoring:
- Awakened Beasts: Each grants extra VPs at the end, based on the species icons in your reserve (e.g., Auravias gives +1 VP per Bird/Fish icon).
Refer to the manual for details on the base game scoring.
Tips for Winning
- Focus on species: Choose a Beast whose icons match the cards you already have to advance faster on the track.
- Swap rewards: When completing Achievements, consider advancing +2 spaces on the track instead of taking reward tokens.
- Use Beast abilities: Each awakened Beast has powerful effects (e.g., Poseidosaur provides discounts on expensive cards). Plan your game around them.
