Adventure games are widely considered to be some of the most difficult games on the market. Adventure games feature unique monsters players have to battle, weapons players can only dream of wielding in real life, and so much more. However, for new players, these features can seem daunting.
Talisman is a great game for beginners not only because it can act as a gateway to new adventure games, but because there are so many ways for beginners to get a strong grasp on the concept and ensure a victory! Here are the top 25 of those strategies.
25. Choose Your Characters Wisely
In adventure games - or any game for that matter -, which character you choose is very important. Do you want to focus on strengthening your craft levels? Do you want to raise your strength and become the strongest player in the game? Do you want to focus more on the fights in-game or cast more spells? There is a character for everyone, just make sure to look over their attributes carefully so you understand how to play them!
24. Choose Between “Strength” and “Craft”
More often than not, the character you choose will have proficiency in either strength or craft. When in actual gameplay, try to focus on strengthening one of those more than the other. If you are playing to reach the crown of command, you must roll to enter the Inner Region. That role takes into account your highest level in either strength or craft. The higher it is, the easier completing the game will be!
23. Avoid Dying
This is easier said than done, but it’s a great tip! Talisman is a game of luck, which makes it much harder than some other adventure games. If you end up dying, try your hardest to not die towards the end of the game. You will lose all of your progress and will most likely become very frustrated. Dying at the beginning of the game is the safest bet.
22. Collect Lots of Followers
One of my favorite things about Talisman is the followers! Followers are humans or mystical beings that can aid your character in many different ways! Some followers can add a plus one to your craft or strength, grant you spells, or aid you in battle! Now, there is the chance you can lose your followers. Other players can take them from you, or they could be sacrificed for gold or fate. Keep your followers safe, they can greatly help you get a win!
21. Don’t Become a Toad
One of the most annoying features of the game is how players can turn into toads in various areas. Toads are awful. Their strength and craft are both one and they can only move one space on the board per turn. The most common place a player becomes a toad is in the village. That’s where the enchantress is, and also where you will most likely lose your chance at winning.
20. Complete Quests
Quests are a big reason why I love Talisman. Quests can be found in the Middle Region, and can grant you lots of stuff! By completing quests, players can earn gold, fate, a raised level in strength or craft, a new follower, and spells. However, the best thing you can get from a quest is a Talisman card. These cards are the holy grail in the game and are required to reach the crown of command. So complete as many quests as you can!
19. Loot Other Players
A fairly easy way to obtain new weapons and followers is through other players. If you land on the same space as another player, you have the option to either draw an adventure card or battle that player. If you decide to battle the other player, the winner will get their pick at either one of their items, followers, or gold. The losing player loses one life. So try to win these battles and collect any items you may need. You may even score a Talisman card!
18. Save Good Spells For The End
This should be a given, but if you are playing a spell-based character, use your weaker spells in the beginning. Over time, you will acquire newer and stronger spells. These are important to achieving victory in the end, as they can either help you defeat monsters or keep players away from the crown of command.
17. Play An Evil Character
Evil characters get a major advantage in-game, and it involves something that can be very hard to obtain: fate. Fate is interesting. It can allow any player to reroll a dice in battle or on the board to try and achieve a better outcome. Now a lot of the time fate may not work in your favor, and it will seem as if it was wasted. But if you’re an evil character, you can replenish your fate at various spaces in the game. This will only ensure more chances of winning!
16. Collect Lots Of Gold
Gold is extremely important in Talisman, as it will allow you to purchase various weapons and armor in the game! There are markets, quests, and villages that may require you to pay gold, so make sure you have a lot of it.
15. Obtain An Ax Early On
One of the best tools a player can own in Talisman is the ax. Players can use the ax to build rafts to the Middle Region or as a weapon in battle. If you use the ax in battle, you will gain a plus-one advantage on your attack. It should be noted that once you use an ax in-game, it is left behind where another player can grab it. Make sure to only use the ax to build a raft when you are sure you’re ready to enter the Middle Region.
14. Buy Expansion Packs
Expansion packs in Talisman are incredibly immersive and add so much to the game. This is great for beginners, as they now have more options with adventure, end and character cards! This also means more opportunities at winning.
13. Land On Multi-Card Spaces
One feature on the Talisman game board is that some spaces offer the opportunity to draw more than one card! This can prove to be both a good and bad thing. Let’s say you land on a space and have to draw three cards. This means there is a chance to draw any monster card, a weapon card, followers, etc. If you draw any monsters, you have to battle them. Just hope you draw gold cards and weapon cards and you’ll be fine.
12. Try To Avoid Being Near Other Players
This sort of counteracts what I suggested earlier, but hear me out. Let’s say you roll and have the choice between landing next to a strong character or visiting a new space, visit the new space. 9/10 times, the character you landed next to will target you for an attack. If you are unprepared for an attack, this could mean the end for your character.
11. Form Alliances
One great way to move up the ranks in the game is to form alliances with other players. I would suggest trying to become an ally to at least one player in the game. That way you have one less person fighting against you. If you both survive to the end, then battle it out. But alliances are very important during actual gameplay.
10. Stay In The Outer Region
When I say to stay in the Outer Region, I don’t mean the entire time. You would never win. What I mean is to stay in that region for as long as you can to acquire gold, followers, weapons, and spells. Once you reach the Middle and Inner Regions, it becomes increasingly harder to get good draws. So stock up in the Outer Region!
9. Get A Water Bottle
One downside to the Middle Region is that if you encounter the desert, you are guaranteed to lose one life. That IS if you don’t have a water bottle. With the water bottle, you can keep your life and draw an adventure card as normal. Water bottles can be purchased in the Outer Region at the market.
8. Practice When You Can
It can be hard to play Talisman alone sometimes, but when you are starting as a beginner, playing alone with yourself can help with familiarizing what each card means. You can focus on studying the monsters and spells, and even think up possible scenarios that may lead to an end to your character. So study and practice when you can so you’ll have a better understanding of the game later on!
7. Save Your Fate
Fate, as I said before, is extremely valuable and hard to obtain. Every player at the start of the game has one fate. The best thing to do would be to save your fate for the Inner Region, as you can retry an attack against monsters and such. Don’t waste your fate on Outer Region monsters, you can gain lives easily at multiple spots.
6. Keep Yourself Awake And Refreshed
One important aspect of playing long games like Talisman is making sure to take care of yourself. One single game of Talisman can sometimes take up to four hours. It is important to schedule bathroom breaks, keep water with you at all times and always bring snacks. If you aren’t taking care of yourself while playing, you won’t be able to properly focus on the game.
5. Keep An Eye On Your Inventory
One mistake many beginners make when playing Talisman is they forget about the storage capacity for their character. Characters can only hold so many items, so make sure you only keep the most important ones.
4. Connect With Players Online
If you’re a newbie to Talisman, it is important to reach out to other players around the world to make friends or learn new tips and tricks. There are forums, Discord servers, Instagram accounts and so much more! Reach out and meet new people! You will find new friends, and will almost definitely learn something new!
3. Get The City Expansion
By far one of the best expansions Talisman has ever made was the City expansion. This expansion introduced a new board piece, new characters, adventure cards, and a whole plethora of end cards. This pack is best known for being a good starter expansion for beginners because it has an easy-to-navigate area and some strong characters. This pack is worth the buy and will help you a lot in the end.
2. Reach The Crown Of Command First
Being that this is the end goal for all players, it shouldn’t be considered a tip. But for anyone who has never made it there before, here’s what goes down. The first player to reach the crown of command casts a spell and rolls a die. Whatever number they roll determines if all other players lose a life or if nothing else happens. Once all players' lives are lost, the player at the crown of command wins.
But, if another player were to reach the crown of command while the spell was being cast, those two players would battle until the other lost all of their lives. So, try to get there first or try to kill the player already there. You’ll have a 50/50 chance of winning.
1. Buy Talisman: Digital Edition
This is the form of Talisman I play most often. While the board game is fun, the digital edition offers so much more to players. There are step-by-step tutorials for beginners that are easier to understand than the physical instruction manual.
Also, you’re able to play online sessions with other players from around the world. The expansion packs are insanely cheap to buy, and you won’t ever have to worry about losing a piece since it’s available entirely online. The digital edition is available on both PC and mobile devices.
There are so many options for beginners. Using these easy tips and tricks, you will grow to love and understand the game in no time! Soon enough, you’ll be standing victorious in the end, the crown of command in your arms, and your friends gathered around beaming at your victory. You may even start to teach others to play! Just have fun with it, and learn in whichever way works best.
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