Chip Theory Games: 20 Strong Expansion Victorum Deck

The adult recipient of this game loves it.

With the 20 Strong system, I started with the included Solar Sentinels, which I enjoyed after a few learning plays. I then moved on to the Too Many Bones deck, which changed up the system a bit and added some complexity - I still enjoyed it, but I feel like the rules got a bit more fiddly compared to SS. Now moving on to this one, and I think it might be my favorite of the three. I'm still early in my plays, but the overall system feels a bit more intuitive than TMB and a little more interesting than SS - very nice sweet spot between the two. Needing to recruit and dismiss dice is an interesting twist, and give a nice alternate use for items that are more situational and maybe not super helpful right away. The Scion fights are interesting to plan ahead for and deciding what sequence to take them on requires some planning. I also like that you can pick up the green cards as free items, but you need to complete a challenging task first. And as always, I'd be remiss not to mention that again, the art and component quality are amazing. I know it's just cards, but the finish CT uses just feels so nice to handle and the graphic design helps to keep this moving smoothly. Overall, looking forward to exploring this one more and really liking what this brings to the series.

The Hoplomachus Victorum expansion for 20 Strong combines strategy, variety, and complexity into a longer solo experience. It’s the most challenging and rewarding of the three decks but requires more setup, space, and mental focus. Pros: - Strong thematic tie-ins with Hoplomachus Victorum. - Richer strategic decisions compared to other 20 Strong decks. - High replayability with unique hero and boss combinations. Cons: - Longer playtime and more involved setup. - Can feel overwhelming or frustrating due to difficulty. - Dice luck still plays a significant role, despite the strategy. This deck stood out to me as the most complex and rewarding of the 20 Strong series. The Hoplomachus Victorum theme comes through strongly, with a gladiatorial vibe that involves battling challengers as you ascend toward the final boss. The variety of heroes and scions kept each game feeling fresh, and the decisions around pathing and risk-reward mechanics added meaningful layers of strategy. Compared to the base Solar Sentinels deck, this expansion feels much deeper. It’s less about luck and more about planning, though bad dice rolls can still lead to frustrating losses. Setup takes longer, and it also demands more table space than the other decks, but I found the extra effort worthwhile for the sense of accomplishment when completing a run. One of the biggest challenges was managing the rules overhead. Some boss effects required double-checking or interpretation, and the card layout occasionally obscured important details, which slowed things down. However, the overall design is excellent, and the gameplay felt immersive and satisfying once I got into the flow. If you’re looking for a more involved and strategic 20 Strong experience, Hoplomachus Victorum is the way to go. It might not be the best pick for quick or casual sessions, but for fans of solo gaming with a gladiator theme, it’s a standout.

As with all Chip Theory games, the component quality in this is awesome. This is an expansion/variant deck for the base 20 Strong so it is just cards, but they are high-quality, waterproof PVC cards with awesome artwork and foil highlights. Like the base game's Solar Sentinals deck, this is designed for solo play and features the same combat system with a few tweaks. Solar Sentinels is pretty straight-forward battling bad guys until you reach the boss at the end. In the Hoplomachus Victorum deck there are a few additional layers, some minor new mechanics, and a bigger setup than the Solar Sentinels or Too Many Bones decks. Overall, the changes add some complexity to the game flow and decisions, and make this deck take longer to play than the other two decks. I felt that the overall experience was still pretty similar to the base game though - still trying to survive while you fight off bad guys. My summary for the Too Many Bones deck is pretty much the same as my summary for the Solar Sentinals base deck, which is essentially: I've found 20 Strong to be a fun, if pretty standard, solo monster combat game. It's pretty typical of the genre (think Unbroken, Mini Rogue, Tin Realm, etc.) but does a few interesting things. As with most of these types of games, lucky combinations of characters, rewards, and dice rolls can make a game pretty easy, but an unlucky combination can be really punishing. As you play more you'll get familiar with the strategies and card combos required to succeed, but luck will still play a big factor. That said, the Hoplomachus Victorum deck does take things a step further than Too Many Bones by adding in movement through different camps, upgrading dice, etc. does add some more strategy to the game than the previous decks (that could be pretty swingy depending on cards and dice roles). For me, I prefer to play bigger, longer games with other players. I like my solo games to be fast, simple games. I was hoping the 20 Strong series would scratch that itch, but each deck adds more to the game system. That's pretty cool, but the games are getting bigger and longer (while still using a single deck and the same set of dice). I'm pretty impressed with what Chip Theory is able to get out of this system and 20 Strong - Hoplomachus Victorum feels more like a big-box game than a fast card game. So, while I don't think it's really my cup of tea, if you like this system and want bigger, longer solo games, then this 20 Strong deck definitely delivers on that. I'm excited to see where Chip Theory continues to go with the 20 Strong system, though I'll be a little more discerning when I decide which decks to add to my collection.

This is my second expansion for the 20 Strong game (I also own Too Many Bones) and I love them both! If you're new to the 20 Strong game, you have to purchase the core game in order to be able to use these expansion decks. The base game comes with the 20 unique dice (hence the name) as well as a chip counter and a base deck of cards called Solar Sentinels. When you get bored with Solar Sentinels, you can swap out the deck for one of these expansion decks and use the same dice to play a totally different game that keeps it fresh and fun. The core dice mechanics are mostly the same but each deck has its own unique rules and play style and comes with a small instruction book that differentiates the rules for that specific deck. The manufacturer also has some really great tutorial videos for each deck available online. The deck itself is high quality and sturdy. The cards feel like they're made out of thin plastic instead of cardboard and they're super smooth to shuffle and play with. Definitely high quality. This Victorum Deck is another cool storyline to play through and I love the variety it adds to the core game. I also love that each expansion decks includes universal characters that you can play with any of the expansion decks to make it even more fun and unique. No 2 games ever need to be the same. Overall I'm super happy with this Victorum Deck and would definitely recommend it.