Brettspiel-News.de – Review | dwarf

Written by Christian Buck in February 27 2022.

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Deep in the countless tunnels of a dwarf city, some amazing devices are being created. With skillful hands and an expert eye, bearded residents create real masterpieces. They extract the necessary raw materials from the mountain and use their furnaces to turn everything into complex high-temperature devices. Each completed project increases your reputation and the “dwarf” can only be won by the most diligent dwarves.

Asmodee has provided us with “Dwarf” for our review.
This has no effect on our rating!

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A dwarf city like Dwarf is a very busy place. Blast furnaces and freight elevators do not stand still. Efficiency is inherent in all dwarves. Up to four people could try their hand at the art of dwarf proficiency. In addition, each person receives their own plate, two expired fireplace tiles and a starting resource. In addition to the foreman of their own color, all players receive a dwarf of a random color. Each of these colors represents a different type of specialty.

Depending on what you prefer, the game can be short or regular, lasting either eight or ten rounds. In each round, everyone takes their turn one by one. At the end of each turn the project view is updated, at the end of the round the round sign is moved and if someone has at least one burning furnace on their board, they light another furnace.

Up to three actions can be performed in your turn, with each action requiring the use of an elf or a foreman. If a number is used, the number already in it will be returned to your view. Only foremen always return to their original owners. Depending on the color of the troll used, the local action can now be performed. A dwarf with the correct specialization performs additional special actions.

In order to be successful in the underground “troll” world, you have to pay for project cards and thus earn victory points. For this, of course, it is necessary to dig into the deepest passages of raw materials for coal, ore, gold and jewelry. The raw materials are loaded into your own truck at the appropriate level and then transported through the big elevator. It is only available to players once they reach the highest level. Of course, moving the elevator also requires a diligent elf. Using a chemist, raw materials can be transformed and even refined in a smelter. The foundry provides the possibility of building new furnaces. These are essential, because projects and procedures frequently require the heat that fireplaces generate. At the end of your turn, lose all unused heat.

The foreman may set up the stove tiles at the various movement positions, which always generate heat when placing other players’ dwarves there. They do not bring any heat to the mine, but the extra light they provide increases the return for their owners if they send dwarves there. The foremen are a bit lazy and they take the elevator from the mine to the surface.

If the mine elevator is the heart of the city, then the Dwarf foreman’s table, with its many project cards, is the control center. Each project has two areas that can be completed together or at different times. Each area brings victory points. Depending on the number of people, you can play with a different number of project card combinations. Some bring special abilities, while others bring unique effects. Whoever has the most victory points after the agreed number of rounds wins the “dwarf”.

Tags: 2-4 people, resource management, 60-120 minutes, hiring workers, fantasy