What is Core Connection Nabala Conspiracy?
Alright, to all my anime mech fans out there—need I say more? For everyone else who had their interest piqued by that statement, welcome to the world of piloting a mech, taking on monsters, and feeling like a boss while doing it. But, you also have the competition of your fellow players at the table, who are also your teammates. Sound confusing yet?
If this sounds interesting to you, well, good! Because this game is really fun to play—even if you're not an anime mech fan. But if you are a fan of deck-building games, this one is honestly something that should be on your radar.
Core Connection Nabala Conspiracy (or CCNC, as I’ll refer to it from now on, since it’s easier to type) is an interesting and fun take on a deck-building game. You’ll have several factors to consider here: currency, attachments, and tactics. I’ll explain more on those in the “How Does It Play?” section, but keep them in mind because they work really well for a deck-builder, in my opinion.
You start the game as an unknown mech pilot with a prototype mech, and your goal is to defeat the monsters of Nabala and win the game. Throughout the game, you’ll level up your pilot and mech, growing your deck with better equipment and tactics to help you achieve this goal.
Now, about your teammates: technically, this is a co-operative game, and everyone’s goal is to defeat the monsters. However, the goal to win is to have the most energy. The player with 20 energy is declared the winner (or, as I like to call it, the “Endgame WAR!”). If you love deck-building with a bit of complexity, the potential for backstabbing, and decisions that make you think but are still fun—even with consequences—then CCNC is definitely worth considering.
How Does It Play?
At its core, Core Connection is a deck-building game. You have a pilot, a mech, and you attach weapons to the mech, then you kick some monster butt while playing tactics to support your efforts. Hopefully, this has piqued your interest. Let me explain how it plays.
Firstly, you're an unnamed pilot with a prototype mech. You have three colors of D20 dice that represent your armor, ranged, and melee power. Each card has a representation of these colors and numbers at the bottom. Your pilot, mech, and attachments add to these numbers, so the dice are a great way to keep track of your stats.
Once you reach a certain energy level, your pilot becomes known and stronger. Then, at another threshold, your mech becomes known and more powerful. Sounds good, right? Well, there’s a catch: once every player has reached a known pilot, the Monster Deck (MD) gets stronger too. Instead of fighting level 1 monsters, you'll face level 2 monsters as well. Then, when everyone reaches a known mech, level 3 monsters join the fray.
You gain energy by defeating monsters from the MD, each of which has its energy value at the top left of the card. You also have a player board with a red block that helps you track your energy. As mentioned, when a player reaches 20 energy, they win—but I'll explain what I mean by "Endgame WAR" soon.
Currency in this game works really well compared to other deck-builders. Some cards provide a currency cost, but the way CCNC handles currency is unique. You place cards from your hand face down in what's called a "drop zone," and this represents your currency. The key difference is that this currency isn’t deducted. For example, if you place 4 cards in the drop zone, you have 4 resources. If you purchase a card that costs 2 resources, you still have 4 resources left. This is because you can only purchase one card and attach one item, so the total resources represent the upper limit you can spend on both.
Attachments are the backbone of your mech and key to defeating your foes. You can purchase attachments and attach them to your mech, but remember—you can only purchase once and attach once per turn. This is where the tactical aspect of the game really comes into play, forcing you to decide between playing it safe to protect yourself or taking a risk to vanquish your enemies.
Now, for those eagle-eyed of you wondering about tactics: great question! The resources I mentioned earlier don’t deplete—they just represent the upper limit for what you can spend. For tactics, you can play as many as you can afford. So, if you put 2 cards down for 2 resources, you can play two tactics at a cost of 2 each.
Each tactic card provides different benefits, such as temporary boosts to power or defense, buffs when fighting monsters, and more. When I say these tactics can change the outcome of a battle in so many ways, I’m not exaggerating. I once played a single tactic card that saved me from total humiliation in battle, while my fellow mech pilots looked on in awe at my tactical (or lucky) genius.
Endgame WAR!
The goal of Core Connection is to be the first player to reach 20 energy. But reaching 20 energy doesn’t just end the game—it kicks off the "Endgame WAR!" When a player reaches 20 energy, you get 1 round to surpass their energy. This continues until a player either wins or someone reaches 30 energy. Once that happens, the first player to reach 30 energy wins and claims the glory.
There are other events that happen throughout the game, but I don’t want to spoil everything for you. The surprises are part of the fun!
Complexity of the Game:
From setup to play, the complexity of this game strikes a really good balance. Setup doesn’t take long, and getting started is straightforward enough that you can dive in quickly—before your cup of tea even finishes brewing (especially for those who enjoy a good builder's brew).
The complexity mostly comes down to how well you plan your moves. The fact that you can only purchase one card and attach one item ensures you won’t become overpowered early on, while also adding an element of strategy and tension.
What really stands out to me are the D20s used to track your defense, range, and melee power. Instead of spending time calculating your total attack and defense power, you simply use the dice to represent your current stats. When it’s time for combat, you just check your dice to see how strong you are and either laugh at your opponent or cry when they surprise you with their own power.
I’d say that for those new to deck-building games, CCNC is a great starting point. It’s fun and easy to pick up, without the complexity of managing tons of numbers or trying to figure out what you can afford and how hard you can hit or defend.
Final Thoughts:
There isn’t much more I can add here without repeating myself, but I can honestly say that the games I've played have been both fun and stressful—and even in the stressful moments, I had a blast. The Endgame WAR twist, where you try to beat your teammates for the most energy, is incredibly fun because it can catch people off guard. There’s always that moment when a player is scheming to outdo the current leader.
If you’re a fan of deck-building games, this is a must-have on your radar. And if you’re new to deck-builders, I’d suggest giving it a try. It’s accessible for players of all experience levels in deck-building games.
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