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What Were We Thinking
Quite literally, what were they thinking with this one? This, for me, is probably the most random of all the Smash Up expansions. That is nothing to do with the quality of the factions and what they bring to the game, they are all excellent once again. It is just the randomness of the theme/no theme at all that we’ve been offered here. It is like AEG had some idea’s for factions but did not know where they could include them, so they just made this set. I am certainly thankful for it.
There is not a game rules overview this time, please check out my Disney Smash Up blog for a quick overview. Something to keep in mind here is that you can only play a 2-player game with this set alone. Of course, the series is completely interchangeable with everything else Smash Up so you can always “Smash” it up with another set and bring in a 3rd and 4th player.
So, what does ''Smash Up: What were we thinking?” bring to the series?
Explorers
A wonderful addition to Smash Up. The Explorers really get into base manipulation which has the potential to give them a huge advantage in gameplay. It is not a trait you see all that often in Smash Up so I certainly welcome this variation. Whether it is having a peek at the top of the base deck and choosing if that particular base stays or goes, or getting an early jump with a minion on a new base played, they have great influence on this. They are also highly mobile and the minions can be moved around very quickly between bases if required.
Grannies
Not the dear sweet old ladies most of us may think of here, oh no! The Grannies are the ultimate manipulators of your own deck, allowing the opportunity to draw and play cards from the bottom of the deck. They will not likely work well with all other factions but could be exceptional with others. The speed of deck manipulation to quickly get to those cards you really want to come into play will be highly useful, especially at those critical game moments. However, there is the potential to get a little lost in all this manipulation and lose focus on the main goal of winning bases.
Teddy Bears
You would be forgiven for thinking this faction was incredibly cute, but this could not be further from the truth. They are not the strongest as far as power goes but they have a huge focus on gaining power from the presence of opposing minions which is another rare trait, again. They are
also highly protective of themselves with a fair few actions looking to prevent their destruction on any given base. I could see this faction complimenting other factions of lower power, Robot Teddy Bears does have a nice ring, or perhaps the Teddy Bear Robots?
Rockstars
As someone who is a huge fan of rock music, this faction instantly appeals to me and my love of all things loud. They thrive on bases of high break points and their abilities really kick in here, so you will have to concentrate efforts here to get the best out of them. It may become awkward though if these high break bases are not present. Then there are also the never-ending power 2 Groupies, they will definitely aid in building a power up and breaking that base, they come out as extras and just do not seem to go away. This faction is highly entertaining as well as somewhat frustrating.
Final Thoughts
There isn’t much to be disappointed with in this set at all. You have 4 very different factions to what has previously been seen in the game and they all come with new quirks and abilities that do enhance the game and blend well with what we already have. It is a shame they could not have found more of a theme that appeals, the “What were we Thinking” title has the potential to be off putting but please don’t let it. The expansion is excellent and another valuable addition to this great gaming series.