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Classic board games get new editions
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Fury of Dracula, 3rd Edition, from Fantasy Flight Games features new artwork, simplified combat and streamlined rules. - photo by Cody K. Carlson
Fury of Dracula, Runebound and Mission: Red Planet have all been out of print for several years, much to the frustration of board game enthusiasts. Now, Fantasy Flight Games has released new editions of each of these titles that offer updated rules and components.

  • Fury of Dracula, 3rd Edition, is a tense game of hidden movement as four players take on the roles of vampire hunters while one player becomes the evil count himself. The hunters attempt to corner and defeat Dracula somewhere in Europe before he succeeds in maturing his new vampires and advancing his influence track.
The new edition of Fury of Dracula features new artwork, but more importantly, its new rules streamline play from the second edition. The combat system in Fury of Dracula is a lot of fun as the hunters square off against Dracula or his vampire minions. The hunter and Dracula play tactic cards simultaneously, and depending on which card each player plays, a variety of things can happen, giving this combat system a real narrative flow.

Fury of Dracula is recommended for ages 12 and up and plays in about 2-3 hours.

  • Runebound, 3rd Edition, is a grand game of questing and combat in a fantasy kingdom as two to four players seek to be the one to destroy an evil dragon or necromancer, depending upon the scenario. Players move about the board by rolling terrain dice, going on quests directed by cards, shopping for items in cities and upgrading their skills.
The new edition sees an updated combat system in which players shake and throw down two-sided tokens rather than dice. Then players take turns spending their tokens to deliver damage to their opponents, be they monsters or other players.

Runebound is recommended for ages 14 and up and plays in about 2-3 hours.

  • In Mission: Red Planet, 2nd Edition, two to six players attempt to gain the most points by colonizing Mars and exploiting its resources with their astronauts. A round game board represents Mars, which is divided up into sections, as well as its moon, Phobos. A spaceship dock is laid out with a number of spaceship cards bound for the sections of Mars.
Players all have a hand of cards numbered one to nine, and players play one simultaneously each round. Players count down from nine to one and reveal their cards on the appropriate number, which allows them to place astronauts in the spaceships, move their astronauts on Mars and play nasty tricks on other players. As easy game to learn, Mission: Red Planet nevertheless contains some deep strategy.

Mission: Red Planet is recommended for ages 14 and up and plays in about 45 to 90 minutes.

All of these games offer something fun and unique, and with the new editions, they've never looked better. If you're looking for a gothic horror adventure, a fantasy epic or a bold science-fiction experience, you'll definitely want to check out one of these games.