by: Michael Barnes

Last year, I reviewed a number of card games published by John Clowdus’ one man show Small Box Games. I was uniformly impressed with the quality and innovation of his designs as well as his commitment to providing simpler, low cost and self-produced games in a market where buy-in prices are increasing and productions are become more cumbersome. Since those reviews went to press, Mr. Clowdus has released a number of new games—some of which are also quite good—but with Omen: Reign of War I believe that he’s managed to bring together several of his key design concepts into the tightest, cleanest, and best game that he’s designed to date.

It’s a game of struggle between two sons of Zeus as they attempt to levy forces to control Grecian cities and accomplish feats to establish their dominance. Given the “look at me” box artwork depicting a highly stylized Grecian warrior, what is most immediately impressive about Omen is that the artwork is absolutely stunning. I don’t say that often because I’m no longer 15 and easily impressed by fantasy illustration. It takes something very unique or stylish for me to take notice beyond a general appraisal of success or failure, and I think the painterly, sophisticated artwork makes the game stand out very favorably against larger, more expensive productions. Technique aside, the depictions of figures such as oracles, soldiers, and various mythological beasts are executed in a highly imaginative style that speaks to both Classical influence and high fantasy. The work is more Yoshitaka Amano than Larry Elmore, and it gives the game a unique atmosphere.

The artwork also gives the game a more professional appearance, which is absolutely critical when the asking price for it is more than double the usual Small Box charge. They’ll ship you the game for $30, and although I feel that’s very much on the high side for a small two player game, it’s nicely produced with stickered composite chips and good quality cardstock.

There are two gameplay options. It can be played as a standard, fixed deck card game or players can draft unique decks from the 24 different types of cards available. Regardless of format, the procedure finds two players gathering cards or money in a Wealth step before a core Surge phase wherein soldiers, beasts, and oracles are purchased out of hand and played on the player’s side of three face-down stacks of city cards. Soldiers have a special action that occurs as they take the field, Oracles have a card-drawing or money-collecting ability that occurs in a later Portent phase, and Beasts have particularly nasty effects that can be used if the player pays for the card and discards it. Beasts can also be placed in cities, but they count for two units against a city’s stack limit of five.

Card valuation is complex, with cost, strength and a sacrifice value (meaning the card can be discarded for resources in the appropriate phase) combining with situational effects to create a much more nuanced and complex game than its simple rules seem to describe. The game’s immediate heirs are simpler, abstract titles like Reiner Knizia’s Battle Line wherein players deploy cards to control points, but Omen is more detailed and frictional. Card play can be brutal, with effects causing players to lose all of their cards or money, evacuate cities, or forbidding play of certain cards. It’s subtitled “Reign of War” for good reason.