As we all know, in any battle, there are no true equals. But, an unmatched fight is all the more interesting anyway. So, is a master hunter the perfect match to take on 3 clever raptors with a taste for blood, or will the hunter become the hunted while roaming the battlefield? Time to find out!

What Is It?

An asymmetric battle game where players take turns doing various actions. They can maneuver to draw a card and move their heroes/sidekicks around the battlefield, attack opposing fighters if they are in range, or play a scheme card to perform a special action. During combat, the defender will also play a defense card, if possible, to block hits, and both players can gain immediate, during combat, or after combat effects from the cards they choose. When your opponent’s hero is defeated (or heroes, in the case of the raptors) you win!

Who Is It For?

  • 2 Players
  • Ages 12+
  • Fans of head-to-head battle games
  • Fans of Jurassic Park / dinosaur theme

PROS

  • Easy to follow rules; I’m particularly a fan of the rules for ranged because line of sight in games usually messes with me, and this makes ranged characters easy to use!
  • Unique decks, but still feel balanced
  • Room to strategize / regroup before making big moves
  • Aesthetics – nice art / table presence; clear symbology
  • Components – High quality from the miniatures to the cardboard traps, plus a great insert to hold everything in
  • Set up / clean up – Makes it easy to play twice in a row and swap sides
  • Plays smoothly and fairly quickly

CONS

  • Takes some getting used to the characters to do well; i.e. being familiar with the decks may give you an edge
  • Easy to overlook one way paths, even though they are marked
  • Luck of the draw; can end too quickly if one player has unlucky draws
  • Not a lot of variety

Final Thoughts

I want to start by saying that this is my first experience with the Unmatched system, and if this set is an indication of the rest, it’s a super clean, smooth system that’s easy to learn and really enjoyable. I liked both sides of this particular set, and thought they had unique play styles, but it certainly felt possible to win with either one. I’m partial to Muldoon because I love a good ranged character, and his traps are a cool addition, but the raptors can also pack a mighty punch if you set them up just right. Definitely worth checking out if you like head-to-head battles (such as Funkoverse) and want something card-driven with great components and a familiar theme.*

(*Plus, there’s a bunch of other cool ones to choose from!)

Additional Information:
My Final Rating – 7/10

Designers – Rob Daviau, Justin D. Jacobson
Artist – Oliver Barrett
Publishers – Mondo Games, Restoration Games
MSRP – $30.00
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