SPIRIT ISLAND: Branch & Claw

Branch and Claw is the first expansion for Spirit Island, a cooperative island defence game designed by R. Eric Reuss.

Gameplay

The Branch and Claw Expansion introduces multiple new modules to spice up your games with added complexity. The introduction of four new token types to the game grants players another way to fight the invaders off. Each of the Wilds, Disease and Strife tokens disrupts the Invaders’ actions, from redirecting damage away from the island to nullifying their ability to explore further or build new settlements.

These are also tied into the second new module: Events. These introduce unexpected shifts in gameplay and remove (somewhat) the predictability of the base game. Events can trigger differently based on your current Fear level, whether your land is healthy or blighted, the stage at which the Invader deck is presently at, or even the indigenous Beasts tokens and Dahan, causing a multitude of effects that can both help and hinder your progress. The included event board helps to keep all of the events and tokens organised on the board, with enough space for scenario and adversary cards should you be using them.

Speaking of which, the expansion also includes one new Adversary, the French, whose focus on building plantation colonies will force the players into submission if they can build enough towns on the island. To accompany this. four new scenario panels grant an additional variety in play, increasing the difficulty for veterans or just offering a different kind of challenge to the base game.

Two new spirits are available for selection, each focusing on the new token module added to the game. Keeper of the Forbidden Wilds focuses on spreading Wilds tokens which inhibit the invaders’ ability to Explore in specific regions. Most of his powers focus on these tokens or the creation of Sacred Sites from which his potency grows exponentially. Conversely, Sharp Fangs Behind the Leaves commands the normally placid Beast tokens into action, savaging the invaders and damaging their settlements.

Each spirit represents a new way to leverage the advantage of the new token module, but it will still take precise skill and focus to ensure victory for the island. In a change from the base game, both spirits have a ‘pick two’ option for their Growth powers, offering additional versatility in the scope of their powers. They also offer a final Growth ability which is of a higher power level but also costs you an amount of energy, giving you the opportunity to unleash your spirit’s full potential by the mid-game.

Finally, Branch and Claw adds additional elements to previous modules: 52 New power cards are present which work with the new modules introduced in the expansion, along with additional Blight and Fear cards to improve the variability of the base game.

This product is an accessory for the board game Spirit Island and requires the board game Spirit Island to play.