PopHorror Let's Get Scared
We first found out about Necromolds in an interview with their creator, Clint Bohaty. Now, they’re finally available!
Mold em! Fight em! Smash em! In Necromolds, use your spell books to create armies of monsters from clay to smash your enemies… literally.
Necromolds is as if Finster from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers made a wargame. It’s easy to learn, affordable (something that’s rare when you hear the word “wargaming”) and is a blast for kids as well as adults.
In Necromolds, players choose from a combination of collectible spell books that, when opened, have molds to make your monsters out of the included clay. Each player gets the same amount of clay. Use as much of it as possible, because the molds must be complete with no gaps or cracks. I was concerned this would cause balance issues, being far more used to a point system in war games. Honestly, the balance is the best I’ve seen. Every battle I’ve played has come down to only one or two survivors left standing.
Once your armies are assembled, you place them on your edge of the battlefield, and the battle begins. Using the included measuring tool, each monster moves at their given speed to close the gap between armies, utilizing line-of-site blocking terrain. Some monsters have to get up close to do damage, some have ranged attacks, and some have spells. It’s fast paced for a war game with simple combat rules, and that make this a perfect entry level game for kids.
Necromolds comes with collectible caster rings, each with a different design to them. Some even glow in the dark.
Once you defeat an opponent’s monster, you squish it with your ring, imprinting it with your chosen symbol. It’s remains become a new obstacle on the battlefield.
Necromolds has more to offer when you take an even closer look. I feel like it’s important to mention that the creators really know their audience and want to ensure a fun experience. There is a section in the rulebook that suggests to allow younger players to squish their own monsters when they are defeated to lessen their frustration at losing battles. I can confirm, this does make a difference. My nine-year-old son is very competitive, but when it came time to squish his own casualties, he loved it.
The rulebook is also full of alternate ways to play the game, all of which are very fun. It includes some fun lore, which I hope to see expanded. There’s even a solo mode. To highlight the attention to detail, I don’t want to leave out the fact that there is even a look and find game in the rulebook, coaxing you to find certain things hidden in the artwork on the battle mat.
Necromolds struck a chord with me because everything about this game, from its marketing, art style, and collectibles, feels like it was ripped right out of the ’90s. It’s a lot of fun, easy to learn, and has a ton of replayability. It’s affordable, which is so rare with war games. If your clay dries up, they sell more or you can just go to the store and buy Play-Doh. There are no expensive miniatures that are too fragile for kids. You can buy additional spell books, caster rings and other accessories as well to add to your game and experience. My son has wanted to play it on a daily basis, and I am more than happy to play it with him, because it really is fun for any age.
