Sons of Anarchy Board Game review

Gale Force Nine | Area control | £34.99 | 3-4 players | 60 minutes | www.gf9.com 

Right, first of all let’s be clear Sons of Anarchy is very much a game for adults who don’t mind themes that involve producing porn videos, drug dealing and selling guns but, then again, what do you expect from something that’s based on a show about a biker gang? Unlike some games that may have been distracted by the gritty nature of the show, Men of Mayhem is actually a very good area control game with a bit of violence thrown in for good measure.

Players take on the role of a different biker gang who must take control of different locations on the map – a nice touch is that the map is randomly generated before each game. Once you’ve claimed a location you can ‘exploit’ it in different ways, e.g. the docks give you contraband, while a gun factory, as you might expect, allows you to make and sell guns. As a result, keeping hold of these locations is vital to the game and can result in some fisticuffs. When you want to try and take over a location that’s already owned by another gang you issue a ‘throw down’. First of all you send over your bikers and then, in a cool little game of bluff, each player must grab a fist full of secret gun tokens from their stash before revealing how many you have in your hand to your opponent. Each gun adds three points to your total strength in the fight.

Of course, having control of all these locations is great but you’ve also got to earn cash by selling your illicit goods, however you’ve got to be careful not to flood the market because prices will drop. Once again, successful selling can come down to some good bluffing. Play Sons of Anarchy with a group who like the idea of being a in a biker gang and you’ll have a blast throwing down challenges and dealing drugs… just remember it’s only a game though and don’t ‘throw down’ at the local pub.

Buy your copy here.

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