Hornet Leader the Cthulhu Conflict Expansion

fun concept!

Great item

The idea of pitting conventional weapons against H.P. Lovecraft's creations and winning seemed absurd to me at first. I, like many fans, would argue that nuked Cthulhu would only result in him eventually regenerating. Then I remembered how Cthuhu's taking a boat to the face in "The Call of Cthulhu" resulted in him deciding to go back to snoozing in R'lyeh. Come to think of it, a government raid on Innsmouth devastated the Deep Ones and the Mi-Go could be held at bay with dogs and guns. Suddenly the idea of using missiles seems a lot more promising...This expansion to Dan Verssen Games' "Hornet Leader: Carrier Air Operations" offers new campaigns themed around various Mythos beings, along with new weapons you can use to play with the main game's regular missions/expansions. But don't try to jump into playing immediately if you haven't already learned the rules of "Hornet Leader: Carrier Air Operations." Trying to learn both rulesets at once will only lead to insanity. Speaking of which, insanity is one of the new effects your pilots will have to worry about during combat. Especially if one of the phobias they'll develop ties into combat in some way. But you can purchase unmanned aircraft that are immune to this as well.Despite my opening justification for use of weaponry on Mythos creatures, this game is no walk in the park. Rather than using a D10 like you do in the main game, this expansion uses a D20. This time around you'll be using the die to determine your pilots' locations. It turns out the non-euclidean geometry so often associated with Lovecraft's tales has this nasty habit of changing a plane's location. It certainly adds a lot of replay value due to its randomizing effect on game play. Both that and the insanity aspect will keep even master strategists on their toes. Although you'll face aircraft piloted by cultists, you'll also have to contend with "bandits" like Mi-Go and Byakhee!Fans of DVG's "The Cards of Cthulhu" game will recognize a lot of the artwork on the cards. But that doesn't mean this expansion doesn't have some exclusive artwork of its own. Fans of that game will also appreciate the story-style opening flavor text which sets up the backstory of the conflict. So whether you're a Lovecraft aficionado or someone who wants a challenge after having mastered "Hornet Leader: Carrier Air Operations," "Hornet Leader: The Cthulhu Conflict" is a must-have! As is the case with all my reviews here, I was given a copy of the game in exchange for an honest review.This is a reposting of a review I had previously posted on Board Game Geek.