The Premise and Standings
Each week we’ll face off in a best of three series playing a different board game from our collection. The winner claims the moniker of C&C Clash Champ for the week. The loser can go kick doors. The lesser player also gets to choose the game for the next week.
We will maintain a record of wins and losses throughout the year to see who finishes 2022 as the ultimate board game champ in our household.
Our current C&C Champion is Confetti after winning last week’s Cat in the Box battle.
Pre-Clash Current Standings:
- Weekly Winner: 15 Chaos – 21 Confetti
- Individual game wins: 50 Chaos – 50 Confetti
After losing last week, Chaos has chosen Munchkin.
The Game – Munchkin
Since 2001, the Munchkin series has been giving players the opportunity to attack and loot their way through adventures. Munchkin originally started as a card game which took a comedic approach towards roleplaying, dungeon crawling, and fantasy. Over it’s twenty-plus year existence Munchkin has spawned continuous expansions and dozens of versions taking on a wide variety of themes and IPs.
Mechanics and gameplay have evolved over the years, but the basic mechanics of Munchkin have always remained steady. Players will kick down doors, fight monsters, and collect loot on their race to create the most powerful character possible. The first to win a fight that pushes their character to level ten wins.
Each player will have a character that starts off at level one. Characters can equip gear, gain classes/races/affiliations/etc, team up with allies, and more as they work toward powering themselves up. Some of these they will gain naturally and others they will encounter as they loot treasures. Of course, dangers also await within the dungeons.
Gameplay is based around players taking turns advancing in their imaginary dungeon. On their turn, a player will kick down the door. If a monster appears they must fight it. Players will add up their level and any bonuses given by gear, allies, and items to see if they can overcome the level of the monster. If they do, that’s a win, assuming no other players decide to interfere. A win results in a gained level and as much loot as is listed on the monster. Levels gained through fights in the usual path towards victory.
If a player is outmatched by a monster, they’ll have a few options. If possible, they may use any cards from their hands or abilities of their own to give themselves the edge. Players can also ask others for help fighting a monster. No one is obligated to help, but if they do decide to show kindness, they may want something in return, such as a cut of the loot gained from the fight.
The final option a player has in a fight is to run away. A roll of the dice will decide if fleeing was successful. Five or higher equals success and four or lower is a fail. A successful run action ends the fight. A fail also ends the fight, but the player will incur the bad stuff listed on the monster.
If a player kicks down the door and no monster appears, they will collect the revealed card. Then, they have the option of looting the room (gaining a free card from the door deck to their hand) or looking for trouble (playing a monster card from their hand to fight immediately).
As the game continues, players will fight their way through monsters and slowly build up their characters. Along the way they will find new gear, classes, and allies to equip, which will only make them stronger. Besides monsters that are too large to fight yet, players will also need to watch out for curses and tricks that other players may use to make advancing more difficult.
For this specific clash, we will be using different versions of the Munchkin franchise than the original. They all play mostly the same, but any differences will be explained along with the game they are played with.
It’s a race to level ten. Everyone wants to prove they are the best on this campaign, but only one can be the Munchkin master.
Chaos’ Pre-Clash Thoughts:
Truth be told, Confetti and I both really like Munchkin, but it can be tough to play together at times. This game can get very take-that as you do anything to stop your opponent from getting that last level. Honestly, Munchkin is just as much about kneecapping your opposition as it is building yourself up. I think this will be fun, but hopefully Confetti isn’t too mad when I foil her plans and come out as champ
Confetti’s Pre-Clash Thoughts:
I’m not sure two player Munchkin is good for our marriage… just kidding! We do get super competitive about it though. I feel like Munchkin is hard to predict because it’s so dependent on the cards you draw. Hopefully I’ll manage to hang on to my championship for another week.
Game 1 –
The first game is actually being contested using Munchkin Marvel, featuring the characters from Marvel comics. Our setup is actually a mashup of cards from all the Marvel expansions including X-Men and Deadpool. The main differences in this edition is that there are dungeon cards which have continuous global effects and superpower cars which grant players extra abilities. With that said, let’s hop in. It’ll be a super fight for superiority.
This battle took a quick turn for the one-sided very quickly. Chaos started equipping powerful gear immediately. If that wasn’t bad enough for Confetti, Chaos started to regularly draw more large gear and “cheat” cards which let him use all that gear even though he normally wouldn’t be allowed to do so. Chaos had no problem beating anything that came at him.
Meanwhile, Confetti was opening doors to monsters that were far too large and gaining redundant cards when she was able to pick anything up. She threw a few barriers Chaos’ way but she also felt helpless as he left her tiny character behind.
Eventually, Confetti had a stroke of luck. During a big fight, Confetti hit Chaos with a card that switched their identities: causing them to trade all gear, allies, affiliations, etc. The only thing they got to keep was their levels. Suddenly, Confetti was the massively overpowered character and Chaos was fighting almost barehanded.
Now, Confetti started to charge ahead, while Chaos struggled to pull together enough scraps to win a fight. Confetti closed in on her final level and Chaos was at the door to victory, just needing a final nudge.
It all came down to Chaos opening the door to a tiny monster, which Confetti couldn’t boost up enough to change the inevitable outcome. Chaos grasped his one chance at victory and took the first win.
Game 1 Winner: Chaos
Game 2 –
Confetti chose Munchkin Disney for the second round. This version contains a plethora of characters and moments from Disney’s animated features and Pixar catalog. The only big change here is the mechanic called, “Disney Magic.” Some of the cards have extra abilities or enhanced abilities if a player can quote a Disney movie or sing a Disney song that hasn’t been used yet.
This game stayed a lot more even throughout. Both players saw their fair share of victories and defeats to monsters. They also equipped some nice gear while encountering way more potential allies than they could possibly equip. The biggest highlight of this game was how quickly both players started doing everything they could to prevent even the smallest moment of success for the other. They enhanced monsters, threw in extra monsters, made fights disappear, threw curses around, and stole levels. Despite the family-friendly magic of Disney, this game got cut throat.
Neck and neck Chaos and Confetti climbed until Confetti finally took the lead by hitting level nine and costing Chaos some levels in a fight. Confetti then came across the tiny level two panic. Chaos added Big Hero Six’s Callaghan to the scuffle and +2 boost, but there wasn’t anything he could do to prevent Confetti from tying up the series.
Game 2 Winner: Confetti
Game 3 –
The championship would be decided in Munchkin Disney Ducktales. It would be a battle featuring the classic version of Ducktales. This game’s unique mechanic is the inclusion of vehicles as an extra piece of gear.
Chaos and Confetti wasted no time doing everything they could do to hurt one another again. For a while, neither was able to escape the early levels because they kept throwing obstacles in one another’s paths.
Chaos created a super large and powerful vehicle that he started to use to pull ahead. Confetti kept a more diverse range of equipment and items. Confetti destroyed Chaos’ train-whirlybird hybrid vehicle. Chaos suddenly became very underpowered.
Confetti’s confidence in victory soared. Then, the unexpected happened. Chaos kept drawing monster boost cards, wandering monsters and other cards they kept preventing Confetti from gaining her final level. Meanwhile, Chaos kept slowly beating tiny monsters and growing in level. Chaos fought his way through a barrage of beagles and other baddies, while Confetti couldn’t draw anything to stop him.
In the end, Confetti was never able to break through Chaos’ defensive plays. Chaos snuck through by conquering a level two bugle beagle, and that is all it would take to come out as this week’s champion!
Game 3 Winner: Chaos
Your winner and NEW C&C Clash Champion: Chaos!
Chaos’ Post-Clash Thoughts:
I was right. Munchkin is very heavy on attacking your opponent. Thankfully, everyone stayed good sports. I’m happy to come out as champ this week, but I know I have a long way to go to close the weekly wins gap.
Confetti’s Post-Clash Thoughts:
Those were definitely three intense games! I’m disappointed I lost, but happy for Chaos.
New Standings:
Post-Clash Standings:
- Weekly Winner: 16 Chaos – 21 Confetti
- Individual game wins: 52 Chaos – 51 Confetti
Next Week: Castles of Burgundy
Chaos & Confetti 