Which set to get next?

[ThisisDog]

I've only got a handful of core sets yet to acquire, and seeing as we're at the bottom of the barrel over my thematic interests, I was wondering which to get next? I'm basing my choices on cool game mechanics and blend-ability. I'm yet to get Munchkin Fu, but I'm waiting for the Kovalic one so it's not on this list. I don't have:

Munchkin: Impossible
Munchkin Cthulhu
Munchkin Oz
Munchkin Adventure Time

Thanks for any input!

[Mister Ed]

I'm assuming you aren't a huge Adventure Time fan or you'd have gotten that already at this point. It is a good game, with some really interesting cards, but I haven't gotten it due to not getting most of the references on the cards (we don't watch the show).

Myself, out of those choices, I'd get Oz (and we did, it is the only one off that list that we currently own). It works seamlessly with the original Munchkin, which is a potential plus. However, my family has read all the Oz books, so I jumped on that as soon as I could. I'm assuming, since you are asking, that you aren't a huge Oz fan either.

Really, looking at it aside from genre/property preferences, out of those, I might suggest Cthulhu. I've personally been avoiding it since I have zero interest in the subject matter, but it DOES have the added interest of an alternate game ending condition in the rules, where the game ends if everybody becomes a Cultist, and the winner is the person with the highest level at that point. Also, it has a good number of expansions, including a Dungeon expansion, which makes for even more potential variety.

Or maybe you might want to go for Impossible for a "done-in-one" situation, since once you get the base game, you've got it all (minus a few promos and cards from W23 boosters). It is a solid game, and probably the next one off that list that I'd personally be likely to purchase.

[Ghornet]

I've played Impossible but none of the others. It was fun and a little different. The nationalities add an interesting twist.

[MIB 9966]

As a contrary voice, I'd suggest Munchkin Cthulhu and Munchkin Apocalypse are the least blend-able versions of the game, solely based on the fact that they both have alternate game end conditions that can really change the gameplay flow.

This isn't to say that you can't blend them, but you can't just mix them together with a regular set and play the same way as normal.

Try them as standalones first, if you can, and then decide if they are for you and your blended sets.

[Mister Ed]

I would have assumed that blending Cthulhu or Apocalypse with other games would result in minimizing the effect of their special mechanics, since they would be far less likely to come into play. But then, I've never tried blending either of them, so I certainly bow to experience of anybody that has.

[bonetm]

A good way to blend Cthulhu (specially if you have expansions and/or promo Cultist cards) is to have 2-3 Cultist cards already on the Cultist discard pile when the game starts.

Probably works with Apocalypse two, start the game with 1-2 seals already opened, but I haven't tested that option.

[Devin Lewis]

Apocalypse has a rule for blending that has each player roll a die at the end of their turn and on a 6 open a seal. This is specifically so that the effect isn't minimized into uselessness.

[Mister Ed]

Originally Posted by Devin Lewis

Apocalypse has a rule for blending that has each player roll a die at the end of their turn and on a 6 open a seal. This is specifically so that the effect isn't minimized into uselessness.

Yeah, I forgot about that. Never tried it, it SOUNDS to me like it would make that mechanic substantially more of a factor than in the game played by itself!

[ThisisDog]

I've got Apocalypse, and as with the Dungeon cards, Munchkinomicon and Fairy Dust, I tend to leave the Seals to one side and only play with them if we want to in that game, using the dice-rolling rule at the start of our turns. I would probably do away with the Cultist rule, or if that's not possible keep a couple of the cultist cards to one side too.

I do hate Adventure Time, it must be said (although I do genuinely dislike the show a lot of my hatred of it comes from living in a student town and all of the wannabe Hipsters obsessing about it. Which kind of makes me a reluctant actual Hipster. Sigh.), but I have found that a lot of the time my enthusiasm towards the theme has nothing to do with me enjoying the cards or not. I picked up Steampunk today after coveting it for a long time but holding off getting it because I already had two deluxe sets, and I ended up being a bit disappointed by the actual cards. Conversely, I'm not a fan of Westerns and picked up THe Good, The Bad and The Munchkin one day simply because my FLGS didn't have any others in stock that day, and I really like it.

But on the other hand, I haven't been impressed by what I've seen of USAopoly's sets so far, the humour just isn't there. I can't imagine Adventure Time being as stone-faced as Nightmare Before Christmas or Walking Dead though.

I have read the Oz books in my youth, and it was in my hand today for a while before I decided on Steampunk, but it lost out, sort of regrettably now. Similarly, I'm a passive fan of Lovecraft. So both of those are probably higher on my priorities.

Although it is my birthday soon, and I have parents into classic literature, one sister who has young kids and another sister who is goth, so I might just buy Impossible for myself and let the obvious happen when it comes to birthday gifts.

[BENDsli]

I suggest Cthulhu. Ignoring the Cultist rule is simple enough, my friends and I have been doing it since I got the core set (we usually play to level 20, anyway). Also, I've never had an issue blending it with other sets at all, it blends just as seamlessly as any other set. The expansion are fun and interesting, too.