MUNCHKIN MARVEL EDITION

You are an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. taking part in a mission to hunt down rogues and monsters who are on the loose when playing the Marvel edition of the role playing card game MUNCHKIN from usaopoly. Three to six players imagine they are exploring an abandoned warehouse, villain's lair, historic castle, space station, or any other place evil doers may be lurking. Players begin as a rookie S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and progress through the game leveling up by defeating villains encountered while knocking down doors looking for trouble. The first player to have his or her character achieve a LEVEL TEN rank wins the game.

Players start off by selecting the agent they want to play as. There are six agent classifications to choose from: Espionage, Operations, Recon, Recruiting, Tactical, and Tech. Each type of agent has a different special ability that can be used in the game so it is important to keep this in mind when selecting who you want to be.

In the middle of all the players are two decks of cards. One deck contains DOOR CARDS which may have a villain or monster to fight, a trap to get entangled in or loot to discover displayed on the card's back side. These identify what are in the rooms of the space you are exploring. The other deck has TREASURE CARDS which are equipment, special abilities, weapons and sometimes even a super hero ally that help players enhance their combat ranking. Treasure is earned by winning battles or stealing from other players.

Next every player rolls the included die. The first player who lands the Munchkin symbol on the die gets to go first. That player draws a door card. By pulling one of these cards from the deck, a player is opening a door to find out what is behind it.

You may encounter a TRAP which could cause your character to lose levels, give up equipped items or have other negative ramifications. Alternatively, LOOT may be discovered which is a card you can keep in your hand to use later in the game. Some of these loot cards can be used to increase the combat ranking of a monster or villain that another player is fighting to give your character an edge in winning the game. Others may provide a bonus such as making your character immune to traps.

Additionally, there may be something to fight lurking behind a door. In a fight whatever you are battling against will have a combat ranking. For example, if you stumble upon LOKI the Asgardian trickster has a score of 20. Your S.H.I.E.L.D. agent must have a combination of level + bonus attributes from special abilities, allies, loot and treasure to have a higher combat ranking to win the battle.

Can't do that? You can try to run away by rolling a 5 or 6 on the game die. If that is not successful you can ask another player to join in the battle.

So if your character has combat rank of 12 and another play has a rank of 9 you can team up with a combined score of 21 to defeat Loki (20). Of course expect that other player to ask for something in return such as splitting the TREASURE earned by winning the battle or having you give over a loot card from your hand. Note yet another player who doesn't want to have you win the battle could also join the fray by using a loot card that adds +5 or +10 points to Loki's combat ranking giving him a combat rank of 25 or 30. Remember only one player can ultimately win the game by being the first to have a character reach Level 10.

If your character loses in battle, you must follow the "Bad Stuff" instructions listed on your adversary's card. This could be losing an equipped item, being reduced a level or even your character dying. In the case of losing to Loki, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent would discard all of the cards in his or her hand and lose a level for each card discarded.

Winning in combat always bumps a character up a level. Plus the foe you defeat may also provide other benefits such as treasure. Look to see if the defeated monster or villain lists a number of cards you can pull from the TREASURE deck. A treasure card may give you an item like the MIND GEM which forces another player to help you in combat, an ally such as Spider-Man who increases your combat ranking by +2 or a weapon which could be Captain America's Shield that provides a +3 to your combat ranking. For defeating Loki, the reward is going up 2 levels instead of just one and pulling 5 treasure cards.

So when we played the Marvel edition of MUNCHKIN, Baby Groot eventually won the game. To conclude the game he was at Level 8 with a combat ranking of 15 based upon having Daredevil, my favorite super hero, as an ally and being equipped with Nick Fury's eye patch, an Iron Man repulsor and Captain America's shield. He pulled a door card to encounter VENOM! The evil symbiote's combat ranking was 10. Fifteen beats ten so Groot gained a level moving up to Level 9.

He then played a loot card from his hand that was acquired earlier in the game. This card let him steal a level from another player. Swiping a level from my daughter meant she went down from Level 7 to Level 6 while Groot went up from Level 9 to Level 10. Groot was the first player to reach Level 10 and is the champion. Of course, we were all winners since my while family had a lot of fun playing the game!

Marvel Edition of MUNCHKIN has earned A Geek Daddy nod of approval for being an entertaining game that doesn't involve spending any video game screen time. This card game provides imaginative play experiences that immerse players into the Marvel comic book universe. Encounter infamous villains Baron Zemo, Doctor Octopus, Kingpin, Green Goblin and Red Skull. Team up with favorite Marvel super heroes including Ant-Man, Black Panther and Captain Marvel. Wield iconic weapons such as Mjolnir, Spider-Man's web shooters and Hawkeye's bow. Anyone who is a fan of Marvel comic book stories and movies will appreciate being able to take part in their own super hero adventure by playing the Marvel Edition of MUNCHKIN.

For more information about this marvelous role playing card game, visit theop.games

BABY GROOT

It just seemed fitting to have a family movie night watching Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 on the first day we brought Baby Groot home.  After all he is the star of the show! Marvel Groot Marvel Life-Size Figure is a replica from Hot Toys scaled to the size the movie's director pictures the character would be in real life. 

The Hong Kong-based toy manufacturer has earned a reputation for making collectible action figures that are amazing reproductions of what sci-fi and superhero characters look like on the silver screen. They've have done another fantastic job with the Baby Groot they've created. If you want to bring your own Baby Groot home, click on one of the links on this post to make a purchase from Hot Toys' North American & European distributor, Sideshow Collectibles, and A Geek Daddy will receive a commission at no additional charge to you.

This Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Groot life-size collectible figure is approximately 26 cm tall and includes 3 interchangeable faces. When you look at Hot Toys' Marvel Groot Marvel Life-Size Figure  you just get the feeling it is going to turn its head to look at you and say "I am Groot."  Baby Groot's movie authentic appearance includes highly detailed facial expressions and a tree-like body texture.

Baby Groot also comes with a removable miniature Ravagers outfit and a Guardian of the Galaxy themed display stand.  The collectible figure also comes with two pairs of interchangeable hands.  The extending attack hands are embedded with wires so you can slightly pose the long branch like figures if you like.

Speaking of posing, the figure also has 15 points of articulation making it great for recreating your favorite Baby Groot scenes from the movie or just having fun playing around with the toy.  Watch out for your popcorn when you are around this guy!  Whether you are looking to give a child a gift they'll never forget or want to decorate a bedroom, office, home theater, game room or man cave, Baby Groot won't disappoint.

Marvel Groot Marvel Life-Size Figure like other Hot Toys productions is a limited edition collectible so once they're sold out you are out of luck getting your hands on one.  Don't miss out!  Head over to Sideshow Collectibles and add a Baby Groot to your family.

BRING HOME YOUR VERY OWN BABY GROOT

** A Geek Daddy receives a commission on sales generated from the affiliate links below**

Star-Lord may be the main character in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 but the tree-like alien GROOT was the star of the show.  Hot Toys has created an incredible life-size Baby Groot that is available through their United States' distributor Sideshow Collectibles. Life-size isn't as tall as a normal person though but rather the size the character is supposed to be portrayed in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 as compared to the other characters in the movie.  Whether you want this Marvel Groot Life-Size Figure to stand out in a home theater room, decorate a child's room, or just to have fun playing with, this collectible figure is sure to put a smile on the face of anyone who sees it.  This charming Groot figure is approximately 26cm tall making it an ideal size to display.

The Marvel Groot Life-Size Figure comes with 3 interchangeable faces with highly detailed  expressions and tree texture; a newly developed specialized body that provides over 15 points of articulation; and 2 pairs of interchangeable hands including an attack version with embedded wires to allow a variety of poses.  It also comes with a Ravagers outfit that the figure can wear just like in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2!

This collectible figure is sure to delight any Guardians of the Galaxy fan!  Make sure to get in an order for this Marvel Groot Life-Size Figure because once they're sold out they're gone!

Photos courtesy of Sideshow Collectibles. (c) All rights reserved.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2

My son and I were invited to an advance screening of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 by Marvel Studios before the movie officially opened to the public.  We're both big sci-fi fans and seeing the movie together made for a great father-son outing.  Going to see Star Wars at the theater with my dad as a kid was what made me into a wide eyed fan of futuristic space fantasies and taking my son to see the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie spurred a similar love of cosmic adventures with him.

He's been asking to go see this movie since its trailers started coming out. So what did he thing of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.?  I asked him after the movie concluded what he thought of it and received a one word review ... "AWESOME!"

Picking up where the original movie left off this sequel continues the adventures of Star Lord and his eccentric band of misfits who after having saved the planet Xandar have been able to line up some lucrative mercenary work.  The story starts with these Guardians of the Galaxy in the midst of a gig for a race of arrogant aliens known as the Sovereign who have genetically modified themselves to "perfection."  The Sovereign don't want to risk injury to any of themselves in confronting an inter-dimensional monster that is feeding off their planet's power sources so they call in Star Lord (aka Peter Quill), Drax, Rocket, Gamora and a baby version of Groot that sprouted from the splinters of that hero's sacrifice in the first film.  Of course things quickly go amiss!

The movie has an incredible soundtrack based upon the Awesome Mixtape #2 that was a present from Quill's deceased mother had given him at the time of her death that he had long ignored until finally unwrapping it at the conclusion of the first movie.  The soundtrack along with the movie's visual elements and script provide it with a campy '70s / '80s vibe. The film is a wacky space adventure which is meant to be fun to watch and doesn't take itself too seriously.  Director James Gunn does an excellent job of incorporating classic science fiction elements from comic strip, pulp fiction, television and movies such as Buck Rogers, John Carter of Mars, and Flash Gordon while still providing a unique sense of originality to the Guardians of the Galaxy movies.

People have asked me if Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 is better or worse than the first film.  I wouldn't say this sequel is better or worse that its predecessor but rather it is an enjoyable show to watch in its own right.  As a negative, the movie at some points has a slower pace and the plot drags on compared to the constant fast-pace of the original.  On a positive note this is because the film has more of a focus on developing the characters and immersing the audience into their lives.  Gunn doesn't want audiences to just be excited about the action scenes in the movie but rather have an emotional connection with the characters so people have a personal attachment to this franchise and wants to keep following its adventures.  There of course is a Vol. 3 in the works plus the Guardians will be teaming up with Earth's Mightiest Heroes in the next Avengers movie.

There are two underlying themes to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 --> family and redemption.  The movie really delves into how though people may not be biologically related they can still consider one another family.  It also explores the difficulties of maintaining a family dynamic when dealing with a variety of dysfunctional elements within the group.  A number of the characters in the movie also have moments of redemption.  Whether it is making up for past misdeeds, healing a relationship or changing a behavioral trait there are a lot of situations where characters are redeeming themselves in this movie.

Baby Groot is the star of the show!  "I am Groot" is still his catchphrase but he's a miniature version of the tree-like alien character from the original movie now.  His hilarious antics are sure to put a smile on your face and there are a lot of scenes where you just find yourself saying aw! You'll want to check out this young version of Groot now because by the time the next movie comes out the character will most likely be gigantic in size again.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 is full of the wisecracking and physical comedy that made the first movie standout.  David Bautista had perfected a deadpan delivery for his lines as Drax the Destroyer that will leave you in stitches laughing at his awkward lack of a filter and strange way of looking at life.  Rocket, voiced by Bradley Cooper, provides the foul mouth of a stand up comedian contributing to the movie's PG-13 rating.  This rowdy racoon instigates a lot of the situations that will get you chuckling.  This is the type of movie filled with action sequences and comedic situations where you don't think a lot about what is going on regarding the plot but just enjoy the ride!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2is rated PG-13 for sci-fi action and violence, language and brief suggestive sexual content but I have to say that there wasn't anything in the show that was concerning for my eight year old son to see.  To be honest, kids will be exposed to more troubling content watching many of today's prime time network sitcoms compared to anything contained in this movie.  That being said there really should be some parental discretion to determine if the movie is appropriate to see for children younger than elementary school age as it does have scenes that could be too scary or intense for them that include monsters and people dying.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval because my son and I really enjoyed watching it...simple as that!  This franchise is the Star Wars for a new generation of science fiction fans and I applaud James Gunn for expanding upon the current fad in comic book super hero films to create something that not only enhances the Marvel cinematic universe but is really special in its own right.  Go out and see this movie while its still in movies so you can really take in its high octane stunts and special effects that truly stand out on the big screen. I guarantee you'll be leaving the theater with a smile on your face!

For more information about the movie, please visit marvel.com/guardians.