We’re just over a week out from the launch of the Dale of Merchants 10th Anniversary Edition on September 22nd, and I have never felt older. I reviewed Dale of Merchants eight years ago back in 2018, and it remains one of my favourite deck-builders. Since then, Snowdale Design has expanded the world with Dawn of the Peacemakers, Lands of Galzyr, and Peacemakers: Horrors of War.
Meanwhile, they’ve continued expanding their original system with new animalfolk decks and the Dale of Merchants Collection, which bundled previous content and introduced unique player powers. So, what is this new anniversary edition actually bringing to the table?
Well, I’ve been fortunate enough to get my hands on an early prototype, so watch this space for a full breakdown closer to release!
For now though, know that this 10th Anniversary Edition compiles every animalfolk deck ever released into a definitive line-up, Dale of Merchants 1, 2, and 3 remain distinct boxes, while the decks from Collection (plus the bonus Eurasian Beavers) are organised into Dale of Merchants 4, 5, and 6.
But beyond simply bundling content, this edition delivers comprehensive updates across the board:
- Streamlined Iconography: Redesigned symbols make understanding card abilities clearer than ever.
- Enhanced Artwork: Upgraded card illustrations offer richer detail and polish.
- Rebalanced Rules: Buffed weaker cards, nerfed the overpowered ones, and streamlined wordy effects to smooth out overall gameplay.
- Built-In Solo Play: Introduces official solo rules and unique solo cards that allow every deck to be played single-player right out of the box.
Here is what Snowdale Design has to say about the upcoming release:
Dale of Merchants is a series of competitive deck-building games beloved for its charm and strategic gameplay alike. In the game, you take part in a trading competition populated by colourful animalfolk merchants.
The first game in the series, and Snowdale Design’s first game overall, was released in 2015. We want to both celebrate and enhance the series. Here’s a peek at what’s in store!
New decks: The animalfolk decks and the decisions and combos their multi-use cards provide are the heart and soul of Dale Merchants, and we’ve got more coming! The gameplay variety will be higher than ever.
Deck revisions: The existing decks have been carefully updated. The changes range from small tweaks to significant reworks so every deck will feel great to play.
Play solo: The new editions include solo-play rules, which support all decks, and a handful of solo-only cards. Can you beat the Members of the Opalescent New Order?
Also, since I asked the question, and I’m sure many of you will to…
Why new editions instead of just more content or update packs?
First of all, there’s the storage issue we need to solve. After releasing the original wave of DoM content, we had come to a dead end in a way, since Collection’s box doesn’t have space for more sleeved cards. Dividers and deck selection cards were included in Collection, not with each individual game. We have had new ideas for decks ever since the release of DoM3 but had no good way of releasing them.
Moreover, the first Dale of Merchants game was our first game overall, and while we’re largely happy with it, we’ve learned a lot since. We’re putting a lot of effort into tweaking the card effects, readability, graphical elements, and more to make the games even better.
All of these together create a new, future-proof standard for new Dale of Merchants content going forward. Because all the changes are so comprehensive, an update pack for each game would contain every card, divider, and even the rulebook – basically the whole game. Instead, we’ll give significant discounts to owners of the original games.
Dale of Merchants 10th Anniversary Edition hits Gamefound on September 22nd! Are you planning to upgrade your original sets, or will this be your first time stepping into the series? Let me know in the comments below!
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