Lionwake | Kickstarter Preview | Board Game Preview

About Lionwake, from BoardGameGeek:

The dragon has fallen. Now unchallenged, Nian beasts from Asian mythology run rampant, raiding the village to sate their hunger. The ancient Lions have heeded the call to serve as the new guardians, but they cannot do so alone. A select few who have been chosen and lent their mythical strength now strike the drum and perform the local ritual in defense of Lionwake. In Lionwake (competitive; 1-4p), players play drum cards from your deck into your asymmetrical Lions tableau, impelling them to leap through the surrounding terrain and performing actions, all to the rhythm of your beat. Resources may be spent to ink motifs, write spring couplets, and carve jade amulets, pushing your Lions towards further specialization. Once prepared, battle the Nian head on or pacify the lands to expel the external threat and free your village. Dare you wake your inner Lion? Blending a Euro-style action economy system with dice-battling as well innovative deck + tableau-building, Lionwake features: Actions driven by multifunctional cards which combo with your Lions' motifs and by being layered. Experience the ups and downs of Lion Dancing as you navigate terrains of varied heights to get the jump on the competition. Two-layered dice-battling, namely first roll to "intimidate" and then for "strength," presents choice in what makes a "strong" Lion. Player interaction with a focus on racing towards objectives, the end game, and other points of strategic interest. Full production from Taiwan, including more than three illustrators working to provide a unique look on top of unique mechanics. -description from the publisher