Rob

Rebirth 2 is taking us to Greece & Italy

In this mailbag, Mark unboxes a handful of recent arrivals that have made their way to This Board Game Life. He opens up the Zenith Special Agents card expansion, shares his curiosity about a pencil-and-book game called Bordeaux, takes a look at Quartz: The Dice Game, and digs into a mega set of speed paint markers from Army Painter. Along the way he teases some upcoming content, including a possible playthrough and his return to painting miniatures. Settle in for a quick and varied look at what landed on Mark's desk this week. This episode covers a grab-bag of games and hobby items rather than a single title. Highlights include Zenith (with its Special Agents add-on) from Play Punk, Bordeaux — a solo-friendly book game supporting 1 to 75 players with 150 unique game sheets that only needs a pencil, and Quartz: The Dice Game, a light 15–30 minute game. 00:00 Intro 01:07 Zenith Special Agents 01:53 Bordeaux Book 03:11 Quartz Dice Game 04:06 Painting Plans 04:40 Army Painter Markers 06:53 Using The Markers 11:15 Mega Set Colors 13:42 Final Thoughts

Join Mark for a solo play-through of Dice Throne: Vanguard, the latest release in the ever-expanding Dice Throne universe. In this video, Mark takes the Duelist into battle against the boss character hidden inside the box's magnetic lid, playing through the fight for the very first time. Along the way, he shares his setup, his first impressions of these brand-new heroes, and a few thoughts on what's coming next for Dice Throne. Come along and see how the showdown unfolds! Dice Throne: Vanguard is a 2–4 player dice-chucking combat game for ages, playable in around 30 minutes, published by Dice Throne, Inc. in 2026 and designed by Nate Chatellier, John Heidrich, and Manny Trembley. It introduces four new Vanguard heroes — the Druid, Duelist, Forgemaster, and Sun Elf — all fully compatible with the wider Dice Throne roster. With fresh mechanisms, legendary themes, and a boss you can take on solo or as a group, it's built to be boldly accessible and heroically replayable. 00:00 Intro 07:10 Camera Setup 10:44 Boss Rules 15:23 Card Explanations 22:38 Starting Hand 23:50 Tracking Gameplay 26:40 Gameplay Begins 37:37 Boss Attack 42:30 Combat Rolls 58:20 Taking Damage 1:05:48 Final Turns 1:07:59 Defeat https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/453942/dice-throne-vanguard