Munchkin Love

Jason and I are game people. We tend to go through phases. In the beginning of our relationship, it was Quiddler. Senior year, we moved on to Settlers of Catan with all its glorious variations and expansions. Once we got married and moved away from our gaming community, we had to find 2 player games. We went back to Quiddler for a while. We had a Mille Bornes phase, Phase 10, Backgammon, Battleship, Mario Kart Wii...you get the idea. We love the more intense nerdy games, too, but we tend to get hooked on games that are fun with 2 people and that last about 20 minutes or less. We currently have a new addiction. Come into our apartment at just about any time of day or night, and you are likely to find us playing Munchkin.

Munchkin is a card game where you defeat monsters and collect their treasure in an attempt to gain strength levels. That's the basic premise, and I must admit, the first couple times I played it, I was underwhelmed. But the thing that makes this game super fun is 1) it's different every time you play, and 2) the cards are so gloriously random. For example, you can be a Half-Breed Elf-Orc Wizard-Cleric with a Wand of Napalm, a Cheesegrater of Peace, the Boots of Butt-kicking, and a Cute Shoulder Dragon, battling a Hippogriff with a wandering Lame Goblin who is also Intelligent and Humongous!!! How fun is that?!?

Alright, I'll momentarily cease with my nerdyness and get onto last week's make. Basically, Jason and I got the first expansion set (Munchkin 2: Unnatural Axe), and it came with 5 blank cards. Now this is the sort of thing that I would generally make big plans for and then end up throwing away, knowing that my plans could never reach their full potential with my limited skillz. No longer. Instead, this turned into one of my favorite kinds of makes: a make that was 1) a result of some very fun brainstorming, 2) made with someone else, and 3) a fun and useful addition to my life. Jason and I schemed some very fun and random cards, planned out all their little details, designed them, and drew them. And we did it all together! Here's what we came up with:
(Disclaimer: sorry the pictures are a little dark and fuzzy. :o/ Clicking on the picture above will give you a clearer picture of all of the cards.)
Please allow me to explain them because they're just so fun. (If you tire of Munchkin talk, you can skip this paragraph.) There's a Super Duper Munchkin Class card, which allows you to simultaneously be 3 classes with all of their advantages and none of their disadvantages. ...Of Justice! gets added onto another item; so for instance, the Barbecue Fork would become the Barbecue Fork of Justice! Dawn of the Dead resurrects the last two monsters in the discard pile and makes you fight them. The Armor of God is a sweet item that gives you a +9 battle bonus. And then there's the Oompa Loompa of Doompa monster. The card reads: "He thinks you ate his candy. Bad move, Mister." (If you want to know more about Munchkin, go here.)

This was a super fun make for Jason and me. It was a little bit tedious, drawing them out, then drawing them on the cards in pencil, then tracing over them in pen...but I am so glad that we took the time to do this. Like I said, doing something to improve an activity that we both really enjoy, getting to do it together, and being completly random and silly...it was good for my soul, good for our marriage. Thanks, Jason, for being silly and making these with me. You are the very bestest Elf Wizard ever. :o)