OVERVIEW
Having spent quite a few hours playing Masters of the Universe: Fields of Eternia, I’m always eager to expand my gaming options, and Rise of the Snake Men was the final box that I cracked open from my hefty Gamefound pledge from a few years ago. Hey, what can I say... I have a lot of games to get through!
Full disclosure before we get into this review: your mileage with this expansion will absolutely vary depending on your affection for the Snake Men as a MOTU faction. Like most Fields of Eternia expansions, it has some great parts alongside some undeniably lacklustre ones — but as a big-time fan of the Snake Men from back in the mid-80s, this absolutely scratches my nostalgic itch, which in turn helps me overlook some of its obvious shortcomings.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX?
Here's what you get for your money:
- 6x Miniatures (unpainted)
- 1x King Hsss Miniature
- 1x Kobra Khan Miniature
- 1x Lady Slither Miniature
- 1x Fang-Or Miniature
- 1x Sssqueeze Miniature
- 1x Rattlor Miniature
- 15x Snake Men Soldiers
- 6 x Snake Men Hero Cards
- 125 x Cards
- 1 x Combat Grid
- 1 x Path of Destiny Scenario Quick Guide
- 1 x Mission Book
- 10 x Wild Dice
- 25 x Tokens
- 9 x Rings for Squads
A New Faction and a Third Player
The headline feature of this box is the introduction of the Snake Men as a fully playable faction, which also unlocks the ability to run the game with three players. This alone will be a major selling point for many groups, although it remains baffling that despite there being four factions in total (Hordak's Horde arrived in the Spell of Separation expansion), there's no mechanic to pay with four players. Super weird, but I digress.
The faction integrates smoothly with the existing system, adding its own iconography and interactions without overcomplicating the core rules. If you’ve ever wished you could bring a third person into the campaign, this expansion solves that neatly.
Sabotage Squadssss: A Ssssstandout Addition
One of the most enjoyable new mechanics is the Sabotage Squad — a trio of upgraded soldiers who act as a single, brutal unit. They hit hard, move aggressively, and force opposing heroes to think twice before wandering too close. Sabotage Squads can be recruited during the “Mobilise the Soldiers” action for 2 Eternium and have the unique ability to add traps to the map. When enemy heroes enter an area containing a trap, they either gain the Paralysis debuff (–1 Body, and at the start of their turn they roll a die, losing 1 action on a failure) or the Poison debuff (reduces any healing the afflicted player receives by half). These are extremely powerful effects and should absolutely be avoided at all costs.
A Ssssssingle New Mission — And That’ssss the Problem
The expansion includes one new mission (unsurprisingly titled Rise of the Snake Men), and while the skull events are thematic and focused on showcasing the Snake Men’s strengths, it does feel like a missed opportunity — a recurring theme in Archon’s expansions. A handful of extra missions would have gone a long way toward fleshing out the faction’s identity and making this box feel like better value overall.
Charactersssss With Perssssonality
The Snake Men roster is packed with familiar faces to fans of the faction. Visually, they share a similar aesthetic, but mechanically they’re nicely differentiated:
· King Hiss shifts between human and snake forms.
· Kobra Khan has a neat 'camouflage' mechanic that can cancel combat (no water spraying, sadly)
· Lady Slither gains a bonus if she initiates epic combat.
· Rattlor boosts nearby allies with his "aggressive rattle".
· Sssqueeze prevents enemies from fleeing combat with him.
· Fang-Or reduces the cost of purchasing vehicles (he's a mechanic, doncha know?)
If any of these abilities click with your playstyle, you’ll find favourites quickly. The variety here adds real replay value, and while some are obviously stronger than others, there's some good options here if you want to flesh out your team.
Componentssss & Production
As you'd expect from Archon, the components are excellent. The Snake Men miniatures look fantastic, and the Snake Soldier tokens are suitably cool. The only minor hiccup is the small red plastic bases used to mark upgraded soldiers — they don’t fit quite right, which is mildly irritating but far from game-breaking.
Rulebook & Presssssentation
The rulebook is clear, colourful, and easy to navigate, if a little sparse. The new rules for three-player games and Snake Men mechanics are straightforward. The only real disappointment is, again, the lack of missions. With just one scenario included, the book feels thinner than it should.
Ssssshould You Buy It?
My honest answer? It depends.
If you want three-player support or you’re particularly excited to play as the Snake Men, this is an easy recommendation. If you’re looking for a narrative-heavy expansion with multiple missions, this one may feel a little light. For me, particularly given my strong personal connection to the characters, the new faction, cards, and mechanics made it absolutely worthwhile.
Scores
Overall Rating: 76
Artwork: 4/5
Complexity: 3/5
Replayability: 2/5
Player Interaction: 3/5
Component Quality: 4/5
You Might Like…
- Ticks all the nostalgia boxes, particularly if you’re a fan of the MOTU Snake Men faction
- Sabotage Squads are a fantastic tactical addition
- Minis are of a typically high quality for Archon
You Might Dislike…
- Despite this being the fourth faction released, the game can still inexplicably only be played with three players. Why??
- Lack of actual content, with only one mission included
- Indicators that are supposed to clip onto Snake Men Soldier minis are really difficult to attach
