Munchkin Review: Star Munchkin
Brief Synopsis
Star Munchkin does a lot of what the original Munchkin deck did well and doesn't deviate. It does add Sidekicks (which are essentially Hirelings) and a unique weapon combination system that can quickly become the focus of the game. It of course rebrands the theme with traditional sci-fi space material from sources like Star Wars, Star Trek, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Warhammer 40k, and a lot more. Even if you're not familiar with the parodied source material, the game's sense of humor is funny and you can find yourself smirking regardless.
The Monsters and Traps
The only problem I have with the core Star Munchkin deck is the Big Bad, or Level 20 Monster. It's the Great Cthulu, which isn't bad in itself. What is bad is that it's also the Big Bad (3 times) in the Munchkin Cthulu series understandably, but also the Big Bad in the Munchkin Apocalypse series as well. I don't understand why we couldn't have some Planet Destroying Star Base or something else, but honestly, it doesn't ruin any part of the game.
Otherwise, there's a good variety of Monsters and Traps that's fairly balanced, although not all of them are overly powerful. It's a good set up for a base game.
Character Modifiers
The game introduces new Classes and Races (which occupy the same slots as those in the original Munchkin deck so they cross very well), with things like Feline, Trader, Gadgeteer, Psychic, and others. Each have their own uses and are fairly balanced overall. However, most of them are very situation specific, as the Gadgeteer isn't that useful without Complex items (which take the place of Big items which is a different slot if you combine these decks) and the Trader is only good for scavenging items. There's nothing truly revolutionary, and nothing is overpowered. However, the Bounty Hunter class is very effective at garnering extra cards and monsters to kill, and the Feline is capable of pulling off a strong combo play with the Starfish and Its Clone, grabbing a total of 4 levels from a monster group Level of 6 with some Treasures to boot, just for having those three cards.
Overall, it's a good balance again.
Treasures and Helpers
There's a handful of Sidekicks that are more specific than the Hireling in the basic Munchkin deck but can be useful. Since there isn't a Thief class, the Rouge Sidekick can steal for you, and his drawback ensures that he'll stay in the game. Whiz Kid Sidekick also practically nullifies the Gadgeteer class though.
-aser weapons steal the show. Individually, they do anywhere from +2 to +5 bonuses, making them feel rather vanilla, but the real interesting feature is the ability to combine them. Putting two or more together creates a weapon that requires two hands to use, but the overall bonus quickly laps anything else that you could hold. Some laser weapons combined will create the Bananafanafodazbobzer, which becomes the most powerful weapon you can see in a while, and the expansions only add to it. Of course, you won't get all of the parts yourself, forcing you to try to barter with other players to grow your collection. It's quite fantastic, making this thematic deck a bit more unique.
Personal Thoughts
Star Munchkin is one of those sets that's good for beginners and a good way to return back to the basics. It may not have particular strengths in combining with another deck (aside from Munchkin Booty but only with the proper expansions), but it's good to almost relax with this deck. It's a good starting deck if you're skipping out on the original Munchkin deck, and with all of its expansions flow much better than the aforementioned deck.
Have you already played the deck?
Do you like this deck?
More Munchkin
And that’s about all I have for the central deck of the fantasy themed Munchkin deck. Next time, I’ll cover Star Munchkin 2: The Clown Wars, an expansion that gives a handful of new cards with Races, Classes, and a new type of Door card called Rooms.
I've got plenty more Munchkin Custom Card Ideas! You can see a list of them here.Also, as I've spent far too money on numerous Munchkin decks and expansions, I can tell you which ones are worth it, which aren't, and why. The directory is found here.