Ars Technica finds Unmatched: Battle of Legends a fast, asymmetric tabletop fighter

Ars Technica’s Ars Cardboard column reviewed Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume One, presenting it as a streamlined, fast-paced tabletop fighting game that matches characters such as King Arthur, Sinbad, Medusa, and Alice against one another. The review notes Restoration Games partnered with Mondo Games to rework 2002’s Star Wars: Epic Duels without the license, preserving the fighter-plus-sidekick concept but creating a different tempo and set of mechanisms.

Matches are compact—about 20 minutes—and the design is clearly optimized for two players. Decks are preconstructed and asymmetric, with no deck-building phase. Several design choices push movement and tempo: drawing cards requires performing a move action, and many character abilities are linked to maneuvering.

The review highlights distinct mechanics—Alice changes size, Medusa can turn foes to stone, Sinbad’s Voyage mechanic grows stronger as voyage cards enter the discard pile, and King Arthur uses the Lady of the Lake and Excalibur. Sidekicks are represented by round plastic discs rather than miniatures, and the artwork on the cardboard components is praised as visually striking.

The piece praises the game’s accessibility and addictive quick matches but also flags weaknesses: each deck includes three feint cards that can undo dramatic plays, there is no mulligan rule, and the preconstructed decks can sometimes give players the sense that the game controls play more than they do.

Key Topics

Culture, Unmatched, Restoration Games, Mondo Games, King Arthur, Sinbad