I realise I've come to it very late in life, but I'm currently exploring the world of Magic: The Gathering, the massively popular card-based RPG which has been doing the rounds since the early '90s and has enjoyed an explosion in popularity in recent years (in 2022, it amassed $1 billion in revenue for its publisher, the Hasbro subsidiary Wizards of the Coast).
Magic: The Gathering's complex rules, vast selection of cards and often choatic and unpredictable nature make it a thrilling way to spend an evening with friends, but when I'm in the middle of a particularly frought game contested by veteran players with an encylopedia knowledge of the rules and regulations, I can't help but whimsically recall a more simplier time, when I was able to battle with pals using one of four key attributes: STRENGTH, SKILL, MAGIC POWER and FEAR FACTOR.
You see, back in the late '80s, my first introduction to the world of fantasy role-playing was via Waddington's Top Trumps, and not Dungeons & Dragons (sorry, Stranger Things fans). Top Trumps surely needs no introduction. First released in 1978, these themed decks see players comparing numerical data on each card to see who has the best one, 'trumping' the others and winning that round. It's simple to understand, and over the decades, it has covered themes such as cars, animals, battleships, superheroes, and more.
Released in 1988, Fantasy Top Trumps (or Super Top Trumps: Fantasy, if you prefer) was an attempt to capitalise on the decade's obsession with all things swords and sorcery, which was on the rise thanks to the aforementioned D&D craze, Games Workshop's fellow tabletop wargame Warhammer, and a clutch of Hollywood movies such as Conan, Willow, Krull, and Dragonslayer.
Illustrated by seasoned British artist Geoff Taylor (who has created art for books by Philip K. Dick, David Eddings, Raymond E. Feist and J. R. R. Tolkien, and would himself become a Games Workshop contractor in 1991, creating many unique pieces of Warhammer imagery), Fantasy Top Trumps showcases some utterly gorgeous illustrations, all of which were able to transport my fertile pre-teen imagination to hitherto unexplored realms of goblins, elves and wizards.
Heck, some of the cards – such as the red-eyed Wraith, blood-covered Barbarian and shambling Zombie – were downright scary when viewed through the innocent eyes of a youngster raised on the somewhat less intimidating likes of He-Man and Transformers.
There's an interesting story behind this particular pack, and it's one that would trigger the kind of playground gossip I imagine the kids of today indulge in when discussing high-value Pokémon cards. It seems that Fantasy Top Trumps was released in (at least) two editions; one gave the Demon character perfect 100-out-of-100 stats, while the other awarded those stats to the all-powerful King.
While getting either card in the initial shuffle wasn't necessarily a cast-iron route to victory (other cards in the deck have perfect stats in one of more of the four categories, and in the event of a draw, both cards are placed in a pile and a new card must be picked), having them in your hand certainly meant you had an advantage.
I don't have the sales figures, but I imagine Fantasy Top Trumps sold well enough; it was republished more than once (as we've already established via the existence of different stats for the Demon and King; some sources indicate it was in production until 1992), and was recently reissued in 2016 by the current rights holder, Winning Moves, as part of its 'retro' line.
Its success inspired Waddingtons to create more decks in the fantasy setting, such as Goblins & Faeriefolk, Heroes & Warriors, Dragons & Magic Beasts and even Aliens & Space Warriors, with the latter set adopting a sci-fi vibe not dissimilar from Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000.
Looking back on these decks today, I can appreciate they're far, far simpler than the likes of Magic: The Gathering or even Pokémon, and I can't imagine they would hold your attention for years on end – but there's a charm present which is utterly timeless for me personally, and the iconic artwork on each card has the kind of nostalgic power that's often intoxicating.
If you owned one of these decks, let us know your memories by posting a comment below.