Power Rangers: Heroes of the Grid Squatt and Baboo Review

Generally speaking, the evil Rita Repulsa has one of the most iconic armies in her never ending battle against the Power Rangers. She has the loyal winged warrior Goldar that leads the charge in combat. Finster is a mystical artisan who provides her with grotesque monsters along with millions of golem foot soldiers in the form of the putty patrollers. Even her knuckleheaded subordinate Rito Revolto has some experience under his belt with how he has beaten the Power Rangers from time to time.

Then there is Squatt and Baboo, the pair of bumbling stooges who go back and forth between getting berated by their evil queen and getting into harebrained schemes to defeat the Rangers. Now, they're available as monsters in the latest character pack for Power Rangers: Heroes of the Grid.

The Squatt and Baboo Character Pack includes exactly what it says on the box. You get two new miniatures of the two characters, two eight-card monster decks for each of them, and three deployment cards. Squatt and Baboo can be deployed as separate monsters or together as a paired monster using the appropriate deployment cards in the pack.

Those who have played Power Rangers: Heroes of the Grid may write off this character pack as unnecessary. It's not a completely unwarranted observation given that these characters have always been depicted, either in the original TV show or in the more recent comic books, as inept and incompetent henchmen. Furthermore, there are more substantive villain packs already available that include more monsters and even new villains to challenge players.

In that sense, Squatt and Baboo can best be characterized “joke character” pack meant for more casual play. Much like the Bulk and Skull Ranger Pack, the appeal behind these characters aren't exactly for the challenge they impose through brutal or complex mechanics but by the pure novelty they bring to a game. Thankfully, the designers at Renegade recognized this and seemed to have leaned in with its presentation; if Squatt and Baboo are going to fall flat on their face trying to stop your team of Rangers they're going to make it memorable.

This is especially obvious with Squatt's cards which characterize him as simple-minded buffoon. For example, “Shoot!” forces two players to play rock-paper-scissors with one another with the loser taking more damage than the winner. In addition, there are combat cards that can actually do nothing depending on a dice roll or even indirectly help players by making them draw additional cards. There's a fourth-wall aware Passive card titled “I'm Not Reading That” which forces all players to ignore any additional rules text on all of their combat cards.

If pulled in a certain order, these cards can be nasty, but they're not exactly impossible to overcome. Much like Squatt himself, if caught on a good (bad?) day things can go surprisingly well, but otherwise it'll just lead to half-baked hijinx.

Baboo's cards by comparison are more sinister, relying on his history of alchemy and potion making. There are some party rule cards like “Pick Your Poison” which makes whatever player who drank something recently lose cards, or the sniveling delight in “Scapegoat” which is immediately switched out for a different card in the deck when it's defeated. But then there are cards like “Awful Alchemy” which makes the Ranger with the most cards in their deck guess how many shields are on the top card of their deck. If they mess up, the card is discarded and they do it again until they either get it right or mill out their deck and are removed from the game. This won't necessarily work with more seasoned players who make a habit of checking their hands and discard piles enough, but for new players this can be a novel way to pull the rug out from under them.

Finally, there is the Passive card “Punk Potion.” This disables any ability for any support or combos to happen between Rangers. Given that Power Rangers: Heroes of the Grid is a co-op board game that relies on teamwork, combos, and synergy, this is low-key the most dangerous card in Baboo's deck. Add to that the fact the card's health is 6, it will lead to issues if your team isn't ready for it.

The best way to experience Squatt and Baboo as a credible threat is to have them deployed as a paired monster. While they aren't exactly damage dealers outright, their ability to disable or shut down cooperation and mill cards can make them a pain in the neck. Of course even with their powers combined, they can still stumble over each other. “Punk Potion” can effectively be canceled out by “I'm Not Reading That” for example.

The Bottom Line

If you pick up the Squatt and Baboo Character Pack expecting the next big dreaded monster deployment that will push your next game of Power Rangers: Heroes of the Grid to the limit, then you clearly know nothing about the legacy of these characters. However, if you and your gaming group want a more low-intensity game then these lovable doofuses are great for a laugh.

Get This Pack If...

• You Like Breezy, Silly Games

• You like Squatt and Baboo's Bumbling Antics

Don't Get This Pack If...
You Don't Like Squatt and Baboo

• You Want More Challenging Monsters

The Squatt and Baboo Character Pack for this review was provided by Renegade Game Studios.