by Webhead123
I haven't read everyone's comments above but I wanted to throw in my 2 cents.In my experience, cards can often make the difference between victory and defeat. I've played KoT a couple dozen times now with groups of all sizes and play strategies. On average, players tend to buy 3 to 4 cards each over the course of a game. I've seen games won thanks to the likes of Nova Breath, Carnivore, Alpha Monster, Shrink Ray and others. "Defense" powers, especially those that work in Tokyo, like Rapid Healing, Super Jump, Jets, Wings and Camoflage can give players some serious advantages and are often foolish to pass up. Also factor in the number of games I've seen won by the purchase of a VP card on the final turn and I would dare say the cards play a huge role in how the game plays out.
I've heard the complaints and, for a time, this made me wonder about how impactful the cards really were. More than 25 games has proven to me that the cards are not only one of the most entertaining aspects of the game but also a very significant one. To ignore the cards can often lead to your horrible demise.