There’s only one thing better than playing games and that’s collecting every piece of merchandise tied to them. There was nothing like flipping through your favorite gaming magazine and seeing a profile of a limited edition collectible or discovering a piece of memorabilia from a beloved game in an overlooked corner of a shop and it’s a feeling we strive to replicate every month as we look through our own collector’s cabinet and dig out items new and old to show the world.

The strategy visual novel Eiyu*Senki first saw its official English release in 2015. The enhanced version, Eiyu*Senki Gold - A New Conquest, made its way to our shores in 2021. The physical Collector’s Edition didn’t release until months later, however, due to manufacturing and shipping delays beyond their control. Now that the Collector’s Edition is available, and still available from J-List, let’s take a peek inside to see all the goodies contained within.

Eiyu*Senki Gold - A New Conquest Collectors Edition comes housed within a large cardboard box reminiscent of PC big boxes. The top slides off to reveal the contents inside, but it’s actually a super snug fit between the lid and inner box. After finally prying it off the contents are revealed. They include: a copy of the game, a game key on pamphlet, poster, pins, playing cards and game manual. Yes, a game manual in 2021. It’s a fun mix of items for fans of the series, distinct from other recent J-List releases.

Because it’s so unexpected in this day and age, the manual is a surprisingly smart pack-in. This is not a small manual like you might see in a DVD case, but instead decently large, although still softcover and bound with staples. It features thirty full color pages explaining things like mission management, classes, hero traits, item synthesis and much more. This is quite the complex strategy title so it’s handy to have access to this manual. Expect to see details such as class stats broken down which are key for gameplay.

Next there is a 18" x 9" map of the game world. Of course, the game world is based on the real world so it looks primarily like a map of the globe. There are some changes and oddities exclusive to Eiyu*Senki, but not enough to be outright obvious. As a result, the map doesn’t feel particularly game-related unless you know (or read the logo in the bottom left). Also included are six pins. They’re quite large at 2.25” diameter and feature some of the women from Eiyu*Senki, a few even spouting phrases on them as well.

One extremely cool inclusion is a full deck of playing cards. For some reason playing cards don’t make an appearance in enough limited editions out there. In any case, this is a fun, high quality set. Each and every card features distinct artwork and feels like a standard playing card. They don’t feel like a cheap, hastily-made product. This item in particular is probably the best part of the entire collection. The only downside is that somehow my box for the playing cards was bent before even being unwrapped.

The actual copy of Eiyu*Senki Gold is included in a DVD case. There is a disc available for those who still have a disc drive in order to install the game. Also packed in with the case is a Steam key printed on a page. Those who order the Collector’s Edition will receive a digital download key from JAST USA as well. This is beneficial as it means players get to choose if they want the complete experience from JAST USA or an “all ages” version on Steam. All in all, the Eiyu*Senki Gold - A New Conquest Collectors Edition is a lovely batch of goodies for fans. It’s still available for purchase on J-List at the time of this writing, but once it’s gone there likely will not be further print runs.

Want to look through the rest of our Collector’s Cabinet? Head right here.