Post by Gilvan Blight on Mar 14, 2007 12:25:11 GMT -5
This is a review based on reading the game only, no actual gameplay experience as of yet.
[glow=red,2,300]Summary:[/glow] this is a Sci-Fi Skirmish battle game based on the Judge Dredd mythos. Rival players each design and then battle street gangs.
The Gangs start out with just a Top Dog, their own Block as turf and 10K credits. The players spend their credits buying more gang members, either fairly tough Punks or cheap Juves, and equipping their gang with the latest in high tech weaponry.
Set up as a campaign style game, players then challenge each other to fights. These take the form of a wide variety of scenarios. The scenarios range from Turf Wars (standard you set up on one end, I set up on the other and we fight to the death) to Hostage Rescue. There are approx 10 scenarios included in the base game all sounding rather interesting.
After each battle gang members that were taken out roll for injuries, and all surviving participants roll to see if they gain a new trait (on a 5 or 6 on a D6). The traits are basically a level up where you can increase your ganger's stats or give them some special moves or advantage. Gangs also get an increase in overall reputation increasing the variety of equipment that can be bought, and giving the access to specialist members (like the Futsie, the Fatty, Bat Gliders, Assassins, etc). Winners often gain new Turf or take turf from the defeated side. Turf then generates income for the gang and the players buy new equipment ganger's etc.
The rules are reminiscent to other skirmish games with some interesting changes. The main one being that you can only move one model a turn, and could move that same model again next turn. Characters with the Lieutenant and Leadership traits though can extend their influence and have members around them act with them, thus allowing you to move more then one guy. This makes the leaders and lieutenants extremely useful and valuable. Another interesting rule is the Alert rule, any model not moved on your turn is on alert mode during your opponents turn and can fire at an enemy 10" away (whether or not they actually have something change in front of them, like over-watch in 40K/Space hulk).
Ranged combat is based on rolling over your Agility score on multiple dice (depending on the weapon) with each successful roll being a hit, while close combat is based on rolling a higher total then your opponent with tougher combatants getting more dice and better weapons getting higher pulses to those dice (dice aren't summed, it's more like Lord of the Rings). Damage is done by rolling a die and adding the damage or the weapon and trying to beat the opponents resistance score. Wounds... oops they call them Hits are then taken with most models having only one Hit.
The remaining stats are movement rate that can actually improve as your gang improves and the ever important Will To Fight. This determines whether your ganger stays and fights of flees a battle. Will to Fight checks come up very often. When models are out numbered, flanked, near a friend who is hit, near a friend who dies, etc. Different from other games I have read/played models who fail do not start to flee the board and then rally, they instead are removed from the board. These models have a lesser chance of gaining traits between battles but will definitely live to fight the other day.
Lastly this game adds quite a bit of balance to a system that definitely lends itself to steamrolling with small groups. Any time a player feels they are totally out classed by a challenge they can instead of fighting the rival gang, report them to the Judges. The next battle if fought using a special scenario and the player who called the Judges gets to play with the toughest, coolest most teched out force in the game. This generally means that the overpowering gang gets it's butt handed to it and ends up with a fair share of members in the Iso cubes (jail). Thus leveling the playing field. In addition gangs that challenge tougher gangs get bonus reputation and bonus credits just for fighting a superior foe. They get even more bonuses if they are able to defeat them.
The Boxed set comes with the rules, a rather nice play mat showing a generic sci-fie street, a set of card scenery, and enough sprues to make a group of ganger's in a variety of poses and with a variety of weapons.
[glow=red,2,300]The Good:[/glow] I love Judge Dredd and this is an excellent treatment of the license. The rules have just enough fluff and just enough comic book shots to keep a fan happy. I think things are explained clearly enough for a newcomer to Mega City One as well. Rather cool minis. The ganger spures included are as nice as any of the recent GW regiment sprues and obviously inspired by them. Simple rules, the rules have a few differences from skirmish games I know but overall are rather concise and simple. I really don't think there would be much rulebook flipping for this one. Excellent ways of handling steamrolling. Reading the book I just kept thinking this was broken, as the players winning the first matches would continue to win the rest (ala Mordheim), but then I got to the after the fight section and was totally impressed. The variety of scenarios are excellent and very much in theme. I love the one where one of your ganger's steels a piece of equipment. They start 5" away from the entire enemy gang. Your gang is way on the other side of the table. If your guy with the goods gets off your table edge you win. You actually then get to keep the piece of equipment, even if your rep isn't high enough to normally buy it. A smaller table area is a nice touch, this puts the game more in the running with things like Heroclix or Star Wars minis then the GW mega games. Only a 2foot by 2 foot area is used unless playing a block war. The inclusion of being able to call the judges on a rival is brilliant.
[glow=red,2,300]The Bad:[/glow] It's a miniature game. This means that you need lots of minis. The worst example being if you want to call in the judges. Someone has to own an entire force of Judges. Now if playing a club or something this may not be bad, actually the entrance to the game could be to bring one judge each. You could make a communal pool or something. It's not just the judges though. Want a Fatty in your gang, go buy or convert one, want a Batter, go buy or convert. Now this is really a problem with the genre of game and not this particular one though, where the real problem lies is finding these minis. I was in London, then Hamilton and then Toronto and didn't find a single Mongoose Miniature. Fortunately they can be found online though and at a reasonable price. (average of about $7 for 3 minis). Very scenery dependent. Like most of these Small scale skirmish games you need a lot of scenery. This one you not only need a lot you really need convoluted, multi level scenery. With rules for knocking people off buildings and dudes flying around on jet powered surf boards, you really need to take your game vertical for the most fun.
[glow=red,2,300]The Ugly:[/glow] not enough to play. Okay the box states it has all you need to play but not really. The contained sprews are enough to make one player a gang but not really 2. Technically you could split them into two 5 member gangs (the absolute minimum) and spend all your money on Equipment, but that's not that cool. Even Mordhiem contained enough minis to make a starting Skaven and Human force and then more then enough extras to grow that gang for 3-4 games. The cardstock used to make the scenery is flimsier then the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay DM Screen, nearly paper thin. I just can't see that holding up to game play.
[glow=red,2,300]Overall:[/glow] I haven't bought a new mini game in years and even then it was just the latest edition of one I already owned. It was refreshing to read a set of mini rules that were different. They did have some similarities to existing games (especially Mordhiem, and probably Necromunda, I never read that), but there were more then enough differences. I love the license and the game sticks to the theme well. I'm really looking forward to making my first gang, now I just hope I can find someone else to play.
[glow=red,2,300]Summary:[/glow] this is a Sci-Fi Skirmish battle game based on the Judge Dredd mythos. Rival players each design and then battle street gangs.
The Gangs start out with just a Top Dog, their own Block as turf and 10K credits. The players spend their credits buying more gang members, either fairly tough Punks or cheap Juves, and equipping their gang with the latest in high tech weaponry.
Set up as a campaign style game, players then challenge each other to fights. These take the form of a wide variety of scenarios. The scenarios range from Turf Wars (standard you set up on one end, I set up on the other and we fight to the death) to Hostage Rescue. There are approx 10 scenarios included in the base game all sounding rather interesting.
After each battle gang members that were taken out roll for injuries, and all surviving participants roll to see if they gain a new trait (on a 5 or 6 on a D6). The traits are basically a level up where you can increase your ganger's stats or give them some special moves or advantage. Gangs also get an increase in overall reputation increasing the variety of equipment that can be bought, and giving the access to specialist members (like the Futsie, the Fatty, Bat Gliders, Assassins, etc). Winners often gain new Turf or take turf from the defeated side. Turf then generates income for the gang and the players buy new equipment ganger's etc.
The rules are reminiscent to other skirmish games with some interesting changes. The main one being that you can only move one model a turn, and could move that same model again next turn. Characters with the Lieutenant and Leadership traits though can extend their influence and have members around them act with them, thus allowing you to move more then one guy. This makes the leaders and lieutenants extremely useful and valuable. Another interesting rule is the Alert rule, any model not moved on your turn is on alert mode during your opponents turn and can fire at an enemy 10" away (whether or not they actually have something change in front of them, like over-watch in 40K/Space hulk).
Ranged combat is based on rolling over your Agility score on multiple dice (depending on the weapon) with each successful roll being a hit, while close combat is based on rolling a higher total then your opponent with tougher combatants getting more dice and better weapons getting higher pulses to those dice (dice aren't summed, it's more like Lord of the Rings). Damage is done by rolling a die and adding the damage or the weapon and trying to beat the opponents resistance score. Wounds... oops they call them Hits are then taken with most models having only one Hit.
The remaining stats are movement rate that can actually improve as your gang improves and the ever important Will To Fight. This determines whether your ganger stays and fights of flees a battle. Will to Fight checks come up very often. When models are out numbered, flanked, near a friend who is hit, near a friend who dies, etc. Different from other games I have read/played models who fail do not start to flee the board and then rally, they instead are removed from the board. These models have a lesser chance of gaining traits between battles but will definitely live to fight the other day.
Lastly this game adds quite a bit of balance to a system that definitely lends itself to steamrolling with small groups. Any time a player feels they are totally out classed by a challenge they can instead of fighting the rival gang, report them to the Judges. The next battle if fought using a special scenario and the player who called the Judges gets to play with the toughest, coolest most teched out force in the game. This generally means that the overpowering gang gets it's butt handed to it and ends up with a fair share of members in the Iso cubes (jail). Thus leveling the playing field. In addition gangs that challenge tougher gangs get bonus reputation and bonus credits just for fighting a superior foe. They get even more bonuses if they are able to defeat them.
The Boxed set comes with the rules, a rather nice play mat showing a generic sci-fie street, a set of card scenery, and enough sprues to make a group of ganger's in a variety of poses and with a variety of weapons.
[glow=red,2,300]The Good:[/glow] I love Judge Dredd and this is an excellent treatment of the license. The rules have just enough fluff and just enough comic book shots to keep a fan happy. I think things are explained clearly enough for a newcomer to Mega City One as well. Rather cool minis. The ganger spures included are as nice as any of the recent GW regiment sprues and obviously inspired by them. Simple rules, the rules have a few differences from skirmish games I know but overall are rather concise and simple. I really don't think there would be much rulebook flipping for this one. Excellent ways of handling steamrolling. Reading the book I just kept thinking this was broken, as the players winning the first matches would continue to win the rest (ala Mordheim), but then I got to the after the fight section and was totally impressed. The variety of scenarios are excellent and very much in theme. I love the one where one of your ganger's steels a piece of equipment. They start 5" away from the entire enemy gang. Your gang is way on the other side of the table. If your guy with the goods gets off your table edge you win. You actually then get to keep the piece of equipment, even if your rep isn't high enough to normally buy it. A smaller table area is a nice touch, this puts the game more in the running with things like Heroclix or Star Wars minis then the GW mega games. Only a 2foot by 2 foot area is used unless playing a block war. The inclusion of being able to call the judges on a rival is brilliant.
[glow=red,2,300]The Bad:[/glow] It's a miniature game. This means that you need lots of minis. The worst example being if you want to call in the judges. Someone has to own an entire force of Judges. Now if playing a club or something this may not be bad, actually the entrance to the game could be to bring one judge each. You could make a communal pool or something. It's not just the judges though. Want a Fatty in your gang, go buy or convert one, want a Batter, go buy or convert. Now this is really a problem with the genre of game and not this particular one though, where the real problem lies is finding these minis. I was in London, then Hamilton and then Toronto and didn't find a single Mongoose Miniature. Fortunately they can be found online though and at a reasonable price. (average of about $7 for 3 minis). Very scenery dependent. Like most of these Small scale skirmish games you need a lot of scenery. This one you not only need a lot you really need convoluted, multi level scenery. With rules for knocking people off buildings and dudes flying around on jet powered surf boards, you really need to take your game vertical for the most fun.
[glow=red,2,300]The Ugly:[/glow] not enough to play. Okay the box states it has all you need to play but not really. The contained sprews are enough to make one player a gang but not really 2. Technically you could split them into two 5 member gangs (the absolute minimum) and spend all your money on Equipment, but that's not that cool. Even Mordhiem contained enough minis to make a starting Skaven and Human force and then more then enough extras to grow that gang for 3-4 games. The cardstock used to make the scenery is flimsier then the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay DM Screen, nearly paper thin. I just can't see that holding up to game play.
[glow=red,2,300]Overall:[/glow] I haven't bought a new mini game in years and even then it was just the latest edition of one I already owned. It was refreshing to read a set of mini rules that were different. They did have some similarities to existing games (especially Mordhiem, and probably Necromunda, I never read that), but there were more then enough differences. I love the license and the game sticks to the theme well. I'm really looking forward to making my first gang, now I just hope I can find someone else to play.