Well folks, this article will take a bit of a turn from the mainstream of the previous articles. Just last week, Games Workshop released Battlefleet Gothic, and this release has brought a wave of nostalgia about space battle games, and so I shall devote this column to an analysis of several of the more common (and a few rare) space games on the market.
But first, Battlefleet Gothic. I have been waiting for over a decade for this game to appear, and my years of long waiting have not been in vain. While I am not one to drone on about how good a game is, this one takes the cake, eats it, and asks for more. Many of us in the gaming industry were wondering if GW could pull this one off, and they did with few hitches. The good stuff first.
BG has a simple rule system that can be learned in minutes and understood after only a few games. It uses a standard facing diagram for the ships, and takes into account that space is vast. The mechanics take the best of their previous releases and combine them into something good and fun to play. Even our resident skeptic, Mike, was heard to say "I like it" after playing, and if you know Mike, that is high praise indeed.
The scenarios are good, set in a historical frame with the story included in the 160 page rulebook, and the ships are marvelous. Eight cruisers, all about 3 and a half inches long, impossibly detailed and able to be built in many different ways, complete the major parts of the game. These ships are great, but dont panic about the paint jobs. They are meant to be viewed from afar, so a decent drybrush makes them look almost like the box art. GW also found a purpose for those odd little Epic dice that we all put in the back of our dice collection, by using them as order markers.
The only sticking points we have at this time are that the battles are kind of pointless without 4 or more ships on the table, which is really no problem, and the lack of a ship design system. While you can customize the Orks, and the other races have some options, there is no way to build your own. Also, some of the major races have no ships, namely the Dark Eldar, the Tyrranid and the Necrons. But we assume that these will be taken care of in the future.
Now for the other reviews.
Starfleet Battles: No review could not include this giant. The game of ship to ship combat in the old Star Trek universe, SFB is perhaps also the best know game for space battles, and my personal favorite. Although the rules are vast and complex (1200 pages or so, all told), the battles are quite realistic, and the movement system is a basis for many of the games that followed in SFBs footsteps.
Silent Death: ICEs powerhouse, this space game is simple, fun, easy, and affordable. The minis that accompany it are nice, but far too much of the game depends on luck, in my opinion. But then again, isnt that what most of these games rely upon? Anyhow, Silent Death is my second favorite game out there.
Full Thrust: The innovative game from across the ocean, FT is well know in gaming circles for the huge minis, simple rules, and the best damn ship design system out there. Also, the game also takes physics into account when you play, simulating the feel of real space combat. If you havent played this game, check it out. The ships are really quite good.
Starfire: When playing ship to ship isnt enough, and you want to blast entire fleets apart, this game is for you. With the ability to design literally any tech level you want, and a campaign system second to none, the only stumbling block to this game is the large volume of rules, sometimes seeming strangely incomplete. This game is usually played by those who are looking for a way to play SFB on a grand scale.
Space Fleet: The sad little cousin to Battlefleet Gothic, this game was released a decade ago to the laughter of many players. Personally, there is a soft spot in my heart for this one, where your dice roll didnt count, but the location of it in the lid of the box did. Still, it was BGs prototype, and the minis back then were quite nice.
Z-Gundam Titans: What review would be complete without a game that nobody here has ever heard of? Titans was Tsukuda Hobbys response to the demand for a space game for the popular Gundam line of tactical games. Drawing from such great games like Luftwaffe, Titans is a pleasant deviation from the usual Japanese tactical games, and though I cant place the exact date, it seems to predate Aerotech from Fasa.
