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Looking for some rules to replace/supplement Stargrunt II, I bought these rules alongside both Grunts and PMC2640 (I wanted some options!)
Compard to both of the above SL:PC is much heavier on system crunch and rules detail - this isn't necessarily a bad thing but I found getting into the rules heavier going than I really wanted. A QRF is provided, but the dense format makes the rulebook feel like a slog at times, espcially when you want to find some minor rule in a hurry.
The actual game itself is pretty good but the record sheets, even allowing for the editable PDF's, are not so grand - the use of colour coded armour etc effectively requires the user to print in colour to get the best use from them - this can soon get expensive if you're a happy designer of your own forces (like me).
I've rated these rules at 3 - the game system itself is worth a 4, but the relative inaccessibility of the densely written/formatted rules, combined with the requirement for colour printing, means I think a 3 is more on the level.
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These counter sheets are really nice - if you can't affored (or don't want, or have no storage space for) miniatures, then these are just the thing. Print, stick 'em to card and cut 'em out or laminate & you're ready to go.
Very nice too!
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This is the ruleset that introduced me to Starmada & it's a good set to start with. The printed book used to be available from Lulu but I wasn't able to find it & ended up settling for the pdf =(
Whilst some might not like the stark b/w art & 'lack' of colour in the rulebook, I think it suits the game and looks good - no distractions. The layout of the rules is very good, well organised and pretty logical. The games features ...
- Hex map play - but it can easily be converted to table top
- Game play uses d6 exlclusively - to-hit, defence (expressed as 'Shields') penetration, damage, it's all done on 1d6
- Pre-plotted inertial movement - this is a good thing, but the rules are little unclear and led to a friend & I disagreeing as to correct interpretation
- Ship record sheets are simple to understand and use - and look good printed cheaply in b/w
- If the basic rules are good, the optional rules are excellent and widen a players choices enormously - this is the bit where SM:AE exceeds most other similar space games
- Ship contruction rules are included which are thorough and flexible - and you can design your own weapon systems too (but see below for problems!)
- You can also 'build' your own Fighter squadrons using some inluded fighter construcytion rules - this was a nice touch (but it can cause real problems, see below)
- An Excel ship construction program was available from the MJ12 site - hard to get a copy unless you know someone with a copy already, I got a copy off a friend
OK - that's the good stuff. And it IS good ...
However, there are some problems ...
- It's not easy to design a ship withpout the Excel builder unless you're Einstein & can work out the basic Hull/SU equation of "Total Space Units = Hull1.3 x 100" - neither my friend or I were able to make this equation come to the totals given on the Hull size table on page 28
- The points value system as given works OK as long as you don't make your own designed weapons too complicated, but once you start to create more radical weapons the PV system quickly breaks down to the point where forces equally matched by PV aren't even remotely equal forces - it is possible to create weapons that can end a battle in 1 or 2 shots
- The fighters that can be created with the builder can be created VERY powerful and a min/max'ed carrier can carry more than a few of them - anyone who's played SFB & had their D7 overwhelmed by 4 Hydran Stinger II fighters will understand what I mean ...
- These two issues mean that game play really needs to be regulated by player self-restraint - if you're not playing with any limits then the game will provide plenty of space for those of us who are min/max'ers to flourish ...
Despite a few niggles, Starmada:AE is a good introduction to Starmada and a pretty nifty space war game in it's own right.
The rules themselves are worth a 5 star, but the lack of builder availability means it's gonna be a 4 instead.
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Bearing in mind what I've previously said about the CBF core rules, I decided to enlarge my options with this add-on & see if this improved my perception of the basic games limitations. Unfortunately, no ...
As with basic CBF it's a good rules system - the rules are clearly & plainly written with respectable/suitable art, but again it's a little too much tied to the setting provided within - players seeking a 'generic' one size fits all system to use in their own settings might be a little disappointed.
With many years of space gaming fun/experience, what I think what CBF could do with is a 'Shipyard Designers Supply Catalogue' of weapons, missiles & other systems, so that players working their own game setting can create ships to fit it.
For the rules I'd give it 4 stars as a fair representation of the system, but again it's a little too tied to the supplied setting for my needs, so bearing that in mind 3 stars is better.
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Even More Lasers adds further depth and options to your games of Stars & Lasers. With additional ships types (the enormous Leviathan super dreadnought and the anti-fighter/missile Flak Boats) and some new weapons (the deadly Nova Bomb launcher, guided missiles & tactical mines) AND rules to alter your ships shielding type to reduce the threat from ships armed with missiles, rockets and combat cannons, Even More Lasers is a good addition to the Star & Lasers range and combines very well with the previous expansions.
These rules are highly recommended in expanding your Stars & Lasers game options even further.
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This is an awesome set of simple fast play ACW Ironclad rules! Although I'm no longer a naval wargamer, after I read through these rules I really liked them & found myself debating the merits of buying some suitable ACW miniatures for me to play them with.
And as an introduction to this style & era of naval wargaming, they are absolutely brilliant.
These rule have a lot going for them:
- They are cleanly and clearly written
- The presentation is simple & understated yet appropriate for the game & setting
- The rules themselves very easy to learn & equally quick to play
- All you need to play the game (apart from dice and another player perhaps!) is included the rulebook - turning cards, ironclad data cards
- A large number of interesting ironclad types are provided on ready to print 'n' laminate 'n' play data cards
- Six scenarios are also provided, allowing you to get straight into playing
That said, if you are after a 'count the rivets & them thar beans!' type of player then these rules are probably not for you - they will provide a fast & fun game, but they are NOT a super-mega-highly detailed simulation of early ironclad warfare!
But if they were, I doubt they'd be half as much fun to play ...
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I bought this (at the writers recommendation no less!) as an add-on for No Stars in Sight - and it works just fine. It's mostly an array of additional game mechanics usable with No End in Sight that are equally usable with NSIS. They inlude rules variants, expansions and system add-ons to expand and increase detail. Some are of more limited use than others, but many can be uased at will - as a useful hint the writer provides comments on each new rule that explain what changes the new rule will have on the players game.
This is a useful and eimple expansion, and is (like NSIS) simply & clearly written and quite useful.
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No Stars in Sight is aimed at the sub-company level game, with players taking a platoon or two of infantry, with perhaps a vehicle or two in support. However, larger games are easily playable with these rules. Although the rules are intended for a near future hard sci-fi game setting, the rules also include full options for sc-fant & space opera games. As well as these optional rules NSiS also includes rules covering several types of alien races ... The Swarm, Warriors, The Many to name but a few.
The basic rules are very simple and quick to grasp, but once more options and variant troop types become involved NSiS becomes a much more in-depth game, although care must be taken to make sure you know how your soldiers will 'work' in the rules - playing a few games will soon result in you knowing what (and how) to 'work' with them!
The infantry combat rules take a little getting used to if you're used to the idea that your little lead soldiers will do what you want each & every turn, no questions asked - in NSiS they'll quickly begin to lose effectiveness as a fight progresses; this means that each game can become increasingly tense as your soldiers get pinned own just short of their objectives, or as that horde of melee focussed bug warriors appears over the hill crest. Teamwork & proper use of all available cover is absolutely vital - trying an uncordinated mad dash across open ground, or the traditional line 'em up & march 'em forwards across that field approach, will quickly result in a hail of reaction fire and casualties galore that will stop your troops (dead) in their tracks ...
As befits a smaller level game focussed on platoons & squads what happens to your wounded troopers matters (unless you're playing a swarm of uncaring alien beasties, that is).
The inluded vehicle rules are neat and tidy and work well within the rules without the (normal) problem inherent to smaller level games, that being the vehicles used in small scale games overpowering & dominating the infantry action - NSiS is very much an infantry platoons & squads game.
The rules themselves are clearly & neatly written & presented, with the occasional piece of artwork not detracting from or overwhelming the presentation - printed in greyscale & spiral bound with a laminated cover, it makes a nice little rulebook for a very reasonable price.
No Stars in Sight is a very impressive ruleset, a worthy compatriot to SG II, and way superior to Gruntz in almost all respects. Nuff sed ...
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Gruntz tokens - does what it says on the tin.
But considering they are needed to play the game they really should've been included in the main rules.
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Gruntz templates - does what it says on the tin.
But, considering they're needed to actually play the game, they should've been included in the main rules.
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This siple expansion to the Shooting Stars game adds more 'alien' races, with their 'variations' and ship diagrams, for players to choose from.
Like the main rules, it's neat, simple and concise.
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This simple expansion adds a multitude of new 'alien' races to your Shooting Stars games, along with their 'variations' and ship diagrams.
Like the main rules, it's neat, simple and concise.
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Shooting Stars is a neat and basic set of space war rules. Presentation is concise and basic (black on white) with simple illustrations and the odd picture or two. The rules themselves are concisely presented, and whilst the TACTICAL combat rules are nothing completely new, the RACE variant rules are a new and enjoyable twist on what is a standard sci-fi trope, and a great deal of enjoyment can be had simply by creating your race, with all its variations from the 'standard' rules, and designing their ships using the very simple design system.
In game play, ships are played via Full Thrust/SFB type ship displays, but compared to these two other games (especially SFB) they are very much more basic.
There are multiple races provided in the rulebook, along with ship diagrams for their ships.
Simple, quick, neat & works OK. Great Racial rules!
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It works and provides you with units for the Gruntz rules.
But it's way too easy to min/max without much in the way of restrictions, meaning you can build some very unbalanced uber forces.
Once you've created your units you can print the resulting cards - but you'll need to fuss and faff to get them neat and same sized to fit on your pages.
Considering you don't get ANY blank unit rosters in the main rules (my print copy had none at all ) this is a 'YOU MUST BUY THIS' if you want to play the game kind of situation.
I feel it is wrong to sell what is essentially an 'incomplete' ruleset & then expect the customer to pay again in order to play it.
The builder program itself rates a 3 (it does what it says on the tin OK, regardless of the min/max problem) but the fact it's a must buy add-on (after you already spent on the rules themselves) makes it only a 2 (for me at least).
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This expansion for Stars & Lasers is awesome and represents a huge amount of new material for the Stars & Lasers rules.
In the basic rules set players are provided with eight pages of colour ship data cards covering both one 'fleet' Human ships and one of Bio-Alien ships. The Colony Spaceships expansion adds no less than thirteen pages of new full colour ship data cards to the game - a full FIVE new Human fleets are added to the game, the fleets of the Zeta, Epsilon, Omicron, Iota & Centaurus colonies. Each new fleet has a different approach to waging war in space, so each fleet and its ships have advantages and disadvantages and bring new ways of doing things to the tabletop.
Two new weapon systems are introduced, the Heavy Combat Cannon and the Centaurus colonys' Rocket Banks. Two new scenarios are also provided that use the ships in this expansion. As well as the five new fleets a new class of cruiser, the Rhino Ram-Cruiser is included, and three types of a new ship class, the heavily armed but slow Gunboat.
The expansion and all the ship data cards are full colour, and again are clearly presented and concise, with pleasing artwork.
This one expansion to the main game expands it enormously, making it great value for the price.
I'd rate it 6 out of 5 if I could!
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