Abaddon Board Game by Richard Borg

I love this game. There's no one player, but I'll even play by myself just play all sides. Yes there is a strong element of chance here, but that's why I like it, you have to think on your feet, and you definitely still have to make good decisions. At one point I think they were considering an expansion, and there are only two extra scenarios on the website, so I think maybe this game never caught on. So there are some ambiguities in the rules that I think never got answered in any forums that I know of, but nothing that players cant work out via agreement locally. Only criticism is the pieces are just piled in the box, so when it's all packed up the box isn't too sturdy and things just kind of float around inside the box.

perfect

I think this game would appeal to those who like the Commands and Colors series, but in general, a bit too much luck puts it just under the Memoir 44 Class of games. However, there is a lot to like here, as I outline below: Components: Mechs/Figures: As of this writing, I found the game for $17 on Amazon, and the game comes with 32 detailed plastic figures. That’s about .50 per figure, and these paint up very nicely. All you have to do is prime it, spray on one color, and then use an ink or wash (the Games Workshop ones do fine), and that in and of itself makes a nice set of pieces. In fact, I would encourage anyone buying this to take some time and paint up the pieces. It makes a big difference! They look absolutely great stomping around amidst forests and cities. Board/Cardboard Cutouts, Cards: The rest of the components are serviceable. I like how they include three types of terrain features. These simply serve to block line of sight. However, you can also lay the pieces flat and use them for bonuses (i.e.: +1 Attack/Defense when in a forest), etc. that you would like to house rule. Insert: Well, this is a bit weak. I would just fit the stuff in the best you can, with the board at the bottom. However, this is no big deal, and everything stores okay with some shifting. Rules: See “Gameplay” below. Gameplay In general, think of Star Wars Epic Duels but with mechs (called “links” in the game). You roll a number of command dice at the beginning of the turn which provides certain actions you can perform (drawing a weapon systems card, removing a condition (Wild Fire), activating a unit, etc. After you place all of your activations, you move your units. Then you may place Weapon Systems cards to fire on your opponent via either Ranged direct attacks or Ranged Indirect attacks. Certain Line of Sight conditions must be met in either case. Alternatively, you may engage in close combat and “punch” another link. Against a direct attack, under the correct conditions, the defenders can use a WS card to return fire. A good strategy is to engage in Close Combat with one of your links while another fires from range, because a CC attack prevents a defending or attacking link from using a WS card. Just be mindful that a roll of -1 is a crit, and even in CC, a link can “punch” back and do a crit. Crits are not always detrimental – some have mixed effects. In addition, think about your units. A Heavy Mech moves slowly but hits hard. They are generally best used to lob indirect fire attacks from range, until they can get into LOS or CC. A Medium Link is a jack of all trades, and can be used in generally any role. Recon links tend to work best maneuvering from the flanks to get wide open shots while the Mediums and Heavies to the dirty work. Conversely, they may also be used in sacrificial roles to lock up bigger units in CC while your other units get some ranged shots in. Also, if you are playing a scenario with bonuses for mech kills, this might allow them room to escape before an enemy closes in for the knockout punch. So far, I have tended to use infantry as long range support in tandem with a medium or heavy. Infantry have a 1/36 chance of doing a Crit in CC, but a 1/6 chance of doing a crit at range. Combat is a bit odd because there are conditions that need to be met in each case, and targeting mirrors the Queen’s movement in chess (i.e.: you can’t target a space two up and one over, where a Knight would normally land), and I had to read through those sections 3 times to get the hang of it. I think they could have done a much better job at giving examples and explaining what triggers each type of attack, etc. I think companies can take a cue from Heroscape and Arena of the Planeswalkers in laying out examples of attacking, defending, etc., along with typical scenarios. I had to go back through and write a flow chart just to get it clear in my head what attack can trigger what type of response. There’s a cheat sheet up on the ‘Geek, but even that could be streamlined a bit. Conclusion So here’s the kicker – and this will decide if you ultimately want to play the game – do you enjoy games that tip toward luck more than strategy? Are you okay with “swingy” results, wherein a “Doomsday Bolt” lucky shot can get you back in the game quickly? If so, buy the game! It’s great for those crazy swings and even dice rolls that make you yell out (this was the magic of Heroscape for me). If you don’t like that, stick to something heavier. For me, I have enjoyed trying to manage through three layers of randomness – activation dice, Weapon System Cards, and combat dice rolls. It’s a real test to see if you can work your way out of a jam, and I love that about Memoir 44 as well. I think games that attempt to try and hit the sweet spot between luck and strategy are truly great, and this one comes close to being a diamond in the rough for me.

so the game is not as good as others but the fact that it comes with a lot of minis make the price worth it.

I like the game it was easy to play once you get the hang of it beyond that I needed the links for another RPG game I'm in the process of creating and designing, a win win situation in my opinion