Aurora 4x

Off Topic => Game/Book Reviews => Topic started by: Erik L on July 28, 2017, 02:23:56 AM

Title: Fleet Commander: Genesis
Post by: Erik L on July 28, 2017, 02:23:56 AM
This is a board game. (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/192663/fleet-commander-genesis (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/192663/fleet-commander-genesis))

It is a quick play, around 45-60 minutes for 2 players. I expect 3-4 players will push that time out a bit. The mechanics are interesting. You have 9 dice, 3 red, 3 blue, and 3 green. These provide you options to attack (red), move (blue), and defend (green). Each die has 2 faces with a +, 2 with x and a single 9 pip side, and 1 side with a symbol. These tell you what directions you may move/attack/defend. The + is orthogonal on the map grid, the x is diagonal and the 9 pip shows any direction. The special symbol is used to fire off special weapons (requiring 2 special symbols), or a withdrawal (blue), counter-attack (red), and a drain (green). Up to 2 specials and 2 normal dice may be stored between turns. These stored dice are available to use in conjunction with your rolled dice. This can be important as you are only rolling 3 dice per turn. So you need to decide if you are going to move, attack or defend. Or some combination of the three.

The basic scenario is a simple slug-fest on a 5x5 map grid. Each side deploys to their side and begin to slug it out.

Ships are based on size, a abstraction that allows for equalization of fleets and the basis for damage and hull points. Size 1 ships are frigates. Six hull points, and 1 point of damage. They however may move twice for each blue die. This allows them to perform hit and run pack tactics. Size 2 ships are destroyers. Twelve hull points and 2 points of damage. Their special is the ability to perform long-range attacks (2 squares) on a single red die. Size 3 ships are cruisers. 18 hull points and 3 damage. They have depolarized shields. They may block from any direction with any green die. Battleships are size 4. 24 hull and 4 points of damage. These ships mount variable special weapons. Vortex gates allowing teleports, long range missiles, Heavy duty beams that fire across the map, mine layers. Each special weapon requires 2 special die results to activate. But even without the specials, they pack a heavy wallop. Size 5 ships. Heavy battleships, dreadnoughts and carriers. Carriers and Dreadnoughts are faction specific. Carriers have an attack of 0, but may deploy up to 6 fighter squadrons, giving them a support attack value of 1 per fighter. Dreadnoughts pack some heavy duty missiles that clobber you from across the map. Heavy Battleships are just that, upscaled battleships.

When attacking a square, any friendly forces adjacent to that square may support the attack. This means you could potentially kill a destroyer or frigate in one shot. Of course, enough green dice stored can block some of that.

Overall, I've rated this game 9/10 on BGG. It was a Kickstarter that finally arrived 10 months late, but the component quality is excellent. The cardboard pieces are nice and thick, and the ship minis are sturdy and don't look or feel very fragile.

The Kickstarter included a number of expansions, Avatar - Leaders for your fleets, Forge - The size 5 ships, Salvation - Tech ships with tech abilities than can change the battlefield, and Pirates - New leaders. There was also 3 KS only leaders, a 2-player pack basically doubling the amount of ships you get.

The KS ran 119 euro, and I expect if you bought the bundle retail now, it'd be in the 200-250 range. But it was well worth the cash and wait.