My first impressions of the rules is that they are clear, concise and well-illustrated. Though there is a lot to take in at first (which game system worth its weight doesn't?), my feelings are that this looks like a very good ruleset. As a role-player as well as a gamer, I like the fact that the system has a bit of an RPG feel to it and certainly roleplaying and telling a story as part of the campaign is encouraged in the book. Having enjoyed a similar experience with the Strontium Dog Miniatures Game, I'm looking forward to getting a few games in to see if it plays as well as I think it will! Note to Strontium Dog fans: I'm still going to be playing games of that with the Core Space terrain so expect more on that front soon! I don't want to promise anything, but I may, at some point in the future, create stats for SD characters to play with Core Space and vice versa.
Game Error Note: I misunderstood the Civilian icons to be spawn points for Civilians who would come on to the map during the game. This is wrong, they should have started in these positions on the map! This means the first two Event Cards would have had an effect! Also, if there hadn't been Civilians already on the map, an Event Card with the icon would spawn one immediately. That glaring error aside, on with the Battle Report!
Game Error Note: I misunderstood the Civilian icons to be spawn points for Civilians who would come on to the map during the game. This is wrong, they should have started in these positions on the map! This means the first two Event Cards would have had an effect! Also, if there hadn't been Civilians already on the map, an Event Card with the icon would spawn one immediately. That glaring error aside, on with the Battle Report!
MISSION: SALVAGE RUN (SOLO PLAY)
SHIP: THE BLACK MARIA
CAPTAIN: JACE DOLMAN
CREW: JAY "LARS" LARSEN, ELI RENTON
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: GRAB AS MUCH GEAR AS POSSIBLE
SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: HACK COMPUTER CONSOLE FOR SHIPPING SCHEDULE
ROUND ONE
Hostility tracker increases. Event card has no effect. No Purge this turn!
The crew of The Black Maria enter the warehouse.
They make double Moves forward to get to into the warehouse as quickly as possible. Their effortless actions are put to use to make a Proximity Move - one extra square forward.
ROUND TWO
Hostility tracker increases. Event card has no effect.
A Harvester enters the board.
Jace and Lars rush onward making double Moves, and again Proximity Moves are used to push them that little extra.
Renton activates and makes a Search of a crate, securing a box of ammo.
And Moves on, also using another Proximity Move (abbreviated to PM from here on).
ROUND THREE
A welcome Event Card reduces the Hostility tracker by one (effectively nullifying this Round's increase).
But 2 Harvesters enter the board anyway!
Renton Moves then Searches another crate!
And takes the Pistol!
He makes a PM, readying himself for the approaching Harvesters.
Jace rushes on toward the furthest crate, by making two Moves and a PM. Meanwhile, Lars successfully downloads the shipping schedule and presses on towards another crate.
Three Harvesters are closing in! Fortunately, the fact that they only get one action makes their approach slow.
ROUND FOUR
The Event Card has no effect; Jace and his crew have resisted firing so still have full ammo clips.
And another Harvester enters the warehouse - close to Jace!
Jace activates and makes a Ranged Assault - but only gets one hit - no effect! He makes a second Ranged Assault - 2 hits, this time enough to kill the Harvester!
A PM puts him in position to search the crate next turn.
Renton makes a Ranged Assault through drooping cabling! 2 hits kill the Harvester! The first shot fired of the current Round means Renton's spent ammo peg goes into the Hostility Tracker. He only fired one shot but had he fired two, it is only the first shot of the Round that is placed into the Hostility Tracker.
Renton then Moves toward the large crate and a PM ends his turn beside it.
Lars Searches a crate and finds a rare item - armour! He takes the Pistol.
And a Don Armour action means he is well protected now! Note Lars is carrying the Secondary Objective Marker - the shipping schedule - also.
End of Round overview.
ROUND FIVE
The Hostility Tracker increases; note the yellow peg from the first shot fired last Round. The Sensor Scan is very timely - especially since I misread the card! I use Lars to get three items but...
...incorrectly put them at short range! Doh!
Two Harvesters enter the warehouse!
As does a Devastator! Things are heating up!
Renton Searches the large crate.
And finds a rare item! He exchanges his rifle for swords!
Renton then Moves to take cover behind a computer console.
Lars Moves twice to hide and take cover behind a crate.
Jace Searches a crate and finds a Sniper Rifle which he gratefully bags!
He Moves and PM's to try to catch up with his crew.
The Purge are closing in - including a Devastator behind Renton! Note: Devastators have linked actions meaning that although they can perform 2 actions, they need to be of the same type. It was forced into making 2 Moves and is in position to fire upon him next Round if he doesn't Move or destroy the Devastator first!
ROUND SIX
The Event Card has no effect as I am playing Solo.
Another Devastator joins the party!
As does another Harvester.
Renton makes a Ranged Assault at the Devastator but it soaks up the damage!
A second shot is successful however!
And makes a PM as he breathes a sigh of relief at destroying the Devastator!
Jace Moves to join Renton and makes a Ranged Assault.
And junks it!
Jace makes an effortless action to scoop up an improved Combat Knife.
Lars can't hide from the Harvesters but knows he has a few moments before they are upon him! He Searches the crate.
He finds a stimulant which will grant him bonus actions!
He makes a Ranged Assault, picking off one of the Harvesters closing in on Jace and Renton.
Lars has quite literally backed himself into a corner! Can he survive next Round?
ROUND SEVEN
There are no Civilians on the board so the Event Card has no effect.
Another Harvester enters play.
Jace makes two Ranged Assaults to destroy another Harvester.
Always the soldier, Renton Moves forward to get a sight on the Devastator.
He succeeds in doing so and makes a Ranged Assault on the Devastator!
Which he destroys! Lars requires two Ranged Assaults to deal with the Harvester beside him!
That's enough excitement for him - he takes the stimulant and makes two Moves, charging back to The Black Maria!
With such success in Ranged Combat this Round, they have a clear path to escape!
ROUND EIGHT
There's no Civilian on the Board for the Event Card to have an effect.
Another Devastator enters play but it is so far from the Traders that it is not a threat.
A Harvester spawns close to the ship though!
Lars breathes a sigh of relief as he rushes back (2 Moves) to the airlock and to safety!
Renton Moves and catches sight of the newly-spawned Harvester. He makes a Ranged Assault, casually destroying the machine.
Jace makes two Moves and a PM. The ship is in sight!
ROUND NINE
A civilian arrives right next to the ship!
A Devastator and two Harvesters arrive but they are too far from the action.
Jace and Renton easily make it back on to their ship!
...As they seal the airlock, the Civilian's eyes bulge with rage and he punches at the sealed bulkhead! The crew leave him behind to the tender mercies of the Purge!
Still, it was a pretty successful haul for the trio! They secured the secondary objective of the shipping schedule and located both of the rare items! Had this been played for an ongoing crew, I would have run the Advancement, Trade and Maintenance Post-Game Sequence.
CLOSING REFLECTIONS:
It went quite smoothly for a first session! Obviously the mission was the starter one from the book and wasn't going to be the most overly challenging encounter but I did get a sense of creeping pressure as the Hostility Tracker crept up! I did forget to make use of my skills so will make a mental note to try those out next time! One thing I didn't forget was that you can Search rooms but I chose not to since I found the equipment I was after and my equipment trays were rammed full by the end of the session!
Probably the most surprising thing playing which I hadn't realised when reading the rules was how the Purge performed in the game. I had assumed they'd be incredibly tough so there wouldn't be many of them but in actual fact they are fairly brittle but there are a lot of them! I can imagine if my crew hadn't been so successful, things would have gotten very hairy after another Round or two!
Now that I know the basics, I can hopefully teach a friend to try out a 2 player game! I'm excited to try out the Perseus Arm Campaign hopefully sometime soon! Solo Play was fine but the game will definitely be elevated by having competing crews trying to scrape a living!
Until next time, remember the code: SALVAGE - TRADE - ADAPT - SURVIVE
Hostility tracker increases. Event card has no effect. No Purge this turn!
The crew of The Black Maria enter the warehouse.
They make double Moves forward to get to into the warehouse as quickly as possible. Their effortless actions are put to use to make a Proximity Move - one extra square forward.
ROUND TWO
Hostility tracker increases. Event card has no effect.
A Harvester enters the board.
Jace and Lars rush onward making double Moves, and again Proximity Moves are used to push them that little extra.
Renton activates and makes a Search of a crate, securing a box of ammo.
And Moves on, also using another Proximity Move (abbreviated to PM from here on).
ROUND THREE
A welcome Event Card reduces the Hostility tracker by one (effectively nullifying this Round's increase).
But 2 Harvesters enter the board anyway!
Renton Moves then Searches another crate!
And takes the Pistol!
He makes a PM, readying himself for the approaching Harvesters.
Jace rushes on toward the furthest crate, by making two Moves and a PM. Meanwhile, Lars successfully downloads the shipping schedule and presses on towards another crate.
Three Harvesters are closing in! Fortunately, the fact that they only get one action makes their approach slow.
ROUND FOUR
The Event Card has no effect; Jace and his crew have resisted firing so still have full ammo clips.
And another Harvester enters the warehouse - close to Jace!
Jace activates and makes a Ranged Assault - but only gets one hit - no effect! He makes a second Ranged Assault - 2 hits, this time enough to kill the Harvester!
A PM puts him in position to search the crate next turn.
Renton makes a Ranged Assault through drooping cabling! 2 hits kill the Harvester! The first shot fired of the current Round means Renton's spent ammo peg goes into the Hostility Tracker. He only fired one shot but had he fired two, it is only the first shot of the Round that is placed into the Hostility Tracker.
Renton then Moves toward the large crate and a PM ends his turn beside it.
Lars Searches a crate and finds a rare item - armour! He takes the Pistol.
And a Don Armour action means he is well protected now! Note Lars is carrying the Secondary Objective Marker - the shipping schedule - also.
End of Round overview.
ROUND FIVE
The Hostility Tracker increases; note the yellow peg from the first shot fired last Round. The Sensor Scan is very timely - especially since I misread the card! I use Lars to get three items but...
...incorrectly put them at short range! Doh!
Two Harvesters enter the warehouse!
As does a Devastator! Things are heating up!
Renton Searches the large crate.
And finds a rare item! He exchanges his rifle for swords!
Renton then Moves to take cover behind a computer console.
Lars Moves twice to hide and take cover behind a crate.
Jace Searches a crate and finds a Sniper Rifle which he gratefully bags!
He Moves and PM's to try to catch up with his crew.
The Purge are closing in - including a Devastator behind Renton! Note: Devastators have linked actions meaning that although they can perform 2 actions, they need to be of the same type. It was forced into making 2 Moves and is in position to fire upon him next Round if he doesn't Move or destroy the Devastator first!
ROUND SIX
The Event Card has no effect as I am playing Solo.
Another Devastator joins the party!
As does another Harvester.
Renton makes a Ranged Assault at the Devastator but it soaks up the damage!
A second shot is successful however!
And makes a PM as he breathes a sigh of relief at destroying the Devastator!
Jace Moves to join Renton and makes a Ranged Assault.
And junks it!
Jace makes an effortless action to scoop up an improved Combat Knife.
Lars can't hide from the Harvesters but knows he has a few moments before they are upon him! He Searches the crate.
He finds a stimulant which will grant him bonus actions!
He makes a Ranged Assault, picking off one of the Harvesters closing in on Jace and Renton.
Lars has quite literally backed himself into a corner! Can he survive next Round?
ROUND SEVEN
There are no Civilians on the board so the Event Card has no effect.
Another Harvester enters play.
Jace makes two Ranged Assaults to destroy another Harvester.
Always the soldier, Renton Moves forward to get a sight on the Devastator.
He succeeds in doing so and makes a Ranged Assault on the Devastator!
Which he destroys! Lars requires two Ranged Assaults to deal with the Harvester beside him!
That's enough excitement for him - he takes the stimulant and makes two Moves, charging back to The Black Maria!
With such success in Ranged Combat this Round, they have a clear path to escape!
ROUND EIGHT
There's no Civilian on the Board for the Event Card to have an effect.
Another Devastator enters play but it is so far from the Traders that it is not a threat.
A Harvester spawns close to the ship though!
Lars breathes a sigh of relief as he rushes back (2 Moves) to the airlock and to safety!
Renton Moves and catches sight of the newly-spawned Harvester. He makes a Ranged Assault, casually destroying the machine.
Jace makes two Moves and a PM. The ship is in sight!
ROUND NINE
A civilian arrives right next to the ship!
A Devastator and two Harvesters arrive but they are too far from the action.
Jace and Renton easily make it back on to their ship!
...As they seal the airlock, the Civilian's eyes bulge with rage and he punches at the sealed bulkhead! The crew leave him behind to the tender mercies of the Purge!
Still, it was a pretty successful haul for the trio! They secured the secondary objective of the shipping schedule and located both of the rare items! Had this been played for an ongoing crew, I would have run the Advancement, Trade and Maintenance Post-Game Sequence.
It went quite smoothly for a first session! Obviously the mission was the starter one from the book and wasn't going to be the most overly challenging encounter but I did get a sense of creeping pressure as the Hostility Tracker crept up! I did forget to make use of my skills so will make a mental note to try those out next time! One thing I didn't forget was that you can Search rooms but I chose not to since I found the equipment I was after and my equipment trays were rammed full by the end of the session!
Probably the most surprising thing playing which I hadn't realised when reading the rules was how the Purge performed in the game. I had assumed they'd be incredibly tough so there wouldn't be many of them but in actual fact they are fairly brittle but there are a lot of them! I can imagine if my crew hadn't been so successful, things would have gotten very hairy after another Round or two!
Now that I know the basics, I can hopefully teach a friend to try out a 2 player game! I'm excited to try out the Perseus Arm Campaign hopefully sometime soon! Solo Play was fine but the game will definitely be elevated by having competing crews trying to scrape a living!
Until next time, remember the code: SALVAGE - TRADE - ADAPT - SURVIVE
