This one arrived from the family for my birthday. It is not one that I would have normally bought myself because I am not generally a fan of the Mantic range of games.

I do have their “Walking Dead: All Out War” which is an average board game but the rules are one of the best set of skirmish rules out at the moment and the figures are excellent.

As it was a present I am not sure of the price paid but it retails for about $125.00 to $160.00, and the first thing you notice is that it is a heavy box. Upon opening it was full of stuff:

Contents:

• Rulebooks X2 – Core Rulebook and Force Lists Book (army lists and fluff)
• Starter leaflet;
• 10x GCPS Troopers (standard army types);
• 1x GCPS Hero;
• 10x Veer-Myn Nightcrawlers (alien Sci-Fi “skaven like” rats);
• 2x Veer-Myn Nightmares;
• 1x Veer-Myn Hero;
• 12 bags of Battlezones scenery and accessories (this looks a bit like Necromunda scenery but all plastic);
• Paper Gaming Mat (they do sell neoprene versions for between $35 – $50 which I will invest in;
• Counter sheet
• 8x Command Dice
• 8x D8

All in all not bad value for money.

The figures are a combination of hard plastic and resin (commanders) with a variety of weapons. As a “noob” to the game this was the first hurdle I came across. With such a variety which ones are useful and in what combinations? Who knows? I will just put them together with some of each and find out the hard way!!

The basics of the rules are easy to understand. It is a true line of site square grid game played with multi-level terrain “cubes”. It has your normal shooting types of weapons and close combat factors but introduces command dice that you can use in a variety of ways depending on what you have rolled. This can very from extra movement, additional shooting or an additional to hit die etc. This is an interesting mechanic that provides the player with more ability to take control of events.

Another advantage is that the figures are also compatible with their standard tabletop games “Warpath” and “Firefight” which are both more of your typical Sci-Fi wargame.

I already have a large amount of “Plague” mutants for these games so these can be integrated as an additional faction into Deadzone as well.

I think I played the kickstarter version of this with fellow gamer Chris but am not certain. I am going to enjoy this one.

I have been wanting this for a while as I like the idea of a Gothic Horror Napoleonic Skirmish game.

I also received this Spanish contingent to go with it.

Five Parsecs from home is a Space Sci-fi solo set of rules that I have also been wanting for a long time. Another one I will enjoy.

I have almost finished reading the 180 odd pages of this one and have already put together a crew to battle solo with. It is the most comprehensive and yet easy to understand solo gaming system that I have come across. I hope to start sharing posts with you about the voyagers of the starship Valkyrie II, and her crew “Alpha team”, as they join up again following their “war exploits together”, to boldly go forward as “defenders of the downtrodden”.

I have to say I have been more than impressed by this set of solo gaming/role playing rules and thoroughly recommend it.

Lastly I received a metro Hobbies gift card. These are more of a railway/plastic kit/remote control hobby shop but I do get my Tamiya paints and basing scenic requirements from them so this will not go astray.

More importantly I threw the diet out the window and had several of these to celebrate after dinner! Before settling in to watch episode nine of Paramount’s Halo!

I had a great pre-birthday party and series of Dinosaur games on Tuesday with my son and his family, and a great time on my actual birthday (Thursday). A real surprise is that my Grand daughter and Great grand daughter are going to spend the weekend with us which will really top the week off.