“Pulp is a set of wargames rules covering heroic adventure and dastardly villains during the early 20th Century.

Enter a world of perilous adventure and explore steaming jungles, desert canyons, and arctic wastes! Brave the perils of nature and discover lost ruins, ancient treasures, and the secrets of forgotten civilizations! Race against rival adventurers and face off against diabolical villains! Take to the city streets and fight back against gangsters, spies, and sinister cults!

Pulp! is a scenario-driven skirmish wargame set during the interwar years of the early 20th Century. Players build teams of bold explorers, daring archaeologists, hardboiled detectives, and costumed avengers – or criminal masterminds and evil geniuses – and dive into a world of fortune, glory… and menace. Designed for both solo and cooperative play as well as the classic head-to-head mode, Pulp! contains all the rules needed to game globetrotting escapades in this rip-roaring era. ” From the publisher.

Regular readers will know that I like Pulp gaming, but forget these rules!

I was really looking forward to this one arriving but …………. I know the publications in this Osprey series are a bit hit and miss but I am not sure how you can get this one so wrong when there are some really good examples out there to learn from. This one is so bad I think its only claim to fame will be turning people away from Pulp gaming

What I don’t like (and I am being kind) :

• chits and markers all over the table – you need five different sorts;
• new rules need to bring something different to the table – these do not;
• rather silly life experience tables;
• scenario design takes up a lot of space but again adds nothing we don’t already do every “make up” game;
• “creating a war band” is described in two paragraphs but gives the novice little detail on the “how to”;
• vehicles and I quote “not accounted for in the standard rules of the game” – should say not addressed at all;
• continuing melees are a separate phase in the turn – there should be none! Combats should be quick and decisive with heroes having a significant advantage;
• Again I quote “designed for both solo and cooperative play” – Arnaudo’s idea of solo play is “play both sides”! Cooperative play is only mentioned in the preface! These needs separate sections.

What do I like. Hmmm it has a great front cover!

I am completely and utterly disappointed in this one. There is not one thing in it that would cause me to set up a game and try it. Give it a miss.

★

Just to make it absolutely clear this was a complete and utter waste of hard earned!