All right! Now I'm upset! "Why", you ask? How could someone as good-natured and easy going as me get worked up about something? I've been stood up! Actually, it's all Iron Crown Enterprises' fault. They have been toying with my emotions for going on six months and I'm not gonna take it any more. That's it! We're through! No more leading me along, I'm wise to their games! Okay, you probably want the whole story, right? No? Shaddup and read. Silent Death never really interested me. What with those dorky green letters and all, I figured it for a schlock game - at best a weird rehash of Alien or Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Anyway, I saw it being played at Origins last year and realized that it was a ship to ship space combat game (pretty swift, eh?) I really like Full Thrust, so I sat down to play the game and guess what? It was a blast and I was hooked. Now I play both Silent Death and Full Thrust, since each has a unique feel. But that's not why I'm worked up. I.C.E. has been stalling their second edition, which promises new options and added rules for ship building, since February or March. Now they're talking June... oops, July. If it does get released, we'll take a close look at the system in next issue, and also explore some of the space ship figures available for Silent Death and similar games, such as Full Thrust, Traveller: The New Era, and Star Trek. If it isn't released in time for next issue, I'm sending cousin Guido over to collect a full set of ICE kneecaps. (Hey! A great idea for a new Collectible Body Parts game!) In the meantime, here's a few news bits to bring joy into our otherwise drab lives. This GenCon will see the release of War Zone, the 28mm scale Mutant Chronicles miniatures rules (Heartbreaker/Target Games), and probably the long,awaited Cry Havoc rules (Rank & File) for 15mm medieval battles. There is also talk about a new rule set from Ground Zero Games (the creators of Full Thrust and Dirtside), starter kits for Star Wars Miniatures Rules (West End Games), and a new fanta- sy miniatures game (to be announced). There will definitely be new BattleTech Stuff, and maybe even new support for Ogre Miniatures! (Go on!) Well ... maybe. Legions of Steel Table Top Rules (Global Games) is being delayed but will hopefully be out by year end. The next couple of issues should be packed with good stuff, as we focus on some of these new releases and find out what's good and what forms a vacuum. Let me know what you think of the new games after you've had a chance to look at them! In order to check the pulse of you closet miniatures fanatics out there, and what miniatures games you are most interested in, we're gonna bribe you. From now through the end of the year (that would be 1995 - the year ICE is supposed to release Silent Death 2nd edition... ), we'll be accepting entries into the New Perspec- tives "Gimme" Contest. To enter, here's all you gotta do: Send me a letter with your name, address and the names of the miniatures games you are most interested in. Isn't that easy? If you want to say hi and call me names, that's fine too. So what's in it for you? In January, we will have a random drawing from the letters we've received, and the lucky S.O.G. (sonovagun) that wrote the letter will receive a box of miniature goodies! That's right, plastic and/or metal figures from many of your favorite manufacturers and games. So it'll cost you a couple minutes and a stamp, but I promise much better odds than Publisher's Clearinghouse! Write: New Perspectives "Gimme", P.O. Box 9, Murrieta, CA 92564. No purchase necessary. Last but not least - August sees the release of the first book in AEG's The Miniatures Hobbyist series, The Guide to Miniatures Painting , Book 1. Book I covers painting techniques for miniatures painting and gives easy to read instructions. Pester your local hobby stores for it. Reviews CityTech 2nd Edition FASA'S Battletech Written by Bryan and Mike Nystul, Sam Lewis #1608, 1/285th, $25 Presentation: 8, Playability: 9, Value: 8 When you think of 8-meter-tall machines of destruction, you naturally think of BattleTech. Well, FASA recently released the second edition of CityTech, which provides rules for 'mech combat in urban settings. Now you can level a city while taking shots at the opposing 'mech force - no additional effort required! The rule set is nearly identical to basic BattleTech but adds numerous rules for dealing with intracity combat, including Slides, using buildings as cover, 'mechs on top of buildings, and many more topics peculiar to the environment. The only noticeable changes from the first edition were to bring CityTech into line with 3rd edition BattleTech. If the city-specific rules were published separately from the Battletech rules, there would only be 8-10 pages of information, but combined it allows players to use CityTech as a standalone game. As a stand-alone, CityTech is just about as much fun as BattleTech, but it plays a little slower, due to restricted movement and line of sight. Along with the CityTech rules, you get 16 plastic 'mechs, two battletech sheets with city terrain, a number of counters, and a number of 'mech record sheets. After nearly 10 years and three editions, BattleTech is still one of the best miniatures games, and environments on the market. CityTech expands the options available for BattleTech, and gives you a good deal in the process. Hellfire Giant with Swords, Barbarian Giant Grim Reaper casting's Nasteez Sculpted by Jim Bove #1066, #1068 25mm $3.25/$3.00 Technical: 6 Artistic: 6 Value: 6 There are almost no traces of parting lines on these figures, though one of the weapons has some thin sheeting along its edge. The only drawback technically is the fit of the pieces. Each figure comes in three pieces (each hand/arm is separate) and will require a little work to get a good fit. The Hellfire has plate and chain armor compete with one horn sticking out of a slit eyed helmet. The barbarian has nicely exagger- ated muscle detail and is leaning into his bellowed warcry. Despite the fit problem, the versatility of pose for the Hellfire giant is great -- you can really give him a threatening stance! The Barbarian giant has pretty good versa- tility as well. Both are well sculpted, mak- ing up in creativity and style what they may lack in finesse. Both should paint well and provide a great opportunity for shad- ing. Scotland Yard, Sinister Scientists Rafm's Call of Cthulu Sculpted by Robert Murch #2913, #2914 25mm $4.75 each Technical: 6 Artistic: 7 Value: 8 Other than a few, slight parting lines, the only problems here lie in some sheeting along the edges of the figure and the noticeable tilt of the Sherlock Holmes figure. Detail is good, though not abundant. Facial features are good and the Victorian dress adds to the feel of these Cthulhu by Gaslight era figures. Accessories include bowler hat, umbrella, attache case, pipe, magnifying glass and Sherlock's trademarked double-billed cap. In addition, we see the arch-nemesis of the Yard personnel - the sinister scientist, complete with deformed servant, lab equipment, and experiment in progress. Crackling bolts of electricity flash between the probes of the madman's generator, preparing to imbue the foul experiment with unearthly life. Fine details, such as the monster's exposed brain and innards, and the raving scientist's pose, make this a great set. Townsfolk, Police Rafm's Call of Cthulu line Sculpted by Robert Murch #2917, #2918 25mm $4.75 each Technical: 7 Artistic: 7 Value: 8 A slight mold shift on the paper boy and minor parting lines are the only noticeable problem with these figures. A few of the bases have heavy lines but there is no detail to be bothered. The calm townsfolk pursuing their regular routine brings a feeling of peacefulness and ... wait, all is not as it seems. The conscientious shopkeeper sweeps up just inches away from a box of worm-plagued fruit, and the lady with the baby carriage... is that a tentacle sliding our from under the blanket?! The police include a wizened old detective and two uniformed officers with weapons ready. Detail is pretty good, with accents such as eight-cornered hats, holsters, and handcuffs. The facial features of these sets range from average to very good, with the woman pushing her carriage being among the best. Detail is good and these figures will definitely add to the flavor of a Gaslight adventure. Virtual Adept (m and f) Akashic and Brotherhood (m & f) Ral Partha's Mage line Sculpted by Jim Johnson #69-300, #69-304 25mm $4 each Technical: 8 Artistic: 8 Value: 8 Very clean casting make it nearly impossible to find the parting lines in the Virtual Adepts. The Akashic figures had visible parting lines but there were no other problems among the four figures. The Virtual Adepts drip with techo-magery, with heavy cables running from head and arm gear to nearby computer stations. Both have natural poses, with the female reacting to stimuli from the virtual world she is visiting. From their combat-ready stances and their equipment, the Akashic brotherhood figures ooze 'warrior.' Both are well detailed, with excellent facial features and stylized clothing. All four of these figures are great. Wolfweres Zombie Lord w/ Lackeys Ral Partha's Ravenloft Sculpted by Dennis Mize #11-114, #11-115 25mm $7.95/$5.50 Technical: 7 Artistic: 8 Value: 8 Other than the expected mold lines, there was a small amount of sheeting under an arm or two. The figures are, however, easy to clean up. The Wolfweres set includes two in humanoid form, one a lordly gentleman in jacket and hose, the other a voluptuous female with features and hair that only Dennis Mize could do. In addition, there is a werewolf form carrying his victim, a gypsy dancer if you judge by her costume. The Zombie Lord set includes the lord and two zombies. The female zombie is beginning to show signs of decay, having lost part of her face, midsection and left arm, while the mate zombie is in a much more advanced state of decomposition. The zombie lord also seems to be paying a price for his mastery, as can be seen where the skin has peeled away from his skull on the left side of his face. Detail is excellent in both sets, with special attention paid to features and costuming, making them both worthy additions to your collection. Chaos Knight w/Mace Bauhaus Ranger w/Heavy Weapon Heartbreakers Fames and Mutant Chronicles lines Sculpted by Chaz Elliot #5025, #8001 25mm $2.00 each Technical: 8 Artistic: 8 Value: 8 The typical minor mold lines are the only imperfection with these figures aside from a small rough spot on the Ranger's shoulder pad. A small amount of file work and these will be ready to prime. The chaos knight comes with an extra axe, sword, and shield, in case you want to customize a little. His armor is very stylized, with sharp lines and smooth curves in all the right places. The action of the figure is great as he leans away from the weight of his swing. Bauhaus has one of the better equipped militaries from the Mutant Chronicles game, counting on quality versus quantity. This Ranger has heavily reinforced armor protecting his whole body, less his missing helmet, and carries what looks like a Deathlockdrum heavy weapon. Details are great from his incredible facial features to his waffle bottomed shoes. News item - Heartbreaker has been redoing their whole Mutant Chronicles line. The rerelease will coincide with the August release of the Mutant Chronicles table top game, War Zone. Knight and Lady Imrian Lance and Lasers Pendragon and Talislanta lines Sculpted by Tom Meier, Nevile Stocken #P-003, T-17 25mm Technical: 7 Artistic: 9 Few parting lines are visible on these three figures, though the weapon/arms which attach to the lmrian will need some work to improve the fit. Lance & Laser's Pendragon line has received a great deal of attention the last few years, and you can easily see why. The attention paid to the costuming is incredible, as are the features of this knight and lady. Granted, the knight is attired rather foppishly, but I doubt we'd get away with saying that when he's decked for battle. Pendragon is one of those rare games where the difference in play from the field of honor to behavior in court gives such tremendous roleplaying possibilities! The Imrian is a very interesting specimen with the look of a great monster for Star Trek. The amphibian overtone and the alien appearance are great. Proportions aren't perfect, but that may very well be a distinction of the Imrian race. He (she?) should paint up very well. Prophet: Algereth - The Apostle of War, The Heretic's Handhook Game System: Mutant Chronicles, The Techno Fantasy Role-playing Game Publisher: Heartbreaker Hobbies & Games Author: Bill King Price: $19.95 So you want to be a heretic, do you? You've had enough of namby-pamby Doomtroopers and those freelancing wannabees of the Mutant Chronicles RPG? Well, this is your passport! Half of The Heretic's Handbook is useful to players, while the other half is more for GM use, though sneaky players (and you heretic types are all sneaky) may find it educational as well. Color art is limited to the covers, which are excellently rendered by Paul Bonner, while internal illustrations range from poor to exceptional. Layout is consistent with previous Mutant Chronicle publications, which is to say good. The Handbook covers many new additions to MC RPG. New character generation for heretics (including new special events), new weapons, and rewards (for particularly useful heretics). Rewards include Bio-technological Gifts and Necrobionics, which range from telepathic communication (so?) to muscle enhancement (+2d6 to your strength - WOW!) Does this make heretics strong? You bet it does, but when you're a shadow-skulking boil on the derriere of humanity, you need something besides your good looks to get you by. The best heretics are offered transfiguration - metamorphosis into a Dark Legion creature such as a Centurion, Pretorian Stalker, or even (be still my necro-bionic heart ... ) a Nepharite. If you know the MC rule set, this is like growing hair - you can do it in your steep! New equipment, gifts, and character information fit snugly into the parent rule system. We're talking 144 pages of psychotic, disgusting, even disturbed material on Dark Legion activities and lifestyles - what's not to like? It definitely carries dark, sinister overtones and discusses some things in unnecessary detail, but they're trying to make an impression, which they do. Doomtrooper Cardgame/Inquisition Expansion Publisher: Heartbreaker Hobbies & Games Designer: Brian Winter Price: $8.95 starter decks, $2.50 booster packs, $2.50 expansion packs Based on the popular Mutant Chronicles role-playing environment, Doomtrooper allows you to participate in the cataclysmic struggle between the forces of humanity and the Dark Legion. Players use warriors to accomplish missions and destroy opponents, thereby earning promotion points and winning the game. What's so special about this card game when there are literally dozens out there? Well, the genre for one. Mutant Chronicles (and therefore Doomtrooper) is set in a dark future where mankind accidentally released "the Dark Soul" from an eternity of imprisonment. As repayment, the Dark Soul undertook the annihilation of humanity. Gathering five Dark Apostles about him, each of whom have dominion over certain powers, the war began. The Dark Legion works both from without humanity (with undead Legionnaires assaulting militarily), and from within (using heretics and traitors to soften the resolve of mankind and to swell the ranks of the Dark Legion.) Mankind is divided into six organizations. Five of the organizations are mega-corporations, each with their own distinctive culture and philosophy. The last group is the Brotherhood. Formed in the first days of the Dark Soul's freedom, the Brotherhood seeks to unite mankind against the Dark Legion, even to utterly destroy the Dark Soul and Dark Apostles. Each of the five megacorporations; and the Brotherhood use Doorntroopers - elite special forces - to battle the forces of the Legion. These are the best of humanities warriors. It is these warriors that occupy the trenches and foxholes against the onslaught of the Dark Legion military might and that carry out special operations against Dark Legion Citadels. Unfortunately, the megacorporati.ons also use the Doomtroopers against each other. To win the game, players try to reach a predetermined amount of "Promotion Points", which are earned for accomplishing missions or destroying the enemy. Players also keep track of something called "Destiny Points," which are used to bring warriors and some specialty cards into play. Players use warriors, servants of the various forces in the game (megacorporations, Brotherhood, or Dark Legion), to fight against and destroy their opponents. To help the warriors, players assign them weapons, armor, vehicles and other special equipment. In addition, Brotherhood and Dark Legion forces may receive assistance from The Art or Dark Symmetry, arcane forces of good and evil. Special cards allow players to perform actions not otherwise allowed, such as pulling a card from your discard pile, zapping another card in play, building up destiny points or toying with another player's destiny and promotion points. Though less sneaky and subtle than some other card games, such as Magic: The Gathering and Illuminati - New World Order, play is fast and fun. Rather, it was before the advent of Inquisition, Doomtrooper's first expansion. Inquisition adds a number of new warriors, primarily to the Brotherhood and Dark Legion but also filling gaps in the Cybertronic ranks, a new discipline of The Art, hordes of new equipment, a bunch of new special cards, and a whole new class of card , Relics. No expansion set for any existing card game has had more impact on the basic game than this set does! Inquisition adds a great deal of subtlety to the game that was lacking before. Sly and deceptive players can now toy with their prey before they swallow them. Special cards allow a warrior to leap from cover and assault the enemy, send cards back to the hand of the enemy player, or steal equipment right off their warriors. New equipment adds power to all sides of the battle lines, and Relics can add inciedible power to your forces. Inquisition even introduces the actual Dark Apostles who, while not allowed to participate in combat, have astounding effects on play. As is customary, I took my pathetic little deck (which seemed incredibly powerful when I made it) to a gaming convention to play against more experienced players. After having my butt handed to me for many hours (geez, where did they get all those Alakais?), I managed to pull a game out. The depth of the game, and the power of certain cards and combinations, is impressive. I would have stayed longer, but I had an ego to assuage. So naturally, I went home and played my 7 and 9 year old kids ... they beat me, too. (Geez, where did they get all those Cardinals?!) I am convinced that Doomtrooper is well on its way toward becoming one of the top 3 or 4 collectible card games. Pre-Inquisition Doomtrooper was a great game, but with Inquisition it steps up to excellent. The next expansion, War Zone should be out in August. If it's half as good as Inquisition... Imperial - The Clans of Damnation Game System: Mutant Chronicles The Techno Fantasy Role-playing Game Publisher: Heartbreaker Hobbies & Games Author: Matt Forbeck Price: $14.95 Imperial is certainly the most militant of the megacorporat ions in the Mutant Chronicles universe, with a history of taking what they can't acquire using more... business-like means. This supplement is full of background on the corporation, the major clans within the corporation, and all sorts of other information to give you the imperial mindset for role-playing or GMing a character in Mutant Chronicles. There are a lot of illustrations - ranging from adequate to incredible - throughout the book, plus some short fiction running along the sidebars. The book is well laid out and follows a similar flow to the Mutant Chronicles and Brotherhood books. Imperial provides a whole new method for generating characteristics (raising your character from infancy through high school), as well as new Adolescent Events, new Special Events, a number of schools and a whole bunch of new professions (including some really great ones, like ISC Field Agent and Special Forces Trooper.) Added skills include Gambling, Tactics, Spacecraft piloting and Space Navigation. Details are provided for Imperial settlements, military and special equipment. Rules for converting your old Imperial character over to the new system ate included, so you don't have to watch the new breed come up and overshadow your favorite old character. Last but not least, there is also a short adventure for experienced players (e.g. tough characters.) The Mutant Chronicles setting is a spooky look at the future of man, but the nature of the genre is irresistible and soon you're lured into one of the myriad play styles available in the game. Imperial is an important source of background and additional material, and a necessary supplement for any player or GM. Capitol - Pride and Profit Mutant Chronides: The Clans of Damnation Game System: Mutant Chronicles The Techno Fantasy Role-playing Game Publisher: Heartbreaker Hobbies & Games Author: Bill King Price: $14.95 Capitalism works in the dark future of Mutant Chronicles, as is demonstrated in this 80 page sourcebook for the Capitol megacorporation. Bursting at the seams with all sorts of great background material, Pride and Profit provides direction and motivation for characters as well as corporate and location overviews for gamemasters. As in other sourcebooks for Mutant Chronicles, new adolescent and special events tables, character types and skills allow players to customize their characters, escaping the more generic approach of the basic role-playing system. Later sections allow these characters to be equipped as various Capitolian military and security forces. GMs will enjoy the car chase and dog fight rules, additional equipment, background information on San Dorado and Mutant Chronicles: Algeroth, Apostle of War Mars, and expanded detail on the corporate structure of Capitol. A nifty scenario for intermediate characters finishes off the book. Written to hold the readers interest, the only place the book starts to slow down is in the descriptions of locations. The rest of the book reads quickly and keeps your interest. Short stories fill the sidebars, giving a brief look into the lives of Capitolian citizens. Capitol is among the most versatile of the megacorporations - not mired in age old traditions as is Imperial, nor tied so tightly to quasi-religious belief systems as the Brotherhood - and as such is able to quickly adapt to the ever changing world. Pride and Profit is a must for any Mutant Chronicles fan, player, or GM. Contact FASA 1100 W. Cermak,Ste B305 Chicago, IL 60608 Phone: (312) 243-5660 Fax: (312) 243-4847 Grim Reaper Casting Clifton Industrial Center Mill Rd. & N. Sycamore Ave. Clifton Heights, PA 19018 Phone: (610) 626-8031 Fax: (610) 626-8064 Rafm Company Inc. 20 Parkhill Road East Cambridge, Ont. Canada Phone: (519) 623,4832 Fax: (519) 623-2795 Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 5938 Carthage Ct. Cincinnati, OH 45212,1197 Phone: (800) 543-0272 Fax: (513) 631-0028 Heartbreaker Hobbies & Games 1260 E. Woodland Ave. Springfield, PA 19064 Phone: (610) 544-9052 Fax: (610) 544-9052 Lance & Laser Models, Inc. P.O. Box 14491 Columbus, OH 43214 Phone: (614) 291-3703 Fax: (614) 294-5424 Back to Shadis #20 Table of Contents Back to Shadis List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master List of Magazines © Copyright 1995 by Alderac Entertainment Group This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com