The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Look at that title again. Diceless Science-Fiction Wargaming? What the heck is that? How do you figure out who the better general is if you can't dice for it?

Well, as the back cover says, "Dice can't save you now." A bold statement. Wehrmacht 2nd Edition holds up against that statement quite well.

In Wehrmacht, you command a cadre of Knights, towering robotic warriors. You fight for the glory and the whim of one of the Feudalocracy's mega-powerful houses - the genetic-controlled Bachmann's, the rich Constantines, the viking-like Drinnen, the Russian Kozlov, the wild MacInntyre or the robber-baron Vorhees. Each Knight is controlled by a pilot who lives and dies inside his machine, hard-wired to it and dependant on it for his existence. You must master the complexities of commanding these huge warmachines, with the power to bring untold destruction to your foes.

Plus, you have to know some math.

The system of Wehrmacht runs on a good deal of comparison. To shoot at another Knight, you compare your Fire Control Systems (FCS) to their Evasion Control Systems (ECS). If your total meets or exceeds theirs, then you hit and do damage. If not, you miss. Sound simple? Yes and no. Knights have lots of things that modify their FCS and ECS, such as special weapons, modes, upgrades and more. The challenge of the game really lies in finding the right mix of these to achieve victory.

Here's an example. My Constantine Legionnaire (FCS: 10) fires his Railgun (Damage: 22) at my opponent's Vorhees Slayer (ECS: 10). Ordinarily, I'd hit and do damage to whatever part of his knight (excepting the head unless I am within 8") I choose. However, his Slayer is in Stealth mode, doubling his ECS to 20. I can choose to take another weapon system off-line, giving me 20 FCS, or perhaps I was wise enough to change my mode to Blitzkrieg mode, which doubles my FCS to 20.

As you can see, there are a number of options. Wehrmacht requires you to be quick thinking, because there is no luck to the game - everything depends on your ability to reason, figure out what your opponent might do and how to overcome it. No praying to the Goddess of Luck to let you roll that 6 and save your battered hide.

The layout of the book is simple and uncluttered. The quality of the art varies, with some striking shots of the Knights to some less interesting character studies of the House leaders. Primarily, the book is two-column and black and white throughout, with some flavor text sprinkled to supplement the game background.

Overall, Wehrmacht 2nd Edition is a challenging game. The diceless aspect with draw some people in even as it turns others off, but the level of challenge it provides is a welcome change to other games that let opponents get away with mere luck.

Style: 3 (Average)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Wehrmacht 2nd Edition - Diceless Science-Fiction Wargaming
Author: T. Bradley Back, Timothy J. Gallion, Brian Fay Category: Diceless Wargame Company/Publisher: Tyrant Games Cost: $19.99 Page count: 96 ISBN: 0-9653173-0-7 Capsule Review by Robert E. Allen III on 10/18/98. Genre tags: Science_fiction Diceless	Look at that title again. Diceless Science-Fiction Wargaming? What the heck is that? How do you figure out who the better general is if you can't dice for it? Well, as the back cover says, "Dice can't save you now." A bold statement. Wehrmacht 2nd Edition holds up against that statement quite well. In Wehrmacht, you command a cadre of Knights, towering robotic warriors. You fight for the glory and the whim of one of the Feudalocracy's mega-powerful houses - the genetic-controlled Bachmann's, the rich Constantines, the viking-like Drinnen, the Russian Kozlov, the wild MacInntyre or the robber-baron Vorhees. Each Knight is controlled by a pilot who lives and dies inside his machine, hard-wired to it and dependant on it for his existence. You must master the complexities of commanding these huge warmachines, with the power to bring untold destruction to your foes. Plus, you have to know some math. The system of Wehrmacht runs on a good deal of comparison. To shoot at another Knight, you compare your Fire Control Systems (FCS) to their Evasion Control Systems (ECS). If your total meets or exceeds theirs, then you hit and do damage. If not, you miss. Sound simple? Yes and no. Knights have lots of things that modify their FCS and ECS, such as special weapons, modes, upgrades and more. The challenge of the game really lies in finding the right mix of these to achieve victory. Here's an example. My Constantine Legionnaire (FCS: 10) fires his Railgun (Damage: 22) at my opponent's Vorhees Slayer (ECS: 10). Ordinarily, I'd hit and do damage to whatever part of his knight (excepting the head unless I am within 8") I choose. However, his Slayer is in Stealth mode, doubling his ECS to 20. I can choose to take another weapon system off-line, giving me 20 FCS, or perhaps I was wise enough to change my mode to Blitzkrieg mode, which doubles my FCS to 20. As you can see, there are a number of options. Wehrmacht requires you to be quick thinking, because there is no luck to the game - everything depends on your ability to reason, figure out what your opponent might do and how to overcome it. No praying to the Goddess of Luck to let you roll that 6 and save your battered hide. The layout of the book is simple and uncluttered. The quality of the art varies, with some striking shots of the Knights to some less interesting character studies of the House leaders. Primarily, the book is two-column and black and white throughout, with some flavor text sprinkled to supplement the game background. Overall, Wehrmacht 2nd Edition is a challenging game. The diceless aspect with draw some people in even as it turns others off, but the level of challenge it provides is a welcome change to other games that let opponents get away with mere luck. Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Wehrmacht 2nd Edition - Diceless Science-Fiction Wargaming