The Inside Scoop on Gaming

NOTE: I am in negotiations with MicroTactix to become a freelancer for them. However, at this time, I am not employed in any way by MicroTactix.

Compact Warrior Special Edition is a free PDF available on the MicroTactix Web Site. The game is supposed to be used as a standalone combat tactical game with multiple opponents squaring off against each other in various settings. This means that no GM is required to play. Just some imagination, a friend, and a couple of characters.

MicroTactix also said that the game could be dropped into an existing system with little problem and be used in place of the combat system. This would be helpful if players want to play a game with 3 dimensional props and miniatures. However, there are no conversion stats for any of the popular systems included with this PDF.

Character generation in the game is simple enough with just a dash of randomness added to it (you roll for your initial number of stat points). Characters can choose from a number of different races that will affect some of their stats, but not greatly. For the rest of character creation, most things are derived from your stats until you reach the skill lists. Here, your character chooses from a small list of combat and non-combat skills and derives a number for them from his stats and the number of skill points he wishes to spend on them.

After that, make up a scenario, and you're ready to play. By reading the rules a few times, it shouldn't be too hard to whip up a character in under 10 minutes.

The system is a relatively simple one, with perhaps a few too many rolls to be made by players during a combat round. Players can choose from a number of different actions available to them during each round. Each player/non-player gets to perform their actions in initiative sequence, with options for holding some of your actions until your opponent goes. Each action takes place in turn and directly affects the actions after it (this means that if Ulrick the Slayer does enough damage to kill you with his first action, and he goes first, you are dead). Damage is dealt based on a characters weapon.

CWSE has only the seven medieval style weapons in it currently with promised support for modern weapons, magic, and possibly even sci-fi weapons.

The game is presented in a well laid out manner with few mistakes and good art. While there is very little art, it is certainly above what one normally expects from a free product. Since it is available in a PDF format, quality of the print may vary greatly depending on your printer. Printed on an HP Laserjet 4000, it printed out beautifully with crisp lines for all the art.

Also included is a blank game board, three pages of tables for all relevant combat maneuvers and rolls (easy to make a GM screen out of), 7 weapon cards, and 9 paper standup figures. The paper standup figures are well illustrated, but one of the weapon cards has a small error that makes it difficult to read the ranges on it.

The Compact Warrior Special Edition PDF is a neat little game to download. If you've ever wanted to have a game of dueling gladiators, or wanted to use all those miniatures from your many other games with some roleplaying mixed in, this is a good fit. Even without a game master, players can still run a game between themselves and play in a reasonable amount of time. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in the up and coming micro game market, players with a little extra time on their hands before the GM shows up and GM's who want their players to get a feel for the locale of the dungeon.

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

Compact Warrior Special Edition
Author: Greg Poehlein and Guy McLimore Category: game Company/Publisher: MicroTactix Line: Compact Combat Cost: $0.00 Page count: 29 Capsule Review by Paul Franklin on 05/07/99. Genre tags: Fantasy Historical Generic	NOTE: I am in negotiations with MicroTactix to become a freelancer for them. However, at this time, I am not employed in any way by MicroTactix. Compact Warrior Special Edition is a free PDF available on the MicroTactix Web Site. The game is supposed to be used as a standalone combat tactical game with multiple opponents squaring off against each other in various settings. This means that no GM is required to play. Just some imagination, a friend, and a couple of characters. MicroTactix also said that the game could be dropped into an existing system with little problem and be used in place of the combat system. This would be helpful if players want to play a game with 3 dimensional props and miniatures. However, there are no conversion stats for any of the popular systems included with this PDF. Character generation in the game is simple enough with just a dash of randomness added to it (you roll for your initial number of stat points). Characters can choose from a number of different races that will affect some of their stats, but not greatly. For the rest of character creation, most things are derived from your stats until you reach the skill lists. Here, your character chooses from a small list of combat and non-combat skills and derives a number for them from his stats and the number of skill points he wishes to spend on them. After that, make up a scenario, and you're ready to play. By reading the rules a few times, it shouldn't be too hard to whip up a character in under 10 minutes. The system is a relatively simple one, with perhaps a few too many rolls to be made by players during a combat round. Players can choose from a number of different actions available to them during each round. Each player/non-player gets to perform their actions in initiative sequence, with options for holding some of your actions until your opponent goes. Each action takes place in turn and directly affects the actions after it (this means that if Ulrick the Slayer does enough damage to kill you with his first action, and he goes first, you are dead). Damage is dealt based on a characters weapon. CWSE has only the seven medieval style weapons in it currently with promised support for modern weapons, magic, and possibly even sci-fi weapons. The game is presented in a well laid out manner with few mistakes and good art. While there is very little art, it is certainly above what one normally expects from a free product. Since it is available in a PDF format, quality of the print may vary greatly depending on your printer. Printed on an HP Laserjet 4000, it printed out beautifully with crisp lines for all the art. Also included is a blank game board, three pages of tables for all relevant combat maneuvers and rolls (easy to make a GM screen out of), 7 weapon cards, and 9 paper standup figures. The paper standup figures are well illustrated, but one of the weapon cards has a small error that makes it difficult to read the ranges on it. The Compact Warrior Special Edition PDF is a neat little game to download. If you've ever wanted to have a game of dueling gladiators, or wanted to use all those miniatures from your many other games with some roleplaying mixed in, this is a good fit. Even without a game master, players can still run a game between themselves and play in a reasonable amount of time. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in the up and coming micro game market, players with a little extra time on their hands before the GM shows up and GM's who want their players to get a feel for the locale of the dungeon. Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 4 (Meaty)