Stargrunt II
Tabletop Miniatures Game
Ground Zero Games
72pp - [sterling]11.95
With the highly acclaimed Dirtside II and the multiple award-winning Full
Thrust already in its inventory, Ground Zero Games had a lot to live up to with
its new 25mm SF skirmish system. It has, however, risen to the challenge
magnificently.
As the title implies, this is a complete revision and updating of the original
Stargrunt rules; a revision so complete that little of the original remains,
apart from the name. The end result is a system so streamlined that platoon to
company sized actions can be fought out in a single afternoon; in terms of
speed and playability, it's streets ahead of any other game of its kind I can
think of.
The core concept is that troop units are treated as a single entity, which move
and shoot as one; instead of each individual figure targeting another, the
entire squad lays down fire against an enemy unit, which is, of course, what
happens in real life. Factors such as the quality of the troops, their
leadership, the weapons they're equipped with, and their range to the target
are factored into simple opposing die rolls. If the attacker wins, and inflicts
casualties, another couple of rolls determines which figures are hit, and
whether they're killed, wounded, or able to continue fighting after the medic's
patched them up.
A crucial difference between Stargrunt and most other games of this type is
that the overall fighting effectiveness of a unit is far more dependant on
psychological factors than the hardware they're carrying. Well trained, well
motivated troops with good leadership can often prevail against a larger,
better equipped force with lower morale, or a shaky chain of command; the
system rewards good tactics, and is very unforgiving of poor decisions. Unit
commanders have the ability to transfer extra actions to their subordinates,
and thus need to be protected; losing even a junior officer can be very costly,
leaving half your forces pinned down and unable to advance.
There's a lot more to Stargrunt than just a set of infantry combat rules,
though. Vehicle combat is covered in some detail, allowing players to use APCs
and other transport assets, either to enhance their mobility, or for close
support. A complete set of design rules is included, cross-compatible with
Dirtside II, allowing you to define abilities for whatever models you have to
hand. Indeed, GZG consider the whole game to be generic, encouraging players to
tailor it to whatever background they like, or figure collections they may
already possess. Their own, optional, house universe takes up no more than six
pages at the back; a welcome contrast to some other companies, whose game books
consist of half a dozen pages of rules and fifty-odd of bad fiction, padding
and waffle masquerading as 'campaign background.'
Advanced rules cover topics like calling for artillery support, air operations
(including airmobile assaults with VTOLs or dropships, and the annoying
possibility of losing some of your assets to the enemy's air defences before
they even make it to the tabletop), casevac, taking and interrogating
prisoners, and the ever-popular mine clearance. This is, without a doubt, the
most comprehensive set of SF miniatures rules you're ever likely to buy.
You also get two sheets of full colour die-cut counters, and a handy quick
reference card with all the main rules clearly and succinctly summarised.
If you play any kind of game with 25mm or 15mm SF miniatures, you need a copy
of these rules, if only to see what you're missing. For my money they're the
best set of SF skirmish rules on the market today, with everything else a long
way behind.
Reviewed by: Alex Stewart
Product supplied by: Ground Zero Games
