I only relate these things to establish my credentials as a Star Wars fan. I have played Star Wars video games and RPGs, had Star Wars toys, and even carried a Star Wars lunch box while wearing a Star Wars t-shirt. When I had the opportunity to review the Star Wars Miniatures: Clone Strike expansion, I leapt at the opportunity to indulge in one of my favorite geeky pasttimes.
The Goodies
The starter box of Clone Strike comes with eight random figures and two fixed. This is a very cool mix, because the two fixed are General Kenobi (Obi Wan to his friends) and Jango Fett. Aside from his clone/son, Jango Fett is my favorite all-time Star Wars character, and I felt robbed when he got his head lopped off in his only movie. Thank God his kid got away.
The boosters of Clone Strike come with seven random minis. For the price, these are a better deal, because each mini costs just a little less than in the big box. The starter comes with more stuff, though, like a die, several terrain cards, and other stuff. But I'll get to that - the real stars of the product are the miniatures.
The miniatures are nice, sturdy plastic. The black base is numbered and labeled on the bottom, so that collectors can know just how far they are from owning every single mini. The paint jobs leave a little to be desired, but considering the price and the fact that they are mass-produced, they are acceptable. The only real problem I had was with lightsabers - they all got bent in the package, and I continually struggle with the Jedi Guardian's drooping sword blade.
The selection of miniatures is great. Since the expansion focuses on the prequels, there are lots of clone troopers and jedi, plus a reasonable number of droid troopers and geonosians. I was unable to procure Darth Sidious or Yoda, but I found that I was quite pleased with the figures I got in a starter and a booster. I can build decent armies of both Separatists and Republic, with a few fringers to fill the holes - or at least absorb some blaster fire.
Both the starters and boosters come with cards to go with their minis. These are duotone black and blue cards, with a good illustration of the character on the back and all salient game statistics on the front. These are very cool for building armies, since you can simply build a 'deck' of soldiers then pick out the matching miniatures. While I like the idea of having stats on the mini base, I find that figures are more flexible when the stats are included separately. Besides, who wants to use clicky minis in an RPG?
Speaking of the RPG, the miniatures included in these boxes offer enough variety to play all kinds of Star Wars. There is a wide abundance of different types of characters, from the weird aliens at Jabba's palace to troops of clone troopers or armies of jedi. These miniatures are explicitly intended to cross over to the roleplaying game, and fit the bill very nicely.
The double-sided playing mat included in the starter is quite attractive and very cool. One side depicts a handful of buildings reminiscent of a city on Naboo, while the other is an open sandy field that brings to mind the cataclysmic battle at the end of Attack of the Clones. The sand side is especially cool because the starter comes with several terrain cards. These terrain cards can be placed onto the mat to depict more interesting terrain, such as execution pillars or power generators. The art on everything in this game is impeccable, as one would expect from a gaming powerhouse like Wizards of the Coast.
The Game
Star Wars Miniatures uses a simplified version of the d20 system. This system is found, of course, in the Star Wars d20 RPG, and allows the stats on the character cards to be used in the RPG, though with limited crossover application. Some characters might require some additional work to apply to the RPG, and some - like Yoda or Obi Wan - will need considerably more work before they can be applied directly.
The combat system works basically the same as in the d20 system. Each character has an attack and defense score. A character targets a foe, rolls a d20, and adds his attack. If the result is higher than the target's defense, the target takes damage according to the attacker's damage rating. All characters have hit points, which can be tracked by placing small cardboard chits on the character card. The overall system is simple enough to be played by anyone who can add.
Play is also quite simple. Each player rolls the d20 to determine initiative. The highest player activates two figures, causing them to move and attack, and play passes to the next player. Once every player has activated two figures, the process begins again. When everyone has activated all their minis, the turn is over and initiative is rolled again.
A few extra rules are included to improve strategic options. My personal favorite is combined fire, whereby a player may activate every mini who could shoot at a target to improve the odds of succesfully damaging the target. This is the most balancing aspect of the game, and allows an army of attack droids to have a chance to take down General Kenobi.
Attacks of opportunity are also included, and make it difficult to break off combat with someone like Yoda or Qui Gon Jin, who have powerful melee attacks. Special skills are used on individual character cards, so that Obi Wan can deflect incoming fire and a clone trooper sergeant can lead his troops more effectively.
The rule book includes excellent illustrations to help novice players determine things like cover, line of sight, and combined fire. All things considered, this is a well-made and excellent game. It is a little simple, which may offend the sensibilities of a Warhammer player, but I personally find efficiency and elegance to be lacking in far too many miniatures games.
While the game itself is elegant and simple, I did find some balance issues in the characters themselves. Jango Fett, for instance, could easily mop up a small army of clone troopers, and Obi Wan is more than a match for his value in basic droids. Any army that does not consist of at least one unique figure is likely to take a painful beating. Combined fire can close this gap a little, but a significant balance issue does exist. Given the fact that Obi Wan and Jango Fett should be legendary warriors, I did not have a huge problem with this, but it does slightly color this otherwise excellent game.
Support
One of the areas in which Wizards of the Coast exceeds most other game companies is support. The Wizards website (www.wizards.com) contains a vast amount of information to supplement Clone Strike and add to its playability.
The first thing that grabbed me about the site was the complete graphical listing of all miniatures in both Rebel Storm and Clone Strike. The photos of the minis are accurate and allow players to see just what is in each set, as well as helping to determine rarity. Some of the images even spin to allow viewers to see every angle of a particular miniature.
I also enjoyed the article archive, where I found new scenarios, additional terrain tiles, and rulings on tricky card rules. There were scenarios that reenacted scenes from the various movies, plus a few original ideas. Complete rules for the game can also be found at the site, for those who are unlucky enough to own a booster and no starter.
Summary
I can barely contain my enthusiasm when I describe just how cool the Star Wars Miniatures are. The Clone Strike expansion contains so many figures that really expand on their usefulness when combined with the Rebel Storm figures, and the rules are great. There are slight balance issues, and the paint jobs are a little rough, but overall, this is a great miniatures game with some awesome miniatures.
One final note: Star Wars Miniatures may not appeal to everyone. The rules are not as deep as other more popular games, and the time investment is not as involved. The terrain is represented on cards, not extravagant 3D terrain, and the miniatures are not as gorgeous as hardcore gamers might like. However, if you are the kind of gamer who just wants to play a fun miniatures game in the Star Wars universe, this is ideal.
Style: 5 - Everything about this game is cool. The paint jobs are a little weak, but not enough to make this a 4.
Substance: 4 - The game is elegant and runs well, but unbalanced when pitting quantity against quality.
