What you get in the starter box: The rulebook (soft-cover); cardstock templates; 2 cardstock reference sheets (identical/one for each player); a quick-play guide; several d6 and d10 dice; 16 human Mobile Infantry troopers; and 20 alien Arachnid Warrior Bugs. Although Mongoose produce metal miniatures for the game, both armies in the starter are plastic, multi-part models that require assembly and painting. And not to get weird, but the box the game comes in is very sturdy. It holds up nicely and stores my templates and rulebook (and could hold a number of the models) when I’m not gaming or writing a review of that rulebook.
The Mobile Infantry are dressed in 'power armor'. These space suited troopers each come with a weapon, a sort of futuristic assault rifle being their standard firearm. A clear, yellow tinted plastic visor piece is included for each plastic soldier and can be glued on with white glue (to keep the clear appearance), painted over, or left off as the players choose. Special weapons like grenade launchers, missile launchers and melee special weapons are included as options that have specific game effects. The MI also have a single, round black plastic base included for each model to stabilize them on the game surface.
The models are fairly easy to pose as you build them. Super glue (not standard model glue used for model airplanes or tanks or even 40k plastics) seemed to work best for me. They do, however, have a decent number of parts per trooper. You have a head, the clear visor, two arms, shoulder pads, backpack, torso, butt plate, crotch plate, two thigh plates, legs (either molded as a single two-leg unit or a two piece kneeling pose), weapon options and the model's base. Some of the pieces are small and many players have commented that Mongoose may have gone overboard with the various little bits. I dropped my share of tiny pieces on the floor along the way, but found them to go together well once I knew which glue worked best.
The bugs included in the boxed set are plain vanilla warriors (bugs have a staggering number of subspecies available in these rules). You get a head/thorax section, two jaws, two small claws for the head, the abdomen (upper/lower) and four legs. I found the bugs easier to assemble, probably because there are fewer options and larger pieces. They are more poseable, in my opinion, too. Bugs do not come with bases and are not required to have them in order to stand (assuming you assemble them with some consideration for physics) or for game play. Overall, I give the models a A- with the warriors bearing the bulk of that good grade.
The cardstock templates and counters are functional and do what you need them to do. There are a number of in-game effects and abilities that you will need to track during the game. You also get stand-in counters to represent MI air support options and the bugs tunneling capabilities. Templates include explosion and flame weapons as well as missiles for the MI to use. The dice are functional and a nice inclusion with the starter game.
The soft-cover rulebook, authored by former Games Workshop rules guru, Andy Chambers (some folks love his work/others hate it), weighs in at 144 pages. It includes a functional table of contents and index. The core rules are covered over about 40 pages interspersed with thematic artwork and examples of play. Three armies: MI, Bugs and a humanoid alien race called the Skinnies (no models included with the starter) are covered in the starter rules; the coverage includes army lists, weapon options and some fluffage about why each army fights and special rules, as applicable. The advanced rules layer in at the end, allowing the MI and Bugs to take advantage of air support; the Bugs to travel subsurface via their special Tunneling rules; some discussion on bunkers, fortresses and other buildings you might have on a battlefield; and ending with coverage of special almost-role-playing like abilities for certain character models (Heroic Traits).
Like many war games, SST's game sequence is basically IGOUGO. That means that one player completes all their units' actions then the other player gets to take his/her turn. There is a possibility for one player to interrupt the other player (reactions) that I'll cover later. On your turn, you activate each of your units until you have none left with which to act.
Each unit gets two actions on its turn. Actions can be Move, Shoot, Charge or Ready. You can do actions in any order (e.g., move then move, shoot then move, move then shoot, etc.) as long as you only do two actions. If you complete an action within 10" of enemy model(s), those enemy model(s) typically can react. Reaction allows them to defend themselves, move away from your advance or other applicable actions their player may choose. This is something of a breakaway from typical IGOUGO sequences where you are basically stuck watching your troops get shot or other unfavorable actions without being able to react until it's your turn.
The 'reaction' is one of the neater conventions in SST. It's hardly a revolutionary concept (sort of a modified overwatch for older Warhammer fans), but its inclusion does help shake the game up and separate it from the rest of the current pack. Basically if your opponent ends an action within 10" of one/more of your models, you can have your models (within 10" of the enemy that acted) take a reaction. The reactions available vary with army type and player choice but range from taking a pot-shot at someone silly enough to get that close to pulling back with those models, possibly to avoid a close combat.
Models are typically fielded in units of multiple similar models (e.g., a swarm of bugs or a squad of MI). There are prescribed numbers of models for these units (min and max). Models themselves are rated in a number of ways. Value tells you how much it 'costs' to field a particular model. A typical MI troop is worth 30 points. A warrior Bug is worth 15. That means you could field two bugs per MI troop. Hmmmm.
Models are rated by relative size. Size affects ability to move through terrain, how hard it is to target you in cover and other combat issues. Movement tells the maximum move you can make in inches per move action. If your model's move is 4, then you can move 4" with a single move. Close combat rates how well you fight in hand-to-hand battles. CC is rated in dice. The larger the die type + any modifiers, the nastier your model is at fighting (e.g., a model with close combat d6 is typically at a disadvantage versus a model with close combat d10---rolling high is good and encouraged).
Target tells how easy it is to hit you in combat (ranged or melee). If your enemy shoots or close combat attacks and his dice roll equal or higher than your target---you get hit. Otherwise, they miss. You also have a higher value called the Kill value. If your opponent rolls your Kill value or higher, then your model is toast unless it can roll a dodge save.
Saves? Most models also have a possibility of surviving a 'hit' by ranged or melee weaponry. After a successful hit, roll its save or higher on a d6 in order to save the model's life. If the save fails, the model is usually removed as a casualty (very large models may take several hits before dying). Armor or Dodge saves (few models have Dodge saves) can save you from a hit that only equaled/exceeded Target. Only a successful Dodge saves can allow a model to make it past a Kill result.
Last many models have Traits. These can be special movement abilities, special weapon capabilities (e.g., piercing allows you to make it harder for your opponent to successfully save), etc.
Priority Levels is a mechanic that allows you to bid for options in fielding your army and for set-up advantage. It affects your force options, who gets first turn and what mission objectives you'll ultimately play. There are three priority levels available (1-3) to simulate the resources and commitment that a force has made to a particular battle. You pick your PL and your opponent picks his/her PL. You then field forces up to an agreed upon points limit (e.g., 1500 pts) based on those PLs. Higher PLs open more support options for you---MI get nukes and better air support at PL3 than they do at PL1, for example. Having the lower priority (e.g., you choose PL1 and your opponent chose PL2), allows you to choose to set up first and go first or set up second and take go second. If both PLs are equal, then neither side gets this advantage.
Air Units literally add another dimension to the game. Both the MI and the Bugs have access to special air units---MI having more varied units available. The Bugs have hoppers who are deadly in close combat AND have the ability to zip in---kill someone---and zip out before the MI can react, if they're played properly. The MI use air assets for firepower support, transport, tactical insertion (via drop ships or pods) and generally making the Bugs' lives harder. If neither player fields air assets, then the turn has no air phase and generally the game goes quicker. If either or both field air units, the air phase is added to the turn and these flying units get to do their thing simultaneously. The MI's units are nicely represented by counters at this point----with nice models (prototypes have been all over the net) on the way. The Bug hoppers came out shortly after the starter or possibly simultaneously. Having played with and without air assets, I recommend trying a game or two without the air phase until you feel comfortable with the rules. Also, realize there are some errata and contradictions in this section---so a little patience goes a long way in understanding the concept.
Tunneling is pretty much the Bugs domain and yet another dimension is added to the game (below ground). Some bugs have special movement called tunneling. They can use this to surface, submerge, to dig along underground (where it's much harder to get shot at). Tunnel entrances and tunnel markers (to represent the bug unit underground) must be paid for in points when the Bug player is determining what forces he is fielding. Tunneling allows the Bugs to partially overcome their vulnerability to ranged fire (which MI have in spades) but can be countered by a skilled MI player.
Heroic Traits, to use an old Warhammer term, are nothing more than wargear. They are options that represent special training, talents or psychic abilities that MI and Bugs may have developed. As can be expected, these affect game play by allowing you, for instance, to shoot more often, more accurately, to move faster, to shrug off damage more easily or a number of other benefits in the game setting. Typically, only Brain Bugs and senior/special MI types have access to these abilities. They can really impact the way the game is played and, as with the air assets and tunneling, I'd hold off for a game or two before chucking them into the mix. Army Lists are included for MI, Bugs and Skinnies. MI have two types of platoons they can field: power suit (the models included with the starter) and marauder platoons. Marauders are large combat constructs that remind me of that exoskeleton that Ripley wore in Alien2 or 3 (can't remember, which)---except with more guns mounted on 'em. Marauder platoons usually have very few models because they are high points cost to field. The advantage to that being that they are extremely well armored, extremely well armed and extremely mobile in those exosuits. You can field a force that has marauders and power suits, and power suit platoons get some limited onesie-twosie marauder suits as options.
The bugs come in a ton of flavors. There's the standard warrior, the flying 'hopper', giant tanker bugs, even more giant plasma bugs (with anti-aircraft-artillery plasma poop), and a smattering of odd variants---some with ranged weaponry like the blister and blaster bugs. Top that all off with the behind-the-scenes ruler of the bug, the brain bug, and you've got a nasty horde a brewing. Bug armies tend to specialize in close attacks with ranged weaponry (except for the plasma) being very short-ranged when compared to MI rifles, missile launchers and air support. There are different strategies employed depending on what subspecies you field and what options you give your army.
The Skinnies list is more of a tide you over list than the other two. They are more of a small scale, raiding force as presented in this book. This matches the limited mention of the aliens on the show and in the book as well as the limited availability of miniatures initially released. The Skinnies have since been released in plastics and metal minis with more varied units and their own fully expanded army book.
As a matter of fact, all three forces have individual army books available that provide new unit types. In the case of the MI, you can also field a character based force (Raczak's Roughnecks), movie-based units (Light Armored MI (LAMI)), novel style troopers (called exo-suits) or even Mongoose's own take on the tunnel rats (Pathfinders). Good: Serviceable to excellent models; Fairly Innovate Rules (e.g., reaction, tunneling, emphasis on air assets, one roll to hit/wound); Popular Subject Matter/Recognized License; Complete Starter as Advertised; Mission Generator/Priority Level Concepts; Competitively Priced; Free On-Line Magazine Articles to Download (New Missions, New Optional Rules, etc.) in Signs & Portents.
The only limits I can think of with this starter is that more bugs/fewer MI could have been a more realistic/equitable way of selling as a starter and a few rules inconsistencies/arguments that have arisen. As is, you get way more points of MI (the dollar-wise cheaper army to field). As to rules problems, tunneling and some of the shooting resolution stuff has caused problems for my small group and some players who have posted on the Mongoose forums. Realistically, those problems arise with EVERY miniature war game. There are simply too many situations to project out to write a rule for them all. Sometimes, you have to shake the other guy's hand, agree to his interpretation and move on with the game.
As for the game franchise itself, it suffers from the same problems that most mainstream minis games do nowadays: Occasional Rules Holes; Expansionitis (bigger, badder, bolder units); Army List Selection Plays Large Role in Victory; Poor Sportsmanship and Tournament Mindset; Delays in Releases (yes, I know I just said that expansions were bad---but advertising one only to delay it frustrates customers).
In my opinion, the game is as good as any sci-fi minis game on the market. I recommend the starter wholeheartedly. Frankly, it also serves as a great way to build cheaper (money-wise) core forces since the starter set sells you the minis even cheaper than the reasoably priced unit boxes.
If Mongoose manages this properly, SST could grow to be one of the larger players in the field. I wish 'em luck.
