Across the bloodstained battlefield warriors clash as the echoes of steel on steel and the cries of anguish as warriors fall against the undead warriors of the Devout. Will you be able to turn the tide and win this battle or will you be swallowed by the dark forces and lost forever in the world of Chronopia.

Chronopia:

The history of Chronopia is very detailed and thorough which is refreshing, as I have not seen such depth in a miniatures game in quite some time. The one king who had died some time ago has come back from the dead to reclaim his shattered empire. The one king and his undead legion swarm across the land as other factions go into chaos, fighting amongst themselves as well as fighting the undead. The history can be read and reads like a story as it chronicles the events that have gone on in the world of Chronopia.

Rules:

The Chronopia game is based off of the Dark Symmetry game system and is pretty easy to use. The game is point based as every unit has a point cost to it and players agree to a point total before the game starts (usually 1,000 for smaller skirmish games or 2,00 0+ for bigger games). Each model in the Chronopia universe has a model profile (which are either located in the troop lists or on a card which comes with the miniature). The rules are based on a twenty-sided dice and rolling a 1 means a Perfect Success (where something happens in your favor) and rolling a 20 means a fumble (where something disastrous happens).

Each model has 12 stats ranging from the point cost of the miniature and how many wounds it can take to it's close combat and ranged attacks. Combat is simple as you roll against the appropriate trait (Close Combat or Ranged) minus the defense of the model and any modifiers. For example: An Stygian Hammerhead is trying to attack one of the Lotus guard. The Styigan's CC skill is 11 and the Lotus Guards Defense is -1 so in order to hit you need to roll a 10 or less on a D20).

The rules go into detail on almost any situation that can be encounted on the battle field. Subjects such as hard cover, morale, rallying troops and other subjects are covered so that when something occurs on the battlefield there is an explantion of what to do and how to take care of it. The rules are very easy to use and understand as they have examples of literally everything which makes it easier to play this fine game.

Troop Lists:

Each of the different factions of Chronopia has a section listing the troops of their empire. From the orcs and ogres of the Black Blood Empire to the Dinosaur looking Stygian each section goes into detail which troops are available as well as spells and effects. Also a bit of history is given on each empire as well as some spectacular art that showcases one unit and how it outfitted for the battlefield (weapons, armor and insignias which also aids in the painting of the miniatures)

Appearance:

Chronopia has some of the most beautiful art that I have ever seen in a product. Some of the pieces have a painted feel to them and the cover is just gorgeous. I wanted to see more of the interior pieces in color instead of black and white as it would have done them better justice. There is also a color section of the book that shows off the various factions and some more art as well as some professionally painted pieces (which could be used as a painting guide for some of the miniatures that Excelsior produces.)

Comments:

The only problem that I had with this book was the price tag. At $40.00 it is definitely not cheap but you do get what you pay for as everything that you need to play the game is in this giant tome. But for those that are on a budget and are looking for a new rules system to use, you might want to steer clear of this massive tome. Maybe Excelsior will release a book that just has the Dark Symmetry core system at an affordable price.

Overview:

For those that are looking for a detailed fantasy world and some solid and easy to use miniatures rules definitely give Chronopia a look. While it is a bit expensive to get started it is definitely worth it, as you do not need to buy any other rulebooks to get started. Everything from rules and troop lists are included as well as templates (for different attacks and weapons) and markers (for different combat effects).