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This is a fairly well put together background book for a Giant Robots/Anime campaign. The background is not seriously plausible, but when you have Giant Robots, do you expect it to be? Do you care?

The universe grows from the Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0 universe, but without the CyberGeneration. Earth, now known as Terra, faced and suffered a nearly complete breakdown of the ecosystem, leading to a new world government formed from the more militant environmental groups. Times were hard, and still are on some parts of Terra, but a recovery is underway.

On the way to the recovery, Mars was colonized, as was the asteroid belt and, along the way, a means of (nearly) instantaneous star travel was found. So mankind stepped out to colonize other systems, but under the stern watchful eye of the Gaians (as the environmental government of Terra had become known).

Now the colonies are feeling restless and restrained by the mother planet, and the more Gaians are becoming worried about the ecological damage the colonists are doing.

Add to this a surviving Mega-Corp that sees colonial independence as its ticket to being the de facto ruler of the colonies and a core of extreme Gaians who see bringing the colonies under the same absolute control that they exercise on Terra as a means to absolute power for themselves and you have a setting ripe for a war of independence. And for millions to die in order that a few may profit.

The Starblade Battalion of the title is formed from elements from both sides of the conflict, plus those who stand to loose either way, the more ethical of the space pirates and criminal organizations of Terra. In addition to them, there are the planets who stand in the middle, desperately trying not to be forced to choose sides.

When I started reading it, I was thinking "Neat place, but what do I have the PCs do?" By the end, I knew where the PCs would fit in and what they would do.

The significant NPCs are all well drawn in a short description that lists only their most significant attributes and skills. This gives the GM enough to play them off stage or to interact with the PCs, but not enough that they can easily take over. It also allows the GM to know what attribute and skill levels the "best of the best" should have their areas.

Through out the text, there are little in-jokes or nods to SF of the past. For instance, the only reason the primary builder of Mektons on Terra is named Bahn/Zhai is so that at one point in the book they can mention a design team by the name of Team Buckaroo. For this throw-away, they spend considerable space on the history of Bahn/Zhai and how it's design process works.

All in all, if you are interested in doing a Giant Robot campaign, especially one where the PCs face impossible odds but hold the "Fate of Humanity" in the hands, you should look at this book.

Style: nr
Substance: nr