The Starship Troopers miniatures game comes in a rather fine (and large!) box whose cover leaves you in no doubt as to the contents. MI battles desperately against the Arachnid menace in a battle of the species that stretches across the galaxy!
Upon opening the box, you will be virtually assaulted by the number of plastic miniatures straining to get out. We have managed to pack 20 Warrior Bugs and 16 Mobile Infantry Troopers inside, all highly detailed multi-pose/multi-part plastics from the hands of Bob Naismith.
Burrowing further down, you will find a Quick Play Guide to introduce you to the main concepts of the game as fast as possible, a card bunker, and a countersheet holding Tunnel Markers, Entrances, a Bug Central, TAC Fighter, Slingshot, Viking, templates - enough for some very large battles. There is also a pack of 6d6 and 2d10. Then we come to the rulebook...
Full color throughout, the rulebook spans 144 pages and introduces you to not only the rules of the game but also the universe in which alien races are locked in a struggle that can only allow one of them to survive and become dominant. The Road to Victory is an overview of the Arachnid War as it stands in current game time. The Arachnids have been fought and beaten off Pluto, and now humanity is on a proud march through the stars on their way to Klendathu, the homeworld of the bugs. The Anatomy of a Game Turn introduces you to the core concepts of the game and serves as a useful reference later on if you are looking for quick answers during a battle. We then throw you into the Basic Rules which covers Size Values, Basing, the use of Pre-Measuring (or not), Point point-blank range, Fire Arcs, Command, and Unit Leaders. Characteristics then cover all the defined game terms, from unit stats to weapon traits. For example, a model with the Retaliate trait (such as an MI trooper carrying a Hel Flamer) will cause some serious pain to everyone around him if he is removed as a casualty due to a Kill result - basically, some bugs will flap around in their death throes, while flamer-equipped troops explode. Auto-weapons have larger fire zones, and so on.
Actions take you into the heart of the Starship Troopers miniatures game. There are no phases in this game, as each unit completes its actions before you move on to the next. This chapter takes you through the four basic actions available to models (Shoot, Move, Charge, and Ready), deals with special movement modes (such as tracked or hover movement), terrain, combat, artillery fire, and all the other bits and pieces you need to tear an enemy army apart. Also covered are Reactions, a special rule that allows units to react to enemies who venture too close, instead of sitting around waiting for their own turn! Engagements provide a scenario system that ensures even a 'basic' game can provide enough surprises to keep you hooked. Every army has a Priority Level decided by the player, which affects which units he has access to in his army list. A player must also choose what tactics he is planning to use in the game - either Attack, Defend, or Probe. Both of these factors (and those of your opponent) will define the battlefield you play on and possibly grant you some special abilities. For example, if you are defending, you gain access to the Defence Assets of your army list, which includes bunkers and Reliant Gun Platforms. If you are an attacking force, you can bring a large part of your army on later in the game, which can be devastating if you are trying to time an assault so all your forces hit the enemy at once.
The Federation is the first of the background chapters, charting the rise of the Citizens' Federation, the structure of the Mobile Infantry and Fleet, and their duties to the people. This is followed by the MI Army List, which is divided into Power Suit Platoons and Marauder Platoons. The Power Suit troopers have access to a wide range of weaponry from the Morita Long Sniper Rifle to Pee-Wee atomic munitions (yes, you get to throw around tactical nuclear weapons in this game!). There are plenty of units available, all of which will be released this year by Mongoose, from the SICON Military Advisor and CHAS robot unit to TAC Fighters and Slingshot Drop Boats. Marauder platoons are those comprising very heavy armor suits bedecked with weaponry - these models are big, nasty, and released next month! The Arachnids chapter highlights what humanity knows about the bug menace and moves smoothly into their Army List. From Blister Bugs to Warriors, the Arachnids have a bug for every purpose - and while you have plenty of Warriors in the main box set, you will not have to wait long for reinforcements - Hopper Bugs are due next month, and the huge Tanker Bug is just about to go into production!
We have also included a small chapter on the Skinnies and their army list, a third race in the Starship Troopers universe. We have some prototype metal miniatures for players wanting to explore this third force available already, but you should regard these chaps as a sneak peek of their full army list, available at the end of this year. The last chapters form the 'advanced' rules of the game and each adds its own dynamics. For example, Air Units and Flight Rules literally adds a new dimension to the game with both MI and Arachnids having access to flyers, from Hopper Bugs to Cruise Missiles and atomic-armed TAC Fighters. The Tunnelling Rules go in literally the other direction - if the MI manages to hold both the ground and the air, the bugs will always rule beneath the surface. Heroic Traits, on the other hand, allow you to 'build your own hero'. A Sergeant in the MI is likely to use the same basic weaponry as his troopers. What makes him different are his traits - he could be a Dirty Fighter, for example, or an ex-Jumpball Player. There are psychic talents to choose from as well, or specialist training - fancy giving your officers a little Sniper training or perhaps a course with the Artillery Corps? It is all here...
The rulebook winds up with a few words from designer Andy Chambers, a Glossary and Index, and all the important reference tables you will need.
