Board game / Tactical skirmish game - Makettfesztivál Miskolc 2018 Star Saga games

image © Nagy István
Board game / Tactical skirmish game - Makettfesztivál Miskolc 2018 Star Saga games - Gameplay coverage

Author: Kadmon
Translation based on: Társasjáték / Taktikai játék - Makettfesztivál Miskolc 2018 Star Saga játékok - Játék beszámoló (2018.02.15)
Translation: Kadmon

At the Makettfesztivál Miskolc 2018 miniatures convention Takács György (Kadmon) from the Nexus Club held demonstration games of the Star Saga board game from Mantic Games.

The game: Star Saga boardgame

Due to the young age of the players and the short playing time, we have used a simplified set of Star Saga rules.

We did not count the Experience, and thus there was no character development during the game.
There were no reinforcements, all opponents were places at the zones immediately, whose numbers did not change.
Instead of the special dice, we used standard six-sided dice, and the numeric value on the character sheet gave the target number to be rolled.
The enemy minions had only 1 Hit points, so they became incapacitated from the first injury.
There were no spots where the players could do searches, and there were no extra equipment included.
I did not tell the players in advance about the special Feats of the characters. When it became necessary or useful during the game, I explained that to them.
As the players liked them, I let them play with the Aberration and the Tentacled Monster as mercenary characters. We used Alyse's psy capabilities for the Psychic Ability of the Tentacled Monster.

In order to better fit their age, there was no killing in the game. Everyone used a tranquiliser guns, sleeping gas, sleep grenades, or sleep-inducing psy abilities. The guy with the sword scared his opponents with his weapon-prowess, that made them give up the fighting, or sent them running with their pants down. The mercenary with the flamethrower heated up the armor of the opponents, who had fainted or stripped their gears off, getting them out of the fight.

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The Mission: Steal the antidote

Agents have reported that scientists are experimenting with mutagens in the Eiras labs, which they want to use as a potential weapon. The mission of the taskforce led by the players is to gain the formula of the antidote.

The guards gathering around the landing pad raised too many questions, so they had to be put to sleep with tranquiliser guns. Agent Silvaggio used his heatgun to heat up the armour of the security guards, that tried to hind behind a table, until they fainted.

Alyse, the psy-user of the team, could successfully put a soldier to sleep with her mental power, that was lurking in ambush behind a closed door.

On the next level of the lab, after some fight, everyone could proceed further.

image © Nagy István

The team's robot managed to get the antidote, now they just had to get out of the building. However, due to the alarm, the central elevator was closed and they could only move from one level to the next.

The team split up - some left to reach the dropship with the antidote, while the rest stayed to secure the area.

As a result of the alarm, the security forces barricaded themselves behind crates and tables. Fortunately for Alyse's psychic ability, this was not an obstacle.

Curby, the robot, was very helpful in breaking the code of locked lifts.

The team had almost managed to get out, when the security forces gathering near the landing pad, forced them to retreat.

With the next try they were able to get to the dropship, so they flew to an open platform near the lab. Now only the other half of the team had to get out of the lab. The agents left the lab, but this caused that the evil scientists gained access to the controls again, and switched on the defence systems against the team.

As the team reached the elevator, after they forced the doors open, they've found a giant spider-monster creeping there, that could only be disabled after a long shootout.

As the elevator door opened, they found themselves face to something resembling a face of a tentacled monster. It was prisoner of the lab who had its own psychic abilities to fight with the agents. Fortunately, they managed to defeat it before they suffered any losses.

Then mutant humans poured out from secret doors, victims of the substance created in the labs. They were put to sleep by the taskforce, one by one.

Another giant, spider-like monster tried to stop their advance, that was once again defeated.

In the end, the team was able to cut through the crowd of monstrous creatures and successfully fled the base in the dropship.

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Players: Young kids, from age of 4 to 10.

System: A simplified set of the Star Saga board game rules from Mantic Games.

Miniatures used: The miniatures from the Star Saga: The Eiras Contract Core Set from Mantic Games. We have also used monster and minion miniatures from the Massive Darkness board game base from CoolMiniOrNot company.

Scenery used: The boards and scenery pieces from the Star Saga: The Eiras Contract Core Set, from Mantic Games. The dropship was a 1:50 helicopter, a donation received at the event.

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The Star Saga: The Eiras Contract board game for the games has been sent by Mantic Games for demonstration games.

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