Sunday, 26 February 2023

The Wargamer’s Strategy of the Indirect Approach


Gotta love an over the top looking cinematic style rule book!

I am absolutely convinced that most wargamers are proficient in the art of buying things with the aim of using them for something different! I have been undertaking a low level disposal program and as a result have built up a modest war chest for, you've guessed it, other projects....




I have previously mentioned about Stargrave, Xenos Rampant, the ‘Fistful’ series and also Five Parsecs from Home - all Sci Fi related and very ‘Space Opera’ rather than ‘gritty’. The game you see above - Siege of the Citadel in the Mutant Chronicles range - contains a shed load of material - over forty figures (28mm scale and moulded in hardish plastic), seven double sided map boards and a 3D central section so eight areas in total to fight over, all the cards  and dice etc required, together with a selection of scenarios, a campaign and some solo rules. The whole thing cost £40 and I reckon this is an absolute bargain - mainly for use with the other rulesets mentioned!

The back story of the game itself features several huge galaxy spanning corporations competing against each other and the ‘Dark Legion’ - a hell-spawned undead horde of monsters and such like and occupiers of the aforementioned citadel - think Space Hulk or similar. It looks like fun and I will certainly give it a go, especially with the solo option.


The bad guys

There is enough of a variety of figures to furnish a couple of Xenos Rampant forces as well as a good crew for Stargrave. All in all then,I like to think that this is a pretty sound investment that will indirectly furnish me with a few good options.












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8 comments:

  1. Jonathan Freitag26 February 2023 at 22:49

    Well, I was expecting a treatise on Liddell Hart!

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  2. David Crook27 February 2023 at 09:20

    Hi Jonathan,

    Gotcha! I merely borrowed the title to illustrate a point - that being that most wargamers can buy stuff with a view to using it for something potentially quite different. In this case I doubt I would have purchased this game purely for its own sake BUT….the potential for other, more preferable stuff is huge and at a cost that was very hard to resist. It is certainly a great box full of goodies!

    I will write about Liddell Hart later…. :-)

    All the best,

    DC

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  3. Elliesdad27 February 2023 at 17:23

    I often buy stuff with the intention of using it for … errr … well … something. Frequently something undecided.
    To be fair, you don’t always have to use stuff for its intended purpose. I will pick up suitably generic items that can be used elsewhere - or, if it has a very particular “look”, where I can explain it with a back story.
    Anyhow - you’ve made a purchase, you have “supported the hobby” and now you have more stuff to add to your pile. 😉
    Cheers,
    Geoff

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  4. Khusru27 February 2023 at 18:59

    Not bad for £50. It's twice that, and more, on eBay. I already have 60+ figures for Five Parsecs, so am unlikely to buy this. A shame, really.

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  5. David Crook28 February 2023 at 07:56

    Hi Elliesdad (aka Geoff),

    For sure the game itself has plenty of mileage and replay ability but for me the sum of the whole is bigger than the parts. I always ‘look through’ games to see what else they can be purposed for. More stuff on the pile? Absolutely!

    (There is a rather nice looking expansion I ave my eyes on as well….)

    All the best,

    DC

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  6. David Crook28 February 2023 at 08:07

    Hi Khusru,

    Mine was £40 and also included one of the kickstarter sets as well so I am well set up for Five Parsecs at the very least. As a game in its own right it has plenty going for it - not least of which having been designed by Richard Borg of Command and Colours fame - but I am keen to use the figures elsewhere when I can.

    A win all round really as £40 for 45 figures (50 including the kickstarter add ons) can only be keyed as a bargain in my opinion!

    All the best,

    DC

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  7. Geordie an Exiled FoG2 March 2023 at 00:09

    Naughty man .. you are making me all itchy .. for a bit of Sci Fi. Not heard of that game before but I will keep it on the "to watch for list" .. meanwhile I should reopen The Black Fortress from GW for a little Sci Fi dungeon space hack .. perhaps

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  8. David Crook2 March 2023 at 06:57

    Hello there Geordie,

    The whole ‘Mutant Chronicles’ universe has been around for some years and I believe that this iteration of Siege of the Citadel is the second edition with bells and whistles. Mordiphius in the UK support the line and ithe game is available from them for around £50 plus shipping. As mentioned the game itself has much to commend it in its own right but me being me wants to use it for many things other than that for which it was intended….

    I assume you mean Blackstone Fortress - a game about which I have heard many good things but have stayed away from.

    For now at least…. :-)

    Hope all is well with you old chap!

    All the best,

    DC

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