From: "Patrick Dolan" Subject: Starship Troopers Review Okay, since nobody else has reviewed this, _I'll_ do it...:) I don't know what connection this new version of Starship Troopers may or may not have with the original (never played it), but I'd guess there isn't much. Everything in the box comes straight from the movie. I bought my copy for $29, and here's what I got: A 16 page rulebook (terrain chart on back cover, twelve scenarios scattered throughout), two folding map boards (linkable in pretty much any way), a bunch of two-sided color counters/map pieces (different elements on each side) some d6's, four player reference cards and a bunch of nifty clear plastic pieces with color pictures on one side (they go into slot bases for play) The instructions are pretty clear (the game isn't terribly complicated), and you are walked through each addition to the basic rules, ending with a new scenario to play. We haven't really come across any rules questions, so it seems bug-free (so to speak). Games take place on the surface of the planet, or in the bug tunnels (shown as light gray lines snaking unobtrusively across the map). Multiple elevation levels are used for some scenarios (extra craters and hills can be provided with the map pieces) as are lava patches, acid pools, boulder strewn areas, egg clutches, an MI base, etc (again, all provided with the use of map pieces). Various victory conditions are used (get off the board, close X bug holes, rescue wounded VIP's, etc) and all seem to work well with the rules. The forces are pretty varied, but not exceptionally so. The Mobile Infantry forces are pretty uniform, with a couple exceptions. One MI trooper carries a tactical nuke "bazooka" that vaporizes _anything_ it hits (but it has limited ammo). Another trooper has a longer range with his gun, one has a "dying attack" that allows him to try and take a bug with him, etc. Additional forces are available with various scenarios (chain gun emplacement, drop ship guns, air support, etc). The bugs are pretty much exclusively close combat (surprise!), but they have units that can ignore terrain (hoppers), and a few longer range combatants (four, two of which basically use nukes...very nasty). All total, each side only fields about 8-10 units each (bugs can go up to 12+). Gameplay is very fast and simple. MI moves, Bugs move, MI attacks, Bugs attack, repeat. The fact that they get to fire first is pretty much the _only_ thing that seems to save the MI. While moving, they only get two dice to attack with, the bugs always get three. Both sides need a 3 or less to cause a hit, on average.The MI save on a 1 or 2, bugs can go up to a 5 (warriors get a 1 or 2, so there's still plenty of cannon fodder), Tilting things more in favor of the bugs is the fact that any bugs in the "dead" pile (_only_ the bugs you started the scenario with go to the dead pile, not "unused" bugs) are brought back into play as reinforcements (one per open bug hole on the board). A nice touch is that pretty much every attack allows you to roll two or more dice. This gives you a better feeling of accomplishing something given the limited number of figures and very high casualty rates (if you get hit, you are almost certainly dead). Another nice touch is the color-coding of both the bugs and the MI forces, making it very easy to split up and play multiplayer (also adds strategic value, as bugs can only come back from appropriately color-coded bug holes). Advanced rules allow for ammo jams, clearing of bug holes (very hard to do) and splitting attacks between two opponents. All the MI troopers (apart from "Nuke") are actual characters from the film (ten all total; they even list their various fates in the instructions, so beware if you want to be "surprised" at the movie). Fourteen bug counters are present, representing 5 types of bugs (every type in the movie except the big cockroaches). Overall, it's a fun game. It plays VERY quickly (we blew through three matches in about a half hour-45 minutes) and it's presented well. Reminds me of the old Steve Jackson "pocket" games, but with prettier packaging and components. We're having fun with it, and I'm even going to look at the MicroMachines Starship Troopers bugs tomorrow to see if they're the right scale to fit in the hexes...:)