OT: Starsiege: Rebellion review (LONG).

Hello All:
	Well, after months of waiting, it finally came out.  Agents of
Gaming
entry into the sci-fi ground combat miniature game market: Starsiege:
Rebellion.  For those who don't know, Starsiege is based on the computer
game series produced by Sierra. Most of the action focus on the
mecha-like war machines called Hercs (Short for Hercules), and the wars
between the Human Empire and the computerized Cybrids.

Contents:
	The boxed set comes with the following:

	--A 96 page, full color rule book.
	--A sheet of command and control counters.
	--Reference sheets and a FAQ.
	--Vehicle Record Sheets
	--Artillery and special weapons templets.
	--4 Terrain Creation hills (Tough plastic covered with flock).
	--18 pewter miniatures (9 Imperial vehicles, 9 Cybrid.)
	--A set of dice.
	--A Starsiege computer game demo disk that also contains more 
background info.

Game Mechanics:
	Like most mirco-armor combat games, units in Rebellion are
organized
into squads that follow unit coherency rules.  The maxim distant that
units can be apart depends on the experience of the unit.  Movement is
very free form and can played with or without a hexmap.
	Initiative is worked out like this:  At the begining of each
turn a
player puts down a numbered turn counter in the order they want that
unit to activate.  Then each roll off to see which player get to
activate first.  During the course of a turn, a players field commander
can activate when he or she chooses.  The commander can even use their
action to alter the order of activation.
	Combat is resolved in a single roll of two dice.  One is a
"to-hit
dice" the other is a skill bonus die (anything from a d4 to a d12
depending on the experience level of the unit.).  If the attacker meets
or beats the target's Agility stat (plus or minus a few modifiers), a
hit is scored.	For each point over the Agility roll, there is potential
to do a point of damage to the vehicle. (e.g. If the vehicle's agility
is 8 and the attacker rolled a 10, then you may have scored 2 hits.) 
However, just because you hit a target doesn't mean you damaged it.  All
vehicles have a screen and/or armor rating, and each weapon effects
force fields and armor differently.  (An autocannon is chews up armor
but is worthless against screens, a laser weapons is just the
opposite.)  To your die roll you add the either the weapon's screen or
armor damage factor.  Again, if the amount is equal to or greater than
the vehicles screen/armor level drops.	If there is no more protection,
the vehicle itself takes damage.  Also, if the amount of damage exceeds
a vehicle's critical level, then internal systems will be destroyed.
	Moral is handled in much the same way, roll two dice and if the
meets
or succeeds a certain level, the squadron stays.  If not, the first
failure results in a "pin."  If an attempt to rally fails, the unit is
routed and heads off the board, unless it can regain its composure.
	The rules also mention infantry and air vehicles, but they will
be
covered in the first Starsiege supplement.
	
Review:
	This game is fantastic.  I tried it at last year's GenCon, and I
was
impressed on how fast and easy game play worked out.  Once we got things
figured out, a group of 10 could play out a turn in about 10-15
minutes.  The aspect I was most impressed with was with combat.  Unlike
other mecha combat games I could name (cough... Battletech... cough), if
you rolled right, you could wipe out an enemy vehicle with a single
shot.  
	My only gripe with the rules is that they come up short with
other
units.	I was hoping that the GROPO and aircraft rules would be
included.  However, I am more than willing to schill out more for these
rules when they do come out.
	The miniatures included in the set are a little larger than DSII
scale:	N-scale the box said.  The Imperial minis (1 Minotaur Herc, 4
Talon Scout Hercs, 4 Obsidian Hover Tanks) were well cast and easy to
assemble.  So far, I've got the Minotaur painted in my basic dark brown
scheme with a "shark mouth" painted under the canopy.  One of my
Obsidian's bears the image of a Templar's Shield.
	However, most of the cybrid models (1 Shepherd Herc, 4 Seeker
Scout
Hercs, and 4 Vindicator Hover Tanks) were VERY difficult to put
together.  The Seekers have tiny fins that must be individually glued to
the hull.  The legs are separate parts that put the model in a running
stance with on foot in the air.  However, once you got them together
you'll find that they are we'll worth the effort.

Is it worth it?:
	Starsiege Rebellion is well worth the $60 US.  The rules are
great, and
you get enough quality (although occasionally frustrating to assemble)
figures  to get a basic game going.  I give it four out a possible 5
stars.
-- 
Later,
Mark A. Siefert

	"Down came the glitches and burned us in ditches,
	and we slept after eating our dead."

E-MAIL: cthulhu@csd.uwm.edu		WWW: http://www.uwm.edu/~cthulhu
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