As part of the 2013 hobby shopping list, Zombicide is high on the agenda. However, unlike Dreadball, Zombicide wasn't on the shelf of my local games store...
Mantic's Dreadball is the first of it's kind to come along and truly challenge Blood Bowl for the tabletop fantasy sports game crown. It says a lot that it's taken so many years for a viable contender to step up to the plate as competition. And Mantic should be applauded for having the balls to do so.
And to their credit, Mantic and the game's author Jake Thornton, haven't rehashed Bloodbowl. No, they've released something that can stand on it's own two feet as an original game in a fully realised fantasy world of it's own. If Orx smashing Dwarfs for possession of a ball are the link between the games, then that's where the similarities end...
Set in Mantic's sci-fi world of Warpath and it's autocratic Co-Prosperity Sphere, great Corporations sponsor teams of humans and aliens alike, to play in the galaxy's most popular and brutal sport. A sport which is fast paced and fluid, with both teams attempting to score 'strikes' into one of their opponents three scoring zones. Critically, if a team succeeds in scoring, the ball is quickly recycled back onto the pitch opening up the potential for quick counter attacks and rapid changes in scoreline. The positioning of your players and thinking several turns ahead can therefore play a critical role...
But more importantly, what's in the box? Well, for around £40 Dreadball certainly feels like good value for money. Encased in a rather large shiny box you get a smart looking fold out pitch, assorted cards, counters and dice, a glossy rule book and of course, two teams of Dreadball players...
I have to say, the rule book is excellent. Feeling a bit like one of GW's old soft bound codex releases, you're clearly getting your money's worth. The quality and high level production shine through and it's content and accessible writing style does an equally good job of ensuring the rules feel familiar. Beyond the main and advanced rules, there are also sections on referees, exhibition and league play, player and team progression (supported by the roster pad) and the opportunity to introduce MVPs into your games...
Next up, we have an assortment of tokens for representing team actions, score and rush tracking. As well as 18 dice - 6 each of white 'Home Team', red 'Visitor Team' and blue 'Coaching Dice'. It has to be said that unlike the rule book, these game elements are unacceptably below par. Sure, they certainly won't ruin your game, but the tokens are printed on card stock that is no better than a cereal packet and I've seen better quality dice in a Christmas cracker. As gamers, we're sure to have enough dice lying around to resolve the latter issue and at least Mantic have seen sense (via funding from the first Kickstarter) to release replacement acrylic tokens which are of a much better quality.
Thankfully the playing cards are up to standard, representing fan support, referee movement, game events and player special abilities. The pitch itself comes on a great looking fold out game board, with the artwork representing the neon lighting that is synonymous with Dreadball pitches, particularly well. It's worth mentioning that beyond the core game there are a number of alternate pitch options available from Mantic, available in acrylic and MDF varieties...
Finally, we have the minis: 10 x Corporation Players (4 Strikers, 4 Jacks, 2 Guards), 10 x Marauder Players (6 x Jacks, 4 Guards), 1 x Referee and 2 x balls.
The first thing to note is that they are somewhat smaller than your average GW 'heroic' scale mini - more akin to true 28mm. This does not detract however from the quality and detail of the sculpts, with a range of characterful and dynamic poses. The plastic utilised by Mantic is of a softer variety than GW and as such, any cleaning of mold lines is best done with a 'cut' as opposed to a 'scrape'. The minis are also multi-part (legs / arms) and require a basic set of modelling skills to be utilised, with super glue being your weapon of choice when constructing these bad boys...
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| L to R: Corporation Guard, Ref-Bot, Marauder Guard and Jack |
When I picked up the main game, I also couldn't resist picking up the remaining two first wave teams - The Forge Father Midgard Delvers and the those sneaky Veer-myn, the Skittersneak Steelers. I like the way Mantic have packaged their minis, with the box effectively acting as a storage case once they've been assembled and painted. In this regard, teams can be picked off the shelf and transported to their next game with ease...
So, in summary, the Dreadball core game is a winner. The production value of the counters and dice aside, the game represents both excellent value for money and a dynamic and engaging game. If you've been tempted by Dreadball and have so far been resisting the urge, I'd highly recommend you give it a go.
Importantly, Mantic haven't rested on their laurels when it comes to expanding on their initial release. The Season 2 Kickstarter surpassed it's funding goal to the tune of $730k, bringing another four teams to the game and a whole host of additional MVPs. Further to this, Jake Thornton and the Mantic team have already announced the pending release of the 3rd and 4th expansions to the game: Ultimate Dreadball and Dreadball Xtreme...
Until next time :)
