So our club tried out the 5150 Star Army rules last night. I enjoyed it more than I had the previous edition, but I also won this time, so that might have something to do with it. We actually played two games next to each other on the same table. A 1on1 and a 1on2. Each player had around 16-25 figures.
Here's some pics of our game:
http://www.meetup.com/Chicago-Skirmish-Wargames/photos/3386572/
I didn't notice much difference in the rules between this and the last version (which I only played once) but it did seem to go a bit quicker.
Here's some observations.
1) There is not points system. I think there used to be a points system, but no longer. This is not a game that will play in tournaments or function well in a pickup game between strangers.
2) Due to #1, this is really a game that needs both player to talk about what kind of game they want to play ahead of time.
3) Shooting is deadly, and charging into close combat is usually not a good idea. This is huge for someone coming from
40k which has more in common with fantasy than with "real" Sci-Fi combat.
4) You need lots of terrain for this game! Due to #3, open lanes of fire are especially deadly.
5) The amount of control you have over your troops is much less than most games. Almost all the strategy involves tactical movement of troops. Once they come into contact the "chain reaction" system, and your dice rolls on it, largely dictates whether they fire, flee, dive for cover, etc. It does make the turn go longer, but more happens per turn and the game doesn't take too many turns. I wasn't keeping track, but the game probably took less than 8 turns.
6) As expected with a company called "Two Hour Wargames" the game took about 2 hours.
7) This is a game that absolutely needs senarios or objectives. A simple game of destroy the other player can drag on for a while as you try to dig out a few remaining holdouts.
8) The "chain reaction" system should not be thought of as just an overwatch mechanic. An overwatch mechanic usually simply lets a player reserve or forgo an action to snipe at a figure when they appear. The Chain reaction system requires no reserve of action, happens everytime two groups of figures come into visual contact, and doesn't stop until one group is dead, or retreated into cover!
All in all I had a good time. WarEngine is still my favorite Sci-Fi ruleset, but it's a comletely different experience and feels more like Sci-Fantasy (Close combat is quite effective) than 5150. 5150 Star Army provides a much more realistic gaming experience and I look forward to playing it again. I think 5150 will absolutey shine when we incorporate some senarios. Because you can't just charge in, senarios concepts like last holdout, rescue the hostage, hold the objective, and senarios with mismatched forces will prove much more interesting than games like
40k where the rules encourage you to run across open fields and into close combat.
