BattleScars is a high impact tabletop minis game featuring vehicles with hot-swapping components and scalable gameplay.
HIGHLIGHTS
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Hot-Swap Equipment: Change vehicle configuration during the game.
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No Factions: Choose from all models to assemble your team.
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Initiative Bidding: Use cards to influence activation order.
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Meaningful Bounce-back: Remaining units are able to do more as your fleet is reduced.
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Simplified Resource Management: Easy-to-use bandwidth leads to deep resource management strategy.
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Scalable Gameplay: Supports small skirmishes up to full scale campaigns.
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It all started when the Earth’s wealthiest corporations left behind their home planet and ventured into space. Freed from the bonds of Earth — along with the regulations of any government — the fortunes of these corporations skyrocketed.
Inevitably, these behemoths clashed, bruising each other, and the corporations fielded high-tech security forces to protect their investments — and, sometimes, to claim those of others. This soon escalated into an all-out battle that left all sides damaged if not destroyed. In the end, only the scavengers won.
These battles managed to erupt into resource-sinks that cost all of the corporations involved far more than they were worth waging. It didn’t take much for their boards to realize that continuing to rocket down such a path would soon mean bankruptcy for them all.
To that end, they formalized their conflicts by establishing a set of rules for them by which every major corporation agreed to abide. Under these rules, any time there was a disagreement between corporations, they would settle it through a formalized battle, into which each side would send a small team of a certain pre-arranged power and size. The winner of the combat prevailed in the dispute.
Today, what started off as a means of conflict resolution has become the most popular sport in the galaxy, and it’s known by the name of the fields on which it’s fought: BattleScars.
Setup
Players start by setting up the Event including: choosing over 10 different objectives, vehicle points, time limit and setting up the board. Game size can be set to match your available time and desired pace.
Skirmishes
Skirmishes typically involve 2-5 units and feature fast paced gameplay as players seek to score the most points in the time limit. These Events, have an almost arena sports feel - but with guns! BattleScars Core box is perfect for this exciting style of gameplay.
Massive Battles
If it is War you want....BattleScars supports that as well. Build massive teams with dedicated units for alpha strikes, support and defense or create an incredibly flexible force ready to adapt to your opponent. BattleScars Expanded supports large campaigns and massive tournaments.
BattleScars Expanded will be an optional pledge in the Kickstarter Campaign.
Building a Team
Players take turns selecting which vehicles will make up their vehicle core. Options include everything from light tanks to massive Warhorses, the flagships of BattleScars. Both players select from the same pool of vehicles - there are no factions in BattleScars!
Warhorses
Warhorses are the key vehicles in the game, very much like a floating battleship. These vehicles are made up of multiple sections which can have towers attached to provide offensive, defensive, and support actions. These vehicles typically are the core to any successful team.
Heavy Units and Squads
Supporting the Warhorses are large vehicles including armored trucks, mechs, and air support. Several of these can equip towers allowing them to be configured to your play style. Squads offer impressive flexibility and remain effective until the last member falls
Upgrade Towers
Once the Vehicle Core is set, various equipment is chosen to configure many of the vehicles. Equipment can be for offensive, defensive or support. Equipment is represented by a stat card and physical model, in the form of a tower, that can be placed on the vehicle. With each physical model representing a type and range of upgrade tower, you can focus on the combat area instead of your opponents cards. During combat, players can swap equipment on their vehicles to change up strategy. Be careful however, equipment can also be destroyed when a vehicle takes too much damage.
Team Captains
Once vehicles and upgrades are chosen, the player can select a Team Captain. These captains provide a unique flare to your team and can be the edge you need for victory offering bonus actions each round and a one time special action.
Gameplay
Initiative Cards
Used for activation, these cards create an interesting bidding strategy. Players select a card from their hand which is then flipped simultaneously. Lowest number wins initiative and players choose a unit to activate.
Activations
Each vehicle has a combination of power-up, movement, and engagement phases which can vary between vehicle types. These phases along with the loadouts make each vehicle feel extremely unique.
Movement
There are 2 general movement methods; freeform and base-template movement. Boost actions, use templates and increase your speed offering key defensive bonuses, while repositions provide more finite control, but at a potential cost.
Attacking
Weapons fall into 3 categories, short, medium and long range, each represented by a different 3D model. The flexible dice in Battlescars allow for a variety attacks providing a wide range of damage potential, hit chances, and even additional effects.
Damage and Damage Events
Damage stacks up until it equals the armor value causing the vehicle to suffer a critical. The attacker then rolls for a Damage Event which can cause additional damage, reduce actions, and even destroy an upgrade tower!
Bounce-Back Mechanic
In BattleScars, all is not lost when a unit is destroyed. The "Bounce-Back" mechanic offers the impacted player bonus resources that can help close the gap and stay in the game.
Victory!
The team that scores the most points both through strength of arms and objectives.
No Factions!
In BattleScars, there are no factions so you are free to choose from all the models to assemble your team. The game does feature manufacturers, much like present day car companies. Each manufacturer has some unique design directions in their vehicles.
Vanguard
Designers of the first Warhorse and focus production on making it a balance of power and flexibility. The Titan, their most popular vehicle, offers a unique 3 tower setup allowing the Warhorse to fit more than one role at a time. Vanguard offers several support squads to compliment the Warhorse. Support towers are a common option making the Warhorse and Squad work as one with devastating results.
Kodiak
Focused on vehicles, Kodiak offers several heavily armored vehicles. The Bulldog, a staple for most teams, offers the flexibility of equipping an upgrade tower. While the stalkers are a small flexible squad that can pack a punch if left uncontested. The Condor heavy gunship provides support and offers impressive firepower of its own.
Lancer
Often seen as the elite, these high tech machines are full of advanced technology such as built in shields and targeting systems. One of the latest advances is the quad legged heavy assault mech. This unit blurs the line between heavy support unit and Warhorse making it in high demand. The Lancer light mechs, Charge and Drift, are often chosen by those wanting to make a name for themselves focusing on individual effort. Those that learn how to be a team player in such a vehicle are terrifying.
Details
Here is a look at the model assembly, scale, and bases. We designed the bases to be reversible allowing every model to be used by either player. They are pre-marked with letters for each squad member and duplicate of units to reduce setup time and confusion
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Models are based on 1.25" hexes and also work with 33mm.
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All bases cardboard is reversible so all models can be used for either player.
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Each cardboard base is individually marked for easier tracking.
Expanded
There is also options to add additional bases which include more Dark\Light cardboard bases and an alternate color set for 3-4 player events!
Beyond the Box...
BattleScars is ready play right out of the box, however with a quick visit to your local hobby store, you can add so much more to the game. Painting ships may seem daunting, but with just a few colors and a good wash to add some grime, you can easily bring some additional life to the models. Also, a few simple terrain pieces can add a ton of feel to the game. See what our team did with a very low budget and even some 1st time painters!
A Paladin Jet Squad moves in to assist a Lancer Assault Mech
This Charger Light Mech might be a little outgunned!
