Tabletop_Gaming__April_2019

POWER SUPPLY

IV

SCORCHING BEAM

I

In a region

with UFO unit

REAP

IV

Destroy 1 unprotected Civilians token

in a region containing a Tripod

Move any 1 Tripod unit to an adjacent land region

PLASMA SYNTHESIS

V

POISONOUS FOG

III

In a land region adjacent

to a Tripod unit.

During next turn Humans player

cannot use attacking abilities

of buildings in that region!

NERVE AGENT

II

In a land region containing

a Tripod unit. During next turn

Humans units and Civilians tokens

cannot leave that region!

INFRASOUND

II

In a land region adjacent

to a Tripod unit. Move 1 Humans Army

unit from this region to an adjacent

non-hostile region.

FRIGHTENING SOUND

II

In a land region containing

a Tripod unit. During next turn

Humans units and Civilians tokens

cannot enter that region!

In a land region containing

a Tripod unit. During next turn

Humans units and Civilians tokens

cannot enter that region!

ALIEN ABDUCTION

I

Destroy 1 Civilians token in a region

with UFO unit (even if it’s protected)! with UFO unit (even if it’s protected)!

Move any 1 UFO unit

to an adjacent region.

Destroy 1 Civilians token in a region

with UFO unit (even if it’s protected)! with UFO unit (even if it’s protected)!

UFO

II

Move 1 UFO unit up to 2 regions

In a region with UFO unit

Move 1 UFO unit up to 2 regions

In a region with UFO unit

Move 1 UFO unit up to 2 regionsMove 1 UFO unit up to 2 regions

TRIPOD

III

Move 1 Tripod unit

to an adjacent land region

In a region with Tripod unit

In a region with Tripod unit

In a region with Tripod unitIn a region with Tripod unitIn a region with Tripod unit

In a region with Tripod unitIn a region with Tripod unitIn a region with Tripod unit

In a region with Tripod unitIn a region with Tripod unit

PLASMA REACTOR

II

You gain an extra per turn

II

PARTICLE GENERATOR

You gain an extra per turn

NERVE AGENTNERVE AGENT

Move 1 Humans Army

ALIEN FACTORY

I

Tripod units’ attack power

is increased by

56 April 2019

WAR OF THE WORLDS: THE NEW WAVE

no less. One player takes control of the

technologically advanced Martian invaders

attempting to spread their control from their

landing zone in Scotland, forcing their way

south in an eort to completely annihilate

Great Britain’s remaining civilians. e other

commands the human resistance forces of

the nation, desperately trying to deal enough

damage to drive the aliens away before all

hope is lost.

“It’s currently a duel game, as in the

classic story: humans versus aliens,”

says Plastinin. “By developing the

game for two players, we managed to

achieve good balance and very high

gameplay dynamics. e downtime is

absolutely minimal and during all 40

to 60 minutes of play both players are

totally involved.”

With the human and alien forces having

such wildly dierent weaponry and tactics

at their disposal, the players’ separate

decks of cards are equally distinct. Both

sides start with a starting deck of ten cards;

in typical deckbuilder fashion, from there it’s

up to them which cards they purchase from

an available ‘oer’ row and add to their deck,

steadily increasing their power and customising

their strategy to overcome the enemy.

e cards provide resources and abilities

that. e human player might relocate civilians

to avoid marauding Martians, making use of

barrage balloons, the army and Royal Navy

to bombard the aliens. e extraterrestrial

attackers, meanwhile, can unleash UFOs and

fearsome tripods as they rampage through the

countryside, leaving towns and villages – and

their inhabitants – little more than scorched earth.

“We tried to let the players really feel the

dierence in the game’s atmosphere, playing

as one of the sides,” says Shamolin. “Each side

of the conict has its own tactical and strategic

opportunities. ey have dierent targets,

dierent economy, units, buildings, kinds of

attacks and inuence. Almost each part of the

playing experience is dierent.”

Humanity’s last-minute stay of execution

thanks to Earthly pathogens and a hefty dose

of luck in Wells’ original story doesn’t exactly

bode well for its chances this time around –

it’s hard to see as many players relishing the

chance to play the side facing near-impossible

odds. Plastinin insists that although each

side’s deck and options stays faithful to

their depiction in the narrative, when

it comes to gameplay both forces begin

on a level playing eld.

“While developing the game, we were

constantly facing balance issues for one

or the other side of the conict; we had

to change abilities and numbers on the

cards often and start testing both decks

anew, again and again, in dierent

variations,” he says. “e playing board

was also adding lots of variations

during the tests, and so the borders

and the board concept itself also had

to be redrawn several times. But still, the most

dierent part was to create two balanced

and asymmetrical decks of the factions. As a

result, the game underwent more than 500 test

games, and now we’re condent to say that

we’re nally happy with the result.”

The game

underwent more

than 500 test games,

and now we’re fi nally

happy with the result.