so this is pretty awesome

Every once in a while the folks who publish games come out with something so suited to my idiosyncratic tastes that I can only assume they're making it specifically for me. Case in point: the new book Klingon Armada. Dan Kast takes his excellent Starmada spaceship minis rules and applies them to the alterna-Trek universe of Star Fleet Battles. To me that is so like peanut butter and chocolate that I never thought it would come to pass. Starmada is either the best or second best starship minis game I've ever encountered, Full Thrust being the other competitor for the top spot. The Starmada Compedium is one of my favorite game books ever. I own three copies, for frig's sake! Meanwhile, the Star Fleet Universe takes The Original Series and makes it bigger and more militant, so as to justify more and larger space battles. Kapow!

It's not a completely flawless book. I was hoping for a ship silhouette on the spaceship stat cards. And while the mini-campaign in the book is aces, an additional scenario or two (especially a training fight) would be nice. Stats for Tholian ships without web-shooters is just plain weird. And I don't understand why PDFs of the ship cards are six bucks at e23 rather than a free download. For six bucks I would expect to get the whole dang game, the hard copy is only seventeen. Still, as a launching point for seeking out new lifeforms and new civilizations and then blowing them straight to hell, this book totally works.

If you like SFB or the old FASA Trek ship game but want something sleeker and better suited to bigass fleet actions, I heartily suggest checking out Klingon Armada. Get it from your friendly local game store or buy one here. Or before you buy, check out this free download of the basic Starmada rules that Klingon Armada is built upon.

Federation Commander

The folks responsible for Star Fleet Battles have come up with a new faster-playing, cut down version of the game. Called Federation Commander, it promises better play for larger scale conflict in SFB's oddball alt-Trek universe. The official website makes it look like they've kicked production values up a notch as well. Check out this fullcolor Ship System Display:

That's still more complicated than a lot of spaceship gamers want, but it sure looks like an improvement to me. There's a thirty four page demo rulebook available for download here.

Leonard McCoy is not putting up with your crap

Space Seed was on this morning. I love this exchange with a newly-awakened Khan.

Bones: Well, either choke me or cut my throat. Make up your mind.

Khan: Where am I?

Bones: You're in bed, holding a knife at your doctor's throat.

Dr. Leonard McCoy has so meditated upon the Tao of the Grumpy Old Man that when confronted by a megalomaniacal ubermensch with a knife he's able to turn his crankiness into an impenetrable shield of badassery. Respect the Bones.