Scrappers: Post-Apocalyptic Skirmish Wargames

Played this today for the first time. Used a board covered in ruins -played on a 3 x 3 board rather than the recommended 4 x 4, and reduced the number of scrap tokens proportionately (I wanted to use one of my fancy game mats).After a couple of turns the rules mechanics become very intuitive, and the turns picked up speed and passed very quickly. Even with a lot of cover, ranged combat is absolutely deadly. Whatever you do don't leave anyone not in cover - a mistake my opponent made on turn two.We modified the scrap token setup, as the rules as written would allow you to place them all quite close to your own baseline - which wouldn't make for much of a game. We essentially placed them all in the central band of the table, which worked much better as the risks had to be balanced very finely. With starter gangs you start taking rout checks if you lose 2 figures, so if you're not careful the game could be very short.Nobody actually made it into melee combat, though we came close at one point. The random event changed the nature of the game (as its meant to), when a radiation patch caused both sides to scatter in an area which had two scrap tokens nearby.We liked this, and will be playing it again. The survival after game rules can be quite harsh, so I suggest that you forgo them for your first game as you will both be making numerous tactical mistakes.

The background was good and the system looked solid. There was good coverage of the twisted scapes of the world and the multiple groups competing but, for a post-apocalyptic game book, it was a bit limited. The focus was on humans and robots or cyborgs and little else so if you were looking for lots of mutations - not here. The equipment was good if limited but it had enough range to give you an idea for more and how to "price" it. This was a competitive game and thus was not interested in random mutations or creations, restricting the range.

SCRAPPERS uses Robert A. Faust's flexible BRINK OF BATTLE Miniatures Skirmish rules as the foundation for small scale battles in an entertaining post-apocalyptic milieu. Where BRINK OF BATTLE provided rules that attempted to emulate small scale skirmishes throughout human history, and would allow for time-travel battles for those so inclined, SCRAPPERS adds features designed to evoke a strong sense of setting. The combination of solid rules, excellent and inspirational artwork, and crystal clear illustrated example of the game's central concepts have made this a permanent resident on my Table Top Minis bookshelf.

Makes for fun games, but not the easiest set of rules to get into, and could have done with a index, as some game terms are mentioned long before they're explained.If you're new to wargaming, try some other systems first to get your feet wet. If you're a gaming veteran then you should dive right in.

The setting isn't quite what I had in mind when I saw "Post-Apocalyptic". It's less "Mad Max" and more "advanced technological future has apocalypse".That said, it's well made and well written. I'd get a different product from the same author. This one just wasn't what I was looking for.