Today I couldn't be more excited to be reviewing a new game currently up on Kickstarter by a Canadian company; Close Quarter Battle by Strategies Games Lab.
First up before I get into the review proper two bits of disclosure. Darren at Strategies was good enough to send me a reference and review copy and I have been one of the play-testers on the game throughout most of it's development. That out of the way, let's get into it.
What is CQB?
Close Quarter Battle is a near modern (a bit more late 80s than current day) miniature skirmish game that is designed for light fun narrative games coupled with a competitive system rooted in the RPG tournament modules of the past. If you like 80's action movies, ripped from the headlines scenarios, fluid fast game mechanics, and a scoring system that works without sacrificing narrative game style this is the game for you. In a typical battle one player takes on the role of 2 elite operatives attempting to achieve their objective against a second player controlling the opposing forces of a cartel, or paramilitary group, or unfriendly foreign power. For competitive play once the scenario is complete the two players switch sides and victory is determine by which player scores a higher victory point total while playing as the operatives. What I find great about this system for competitive play is that it effectively eliminates the needs for two forces to be balanced against each other in a given scenario as whether the scenario is beneficial to either the operatives or their opponents each player has an equal chance of success.
Why should I play CQB?
In addition to it's fresh take on competitive miniature play it's in game action is very different than any other modern miniatures game I've played. Each miniature has a basic skill level, when performing a skilled action characters of a higher skills level have a greater chance to generate successes, in addition when a model is the target of an attack the likelihood of the attack being successful factor in both the attacker's skill level (number of dice) and defender's skill (determining the base number to hit). This mechanic is incredibly simple but on the tabletop really gives the 'feeling' of an action hero effortlessly cutting a swath through a pile of green troops, while walking through a hail of bullets just hoping there isn't one lucky one out there with your operative's name on it. It also has the net impact of having two completely different playstyles in the same game. In my experience the operative player is always trying to manage probability, while the opposing player is trying to manage resources. The game moves very quickly and for a game using dice in the dozens of games I have played I only found the swing of die rolls to be a deciding factor on their own merit when one player had either exceptionally good or exceptionally bad die rolls. I think anyone can pick up the basics of this game in about 10-15 minutes and be playing an engaging game right away.
Why should I buy CQB?
Miniature games being a visual medium means the overall look is important, and CQB hits it out of the park. Starting with the rulebook the art is amazingly well done, evocative of the setting and translated perfectly to the game's miniatures. Gameplay is illustrated both through diagrams as will as high quality miniature photography that makes rules clear and easy to understand, as well as making scenario set up easy and intuitive. But the heart and soul of any miniatures game is (in my opinion) the miniatures, not the game. CQBs launch sees the release of 25 new and unique miniatures that not only make excellent playing pieces for CQB but will also fit into an untold number of other modern and near future miniature games. These are the kinds of miniatures that I will be re-using for a ton of different games that I'm currently playing.
My overall thoughts
It's not bias but obviously when you playtest a game and give feedback which is taken on board that means there are bound to be a lot of elements a play-tester is going to approve of. Having said that the core mechanics Darren started with were a really strong bold choice that made the game flow extremely well right from the start. One of the key principles of good game design is that a game should be easy to learn but difficult to master, CQB can be learned in minutes, but every game I play win or lose I come up with new tactical options. I find that I'm actually making my decisions based on the action on the table itself rather than the meta of the rules. For anyone considering a modern miniatures game there's no question in my mind that CQB and it's fantastic model range are both must buys.
But don't just take my word for it
Check out Guerrilla Miniature Games review of CQB at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE_tW2TOlJU&t=361s
Where to get it
Back the Kickstarter at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/closequarterbattle/close-quarter-battle-the-miniature-wargame
One last thing
I just want to say that I truly believe there are not enough unique brave new launches in the world of hobby gaming as many of us tread the familiar and the comfortable. I think it would be great if more of us would jump in and reward a creator who's trying to give us something new and different of an unbelievably high level of quality.
Thanks as always for reading
-Jay
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