Thoughts on Kriegbot

This is mostly a cut and paste job from TOS, but I wanted to mention that Kriegbot is perhaps the purest instantiation of Modern Ameritrash in existence. It has cool minis (if you provide them) awesome theme and great weapons. The game is also smart and fun.

bought Kriegbot because it was cheap and as a former Car Wars player I've been looking for something to fill that void in my life. Unfortunately, like many games I buy, I read the rules a few times and couldn't get anyone to play it, so it sat languishing in my closet while a single tear trickled down my face. Fortunately, I attended a different game group last night and someone brought it out and we managed to convince the other players to give it a go. Their eyes glazed over a little bit as MarkH went over the rules, but once we designed our ships and started playing FUN WAS HAD. Some thoughts:

- This game is brutal--just surviving is an accomplishment

- Suicide nukes are great fun

- We played the "kill the human pilot" scenario, and they totally fooled us. "Of course they're going to stick him in the robocar" I wrongly guessed.

- web forums need a bulleted lists tool

- There is something hilarious about the way the units are named and they get funnier as the evening progresses. "Ok, it's robocar's turn. Go robocar!"

- "These guys all work at NASA. There is some serious science in here."

- The weapons and systems are so cool

- It's like Galaxy Trucker for Ameritrashers

- The game isn't just a violent dice fest--there is all kinds of smartness hidden in the design

- Once they find out you've got the bazooka pilot in the back of your robospider, nobody is going to get withing one hex of that bazooka, and you won't have the ability to turn and point your bazooka rear at the enemy

- It is harder to sit in the corner and snipe people than I thought. They get angry and come after you, and that railgun needs a turn to reset itself.

- MarkH, our host, gets a fiendish look on his face when he lights you on fire

- Destroying the tv station when the other team is composed of new players is cruel

- Sierra Madre should simplify the game a little, call it "Terminator: Salvation" and make a bazillion dollars

- The game felt really immersive, especially with the mechwarrior minis

- There is a great deal of pleasure to be had from revealing your secret weapon choices

- I should have brought my laser level for resolving LOS questions

- Mechwarrior minis add a lot to the game

There was much laughter and trash talking. This is why I game. I don't know if everyone had a universally great time, especially people that suicide nuked or got crippled earlier in the game, but hopefully it will play quickly enough in the future that this won't matter as much.

I was also impressed that, after the rules explanation, we played a six-person game in about 90 minutes. I hope I can teach enough people the game so that we can play it frequently in the future.

I've never heard of this game but it sounds fuckin' awesome. Thanks!

Here's the game's site: www.kriegbot.com/home.html

I've only read the rules so far, but it's promising to be a blast to play. Well worth looking into.

this looks fascinating, it's about time i bought a new game and this looks like it will be the one.

This game looks flippin sweet! well, except for the actual graphics...

Thanks for the post - something like this would easily be lost to many of us in the expanse of BGG. Look forward to your next one.

Thank you. What an amazing find! $30, too. Nice!

A link to the rules: www.sierramadregames.com/downloads/KriegBot_Rules_10_05_08.pdf

Great write-up.

I own this, but haven't played it yet. The rules read very well though. There's a lot of smart stuff in there.

One of my favorite mechanisms is how, as your power plant gets damaged, you slow down and it becomes easier to hit you.

So if your movement is "8", the attacker has to roll an eight to hit you. If it slows down to four, then they have to roll a four or higher, making you an easier target.

Ska_baron wrote:

This game looks flippin sweet! well, except for the actual graphics...

LOL. I love the custom minis that come with it. They somehow add rather than subtract from the charm.

Love the dot point approch - as a man who no good be english I'll have to give it a go.

Something about this game skimming the rules feels very 80s old skool. I'll have to give it a go.

Yeah, a friend of mine said the same thing--this looks like an eighties game--it's like they're paying homage.

How do we stick images in threads, btw?