First look at Stargrave
We have received a preview copy of Stargrave through the post. While we will do a full review in WS&S 114, I thought I'd give a quick preview of the book here. Our copy did not last long before being whisked away by the reviewer!
Yes, the rules are for the most part "Frostgrave in Spaaaaccceee!" but the concept of the game is more like in concept like Ghost Archipelago than the original Frostgrave. This isn't just a Psyker and apprentice roaming a frozen spaceport looking for loot, it's a whole lot more.
Each player controls a ship's crew, led by a Captain and a First Mate. This definitely has shades of Firefly and the original Rogue Trader 40k background, and both are welcome. Osprey and North Star have provided full details of the crews previewed here:
Thankfully, the author Joseph McCulloch has thought ahead and given plenty of flexibility in the design of the crews. You can have a Captain who specialises in one background and a first mate who has another. Hmm so I could have a rogue smuggler with a furry biomorph sidekick? Or maybe a mystic complete with veteran bodyguard in full combat armour <cue Madalorian theme music>?
The 'carbine' seems to be the standard sidearm in the game, which has a 24" range. There's pistols and Players might be concerned that the game will just turn into a shooting match, well the author thought of that. The sound of shooting attracts monsters and ne'er-do-wells, so it is both players' interests to keep shooting to a minimum or face ever increasing waves of intruders.
There are specialist weapons, such as grenade launchers, flamers and repeaters, but that's as heavy as they get. There are no anti armour weapons, presumably because there are no vehicles or large combat robots. So leave your melta cannons at home, you won't be needing them!
Given the cool background and Frostgrave-esque mechanics, I can see this game doing well. Everything in its heritage suggests it's going to be a fun game, so it's time to dust off those Sci-Fi minatures!