Not really a review, but rather my thoughts and experience with Dust.

I've played twice, both were three player premium games. I came last in the first game and won the second game. In a few weeks I'll be playing a 6 player premium game. All but one of the players have played before and we are all looking forward to it (which I think says something positive about the game).

I really enjoy playing Risk 2210. I really enjoy playing Dust. The two games look similar but are quite different.

In my first game of Dust, I built production centers and grabbed as many energy sources as possible. I used these to build a variety of units, concentrating mainly on land units. My strategy was to take as much land area as possible while fortifying my boarders against my enemies. I found this type of strategy works very well in Risk 2210 but it sucked dust in Dust.

Dust is about victory points. Most land area controlled is worth 1 victory point. However, most production is also worth a victory point, as is most sea areas controlled, and each power source controlled.

Winning at Dust is about deciding which victory points you are going to go after (your strategy) and then making tactical decisions about protecting yourself and reducing the enemy's victory points (for example, do I extend myself and take an enemy held energy source or do I bomb it with my subs leaving it unoccupied and either costing them a victory point or forcing them to use a move to reoccupy it).

The different types of units have their own benefits:
- Tanks are cheap and shield mechs, but provide no tactical superiority
- Mechs hit hard, provide tactical superiority, and can be dropped into enemy territory using the mech drop card; however, they are expensive
- Fighters are almost as cheap as tanks, provide tactical superiority and shield bombers (possibly the best value unit in the game)
- Bombers hit hard, provide tactical superiority, can move anywhere in your territory with a single move, have a special attack against subs, BUT they are really expensive
- Submarines are reasonably priced, control sea areas, allow the movement of land units across the oceans, and have a low power special attack.

The premium game is pro-attack, but that doesn't mean you can't defend. Defense involves building a mix of counters that can (a) survive a ballistic missile attack or submarine bombardment, (b) have a reasonable chance of having tactical superiority if attacked (hence why I like fighters - cheap and provide tactical superiority points) and (c) make attacking them an expensive proposition.

Your selection of card each turn provides your combat moves, normal moves, and production points. The normal moves are just as important as the combat moves. They essentially set up your future options. Typically you can do less in a standard turn of Dust than you can do in a standard turn of Dust.

Much of the premium game is tactical - the game only last 6-8 turns and I believe an experienced groups could play it very quickly. There isn't time in a game of this length to have robust strategies.

I've not played the epic game. However, I would like too. I think the addition of large numbers of neutral armies and slower movement would entirely change the game.

To sum up: I like Dust, its the same type of game as Risk 2210 but not the same game.