All of my reviews aim to offer a brief overview that allows people to get a good feel for what the game may offer them. I feel that other reviews can be sought if detailed game mechanics is what you are after.

Summary

Game Type - Board Game (Conflict)
Play Time - 60-90 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Mechanics - Conflict (Dice based), Risk Style, Mission Cards
Difficulty - Moderate (takes a few plays to iron rules out)
Components - Very Good (Everything is excellent except for the flimsy monolith, thin cards and inadequate insert tray)

In Nexus Ops, each player finds themselves in control of an immoral corporation. Your aim is to ruthlessly exploit the resources of yet another distant moon discovered by your scouts. But you are not alone as other corporations are also aware of this newest location. The mineral Rubium is highly prized and you will do whatever it takes, including using alien force (and forces), to disrupt and destroy your opponents and make another fortune!

Nexus Ops is a war based conflict game in the same vein as RISK. The key difference though is that controlling areas is not the key goal. Instead each corporation has its own secret agendas that if completed will earn them victory points. These take the form of Secret Mission Cards and can vary from controlling certain terrains to destroying certain creatures and winning battles in a given way.

The first striking element of Nexus Ops is the units that each corporation can control. These are made of a clear plastic and they glow under an ultraviolet light – cool indeed! They include humans, Fungoids, Crystallines, Rock Striders (think giant spiders), Lava Leapers and Rubium Dragons. Each corporation has the same units to deploy and only the colour varies but this doesn't detract from the game in any way.

The board itself uses a range of hexagonal tiles that will form 2 rings around the central Monolith before each player’s Home Base is attached. The set-up is dependent on the number of players and this combined with the random draw of tiles featuring different terrains will ensure that each board will offer a unique experience. The set-up of the board being dependent on the number of players is also crucial as it allows for equidistant player placement. Unlike Risk and other games of this nature, no player will have their back to a protected wall. This is a major plus.

The Monolith is a 3D tower of sorts and it offers great rewards for any corporation controlling it during the game. These take the form of Energize Cards and 2 of these will be earned by a player if they control the Monolith at the end of their turn. These cards typically improve movement and combat abilities and are a great way to surprise the enemy. For this reason the Monolith makes for a continued conflict point throughout the game and gives the game a 'Capture the Flag' type feel.

Each hex of the moon also receives an exploration token. When a corporation moves units to a new hex, these tiles are revealed. Some will feature a new mine, others will feature units that you can add to your forces and some contain a smaller mine but have a unit as well. These exploration tiles are the early aim and ensure that conflict develops quickly - there is no hanging around and little down time in Nexus Ops!

The aim of Nexus Ops is to control the mines scattered throughout the moon. Each home base features 3 mines, but many more await discovery. Mines yield Rubium (1 or 2 in the unexplored regions), which is used to purchase new units and these are used to control further mines and engage enemy corporations in combat if necessary (read as highly necessary).

Each turn allows a player to buy and place units (always in starting mines), move, explore, fight and finally collect income based on the total value of all mines within a corporation’s control. This is the nuts and bolts of Nexus Ops and each player receives a Corporation Template that outlines each units cost, attack and defence ratings, any special abilities and the effects of each terrain on each unit. It looks and feels a lot like Axis & Allies for anyone familiar with that game. A nice feature is that each player can draw a new Secret Mission Card at the end of each turn and this can result in a player holding 3+ cards at any one time. This gives the players' options and a good chance to keep up with the lead.

The combat is simple and like any game a heavy dose of luck is needed. For each unit a single D6 is rolled. If the number rolled is equal to or higher than the attacking unit's 'To Hit' number then a casualty is inflicted. The enemy can choose to lose any unit involved in the battle as a casualty. Each unit attacks in order from the most expensive down, so the composition of a player's attacking force is important. The player's should also note any modifiers that can effect the combat due to the terrain or Energize cards in play.

Where Nexus Ops is a little different though is that only 1 round of combat takes place for each battle. Only an Energize card can allow a 2nd and possibly further rounds of combat. This can result in a battle ending with units from both sides still alive.

At the end of the battle the players can reveal any mission cards that they have completed and earn those victory points. If no special mission cards (red in colour) are played by the victor, they can take a generic 1 VP Mission Card from a separate deck called 'Win a Battle'. The defeated corporation also gets to draw an Energize card to help soften the blow and hopefully offer them another way to get revenge in the future.

The first corporation to secure 12 Victory Points is declared the winner.

Concerns

The only real concerns here are the insert tray which is inefficient at best and lousy at worst. The Monolith is also a little awkward as it needs to be pulled apart to fit in the box when packing it away. I have seen some nifty plexi-glass type home creations but they would have a similar problem. Small concerns for a game that plays this well though.

The Final Word

Nexus Ops works brilliantly because it doesn't outstay its welcome like many games of this genre. The players deploy, explore and engage in conflict very quickly and this cycle is the game at its core.

The victory points needed to win are gained mostly through battle. In this way the game rewards players that are aggressive and take chances. You may lose valuable units or a mine as a result of a gutsy attack but if you can make a short term gain by completing mission cards in the process then it was probably worth while.

This is dice rolling, thrill a minute stuff that makes basic RISK look mediocre at best. It is also a major plus that Nexus Ops is so well balanced for any number of players and especially 3 players, which few games manage.

So come on, saddle up some aliens and head to the newest moon in the Galaxy to make your fortune!

Edit - Added Summary Section

The first couple games of Nexus Ops took way to long. On the third play it rocked. It was at that point we kicked it up a notch because we figured out how fast the game can play.

My suggestion for the first game - launch into it as fast as possible, get the group to agree to a fast game. Just play it out and launch into combat, explore the mechanics, and learn how manipulate the cards. Heck, play the first game to half the normal amount of victory points. Then play again!

Well, just to offer a different point of view, I am able to pack my monolith away intact without pulling it apart or altering the insert tray. Some might consider the insert to be lousy, but I think it performs "well enough". It's not the best, but it does the job for me.

very nice review!

It told me exactly what I wanted to know.

Thumbs up here.

Great review, i was wondering whether to get this game, now i am sure thanks