Brian Train
Canada
Victoria
British Columbia
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Text originally appeared in Simulacrum #27.
WARPWAR
Designer: Howard Thompson
Publisher: Metagaming Concepts
Players: 2
Playing time: 1-2 hours
Era: science fiction
Scale: individual spaceship
Published in 1978 as Microgame #4, in the usual plastic pouch. A boxed edition with die-cut counters and different cover art was published in 1980.
Components
1 – 16 page rulebook
1 – 8x14” map in “point to point” style, showing the routes between different star systems.
1 – sheet of counters, single-sided, strip-cut or die-cut depending on edition
1 – box or plastic pouch, depending on edition
Counter Manifest
The first (plastic pouch) edition had a total of 56 counters, in white-on-blue and blue-on-white colour schemes. Each side had an identical mix of 28 counters, consisting of 9 Warpships and 19 Systemships.
The second (boxed edition) had a total of 42 counters, in white-on-red and red-on-white colour schemes. Each side had an identical mix of 21 counters, consisting of 7 Warpships and 14 Systemships.
What the designer says
“Up screens, ready Beams and Missile Tubes, Power Drive to 5! The battle is about to begin. Warpwar is a fast playing game of interstellar maneuver and combat. You select the tactics and weapon power settings. No chance is involved in the diceless combat system. You must out-think your opponent. You design your own spaceships with Beams, Screens, Missile Tubes and Power Drive. “ [ad copy on back of rules booklet]
What the reviewers say
“Fairly extensible system included two types of ships with a considerable number of attributes including power, warp, beams, screens, missiles and racks for carrying system ships. Advanced rules feature technology levels, but perhaps the most interesting, if time-consuming feature is the diceless combat realized via simultaneously-revealed written orders which include a lot of possibility for bluff and outguessing. Might make a nice basis for a space campaign game.” [Rick Heli, Spotlight on Games]
Support Material
Analysis: Space Gamer 13 (designer’s notes), Space Gamer 16
Errata: Space Gamer 15
Reviews: Ares 8, Strategy & Tactics 66, Dragon 17
Scenarios/ variants: Interplay 5 (expanded tactical rules), Space Gamer 14 (scenarios), Space Gamer 15 (floating hulks), Space Gamer 19 (combining Imperium and WarpWar), Space Gamer 33 (refereed campaign game), Vindicator vol 1 #5c (new counters, rules variants, expanded CRT, ship record sheets, playing in 3 dimensions), Vindicator vol 1 #6a (new map, economic rules, simultaneous movement)
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