Game review of tabletop soccer rules: Striker!

[Fuzzywuzzieswiflasers]

Hello all,

I've have started playing this great fun game called Striker! It's a great simulation of the game of soccer.



Here's the review on my blog:


http://littleleadmenofvalour.blogspot.com.au/2017/03/match-day-action.html

You can buy the rules as a PDF here:

http://www.strikertablesoccer.com

Soccer players are available from Eureka miniatures

http://eurekamin.com.au/index.php?cPath=87_126_708&sort=3a


Cheers Fuzzy

[Argonor]

Could I just use my old Subbuteo set to play the game, or are there strict rules for the size of the field?

[werekake]

Could I just use my old Subbuteo set to play the game, or are there strict rules for the size of the field?

I think the author Tony Moffitt uses subbuteo figures for his games - rebased though? I'm not entirely sure - never really had a chance to play subbuteo, myself...

Here's a picture of one of his recent games - Swansea versus Watford.


Personally, I like Fuzzywuzzieswiflasers' (henceforth to be called FWWL  ) teams that he has painted up to play the game. Kind of has more 'animation' or 'personality' to the figures/team.

Chelsea


ManU


Refs & streaker


As for me - I'm still in the midst of trying to paint up my team. I'm doing Kevin Keegan's 1996-97 NUFC team - my favourite players from the club I've followed for 20+ years. Shearer, Sir Les, Wor Peter, Prince Albert, Ginola, and Srnicek in goal (RIP  )  I think the opportunity to do this, paint a team up and play as NUFC, is what made the Striker! rules appeal to me in the first place...

My first player - Ginola (those stripes are a pain)


I've yet to have a game but I think the rules look pretty good. My biggest worry was that too much would be condensed in terms of real-world matchplay, to fit the ruleset mechanics. i.e ten minutes are spent rolling dice and measuring to string together a series of passes which would be 30 seconds in a real match.

I think Striker! does a really good job of creating an involving game, while keeping it ticking along as a football match.

Of course, this is only from my perspective as a playstation/FIFA17 pundit (playing rugby's more my thing). I'm looking forward to having my first match!

[Argonor]

I purchased and printed the pdf yesterday, and I am going to use my Subbuteo set to try out the rules this coming weekend.

I also think the 25mm players look better, but I am going to keep this a work-neutral as possible, as I have far too many minis to paint as is, and I would probably get bogged down trying to paint two teams. It also means, I can start playing without any further purchases, which is, of course, also a good thing.

If my daughters like the game, I may buy them their favoured teams (I know, Lea will want FC Barcelona, she got a jersey last year after we visited Nou Camp).

[Watts]

This game looks awesome - I have it as well but I haven't tried it out yet.

Coincidentally, I am having some 28mm football/soccer players sculpted! Below is one of the early test sculpts. There will be multiple poses with separate heads to add a little variety. I am looking to have these released in the spring (trying to sort out casting at the moment).

[Argonor]

My first player - Ginola (those stripes are a pain)

You may be able to ease the pain by downing some Brown Ale 

[Fuzzywuzzieswiflasers]

Watts, those cgi sculpts look good. Will be nice to see more action poses. What are you thinking for material? Resin, 3D printed, metal?

The uniform cut is more modern than the Eureka or other manufacturers I have seen.

Cheers
Fuzzy

[Watts]

Hey Fuzzy - I am not sure what the material will be yet. It will come down to cost and what casting services I can find in my neck of the woods.

The sculptor is working on the poses right now so hopefully I will have something to show soon. There will be 5 poses and 1 goalkeeper, and 10 separate heads to customize your models.

[von Lucky]

Looking on with interest (both the game and your figures Watts).

[Plynkes]

Shocking. There you are, right in the heartland of Aussie Rules, and you're playing a...  soccer game!


Just kidding! Apart from Bloodbowl, never really found that many sports games that I could honestly say I enjoyed, but this looks like it might be interesting.

[werekake]

Aussie rules is such an excellent game to go along and watch - the huge crowds, the booing of the ump, a four n twenty at quarter time (and a watered-down beer in a plastic cup, if you feel like blowing 10 bucks). I don't reckon it translates that well to TV - not as well as league and union and soccer. Maybe because these games are on a square-ish pitch, and there's a lot of backward and forward?

You may be able to ease the pain by downing some Brown Ale  Wink

I do like my Broon ale... especially if I can find it on tap, down this end of the world. Funnily enough, my northern-english mates all love the hoppy, IPA stuff which is big round these parts. bleurgh

I'm actually trying to get the newky brown logo (blue star) on my team's jerseys. Not having much luck, so far.

As for using subbuteo figures - go for it! Minimisation of work is always good for me, given my current life circumstances. I'd like to get my kids having a go at it as well.

Those 3-D sculpts look great - I'll be following it with interest as well. My one suggestion is try to make them customisable as possible (which is kind of what you're already doing with the heads). A lot of my time is spent trying to vary hair colours/poses etc to suit players in a soccer team...

I hope there will be a supplement for Striker! with rules for playing over a season - with things like transfers, skills improvement, training and injuries. Another comp game I used to play was Championship Manager - I used to spend hours negotiating transfers/loans etc with the likes of Rotherham and Hartlepool.

[Argonor]

I do like my Broon ale... especially if I can find it on tap, down this end of the world. Funnily enough, my northern-english mates all love the hoppy, IPA stuff which is big round these parts. bleurgh

Can't stand that bitter stuff myself, very fond of dark ales and malt beers.

As for using subbuteo figures - go for it! Minimisation of work is always good for me, given my current life circumstances. I'd like to get my kids having a go at it as well.

I really hope to be able to squeeze in a game this weekend - but now all of a sudden,  the forecast promises gardening weather... 

I hope there will be a supplement for Striker! with rules for playing over a season - with things like transfers, skills improvement, training and injuries. Another comp game I used to play was Championship Manager - I used to spend hours negotiating transfers/loans etc with the likes of Rotherham and Hartlepool.

I think the rules will need a bit more granularity than the current Tier 1/Tier 2 classification to allow for differentiated players - and possibly star players - but I also think that it would be quite fun to run a team in a full season/champonship.

I am going to have to ask the author a few questions, though, I have found a few things that I think need clarification (I took the referee exam many years ago, when I was still actively coaching kids/youngsters).

[werekake]

Can't stand that bitter stuff myself, very fond of dark ales and malt beers.

Imperial Stout aged in whisky barrels for the win! It's pretty strong, though... 

Our local brewer makes this: https://www.ratebeer.com/beer/boatrocker-ramjet-whisky-barrel-aged-imperial-stout/231840/

I like it. A lot.

I think the rules will need a bit more granularity than the current Tier 1/Tier 2 classification to allow for differentiated players - and possibly star players - but I also think that it would be quite fun to run a team in a full season/champonship.

I am going to have to ask the author a few questions, though, I have found a few things that I think need clarification (I took the referee exam many years ago, when I was still actively coaching kids/youngsters).

Understood about granularity. We've thrown around some ideas for houseruling - but really want to get a few games under our belt, first, before we start playing around with skills etc. The main problem with a season is getting enough teams for a league, and thereby games for a season, I reckon. If there's only 4-5 players playing with their teams, I'm kinda thinking there might be a need for some kind of equation/algorithm needed to generate results - factoring in form and injuries, home and away (the matches, not the TV show).

I think one of the players in our group has been throwing a few questions at Tony, the rules writer. It sounds like he's pretty good at responding and having longer discussions about the rules.

[has.been]

I agree that although a season would be great fun, getting enough local wargamers to provide teams, AND play enough matches is very unlikely. My (humble) suggestion would be a dice (or card) side game, which would represent 'other' matches. This would alow say 2 or 3 gamers to play a 'season' over a few games. May I further suggest a chart with season 'start points' to add some reason for one off games, e.g. before starting a one off game, roll on the chart. A score of 3 might mean 'need three points from this game to go top of the division'. A score of 7 might mean anything but a defeat means you avoid relegation. For Cup games you could have 'you will go through as long as you don't give away an away goal or loose by 3'    Well you get the idea (I hope).
I am thinking of trying the rules & will be using my beloved Portsmouth (Subuteo) team, however (due to my weird choices of purchaces when a teenager) they will have to play Peru !!!!!

[von Lucky]

And that, boys and girls, is how Portsmouth got relegated to Peru.