ENDERAIN - Mini Review - A Very Different Sci-Fi Shooter

[tallyho]

I had the pleasure of being a playtester for a new Sci-Fi ruleset called "Enderain".  All complete now, and on their way in October apparently. Wanted to share some words on them as I was so impressed with the gaming experience they gave.

Loved Stargrave, but these are a whole different level up for me.  Tons of weapons, gear, options, special powers, roles, leveling up, all of it.  Complex but easy. A ten game campaign absolutely FLEW by.

A figure is a team member, and your team is built around roles, powers, gear, and weapons.   Pretty standard stuff but with a few nice twists.

Things I loved:

- Detailed but easy.  Allows development of strategies for move and fire, and using weapons/powers.

- Powers are NOTABLE.  You won't use them often, but they make a real difference.

- Game is run by a (provided) card deck.  It manages initiative, allows building of strategy, and allows for interupts that can turn the game.  Also helps run the NPC's.

- NPC's are a different level to any other game I've played.  They are run by 2 custom dice (included) and are unpredictable and pretty autonomous.  Allows full coop and solo game play easily.

- Just felt "SCIFI".  Must be 100 different weapons, with good upgrades on each type (rocket launcher rules are great).

- Uses D12's.  Something I havent seen before.  Not swinging results and gives tons of scope.

- Includes a plastic tracker.  Uses dice to track wounds and XP.  Used right, it means a COMPLETELY counter/dice free tabletop and no pen and paper needed. Really speeds up gameplay and loos so much better.


Things I wasn't so keen on:

- There is definitely a learning curve with this.  SO many options for drones, team roles, powers, weapons, NPC's, getting loot, leveling up.  But there are 3 cheat sheets included (core rules, NPC rules, Roles and Powers) so you don't have to keep diving into the book, and its simple, once you've got it, you've got it.

- Firing is a several step process.  Unique and good, but you'll need a game to get your head around it.



Overall I was pretty hyped by Enderain.  It offers everything I want in a SciFi game, and the card deck and NPC system are totally different, almost like a board game feel in a way, to anything I've seen in a miniatures game.

Will work for any future setting as well.  We even used them for a Judge Dredd game and they worked great. I could see these working great with Star Wars or anything tbh.

[NotifyGrout]

Is there a website or release timetable? I am interested.

[ithoriel]

They have a website

https://www.enderain.com/

Sounds interesting .... though I need another sci-fi ruleset like a hole in the head!

Might not stop me buying them, though.

[Bloggard]

my word, that's very swish presentation on the website.

looks good.

[fred]

Does sound interesting - I quite like Kill Team v2, but a more generic Sci Fi set would be great.

[ithoriel]

If it weren't for the "Join our Facebook group" I'd say this would be a certain buy. As is, if support and discussion are going to revolve around Facebook, count me out.

[fred]

If it weren't for the "Join our Facebook group" I'd say this would be a certain buy. As is, if support and discussion are going to revolve around Facebook, count me out.

Thats a pretty big negative for me too

[Bloggard]

hmmm, yes - was thinking of getting this, after seeing the comments in PeteW's thread ('Expanse / 5 parsecs ' etc), but hadn't noticed the FB-centric 'support' aspect - if that is the case, I'll leave it too.

[PeteW]

Guys - don't be put off by the developers use of FB. I assume he uses it as its free and has a huge international reach. They are also on Twitter.

There is nothing on FB or Twitter that means you are missing out if you don't have them. All the stuff there relates to driving up interest and sales. Articles etc are on the website as are the limited game resources currently available,

Just my 2p

P

[ithoriel]

Despite my comment, I bought it!

Looks interesting.

Not yet managed a game. Dining table once more looking like a builder's merchant's.

Currently £29.99 until 31st of the month and then up to £39.99.

I will adapt it slightly to my 20mm collection and my various 25mm squared maps.  Distances in Enderain are in inches so I'll use squares instead.

[zemjw]

I'd managed to talk myself out of this (too many rulesets already sitting around unused), but this thread is making me rethink that decision

I started to watch the unboxing video, but it wasn't very exciting, so I stopped. I'll try to find time to finish it this week.

I still have a couple of weeks to decide

[ithoriel]

I watched the video on the Enderain site of one turn of the game being played by the authors and liked what I saw.

[boneio]

I've been following the game on Facebook and Youtube and am a bit puzzled by the relative lack of 'buzz'. It looks interesting... but, this thread aside, where are people talking about it?

Ideally I need to see reviews etc.

I couldn't make it through the unboxing video either 

[Bloggard]

Guys - don't be put off by the developers use of FB. I assume he uses it as its free and has a huge international reach. They are also on Twitter.

There is nothing on FB or Twitter that means you are missing out if you don't have them. All the stuff there relates to driving up interest and sales. Articles etc are on the website as are the limited game resources currently available,

Just my 2p

P

yep, has huge international reach, no question about that.