Played 'Exploit Zero: Mission Critical' for the second time this week.

[nozza_uk]

Taking a breather from our usual ZombieRV sessions, we dove into our first game of 'Exploit Zero: Mission Critical' this week, and it definitely didn’t disappoint.

'Exploit Zero: Mission Critical' is a tabletop wargame crafted by Patrick Todoroff. It’s designed for two players, pitting elite three-person teams - known as Direct Action Units (DAUs) - against each other in fast-paced, high-stakes operations within a gritty cyberpunk world. Think sleek gear, covert ops, and high-tech warfare, all wrapped in a futuristic, dystopian setting.

Strictly speaking, it’d belong in the "Sci-Fi Small Skirmish Games" forum, but Future Wars always seems to draw more attention, so here we are, right in the heart of the action.

https://nozzawargaming.blogspot.com/2025/04/first-game-of-exploit-zero-mission.html

[Storm Wolf]

Thanks for the great write up Nozza,

I have had this game for awhile, but have not played it yet, of course mine will be a solo game.

You have convinced me to give it a go, so thank you 

[mikedemana]

Great battle report on your blog -- I enjoyed it. I've never been a Cyberpunk enthusiast, so probably won't pick it up. However, the secret missions definitely sound like something that could be lifted for other games. Howe does it handle that?

And how does hidden deployment work in a 1 vs. 1 game? Is it simply you write down where your agent is and reveal it when he acts?
'
Mike Demana

[nozza_uk]

Great battle report on your blog -- I enjoyed it. I've never been a Cyberpunk enthusiast, so probably won't pick it up. However, the secret missions definitely sound like something that could be lifted for other games. Howe does it handle that?

Hi Mike, although the game is set in a Cyberpunk setting, there's nothing to stop in being set in another setting. After playing the game, we talked about how easy it would be to transfer to other genres, with Star Wars & Star Trek being mentioned.

For the secret missions, each player rolls on a D6 table for their mission and plays accordingly. For a long time, I thought my opponent had the same objective as me, but in the end he had a 'kill' order for my team - hence why he was so eager to attack. With a bit of thought (or AI help) the secret missions concept could be lifted for other games - I could see it working with ZombieRV.

[hubbabubba]

'Exploit Zero: Mission Critical' is a tabletop wargame crafted by Patrick Todoroff.

https://nozzawargaming.blogspot.com/2025/04/first-game-of-exploit-zero-mission.html

That'd be our very own renowned and revered Denatus, just in case you didn't already know.

[nozza_uk]

That'd be our very own renowned and revered Denatus, just in case you didn't already know.

I did know, but a good reminder for others.

[mikedemana]

Thanks for the info! I may have to check it out. You can never have too rules to steal ideas from play... 

Glad to help a fellow LAFer, too! Best group ever...

Mike Demana

[Dentatus]

Nice Battle Report. Glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for posting.

[nozza_uk]

Managed to get a second game in this week.

See how we got on.

https://nozzawargaming.blogspot.com/2025/04/second-game-of-exploit-zero-mission.html

[meatpuppet7]

Fantastic looking game you had!   I am a huge fan of the Exploit Zero ruleset, though I am more of a players vs scenario or vs the game, so the head to head rules of Mission Critical wasn't really my thing.

[mikedemana]

Great read -- I enjoyed it. You do a great job of creating a believable setting for the story...

Mike Demana