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2300AD: Hard Suits, Combat Walkers and Battlesuits $7.99
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2300AD: Hard Suits, Combat Walkers and Battlesuits
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2300AD: Hard Suits, Combat Walkers and Battlesuits
Publisher: Mongoose
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 03/24/2016 10:26:56

Opening with a short fiction piece from a battle scene, the Introduction gives definitions: a battlesuit is clam-shell-style unpowered armour (perhaps with an assistive exoskeleton), a hardsuit is a humanoid suit of powered combat armour with enhanced capabilities, and a combat walker ia a lightweight non-humanoid walking vehicle. OK, now we've got that straight, on to the meat of the book. As to be expected, this is no mere catalogue of what's available, it is packed with design information to allow you to create your own 'mechs'.

With admirable consistency with the rest of the Traveller ruleset, walker and suit design follows a straightforward process beginning with choosing a chassis type and the Tech Level at which you are building, then adding in armour, modifications, weapons and utility packs. You'll end up knowing how much your creation costs and even how much space it takes up should you need to ship it as cargo.

At every step there is a range of options - different chassis types, modifications that can be made, and equipment that can be added... although even in the future, the problem of waste collection has not be solved and it is highly advisable to go before suiting up for a mission! Naturally, there's an extensive list of weapons that can be attached to your system.

If you need a suit in a hurry (or feel daunted by the process to create a custom one) there is a selection of 'standard' models from which you can choose. As you become more confident, or see the need, you can adapt your suit or walker or create a new one to meet your requirements.

Perhaps a bit of a niche market, but if you will be engaging in lots of combat on the ground, this is an elegant addition to the game that is well worth a look.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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2300AD: Hard Suits, Combat Walkers and Battlesuits
Publisher: Mongoose
by Jim C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/04/2014 15:38:48

I wanted to see this topic covered well, since (as for a Star Wars game, perhaps) it has a considerable influence in defining the nature of serious ground combat in the setting. An expansion was very much needed for the brief, though descriptive, characterisation in the core setting book.

It provides a good spread of classic vehicles in their development over time, with many illustrations, which are very helpful to grasp the style and nature of each one. Actual size and mass figures might have helped with visualisation though they'd only occasionally be required for game use.

I found the division between "hardsuits" and "combat walkers", that is, more and less humanoid-shaped waldoed vehicles, more corrosive to the uniqueness of the setting than useful. A ground-up design system presents a lot of tables to digest before getting to examples and combat usage, considering that combat walkers are standard models and not commonly built from scratch or heavily customised, and could have been placed later, I feel. Design principles and discussions of how combat walkers are employed could have spent a bit of time on concepts before delving into rules terms and references to (much less criticism of) other rulebooks. Generally it could have been more directed to examine how these classes of equipment fit into this setting and assumed less familiarity with what they are and do in other universes.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
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