All Things Zombie: Reloaded Board-game

Tonya the Rep:5 Star in the thick of the action. Go girl!

This is a game I have been waiting for for a long time - All Things Zombie: Reloaded (or as I shall call it, ATZ:Reloaded). Let's make one thing clear from the start - this is NOT a replacement for ATZ - Final Fade Out. If you want to game with miniatures and 3D scenery then stick with ATZ-FFO*. ATZ:Reloaded is a stand alone board-game played with card counters on a hex map. The game was written and designed by Ed Teixeira as an improved version of the old ATZ board-game, which is now out of print. Gone are the character specific scenarios to be replaced by generic encounters. The rules are more in keeping with those found in ATZ-FFO. Indeed, ATZ:Reloaded would work as a perfect primer for those wanting to get into ATZ-FFO, as it is much more streamlined and less detailed. Also, if you are limited for space, or lack sufficient figures and/or 3D scenery, then this is a worthy substitute.


Inside you'll find:

• A full set of colour counters including Survivors, Gangers, and Militia characters, as well as a wide range of weapons and loot that you can find during your games.
• A set of Event Cards that provide all the info you need at a glance, from friends, enemies, zombies, loot and more.
• Newly designed Player Aid Cards to help you keep track of your characters and their “stuff”.
• An easy to use campaign system that ties all your games together where the results of one affects the results of the next.
• Six 11” x 17” maps that can be laid out in over 50 different ways, making each game unique.
• Specific objectives that provide ways for your characters to increase in skill and ability when they succeed.
• All this and more.

ATZ:Reloaded can be played solitaire, cooperatively with everyone on the same side, or competitively with everyone against one another. It can also be played as a “one off game” or part of an ongoing campaign.
Components consist of:

• 25 Event Cards
• 6 - 11" x 17" Maps (2 Rural, 2 Suburban and 2 Urban)
• 20 Character Cards (11 named and 9 generic)
• 88 Counters
• 3 Rules Reference Sheets (printed double-sided)

I have played this game quite a lot these past couple of weeks and I have mixed views on it. Let's start with the good points. First impressions were highly favourable. Production values are high. The rulebook is in full colour with lots of examples of how the rules work. The Event Cards, Character Cards and Maps are well designed. The Counters are printed on thick card and are very durable. It might be that I am extremely familiar with the ATZ rules but I found the rulebook very easy to understand. Game play is more akin to the tabletop skirmish version than the older board-game version. I'm a huge fan of the whole All Things Zombie franchise and followed the progress of this board-game throughout its production with keen interest. Overall, the game is fine but it is not without its faults.

Most of the bad points about the game are relatively minor. What always annoys me about any book is sloppy proofreading. This rulebook has not been properly proofread. For starters, the right hand column of text on page 6 is repeated on the left hand column of page 7. On page 11 under the heading TURN SEQUENCE it says "if the die scores are the same (doubles) neither side will activate." However, in the glossary under DOUBLES it says "when 2d6 are rolled for Activation and the results are the same both sides activate." I believe the text on  page 11 to be correct. This is how it works in ATZ-FFO.
The Damage Table for Ranged Fire on one of the Reference Sheets is badly worded. It says to roll 1d6 vs Rep and apply the result. Usually when it says this you roll against the Rep of the person making the roll, which in this case should be the Shooter. But this wrong. What it should specify is that you roll against the Rep of the Target! And that makes a HUGE difference! It is explained in one of the combat examples in the Zombie rules section but you could easily miss that. I know I did first time I played the game. This rule really should have been made much clearer, because as written, it is just confusing.
I have a few very minor quibbles regarding the Counters. Quite simply, I'd like to have seen more. You get counters for 3 generic Gangers, 3 generic Militia and 3 generic Survivors. These should have been doubled at the very least. Three of each is just not enough. Your choice of ranged weapons is fine and ditto for equipment. However, your choice of melee weapons is pitiful - a baseball bat or a frying pan. Really?! Is that all? Where are the axes, knives, machetes, swords and most iconic of all, the chainsaw?

I really want to recommend this game to you because Ed is a great bloke and this is a good game he's designed. But, and this important, it could have been a great game if a bit more care had been taken. It felt like it had been rushed into production, which I know was not the case. I did enjoy the games I played of it but it isn't a game I'll be rushing back to. Sadly, there is one more negative comment I have to make.

ATZ:Reloaded costs $59.99 from the Lock n Load webstore. What they fail to mention is that there is a $35.00 international delivery charge on top of that. As if that wasn't bad enough, I had an extra £15.00 customs charge to pay for it. As you can imagine I was well pissed off! Good value for money? No way! If you can find a UK supplier I strongly advise you to buy from them.

ATZ-FFO* Please note that Ed is working on a new version of the ATZ tabletop skirmish rules called All Things Zombie: Fade To Black. This rulebook will also be published by Lock n Load and they will replace ATZ-FFO. RRP is $29.99 but you can pre-order it for $24.99 from the Lock n Load website. Having been stung once I won't be ordering from Lock n Load again. One major change is that the book will be printed in full colour throughout. A big thumbs up for that! I have no idea when this book will be released but I'll let you know as soon as I'm able. I'd expect it to hit the shelves sometime in 2016.

Horrorclix Werewolves 02 (and ATZ-Reloaded Preview)

I'm reviewing my second batch of Horrorclix 30mm scale werewolves today and they are quite a mixed bag of figures.

At the far left is a Dire Wolf from the basic set in it's Rookie version. The Veteran version is identical but the Experienced version is made of transparent plastic to represent it in its spirit form. This form is far larger than a normal wolf and in White Wolf's Werewolf: the Apocalypse RPG, this is known as the Hispo form, aka the giant wolf form. It can transform into a normal sized wolf and that is known as its Lupus form. To give you some idea of his size note that I glued him to a 25mm by 50mm cavalry base. He is about the size of a horse! Yikes!!!!
Next up is Jak-Jak the Wolf Boy. This figure came in the Horrorclix expansion set - Freak-show. The Veteran version was given the name Jak-Jak but the Rookie and Experienced versions were just called Wolf Boy. He is tiny and if he wasn't crouching atop a stool could easily be overlooked. There is a chain around his left ankle which is secured to the floor. I guess the Freak-show owners don't trust him to roam free. In case you were wondering, that's not blood on his shirt but a red tie.

The female werewolf is called Lupina and she was also part of the Freak-show expansion set. It is interesting to compare her with the SLAP Minis female werewolves. Lupina is much sturdier and muscular. She also looks far more menacing and deadly. Her sports bra survived her transformation into werewolf form; the only piece of clothing that did. Note her ponytail. I do like her colouration. The pale brown colour is unusual but works well on her. She is my favourite figure out of this group.
Finally, we have Werewolf Orderly, who appeared in The Lab expansion set. It isn't clear from my photos but he is carrying a clipboard in his right hand. It is not hard to guess what happened to him. He must have got bitten whilst tending to a patient. Come the next full moon he turns into a werewolf. Bummer! He has been sculpted in a very animated running pose.
As I said before, the Horrorclix range has been out of production for quite a few years now. However, these figures do crop up on e-Bay and certain figure stores.

Just to prove I have not totally forgotten my main love of gaming - zombie apocalypse games - I was recently contacted by Ed Teixeira of Two Hours Wargames, asking me if I could post this video link on my blog to help promote the new ATZ-FFO board-game called ATZ-Reloaded.

Ed is working in conjunction with Lock and Load Publishing on an updated version of the ATZ board-game to bring it more in line with the ATZ-FFO rulebook. I have the original version of the board-game and felt it was very much ATZ-Lite. It was a lot like ATZ but not quite right. I've seen a rough draught of the new game and I can confirm that the new game is much improved and far more in line with the skirmish game rules. This is the version that Ed has always wanted to produce and any fans of ATZ will appreciate how seamlessly it ties in to the miniatures rules. I can't wait for it to be released.