Nexus Ops has long had a good reputation with a broad range of BGGers. I hesitated to buy it for a long time, as I lean decidedly toward wargames and heavy Ameritrash games. Finally, however, I broke down and picked up Nexus Ops based on several comments that it may soon be unavailable, not to mention its low price ($20 plus shipping).
I’ve already played the game several times, a fact which is in itself amazing to me. To play a game four or five times in the first week of owning it is impossible for my usual game. For many wargames I’d still be punching and clipping units, and reading rules. Not so with this game. The rules are incredibly straight forward and easy to understand.
Now, if you are a wargamer you might think this leads to a shallow or unsatisfying game experience. But, unusually, this game provides some decent tactical options with a bare minimum of rules.
There are already many very good reviews on this game that describe the basic mechanics, so I’ll highlight the mechanics that, for me, make this a really fun game.
Units:
First, unlike most historical games, you can choose which units to buy each turn. Will you attempt to swarm the enemy with cheap 2 rubium (i.e. ‘dollar’) humans and 3 rubium Fungoids and Crystallines? Or will you spend 8 rubium on a lava leaper or 12 on a dragon? On most turns you’ll earn between 8 and 14 rubium, so choose wisely.
Second, the units themselves offer just enough uniqueness to make the choice interesting.
Humans
Humans cost 2 and can mine (some spaces have mines on them that generate either 1, 2, or 3 rubium per turn….assuming someone is there to mine them. Humans only hit on a 6 (on a six sided die) so they are either miners or cannon-fodder.
Fungoids
Fungoids cost three, hit on a 5+, and can also mine. Additionally, they are stronger in fungal terrain and weaker on crystal terrain.
Crystallines
Crystallines are similar to Fungoids with a cost of 3, a 5+ hit number, ability to mine, and a terrain based strength and weakness (the inverse of the Fungoids, i.e. 366
strong on crystal, weak on fungus).
Rock Strider
The Rock Strider is probably my favorite, as it costs 6, hits on a 4+, and, critically, can move two spaces when moving to, or through, Rock Plains. The additional mobility is a huge benefit where most units can only move one per turn (and because new purchases always start back at the ‘home base’ and have to march to the front).
Lava Leaper
The Lava Leaper, at a cost of 8 and a hit number of 3+ has a few special abilities too. It can move two when leaving a magma space (but there are only three of those) and on a 5+ attack role it can decide which enemy unit to destroy.
Rubium Dragon
The big dog is the rubium dragon. At a cost of 12, it can hit on a 2+, can breath plasma to an adjacent space (hitting on a 4+) and can land anywhere if it takes off from the monolith.
The beauty of the system is that all the special rules are included on a handy chart, so there is nothing to memorize. The differences are small, but become significant in such a finely balanced game.
Mission cards:
The other game mechanic I enjoy, and which is really the heart of the game, is the secret mission cards. Each turn you draw a card which lists some objective. On your turn (usually after winning a battle) you can play one or more mission cards whose conditions you have met. Some examples include winning a battle on a certain terrain type, destroying a certain unit type in battle, or entering battle with a certain unit.
The nice thing about the secret mission cards is they keep your opponent guessing. Often, its hard to know where to defend. Generally you want to keep your mines out of enemy hands, but in many cases the rock plains right next door, and defended by a lone human, might just be the perfect target for someone who has a card that allows them to gain 2 VP’s just by winning a battle on a rock plains space.
Energize cards:
Finally, the last mechanic I find particularly interesting is the energize cards. I understand from others on BGG that this is a very ‘euro’ mechanic. In any case, it works. You earn an energize card when you lose a battle, or two if you control the monolith. 237