Osprey, Osprey, Osprey!

I have more rulebooks than time to play.

So, I am pretty sure I am not the only one who has a new addiction. Osprey rulebooks. They are just so easily affordable, only a tenner will get you a complete ruleset that is not manufacturer specific. I spend so much time at warfare shows saying, "that looks like an awesome model, but I have no use for it."
I can now use any fantasy models I like with Dragon Rampant, any cool sci-fi models with Rogue Stars. (Hasslefree miniatures is also an addiction of mine so that's perfect.)With Chosen Men, I can use my 28mm Napoleonic collection without having to cover a giant twelve foot table to take into account the rules being designed for brigade level encounters. 

So, this weekend I played some Rogue Stars. This game is harsh. When the designer Andrea Sfiligoi suggests this is a very shooty game and to keep your head down and take cover, he wasn't exaggerating. There's no injury table for this campaign system, if you don't drag your buddies corpse off the table before he bleeds out, he's dead. If you shoot someone in the head with a lucky shot, no medic roll is going to save him.

After a few pitched battles we got adventurous and tried a mission in a derelict spaceship. Out came the Space Hulk set. During the firefight the ship tilted twice sending everyone sliding across the deck, a nuclear explosion ripped through a quarter of the board instantly killing one guy, the gravity failed leaving everyone floating about and finally the entire ship exploded, meaning only three individuals from the entire game survived by finding escape pods. This game does not pull the punches.

I really like how quick it is to pick up the rules. I especially like the activate/reaction system. By allowing your opponent to make an attempt at an action before you for each activation you fail, neither player gets a chance to stand and just watch their team get shot to ribbons. (Although they will get shot a lot.) The campaign experience rules mean that no one gang becomes overpowered as they keep winning, (I'm looking at you Necromunda and Mordheim) so no-one feels they are doomed after one match.

My fellow dice rollers have had multiple ideas for teams to build and I think this is a system we will be playing again.