Review Nexus Ops

Nexus Ops

I’m a fan of Hasbro’s Avalon Hill imprint, as I love light wargames with lots of crunchy bits. You can keep your cardboard chits, I want the visual thrill of lining tiny warriors across a world map.

Despite that, I ignored Nexus Ops when it was first released in 2005. The box artwork was unappealing, and the description obtuse. I was floored to discover that it’s a lot of fun, with a good dose of strategy to boot.

Players represent corporate interests vying for control of a mineral-rich planet, represented by a modular hex board with a “monolith” tower in the middle. The monolith grants its owner bonus cards which can boost the effectiveness of his/her troops.

Each corporation may hire weak human mercenaries, but can also enlist a variety of species better equipped for the world’s unusual landscape. Fungoids and Crystallines are similar in that each is stronger in their native terrain, and weaker if occupying the other’s home turf. Striders move two hexes as long as their path takes them over rocky ground. Leapers can jump if they begin on a lava hex. Dragons are expensive and have a plasma breath attack which can take out units on adjacent spaces. Certain creatures are restricted from entering lava, or from scaling the monolith.

Combat follows a strict battle order, with stronger units attacking first. Unlike many wargames, defeated units do not return fire if it’s not their turn in the initiative order. Players must make choices; using cheap cannon fodder as casualties means that these units will be unavailable later on. Sometimes it’s better to remove a costlier creature which has already attacked.

One easily overlooked aspect is that the game is won not by controlling mines or being King of the Monolith, but by collecting a set number of victory points. Each battle won by a player on his/her turn nets at least one VP; more if the player achieves the conditions set by their secret mission cards.

Nexus Ops is a solid strategy game with a lot of crunch for the dollar.

December 21, 2006 3:16 PM

Review by David Thiel