[Revdyer]

In another thread, LongHeroscaper mentioned his need for a one-page introduction to HeroScape, a sort of publicity piece, as I took it to be. Since I found myself with a few free minutes, I wrote out this rough draft. At the very least, it is the right length. <grin> It is not intended, by any means, to be comprehensive and some of the generalizations are, I well know, just that, simplified generalizations. But I do hope that this would provide some quick interest in someone who does not know the game and would encourage them to learn more and to want to play.

Your comments, critiques, corrections, and suggestions are welcomed. If you have a one page (12 pt, standard Word .doc) or so of your own, I'd love to see it posted here too.
------------------------------------------------------------

HeroScape is more than a board game, it is a 3-dimensional game system. Based on the concept of a battle which draws on the greatest fighters of all time, HeroScape brings together historical military units, such as Roman Legions and the Airborne Elite of the Second World War; legendary fighting units, such as Ninjas, the Sacred Band of Greece, and Japanese Samurai; and the figures of myth and legend – giants, dragons, vampires, werewolves. There are elves and orc-like gruts, intelligent vipers and trained attack spiders, robots, secret agents, and cowboys, too, in HeroScape. In addition to such traditional combatants, HeroScape introduces a new world of creatures, called the Marro, who arise from the imaginary swamp to fight against their enemies. Some 150 different fighters, from Knights Templar to the demon-like winged Minions of Utgar to a giant troll named Krug provide an almost infinite combination of armies for you to command. Special attacks and abilities - healing, paralyzing stare, zombie onslaught, hand grenades and many more, abound as well.

The figures, however, are just half of the appeal of HeroScape; the map is the other. You can build your own map from the terrain pieces included in the game. You may build maps created by other people, such as those found in the Maps and Scenario Section of Heroscapers.com, or you are free to build your own. The terrain types include grass, rock, sand, water, swamp, lava, snow, and ice. Additional map elements such as roads, bridges, trees, and bushes add great variety to the maps you can create. The castle expansion allows you to build walls, towers, and fortresses with huge wooden doors to induce even more strategic options when you play HeroScape. Finally, the option of playing glyphs on your map which trigger game events or give your army additional powers add another element of excitement to the game.

Each of the fighting figures has a point value assigned to it, depending on its strength and value. Armies are built to a specific point total, usually equal for each player, but these point totals can be used to handicap the game so that newer players will have a chance to win. Each of the figures also has a card that lists basic information about the individual or squad. Some are unique and only one individual or squad may be used in a single army. Others are common and multiple units may be used to build up a mighty army of squads or a swarm of Marro. The cards list the unit’s ability to attack, defend, move, and their range, as well as the number of lives each figure has. As you move your army across the hills and valleys, roads and swamps of your map, you will engage enemy units in combat and seek to win the battle and the game. In combat, attack and defense dice are rolled to determine the outcome of conflicts. Sometimes a figure will be wounded. Sometimes they will be spared. Sometimes they will die and be removed from the game. There is a set of "Basic" game rules for younger children.

The game is played at the tactical squad level, where each figure represents an individual, rather than being symbolic of more individuals as in many war games. HeroScape moves fast, the average game taking less than an hour to play. There is also a Marvel (tm) Master Set that adds urban terrain and characters from the Marvel comics world. HeroScape never gets dull as new armies are built and new maps constructed. It grows and changes and evolves, both as more units are added to the game and as the players’ understanding of how best to use units and armies increases, yet the consistency of the rules, and their simplicity, make this a great game for inter-generational play. HeroScape is a fun game that can be quickly learned and an engaging hobby that will provide many years of thought, creativity, action, and fun.