|
If you are new to Rackham then this name normally equals quality - and Hybrid is fortunately no exception. This is a skirmish type game with two sides battling within dark and dingy Dirz laboratories. In simple terms the Lodge of Hod are sent into these labs to purify and eliminate the occupants, and each side normally has an objective to achieve from each scenario.
Starting with the box itself, the general artwork and photos throughout are fabulous. The drawings on the box, the rules companion, playing cards and the laboratory tiles are all excellent, and really get you in the mood to play. In fact i cant praise this enough, it is inspired. The storyline is great too, both factions are well chosen with cool characters to play with. The detail is immense, as each and every card even has a story excerpt or quote to add to the whole world in which you are playing.
The models are brilliant, and match the high quality Rackham normally produce. In fact comparing to all their various army models available, most of the boxed items would still be on my purchase list. I especially like the Purifiers, Hybrids and Aberration from out of the box. There is also good variety here, especially on the Dirz side from the small Pests of Flesh to the huge Aberration beast that roams the laboratories leading to different strategy options.
Gameplay is where it counts, and i love the fact that each character has its own card with statistics and an excellent photo or drawing. Each model has separate skill levels for each of the main actions of movement, firing, offensive and defensive combat, and these determine what difficulty level of actions can be chosen. There is also an overall natural value which is key to the dice rolls and also the wounds level. It works really well and you will become attached to certain characters as you play. There is plenty of strategy too, the Lodge of Hod have much better ranged weopons ability but the Aberration monster is a killing machine up close. There are also loads of variables introduced from mutations, equipment, auras and events that can occur as you play. One of the best aspects is the ability to level the playing field. Each of the models has a rank which is added together to give a team total and this is used to balance the sides. If one player is stronger or more experienced it is very easy to add in another model to the weaker player to help balance abilities.
What makes the longevity work best is the ability to buy and add in new models and cards. This means that every game can be set up differently. There is the Nemesis expansion pack with new models and extra rules, and the new characters in particular are my favourites such as Misericord and Garell the Redeemer complete with special artwork cards. Sadly these releases seem to have dried up for now. However the adventure continues through the excellent quarterly Cry Havok editorial which has added new ideas, scenarios and cards and even new factions to the game and retains the quality of the original game.
The rest of this section of the website introduces you to some of these official extras available for the game.
|
