Scrye Magazine Article
Scrye #8.7, Oct. 2001
By John Kaufeld
Posted by permission
FIRESTORM Now Available
Enemy of My Enemy expansion scheduled for November
CCGs head to space in the new Firestorm Tactical Card Game from Third World Games. If your pulse quickened as Captain Kirk yelled the command "Fire!" or when the Death Star neared that famous moon of Yavin IV, then Firestorm's multiplayer saga of interstellar exploration and starship combat is right up your alley.
The game's first release, Firestorm Prime, gives you command over one of four starting races. Central to the game's back-story are the Muero, a war-loving reptilian culture, and their arch-foes the Dysori, an Amazon-style race that fills the requisite high-tech, high-hemline female-culture role. Caught between these two enemies are the Soven, an ancient race that specializes in bio-technology, and the hapless Humans, who learned about interplanetary space flight just in time to meet the incoming Muero armada.
To begin playing, pick up at least two starter decks (more, if you have more players), plus several handy playmats (which the manufacturer packs inside each starter-deck display). The playmats simplify the layout of your planetary system and organize your record-keeping tasks. If you can't find mats at your favorite retailer go Third World Games' website (www.thirdworldgames.com) and download a printable mat from there. Each starter also includes the game's encyclopedic little rulebook. Don't get overwhelmed by the book's size - the game works a whole lot easier than the rules make it look. Crack open your decks lay out the playmats, and begin with the Quick Start rules. Once you've played the game once or twice, work your way into the full rules.
Be sure to keep the rulebook handy during serious games, because playing the game at a high level requires a lot of reference breaks with the little tome. Pay particular attention to the Traits information, because it details a slew of "automatic" special ability game text for various traits listed on game cards. For example, Mr. Dyer (one of the Human Hero cards) has the trait "Assassin." Although his card lists one special ability, a quick browse through the Assassin trait information in the rules reveals that his Assassin trait gives him three additional special abilities.
The designers did a good job with the basic mechanics, which keeps game play flowing at a good clip. Interestingly, all players move through the turn phases together - everybody resets cards, then everybody takes their main actions, etc. That balances game actions so everyone at the table stays involved as much as possible.
You win either by crushing your opponent's planets (a military-style victory preferred by the Muero and Dysori) or by pushing up your technology level through research and exploration (which leans toward the Human and Soven skill sets). To keep things uncertain, the game also includes a series of altemate-victory-condition cards which you can build into your decks.
After suffering through too many games featuring cute-eyed, magic-wielding, furry little munchkins, Firestorm makes its mark as a refreshingly adult game, with good strategy and moderate complexity Anyone who loves science-fiction gaming should give Firestorm a try You might just find a new obsession in it.
The first planned expansion will be Enemy of My Enemy, which will introduce two new factions to the Firestorm, the Corsairs of Nephalis and the Tristan Corporation, and include cards for all the factions. There will be 140 cards in the set, which will be available in two pre-constructed starters, one each for the new factions, and 11-card booster packs. Enemy of My Enemy will be available in November.
Also, there will be a d20 System role-playing game set in the universe of Firestorm. Written by Eric Devlin (Firestorm co-designer) and John Wick (Legend of the Five Rings, 7th Sea, Orkworld). The Firestorm role-playing game will release in 4th Quarter 2001. - John Kaufeld