Topic: Starmada: Dreadnoughts released

Majestic Twelve Games would like to announce the release of Starmada: Dreadnoughts, the third supplement for the Starmada Admiralty Edition.

"The declaration of war by Great Britain on 4 August converted the conflict into one unlike any other that had been waged since Napoleon was sent to St. Helena in 1815; and sea-power was once more revealed to a somewhat purblind world. There had, indeed, been wars in which navies had been engaged, and Japan in 1904 had exhibited the latest model of a naval battle. But Japan only commanded the sea in Far Eastern waters; and the wars in which Great Britain herself was engaged since 1815 had displayed her command in limited spheres and at the expense of enemies who had no pretensions to be her naval rivals. But in 1914 the second navy in the world seemed by the conduct of Germany to challenge the first, and for nearly four and a half years there were hopes and fears of a titanic contest for the command of the sea."

--A.F. Pollard, A Short History of the Great War (1920)

Dreadnoughts is a setting book for Starmada: The Admiralty Edition that brings to life the epic sweep of naval combat during the First World War.

To many people, the Great War conjures images of mud-soaked trenches and land-locked armies joined in a futile embrace across no-man's land. But navies were just as important to victory (if not more so); and it was on the seas that the conflict truly became a World War. From the North Sea to the Mediterranean, from the Black Sea to the South Pacific, battles raged across the globe.

So, go ahead: swap your energy shields for armor plating and the blackness of space for the wine-dark sea, and see if you have what it takes to rule the waves!

In addition to data cards for one hundred ship classes from eight different navies of the early twentieth century, Dreadnoughts adds brand-new options to the Starmada game, including flotillas, wet-navy style movement, and dual-mode fighter flights, which can be used individually or collectively to enrich any setting. Also included are six historical scenarios, allowing players to re-fight various naval actions of the Great War.

Dreadnoughts is not a stand-alone product; ownership of the Starmada Admiralty Edition Core Rulebook is required. Starmada is a miniatures board game of starship combat. At its most basic level, players take command of space fleets in a general attempt to reduce each other to just so much space junk. At its most advanced, the game can be customized to breathe life into any science fiction background that players might imagine.

For more information on Starmada and all our other products, please visit the Majestic Twelve Games web site: www.mj12games.com

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

Re: Starmada: Dreadnoughts released

This looks very cool, I'll definitely check it out.

I have to be the first to say it- "You sank my battleship!!!"

big_smile  :oops:

Re: Starmada: Dreadnoughts released

I have to admit, I didn't see this coming. Expected like the Spanish Inquisition, I tell ya.

Re: Starmada: Dreadnoughts released

And some of us are going ...."ooooh"

So, this something you and Kevin been working on?

Re: Starmada: Dreadnoughts released

thedugan wrote:

And some of us are going ...."ooooh"
So, this something you and Kevin been working on?

Not me.
I'm not really a Starmada guy.
I believe this is all Dan's fault.
Kevin

Re: Starmada: Dreadnoughts released

If it weren't for D&D 4th edition, Dreadnoughts would be #1 over at RPGNow... wink

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

Re: Starmada: Dreadnoughts released

Ok - so tell me - how does Starmada: Dreadnoughts compare to/contrast with Grand Fleets?

Thanks,
Doug

Re: Starmada: Dreadnoughts released

elsyr wrote:

Ok - so tell me - how does Starmada: Dreadnoughts compare to/contrast with Grand Fleets?

The short answer is that Dreadnoughts is a modification of a space combat game meant to give the "feel" of historical wet-navy battles; but it is most definitely a Starmada supplement. For example, every rule in Dreadnoughts is portable to any other Starmada setting with a minimum of fuss. Grand Fleets, on the other hand, is a purpose-built game designed for battleship-era combat.

The two have much in common, to be sure, but also significant differences. For example, Starmada has been (and always will be) concerned primarily with game balance and customizability. Grand Fleets, as an historical game, concerns itself with simulation first.

Part of the reason I did Dreadnoughts, though, was to call attention to the similarities -- if you like the one game, you're probably going to like the other. Dreadnoughts is meant to bridge the perceptual gap; i.e. many historical gamers might not think to try spaceship combat, and vice versa.

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com