If you’ve been gaming for a long while, then perhaps you remember the time when what now are popular video games were played exclusively with paper and dice. Dungeons and Dragons, BattleTech, Lord of the Rings, and many other gaming franchises were originally games that took many hours to play. Now, one hour of checking the rulebook, rolling dice, calculating hits, and logging damage are simulated by the computer in just a few seconds.
In an unusual twist turn, a popular video game franchise has been brought to the tabletop, in the form of WizKids’ Halo ActionClix. Since Halo ActionClix aims to bring the frenzy of PvP to the tabletop, and thus the rules are simplified to make for quick gameplay (by tabletop standards).
I was able to meet with Becky Wilson of WizKids, who demonstrated the game for me. Many gamers may be interested in Halo ActionClix just for the collectibility factor of the miniatures. Unless you’ve been under a rock for the past 5 years, then you no doubt have played Halo.
The game will be available in several packs. You can buy the main pack, Series One, which contains nintey figures with characters from all three chapters of the Halo video games. Several add-on packs will follow in the months following the initial September 19th release date.
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I asked if there really was a market for tabletop games today. Becky replied that some gamers would be interested in a game that offers a little more strategy but still like the PvP aspect of games. Card battle games remain somewhat strong in today’s market, and tabletop games have their loyal fans. A strong recognizable franchise like Halo is certain to interest the gaming community, and WizKids hopes to introduce tabletop gaming to those that haven’t tried it.
Becky stated that many first-person-shooters translate well to a tabletop experience, and hinted that there would be other popular video games scaled down into miniature form. She hopes to develop more of the story from the Halo Universe, but right now Bungie is tight-lipped about the storyline until Halo 3 is released. After that, WizKids hopes to incorporate and develop storylines into the game.
With the simple rules of ActionClix, gamers can play as little or as long as they want, with a typical game lasting between 20 to 30 minutes. Since this is basically a PvP battle, gamers can extend gameplay by increasing the number of kills required to win a match. Players can select different spawn markers on the map, and rules are included on the flip side of the gridded map. Statistics for each character are located under the base of each miniature, so there are no cards or papers to lose.
One of Ten maps will be available in each booster pack, which is basically a folded paper map. Galeforce 9, which has several detailed sculpted relief terrain available for tabletop games, will be creating some maps for the Halo ActionClix series.
Halo ActionClix will be available for purchase in Wal-Mart and Target stores nationwide. While pricing hasn’t been offially announced, booster packs of five figures should be abailable for $9.99, and Series One should be avilable for $24.99. Although WizKids works intimately with Bungie, these figures are not available on the Bungie online store.
Genre: Collectible miniatures game (CMG)
Release Date: September 12, 2007
Producer: WizKids
Age: 12-years-old and up
Players: 2 + players
Overview:
The Halo ActionClix collectable miniatures game (CMG) brings the incredible content of the Halo universe to players’ tabletops via the award-winning Clix miniatures game engine. Players are able to replicate the exciting multiplayer action from all three Halo games using high-quality pre-painted, plastic miniatures of Halo characters and vehicles. WizKids’ Halo ActionClix is accessible to all levels of players and allows them to jump right into the action and enjoy Halo game mechanics, including weapon swaps, figure re-spawning and vehicle-based combat. The game also shares the same basic game mechanics as the other Clix games so players will be able to play Halo ActionClix with other Clix products.
With its easy-to-learn gameplay mechanics and low-cost booster packs, two players or more can immediately start playing. The first Halo ActionClix set will feature more than 80 unique miniature figures from the Halo universe, including preview content from Halo 3. There are two main booster pack varieties – a $10 pack (4 game figures, 4 stat cards, 2 die and 1 start-up map) and an $11 pack ( 5-figure blind pack with 5 figures, 5 stat cards, 2 dice and 2 start-up map). An average game of Halo ActionClix should take 2 players around 45 minutes.
Gameplay:
Halo ActionClix combines the core Clix game mechanics of the combat dial and combat resolution system with popular Halo game features. Halo’s respawning and weapon-swapping features makes for faster and longer gameplay. In addition, with the new character upgrade features players can use most of their collection in battles.
The gameplay replicates the multiplayer aspect of the Halo game as players field teams in battles of Halo’s USNC, Covenant or mixed teams. Battles ensue after players place their pieces in position. Each game piece has a unique combat dial that lists their constantly evolving stats, and a character card that list specific abilities of that piece. Using different “move and shoot” capabilities, as well as blocking terrain (walls and debris), players move their pieces – vying for the best shot to take down their opponent’s pieces. If a player can successfully control one of their opponent’s spawn points, they prevent them from bringing new pieces in at that point and receive rewards for doing so. Each time a player eliminates an opponent’s piece, they receive a kill token. The first player to collect five kill tokens is the winner.
The Halo ActionClix Collectible Universe:
- Launching in September, Halo ActionClix Series One will have almost 100 pieces, including the Hunter Combat Pack, the Warthog Pack and the Banshee Pack. Packs include exclusive Halo 3 preview content.
- Launching in 2008, Halo ActionClix Series Two will feature a majority of content from the Halo 3 video game.
- Exclusive figures, such as unique Master Chiefs and giant-size Hunter figures, are available through various products and promotions.
- The game features 18 different Master Chief Sculptures with various weapons and poses.