Customer Reviews

Mech Warrioe Dark Age Starter Set

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was sad to see FASA close it's doors for good and I was worried about the future of Battletech in Mechwarrior Dark Age. Would it be a watered down version of a great game for kiddies?
After some hesitation I got the starter set. And a booster pack. After that, I got a few more. And now I can't stop. To my surprise I am enjoying it.

However Mechwarrior Dark Age is a different kind of game than Battletech. It is meant to be easy to play, for anyone, and not require the player to sink cash in to dozens of thick manuals. And the game plays with out burdening the player with a lot of record keeping. If you liked doing all that than this is not for you. Dark Age is easy to set up and the rules are straightforward. More than that, the focus is on large battles with combined arms units rather than a game of a couple of Mechs alone. I actually found that forgoing my Mechs and using a mix of my better infantry and tanks to work just as well if not better. Indeed the strengths and weaknesses of each unit in an army made a surprisingly complex game. All in an easy to learn, quick to set up, and fun to play game with a good amount of combined arms strategy. To boot the figures are not bad at all. Many are very detailed and adequately painted.

Compared to classic Battletech, it is also more affordable. In order to get up to speed you would not only need the Battletech box set but an array of manuals, map sets, record sheets, and source books each ranging from 15-25 dollars individually. The classic miniatures range from 6-10 dollars, for each single unit. I easily have over $300 worth of Battletech books. While I loved classic Battletech, Mechwarrior Dark Age is far more affordable. What I do not like so much is that you have to go through a lot of booster pack to find some really nice units. Still, the chance that you may or may not find an Atlas in each booster makes it interesting.

I would advise you to try it. Keep an open mind and it can be a pretty good game.

This is a great game- to collect, to admire the beautiful figures, and/or to play. My son makes up his own rules and solos in his room when he and I aren't playing together or practicing to go to a tournament (you will find one nearby, check WizKids' website, or start your own!), which we find to be a great bonding experience. Strategy is deeper than at 1st glance, but it isn't hard to play. Figures are superglueable when the inevitable small breakage occurs, but they aren't delicate either. Many of the figures, especially the battlemechs, or 'mechs, which represent 40' robots armed with lasers and cannons, are able to be manipulated to a degree which is very cool.
On the learning side, this game has been so good for my bright 8 year old's math skills. The game will ask you to add 3 six sided dice (for the attack) and subtract the total from a (usually) 2 digit number (for the defense). The game also requires you to be able to add many different numbers to make a usual 300 point total when creating your army. The game is part of a deep and dynamic universe which can lead to reading novels or websites for the backstory. Discussing strategy and figures makes this a surprisingly social game as well. As far as history, the tactics and strategy in this game have parallels in military forces both ancient and modern. Enjoy!

I've always been a fan of the Battletech universe, so I bought this product out of loyalty to the brand and frustration in finding material from the discontinued product lines.
Packaging for MW Dark Age looks great; it's obvious Wizkids put a lot of effort into providing depth and a professional appearance. The figures are nicely detailed. However, I was disappointed in getting only one mech for my money.
The game mechanics are fairly straightforward. I was able to teach my 9 year old to play in less than an hour. I use this game as part of our "quality time". I hope it will help him learn some problem-solving and strategy skills while being significantly more fun than chess.
Be advised before buying--you will have to make a substantial investment before you have a decent sized army. Also, be careful with the figs, especially if you have small children. The Spidermech's wings are a prime example of delicate parts.
Overall, I was pleased with this game and hope WizKids provides more mech types (like the one you see in the video games) in the future.

A combination of the FASA Battletech and Battleforce is the best example. The use of dials to track combat stats appears to speed the game and reduce the bookkeeping. The minis are well constructed and painted. The majority of the mechs in the initial release are new to most battletech fans because they are worker mechs (in some cases modified for combat). For those with a collection of the older Ral Parth minis, these are larger. The number of infantry and armor in the game also is good and brings (by their number) the mechs back into scope with the other combat arms. Hoping the expansions will cover the more traditional mechs from the battletech universe.

As a toy this might not be so much fun. But some kids will love the little figures and tanks and mechs and such. The figures are studry plastic and painted very well for mass produced figures. However, this wasn't meant for children. This is a tabletop strategic wargame that can be taken anywhere. It is great on trips, at home, or at local competitions. The randomness of what is in the box is a really nice plus. If you don't get battlemechs, only an agromech, use it and try and beat someone who has one. Try the game before you claim it is too expensive and not worth the price. I am having a great time with this game. Educationally, it will teach your kids to folow rules, and encourage them to think strategically and with thier head. It is similar to chess on a much grander scale. A+++ wizkids.

If you've ever played the computer game, player Warhanner 40,000, the origional Battletech, or just read the books: you'll love this game. You can use three story tall 'Mechs with armments ranging LRM20's to ER PPC's to hatchets. Also, there is a range of infantry (which may seem worthless compared to 'Mechs, but they're not) and tanks. The only things that I don't particularly like are: 1) the randomized distribution of the pieces and 2) that they come pre-painted (I just like painting models). Although they did a really good job of painting (even consitering that they are mass-produced).

This is an incredible game. It expands on the MageKnight/Heroclix genre and brings a new version of Battletech to life. You need to have a starter or two. (Rules dice and measuring tape) The boosters are really nice. It is an extremely fun game. It has brought the ability to use combined forces, vehicles and infantry now are usable in Mechwarrior. I would highly recommend this fun game.

I have been a fan of the Battletech PC games since MW2, and as a MW (Mechwarrior) fan, this does not disappoint me at all. As a game the rules seem simple, but after a few times I began to realize that it can really be a rather complex game. This is good since it is easy to learn and still leaves plenty of strategy for the players to learn and apply. The figures have great detail, but are rather fragile (they won't just fall apart on you, but can be broken with an outside force very easily). The reason I say that the game is semi-educational is that games which are based on numbers tend to teach basic math skills as well as the concepts of efficiency and logical reasoning (suddenly one needs to learn to ask one's self "Is this the best move I can make?" and "Are these the best units I can use for this particular battle?"). I tutor a 7 year old and a 12 year old ADHD patient to teach these ideas (Don't tell them that though!).

This collectable game is quite fun to play for children as well as adults. The game centers on building an army, then deploying that army against another player.

The funs starts from opening the box. Since this is a collectable game, with more than 150 different pieces in the Dark Age set alone, you never know what the box you bought will have inside. The figures themselves are quite pleasant to look at and play with, and one could certainly buy the game with no intent to play, but just admire the pieces. One Dark Age starter set will be required to play (as rules are included in the starter set, as well as dice and a tape measure), and can usually get one player ready for battle. Players will have to carefully chose which pieces they wish to play, as each player will be limited on how many "points" each army can have. Does the player wish to have that one heavy BattleMech for more than 100 points, or have 8 or 10 smaller infantry units instead...? Once each player has their army, they then "set the stage" by placing terrain on the battle field, and start the battle. Each team takes turns moving their pieces across the battlefield. Turns are limited as well -- the player can not move all their pieces on a turn, so they will have to carefully decide which items to move, and where to move them. Combat occurs when pieces get "in firing range," and the result involves math and some random numbers determined by rolling dice. Who wins or loses also is determined by mathmatical rules, based on results of combat or holding terrain.

Three warnings are noteworthy for this game. First, many of the pieces are made from smaller parts, and can occasionally break off. They can be reglued easily enough, but care should be taken with small children. Second, as is probably obvious, the game involves somewhat violent themes (war and combat), and while no graphic violence in involved, parents may wish to monitor their children's reaction to warlike violence. Third, as a collectable game, additional pieces are available with, of course, additional costs.

Overall, however, I have found this to be a fun and enjoyable game, and look forward to expanding my own personal collection.

If you've ever played the computer game, player Warhanner 40,000, the origional Battletech, or just read the books: you'll love this game. You can use three story tall 'Mechs with armments ranging LRM20's to ER PPC's to hatchets. Also, there is a range of infantry (which may seem worthless compared to 'Mechs, but they're not) and tanks. The only things that I don't particularly like are: 1) the randomized distribution of the pieces and 2) that they come pre-painted (I just like painting models).