#21: Attacktix Battle Figure Game (Star Wars)

Attacktix Battle Figure Game

• designer: Brian Wilk
• publisher: Hasbro
• date: 2005
• BoardGameGeek rank/rating: 1821/6.29
• age: 6+ (while the Geek says "8+" for manufacturer's suggested age, that's incorrect)
• # of players: 2
• print status: OOP
• cost: the sets are overpriced but available through Amazon... there are even still some Marvel figs available through HasbroToyShop

There are three different Attacktix families: Star Wars (the most extensive set), Transformers, & Marvel Superheroes. At the Jackson house, we've only purchased the Star Wars figures, so that's what I'll be basing my comments upon.

Let's start with an admission & an apology:

1. Admission: I am decidedly NOT a fan of collectible games. I don't mind systems like Memoir '44 or Heroscape (both of which have a number of expansion sets) because you know exactly what you're buying - they are true expansion sets with no randomness. (The only collectible game I've allowed myself to be sucked into was Illuminati: New World Order... and we didn't do that until it was on the clearance racks.)
2. Apology: This is not a cheap game to get involved in... esp. now that it is OOP. If I hook anyone into this because of my review here, I apologize for the big honkin' bite it's gonna take out of your wallet.

I won't, however, apologize for the fun you'll have. Attacktix is a well-themed, spring-powered, low rules version of the play activity of almost every elementary school age boy - setting up army men & shooting them down.

Each player creates an army of figures (I recommend 150 points... but Braeden has been known to insist on 500 point armies, which takes WAY too long) with a variety of skills (shooting different weapons or armed w/a lightsaber) and stability (the bigger the base, the more points a figure costs). If you have figures that are thematically connected, their special powers (more on that in a minute) complement each other.

You each set up your figures across the table from each other, randomly pick a start player... and they take their turn, which is brain-dead simple:

• move any and/or all of your figures
• use the fighting abilities of two of them

Then the next player takes his turn... and this goes until one player surrenders or runs out of figures.

Movement is based on a clicker hidden in the base of each figure... your figure base has a movement number printed on it which is the number of clicks you can move the character. Jedi & Sith armed with lightsabers are much faster than your average Clone Troopers... and the big figures (Gunship, AT-RT, weird beast that Obi-Wan rides from Episode 2) are slower still.

Figures "die" when they fall over - and thanks to the high-powered guns/"force push" goodies built into the figures, that's not impossible to do. Jedi & Sith "swing" their lightsabers by twisting the base one direction & the saber in the other, then letting it loose to knock over figures - and, if you're lucky, take out multiple figures with the hit.

When a figure falls over, you check the bottom of the base for his/her "special power" - which is only activated if the clicker wheel is turned to show white through a small window in the base. Some of these powers allow other figures to move and/or fire, while others bring new figures into play.

The game goes until one player runs out of figures or surrenders.

A trio of warnings:

• This is the game the movie "A Christmas Story" warned you about... "you'll put your eye out" is a distinct possibility with some of the figures.
• It's really easy to lose the "bullet" pieces under furniture and in other odd crevices. We play on our kitchen floor with a couple of towels stuffed around the fridge so we don't have to chase pieces into the Place Where Dust Bunnies Go To Die.
• The lightsaber figures are more likely to break when overstressed... we've got a couple of armless Jedi's.

I noted above that the Geek has the wrong recommended age... I checked one of my many copies of the rules (collectible games - shudder) to find the correct (age 6+) recommendation. Braeden (my oldest) started playing when he was 4.