Dave's Game Rant: Attacktix TF Rules

     Updated 8/5/06: House rules spun off into their own section
(http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/Artifacts/AttHouse) and after-action report
added. 

     Since it'll likely be available in various forms in places other than
the Intergalactic Showdown set, I figured I'd go over the rules booklet
separately.  The rules are essentially the same as those available online at
attacktix.com, just with different pictures and with a different "special
attacks" page (no Emperor, but add in other non-shooty attacks).

     The rulebook is 8" (20cm) wide and 3" (8cm) tall, a sort of extremely
wide widescreen look designed to fit into the triangular prism booster packs
Attacktix comes in.  There's 12 total pages, including the front and back
cover.  I'm going to run through the contents first, then discuss the rules.
I have not been able to find a more expanded set of rules on attacktix.com
other than the tournament rules, so I made my own.

     Cover: Mediocre art of Cybertron Optimus Prime blasting C.Megatron on
the left, and a rather small C.Scourge slashing at C.Hot Shot with his axe.
The title "Intergalactic Showdown" is at the top middle, below that is the
Attacktix logo, and below that the Transformers logo.  In the lower left is
the label "QUICK START GUIDE," although the booklet also includes the "full"
rules.  Bottom right declares the game ot be for 6+.
     
     Page 1: Setup for the Quick Battle game.  Take any three pieces per
side, set up about 3 feet apart.  Shows Dirt Boss, Scourge and Scorponok on
the viewer's side, facing away, and Omnicon, Hot Shot and Mini-Con at the far
end, facing the viewer.

     Page 2: The sum total of the rules, illustrated in three pictures.
Youngest player goes first.  Move as many figures as you want a number of
"tix" equal to the number showing in the base's window at the start of the
turn or less.  Once done with all moving, attack with one or two figures,
either melee or ranged depending on the figure.  Skyblast vehicle mode in the
first picture, Strongarm (not in the first assortment) attacking Insecticon
in the secont, Rodimus firing in the third.

     Page 3: Slightly more advanced rules for using forces of equal point
values, and an explanation of where to find various info on the figure's
base.  C.Megatron used in the example.

     Page 4: The "Master Battle" rules, adding in a few more details.  This
page covers special powers, which may or may not activate when a figure is
knocked over.  Shows Overhaul (not in the first assortment) knocked over by
C.Starscream, but then shows the underside of robot mode Super Optimus Prime
(Cybertron) in detail.

     Page 5: Definition of classes (Warrior, Leader, Captain, Trooper,
Specialist and Mega) that apply to special abilities, and the faction
symbols.  The idea of backup figures is introduced, but it's not explained
how you start with any.  Decepticlone, Super Optimus Prime Vehicle Mode and
Crumplezone are shown as backups, with Dirt Boss, Decepticlone and Scorponok
as active figures on that side. 

     Page 6: The other side of the example battle zone, with Landmine, Hot
Shot and Arcee (not in the first assortment) lined up.  A few rules
clarifications and strategy tips are offered, and the "master" rules use a
coin flip to determine who goes first.

     Page 7: Some special attacks illustrated.  Scorponok can throw
opponents, Skyblast has a poking attack, and Ransack has a spinny claw.

     Page 8: FAQ.  Further FAQs promised on attacktix.com, but I didn't
really see anything aside from the tourney rules.

     Pages 9-10: Pictorial checklist.  Figures are either rare or super-rare,
a pretty inflated rarity scheme.  The first eight are the common ones, the
last ten are the less common ones.  The weird distortion proportions seen in
wave 1 Star Wars Attacktix seem to be absent, although there's a fair number
of Dreamwave Crouchs.
     There are two kinds of projectiles used here, regular missiles and ones
with big round heads I'll call shield missiles.
     1) Mini-Con: The Skyboom remold of the Sonar Mini-Con.  Regular missile.
     2) Omnicon: Signal Flare mold in different colors.  Regular missile.
     3) Decepticlone: This is the Light Unit from the Decepticlones in the
PS2 Transformers game.  Regular missile.
     4) Insecticon: the Terrorcon.  Regular missile.
     5) Rodimus: From Energon. Regular missile.
     6) Battle Ravage: The Terrorcon.  Flail melee weapon.
     7) Scourge: Cybertron version.  Axe melee weapon.
     8) Starscream: Cybertron version.  Regular missile.
     9) Hot Shot: Cybertron version.  Shield missile.
     10) Excellion: Straight repaint of Hot Shot.  Shield missile.
     11) Vector Prime: Shield missile.
     12) Landmine: Energon, in Brute Mode.  Jabbing attack.
     13) Super Optimus Prime: Cybertron version, backpack vastly reduced in
size.  Shield missile.
     14) Super Optimus Prime: Cybertron, vehicle mode.  Regular missile.  The
name has no indication of the difference, and both seem to have the special
ability to swap out with the other.
     15) Scorponok: Energon version.  Throwing attack.
     16) Megatron: Cybertron version.  Shield missile.
     17) Megatron: Cybertron version, jet mode.  Regular missile.
     18) Ransack: Cybertron version.  Claw attack.

     Back cover: Wave 1 checklist.  Includes the ones on pages 9-10, plus the
starter set (Overhaul, Dirtboss, Skyblast and Skyblast...one of the two is
vehicle mode), the Battle Case with Galvatron, and the Battle Master set with
Omega Supreme and a regular-size Crumplezone.

     http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/Artifacts/AttHouse has my own
clarifications and expansion of the rules now.

After-Action Report:

     On August 5, 2006, I finally got a chance to play.  I played a few solo
games, then got an opponent for one last game before I had to vacate to make
room for Warhammer players.  I misremembered the rules, so only moved two
figures per turn, but it went okay.  I played Autobot versus Decepticon, so
that I wouldn't have to worry about mixing up the sides.  :)
     It was fun, and got a lot of positive attention, although it was hard to
get players because everyone who was in the store was already there to play
something else.  It's a good idea to play it in a smaller room where the
missiles can't fly too far or hit other people.
     A few observations:
     There's no such thing as a sure defeat.  Even if you hit, the missile
may glance off to the side without knocking the target over.  Or the target
may slide back rather than falling over, or just spin around.  Accuracy of
the launchers is pretty good, though.
     Try to hit the center of the figure.  Too high and it may just glance
off.  Too low and it either goes between the legs, or hits the base, which
usually just makes the figure slide back a bit.
     Weenie hordes seem to work pretty well.  Even if you can only attack
with two figures a turn, once the sides close in, any hit will have a shot at
defeating its target, so numbers matter.
     Megatron is invincible!  Lower center of gravity, a tendency to slide
rather than fall, and even better, his weirdly angled missile surface can act
as sloped armor.  In every game I played, Megatron was the last Decepticon
standing, and often took out three or four Autobots before finally being
taken out.  His vehicle mode is also kinda hard to take out, due to the
sloped nature.  Just be sure to lower his gun after reloading.
     Battle Ravage's attack takes some practice to pull off.  Once I ended up
defeating a figure with BR's elbow smash instead, leaving the mace to swish
through empty space.
     Dirt Boss's missile isn't as good as I'd hoped.  
     Shield missiles, in general, worked better than I thought they would.
Sure, their range before hitting the table is generally less than a foot
(20cm or so), but they skip across the table at a good clip and are effective
to about twice that range.  Hitting a target while bouncing up is also very
good.