why gears of war should have a table top wargame
Gears of War first burst into my life in November 2006 when the first Gears of War game was released on the XBOX360.
I was hooked from the first trailer, the sad haunting vocals of Mad World playing over the dark and gritty world as a Cog soldier runs through the streets but i believe a table top game could be amazing if treated right.
The trailer followed our main character Marcus Fenix as he ran through the remains of Jacinto city, battling Locust soldiers, only to end up face to face with a Corpser.
Gears of War went on to become one of the most successful game franchises of all time, making over $1.5 Billion dollars from the 6 games so far.
Gears of War had a board game produced by Fantasy Flight games back in 2011, which was a good board game and did its best to try and capture the spirit of the Gears of War games.
A Gears of War table top game is one of the best skirmish games never made. Its dark gritty atmosphere and rich background is just screaming of for attention.
The game could have an immersive cover system like the XBOX games as well as a destructible terrain system. It would only need a small model count, focusing on skirmishes rather than massive battles. With each miniature having its own wargear and special rules.
There are multiple forces to pick from starting with the Cog and Locust from the first few games, leading onto the Lambent, Stranded, UIE, The Swarm and the Coalition. The huge amount of forces available would allow a nice mix of miniatures.
Iconic weapons like the Lancer and the Torch bow could really shine in a skirmish game.
Just try to imagine fighting skirmishes over the ruins of Jacinto as the Hammer of Dawn rains fiery death down from the skies or fighting your way through the Locust Hive.
One day I hope a company does pick up the Gears of War licence and creates a table top wargame but it also worries me that if it ever is picked up, it will not be treated with the respect it deserves.