🌕💎💀Nexus Ops💀💎🌕
Designer⚙️: Charlie Catino
Artist🎨: @txemico
[ @renegade_game_studios @avalonhillgames ] 2-4 players
Creatures, a powerful energy source, and a distant moon. Who will control it? Who will never be able to leave? All will be decided in the fantastic small scale wargame: Nexus Ops
Nexus Ops is nearly 20 years old. Released originally in 2005 as a more approachable war game, it has since had three editions this being the third. I feel this edition really shines, because it brings all the great things it does together. Rules generally unchanged.
You will spend rubium to play troops and monsters to the moon. Fighting for control over rubium mines and possibly the 3D monolith in the center. The goal: reach 12 points first.
While there is dice rolls for combat throwing in some randomness, I feel you are given enough tools to mitigate the outcome. There are swings of power and you do have to plan ahead. You can't just run into every battle hoping the dice are in your favor. Efficiency in numbers is where it's at. Collecting energize cards to make battles go your way or give you another chance is crucial.
Chaining your secret missions cards to do one big turn and possibly win the game very quickly takes planning and at times going all in. It's a tense nailbiter of a game where you need to adapt to the people around you or fight for what you need to make it work. It feels fresh each game and consistently gives me the excitement of a big war game in a small hour long package.
The icing on the cake is the fact that it also can be played in complete blacklight. And while I don't play in blacklight all the time I do suggest trying it! It adds to the immersion and it's just downright cool.
Nexus Ops has been and will always be one of my all time favorites. It's accessible, a perfect playtime, and full of exciting moments. It's worthy of a spot on your shelf for its pure fun factor! I love it...to the rubium infested moon and back.
