Talon (2016) Best with 2 Players

Description

Description
Background:
Long hampered by cost and beset by international problems, real space exploration did not seem
possible for humanity. Amazing technological breakthroughs would change all of that in the year 2112.
The invention of the Near Faster Than Light (NFTL) drive would make it possible for large ships to
move easily in and out of a planet's gravity well, and to travel quickly within the confines of a solar
system. Ten years later, the perfecting of Faster Than Light (FTL) drive would turn the galaxy into an
open canvas. United by a common purpose, the newly formed Terran Confederation began to paint
their picture.
Expansion led to colonies, research stations, and even more technological discoveries, but it also led
to the realization that they were not alone. Although no sentient alien species had been encountered,
long range scanners had picked up the distinctive signatures of FTL drives. Sentient races must exist...
and they must be space faring. Terran expansion stopped.
Not knowing what to expect, a period of consolidation followed which emphasized defensive
technologies and fleet building. First contact was made by the people of Earth with this unknown race
in 2227. Over time, they would eventually call these other-worlders the Talon. It was a shortening of
the alien sounds that made up their name but it was also oddly prophetic-the Talon Empire swooped
in very much like a raptor upon the fledgling Terran Confederation.
Game Scale:
Units: Individual capital ships and fighters
Time: Individual fleet battles
Players: 2 to 6
Map: Each hex represents a region of space that normally holds only one ship
Solitaire Suitability: there is no hidden information and no simultaneous action
Welcome to the Talonverse.....
Talon is a game of tactical space combat set in a growing universe with its own history and back story.
This game introduces battles during the First Talon War between the Terran Confederation and the
Talon Empire.
This is a Fleet Combat game. Battles with individual ships can be fought, but the game easily and
quickly simulates combat with fleets of 3-10 ships. These are fleets of Capital Ships. This is NOT a
game about fighter combat in space. Most ships in the game are large and you must balance your
ships' power output between shields, weapons, sensors and maneuverability you are not just doing
an Immelman. Each faction has unique abilities and each ship has unique features. Proper strategy
involves assessing the different abilities of your ships and the enemy's.
This is an Accessible game. The complexity of managing fleets of capital ships has been baked into the
game system, leaving the player free to make interesting decisions. It is also a Fast Paced game. Small
fleet scenarios can be played in one hour, larger ones in under two. This makes the game thematically
of rich and full of quick but meaningful choices.
How can the game do all this? All a ship's energy use is integrated into something called a Power
Curve. All a player has to do is adjust the speed of the ship. A ship's speed determines how much
Available Power it gets to charge weapons faster, reinforce shields, tighten turns... but there will never
be enough of it. The game is fought on a Map distances moved, firing arcs, shield arcs are distinct and
easily resolved. The game uses Very Large, Laminated Counters. All of a ship's systems are displayed
directly on the counter and lamination allows you to mark damage and other ship info with a dry erase
marker. All of the important information is at your fingertips, at-a-glance, on the map. Being able to see tO
the battle unfold on map allows the game system to handle a much larger number of ships without
confusion and effort.
Game Features
1. Terran Fleet (10 different ship classes)
2. Talon Fleet (9 different ship classes)
3. Ships with 4 Shield Arcs
4. Fighter Squadrons
5. Bases, Transports
6. Unique Abilities for each faction
7. Asteroids, Planets, Nebulae
8. Black Holes, Worm Holes
9. 6 Different Weapon Systems including Missiles that track on the board
10. NFTL and FTL Drives
11. 12 Scenarios following the story of the First Talon War
12. Mission Variety: Escort missions, planetary invasions, base assaults...
13. Lifetime Score tracking
14. Empire War campaign game with dynamic, strategic-level decisions
15. Point System for Purchasing Ships and Design-Your-Own Scenarios
16. A tie in with Space Empires 4x
Update:
From the
GMT Talon Reprint
page: "Solitaire: - The Talon system plays extremely well solitaire for two reasons:
1. There is no hidden information.
2. There are no simultaneous decisions. Each decision happens sequentially.
However, a dedicated Solitaire System is being released with Talon 1000. See the (GMT)
Talon 1000
page for more information."
BGG listing for
Talon 1000
.
Designer: Jim Krohn, Developer: Bob Seife
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AWARDS & HONORS
2016 Golden Geek Best Wargame Nominee
2016 Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game Nominee
Type
Wargames ali
Category
Science Fiction
Wargame
Mechanisms
Dice Rolling
Grid Movement
Hexagon Grid
Scenario / Mission
/ Campaign Game
Simulation
Variable Player
Powers
CLASSIFICATION
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Type
Wargames
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Category
Science Fiction
Wargame
Mechanisms
Dice Rolling
Grid Movement
Hexagon Grid
Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game
Simulation
Variable Player Powers