Taking a break from my normal projects I have decided to delve more into superhero gaming. Only this time rather than more Batman I've plumped for the Pulp City game which for me has a wider appeal with its own brand of heroes, heroines, villains, aliens, machines and monsters.
Before I start on the review of the rulebook I have to point out what an amazing website the Pulp City website is. It is chock full of really cool stuff, a really handy
team builder, character bio's, short stories, faction fluff and even do character spotlight's with hints and tips on how to get the best from your supremes. Its one of the things I explored before deciding to get into the game.
Check it out
PULP CITY WEBSITE
I have picked up The Supreme Edition rulebook, the Heroes Starter and the Villains Starter to begin with as it gives me two small teams to play games with. I also have a few other characters that I can add once painted to boost these two starter teams. I'll do a review of what you get in the figure sets in my next post on Wednesday.
The book is in hardback and is 127 pages long. The book you can split in two and the first half focuses on rules and the second half is full of the background and short stories for a ton of factions and groups that are trying to take over or defend Pulp City.
The rules half of the book is broken down into easy to find chapters explaining the rules and features of the game such as how the action point pool, movement, exclusive actions etc all work. Each section has a summary of that section outlining and where need has illustrated examples of how certain rules playout.
To start with the index at the start details each chapter and breaks down what is covered in each one. Something I find very useful when needing to check something in the middle of the game. Also something I rarely see these days in wargaming rulebooks is a glossary again another useful feature to find information during a game. Something I find is sorely lacking with some game systems.
Index/contents
Glossary
The text I found easy to read and when required to find a particular sub section on a page it is headed in bold text which makes it loads easier to find. The book is laid out in a sensible fashion and has loads of colourful art and pics of the miniatures from the range. Examples and summaries are boxed out and easy to find in there relevant sections nothing drives me more mad than having to hunt back and forth to find a rule which should of been clearer to find in the first place.
I think what has got me most excited about Pulp City is the background section in the second half. It has reminded me what it was like to get a brand new Warhammer Army book (back when they first came out) and would spend days and weeks just reading over and over the background and stories in it. It really is a rich background and the characters are fantastic it is hard not to like someone or something from each of the factions.
Now there is a large number of factions that are trying to gain control of the City for their own nefarious reasons as well those just trying to defend the city. Each faction has a short story (sometimes from different sides) then goes on to list the groups objectives and motives. Each faction then has a list of the heroes and villains that make up the faction. Some characters can be found in different factions displaying in some cases there split loyalties or selfish own pursuits for power.
One of the cool things I found was that you can just play the game as heroes vs villains so you can mix and match your favourite characters and not worry about which faction they belong besides being Heroic or Villainous. All you do is pick a total level for the game and then select Supremes whose levels total that amount.
For example a 6 level team could have two level 3, Three level 2 or 6 level 1 Supremes or any mix of the three. Obviously this has advantages and disadvantages depending on who you choose etc. Now the background section doesn't go into detail any particular rules on the Supremes as this can be found on the character cards that come with the miniatures which is better in my opinion as all the info you need is there on a small card. (Which you can sleeve as well for extra protection).
Now I can hear you say well how do I choose who I want not knowing what they can do? Well that is simple the Pulp City Store has that covered! If you browse through the store and take a look at the figures individual store pages you'll find amongst the photos of the mini's are photos of the stat cards! Simples!
Take a look on the
Overall I am really pleased with the book it is easy to read, find information and looks great to boot. It has to be one of the best rulebooks i've picked up in years! If you like your superhero gaming I highly recommend it. I'm looking forward to doing some battle reports and covering the games mechanics.
Another thing worth mentioning is the flat rate shipping £4.62!!!! That's awesome considering its a book as well as miniatures
In my next post I'll cover the Hero Starter set and what you get in it.
