Darktide: The miniatures game - Review
But that’s not all—before we could even decide whether to get it or not, it was already available in the store (strangely enough, even in Italian - Editor's note). Of course, I couldn’t resist getting a box, as I’m a big fan of the video game, so here I am reviewing it.
WHAT IS IT?
Fundamentally, Darktide (the video game) is a third-person cooperative shooter. Four players undertake nearly impossible missions in the massive hive city of Tertium, facing hordes of traitorous guards and followers of Nurgle.
The board game does its best to recreate the adrenaline-pumping clashes in the infested streets and tunnels, offering a board game with a hexagonal grid and the ability to play solo or with up to three others.
However, what it truly aims to be is quite clear: an entry-level game for Kill Team.
THE CONTENT
The Darktide box contains:
- 4x agent miniatures: Ogryn, Psyker, Zealot, and Veteran
- 16x enemy miniatures: 6x Poxwalkers and 10x Traitor Guardsmen
- 48-page campaign book
- Dozens of various cards
- 4x double-sided Killzone tiles
- Various tokens and dice
Often, when faced with this type of product, the question arises: is it a good deal in terms of quantity/quality/price?
The answer in this case is: probably not.
Let’s start with the fact that the price is quite high (€85), especially when compared to similar products released not too long ago: Combat Arena: Lair of the Beast and Space Marine: The Board Game.
The total cost of both (60 euros, 30 euros each) is even lower than Darktide’s. And if we want to drive the point home: not only do the number of miniatures and content per box match up, but both boxes offered either exclusive models (Titus from the Space Marine video game) or hard-to-find ones (part of the Blackstone Fortress models and the previously unobtainable, at a reasonable price until then, Ambull).
So what can I say? It’s hard to justify such a high price for 20 models and a bunch of cards. We could discuss it if at least they had offered 4 exclusive models for the agents, but that’s not the case.
NOTE FOR KILL TEAM
I should point out that the 10 Traitor Guard miniatures come from the same sprue as the Blooded team.
Consequently, if you manage to get hold of the Ogryn (or convert the one provided) and the commissar, you could field the complete team.
You’d be missing some upgrade bits (like the shield), but with a bit of kitbashing, you could work around it.
Or simply buy another box of Blooded, and you’ll have all the options for a 20-model roster.
Just for completeness, I’ll note that the Poxwalkers can also be used for the Death Guard Compendium team.
GAME SYSTEM
In short: it’s a simplified Kill Team where you use a team of 4 models with a predefined profile. Of course, everything is modified to be compatible with a hex-based killzone.
For example, since there’s no inch measurement here, everything is measured in hexes, but the essence remains the same. A movement of 3 "circles" (6") becomes 3 hexes, and weapon range is similarly adjusted.
Even the model profiles are practically the same, except for significantly higher wounds to allow the four agents to survive prolonged encounters on the board.
Scenery isn’t present. Or rather, it’s present but in the form of tiles, so the Line of Sight mechanic isn’t the usual one.
As for the cards, some are used to determine the activation order of the models, while many others are equipment (some identical to Kill Team) and upgrades assignable to agents (see "abilities" and "tricks" in KT). The "artificial intelligence" system for the enemies is interesting, allowing you to move them "impartially" and avoiding the need for a fifth player to act as the villain.
The actual game is divided into 6 missions that can be played individually as one-shots or as a narrative campaign if played in order (in the latter case, agent progression is also provided). It’s nice that each mission is divided into three stages to complete before moving on to the next, much like in the video game.
CONCLUSIONS
It’s not easy to give a positive opinion on purchasing this game for several reasons.
First, it has a "demo" feel rather than being a stand-alone game like Blackstone Fortress or Cursed City.
I don’t even think there will be any expansions for the game (at least not fan-made) like for the aforementioned ones because its purpose is clear: to get people started with Kill Team by leveraging Darktide’s appeal, not to become a standalone series.
The problem is that it seems to fail even from that perspective because:
- in fact, by trying out the full game, new players will find themselves facing a rather different game in terms of depth and complexity of the mechanics.
This might confuse them and make them give up after a few "but wait, it wasn’t like this in Darktide" moments (I just need to think about the traumatic impact of how the REAL line of sight works in Kill Team).
- There’s already an entry-level Kill Team set, and that’s the Introductory Set. For the same price (€85, let’s not forget), it gives you:
- 96-page Core Rulebook
- 56-page Recruit Book
- 23 miniatures: two complete kill teams of Veteran Guardsmen and Ork Kommandos.
- 6 barricades and 6 pieces of Ork terrain
- Measuring tools and additional accessories
It goes without saying that there’s no comparison between the contents of the two boxes.
Even from a "tutoring" perspective, the Darktide game makes little sense. A shopkeeper or anyone wanting to have a novice try out this "demo" of Kill Team will find themselves having to explain two fundamentally different games, even though they start from the same base.
Honestly, as I write this article, beyond the hook offered by the video game’s fame, I see only two reasons to buy the box:
- To spend an easygoing evening with a board game that’s not too demanding and easy to set up.
- To sneakily and cleverly introduce reluctant friends to Kill Team under the guise of playing "a board game."
As for me, you’ll find me on Tertium.
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