Sword Weirdos Review and Battle Report - Undead Unleashed!

Sword Weirdos by Garske Games is a sequel to the sci-fi skirmish ruleset Space Weirdos. This new fantasy version has been highly anticipated by its fans for some time. Although the approach to Maneuver Points and weapons is different here – with much more complexity - it does not disappoint, and I appreciated the sheer number of options in creating a unique warband.

I grabbed a few fantasy models from my collection, and in no time created a 100 point contingent of Citadel skeletons to be lead by the necromantic vampiress Cleomydia, Mistress of the Night. Little did I know my opponent would choose Thorns of the Briar Queen models for his warband – an epic undead battle of ghosts versus Harryhausen-inspired skeletons would soon commence!

The Treasure Surprise scenario was rolled. The spear-armed skeletons outnumbered the ghosts, but the ghosts were casters with the Magic Missile spell. Luckily for me, Cleomydia had the Majestic Leader Trait, allowing her skeletons minions to use her Will when testing for the opposed roll, as long as she was in line-of-sight. The game centered around me rushing the skeletons forward (as quickly as Speed 1 skeletons can move), while both protecting Cleomydia and ensuring she remained in line-of-sight of the skeletons. Cleomydia also used her Unlife spell to return dead skeletons back as… zombies!

In the end, the sheer numbers of skeletons and resurrected zombie-skeletons (skeleton-zombies?) was extremely beneficial for me, and while we both took one treasure chest off the board early, I was able to pickup another mid-game without it being a Mimic. My opponent had access to other chests, but they all turned out to be Mimics. Victory for Cleomydia and her undead band!

With just one game under my belt, I do hereby declare Sword Weirdos as my preferred fantasy skirmish ruleset. Like Space Weirdos, the game's mechanics are innovative and accessible, and although they are more complex than Space Weirdos, Sword Weirdos is able to again strike the trifeca of fun, flexibility, and simplicity. I become a bigger fan of the use of the five-inch-long sticks for measuring movement and ranges each time I’ve played either ruleset; the approach tends to suck you more into the action without the need to measure for movement or ranges all the time. The innovative use of dice, again like Space Weirdos, makes rolls simple, but meaningful.

As I eye my expansive collection of fantasy models, I eagerly await my next encounter on the battlefield, ready to delve deeper into the story and action-packed adventures that I know Sword Weirdos will offer.