Have you ever wondered, who would win a fight a Brotherhood of Steel regiment or battalion of Stormtroopers? Well if so, you’re in luck because both franchises will be making their tabletop miniature wargame debut, beginning in the 2nd quarter of 2018. Both games are currently available for pre-order, and in this post, we will take a look at each to determine which game is worthy of pre-ordering between Star Wars: Legion and Fallout: Wasteland Warfare.
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Star Wars: Legion
Star Wars: Legion is produced by Fantasy Flight Games (FFG), and is a miniatures game were squads of troops battle for the fate of the galaxy.  Players will have the opportunity to command armies of either heroes or villains from the Star Wars universe. The Star Wars: Legion Core Set is available for pre-order now and will contain thirty-three unpainted miniatures and all the necessary equipment to begin playing. The pros of Star Wars: Legion are that Fantasy Flight Games is the producer of the widely popular X-Wing Miniature’s Game. Besides, offering several other favorite games based on Star Wars, FFG provides an extensive catalog of games based on their own unique content as well as other franchises. Fantasy Flight Games is well regarded, and the popularity of their other games coupled with the appeal of  Star Wars ensures a reasonably large number of stores and gamers will be picking up copies of the game.
That said, the cons of Star Wars: Legion is that Fantasy Flight Games risks splitting up their customer base. Currently, FFG offers Star Wars fans seventeen different games. While each game provides a unique experience, each game still competes indirectly for time on the table. FFG’s X-Wing, Imperial Assault, and Destiny already crowd out their own game Star Wars: Armada at many shops. Many players of these other games are invested heavily in their current games and may not be compelled to buy into yet another Star Wars game, especially if they do not feel it offers a unique enough experience.
Many Reddit users in the XwingTMG subreddit indicated they were attracted to the casual nature of X-Wing and liked that they did not have to paint or assemble game pieces. These same users reported that they have already spent money on X-Wing and will be holding off on picking up Legion. Casual gamers looking for a Star Wars game may prefer the simplicity of X-Wing and Legion could suffer as a result. Without the casual audience, a self-fulfilling prophecy could develop, where additional casual players become reluctant to pick up the game.
Fallout: Wasteland Warfare
Fallout: Wasteland Warfare is being brought to market by Modiphius and they hope to recreate the post-nuclear apocalypse in miniature form on your tabletop. Players will assemble crews from the various factions and well-known characters of the Fallout series of video games to engage in player vs. player battles, Solo play or even co-op modes. Modiphus is offering a few different versions of their starter set, and each includes everything necessary to play.
The Pros to Fallout: Wasteland Warfare are that The Fallout series of video games are massively popular.  The latest game in the series, Fallout 4 shipped 12 million copies on launch. Modiphus will benefit from the considerable Fallout fan base, as well as the community built up around their other games. Since Fallout is a role-playing game, Fallout fans who may be new to or unfamiliar with tabletop games will already be accustomed to many of the mechanics of play, such as character building, and S.P.E.C.I.A.L skills.
The Cons to Fallout: Wasteland Warfare are that Fallout has a large following. However, Wasteland Warfare will have to compete with newer offerings as well as established games to see table time.  Modiphus has done an excellent job of marketing the game. However, Modiphus does not currently have the same representation at the local game shops like Games Workshop or FFG. Many gamers invest a lot of time and money into their games and are reluctant to jump into a new game if it is not currently being played or is underrepresented in the local community.
Winner is…Fallout: Wasteland Warfare
Both of these games should prove to be successful, as each is based on a popular franchise and is being launched by companies that have a proven track record of releasing great games. However, Wasteland Warfare has some distinct advantages over Legion, making Wasteland Warfare the winner.
Wasteland Warfare can be played in multiple modes, player Vs. player, co-op and solo mode. Solo mode ensures that if Wasteland Warfare is not picked up by your local community, you will have a fun game to play at home with family, friends or even yourself.
Modiphus is offering a bonus and preferential shipping to individuals that pre-order the game and spend a specific dollar amount.  Comparably, Fantasy Flight Games is not currently providing an incentive to pre-order, and some of their previous games had supply issues around launch. It may be prudent to wait and see if Legion is picked up by your locale before purchasing.
Wasteland Warfare is likely to appeal to a more diverse experience level of gamer. A preliminary review of the rules of each game suggests that Wasteland Warfare is the simpler of the two games. The various modes of play also ensure that individuals new to wargaming or tabletop gaming have several ways to enjoy the game.
Either way you cannot go wrong, and of course, you will need both to finally settle the debate of who would win a fight a Brotherhood of Steel regiment or battalion of Stormtroopers? I foresee some epic geeky fan fiction happening this spring đ
Which of the two games are you looking forward to the most? Leave your comments below and stay tuned for in-depth reviews and gameplay.
