Deep under the ground lies the lair of the Doctor. No, not some evil mad scientist, but what some call “humanity’s last hope”. When he’s not fighting Moloch in the mines, he dedicates all his energy to controlling the Partisan network and inventing new types of weapons and tactics.
Welcome to the newest army for Portal Games excellent Neuroshima Hex game. Are you ready to take control of the wastelands?
Army Overview:
The Partisans are unique in that they are the first (and only I think) army for Neuroshima Hex that’s only available in their digital app. So if you are a strictly cardboard player then this army won’t be for you.
The uniqueness of The Partisans lies in their trap ability. Once per turn, the Parisian player may activate their HQ to launch a trap in a straight line from the trap launcher on their HQ. Traps are played face down and when an enemy places a unit on a hex with a trap, the trap is flipped over and resolved. As you might expect, these are all bad for the enemy player. If the Parisian player wishes to place a unit in a trapped hex, the trap is disarmed and returned to their supply.
Game Experience with the Army:
New armies for Neuroshima Hex can be a little challenging to review. For the most part, unless they do something really weird (see Dancer), using them is simply a matter of figuring out how best to use their focus. Some armies are highly mobile, while others excel at going first in initiative. So what makes the Parisians tick is clearly their trap ability.
The Parisians are all about board control. They have 8 traps (7 are unique), and the key is that your opponent won’t know what trap you have placed until it is sprung. The most straightforward is the Mine. It destroys any unit placed there. Always useful for you and scary for your opponent.
However one of my favorites is the Rabies trap. When tripped, the activating unit receives the Friendly Fire ability. This means a well-placed unit can destroy its own tiles in combat. It can be tricky to pull off effectively, but when you do, it’s devastating for board control.
And honestly, that’s really where this army is going to shine. You should be trapping hexes often as it will make your opponent think twice about playing into a spot. You can use them to protect your HQ, or your own units surrounding your enemy’s HQ. Because traps can only be sent to an empty hex, you’ll want to drop traps early in the game as placing them gets a lot harder as board spaces fill up.
When playing against the Partisans, you’ll need to perform little risk/reward calculations. Sometimes you’ll need to sacrifice a weaker unit to clear out a key hex. It’s also important to try and clog up their Trap Launcher lines to stop them from launching a new trap each turn. Thankfully, not every trap is lethal, but all are at least annoying.
Final Thoughts:
If you are a fan of the Neuroshima Hex digital app, then there is no reason not to pick up this army. It’s unique, fun to play, and offers a good challenge to play against. While it’s not my favorite army (Neojungle 4 Life!), I really did enjoy the traps and how they change up the game. I will say that my first game was a disaster, so like playing most new Neuroshima Hex armies, you’ll need to give it time to figure out the best strategies to win.
Source: Board Game Quest
