The Undaunted series brought an excellent two-player deckbuilding battle set in the WW2 trenches. From the Normandy invasion to the North African sands, to the blue skies above England, players have had the opportunity to command units in strategic skirmishes. There’s even a campaign set in Stalingrad, my favorite of the series, one that simulates the struggle and heartache of stagnation and decimation.
Callisto takes the series in a new direction—namely into the solar system. Once again designed by David Thompson and Trevor Benjamin, published by Osprey, and featuring solo plays from David Digby and David Turczi, Undaunted now steps out of the trenches on Earth and… into the trenches on a moon.
Gameplay Overview:
Callisto features two factions fighting over resources on one of Jupiter’s moons that is suggested to potentially support human life. The Lunar Frontier Authority (LFA) represents the corporations looking to exploit mineral deposits, while the Breakers are entrenched workers on the moon seeking to undercut the LFA pricing and find their own way forward. You know, a war of the future.
If you’ve played an Undaunted game in the past, this is going to play almost the same. Players build a deck based on scenario specifications, have a supply of cards to add along the way, and take turns choosing a card for initiative value before playing the rest for actions. Players utilize all their cards before the next player’s turn, and as they build their deck, they inch ever closer to the objective for the scenario.
The LFA features a set of mech units, each with their own cards that command, navigate, and engage in combat. The Breakers have drill and hauler units that can scout and transport larger numbers of troops. Beyond these distinctions, each faction has its own ground units with unique properties, though nearly all their actions are taken from the earlier games in the series.
Players can scout ahead to open areas for movement. They can attack and suppress as well, though here there is a difference between attacking vehicles and mechs over ground troops. And leaders of each faction provide support by way of bolstering the deck and inspiring units. There are also actions that scout without moving units (pathfind) and an attack that pushes units away (pulse).
Beyond the asymmetric factions, Callisto brings a new map system that utilizes a full board rather than tiles. There are eight scenarios in total and eight unique maps to match them. Each scenario and map are unique and feature a range of objectives. While they are set up as individual scenarios, Callisto does include an option to treat these as a campaign if you so desire. New map features include vehicle-restricted spaces, civilian and building tokens, doors, and more to discover.
But the biggest new feature is elevation. Map topography is a thing now and this is baked into the way combat works. There are three sets of dice: D8, D10, and D12. Each corresponds to elevation. Attacking a unit from a lower elevation? Roll D8. Same elevation? D10. And when attacking from on high, you get to roll D12. It also must be noted that there is no longer an automatic success when rolling a specific number on any die.
Game Experience:
There is both good and bad with this newest iteration of the Undaunted series. First, it must be noted that the deckbuilding system remains the same and continues to be as elegant as ever. The battle for initiative, keeping units relevant amongst casualties, and praying for a good draw keep things tense. The new maps and objectives add to a diverse set of options, though the ability to neutralize a certain number of enemies also remains.
The new combat system with elevation is also a great wrinkle. It feels great to increase odds while utilizing the high ground and having this as an available option makes you look at the map in a new way. There are built-in priorities separate from objectives due to this. Combat is also improved with the separation between unit and vehicle attacks. Players must be aware of how they can damage the enemy on this front.
The issue I had when I reviewed Battle for Britain was how individual units had turned into vehicles, making the stakes feel lesser amongst losses. There is still a little of that here as well. Excellent card illustration provides detail to unit types, but they are hidden behind space suits and mech units and still blend into the background. As such, all your Scouts feel the same unless you invest some time into learning their nicknames.
Speaking of vehicles, both the mechs and the drill/hauler add some flair to each faction. While not every scenario is balanced the best, there is enough within the deckbuilding parameters to keep sessions interesting. Choosing which elements of a mech enter your deck is a great initial puzzle—do you attack from afar or navigate closer without enough operators on your weaponry? And the Breaker’s ability to haul multiple units around truly is game-changing at times.
Okay, now for the bad. First up, there is some misprinting on the maps and some rule clarifications that didn’t quite make the rulebook (which, despite this, is good overall). BGG forum responses make it seem like a detailed errata/FAQ is on the horizon, so all is not lost. But certainly, a mark against a possibly rushed product.
The scenario maps can also be too tight at times. There are moments where you feel you can get right into the face of your opponent and movement takes a backseat. As such, sometimes you feel the need to push for a neutralization win rather than pursue an objective. Each of the maps were designed to look like aerial surveillance, which adds to the setting, but doing this truncated the maps a bit. It would’ve been nice to spread these out more.
The final item of mention is the solo experience. I was looking forward to trying this out, but after navigating the flowcharts for a scenario, I decided to two-hand the system instead. The solo rule and scenario book is sixty-four pages long, each scenario featuring unit-specific instructions to provide a reactive opponent. It’s quite overwhelming (re: daunting) and it is much easier to make decisions for the enemy rather than navigating the charts. A big miss all around.
Final Thoughts:
I am glad to see the Undaunted system getting out of WW2. Regardless of the diminishing investment toward individual cards in your deck and supply, it is nice to have new unit types and tweaks to gameplay systems. Does Callisto work all the time? Certainly not. Does it provide a fresh new setting with plenty of intrigue? Eh, also probably not. Here we are two fictional factions fighting over resources on a moon—there is no morality here.
Is there anything on display though that’s worthwhile? Yes. The Undaunted series presses forward adjusting around its amazing card play. Callisto has given us elevation and an attempt at new maps. Maybe this is all in service of a grand project on the horizon that pulls the campaign from Stalingrad and takes us even further from the horrors of the past.
Final Score: 3 stars – With highs come lows, whether we’re battling on our home planet or out amongst the stars.
Hits:
• New elevation dice
• Initiative/deckbuilding remains strong
• Scenario variety
Misses:
• Solo is a mess
• Oppressive maps
• Errata issues
Source: Board Game Quest
