The end of the ‘90s was a golden age for science fantasy supersoldiers, on the tabletop and on home computers. 1998 saw the release of Warhammer 40k third edition and the iconic multipart Space Marine tactical squad kit, and then in 1999 the double whammy of Quake 3 Arena and Unreal Tournament took LAN parties by storm. If you want to play a tabletop game with all the vibes of that era, look no further than Brimstone and Lead Arena.
Brimstone and Lead Arena was developed by Dylan Green, who calls it “a set of skirmish rules designed to reproduce the adrenaline-pumping and blood-spattered combat of games like DOOM, Quake, and Gears of War”. It’s miniature agnostic, meaning you can play it using your existing Warhammer 40k figure collection, kitbashes, or any other mini range you fancy.
The rules are available via Itch.Io on a pay what you want basis. We’ve given them a read through, though haven’t had a chance to test them. While you can probably use your existing Warhammer 40k factions and Warhammer terrain to play with, you will need to mark out a grid of 67 offset squares or hexes (about the same size as Catan hexes) for the playspace.
This game is all about momentum, aggression, and quick frags. Movement and weapon ranges are measured in hexes, but your models have a literal position within their hex, so cover, elevation, and line of sight blocking terrain all play a role. It’s the same system that was used in last year’s Halo Flashpoint wargame, and we have a pair of articles explaining why that game’s so great.
During the game your fighters will accumulate ‘adrenaline’. The easiest way to build this up is by running around the board at maximum speed, reflecting the lightning movement speed of classic arena shooters, or gibbing enemy models. Adrenaline can be used for extra movement, to use special abilities, and to cancel enemy wounding hits.
Guns all have different effective ranges and special abilities, from the short range shotgun to the infinite range sniper rifle. When you take a shot you also get supporting fire from allied troops with line of sight. An ideal turn will see you unleash fire from an advantageous position onto an undefended enemy from all angles, bringing them down.
But your opponent has options to react to thoughtless movement. First, there’s an action to take reactive fire, targeting the last model that moved through your model’s line of sight. And then there’s the Counter Token.
If you’re holding the Counter Token, you can immediately spend it to cancel one of your opponent’s actions and activate one of your figures instead. Your opponent’s model gets a dangerous Strain token, while yours gets some adrenaline and a stat boost this turn. As soon as you spend it, you pass it to your opponent!
The Counter Token seems really interesting, since it’s a massive threat that can undermine any action you take. While you’re not holding it, you’ll want to bait it out of your opponent by taking less important moves.
Brimstone and Lead Arena features respawns, perfectly on theme for a multiplayer FPS inspired title, and another feature that worked well in Halo Flashpoint. In that game we found it minimised the runaway leader effect and made games closer. Flashpoint benefitted from a lot of tailored scenarios, while Brimstone and Lead has a system for generating objectives.
Unit statlines are very simple, with just a speed and toughness stat. You have the option to take fast and frail scouts, slow and sturdy heavies, or rounded troopers. If you’re using models from Space Marine chapters, then using Phobos, Tacticus, and Gravis marks of Space Marine armor will delineate them nicely. Give them guns from the classic FPS arsenal (chaingun, flamethrower, nailgun…) and you’re good to go!
This is another on the long list of games that just looks fun, and we bet it would work perfectly as a multiplayer throwdown or convention game. The game is in a beta state at the moment, but it’s complete and playable already, and the rulebook is really well laid out.
If you like indie games with grimdark vibes and an excuse to kitbash weird monsters, check out our review of The Doomed. If you want something a little more abstract but no less dripping in theme, then Brawl Arcane is the best – it’s chess with hell wizards.
Source: Wargamer
