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Battle Cattle

Author: Aldo Ghiozzi and Matt Stipicevich
Category: miniature
Company/Publisher: Wingnut Games
Line: N/A
Cost: $7.95(US)
Page count: 40
Capsule Review by Todd Cross on 05/21/99.
Genre tags: Modern_day Comedy
Many different types of miniatures games exist in the current game market from starships to historical battles to grandious sci-fi and fantasy wargames but few are as good at accomplishing their mission as Battle Cattle. Battle Cattle is a game where comedy and fun are more important than die rolls and precise measurements. In fact, Battle Cattle is one of the few comedy focused miniatures games in the industry.

The premise of Battle Cattle is simple in that it's set in the near future in a time when society has tired of regular sports and gladiatorial battling between highly armed and armored cattle is the most popular world sport. As a player in Battle Cattle, you get to buy a cow and a harness to mount weapons on. The object of a Battle Cattle game is simply to have the last cow standing on the playing field.

The rules system is the heart of any game and the system for Battle Cattle is very good. It accomplishes the difficult task of being simple to play and accurate in resolution. Battle Cattle provides just enough rules to cover just about every combat situation without overwhelming players with too many rules. The combat system uses a d6 die roll format that is very easy to use.

Another positive point about Battle Cattle is the layout of the game. The rules and information on cattle, weapons and accessories are presented in a logical order so it would be easy to pick up the game and start playing quickly. Creating a cow for this game is as easy as buying a cow and a harness and equipping the harness with a wide variety of weapons and accessories.

The real comedy of Battle Cattle comes into focus when you see the list of accessories for cattle which range from a cloak generator to a "mad cow disease dart gun" to "Anthrax air raid" among others. The armor list is amusing as well and there are many weapons from which to choose. A history of cattle in combat is provided as well as a list of cattle classes at UC Berkeley both of which are hilarious.

The only problem with Battle Cattle is finding miniatures for the game. I know of no miniatures for this game so you would have to design your own. Any farm playset with cattle at your local toy store would be a good place to find the miniatures to start. The lack of miniatures could be a good creative challenge for those who wish to play this game. Battle Cattle is also a good read when you just need a laugh.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 3 (Average)

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