Micro Mutants

Micromutants is a play based on the principle of the chips, published in France by Darwin Project. It was initially published in Italy, then in the United States under the name of X-BUGS (a version a little more complex).

He asks address but also a good strategy. Although many, the rules are rather simple and one is caught quickly with the play once one a little took it in hand. The characteristics of certain pawns often give place to reversals of situation which make the play really original.

If the authors, Francisco Nepitello and Marco Maggi, are not very known in France, they published inter alia a card deck de on the foot, and the Roleplays, of which an adaptation of Nausicaâ of Miyazaki and another, with ancient topic, cosigné by another well-known name of the amateurs of plays in Europe: Leo Colovini .

This play presents some differences according to the countries where it is published. For example, in the American version, each race has three bases instead of two and some pawns moreover, and the special capacities of certain pawns are active only lorsques certain bases are placed side " fort".

History

The Earth is invaded by races of aggressive and surévolués extraterrestrial insects. The human ones send in their turn insects genetically modified to defend it. That gives place to engagements without mercy where mutant wasps with technology ultra projection face the magic capacities of Japanese mites.

Races

There are in this play six different races. A half is land, the other extraterrestrial one. They are distributed in three boxes. As each box is available in two plays of color of pawns, it is theoretically possible, by buying some 6, to play 12. More reasonably, one can easily play 4 with 2 boxes.

Box n°1

Usatropodes are genetically modified Cafard S by the American secret services. The teams of most powerful the nano-arm ever created, they fight to save the world…

Exoborgs are Guêpe S whose physical weakness is largely compensated by their incredible technological advance. Their ultimate goal is to invade the Galaxie and they get busy there with great reinforcement of Téléporteur S, fields of force and répulseurs.

Box n°2

Russoptères are troops created during the Cold war, decryogenized, endoctrinées and over-trained. Their units are close to those of the Red Army , you will find there Workmen, Kommissaires, Tanks or Rocket launcher (Katioucha S).

Arachnoïdes are larvae of space fallen in Africa and directed by " Griot s" and of the " spirits of the jungle". They practice the magic, the changes, acid spittle and the throw of cobwebs.

Box n°3

Sashimites respect the rigid code of the Bushido in order to reach the martial perfection. They align will samurai, of the servants of the ninjas, the archers and a pitiless Shogun. Their base of the Mont Fuji creates a Kami when it is attacked!

Cosmoplantes are hybrid plants come from an unknown planet. They dedicate a savage hatred with the devourers of Chlorophylle which are the insects. Their vegetable bases are mobile!

Rules

The play is played two players minimum on a carpet or a fitted carpet.

Each player directs an extraterrestrial or land race made up of two pawns " bases" and of a dozen pawns " unités". The goal of the play is to destroy the two enemy bases or to make so that there remain to him nothing any more but two pawns " unités".

The part proceeds by turns. The player starts by launching two Dé S which indicates the pawns to him that it will be able to play. He moves them by making them jump using virgin a plastic token, called “engine”.

Each pawn can move only once by turn (except exceptions). Thus, if a player twice draws the same unit with the dice, it will not be able to play the same one twice.

If a player draws with the dice a unit which is not concerned any more on the ground, it with the possibility of bringing back it in reinforcement close to one of its bases. This operation counts like a displacement, the unit in question will be able to thus move only with the following turn. One can regain only one pawn, even if it twice is drawn.

If a pawn leaves the zone of play, it is replaced at the place from where it had left. Displacement is counted and it will not be possible to again move it in the turn.

A pawn covered by another, even very small little or by accident, is taken. The insects are eliminated at once (but can return on an adequate jet of dice). The bases are initially turned over on a weak face; they are not repaired and their destruction means the defeat. Moreover, each touched base removes an insect with its owner. Each capture authorizes the winner to play at once another pawn not yet moved.

Almost all the pawns have a special rule, sometimes optional, sometimes obligatory. Thus certain pawns have projectiles: pawns to be drawn independently. Their effects are varied, for example paralysis or destruction of the target. Others have two different faces and their rules change according to their exposed face.

Alternatives

There exists of course of many alternatives of play, of which:

cliff Mode: any pawn which leaves the zone of play is lost.

fortress Mode: one delimits a zone in the center of the carpet of play called the fortress. As soon as a player sends a pawn inside this zone, it will have the possibility of firing with each one of its turns a projectile since the fortress. If the unfavourable player sends a pawn in the fortress whereas it is already occupied, the pawn then in place is captured and the pawn which has just arrived takes its place.

courses Mode: each player has a bottle of Bière beside him. With each enemy pawn that a player captures, it is entitled to a test to touch the capsule of the adversary. If it succeeds, the adversary has a blow “to defend”, i.e. it must touch the unfavourable capsule with a throw. If it misses it a blow drinks, and it loses if it finishes its beer (the minimum number of mouthfuls is to be decided at the beginning of part).

With 3 players and more:

By teams: of the teams of two players (or more if the carpet is sufficiently large) clashes according to the same sequence of play as for a play “a-against-a”.

Every man for himself: is played at least three players. Each player is alone, and loses if it does not have any more bases or if it is tiny room to two insects. A sub-variant stipulates that which eliminates an adversary takes the control of its pawns still concerned.

Random links: