Tom Jollys Cargo is a game for 2-4. Its a kind of chinese chequers variant really in that players are all trying to move pieces across and around each other to their objectives. But there is far more to it than that. It is set loosely at the time of the Boston Tea party. Each player is a dockland crew trying to get a set of Tea crates onto their boat but also trying to ditch tea of the other players into the sea. Squashing other players dock workers "squishing" is also part of the fun. The box is very attractice and the board sturdy. The board is a grid with a ship along each edge of the board. Each player has a number of tea crates and then 7 workers. 
   It is the differing capabilities of each game piece which makes this game intriguing. You have 4 dockworkers. Weedy weaklings they can only push a crate 1 space. But if you gang up 2 or 3 workers they can push more than one square. The Burly dockhand can push 2 crates a square. The Donkey can pull and push as can the Elephant. All pieces except the elephant can be moved by crates pushing against them. Only the dockworkers can be squished however. This occurs if they are pushed up against another piece OR a crate. Squished pieces spend a turn out of play at th Drs. You can also push pieces over board. However they simply swim to their boat and come back on on the players turn.

Ultimately players score pts for ditching other players tea (1pt), squishing their dockworkers (1 pt) and getting a crate on your ship (3 pts). Toward the end a lot of calculating goes on about whether you want to end the game by ditching a players last tea crate, squishing them or even ditching your own last crate you cant get to your boat but to stop another player getting it.

A clever game for 2 people but I think it is best when played by 3 or 4 because the board can change drastically between your turns.

   1 Player N/A 2Player 7/10 3-4 9/10 5+ N/A



Wizkid Games
Rocketmen Axis of Evil

This game is very much in the style of the Pirates of the Spanish Main and its succesors also by Wizkidgames. You buy pack of the game. Each pack which costs around £2.50 contains the pieces to build 2 ships or a fighetr sqaudron and a ship or posisbly a space station. You also get stat cards for eeach ship/ squadron and often crew cards.  There is in addition a card with weapons pods or shield pods on and asteroids. Finally you get a base asteroid and rules and quite a fun touch there is  comic strip in very much 1950s style.

The ships are organised into individual fleets and in two factions. The Free Planets are Venus, Mercury and the rebels whilst the Axis of Evil is Terra and Mars. There are 4 type sof vessels : Cruisers, rocket ships, fighters and space stations and each has some special ability. Thus figters may evade shots cruisers have reinforced hulls and rocket ships have extended range to their guns.

The ships are easy to build also occasionally fiddly. You then choose to add weapons pods and or shield pods up to the capacity of the ship. I like this idea as it allows for eperimentation.Do you pacvk in the sheilds to make some ship almost impregnible or maximise your shots. Pods do have  a habbit of falling off occasionally.

The game itself is pretty easy to pick up. You have a number of Atomiic energy pts to spend on each ship. Moving, firing, mining etc all cost points. Shooting is a mater of rolling 2d6 and trying to equal your weapon rating modified by the shields of the enemy and other factors. Hits knock off pods. Ships with no pods are killed.

You can also ram ship and board them.

The game table is littered with asteroids which you may mine. Thet produced resources which you may use to bring on reserve ships.

Now i have only so far played this with a groupof 6. That gave  agood dozen big ships and stack sof fighters zipping about. That was fun but we found play slowed down as we went round the table. Persoanlly though i found 2 players with the pirate game a little limited and recon it would make a good game for 3-4 players.I lkie BIG games.

How many packs to buy? Well You could just buy 2. But i think 8 to 16 pack swould give you large fleets in each faction. Less than 6 packs say and you may have rather unbalanced sides.

Overall i think its fun and attractive game. I wonder whether long term i will still be playing games as it has a little bit limited  variability to it. But put it this way the ships could be used for any space combat game, Traveller RPG etc and look good on any gamers shelf. We certainly plan a rematch with smaller groups soon.

1 Player N/A 2Player Not played yet but perhaps 6/10 3-4 8/10 5+ 7/10