Pyramid Pick
Lightning Strike: Cinematic Fleet Combat System for Jovian Chronicles
Published by Dream Pod 9
Written by Wunji Lau
$24.95 (Includes 64 page rulebook, 16 page Quick Start pack, 6 glossy counter sheets)
Dream Pod Nine is a cool company. They're cool on toast. They're also, as these things go, a little bit pricey. At first twitch, you may look at the price tag above and hesitate. Don't worry. It's a natural reaction. Wrong, but natural.Lightning Strike is a miniatures wargame of fleet warfare in the Jovian Chronicles universe. The JC background is a nice little arrangement of interplanetary war and hostility set within the bounds of a conflict-ridden solar system where Venus, Earth, Jupiter and others connive and war on a regular basis. In case you missed it from the covers gracing all the books in the JC line, war here has a lot to do with cool-looking mecha. The exos (exo-armors) are vintage anime styling with DP9's careful attention to detail and easy suspension of disbelief. If you aren't familiar with JC or Heavy Gear (DP9's other mecha game), take a look at their website or leaf through a store copy. You should get a feel for the game pretty quickly.
As with every other DP9 game, Lightning Strike uses their Silhouette System. Silhouette is based on an easy dice-rolling mechanic. Success rolls are made with a number of dice, taking the highest result and adding modifiers as appropriate. The degree to which you succeed on a roll directly affects the outcome. . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: November 19, 1999
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