Full Thrust Second Edition Introduction
Overview of Full Thrust Second Edition.
Published in 1990
Full Thrust Second Edition is a tabletop miniature wargame by Ground Zero Games that simulates space combat in a sci-fi setting. Here's a summary:
- Gameplay: Players command fleets of starships, engaging in tactical space battles. The game uses a turn-based system where players manage movement, combat, and ship systems. It's known for its fast-paced and straightforward mechanics, making it accessible yet tactical.
- Components: The game includes ship templates or counters, dice (six-sided), and often custom miniatures or models representing various spacecraft. Players can use any miniatures, but the game provides stats for ships from different factions or designs.
- Rules System:
- Movement: Ships move with pre-plotted free-form movement, with thrust managed by "thrust points" representing engine power.
- Combat: Weapons like lasers, missiles, and particle beams have different ranges and effects. Combat resolution involves dice rolls, typically comparing the attack roll against a target number based on range, weapon, and defensive capabilities.
- Damage: Ships have areas or systems (like engines, weapons, shields) that can be damaged or destroyed, affecting performance. Damage allocation can be random or determined by player choice for strategic depth.
- Ship Design: One of the hallmarks of Full Thrust is its ship design system. Players can design their own ships using a points system, balancing speed, armor, firepower, and other attributes like ECM (Electronic Counter Measures) or fighters.
- Scenarios and Campaigns: While the core game provides scenarios for immediate play, it's flexible for players to create their own or engage in campaigns where fleet composition and ship status persist between games, adding a strategic layer to fleet management.
- Setting: The game doesn't enforce a specific universe, allowing for generic sci-fi or adaptation to existing franchises or custom settings. However, it has its own background with factions like the NAC (New Anglian Confederation) or the ESU (Earth Systems Union).
- Editions: The Second Edition refined the rules from the first, improving clarity, balancing, and adding options. Subsequent expansions and rule clarifications have been published, but the Second Edition remains a popular choice for its balance of simplicity and depth.
- Community: Full Thrust has a dedicated following, with fans often creating additional rules, ships, and scenarios. There's a significant amount of homebrew content available, expanding the game's scope and replayability.
Full Thrust is celebrated for its blend of accessibility and tactical gameplay, making it a go-to for both new gamers interested in space combat and veterans looking for a system with depth in fleet engagements.
