Everybody loves killing zombies, and all miniatures games are really getting into this new trend. Certainly
Mantic Games couldn't be following along. Having already their living impaired in their
Kings of War line, this being in a certain Fantasy theme, they've now released 2 new kits that include sci-fi Plague zombies!
 |
| Contagion is upon us! |
Plague zombies!
Although my review will focus about the Contagion kit, I'd still like to tell you about the default kit, this box of
Plague zombies, which is priced at an affordable 18€, contains 4 sprues allowing you to create up to 20 unique zombies! The kit is kit-bashable with anything you have around, and because we're talking about zombies, you don't even have to be that precise!
 |
| That's a lot of different bits to kit with! |
Every sprue contains 4 heads, 7 torso's, with one already ripping it's flesh open, 5 bottom halves dynamically posed and enough hands to complete it. If there was one complaint it would be the lack of extra bits (random guns, knives, ...?) though you won't quickly have the idea you're fighting the same zombie time and time again. Throwing in some extra pieces you'll be able to create very unique and awesome zombies to join your fight.
 |
| Braaaaiiinsss |
 |
| The infection is taking over! |
Contagion
Now let's talk about the
Contagion kit in more details. This kit contains 30 Plague Zombies, the rulebook, the A.I. Card deck, an Ruined BattleZone scenery kit and all the bases needed to put your zombies on, this for the reasonable price of 40€!
 |
| Look at all those goodies! |
Looking at the rulebook, it's in a glossy paperback, a bit bigger than the original rulebook and 32 pages thick. It contains the new rules about how to play with the zombies and how their A.S.(Artificial Stupidity, because they really aren't that intelligent) works. This allows you to take the Zombies into your game of DeadZone as an extra difficulty. They'll be spawning around you and going at you if you make any noise! Their working is introduced by some fun scenario's which you can then personalise for more fun.
Another part is the explanation of the A.I. Deck. This allows you to play DeadZone even if you don't find another party to play along. You make the 2 incursion teams, position them as you want them to be, and then the cards take over. Using some generic logic, and indicating which model to move and which action they'll take, you control the opposing team by means of drawing cards. Don't ask me how they did it, but the way the cards are made makes you feel like you're playing a real-life opponent. Because there's always the fact that the cards tell you WHAT to do, not HOW to do it. The fact that you're still human let's you still make the difference between taking cover, or standing in the open.
 |
| Depending on the model, they'll act differently |
And to finish off, we're treated with a great scenery kit, being the Ruined sprues. These allow you to create some extra scenery, or can be used to combine with other kits to improve your table. Thanks to their customisable nature, these pieces can easily be combined with the other kits by Mantic. The combination of an urban kit, with some ruined pieces has filled many tables, and with great result! All in all a great expansion on the existing DeadZone world
 |
| This can be created by the scenery included in the box! |
Verdict
Not only does Contagion improve the game experience of DeadZone by quite a lot, the option of playing a solo game using the A.I. rules is one that provides you with fun even when you couldn't find someone to play with you. The great sprues provide you with a lot of zombies (though who could ever have enough ^_-) although I lack even more customisation. The inclusion of the scenery makes your table look like a real overthrown wasteland. Even if you're not into DeadZone (and you really should be!) this Contagion kit could be what you're looking for!
Comments