Gaslands!

Warbie · 20 Sep 2019 at 17:13

Is anyone else playing Gaslands? It's great and totally deserves it's own thread. And with the new rules being out, now's as good a time as any to get into it.

//mini review/wall of gush incoming!

There's lots of cool things about Gaslands. The setting is class - bascially Mad Max meets The Running Man - and the barrier to entry is low - you just need one cheap rule book and some super cheap matchbox/hotwheels cars (pennies on ebay) - but it's the ruleset that makes it. I'm not exagerating in saying Gaslands might have the best ruleset i've experienced. Cars ram into each other and flip off the track. They powerslide in parallel around corners and thread through the tiniest of gaps at speed. It just looks and plays right. If you were to take a picture at the end of each move and play them back at the end of the game, it'd look like a stop motion video of a crazy exciting minute of vehiclular combat. And everyone gets it. My gf and her mates - who don't play any board games at all - like Gaslands. All my mates like it. You can play 1 vs. 1, have 8 people around a table, and everything in between. It's like a gateway drug for people not yet into board/war games and pure gaming crack for those who already are. We started about 12 months ago, playing with unpainted cars on a tablecloth with cups and dvds as barriers, and it was great right from the start. Since then things have moved on a fair bit and it's still just as good. If the thought of tearing round a track in a dystopian future and blasting your friends into fireballs appeals, Gaslands is where it's at!

No1newts · 24 Sep 2019 at 14:16

Sounds rather interesting, is there a rules PDF I can have a gander at to see if I like them?

TheMightyTen · 24 Sep 2019 at 15:17

No1newts said:
Sounds rather interesting, is there a rules PDF I can have a gander at to see if I like them?

It's another of the great Osprey Publishing gaming releases so as far as I'm aware you would need to purchase to see the rule-set but it is inexpensive.

I loved it from the off and have been having great fun buying and modding various Hotwheels and older matchbox vehicles for it

. Have had some great games with mates and one of those few table top miniature games that works really well when not sober

bazzabear · 24 Sep 2019 at 15:50

When I was a kid, I collected a Matchbox series called Roadblasters (and yes, I think the computer game was based on them). I would imagine the cars from that series would be absolutely perfect for this game.

http://www.madmaxmodels.com/roadblasters.html

No1newts · 24 Sep 2019 at 16:14

TheMightyTen said:
It's another of the great Osprey Publishing gaming releases so as far as I'm aware you would need to purchase to see the rule-set but it is inexpensive.

I loved it from the off and have been having great fun buying and modding various Hotwheels and older matchbox vehicles for it . Have had some great games with mates and one of those few table top miniature games that works really well when not sober

I'm away from home all week and impatient to have a read

Warbie · 24 Sep 2019 at 20:37

TheMightyTen said:
I loved it from the off and have been having great fun buying and modding various Hotwheels and older matchbox vehicles for it . Have had some great games with mates and one of those few table top miniature games that works really well when not sober

Good stuff

It is just an all out fun game. And yeah, the modding is a massive plus if you're into that kind of thing. I recently made a ramp that was bonkers in the last game we played. More audience votes and people flying/crashing all over the shop!

No1newts said:
I'm away from home all week and impatient to have a read

You'll have to shell out then mate

It's not much as rule books go and then you're all set. I can vouch for the new Gasslands: Refuelled edition being fantastic value.

bazzabear said:
When I was a kid, I collected a Matchbox series called Roadblasters (and yes, I think the computer game was based on them). I would imagine the cars from that series would be absolutely perfect for this game.

http://www.madmaxmodels.com/roadblasters.html

Yup, they'd work well for sure! There are a shed load of companies making all manner of tyres and weapons to stick on existing cars too. The hobby side of Gaslands is every bit as good and active as the game side.

No1newts · 24 Sep 2019 at 21:22

Some kind gent sent me a digi PDF version of the rules and whilst I'm sure they will run smoother in person they feel awfully complicated and convoluted, certainly in the way they are written in the rulebook, even the quick reference page is pretty confusing.

Might have to test it with someone but on a read through I've come out the other end a little "meh" to it.

Warbie · 24 Sep 2019 at 21:47

No1newts said:
Some kind gent sent me a digi PDF version of the rules and whilst I'm sure they will run smoother in person they feel awfully complicated and convoluted, certainly in the way they are written in the rulebook, even the quick reference page is pretty confusing.

Might have to test it with someone but on a read through I've come out the other end a little "meh" to it.

That was a valid criticsim of the first rule book. No index and a little confusing. Fantastic rules regardless in play, which is what really matters, but could have been better set out for sure. The new book is better lade out.

Either way, this is the place to start and once you've got the basics of moving, collisions and shooting down, it all clicks into place.

bazzabear · 25 Sep 2019 at 10:41

I'd love to give this a try. But while I managed to talk some friends into playing Hogwarts Battle (as an attempted gateway drug) on the basis that one of them was a massive Potterhead, I think I'd struggle to get them playing this.

I wonder if I could get my 8 year old daughter to play it? I'd be nicking her cars anyway...

No1newts · 25 Sep 2019 at 11:46

bazzabear said:
I'd love to give this a try. But while I managed to talk some friends into playing Hogwarts Battle (as an attempted gateway drug) on the basis that one of them was a massive Potterhead, I think I'd struggle to get them playing this.

I wonder if I could get my 8 year old daughter to play it? I'd be nicking her cars anyway...

My lad is 8 and this will be right up his street of the rules are accessible enough. Going to try a trial game using some cast offs, pdf rules and some cobbled up scenery and if I like the feel of it in practice will invest.

Warbie · 25 Sep 2019 at 16:06

bazzabear said:
I wonder if I could get my 8 year old daughter to play it? I'd be nicking her cars anyway...

No1newts said:
My lad is 8 and this will be right up his street of the rules are accessible enough. Going to try a trial game using some cast offs, pdf rules and some cobbled up scenery and if I like the feel of it in practice will invest.

As long as you're OK with the themes - there's lots of flame throwers, miniguns and spikes! - kids should get on fine with it. In the games i've played with new players, all it takes is one person knowing the rules well for Gaslands to be fun. It's quicker and more fun when everyone knows what they're doing and designing their own cars etc, but still great fun either way. There's also a rather good looking Mario Kart fan version that should be excellent with the various Mario Kart minis Nintendo have released over the years. I'll be getting on that for sure one day!