Flashback Friday - Nexus Ops
Game Information
Love it or hate it? Do you still play it?
Nexus Ops is an Ameritrash game if ever there was one. Bright neon plastic units that practically glow in the dark and a theme not too far removed from Starship Troopers. Move units one space, gather up resources, build a bigger army, smash your units into your enemy and roll to determine the victor.
1st edition by Avalon Hill/Hasbro. 2nd edition by Fantasy Flight Games. Both editions considered by some to be the most garish game ever published. I personally prefer the neon colored monsters in the Avalon Hill version to the after-dinner-mint colors of the Fantasy Flight Games version.
Do you have a preferred version? Do you love it or hate it? Do you still play it?
It is in my Top Ten, and it's not going anywhere.
This is the quintessential DOAM. I will never turn it down.
When it came out, I had my store. We got this little demo kit for it. It was like a paper board and two sets of pieces. It looked stupid as hell. But we tried it and everyone loved it. It was like Axis and Allies in some ways, like Twilight Imperium in others, some Risk in there...maybe some Starcraft...it was singular and fresh. And it stil is.
I love that it exists in a perfect state. No expansions. No redevelopments. Only the horribly misguided FFG reprint, which kept the game intact while ruining the visuals. And it’s a total one hit wonder for Charlie Catino, who never did anything else but CCGs. He was involved with the early develoment of Magic.
This is, I think, the only game I have ever owned two copies of. When it went OOP, I bought another one. I still have both.
Still solid as hell. I played it a bit too much however, so I burnt out on it a bit.
I have rethemed this game twice. Once as an early Edo period themed game using components from Shogun/samurai swords. And the second time as StarCraft using the FFG StarCraft components. I never quite finished the StarCraft version, but the Edo version is done.
I also made larger hex tiles that were sculpted to mimic the AH version. They were larger hexes because I was tired of the crowding problem. I sold those off but still possess the molds.
I still have a copy of the AG version in shrink.
I like a few things that FFG did with it though. Like adding a couple extra exploration tiles, so that you ate never sure what the last time will reveal, unlike the AH version. That does add a fair amount of tension and something I wanted to do to my own. The alternate maelstrom/monolith rules aren't bad either. Otherwise, the FFG version can be lost in time and forgotten merely because the board tiles are egregious.
This game survived the Cull of 2013, from 250 titles down to 20.
I may not play it alot, but there is no better title than Nexus Ops to fill that niche, though many have tried. It will absolutely never leave my collection. It is a top ten and compulsory ameritrash game.
Jexik wrote: After the so-far unanimous approval here, I decided to check out what the BGG hivemind gave it- and it's right at 350, with games like Citadels, Roborally and Thurn & Taxis.
And Concordia is 22?! What.
Nexus ops is just a wonderful classic. Thurn & Taxis is possibly my least favorite game ever.
Jexik wrote: After the so-far unanimous approval here, I decided to check out what the BGG hivemind gave it- and it's right at 350, with games like Citadels, Roborally and Thurn & Taxis.
And Concordia is 22?! What.
I've had people whose opinions I respect recommend Concordia, but I can't make it three minutes into a how-to-play video without going, "NEXT!"
The minis are great, the rules simple but thorough and near perfect, combat both simplistic and involved ... and fun, and the VP objectives ahead of its time. I have always talked about building a custom monolith but never done it - maybe I just like it how it came.
Space Ghost wrote:
Jexik wrote: After the so-far unanimous approval here, I decided to check out what the BGG hivemind gave it- and it's right at 350, with games like Citadels, Roborally and Thurn & Taxis.
And Concordia is 22?! What.
Nexus ops is just a wonderful classic. Thurn & Taxis is possibly my least favorite game ever.
Do tell about Thurn and Taxis. Was considering doing a article on it.
Jexik wrote: After the so-far unanimous approval here, I decided to check out what the BGG hivemind gave it- and it's right at 350, with games like Citadels, Roborally and Thurn & Taxis.
And Concordia is 22?! What.
I've found some of the best games lie outside of the top 200 that the hivemind recommends.
Proving yet again that the only reason to use that system is for inventory purposes when running a game shop so that you remain stocked in fashionable trends.
WadeMonnig wrote:
Space Ghost wrote:
Jexik wrote: After the so-far unanimous approval here, I decided to check out what the BGG hivemind gave it- and it's right at 350, with games like Citadels, Roborally and Thurn & Taxis.
And Concordia is 22?! What.
Nexus ops is just a wonderful classic. Thurn & Taxis is possibly my least favorite game ever.
Do tell about Thurn and Taxis. Was considering doing a article on it.
Please don't. Also it will be a couple of hours of your life you will never get back.
Ken B. wrote: I've had people whose opinions I respect recommend Concordia, but I can't make it three minutes into a how-to-play video without going, "NEXT!"
It's not bad. In fact it's probably pretty good. 22 all time surprised me though.
And 350 for a 13-year old game is still good. There are about 10 games in the top 100 that are as old or older than Nexus Ops.
Thurn and Taxis felt like a proto Ticket to Ride.
Ah_Pook wrote: I made a custom black light monolith for it, even.
OK, that is the coolest game pimp I have ever seen. I want to play with you!
Possibly my favorite game of all time.
While Risk does not have a lot of bells and whistles, it feels more satisfying when I win that game.
I don't play very many DoaM games much right now (my sons are still young). We will start doing Axis and Allies in the near future. Then, when they are a little older, we will be playing Imperial and Rex.