Review

What does the Age of Destruction need more of? Firepower, of course! MechWarrior Firepower is an offense-heavy set that introduces House Kurita and mission combat enhancement cards (CECs) to the MechWarrior play environment. MechWarrior. Firepower contains 83 new units, six that are super-rare and one that is ultra-rare.

House Kurita brings its distinct signature style to the game. Their 'Mechs resemble giant samurai warriors, and they are armed with a combination of swords, spears, and pulse lasers. An aggressive House, expect to see Kurita introduce a new element to the game: As they take damage, they become more deadly!

Mission CECs add new options and strategy, without adding complexity. Any MechWarrior player is familiar with victory conditions; they are how you win the game, after all! Missions add additional victory conditions to the game, though only the player who plays a mission knows what it is. If the player completes that mission, he or she is awarded an additional victory condition.

Most missions are straightforward. Seek and Destroy, for example, requires that you hunt down the unit with the highest point value on the opposing force. If units are tied, you have to hunt them all, and if you eliminate the unit(s), you win the victory condition! Other missions require that you get a unit into your opponent's starting area, or keep a specific unit from being eliminated.

Grand alliances, introduced in MechWarrior: Age of Destruction, get updated with the release of MechWarrior: Firepower. The Spirit Cats-Steel Wolves alliance is no more: The Steel Wolves have dropped the Spirit Cats in favor of House Steiner, and the Spirit Cats pick up House Kurita. The latter alliance represents the former bonds between Kurita and Clan Nova Cat. The existing House Liao-Bannson's Raiders alliance continues.

MechWarrior. Firepower gear has a distinctively aggressive flavor. Don't expect any Hardened or Heavy Armor in this set. Instead, gear like Heat-Seeking Ammo is available, which gives you an attack bonus if your target has a heat effect showing on its heat dial!

Faction pride CECs become available for factions that did not receive them in MechWarrior: Age of Destruction. For example, The Republic of the Sphere gets a faction pride CEC that can give a friendly Republican or Highlanders unit +1 to its attack value for a turn. Some factions that received faction pride CECs in MechWarrior: Age of Destruction also receive new CECs. The new Dragon's Fury faction pride CEC gives a friendly Dragon's Fury unit +2 to its maximum range value for a turn.

MechWarrior Firepower also introduces new planetary condition cards. Foul up ranged attacks with Heavy Fog, make VTOLs miserable with Jungle, or give 'Mechs a bonus fighting in frozen realms by using Subzero Temperatures.

MechWarrior Firepower is the perfect complement to MechWarrior: Age of Destruction. If you are a new player, pick up a MechWarrior: Age of Destruction Starter, which has everything that two players need to play. Once you've mastered the basics, head over to your favorite MechWarrior retailer and play in a MechWarrior tournament to test your skills!

Kevin Goddard is the Brand Manager for Mage Knight, Mech-Warrior and Pirates of the Spanish Main.