It was an unseasonably cool Saturday evening. Three stalwart men, brave warriors and true, hunched over a table that held a battle of epic proportions. Vader was there with Palpatine. Obi-Wan Kenobi had massed a huge Clone army. General Grievous was there, too, with a nasty looking bunch of Battle Droids. Missiles flew, lightsabers swung, and for once they didn’t have to imagine it. It was actually happening! Yep. Everything was fun and games until somebody shot my Palpatine clean off the table. This isn’t HeroClix. This isn’t Star Wars Minis. This is Attacktix!

If you are at all familiar with table-top war games like HeroClix and have been even minimally interested in the Star Wars phenomenon, it is very hard not to like Attacktix, Hasbro’s new “Battle Figures Game”. Attacktix, designed by gaming veteran Jeff Grubb – the man who had a hand in Unleashed, Ultimates, and Galactus for WizKids, and the Star Wars Miniatures game for Wizards of the Coast– combines the miniature war-game concept with action figure theory to produce game pieces that actually do something! The last miniature war game with moving parts I played was TOMY’s “Bumbling Boxing”, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from these “Battle Figures”. After opening my first booster pack, I was impressed. Battle Droids shoot missiles, Palpatine and Shaak Ti fire huge bolts of Force energy, and Mace Windu and Yoda swing their lightsabers with dazzling effect. Keeping our HeroClix sensibilities in mind, let’s take a closer look at Attacktix.

Ripping into the triangular boosters, a couple of key points are quickly noted. First, the game pieces are huge (in comparison to HeroClix), most standing somewhere between three and four inches in height. Second, the rule book is minuscule. If the pictures were removed, the game play information would scarcely fill a double-spaced sheet of 8.5 x 11” paper. Third, we’re getting prepped for the feeling of shelling out $7.99 for a booster and only getting three figures.

How do you play? It’s easy, in theory. Once you agree on a build total, you select your figures to get to that number of points. Team building is extremely simple since all of the characters’ point values are nice round numbers; 20, 30, 40, etc. As a general rule, the higher the point value of the character, the bigger the character’s base. This is very important as you’ll see below. Since no map is needed, just set your team up on a table top about three feet away from your opponent. Once it is decided who goes first the game is underway.

Like HeroClix, all of the information about the character is contained on the dial. To determine how far one of your figures can go, simply look at the big white number on the top of the base. Simply push the figure in any direction and when you hear that number of “ticks”, stop. Once you have moved all of your figures that you wish to move, two of your characters may attack. Characters with guns shoot missiles with the push of a button for ranged attacks. Twist and release the waist of lightsaber-wielding characters for powerful melee attacks. If you knock a figure over (including your own), it is defeated. This is where the size of the base comes into play. The bigger the base, the harder it is to knock the character over. Darth Vader clocks in at 40 points, has a very large base and the longest lightsaber I’ve seen, giving him some very significant defensive and offensive advantages.

When a character is knocked over, it’s time to pay attention to the bottom of the base. Each figure has a special power that is activated upon its defeat if and only if the “Attacktix Window” is white. Special powers range from providing combat bonuses to a player’s remaining characters all the way up to returning defeated characters to the battle.

At the beginning of your next turn, reload your characters that have a ranged attack, move whichever of your figures you want to move, attack with no more than two of them, and keep playing until all of your opponents are knocked down. The last person standing wins! That’s it. Game play is as simple as that, and the games go extremely fast. Each game I played lasted no more than fifteen minutes. The most difficult part of the game was two-fold:
1. Hitting From Range. With no dice to roll to hit, aim is extremely important. While most of the missiles and Force bolts travel further than they need to, actually hitting the target can be difficult even when the target figure is relatively close. And even if you do hit, it doesn’t mean the target is going over.
2. Finding Stray Bullets. Always play Attacktix in a well-lit area, because those projectiles really fly! Far more than anything concerning the rules, the most common question my group asked was “Anybody see where that thing went?!”

And what would a game review be without talking about a character that is insanely powerful beyond his point cost? In Attacktix, that character is General Grievous. For 30 points, he has a huge gun with a giant missile that knocked over every single figure it hit in the games my group played. No other ranged or melee figure came close to this record. While individual results may vary, I highly recommend getting Grievous if you don’t already have him.

The set contains 37 characters, including two giant-sized figures called Battle Masters that are individually packaged for sale. The Boga has a very powerful tail-whip attack and the AT-RT has a massive four missile attack. The Battle Masters tower over the regular figures, and to defeat these behemoths, characters must aim for two special targets that when hit will cause them to topple over.

On the whole, the game is very entertaining. The size of the figures allows for greater attention to detail, and even though the characters are slightly disproportionate, they look great. Also, be on the lookout for characters with chrome bases as they are rarer than their normal-based counterparts. Whether you are looking for a change of pace or a fine new addiction, Attacktix is a great game to get into. Just make sure you’re the guy playing General Grievous.

Thanks to Bill and Jim for road-testing this game with me. “Well, you wind up the boxers and you put ‘em in the ring/And the Bumbling Boxers do their thing…”

Do the instructions read that you have to go, 'wooosh' and 'zap' and 'bang' while you play with your doll...er, figures?

Nice article. I think I'll stick to Star Wars minis , but Attacktix definitely sounds like a great game to buy if you've got children who are Star Wars fans. And it should be a BIG seller for Hasbro considering I can't seem to walk into a Walmarts or a Toys R' Us lately without seeing hundreds of the things on the shelves. It's definitely got the visibility that Creepy Freaks couldn't hope to attain.

I have alot of fun playing attacktix with my daughter, and would recommend it to anyone with children too young to grasp heroclix or star wars miniatures.

My son who is a Star Wars nut, through no fault of my own( ), saw these at Wal-Mart and had to have some. I got him the starter(which includes a cd-rom w/instructions so you don't have to detach your retinas reading the rulebook) and a booster. After we watched the instruction cd, I decided to get a couple more boosters for him so we could play. Ease of set-up and play are definitely a bonus for the younger set and I really enjoyed playing with him. Complex strategies and convoluted rules, power combos, feats, bc's, and all the stuff I love about heroclix are best understood with more mature minds, but Attacktix is perfectly geared for youngsters(much more enjoyable than , say, creepy freaks). I have simplified heroclix for games I play with him, but he enjoyed the Attacktix much more. And to be honest, playing this simple battle game was refreshing. I love shooting and swatting your opponents, and the "surprise" you always find when you knock someone over. Also, to my surprise, there are "rare" chrome-based figures, so now my son and I are on the hunt for these variables for his collection. All in all, I'd have to say this is a great way to introduce younger players to battle-gaming. It is also a nice way to spend more time with your children, playing and collecting something they can easily understand and enjoy. Thanks for the nice article!

I have the starter and a couple boosters (pulled a chrome Mace Windu). The game is very simple but fun. You don't really have to think at all. Just beat up each other. And I agree the projectiles are hard to find. I'm waiting for the first lawsuit from an errant shot nailing someone in the eye. It's not a Heroclix replacement at all. But for mindless fun, especially for people with younger children, it's definitely a good game to pick up.

And soon, the marvel heroes will get into the action!

I too enjoy Attacktix, and wholeheartedly agree about playability, fun, and look of the figs.

I just wish my kids were into battling Star Wars figs. Instead, I play "Polly Pocket goes to the hairdresser..." Fun, but not Star Wars people shooting missles fun!

There is a simple elegance to the game design...even though team construction is similar to HC (good and bad guys on the same team, dupes of named figures allowed), there are actually good reasons to build coherent "theme" teams...typically, characters special powers (that activate when a figure is knocked out) relate to other characters they are related to thematically. For example, Tarrful the wookiee leader has a power that when it is active, he recovers if there is another Wookiee still in play on your side. If Vader gets KO'd when his power is active, he can send a Trooper on your side to the KO pile instead and take his place. Plus, the rules are simple...move your guys, attack with two of them. If you knock someone down, they're out.

OK im kind of off topic and please dont be mad at me but has anyone seen the new Movie YET

ABSOLUTLY AMAZING

**Spoiler Alert**



I loved it, ok the first 45 minutes are kind of dull, but then its incredible, it was very dark reminding me of empire strikes back and I was actualy hopping that Aniken would not make the wrong choices that brought him over to the dark side, there was a crucial scene where Anakins choice made history. And when you see it of course I mean the Mace Windu scene.
The last 45 minutes were very sad and I actualy cried when Padme dies, I cant believe a star wars movie gave me an emotional reaction that strong.

This movie is as good as the origonals in a word classic I cant wait to see it again.

Ohh and try to see it on a digital screne I went to a non digital screne and the lightsaber battles get a little blurry along with some of the ships, the resolution is not as good.

This game is a lot of fun. I know this game may be intended for little kids but my friends and I (in college) have a blast playing. We first got into it when they were on sale at toys r us, you buy the starter set (which comes with 5 figures) and you get a booster set free. So it came out to be 8 figures for 10 bucks. Even though the boosters range from 6.99 - 7.99 we all feel it is worth the price because the figures are so large. What is also great about the game is that it is so simple.
The rules are very basic and straight foward. This way your not arguing over stupid little rules. However there is one flaw... the Emperor. He is the only character that can use mind control. THe flaw about him is that there are no specific instructions on him. His hands are spring loaded which allow him to clamp on to other figurues. If he is sucessfull in clamping onto the figure without falling off, he has gained mind control over the character. However, the rules do state how many characters he can mind control, if he stays on through the whole game, and what happens when the controled character dies. If anoyone knows any specific information please let me know thanks !

DS mentioned it to me as a good option for my 4 1/2 year old daughter. She loves it! It's simple and easy for her to play and understand. I've picked up a few singles and bought a few "big name" characters that she wanted. We pulled Yoda and I picked up all of the Wookies (she loves the Wookies). The most I've spent on a fig is $10 and that was for Vader (gotta have a Vader).

Good, simple, fun, fast game that you can play with your kids.

Lord Helmet: I've told you to knock before entering! What did you see?
Col Sanders: Nothing!
Lord Helmet: . . .
Col Sanders: I didn't see you playing with your dolls again!

Does anyone remember the Battleteach mechs and action figures in the late 90s?

They had projectiles and "hot spots" that when you hit them, the cockpits would explode. I always liked playing those, but it never had the rules... evne the distance/rolling thing is pretty good... you just shot from anywhere.

But yeah, hmm.. i just want the Giant Walkers with "hot spots" to shot at

Great review, ol_Dut.

I'll add my $0.02. Attacktix is a great game if you have kids. My 6 year old daughter and 11 year old son both enjoy it. But even if you don't have kids, it is a fun diversion. There's a visceral thrill you get from actually shooting and hitting other figures that you just don't get from Heroclix or SWMinis.

You mentioned the AT-RT and Boga, but forgot to mention The Emperor. He has a special attack. He doesn't shoot or swing, his arms form a type of clamp. If The Emperor bases another figure, you try to clamp the Emperor to that figure, and if he does, you control that figure as if it were your own. Kinda like perpetual mind control.