Monsterpocalypse

Monsterpocalypse is a Kaiju-themed collectible miniatures game which is published by Privateer Press. Released series include Rise, I Chomp NY, All Your Base, Monsterpocalypse Now and the current series Big in Japan.^[1]

A Voltron-themed set was released in 2010 as a Standalone set.^[2]

In 2010, Privateer Press moved from a purely random format to a new system for their new two-player boxed sets. Each set comprising two random factions. With each faction having a fixed set of minis with the only other random element being that tone of the packed monsters from a fixed set of two possible figures. In 2011, Privateer Press released the DMZ series of faction specific boxed sets with a fixed set of figures in each.

Gameplay

The game is played on one of a variety of maps, which resemble cities. Structures (such as office buildings and oil refineries) are placed on it to build a cityscape. Monsters and other units (represented by miniatures) battle to the death while destroying the structures. The monster is represented by two forms: an Alpha and Hyper form. The goal of the game is to destroy both forms of the enemy monster. This is done by brawling, blasting or making devastating power attacks against the enemy monster. Units can attack a monster as well, but they typically need to work together in order to deal damage. However, the most damage comes from using the monster exclusive power attacks that deal damage by, for example, sending the opposing monster crashing into one or more buildings on the map.

The basic game is played with one monster (its Alpha and Hyper form) against one other monster. The basic rules also allow for double monster battles. The I Chomp NY strategy guide details other possible battle formats.

Gameplay focuses on three parts:

• Tactics – The spawning, moving, and engaging of enemy units and monsters with your own.
• Action dice economy – Using the action dice pool efficiently by using an effective combination of actions, attacks, and movements.
• Power dice economy – Generating and storing enough power to pull off power or other attacks by a monster.

Factions

Block 1: Rise, I Chomp NY and All Your Base.

• GUARD (Protectors) – Globally United Advanced Research & Defense, the giant robot defenders of humanity.
• Lords of Cthul (Fiends) – Evil, Chthonian entities.
• Martian Menace (Invaders) – Big floating saucers (and walkers in some cases) from the red planet.
• Planet Eaters (Destroyers) – Cosmic invaders from far, far away, come to destroy earth.
• Shadow Sun Syndicate (Collaborators) – Genetically-engineered, cybernetic ninjas created by a vast criminal syndicate out to save humanity.
• Terrasaurs (Radicals) – Giant dinosaurs wreaking havoc, trying to bring nature back to equilibrium, often with the help of the Green Fury organization.

Block 2: Monsterpocalypse Now! and Big in Japan.

• Elemental Champions (Protectors) – Champions of Nature summoned by Japanese monks to defend humanity.
• Empire of the Apes (Radicals) – Intelligent apes that will stop at nothing to see all live in harmony with nature.
• Savage Swarm (Destroyers) – Radioactive insects.
• Subterran Uprising (Fiends) – Mole-like people seeking to enslave humanity and defile the surface.
• Tritons (Invaders) – An undersea race bent on stealing coastal cities for their aquatic empire.
• UberCorp International (Collaborators) – Selling giant mechanical monsters based on the living creatures.

Game maps

Each map to play the game has the following parts:

• Dice wells for unit and monster dice pools, as well as ones for power dice and bonus dice.
• Placement points for buildings that are placed in the order of green then yellow. Placing different building in different places can give different strategies. After securing buildings, they unlock different powers and actions that the player can take.
• Monster starting points, which are squares to place monsters in at the start of the game.

Each map also has:

• Power Zones – If captured, they potentially generate power dice for the player.
• Negative Zones – If captured, they make the opposing player lose power dice.
• Spawn Points – Either red for the red player, blue for the blue player, or green for neutral spawns, which must be first captured to be used.

Some maps also contain:

• Speed boost points – A square you don't count if you move on to it.
• Teleporter – A square that you can jump to any other teleporter.
• Ability Zones – Grant units abilities, currently including chain attack, explosion, and demolition.

The "Block War" and "Smashville" game maps are included with the Rise starter set.

This is a list of the currently available maps:

• Block War
• Boardwalk Brawl
• Boulevard of Broken Dreams
• Crossroads Crunch
• Danger Lake
• Downtown Beat-Down
• Grapple in the Garden
• Highway to Hellvue
• Kill-Again's Island
• Killer Canals
• Mean Streets
• Ramming Speed
• Riverside Rampage
• Road to Ruin
• Skull Island
• Smashville
• Waterfront Wreckage
• Wrecking Ball

Maps available in the Voltron expansion:

• Cosmic Influx
• Solar Conflict

Game aids

There are three strategy guides available for the current series: Rise Strategy Guide, I Chomp NY Strategy Guide, and All Your Base Strategy Guide. The books have sections for each Faction: statistics for each monster and unit, tips for using your monster and units effectively, and how to effectively play double-monster battles. Both contain general strategy tips, tips for playing on the various maps, playing in organized play, dice probability tables, a puzzle to solve, a section on the buildings and their use, as well as a glossary of all the game abilities. The guides each come with one double-sided map.

A map pack was also released with the Rise set, including 3 double-sided maps and the Government Building, which can only be obtained with the map pack. The most recent map pack for 'All Your Base' was released with one doubled sided map and one 'Privateer Press Building'.

The All Your Base Strategy Guide hit store shelves a considerable amount of time after the set itself shipped out. According to Privateer Press's Monsterpocalypse page, the late release of the guide was due to "a hold up with the Department of Homeland Defense."

Dice

Official sets of dice include 10 white action dice, 4 blue boost dice, and 10 power dice. These sets come in the various Starter Boxes as well as the Voltron Box Set. They are also sold in accessory kits, which also come with plastic bases that affix to your buildings, monsters, and units in red and blue flavors. These help distinguish each player's figures on the battle map.

Unofficial fan-made dice have also been produced.

Monsterpocalypse Conventions

Team Covenant held a Monsterpocalypse-only convention every year known as MonCon. The first run of the convention, MonCon 2010 was held in Tulsa, OK over a 3-day period and included panels with special guests from Privateer Press, a Monsterpocalypse Masters event as well as others. MonCon has taken place on the following dates:

• MonCon 2010: May 21–23, 2010
• MonCon 2011: May 19–22nd, 2011
• MonCon 2012: June 7–10, 2012

Comic

A four-issue comic book (issues 0 through 3)^[3] by Stephan Nilson, Jason Avery, Karl Waller, Rick Bonilla and Marek Oko was published by Desperado Publishing.

Film adaptation

In May 2010, DreamWorks announced that it had acquired the rights to a film adaptation of the game.^[4] The studio had approached Tim Burton for the project.^[5] On July 19, 2010, it was confirmed that Burton was attached to direct,^[6] but the film went unproduced.

On May 3, 2016, Warner Bros. won the bidding war over film rights of the game, with Fede Alvarez co-writing and directing the film.^[7]

References

External links

• Privateer Press' Monsterpocalypse Official Website
• Dragon's Tear Tavern Monsterpocalypse community (wiki, blogging, forums)
• Team Covenant: Monsterpocalypse fan site and community (as of 01/2016 TC no longer supports Monsterpocalyspe)
• Privateer Press official site
• Excellent Monsterpocalypse fanforum in Canada