BLKout was spotted. The second we saw the game we got in contact with Enemy Spotted Studios, the owners of the game. After a good 2 months, the first kits are coming in. Now is the time to see if all the hype is worth the wait. I could give you spoilers, but you better just read on and see that the hype was all worth it.
That is out of the way. I want this to be an honest unboxing of the starter set. It’s filled to the brim with a lot of stuff the others don’t do and what others might do better?
First off, BLKout is made by Veterans.
This needs to be said before we continue, because this has severe impact in how the game plays. Not only the rules, but it has features that normal writers seemingly could not think of. Some of those that in the military are standard. At least, spoken from a person who managed to skip draft here in NL when it still was active. That’s a story for another time (hint: I didn’t entirely control my rejection—teehee).
The BLKout box, the size and the content
Upon opening our first of three packages, we were lucky enough to get the starters first. The box is small by comparison to other boxes and clocks in at 25.5 x 18.5 x 5.5 cm. If this is enough, it’s enough, right? Before opening, I heard something rattling inside, and I truly hoped it was not a broken miniature. Turned out to be a base.
Rarely does one see a box that is so full of goodies, that came out of the outer box bulged. Never have I seen a box filed to the brim with rulebook, a token sheet, 3D10, 2 armies, force and unit cards.
Apart from it all being perfectly fine, I would have preferred a bag here or there to keep the bases from travelling around in the box. This made the contents look a bit messy here and there, but apart from that, this box is wargames heaven!
The BLKout rulebook and cards
One of the first VERY positives about the game. The cards are hard plastic, like your credit cards, but just a tad bit thinner. You can draw on them (you need to for damage and maintenance) with a whiteboard marker, and they can withstand travel between conventions or tournaments with ease. You don’t need any sleeves for them, but fit the bill if you still want to, as they look like to be almost the same size as trading cards.
The force sheets are regular paper, but these are reference sheets that you don’t need to have on the field while playing. They are there for reference on what makes your army tick, not a direct unit style card.
Now the rulebook is something special. It’s a tiny ring binder in a format that every wargames company should take close attention to. THIS is the correct format to have on the table without clogging the table. The game should focus on fun, not on filling game table space with books, and this book captures that perfectly!
Since the game is also insanely rules light, the book is light as well. There is no fluff (although the backstory is movie worthy!), and it just rules. Just what you need on the table!
The rules
Because the designers present all the rules in a tiny rulebook, you can expect them to omit certain rules found in other games. This choice makes sense, as the setting takes place in the future, where warfare has evolved beyond its conventional form. Think of shooting. The playfield is small enough to not have to calculate shooting range like other games (which I always found strange).
One would assume that if you are a sniper in modern combat, where real life has already proven to have a range of x kilometers, you would have something like this in game as well. No, in wargames a sniper can shoot 20″. Lolwut? In BLKout, there is no shooting range, as we may assume that everything is close combat and in range. You shoot, you kill or get killed. It’s that simple. It’s THAT logical.
The absence of deep combat rules also grounds the game in real life tactics instead of trying to bend the rules to your bidding. If there are no rules, you cannot bend them, and you use what you have. An insanely deadly team of experts with firearms, sometimes supported by walking tanks called (heavy or medium) Dusters.
As if you can almost feel the experience the writers at Enemy Spotted Studios had in the field as military operatives.
One of the better rules adds “leaning out,” which gives you a token that you place in contact with the model’s base. This represents the model peeking around corners and shooting from cover of a standing wall, popping back in cover again when they did their action.
Then to think we didn’t even speak about vehicular movement, Data attacking in multiple ways and the Duster combat. Limited writing space and still need to cover the models, so here goes!
The BLKout models
Upon discussing the terms of delivery of the game, we also discussed what form the models would be delivered in. We had 2 options, being resin casts or resin prints. Both had their ups and downs, but the most quality and least build “fuss” was in the one piece models. In short, 3d prints. Luckily the 3d print innovation has undergone significant quality improvements to chose it over resin casting. These models are as crisp as one might expect from a set that has a €120 price tag! They are beautiful. No mold lines, no print lines (we found), barely no cleanup apart from some supports and truly cool models!
For the Un 3rd Battalion force, we find 4 Un Reserves, 2 Pointmen, 1 Peacemaker. For Boone, we have 4 Boone Pathfinders, 3 Boone VAT, 1 Razorback, so apart from all the “paperwork” this is a pretty stuffed set.
The BLKout verdict
I’m going to say it out loud, and I will get flak for this, but this might just be a Spectre killer! For someone into wargames, the price of the game might be a bit on the steep side (€120), but when you look at innovation of skirmish wargaming, the high quality of models and even the model count, this is 100% worth the price tag.
With the insane sales we have had in the startup phase of the product line in getting it to EU, we can safely say that this game is here to stay! This might even be a mainstream title if the support on both sides of the fence (and pond) keeps it’s pace and this might well even do a charge at Infinity. Infinity players have it easy, because they mostly own the needed terrain already.
Cons: The inner box feels a bit messy during unpacking, though this only affects the initial setup. If you don’t already own much terrain, you will need to build or acquire some. The official terrain sets are available, but their weight makes them expensive to import, so alternatives such as Micro Art Studio’s Infinity bundles can serve as a more practical option.
Pros: The game clearly demonstrates how wargaming continues to evolve. It supports small-, medium-, and large-scale battles, ranging from 2×2 to 6×4 mats, with multiple units and factions. You can easily play with more than two players, and the design feels genuinely innovative. Several channels have already referred to it as the future of wargaming.
Go and Conquer Abol!
in short, if you like military, but don’t like the standard slur of WOII battles or want to step up to the vibe of modern warfare, get your ass to Abol, as there is where the real fun starts! You can get the game here, and we try to have everything in stock as much as we can, while keeping up with the new releases.