Title : The greatest invasion in history
Designer : Yuu Tachibana
Year : 2001
This game covers the whole series of Ultraseven which is one of the most popular special effects monster film TV series.
The key factor of this game can be summed up the above sentence.
Usually the game of Ultra- series tends to be a hero-monster fighting game.
But, in case of Ultraseven, the hero had a consistent mission to defend the Earth against various types of invaders. Many episodes have serious philosophy sometimes they are very difficult for children.
However, these aspect of Ultraseven is very difficult to be included in the boardgame.
But, Mr. Tachibana innovatively decided to make a game the management of finite emelyhum energy to eliminate all the invaders of 49 episodes. This idea makes the game a real strategic campaign.
According to this innovative concept, there are many game-mechanics. Let’s look around them one by one.
1: implementation of each invasion
The invading player plays each invasion from his hand one by one.
Each invasion can be hidden or open. Hidden invasion is an invasion not uncovered by the hero or Terra Defense Force (i.e. TDF) yet. Each invasion is first played as this status by playing the card from hand to the field with face down. Only the invading player can see what they are.
If he would like to precede these invasions, he can use one of his action points and put one token on the card.
If any invasion can achieve 13 tokens on it and is not beaten by the turn end, the invading player can win the game.
But, there are several limitations. First, each invasion has two types of speed. One is hidden speed and the other is open speed. Hidden speed is the maximum token played on the card during each turn when it is hidden. Also, there is a parameter, hidden limit for each invasion. This parameter is the maximum progress for the invasion during hidden status. If it reaches this limit, the invading player must open the invasion by using 3 action points. Then it can be preceded again within the open speed limit.
The most important thing is that the hero player cannot attack the invasion while it is hidden. This fact means the hidden progress is most dangerous for the Earth.
Typical invasion has smaller number of hidden speed. But, it has higher number of open speed. The invasion become vulnerable when it become open but now has higher speed which another danger for the Earth.
Some invasions have lower speed, but are stronger in different aspects.
Some invasions are very weak for combat, but can advance very far while hidden.
These parameters can portray various types of invasions. It is really interesting to see the invasion cards.
2: how to eliminate the invasions
There are 2 steps for the hero and TDF to eliminate the invasions.
The first step is scouting and the second step is attacking.
As described above, the invasions can be hidden at first. You cannot attack it until you make it open by scouting.
Each invasion has a parameter of invading area. There are 6 types of invading areas in the game, such as sea, mountain, space, people, base, underground.
TDF must allocate their force to each area. Then, sum up their scouting value and roll die to see the result. This roll is modified by the nature of invasion and progress of invasion. Some invasions are hard to detect. But, for each token on the card, TDF can get a positive modifier. This makes the dangerous advanced invasion more visible.
When the invasion become open due to scouting or by its own advent, TDF and the hero can attack it.
Attack of TDF is resolved by the same way as scouting.
Count up the sum of TDF members attack value in that area and roll the die. The die is modified by the nature of invasion.
Some types of invasions are really stronger than the other invasions, such as King-Joe.
But, we have the Ultraseven. After TDF’s attack each turn, Moroboshi-Dan can try to transform to Ultraseve. He must pass the check, which become more difficult if he has more number of other TDF members.
Once he transforms the Seven, he must select his attack. Each attack consumes the emelhyum energy. Stronger attack uses much more energy.
The emelhyum energy cannot be supplied once the game begins. You must fight with limited number of emelhyum energy during whole game. This game is a real energy management game.
You must carefully evaluate the situation and allocate the TDF members and then decide whether you use the Seven or not.
It is important to save the energy by using TDF members. But, once you have too many advanced invasions due to weak attacking of TDF, even the Seven cannot recover the situation. Because there is only one Seven against potential 6 invading areas.
