At long last the apocalypse has come… Oakbound Studio’s Factious Waste, the long-awaited skirmish game, has arrived on Kickstarter.

It is the dawn of the 23rd Century and at last there is world peace…

Well, at least for the inhabitants of Inworld; those who were rich or powerful enough to come through the peak labour crisis, the power outage, the ecological armageddon, the great migration, the third turf wars and the new eden project. For those fortunate few, life is easy; all needs catered for in the comfort of their own homes with instant products a download away and full spectrum of meals produced by the in-house genesystem.

Sadly the same is not true in Outworld, where the bulk of humanity slaves over GenPower’s enormous treadmills to produce the electrical power needed to sustain Inworld’s systems. Out here the big game is Trash Running and Recyc, turning the refuse spewed from the consumer-driven domes of Inworld into fresh raw materials ready to be pumped back in. With all natural resources depleted, only the activities of the Re.Frat mob and their Trash Runner teams offer hope for the continuance of mankind’s love for luxury and commerce. A few renegades have turned their back on the system, trying to seek out existence as Neo-Primitives, scavenging among the derelict cities and gutted quarries of the Wasteland. Some try to nurture life back into the dead Earth whilst others revere the strange structures of decay which tell tales of the fall of civilisation. The scrap-piles are of interest to others besides the Runners and Neo-Primitives. In an age of machine-production hand-made goods are a luxury and Artisan Collectives are fiercely competitive for this lucrative market. Often the Collectives will go to war for scarce materials; metals, stones and highly-coveted wood. Artisans in search of rare tools will undertake quests which carry them miles from home and they often take up with Trash Runner gangs in the hope of increasing their chances of finding what they seek. Rubbish is the most valuable commodity Outworld has to offer and rivalry is fierce…

Factious Waste is a miniatures-based skirmish game unique in two respects. Firstly it uses no dice rolls or decks of cards. The element of uncertainty in the game lies in the way players’ models interact together. Secondly and more importantly, SystemMech is designed for playing out encounters on the tabletop which are not a simple matter of ‘smash and grab’ or ‘fight to the death’. Combat is certainly an element, but subterfuge, coercion and exploration of the game environment are just as (if not more) important than killing off the opposition.

Simple concepts: The principles of the game fit on a couple of pages. Characters have six core statistics which combine to affect the outcome of their actions. Characters with high Decisiveness activate before those with a lower value and models can perform a number of actions during their activation equal to their Stamina rating. Models can target actions at elements they can perceive- dictated by their Perception range and a Field of Vision template aligned with their base.

Flexible action: The majority of the rules section is made up of six action tables: Movement, Relational (interaction with environment and other models), Shooting, Grappling, Driving and Reacting to the actions of other models. This allows characters to do anything from jumping between buildings to programming machinery, interrogating enemy models to high speed car chases. All in a concise and easy-to-reference format. We’ve even produced a super-slim reference booklet so you don’t need to carry the large book around with you.

Strategy and Narrative: With twenty five scenarios included in the rulebook, a strong emphasis on objectives and a comprehensive campaign system Factious Waste instinctively plays out as an engrossing narrative. Because there are no dice rolls involved players have to work their posses to their characters’ strengths and plan their strategy carefully. With combat only one element of the game the stealth, leadership and charisma of your characters all play a crucial role in achieving your objectives.

Fast-paced gaming: A Factious Waste scenario typically takes between 1 and 1.5 hours.. Games take place on a 3′ square board so can be played where space is at a premium. Posse creation is simple 3-step process and the War for 1984 and Faction Packs come with pre-generated  posses allowing you to get started right away.

The MOST IMPORTANT RULE: Tell a good story!

Factious Waste is on Kickstarter until the 22nd October. You can find out more at Oakbound Studio.