PLACEHOLDER PRODUCTIONS
Menu
HYPERLIGHT WARFARE IN THE DISTANT FUTURE
Afterglow is an objective-based tactical game of space combat for two or more players. Set in a future beyond simple of Faster Than Light travel, advanced warships powered by STARCOREs (fusions of human consciousness and alien supercomputers) fight in time-bending battles at hyperlight speed. Ships can traverse stellar distances in the blink of an eye and the weapons are so lethal, no armour can protect a ship. The only means of defense are positioning and stealth; an errant railgun round or energy blast will destroy even the largest vessels. To avoid annihilation, a ship may travel back in spacetime to a previous location when it forsees it's destruction: this is the Afterglow Effect. But can only use this phenomenon a precious few times, and must reveal itself through use of Hyperlight travel to do so.
Hyperlight combat is not lumbering ships passing one another in the void trading broadsides and launching fighters: in the Afterglow Era, combat is fast and decisive. It has to be. An incomprehensible alien menace lurks beyond the stars and if the combat goes on too long, begins destroying human ships indiscriminately. This war is not only between humans.
Hyperlight combat is not lumbering ships passing one another in the void trading broadsides and launching fighters: in the Afterglow Era, combat is fast and decisive. It has to be. An incomprehensible alien menace lurks beyond the stars and if the combat goes on too long, begins destroying human ships indiscriminately. This war is not only between humans.
BUY IT NOW AT WARGAME VAULT!
PLAN, PLACE, PERFORM
Control of ships in Afterglow is performed by combining an Order and Frame Indicator to form an Action Marker; the Action Markers are placed in and around the battlezone. The Frame indicates when to execute an action; the Order is what action to perform. Based on the context of the placement of these markers, Ships can perform a variety of actions like scanning the void for valuable information like enemy location, or blasting off and leaving behind an enormous destructive singularity in the ship's wake. Each round players place three of these Action Markers per ship. The contents of the Markers are secret, and prediction and planning is key.
But time is limited; the players are using a chess clock when deciding how to place a marker. When the timer runs out, a player has one of their ships destroyed. Can you out-think your opponents under time pressure?
But time is limited; the players are using a chess clock when deciding how to place a marker. When the timer runs out, a player has one of their ships destroyed. Can you out-think your opponents under time pressure?
YOUR CHOICES, YOUR VICTORY
The action resolution mechanics of Afterglow involve no chance; there are no dice or cards to curse or thank for an outcome. All outcomes are determined using measurement and basic math. From the beginning to the end of a battle, your task force's fate is in your hands. Your decisions, and your ability to outwit your opponent, will determine the winner.
CUSTOM SHIPS FOR EVERY STYLE
Each STARCORE Commander brings a maximum of three customized ships to a task force, built from standard optimized parts represented by cards. By combining a Hull card with Systems, each Ship can have a wide array of roles: tiny sensor scouts, close-range brawlers with relativistic fragmentation cannons, stealthy torpedo ships and dedicated electronic warfare ships are all possible. Five types of Hulls can be outfitted with 24 different Systems; there's a lot of possibilities, but a limited number of Systems to remember to help keep players form drowning in stats and options.
However, this also matters as during play all information other than a ship's Hull is secret until a System is used or scanned. In Afterglow, you never quite know what your opponent is bringing to battle. You can carry sensor suites to scan them but risk revealing your own position, carefully dance around to feel out each other's ships, or take the risk and simply go in blind... but you may not like what you end up discovering! |
ALIGHT THE HEAVENS, SUNDER THE STARS
While careful navigation around celestial bodies is important to avoid collisions and enemy fire, the battle zone in Afterglow can quickly change during a game. Even the smallest ship can trivially destroy a planet or send a star into a collapse state; a battle zone can quickly be littered with debris fields and singularities left behind by dirty weapons. Lanes for FTL movement become blocked, resulting in unpredictable (or offensively plotted!) collisions and more debris. Some objects also make a ship easier to detect, or obscures sensor signatures. The obstacles your ships fight near can be a blessing or curse, depending on how you use them.
Additionally, before the game begins, players have a quick round of bidding on which obstacles get placed and where. This reflects on the sides of the conflict using reconnaissance and strategic movement to dictate the location where the fighting takes place.
Additionally, before the game begins, players have a quick round of bidding on which obstacles get placed and where. This reflects on the sides of the conflict using reconnaissance and strategic movement to dictate the location where the fighting takes place.
PRINT AND PLAY
Afterglow has been designed from the ground up as a print-and-play experience that players are free to accessorize as they please. However, anybody with access to scissors, a printer, paper and a mobile phone (to provide a chess clock) can play and get the same rich tactical experience. The game comes with multiple options for colour and black-and-white tokens and components, as well as multiple shapes for the player to choose from. The rulebook itself is black-and-white and contains many diagrams and examples for additional clarity.
A NEW BREED OF SPACE WARFARE
If you're interested in a fast-paced and unique tactical game, Afterglow is right for you. Get started building your ships and pitting your wits against other commanders today by purchasing the game at Wargame Vault now!