Wandering the press preview at the UK Games Expo this Friday morning, it was impossible not to be drawn to Stand 908 in Hall 4. Amidst the sprawling fantasy landscapes and grimdark battlefields, Madan M Mitra of Mitra Miniatures has set up something distinctly different: The Rocketeers Guide To Rocketships.
If you have a fondness for the 1980s Flash Gordon film, complete with its iconic Queen soundtrack and Max von Sydow as the villainous Ming the Merciless, this game will immediately catch your eye. Leaning heavily into a 1950s “Bright Deco” aesthetic, the game pits factions like the Earth Rocketship Force against Emperor ZOM in tactical space warfare.
Speaking with Geek Native on the show floor, Mitra explained that the game is designed for two players, fielding between six to eight rocketships each. It is positioned as a fast-paced, straightforward sci-fi skirmish game with very little crunch, focusing instead on manoeuvrability and cinematic space battles.
What makes The Rocketeers Guide To Rocketships particularly noteworthy is its incredibly low barrier to entry. The core rulebook is available as a completely free, mostly print-friendly PDF. Furthermore, Mitra Miniatures is offering a generous selection of 3D printable STL files, including Class 3 Destroyer models, for free on Cults3D.
For wargamers who prefer physical media and exclusive content, there are extra scenarios floating around in print. If you keep an eye on upcoming issues of Miniature Wargames and Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy, you will find exclusive scenarios designed specifically for the system.
When I noted that Geek Native had somehow missed out on the initial generous handout of free STLs, Mitra and I shared a laugh. We quickly squared the circle, bonding over our mutual appreciation for the classic Flash Gordon movie.
As someone who is not much of a scratch builder and does not yet own a 3D printer, miniature agnostic or STL-reliant games usually pass me by. However, The Rocketeers Guide To Rocketships is exactly the sort of project that makes me feel like I am missing out. With 3D printers becoming increasingly affordable to fit into a home office, or the alternative of simply handing an STL file over to a commercial print service, the temptation to build a fleet of retro-futuristic rocketships is remarkably high.
Mitra Miniatures will be running demos at Stand 908 in Hall 4 throughout Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the UK Games Expo.
For those looking to expand their fleet beyond the free offerings, the full range of files, spanning 18 races from the vampiric ZOM to the avian Eaglemen Kingdoms, is currently funding via a live Kickstarter campaign.
Quick Links
- Kickstarter The Rocketeers Guide To Rocketships.
- Cults3D free full rules.
