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Assassinorum Execution Force Product Review from Games Workshop

    I am sure most of you have heard of GW’s latest limited edition game set, Assassinorum Execution Force.  My first thought was “that looks cool, but I don’t really need more assassin models.”  Then I read the description and realized that it’s a 1-4 player cooperative game.  With that in mind I thought it could be a fun game to play with my kids.  Cooperative means I can walk them through it until they get a hang of the rules without feeling like I’m just faking a game to keep them busy.  So I picked up a copy at the FLGS and figured I would give you all a peek at what’s inside.

    Assassinorum Execution Force

    The cover of Assassinorum Execution Force has some nice artwork on it, just like the other more recent boxed sets from GW.

    Assassinorum Execution Force

    What’s Inside Assassinorum Execution Force?

    It is a GW set, so we would expect a small mountain of plastic inside, and we find one!

    There are two factions included in Assassinorum Execution Force.  The Chaos Terminator Lord, 3 Chaos Marines, and 15 Cultists are all available separately.  The more interesting models are the four assassin models that are exclusive to the box.  I haven’t assembled mine, but they are nicely detailed.  GW has some nice 360 views on their website if you want a good look.

    Each of these is supplied with a 32mm base.  The chaos models total about $65, and the equivalent assassin models total about $62 so on strict model value the box is worth the $125 cost.  Of course, it will take a while to properly assemble and paint all of these, so I’ll be using proxy models in the meantime!

     

    Under the models and dice there’s a decent set of game pieces.  There are two sheets of room cards and markers.  These are printed on both sides of some thick card so they’ll be pretty sturdy.

    The hexagonal markers are wound counters with one wound on one side and two wounds on the other.  These would be a nice addition to the 40k starter box!  There is also a deck of event cards and four map tiles.

    Execution Force (3)

    As you can see here, the map tiles are very thick!  The edges are unfinished though so they may start to peel if you beat them up.

     

    Gaming

    I have only managed one game so far with Assassinorum Execution Force, but the rules seem pretty solid.  My 8 and 10 year old daughters were able to pick up the basics quickly enough.

    Basically, each assassin is allowed two actions per turn, chosen from a list of available actions.  Each has specific abilities and some special tactics that can only be used a certain number of times per game.  The cultists and marines show up according to event cards that are drawn each turn and once on the board they follow semi random patrol routes until then discover an assassin.

    There are 12 rooms that start as unknown and are drawn at random as they are explored.  The assassins need to find the transporter room and the control room in order to teleport into the ritual chamber and kill the Sorcerer before he can finish his ritual.

    The Assassinorum Execution Force game we played was fun and I think it will stay interesting for a while.  The basic rules are easy to remember and each model has a reference card showing their particular capabilities.  As I said, my daughters and I were able to pick it up pretty quickly.  It’s simple but with enough tactical considerations to keep you thinking.

    The instruction manual includes a page of game modifiers and challenges to keep things fresh.  I am sure that a crafty gamer would have no problem coming up with their own modifications as well.

    Wrap-up

    Overall I am glad I bought this game. Assassinorum Execution Force is a great 40k themed game that is accessible enough to bring my wife and kids into.  Plus, there’s a good chance the models will be wandering off to the occasional game of 40k!

    Like Space Hulk, Assassinorum Execution Force is a nice standalone game that also has some great 40k models in it.  Have any of you tried it out?

    Kamui

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    33 Comments
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    Rory
    8 years ago

    I must admit I haven’t tried it yet, the price tag puts me off purchasing it myself, despite the value for money. I find I don’t need any of those models enough to get it, just like with Space Hulk to be honest.
    Is there only one mission on it though? I wonder how many play throughs it would last.

    Rory
    8 years ago
    Reply to  Kamui

    Well good luck with it. I think I will let this one pass. But a nice and comprehensive review, so thanks for that.

    Thor
    Admin
    8 years ago

    It does look like a fun game. When I finally manage a time to head over to your place we should play. You, the kids and I would make for a good game I’m sure.

    Tibbs Forge
    8 years ago

    As I’ve mentioned across several forums, it seems like the replayability might be an issue for this game. I’m a big board gamer and we have lots of choices to try out. Seems like this one would be fun once or twice, but after that would get looked over for other games that have a lot more variation. The missions in Space Hulk and Zombicide, for instance, make every game feel different even though the rules stay the same. You’ll have to let me know after a few goes if it’s losing its luster or what. I love the idea of it, I just wish it had some variety baked in.

    Rory
    8 years ago
    Reply to  Tibbs Forge

    What Tibbs said. Although this is GW, I do half expect a dateslate with more missions…

    Tibbs Forge
    8 years ago
    Reply to  Rory

    Actually I think that would help a lot, but with the limited board tiles… Part of me wishes there was a whole series of these and they all worked together… ;)

    greggles
    8 years ago
    Reply to  Tibbs Forge

    I agree. Though I feel that if you pick this up from an online retailer (at 20-25% off), your overall value is higher then buying the four assassin models by themselves separately (guessing 26 a pop), even if you never touched the game itself or even looked at the chaos models (though the lord is a super awesome kit!)

    Tibbs Forge
    8 years ago
    Reply to  greggles

    Oh, sure! If you’re buying the models anyway it’s a great deal. I just happen to really like board games, and I want them all to be as good as Space Hulk. :D

    Thor
    Admin
    8 years ago
    Reply to  Tibbs Forge

    Does Blood Bowl count as a board game? I LOVE Blood Bowl and think it’s their best game ever.

    Tibbs Forge
    8 years ago
    Reply to  Thor

    Absolutely it does. I would buy an updated version for sure. I have great memories of playing with my big brother.

    TheRhino
    TheRhino
    8 years ago

    Nice review.
    On the topic of the unfinished board edges…can you actually do such a thing without hand-making every single tile?

    Tibbs Forge
    8 years ago
    Reply to  Kamui

    I’ve never seen a board game do that with the tabs. That’s really cool! We’ve gotten in the habit now of tinting the edges of cardboard tiles, tokens and chits with markers. It helps finish them off nicely. I’ve also sealed the edges of some tokens with brush-on CA glue if I know they’re going to be abused. Makes them darn-near bulletproof.

    Tibbs Forge
    8 years ago
    Reply to  Kamui

    Oh, I see what you mean! Yeah, that makes sense.

    I wrote a blog post with some pics, but when I tried to link it, Disqus embedded the article. Weird.

    Let’s try again: http://tibbsforge.com/tinting-tokens/

    Sin Synn
    Sin Synn
    8 years ago

    Sigh.
    GW releases a board game for the family, sorta…and it’s 125 bucks.
    Eesh.

    Thor
    Admin
    8 years ago
    Reply to  Sin Synn

    Eh, I wouldn’t call it a family game. Sure, it can be and in Kamui’s case it is, but with that price tag it’s really for the existing crowd.

    Warren Falconer
    8 years ago
    Reply to  Sin Synn

    I would also say when those assassins are released separately they will be 30 bucks a pop most likely. So from a model perspective it’s a good value(as far as gw products go).

    cadianshock
    cadianshock
    8 years ago

    Sad to hear the assassin models are exclusive to the box.

    Tibbs Forge
    8 years ago
    Reply to  cadianshock

    Wait, is that a new thing? Everything I’ve seen shows them being released individually later on. Has that changed?

    cadianshock
    cadianshock
    8 years ago
    Reply to  Tibbs Forge

    I got that impression from this article because it said exclusive to the box?

    Tibbs Forge
    8 years ago
    Reply to  cadianshock

    Oh… I think he just meant for now. I have no idea if they’ll really release them later, but that’s the traditional wisdom online. And how often are rumors wrong…? LOL. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. How much are they going for on eBay right now?

    cadianshock
    cadianshock
    8 years ago
    Reply to  Tibbs Forge

    Vindicare is about £15 ex postage. Sold. I’m buying him. Unsure on the others at the moment.

    cadianshock
    cadianshock
    8 years ago
    Reply to  Tibbs Forge

    Hmmm no. Seems like £20.

    Steve
    Steve
    8 years ago

    I too bought a copy of this game, but I was lucky to be able to buy it from my FLGS too, but for half price… now, the main reason for commenting is to highlight to those of you who would like the game, but don’t want to pay a premium for the figures, there are plenty of copies on Ebay being sold as new without the figures (here in the UK at least) for relatively small prices (£10-15 typically). There are obvioulsy plenty of people buying the game only for the figures and selling on the rest of the stuff to recover a little of the cost.