ScrapYard Armory

The Historical Turning Points series gains a new chapter.  This time around we are treated to a Succession War era battle between bitter rivals.

Geoff Swift, a return author for the series is in charge to bring Mallory’s World to life.  Will the Turning Points series continue to impress?

The Desolation of Combat

This single page piece was one of the best and most riveting piece of opening fiction I have read.  The story is an emotional roller coaster beginning with a palpable arrogance that melts away, eventually extracting sympathy from the reader or maybe pity.  The ultimate sacrifice is expertly storied in so few words.  It is a great opening for the PDF and makes me want to read more!

Mallory’s World

After a standard full color map of the world, the Atlas section gives a brief description of the world.  Mallory’s World consists of mainly desert or urban areas in part due to the frequent conflict the world attracts.  I enjoyed reading about the early history of this world which is full of otherwise useless anecdotal information.  While I doubt you or your players will care that Mallory’s World is a major supplier of diapers, you can play your tracks and missions secure in the knowledge that the writers have made such information available to all.

A short list of recommended terrain is included for those wishing to roll suitable random terrain.

Lastly, there is a list of available Tactical Operations terrain enhancements for the adventurous to include in their games.

The Battle for Mallory’s World

In a single page the brief but information packed chronology of the multi-year war at Mallory’s World is presented.  For a single page it packs a significant quantity of details that will form the framework for the tracks presented later.

For anyone unfamiliar with the battle this is a great primer.  If you haven’t read the novels there is a lot to pick up.  The lightweight presentation is a perfect fit and gives a fine overview of this epic Succession Wars era conflict.  From copious combat drops, pincher movements, and single combat between leaders Mallory’s World has it all.

Random Assignment Tables

Tables are provided for Kurita and Davion and include ‘Mechs, Vehicles, and Aerospace.  Infantry tables are absent which is not unexpected given the lack of battle armor during this time.

Interestingly, there are five Land Air ‘Mechs (LAMs) slots included.  Details for their use were provided in TRO: 3085.  No doubt there will be those who will love this addition.  Others won’t be bothered either way.  Now if we could only get official miniatures for the newly imaged LAMs we would be in real business.

Commanders

The commanders section details one commander from each side of the battle.  The first is a relatively unknown from the Davions.  I really appreciate the effort to mix it up.  It would have been more expected to have detailed Ian Davion for the PDF, instead we get to learn more about Eugene Drivers.  The Kurita leader is the slayer of the First Prince, a more obvious choice but well worth the page space.

Each leader is further detailed with a short list of A Time of War skills and attributes.  It does not provide a complete character sheet, more of a framework that players can adapt to use in their campaign if you desire.

Combatants

The combatants for both sides are provided for reference including experience rating, unit abilities, and a brief set of notes.

I found the notes and unit abilities to be especially interesting and entertaining.  I really liked the Mallorian Militia and the Second Legion of Vega.  Both have detrimental abilities that are sure to be a factor if your player group is brave enough to use them.

Tracks

The tracks section includes an amazing eleven tracks to play!

Throughout the tracks the use of conventional and infantry units is heavily encouraged in the game setup and attacker/defender descriptions.  I really appreciate the heavy support of combined arms.

I noted that the individual tracks are not balanced the way I would have expected.  I suspect that the history of the battles was a more important factor in recommended force ratios than game balance.  A perfect example is Just Droppin’ In which looks like a bloodbath for the Hussars.  Looking at the aftermath section of the track, it certainly was.  It is an interesting and I believe deliberate methodology to present an accurate battle even if the results are not likely to change.  I would have liked to see more thought put into the objectives to compensate for the unequal unit strengths but can appreciate the unique perspective at work.

The Defeat of Nobility is a brave new take on the track series which pits Ian Davion in his Atlas against the command lance of the Kurita invaders.  It is historically presented and requires special terrain and a bevy of special rules that force the players to relive history and attempt to rewrite it.  A very bold track.

The final five tracks are built to reflect the massive retaliatory invasion of Mallory’s World by Kurita in 3016.  They are meant to be played in any order as they occur at the same time.

Mr. Swift takes a lot of interesting hooks to make the plethora of tracks in Mallory’s World worth playing.  I felt that the sometimes obvious selection of objectives and mundane bonus options are the only items that detract from this excellent set of tracks.  Like none other, Mallory’s World tells the story of the battles, both the wins and the losses with unwavering focus.

Record Sheets

Record sheets are provided for Morgan Kell and Yorinaga piloting an Archer and Warhammer respectively both of which lack a ‘Mech image.  Oversight or intentional?

Three LAM configurations are also provided for the nostalgic among us.  Here is an excellent chance to get your LAM on if that is the sort of thing that floats your boat.

The Final Word

Mallory’s World is an impressive product as a whole.  A unique mix of terrain, detailed setups and painful regard for historical accuracy offset some more obvious objective and bonus selections.  This PDF is well worth the $5 asking price given the large assortment of tracks.  Your gaming group is sure to find something to like among the tracks on Mallory’s World.  It is a mix of both quality and quantity that make it a must buy for Succession War era buffs and a good investment for casual fans.