Post read time 4 min read
Release Date: 2024Players: 2-4
Designer: Andrew Haught, Mike Haught, Phil YatesLength: 45-60 minutes
Artist: Henning LudvigsenAge: 12+
Publisher: Gale Force NineComplexity: 2.5 / 5
Plastic (by weight): 99%Air (by volume): 50%

Aye, let me tell ye, it’s nae just another day in the engine room! There we were, mindin’ our own business, when a ripple in time itself plucks me and three of me trusted crewmates right out of our own century! Next thing ye know, we’re smack dab in the aftermath of the Battle of Wolf 359. We’ve got to deal w’ snarlin’ Klingon warriors, Romulan spies and these strange machine-creatures. If that wasn’t enough, we’ve got some right-determined Federation teams makin’ things difficult. We were right in the middle of one of those Star Trek: Away Missions – Commander Scotty: Federation Expansion by Andrew Haught, Mike Haught and Phil Yates from Gale Force Nine.

Boldly Going Again

Star Trek: Away Missions is a great game system that seems endlessly expandable. After reviewing the core game and the Captain Kirk: Federation Expansion, it’s now time to look at what Commander Scotty and Communications Officer Nyota Uhura, Chief of Astrosciences Hikaru Sulu and Duty Officer Mr. Leslie have to offer. In this review, I will assume you know the base game. If you don’t, maybe check out my review of it to give you an idea of what it’s like and if it’s for you.

So let me start with the miniatures. Like in the base game and the Kirk expansion, they are beautifully modelled, with slightly too-large heads that make them look a bit more cartoonish than realistic. That is fitting though, because Star Trek: Away Missions is meant for all the family. The game, like the TV series and films, aren’t about blood and gore and adult topics. The threats and dangers are toned down to fit the audience. So the miniatures look determined, but not threatening.

Ultimately though, the game and expansions are all about the cards. Star Trek: Away Missions is a card-driven tabletop miniature skirmish game after all. It’s the decks that bring the characters to life and decide how your team scores points. Getting to know the deck is how you improve your chances of winning.

Also, like in the base game and expansions, you have a starter deck to get you going out of the box, but you have the option of building your own deck with additional cards, if you so choose. Personally, I prefer the ready-made deck approach.

New Deck – New Missions – New Tokens

Of course, the Commander Scotty: Federation Expansion offers more than just more miniatures and more cards. There are additional tokens that are linked to cards from the support and mission decks.

One of my favourites is the infamous Tribbles. When they enter the fray, they start off being a real nuisance, but they can also turn out to be really useful in the end. I won’t reveal anything else. You’ll have to work that one out yourself. Just brace yourself for the game board filling up with little tokens.

The other thing I love about the expansion are the so-called “beam away” missions. They can be quite tricky and add a new mechanism to the core game. They usually involve one of your team being taken off the game board and placed on the mission card, effectively beaming them away. However, they haven’t yet materialized anywhere else. That doesn’t happen until the next turn, at which point the mission will hopefully succeed. As with other missions, it’s mostly about passing skill tests by rolling a certain number of dice.

The problem is, if you fail, your team member will have a horrible transporter accident and die. So, the “beam away” missions are risky, but they tend to score quite well. You just have to make sure you’ve got everything lined up perfectly to give you the best chance of succeeding.

Of course, the new decks also contain new equipment and there is the usual opportunity to get bonuses for completing missions in a certain order that follows events from the original TV series. A lot of attention to detail has been paid to make this a real joy for true fans.

the character board for Chief Engineering Officer Scotty
the character board for Chief Engineering Officer Scotty

Fast, Easy Tabletop Skirmish Fun

I love how Star Trek: Away Missions is such a great way to get into the tabletop miniature skirmish hobby. You get a complete game that you can play straight out of the box, with minimal overhead. The rules can take a little while to grasp, but as you start playing it, things quickly slot into place.

Every expansion adds new little twists and concepts, rather than being merely more cards and miniatures. So if you enjoy the base game, you can easily add more variety.

If you want to take it further, you can get fully engrossed in building the perfect deck or the deck that you will enjoy playing the most. You can also paint the miniatures and open up a whole new can of… well… paint, I suppose.

However, if you’re like me and just want to open the box, set everything up and play at being Commander Scotty and fight with the Borg or even compete with Commander Riker‘s team, if you so wish, then the expansions give you a little bit more variety and allow you to play your favourite character from the TV series and films.

So, there we have it. It’s time for me to teleport away and see what’s happening on Wolf 359. I hear there is some trouble with Tribbles. Commander Scotty, beam me up!

Useful Links

Transparency Facts

I feel that this review reflects my own, independent and honest opinion, but the facts below allow you to decide whether you think that I was influenced in any way.
  • I was sent a free review copy of this game by the publisher.
  • At the time of writing, neither the designers, nor the publisher, nor anyone linked to the game supported me financially or by payment in kind.

Audio Version

Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)

Music and sound effects are the copyright and/or trademark of Paramount Global.

Music: Bensound
License code: PBEUT2INMFQTXVLA

Playlist

These are the songs I listened to while I was writing this review:

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