Here at Goonhammer Historicals we’re not just about the past – we’re also about possible future histories. Whether it’s alternate WW2, alternate modern wars, or Turnip, we’ve covered it in the past and plan to in the future. This week we have a Kickstarter set in the post-apocalyptic future where gangs of trailer park denizens fight over resources in a small skirmishes.
The Basics
Trailer Park Warlords of the Apocalypse is a small skirmish warband or gang game where each side brings around eight miniatures. D10s are used to roll against a target number (TN) to score hits or measure success. Rowdies (the game’s term for a fighter, gang member, etc.) take damage by rolling against a TN of 5+ however many successful hits the enemy had – so if a Rowdie is hit by three hits, they need to save vs 8+. They roll 2D10 and try to get an 8 or better. If neither number is equal to or lower than the weapon’s kill rating, then the Rowdie receives a Winded token. Once a Rowdie receives twice as many Winded tokens as their Stamina, they’re killed. Humans, as an example, have a Stamina of 3.
Each player bids for initiative in a turn – so you need to use your resources wisely. For each Rowdie in play, you roll a D10 and set it aside. Once the turn starts you can choose one of these and secretly put it in front of you – then both players reveal and whoever has the higher die goes with an un-activated model of their choice – a pretty interesting resource mechanic with bluffing and layers of strategy involved. Add in Apocalypse Cards that are small little bonuses you can play during the game and it makes it not just a move, shoot, fight game. Each Rowdie has a Fighting, Shooting, Guts, Stamina, Speed, Mutations, and Cost stat.
Scenarios with setup, win conditions, etc are included as well as gang creation. It’s interesting that the game doesn’t limit you when creating gangs – like all of my guys are bikers, all of my guys are tall, all of my guys are fish people, etc. The game offers different Archetypes you can then use to create each individual Rowdie. The archetypes are:
Awakened: sentient animals who have been ‘awakened’ by the apocalypse via fallout, toxic trash, etc. The rules include stats for 27 different animal people, from basics like a Bear person to the funny like an Opossum person. Tons of modeling opportunities await.
Humans: the basic dudes. The most common gang members that you’ll find.
Mutants: some mutants can blend in with regular humans while others cannot. Every mutant starts with one random beneficial mutation.
Plants: sentient plants that have come in from the outlying areas of the apocalypse to fight in the Mega Trailer Parks. Each plant person starts with a Morphology – like Natural Armor, Thorns, etc. There are stats for eight different types of plants including a Fruit Tree, Shrub, and Vine. Amazing.
Robots: just what you’d think. They come in for varieties: Battle, Servant, Utility, War.
In addition to archetype, you also pick a Rowdie level. So you can have an Initiate Frogman fighting alongside a Warlord Cactus. Warlords are the top of the chain with bonuses to their stats accordingly while Initiates start with minuses to their stats.
The Core Book does include 13 suggested gangs and their stories – from the Awakened Revolutionary Movement, an all sentient animal gang that wants to exterminate all humans and mutants and allow the Awakened to rule the land, to the Roadkill, a group of Awakened animals that revere a dead opossum named Sketchy.
All the weapons, armor, and equipment you’d expect is present and statted out. Stretch goals are available to add in vehicle rules, solo play, and most importantly, campaign play.
The Products
There are six reward levels available to gamers and one available to retailers. Delivery is estimated in April of 2024. They are as follows:
Initiate
$1
Digital Muscle
$15
Digital Veteran
$45
Digital Warlord
$89
Veteran
$145
Warlord
$235
Retailers
$339
The Miniatures
Bad Goblin Games has produced forty miniatures available as STLs or in SIOCast during the campaign. They have these minis available:
There are also a number of terrain pieces available, including these really nice MDF trailers:
This seems like a great project that is going on Kickstarter now until August 3, 2023 – check it out!
Important Links
Bad Goblin Games’ Facebook Page
