Today I want to talk about an oddity, a real gem in the world of tabletop gaming, and probably my favorite game of all time but first indulge me a bit. Im talking about Champions of the Galaxy. If you were a kid that grew up in the 80's like myself there is a strong chance that you have fond memories of those eras pro wrestling. I’m talking the WWF! Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage, Ricky the Dragon Steamboat, The Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase, Andre the Giant, Jake the Snake, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Demolition, and more bigger than life characters then any circus could handle. It was so over the top and fun it was like watching a live action cartoon. To me as a kid watching Saturday Nights Main Event was almost equivalent to a holiday. It was the zaniness of these real life super heroes and villains that made me follow pro wrestling well into my adulthood. Today I still enjoy wrestling for the silliness and spectacle that it has always had but some of the magic is gone. I could talk pro wrestling for days about the past and present due to knowing more about the sport than any sane person should but that’s not what I wanted to talk about really.
If you enjoy a bit of childhood nostalgia read on if not skip ahead to the what’s in the envelope section!!
Come back with me if you will to 1989 a boy at the tender age of 8 was at the local pharmacy with his mother for there monthly visit. My mother would take me with her to pay the home utilities (back then kiddies you had to fax in payments from a trusted source) and for my reward for waiting patiently for a half hour upward I would be rewarded with a comic book or magazine of my choice. During this half hour or so I would have to make the toughest choice a young boy could make. Would I get the new X-Men issue or maybe the Batman Detective Comic would be my pick both were always good choices. Now sometimes I would really stretch out my entertainment by getting a magazine but that was usually a treat being that mags were a tad bit more expensive. Decisions, decisions what would I get? Time was running out and I still hadn’t made a choice! The comic issues didn’t sell me with their covers so I would have to lay it on thick and see if I could pull a magazine coup. Nintendo Power or WWF Magazine if I was especially good. As I reached for the WWF magazine I seen something I had never seen before this day and that was Pro Wrestling Illustrated. What was this book that caught my eye? It had wrestlers I never seen before and it was totally black and white. The cover looked like a dirt sheet telling me all the behind the scenes secrets. I was totally confused but had to have it so the decision was made. Little did I know my mother was standing behind me for probably 5 minutes before I made up my mind. She was an incredibly patient woman but im sure she was tired of looking at this stupid kid staring into space.
She asked: Are you ready?
Stupid 8-year-old kid: Can I get this one?
She replied: Have you been good at school all week?
Stupid 8-year-old kid lying through his teeth: Yes Mom!
She replied: Alright hurry up get the book so we can get out of here.
When we got home I would run up the stairs to our apartment and I would sprawl out on the living room floor. I would have approximately one hour to enjoy my newly acquired loots, as my mother would prepare dinner for my sister and me. I could not wait to find out who these other wrestlers were, to read the results of all these matches that happened at something called "House Shows". Page after page I would find out something new that would blow my 8 year old mind but it wasn’t until after dinner that I would uncover the greatest hidden treasure in the entire book. An add to something called Champions of the Galaxy. The characters looked like comic book super heroes but it was advertised as a game. The image was brilliant it was a wizard of some sorts named Bishop Hell and the caption said he was going to burn the competition with Hellfire or something to that effect. I remember reading that add over and over at least once a day. It proclaimed 24 wrestler playing cards, dice, instructions, everything you needed to run your very own wrestling organization.
How could I a boy not even 10 years old run my very own professional wrestling league? I was dying to know. What was the price for the answer to my question? 10 dollars plus shipping and handling. When I was that age it might as well been 10 million dollars because I had no clue how I was going to raise that. I just used up my trump card of $2.25 for the very purchase in my hands how was I going to get 4x that amount any time soon. Not only that it had to be in check or money order form! I was 8 and had no fning clue how to get this going. I wouldn’t dare ask my mom after she spent the fortune on this book I was looking at so I would have to wait and plot. Now to say I wasn’t the sharpest knife back then was an understatement because every time I was out shopping with my mom I would forget about the big picture and get some $3.00 G.I. Joe or happy meal. While night after night I would read the PWI add and daydream what it would be like to have this game.
Even worse the marketing genius that was Tom Filsinger the creator of said game would take out different adds in the new issues of PWI each month. My torture would be raised to unbearable levels. One day it was all too much for me and I snapped. My mother and I were on our monthly visit to the pharmacy once again. I was once again making another agonizing decision before she came to collect me from the magazine isle. I was hit by a stroke of genius and made a huge ballsy move. I went to where she waited in line and asked if she would get me a money order for $12.25 the price of the game and shipping and handling.
My mother looked at me and said: For that game you keep talking about? I guess but your not getting anything for else until the end of next month!
I happily agreed even though my mother was a real softy and probably didn’t even hold up her end of that threat! After this I ran back to the newsstand opened the latest PWI took it over to the copy machine and used a nickel (also supplied by my mother) to make a scan of the ad so I could mail this away while we were still out! To say my excitement ran wild was an understatement. 3-6 weeks for delivery seemed like an eternity. I checked the mailbox everyday (including the same day we got back from the pharmacy). What I do remember was the day it came was the day I didn’t even check the mail. It came on the eve of Thanksgiving but I was busy with something and forgot to get the mail. On Thanksgiving morning I remembered my folly and to my surprise my game had arrived!
What’s in the....Envelope? : I couldn’t get up the stairs fast enough to tear into the oversized white and blue envelope. On the envelope there were two generic bald wrestlers and a logo that said Champions of the Galaxy right on the cover! No sneaking that by anyone without a question wrestling fun was inside of that envelope for sure. So what did I get for my twelve dollars and change? 24 different wrestling character cards that had comic style portrait art on one side and move sets and stats on the other side. A rules manual informing you how to play with both regular and advanced rules. A setting book that gives you info on all of the wrestlers and the history of the GWF. The book covered everything you needed to know like background stories, who was allied together and who was feuding with each other. There was also game charts for different situations such as being thrown outside of the ring, into the ropes, tag teams, etc. Also included was a pair of red and blue miniature dice that to this day I believe to hold some sort of magic.
The original 24 wrestlers screamed 1980's wrestling without a doubt. They included a great balance of top ranked stars, awesome tag teams, mid-card average guys, and lovable losers meant to be served up anyway you like. The description manual would give you a great idea of who was meant to be the top guys for sure. It also gives a story splitting all of the wrestlers into two factions a hero and villain team. Both teams were comprised of mini factions who still had there own agendas. On the hero side the main man is a character named Star Warrior who was a perfect cross of Kerry Von Erich and Ricky Steamboat. A highflying perfect good guy who could win any match but also lose on occasion. His father Omega was the main hero many moons ago and now Warrior has hit his prime and carried the torch for the good guys. The villain team I believe was much more complex full of different factions all vying to be top dog but it was led undeniably by a wrestler named Thantos the evil GameMaster! Thantos was Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan all rolled into one character. Imagine if Flair in his prime was a power wrestler but also still technically sound!
If that isn’t enough to have an interesting main event scene add in the anti-hero before anti-heroes were cool Wolf. This character was a crazy high flyer ala the Macho Man but with a Stone Cold beat everyone in your path to be champion attitude. He was a good guy with very few friends. His main enemies were his former allies a tag-team called the Gladiators that were heavily influenced by face painted tag teams of the 80's. They were basically the monster heel team that could beat anyone. Being that I only described 5 of the 24 wrestlers just goes to show how deep this roster was. Every wrestlers description was only about a paragraph long but it was more than enough to fuel your storylines if you didn’t want to make up your own original ones, which you were encouraged to do anyway.
Oh yeah did I mention that this all is taking place in the year 2087 and in space? This means it is humans vs. aliens vs. mutants vs. super heroes. There are giant brain paraplegic managers, robots, experiments gone wrong, drag queen androids, animal men, intergalactic bounty hunters, gladiator warmongers, ninja assassins, magical artifacts, celestial beings and jobbers.
The game instruction manual included was all of six pages (including the advanced rules) long meaning that even as child I was able to run the wrestling federation I had always wanted to the same day I read the instructions. Immediately I had to separate the wrestlers into their proper factions and set up a night of matches that I would force my older sister to play with me.
Mechanics: Now considering that the basic rules of play are only three pages long it’s easy to surmise that this is a fairly light game. Basically each player picks the wrestler or wrestlers they want to use if you want to have a tag team match. After this each player flips there character cards to the side, which displays the stats, and move sets. Looking at the back of the card you will see pretty much everything you need to play is on the back of each card outside of the situation charts. Each wrestler has three levels of offensive and defensive moves marked from 1-6 on each of the power levels. You will notice each wrestler has a very basic power and agility stat ranging at the time from +4 bad to -4 great. A rating for each of the situation charts saying how good they are at fighting outside of the ring or jumping off of the top rope. Each character also has a Pin rating which is very important ranging from 5 to 9.
With all of this information ingested the rules of the game are very simple. After the initiative has been declared the first player rolls one d6 and checks the number rolled on the first level of offense. Lets say I was playing Thantos against Wolf and the first roll I made was a 4. I would check Thantos' level 1 offensive move, which would be 4.Neckbreaker-2(ag). In the basic game I would see that the neckbreaker was a lv 2 offensive move so the defending Wolf player would roll on level 2 defense. Now lets say he rolls a 1, the Wolf player would then look at his character card and see that the 1 is 1.hurt-2 meaning Thantos continues his assault now on the level two offensive move set. This continues until the defending player(Wolf) counters the move by rolling a reversal on the defensive chart. Most of the wrestlers have counters, which are labeled by their name in capital letters on defense. For example if you roll a 3 on Wolfs level 2 defense you would look at the Wolf card and see that it says 3.WOLF-1. This means Wolf has countered Thantos offensive move and now Wolf takes over on level 1 offense. This goes on until one of the two wrestlers beats his opponent down to level 3 defense where the PIN rating is located.
Winning the game: If you some how beat your opponent down enough to make them roll there pin rating then said wrestler will have to roll higher then the number on two dice. Now lets say Wolf actually gets Thantos to roll his pin rating on level 3 defense. Thantos would then have to roll two dice and get a number that is higher then his pin rating of 5. If Thantos rolls 5 or under he is pinned and Wolf wins the match. Simple enough right? Each wrestler also has there own special finishing move on level 3 offense that if it is rolled the opponent has to automatically make a pin test to see if he loses. Another way to win or lose the match is if you get disqualified for cheating while fighting outside of the ring just like real matches....lol
Advanced Rules: Now the basic game is fun for a couple of rounds but the advanced rules really turn this light game into full fledged wrestling matches. The beautiful thing is its really not that much harder. The main difference is that the wrestlers start with a lower Pin rating but it increases every time you roll the pin rating and escape. Also finishing moves actually have numbers that add to the opponents pin rating every time the finisher is rolled. For example Thantos finisher is called the Masterlock and it is a figure four leglock that adds +4 to the opponents Pin rating for one pin attempt. This means Wolfs pin rating of 2 would become 6 for this move plus any fatigue counters he has accumulated from the match prior to this big move. If Wolf rolls a 7 on two dice and survives the pin fall his Pin rating would go up by one fatigue.
I don’t want to go over every little detail but other little things are added to the advanced rules that really add to the game like Power and Agility scores. The ability to leave the ring on defense, tag team rules,outside interference, and special matches like the Cosmic Cage match are all included. Once again this is all in a six page rule book!
Dungeonslingers thoughts: Now if you made it this far you have got to know that yes I really like this game. Let me clear a couple of things up before I finish my rant. Champions of the Galaxy is not a perfect game. It is a light wrestling simulation RPG. You shouldn’t confuse it with a competitive vs. game it really is not that at all. To be honest to make the most of this game you got to throw the concept of winning and losing out the window and let the narrative story telling encompass you. You have to let your imagination run wild and treat the game like it is a living breathing world that you get to interact with. If you are a wrestling fan and you like table top games chances are this game is for you. If you like comic books or Star Wars chances are this game is getting even closer to its target audience. If you like all of the above this is your perfect tabletop wrestling game.
Now when you also realize that there is always stories going on in the background of this Space Opera that happens to be in a wrestling ring then you see the full potential of the product. Everyone knows that Heavyweight championship matches are always exciting. Now factor in the challenger maybe a undead pharaoh named Murdok who would like nothing better than to take the championship back to his home planet where he is the evil dictator. Now you got a wrestling show I want to tune into on Monday Night!
Can you play this as a one night filler game as a lead into something else? The answer is yes. I have played this with my older sister, friends who are not wrestling fans, and people who don’t play table top games in general and have had a great time with each of them. Now are you going to be able to share a wrestling league with people who are not into wrestling? Probably not but if you do find like minded fans then you are in for a treat. The game is a tool box that can be played however you see fit. You can run a league that is scored on wins and loses. You can create titles and have ongoing stories. You can split the characters with as many other players as you want and have team tournaments. To be completely honest this game shines the most as a solitaire experience where you create all of the stories and run a fantasy league. Don’t believe me? The forums for this game are filled with people who each run there league completely differently and post results for anyone who is interested in reading.
The part that still blows my mind to this day is that the game came out in 1987. The year as of my writing this is 2012 so by my calculations this game has been thriving for 25 years! Even more impressive is that the game has had regular expansions every year for 25 years! Not even Magic the gathering can claim that.
Where do I get this game : First of all Tom Filsinger the creator has a fine website that exclusively sells his pride and joy in several flavors. http://www.filsingergames.com/ is the link so check it out. The tough choice you have to make is do you want to start from the original beginning with the 1987 set or get something a little more current with the New Beginnings set that came out a few years back. The only difference is how do you like your wrestling? Old school WWF or a faster fusion of WWE and other newer styles that you see today. If you aren’t a wrestling fan which do you buy? If you are a nostalgia nut for all things 80's like so many people are these days I would go with the original set. It just oozes with personality and all of the characters are fun. If you like your artwork a little closer to today’s comics standards then get the New Beginnings edition released not too long ago. I personally think the original just has a little bit more charm but its win win really.
How do I expand my game? Which ever set you do go with rest assured you are set for expansions for the rest of your life. I am not kidding you could play the starter sets buy themselves as a regular boardgame for as long as you want but if you ever want to add some fresh blood then buy the next expansion year and you are set for a good long time. There are over 30 game years worth of expansions so when I say you can expand your wrestling league anyway you see fit I mean it. Each new expansion year adds new wrestlers and progresses the game story line a little bit forward. Characters get older, change from good to evil and vice versa.
Final Thoughts and score: If you made it through that entire wall of text I thank you for your time and letting me share how my passion for gaming evolved from a very young age. This game along with HeroQuest and my NES are the main credits to the game addict I am today. For about twenty five bucks you can tool this game into whatever you want it to be. I think everyone should try this at least once so if you don’t take the plunge on the web but do end up at a game Convention like GenCon go check it out and get a game in. It will be a short time well spent.
Final Score: on a best of 10 falls scale
10 out of 10 falls: If you are a fan of wrestling and lite rpg/story telling this is the game for you.
6 out of 10 falls: If you are not a fan of wrestling but still enjoys a lite game to start your game night or party this is a great choice. You do not have to be a fan of wrestling to still have some fun with this game. It just really helps alot.
Until next time Dungeonslinger...
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