LOST PATROL

Rumble in the jungle

In Games Workshop’s latest a squad of Space Marines must fend off attack from hordes of alien Genestealers. Sound familiar? That’s because it’s a similar premise to the recent

Deathwatch: Overkill. The actual games, however, are quite different and Lost Patrol is faster and easier to get to grips with – albeit still time-consuming when it comes to the fiddly business of miniature assembly.

The Marines are searching a treacherous jungle (represented by a shuffled stack of hexagonal tiles) for an escape craft. Tangleweed bogs them down, while Infestation tiles spew out more Genestealers. Should the squad split up or stay together? Tiles are only revealed when a Marine has direct line of sight, so dividing the group will clear the way faster but leaves them vulnerable to attack, and as scouts these guys are hopelessly out-classed, generally needing to roll a six to hit their agile opponents.

It’s a simple mechanic in a game that’s clearly targeted at new or less experienced players, but it’s challenging (especially for the beleaguered Marine player) and fun. And, for once, you don’t need to buy expansion packs or extra figures – it’s all in the box, and at a very reasonable price. Will Salmon