DOcTOr WHO: exTerminaTe!

The Long(ish) Game

released OUT NOW! Two players

Publisher Warlord Games

The Doctor Who universe is a slightly weird fit for a wargame. The Doctor’s nominally pacifist outlook doesn’t exactly chime with a game themed around exterminating and deleting your opponents. Still, there’s potent appeal in the thought of building armies of little plastic Daleks and Cybermen – and this starter set gives you just that.

Exterminate! is a straightforward turn-based affair. Two opposing alien forces advance on each other, shoot, scrap in close combat and also scout for point-giving Vortex Nodes. Decks of Battle and Adventure cards add more tactical opportunities and the chance to change or modify dice rolls.

Naturally, the game can be expanded with the addition of characters including the Time Lord himself and foes like Missy and Davros. It’s quick and easy to get to grips with and you can imagine it making a decent introduction to tabletop gaming – hardened players may find it a little simplistic.

The starter set contains the core rules and two basic forces: 12 Time War Daleks versus 12 “Nightmare In Silver”-model Cybermen. The quality of the miniatures is good – though the plastic used is lightweight, they’re crisp and detailed. The Daleks are identical, but the Cybermen have a range of poses and moveable arms. The only real disappointment is the game mat – a flimsy paper thing about the thickness of a poster, which is likely to disintegrate after a few plays.

Still, part of the fun of tabletop games is the DIY aspect of making your own scenery. And it’s hard to complain too much when the set costs just £35 – though, of course, if you get into it you’ll want to expand on that with character packs and new monsters. Which raises the matter of the deeply peculiar Z-list foes planned for the future. Zygons and the Silence? Sure, they make sense. But Clockwork Robots and the Tetraps? Well, okay… Will Salmon

This isn’t the first Who miniatures-based wargame. Harlequin Miniatures produced Doctor Who: Invasion Earth in 1996.