Pocket Landship: An Alternate WWI with Mechs and Dice

Roll the dice in a battle against mechs as the tension builds and survival becomes paramount in Pocket Landship.
My board game tastes tend to be all over the place, although I’m probably known for sticking to some approachable themes and all the cuteness! Still, I enjoy the occasional World War II simulation or other war games. When I spotted Pocket Landship in nearly unused condition at a board game swap, I figured it was left there just for me to buy and play!
Game Overview
Game Name: Pocket Landship
Publication Year: 2019
Designer: Scott Allen Czysz
Artists: Robert Butler and Dominik Kasprzycki
Publisher: Word Forge Games
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
A commander takes charge of a trio of customizable cards, including a hull, to fight the onslaught of mechs. Dice provide random results, and each must be applied to an individual card. The mechs also battle back, though, often swapping positions or causing damage at the wrong time!
First Play
August 4, 2021
Complexity
2
Latest Play
August 7, 2021
Expansions
0
Setup Time
Almost None
Lifetime Plays
8
Play Time
15 Minutes
High Score
N/A
Game Area
20" x 18"
Low Score
N/A
Commander Stalby
Although creating a random setup is possible, a handy campaign over the course of 6 scenarios provides a tutorial of sorts with an increasing difficulty level.
To begin with, I decided to use Commander Stalby! Each commander provides a unique, single-use benefit.
Also, have a look at how the cards work. For every die value, there is a corresponding action. Sometimes, this is absolutely nothing, and other times it’s excellent!
Different equipment can also create interesting chained actions when used correctly… If the dice cooperate!
Beginning the Charge
Things started off nicely with the first scenario! Stalby had a total of 3 damage to apply, while the hull provided the ability to roll 4 dice and choose 3 to use the next turn.
I also kept things at the easy difficulty level by using a driver card, thematically hidden over there. Ha! It was Waldrom, who could double any damage once. Awesome!
At first, I thought things might be a little too simple, yet I was totally immersed after a couple of rounds.
The dice were usually kind, but I kept yelling out, “No! Not my cannon!” This is how I play solo best, I think. Ha!
Barely Surviving
The first scenario was rather easy to win, yet that’s how it’s designed: It’s an introduction to the system, and that simple guarantee to win disappears all too quickly.
Quick and hilarious note: My reading skills were off. See the sponsons, clearly labeled on the far left?
When I looked at the cards and rules, my mind decided to interpret this as “sponsors.” So I kept yelling out that my sponsors were being attacked. My goodness. Who am I?!
The second and third scenarios presented their own challenges and I found myself barely surviving to the end.
A Very Mean Badger
I enjoyed the alternate World War I timeline where the enemy consisted of a mech army, rather than people. Simulations are great, but I prefer to fight non-humans.
It was the next scenario that did me in. 9 enemies kept the pressure on! When the final battle rolled around and stopped all repairs, only the cannon was in trouble.
Commander C. Allen fought valiantly, whittling down the forces to a single badger class mech. And then…
A single die roll resulted in a loss. It was a great battle, lasting only 10 minutes. Such an exciting time!
Session Overview
Play Number: 1-4
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Scenarios 1, 2, 3, and 4 with a Driver Card
Outcome: 3 Wins and 1 Loss
So close! The campaign has a rating scale for getting through all 6 scenarios. It’s still possible for me to do well, but I’ll have to pull things together for the next attempt. After all, the defeated mechs awarded a multitude of advantage cards that need to be put to use. This was a very clever sort of game that I didn’t expect to enjoy this much! I look forward to finishing the campaign sometime soon!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
7
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
6
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
9
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
7
+ Pros (Positives)
- Choosing how to use the dice every round is interesting and often provides multiple paths to attack or repair.
- The campaign is excellent at providing an increasingly difficult game experience that teaches through play.
- Different combinations of landship equipment and mech enemies create plenty of variety between scenarios.
- Mechs represent the foes so although the theme is based on warfare, there isn’t any sort of killing or death.
- Everything fits neatly back in the compact box, including the cards that are very thick and high quality.
- Gameplay is quick and interesting with practically no downtime nor a need to reference the rulebook.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Bad luck with the dice can be unfortunate and lead to defeat, although this is the nature of dice-based games.
- The text is on the smaller side and can be tricky to read at a glance if any of the enemy units are far away.
- A campaign structure is excellent, yet there might be a point where long-term play doesn’t feel satisfying.
- It’s a very minor point, but initially finding the right units was confusing with the second title line of card text.
Victory Conditions
Defeat All the Mech Units
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Complete scenario 1 with driver cards in play.
Complete scenario 2 with driver cards in play.
Complete scenario 3 with driver cards in play.
Complete scenario 4 with driver cards in play.
Complete scenario 5 with driver cards in play.
Complete scenario 6 with driver cards in play.
Continue the Conversation
How far have you advanced in the Pocket Landship campaign? Although it’s on the lighter side and relies on the luck of the dice, I had a wonderful time playing! There were decisions to make and interesting situations. Do you enjoy any other dice-based action selection games like this? I’ll certainly be back to finish up this campaign at some point!
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