Cyberpunk Red: Combat Zone Kickstarter: Everything You Need to Know

Monster Fight Club has launched their long-awaited game Cyberpunk Red: Combat Zone on Kickstarter, and to coincide with the big launch we figured it would be the perfect time to get you up to speed on the game, including what we know about it so far, how the gameplay works, and why you should care, and you can keep up with the campaign right here. If you’re unfamiliar with the game, Cyberpunk Red: Combat Zone is set in the world of R. Talsorian Games’ Cyberpunk Red universe but shifts the focus to a full-on skirmish game that will have you assembling a lethal team to take control of the streets in Night City.

Thanks to a few previews from Monster Fight Club, we have an idea of some of the units at your disposal, though it’s important to note that since they already make so many great miniatures for Cyberpunk Red’s core roleplaying game, any of those miniatures are usable in the new skirmish game. That said, there are plenty of new minis as part of Combat Zone too.

Each character in Combat Zone has a card with everything you need to know, including their Actions, Skills, Abilities, and Gear. You’ll take advantage of all these using the new [RE]action system, which uses a three-color system that pairs Character Actions with different types of dice as well as a special range limiter that helps keep the action moving.

Night City is dominated by several gangs, though you’ll also have other forces to add to your squad, and each one brings its own specialties and nuances to gameplay. So far we’ve seen previews for the Tyger Claws and the Maelstrom, and each gang comes with a full squad of miniatures that includes a Leader unit.

So far we’ve seen only one of those leaders, Oyabun, who leads the Tyger Claw gang. She wields a Mono-katana and specializes in high damage melee attacks that carry a Pierce 2 bonus, but she can also hit from range. We’ve also seen a preview of the Tyger Claw gang’s Sniper Ronin, which you can see here. As for the Maelstrom, we’ve seen a Maelstrom Gonk and Ripper, and the latter can do even more damage if another member of the gang is visible.

You can also play as the Lawman faction, commanding a squad of NCPD officers including Sarge. Sarge has an ability that allows units within yellow of him to use his influence, which can come in handy, and he attacks with an SMG.

Last but certainly not least are the Edgerunners, and we’ve seen 3 so far. Solos have the Bodyguard ability, which allows them to react and target a visible enemy when a friendly unit within red takes a wound. That ability is extremely useful, and the sculpt on the miniature is awesome. Next, we have Rockerboy, who specializes in crowd control with a Feedback ability that allows you to exhaust 1 action from all rivals within range green. Then we have Nomads, who have the Survivor ability that allows them to spend a Luck token instead of taking a wound.

As for the campaign itself, you can get the core game by itself along with any stretch goals unlocked, which includes the Tyger Claws and Maelstrom starter gangs. The Blood on the Streets tier gets you all that plus the 21 Daily miniature unlocks and 2 Gang Packs of your choice, which include the Bozos, Combat Zoners, Gen Red, and the Lawmen. Edgerunner packs can also be added on for $30 apiece, and these can be hired by any faction to customize your team, though in campaign mode you will need to win some games first before they’ll work for you.

If you’ve already collected some of the miniatures from Monster Fight Club for Cyberpunk Red, there’s a Combat Zone Catch-Up option in the pledge manager that will get you any new miniatures for that gang and all the cards for the previously released miniatures.

Combat Zone is a perfect gateway into the Cyberpunk Red universe, and we wouldn’t fault you for getting addicted quickly. If this seems up your alley you can check it out on Kickstarter right here.

What do you think of Cyberpunk Red: Combat Zone? Let us know. in the comments or feel free to talk all things tabletop with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!