TABLETOP games:
an ANALOG HOBBY FOR THE DIGITAL AGE.
odd, old-fashioned but EXTREMELY cool.
STALKER7 is the internet home for the Russian-flavored, post-apocalyptic table top miniatures war game ZONA ALFA: Salvage and Survival in the Exclusion Zone and the Solo/Cooperative expansion KONTRABAND.
There’s also the independently published Solo/Cooperative games, Exploit Zero: Cyberpunk Espionage and Mayhem, the Tsim Sha Tsui Expansion and Snitches, Glitches, and DAF Augs supplements, and Hostile Takeover, the player versus player version.
Dark fantasy gamers can always embark on a monster hunt with NIGHTWATCH: Terror and Treasure in the Dark Corners of the World.
Or if you’d rather fight for humanity’s survival after a massive alien invasion, Insurgent Earth may interest you.
Click on the title links above to see the books at Amazon. They are also available in pdf format at WargameVault.
Wander the site to see battle reports, reviews, scratch-built terrain, and painted miniatures. Feel free to drop a question or comment.
Thanks for stopping by.
Partial to Science Fiction and Fantasy table top games, our weekly group, a.k.a. The Cape Cod Wargame Commission, also enjoys a wide variety of board games like Blood Rage, Space Hulk, and Of Dreams and Shadows, and RPGs such as Symbaroum, D&D 5E, Savage Worlds Interface Zero 2.0, and Numenera.
Feel free to wander around and ask questions. If you would like us to play test a game, do a review, or feature your company’s miniatures, terrain, or accessories, use the Contact Form in the main menu. We’ll get back to you ASAP.
For more information about my spec-fiction, please stop by my writing blog: Hot Space Station Justice.
Thanks and Enjoy.
STALKER7 
Heya,
Which ruleset do you use for post-apo wargaming?
We’re looking for something more “real” than Necromunda so any suggestions would be appresiated.
Well done on the bloggy!
Thanks much.
Regarding rules – The guys I’m gaming with these days aren’t ‘gamers’ per se, so we’ve been using my simple ‘Cleared To Engage’ rules. TTG are a new idea for them and it’s challenge enough to get them to remember core mechanics, let alone genre-specific tweaks.
That said, for more grit, try WreckAge or After The Horsemen. They’re both solid. There’s plenty of other PA-specific sets out there like This is Not a Test or Across a Dead Earth. (Never read, but have only heard good things about those two)
I don’t think Necromunda’s core rules are bad. Why not strip away the fluff and introduce a STALKER-like setting?
And speaking of excellent core mechanics, you should really look at Pulp Alley. Very versatile and robust. Flavor to taste and you’re good to go. Check out appropriate threads at Lead Adventure Forum for some excellent mods.
Take Care
Where do I get the rules for Zona Perestrelki? I looked all over, but didn’t manage to find the rule set.
ZP was a set of home-brew rules I wrote. It was recently purchased by Osprey and I’m currently turning them into a full-length, skirmish and survival war game to be released under the title ‘Zona Alfa.’
Wow, this looks really great! I had some players ask me to do a Stalker RPG, and I’d love to do a tabletop version some day. Will definitely be following your project closely.
Thanks. The STALKER/METRO 20XX settings are too cool to pass up. There are a number of good PA-specific RPGs out there, (Mutant Year Zero recently caught my eye) but I’d love to hear more about yours at some point.
The challenge for me writing the table top game is to bake in the aesthetic while respecting IP and accommodating the wide variety of miniature and terrain choices. ZONA ALFA isn’t a sales tool for a specific company or range of figs. I mean any excuse to buy new figs, right? But the goal is for players to be able to slot in whatever suitable miniatures they already have and get stuck in.
Have an excellent day.
I’ll definitely check it out your book when it releases. I’ll keep posting STALKER stuff on my blog as I do it, but the core of the system is a simplified Dark Heresy D100 ruleset. I’ve added some flavour from the FATE system to give players a strength and a weakness.
No skills or talents, everyone is reasonably adept at basic tasks. Your success comes more from your equipment, background and reputation. I did this to reduce book keeping and let the atmosphere take over.
Sounds cool. My exposure to RPGs is limited to DnD, some Pathfinder, and more recently Savage Worlds. We use it for cyberpunk games. (Interface Zero 2.0)
I’m all for reduced book keeping. You’re playing my song there. I want ZONA ALFA to be an AK47 of skirmish wargames: functional, reliable, straightforward.
Dear STALKER7, first of all… CONGRATULATIONS for all your hard work. I mean, this site, Zona Alfa, Hardwire and the amazingly painted miniatures you have. I would like to ask one or two things here. First of all, do you have an approximation for a release date for Zona Alfa? I definatelly wanna play this game… It looks promising. And second I would like to ask (and make a suggestion) if you have and can share any missions for hardwire. I am not really good at setting balanced missions and I LOVE the ruleset (as the background story, the cyber-punk feeling and almost everything about it!) so I would love to have many options or at least get some missions ready to go and maybe tweak these myself to suit my setup a bit more. Also, what about a small part on your site/blog for you and maybe some of your followers to submit their missions, warbands, ideas, homebrew rules and equipment for hardwire? And last but not least, can we hope for any kind of small expansion for hardwire? Maybe some more equipment, CAPs and SPs or even some more new enemies and mission concepts? Thanks a lot for everything you have done for the hobby and the community and please, keep up the awesome work. Take care…
Hey there.
First off, thank you for the kind words. I really appreciate them. A lot of people visit S7 but most don’t comment and it’s nice to get feedback. I’ve enjoyed wargaming and miniatures for over 40 years. Although there’s a fair amount of content and upkeep, this is all fun, not real work.
About ZONA ALFA, I believe Osprey has it slated for early next year. They are incredibly busy, cranking out books, figs and rules, and ZA is just one small sliver of a large hobby pie, so to speak. We’re ahead of schedule tho, so there’s always a chance for earlier release.
HARDWIRED is going to be updated and expanded later this year. Can’t talk much as it’s the early stages, but all that you mention will happen. And a bit more.
Restructuring S7 to have dedicated areas for ZA and HW is under consideration as well. That’s a whole other project, so most likely late this year.
Thanks you again. Have an excellent day.
– patrick t.
cape cod, ma.
Dear Patrick T. (a.k.a. STALKER7). Here I am again with some more questions. I would like to ask you if you have a Facebook group (or something similar like a profile) for your games (specifically thinking HARDWIRED)? And if you have not, do you think about making one so all of us can share our stories, missions, warbands etc.? Thank you in advance and again, please, keep up the amazing things that you do!
Patrick,
Sorry to leave this here, but I don’t see another way to just send you a message via “contact”.
I really like the gaming mat I see used in a lot of the Zona Alfa posts. Would you mind telling me what manufacturer and name of the mat pattern/design?
Great job on everything. I just received my copy of Zona Alfa from Osprey in the mail today! I also picked up Roadside Picnic at the library today, so I’m gearing up to enter the Zone! 🙂
-Luke Z.
Hi Luke.
No worries.
I use several mats for ZA games, the 4 x 6 Urbanmatz Concrete #2 being the most common.
https://www.urbanmatz.com/p/286/concrete-area-2-6×4
I should really get a smaller, 4 x 4 mat, btw.
is that the one you’re looking for?
Yes, that is the one I was talking about! Thank you for the link.
I’m not really sure how I got the book before the release date, January 21st, I believe. I pre-ordered it a couple of days after Christmas and I got an email last Friday saying it was shipped and here we are…I’m not complaining. Early is always better than late. 🙂
BTW, how did you get a copy so early?
Hey, good for you. AFAIK, they’ve been printed/ready for a while, so perhaps they’re letting ’em go early.
Hope you enjoy it. Let me know if you have any questions.
Will do. Thank you, sir!
I appreciate seeing photos of beautifully painted minis as much as the next wargamer, but I’m curious why there’s so little discussion here about rules, actual game play, and barely any after action reports. Are folks here mainly oriented towards the “crafting” side of miniature gaming (e.g. painting figs and creating terrain) or the “gaming” side of the hobby?
TBH, S7 isn’t really a review site, which is probably why there’s not a lot of discussion. Most of the Bat Reps (of which there are quite a few. Even several recent ones, despite the lockdown) are for Zona Alfa, Hardwired, the occasional RPG sessions, or simple skirmish games we enjoy like Advanced Song of Blades and Heroes.
For more in-depth discussion, you might want to visit TMP or LAF.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Hey Patrick,
I just picked up Hardwired and really like it. I dig the minimalistic ruleset and narrative approach. I will try it with my son this weekend with our new Cyberpunk Red and Specter miniatures.
Nice. Glad you like it. Let me know if you have any questions.
BTW, what new Cyberpunk Red miniatures? I miss a cool release? (not like I need more miniatures but cool c-punk figs are cool c-punk figs)
I can’t say for certain how many times I’ve read my copy of Hardwired, but it’s a lot.
I love your blog. I just printed a bunch of Yakuza cyberpunk minis by Unit 9 to run my first Hardwired crew.
Thanks. That’s kind of you.
And I do like those Unit9 Yakuza. A lot. I don’t own a 3D printer but I’m hoping someone picks up a license to sell printed copies of those miniatures. They are perfect.
Any chance that HARDWIRED: Hostile Takeover will get an Amazon Kindle release at some point, I’d rather not have to go through the hassle of buying from the Vault and converting or porting it over to my Kindle, not when the Core Rulebook and Supplement are already in that format.
Yes. It’s on the To Do list. Kindle doesn’t like text with images and charts, and so the layout needs to be modified.
Good morning, (here in the UK 🇬🇧).
A few years ago I was sitting in the bar of a Central London Public House, drinking real ales with some like minded gamers, of my 50 years gaming aquantance, when I mentioned the lack of ‘intelligent, imaginative, science plausible S F’…..
2 guys simultaneous said “Peter F Hamilton”. I read ‘the Great North Road’, (a detective story set in a future where ‘True Death’ is difficult to actually do!) and was hooked. His ‘Commonwealth’ based series are ideal for Cyberpunk style gaming. Many of his books are not for the faint hearted, as often about 6 cm thick. I recommend, the duo ‘Pandoras Star’ followed by ‘Judas Unchained’.
I’m considering running a Hardwired mini campaign set in this genre with the catch that each team is played cooperatively but with different factions each time, of which there are Dozens…
I have no connection to the author and just think some of you may really enjoy some aspects of these stories.
CB
Thanks for weighing in. I’ve seen Mr. Hamilton’s books but can’t recall ever reading any. I’ll look into GNR now. (’cause I’m slogging away at my own cyberpunk detective short)
Let me know if/how your Hardwired campaign works out. Different factions in a specific setting and lore….sounds very interesting.
Have an excellent day.
Hello again from ‘Blighty’. I hope you have been able to catch up with ‘The Great North Road’? I have a very simple question on Hardwired. I get the point, (well made) that Agents get the 3 different Dice for actions, but I cannot find anything anywhere about the following. Can an Agent use different Di multiple times in the same turn? Example. Move 4″ then fire 3 times, at the same, or multiple targets once with each dice type? Another example would be… Use all Dice just to move. If all were successful that would be 1 free move + 3x 4″… Making 16″ of move without chemical boost! I’ve done a couple of games (solo in lockdownl) where if the roll is FAILED, the action can be repeated, but if passed, only the action taken once. The team won well each time. I’m keen to run some mates through it when allowed! Have a good weekend! CB
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
60% of the way in GNR, so I’m plowing through it.
Re: HW: Agents get three actions, one per die type. Each die type can only be used once per turn. So prioritize which die type applies to which action. Once that type has been used – successful or not – it’s done and you have to select another.
Have a good one.
Ok, good so,
To stand & fire, 3 times with 3 different dice is allowed!
Thanks.
CB
yes
Hey,
just found out about your games and immediately ordered whats in stock at amazon.de. Can you tell me please when Tzim Sha Tsui and Hostile Takeover will be available again?
Thanks alot thhse game slook really cool.
Hi. Thank you very much. TST and HT will be released under a new umbrella name soon. Once I’m done with Kontraband (the solo/co-op supplement for Zona Alfa) I’ll get right on it. Have a good day.
Hi – Are there any updates or new content in the Exploit Zero versions of the rules?
Yes. Exploit Zero will have new content, clarifications, and illustrations. It’s slated for release late July.
Hi, liking the website and really want to get into Zona Alfa, want to use Last Project by lead adventure, I noticed these only seem available through a german website, have you bought through them and is it reliable? I noticed some model packs it says ships in 17 days
Hi Tim. Thanks for stopping by.
So I really like LAM’s Last Project figs but availability has become scarce in the last year or so. Also, I can’t speak to a German company’s reliability and shipping times. I purchased mine directly from LAM years ago.
For alternates, I can recommend Anvil Industry resin figs, The Assault Group Modern Russians, Pig Iron Productions, and even Eureka Miniatures (which are slightly smaller, more true 28mm) All of those fit the aesthetic and have good service.
Feel free to look into the Stalker7 Facebook Group. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Have a good day.
Hello, great blog. I’ve just become introduced with Nightwatch and am really having a great time with it!
I’ve also read Exploit Zero and understand that it is a precursor rule set.
My question is this. Will there ever be a book that partners the two together? Exploit Zero + Nightwatch = a modern monster hunting game.
Just curious. Thanks for all you do!
Hello Aaron. Thanks for stopping by and for the kind words.
Modern Monster Hunting is an excellent idea – I’m thinking Dresden Files, Blade, and the like – but at this point, it will have to join the queue behind the post-alien invasion game, Insurgent Earth, and the NW RPG supplement, Blood and Bone.
Let me know if you have any questions about Exploit Zero or its expansions.
Hi, played Exploit Zero for the first time last week, thoroughly enjoyed it and have bought the rules. I have a couple of questions about drones. It seems that Hostile drones are basically H-SEC under another name, I couldn’t see any other rules for them or for their deployment, did I miss something? There was also some discussion as to whether drones could fly. Because of the picture on page 23 we thought they could, but there is nothing in the rules to confirm this. Any advice?
Many thanks
Hi. Sorry for the delay. We got our power back on this evening.
To your question: yes, H-SEC drones are simply robotic enemies that are susceptible to EMP weapons.
Regarding flying drones: I apologize. The wording is vague. So EZ (previously known as Hardwired) was written as an open-miniature game first, so distinctions like this were overlooked. If you have aerial drone figs, use them. Aerial offers more versatile movement over ground models, and they ignore low terrain (/1/2″ high or less.) In our games, we assume them to be moving at human head height and they don’t benefit from Obstruction or Low Cover modifiers.
Hey Patrick,
quick Nightwatch rules question: do you consider a throwing weapon one hand? Can it be combined with a one hand melee weapon set, as designated in the special rule?
Love the game. I hope we will see more from it. Especially some general abilities for the minions. Maybe you already have some suggestions?
Thanks,
Filip
Hi Filip,
As in throwing knives or hand axes? Sure, one-hand.
The question in my mind is do I track quantities? They’re not like arrows or crossbow bolts or black powder shot. Even being generous in abstract, a sheath of throwing knives isn’t really enough for an entire mission. You’d need dozens. And if you throw your hand-axe, what do you have for melee?
Now if you want to add that bit of book keeping to you character sheets, go for it. “I throw my hand axe then draw my hunting dagger…” Limited ammo. That could be interesting.
Regarding minion abilities, another player had the brilliant idea of creating mini-boss minions; D8 or D10 quality individuals with a single monster trait. That gives flavor and personality to unique characters without the full-blown danger of an Atrocity. I’ve since incorporated the idea in my games and other rule sets.
Try it out. I think you’ll like it.
Thanks for stopping by. Have an excellent day.
Hope things are going well, getting the group into KONTRABAND they like the co-op part. Do you have a download of the player stats it’s hard to copy out of the book due to the bidding and don’t wont to ruin it? Thanks John
Hi John.
Thanks for stopping by.
Which ‘player stats’ do you mean? Sample characters? Blank stat sheets?
Players can choose to create from a variety of Stalker or Scientist character types, so I’m not tracking with your request.
LMK and I’ll do what I can.
Hey Patrick,
Nightwatch rules question: in which way do Blades/Trackers benefit from Heavy Armor, given, that they already have two dice on defence?
Thanks,
Filip
Overlap there and an oversight on my part. Apologies. Blades/Trackers in Heavy Armor add 1 to all DD rolls, so roll 2D6, +1 to both values, then select better result.
Good hunting.
Hey Pat,
Just started playing your game Zona Alfa recently. Great work, have been having a blast with it. Recently bought into the Kontraband expansion for some solo play and it has not disappointed either. Thanks for writing these great games.
Hey, thanks for letting me know. Glad you enjoy the games.