- BGG rank
- BGG #1,598
- BGG rating
- 7.1
BattleTech
- 2–4 players
- Complexity 3.4/5
- 1984
- BGG rank
- BGG #26,559
- BGG rating
- 5.6
Combots
1983
Rules assistance for Combots
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 20 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Combots
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Combots is a board game released in 1983 for 2 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Jordan Weisman and Bill Fawcett and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Grid Movement.
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About the game
Two-player SF wargame (of sorts) pitting two modular gladiatorial-combat robots ("combots") against one another. (Where have we seen this before?) Each robot is represented by a composite miniature that you put together using the available components. There are two different command units (heads), two main thrusters (bottoms), and four equipment tenders (middle pieces with six slots in them), with which you can make Scouts (combots with one tender), Warriors (two tenders), or Marauders (three tenders), although you don't get enough tenders with the game to build a pair of Marauders. Now comes the fun part. Not only can you custom-design your combots, you can actually build them by sliding various modules into the slots in the equipment tenders: claw arms, lasers, laser shields, aiming units, missile launchers, armor plates, etc., etc. When you're ready, deploy your combots at either end of the included diamond-shaped hex map and guide them into battle; the last robot with any remaining functional offensive modules wins. Approximate playing time is a guess. Two players is the maximum for a standard game; scenarios are provided that allow up to five players to play in the diamond map, or more players in user-designed maps, but you would have to buy either extra copies of the game or components for additional miniatures.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- FASA
Questions and answers
Combots supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Combots is 20 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Combots for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Combots has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Combots belongs to these categories: Fighting, Wargame, and Miniatures. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Grid Movement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Combots are: Jordan Weisman and Bill Fawcett. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Combots as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.