- BGG rating
- 7.8
Rules assistance for GKR: Heavy Hitters – Big Little Buddy
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.0/5
Rules assistant for GKR: Heavy Hitters – Big Little Buddy
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
GKR: Heavy Hitters – Big Little Buddy is an expansion for GKR: Heavy Hitters released in 2017 for 1–4 players, 60–120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Matt Hyra and Shem Phillips and its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence, Grid Movement, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.
About the game
Available as a Kickstarter add-on or as part of the Urban Wasteland Expansion. Big Little Buddy, a friend you can share! Need a friend? Call on the corporation with money to spend! Enter BUDDYFINDER™ - the premier subscription-based friend rental service. Rental friends starting as low as 12.99 a month! In sport, there are usually a couple of big sponsors that pay for exclusive primary advertising and presence. In GKR: Heavy Hitters, Big Little Buddy is that guy. He’s made available for the match (as well as serviced and repaired after the match) by his premier sponsor – BUDDYFINDER ™. They’ve got money to burn and they want their name everywhere. IN YOUR FACE. Subtle, Little Buddy is not. When Big Little Buddy is deployed to the gameboard, he advertises for whichever Faction has unlocked him for that round. Players can try to claim Little Buddy by playing a special Sponsor Card – a move that can only be deflected by playing a counter-hack. Once a player controls Lil Buddy, the fun begins. Move him during the Movement Phase, and use him to attack opponents in the Combat Phase with his own unique cards: 3 Weapon Cards and 1 Unit Card. Each round, he can only fire 1 of these weapons in his arsenal BUT he does not require Energy to fire. Making him really rather handy in a pinch. Once the Combat Phase is over, players lose control of him once more. Like all Units, Little Buddy can be destroyed. Once he’s destroyed, he’s removed from the game completely. Buh bye, Little Buddy. One important note: Lil Buddy is not considered a “Support Unit” so he’s not bound by Support Unit rules. That also means he can’t tag buildings. Standing at 70mm he’s a mid-size Unit that, we think you’ll find, more than pulls his own weight. With Little Buddy, you’re not just getting an awesome new mini, 1 unique Unit Card, 5 new Sponsor Cards, and 3 new Weapon Cards. You’re getting a little friend to keep you warm through those long lonely nights.
Designers
Publishers
- Cryptozoic Entertainment
- Weta Workshop
Questions and answers
GKR: Heavy Hitters – Big Little Buddy supports 1–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for GKR: Heavy Hitters – Big Little Buddy is 60–120 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 GKR: Heavy Hitters – Big Little Buddy 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.
GKR: Heavy Hitters – Big Little Buddy has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
GKR: Heavy Hitters – Big Little Buddy belongs to these categories: Wargame, Miniatures, and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence, Grid Movement, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building. 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 GKR: Heavy Hitters – Big Little Buddy are: Matt Hyra and Shem Phillips. 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 GKR: Heavy Hitters – Big Little Buddy as an expansion for GKR: Heavy Hitters. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need GKR: Heavy Hitters to use it. Check that your edition of GKR: Heavy Hitters is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.