This is my first review for a web site, so I hope it is helpful.
Let me start by saying that I am an experienced miniatures gamer. I have played miniatures games for 13 years now, without many lapses. My experience includes mostly Games Workshop games, and some historical gaming. I enjoy sci-fi and fantasy games, so I have seen a few systems. My main reference points for comparing Chainmail are Games Worskhop products and Clan War.
Using the suggested factors, let me describe this game for you:
The basic starter set comes in a nicely detailed box with some great artwork on the cover. Right away you'll notice a bold female paladin facing down a gnoll, who you may notice is also female. This theme of gender diversity can be seen running through many WOTC products and Chainmail is no exception. Opening the box you will find a rulebook and a sheet of pop-out counters, as well as several informational pamphlets, model statistics cards, a twenty-sided die, and the miniatures themselves. You also get 4 "terrain cards" to put on the battlefield. These are of good quality and are surprisingly acceptable to a gamer used to 3D terrain. You can replace the cards with real terrain in your games, of course.
The Rulebook is small in size, but in color, with lots of photos and some great artwork. The counters are high quality and useful in the game. The pamphlets are very nice. One describes the several factions fighting for control of the Sundered Empire, the game's setting.
This pamphlet includes a description of every Set 1 model and a brief discussion of how the model can be effective in a skirmish. Two smaller pamphlets describe the warbands that come with the Starter Set, Thalos and Naresh. The die is of course functional.
The models themselves are key to any miniatures game, and Chainmail does not disappoint. Included in the Starter Set are the Thalos (good humans and allies) Human Paladin, Gnome Infiltrator, Human Marine, and Human Glaiver. Also included are the Naresh (gnoll and abyssal allies) Demonic Gnoll Adept, Gnoll Trooper, Abyssal Maw, and Hyena. The sculpts are all very good, with the best being the gnolls and the paladin. The level of detail on all the models compares favorably with GW figures, and I honestly think the gnolls are some of the coolest looking minis I have ever seen. The only drawback to these sculpts is that several of them are multi-part models that require some assembly. They are kind of "fiddly", if you get my drift, and wil require a bit of patience or some Zip-Kicker to get together. In addition, the metal used to make them is a bit softer than the average mini metal, and can bend easily. In all, they are fine models and look great painted on the tabletop.
The Rulebook's presentation of the rules is fairly good, and anyone with experience playing D&D will find the system easy to comprehend. My only critique of the Rulebook is that the distinction between the basic rules and advanced rules is not clearly explained, which can lead to some confusing first games. Other than that, the rules are comprehensive and mostly easy to understand. Diagrams illustrate some of the trickier concepts, and a a quick reference order chart on the back page will be consulted often. The fluff, or color text, is somewhat lacking. We get a vague impression that the Sundered Empire is at War because the war god Stratis has been slain, and his raiment has fallen across the land. Now, the several factions which constitute the Empire battle for godhood and fight for Stratis' artifacts. Short descriptions of the factions provide a little detail, but not much. Perhaps WOTC thought to whet our appetites for an RPG supplement based on the Chainmail world? In sum, the rulebook has a few flaws, but is informative, understandable and visually appealing.
This game is fun to play. Skirmishes typically involve warbands of 4 or more models, and several scenarios are provided to keep things interesting. Standards skirmishes require a player to destroy his or her opponent. Others, such as "capture and hold" or "breakthrough" provide more subtle goals. The game has tactical depth because of the fine interaction between different models and their distinct abilities, as well as an interesting command point system that allows you to enhance your models or command them to take particular actions. A typical game will last an hour to an hour-and-a-half. I find the points system used to determine warband size (you might play a 50-point game, for example) is fairly balanced. That is, each model's capabilities seem closely tied to its points cost. Overall, the game plays fast, is fun, and is fair.
The Starter Set is $24.99, which includes 8 minis and the rulebook and extras. This is a great price for all you get. Even discounting the rulebook and extras, the price comes to a little more than $3 a figure, which is about right for current fantasy ranges. Considering all the extras you get, the Starter Set is a good deal.
So, what are you waiting for? If you like D&D and you like miniatures, Chainmail is for you. If you like a quick fantasy skirmish game that doesn't require a huge investment, Chainmail is also for you. Did I mention the minis are great for your D&D adventures as well?
Overall, I would give Chainmail a resounding 4.75. I rounded up to 5.0 because the rating system doesn't give me the decimal option.
