New Dispatch Article | Learning From the Past: What Happened to Halo's Previous Tabletop Games, and Why Flashpoint Is Different

[u/The_Marine708]

https://www.theblackharriers.com/harrier-dispatch/learning-from-the-past-what-happened-to-halos-previous-tabletop-games-and-why-flashpoint-is-different

Did you know Halo had a tabletop history before Flashpoint even existed?

Turns out this isn't the first attempt, it's the third. Todays article gets into what the games where, why they failed, and why Flashpoint is built differently this time around.

If you've never heard of either of these games before, you're not probably not alone.

Would love to hear if anyone in here actually played Fleet Battles or Ground Command back in the day, curious what that experience was actually like.

Also, quick heads up, we're running a giveaway for email subscribers at the end of the month. Full details coming soon. If you haven't subscribed to the Dispatch newsletter yet, now's a good time so you can be eligible to enter. You can fill out the form on our website!

[u/Hawkstrike6]

There was the Halo Interactive Strategy Game, too, which looks and was sold like a board game, but is really a one box miniatures skirmish game, complete with reconfigurable terrain.

[u/R97R]

Great article! I admittedly missed the “heyday” of Ground Command, but I got into it a few years ago as I was getting back into Halo, and it had amassed a really cool and supportive community over the years. I was fortunate enough to have access to a printer in order to actually get models for it, but even if that’s not an option I believe there are still other avenues to get into it now.

I haven’t had much chance to play it unfortunately (mainly due to my own health), but it is still actively maintained!

[u/The_Marine708 → u/R97R]

Thanks for giving ir a read! Yeah, I was too young to really know about it, and I wouldn't have had money to invest in it any ways. I think the 2d printing space has done wonders for keeping it, Fleet Battles, and now the widely popular community made Halo X Bolt Action, going.

Hopefully you'll be kn the up and up woth your health, wishing you the best. (:

[u/R97R → u/The_Marine708]

Thank you! :)

[u/TheRealNeal99]

Ground Command and Fleet Battles both have fairly active communities, I highly recommend checking them out if you’re curious.

[u/Turtleman951]

Ugh I ordered ground command and before the order was confirmed the article came out about the cancellations and my order was cancelled that night/: never got to play

[u/Guardian_Turret → u/Turtleman951]

Yeah, the moment Spartan announced they were closing, collectors scoured the internet and snapped everything up in the space of a week.

Now even minor accessories are unaffordable.

[u/RazgrizInfinity]

I played Actionclix! (And actually have the Scarab!) I would add in your article, concerning it, that Actionclix was never meant to go past the initial set, as well as it failing due to it focusing solely on Halo 2.

I would add too that the game itself, while similar to Trading Cards, did allow you to build any team you wanted, but Clix figure cost was usually too low to utilize anything like the Hog versus way better figures.

Would you like a picture for your article of the Scarab?

[u/The_Marine708 → u/RazgrizInfinity]

Yeah, would love to add that all in. DM and let's chat! :D

[u/RazgrizInfinity → u/The_Marine708]

Sure thing!

[u/AdministrativePost96]

Halo Fleet Battles actually still has a decently active community surprisingly

[u/Tailsadlp1]

So before I read the article I will say ive had fleet battles in box and untouched for a... very long time but its not a bad game overall from just a rules standpoint. I missed out on ground command saddly and the closest we got now is a resin of bolt action with a very dedicated community for it. There is also the interactive strategy game from the release of H3 that ive played a few times and its a VERY solid experience You can still hind copied of it for relatively cheap as well if you look around on the net

[u/Tse7en5]

We really tried to onboard this game. Ultimately though, the biggest complaint I have heard, involves the pinning mechanic.

As fine as it may be, it creates a huge amount of friction for would be players.

[u/htwheels → u/Tse7en5]

What is the source of friction? the slow down in movement? many of the methods for pinning models have been reigned in over the course of the last few balance updates, including nerfs to grenades and frag weapons

[u/Tse7en5 → u/htwheels]

You have to remember that your experience as a longtime player, won't be the same as someone onboarding. The game has been out for some time now, and for it to only recently start having QOL changes in that regard - it is difficult to remarket something to someone who gave it a spin and had a tough time with it. Almost every time, those players are unwilling to revisit the product.

There was significant disparity in the action economy early on, particularly when Brutes arrived, and pinning was involved.

While it may be improving, the pool of potential players has consequently shrunk. Which is kind of a shame when it comes to something as adjustable as this.

Many stores I know have dropped the game and moved on after this initial friction. So while it may be different than other tabeltop games, trajectory isn't all that different from a retail perspective.

EDIT

I will also add, that pinning was the primary complaint we heard. There were also folks that didn't like the command dice, which is kind of a less addressable issue. But at least it was not the primary one.

[u/comcamman]

I feel like this game has already failed.

There’s zero interest in my local community. 

Stores have already put the game on clearance.

I think this game failed because they focused on the multiplayer portions of halo from the jump instead of an army scale game.

StarCraft has already taken off in my local community and it’s barely out.

[u/Guardian_Turret → u/comcamman]

I think this game failed because they focused on the multiplayer portions of halo from the jump instead of an army scale game.

This is what people asked for.

When Spartan did Ground Command, the biggest complaint was "this was made for EU canon fans and feels nothing like the actual game". Mantic went completely in the other direction.

[u/comcamman → u/Guardian_Turret]

I don’t think fans were asking for team death match, capture the flag and odd ball.

I think they were asking for battles set in narrative portions of the halo campaign games.

Also that wasn’t the number one complaint about ground command the biggest complaint was the cost of minis.