AEGIS, stylized as A.E.G.I.S.: Combining Robot Strategy Game or just A.E.G.I.S., is a turn-based tactical/strategy Tabletop Game released in 2018 by indie developer Zephyr Workshops. The main inspiration draws directly from all types of Humongous Mecha series throughout the genre's history, putting them into one game set on the table.
The inititals for A.E.G.I.S. represent the five different types of robots you can control.
- Assault: Jack of All Stats units that focus on beating enemy in close combat.
- Evasion: Airbone units that use their small size and high speed to deliver Death from Above.
- Guard: Beefy, but slow units that use their sheer size or heavy weaponry to attack.
- Intelligence: Releases special abilities related to energy. Although squishy, they can launch attacks that can stun enemies and disable their ability to do anything.
- Support: Fragile, long range units that act as either artillery or repair drones.
The name itself comes from the Combining Mecha mechanic, which fuses two or units of different classes to make more powerful robots, with the strongest being composed of all five classes. Learning when to combine is key to crush your opponent and bring victory to your team.
The game was out on Kickstarter twice, the first time falling short of the target goal due to poor planning, attention, and advertising. The second time attempt, however, resulted in a massive surge of funding from fans everywhere.
Tropes found in this game.
- Collision Damage: Some abilities can pull or knock robots into walls or other robots, damaging themselves or each other.
- Combining Mecha: The main selling mechanic. Take up to five robots under your control and turn them into one powerful machine. The catch is that these vehicles can not separate thereafter, so one must make good use of the original units before fusing them into their more powerful variants.
- Competitive Balance:
- Assault goes for either Balanced or Powerhouse. Their main purpose to cause damage at close range.
- Evasion is Subversive due to their low health and their need to take advantage of their airpower.
- Guard is Powerhouse. They're slow, but have high amounts of health and some come with a deadly punch.
- Intelligence is also Subversive, using their abilities to attack enemy by their Energy and though buffs rather than direct damage.
- Support are Cannons. They're fragile and many are not good combat units, but those that do top the other factions in both firing range and power. As long as they can hit them...
- Instant-Win Condition: There are three ways to win a match:
- Destroy all enemy robots, the usual...
- Attack them by energy generation. The player loses when they can not generate enough energy to attack.
- Disarming your opponent's robots of all attack abilities, so even if they have the Energy, it's nothing without a means of attacking.
- Martial Pacifist: You can win instantly if you can sap all Energy and disarm your enemy's robots of all means to attack.
- Non-Lethal K.O.: Not exactly non-lethal, but sapping the enemy's robots of their Energy or attacks can stop robots dead in their tracks. The player loses when under either of these two conditions.
