Combots (1983)

Overview

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.