Base Attack Force, played and written up

Base Attack Force is the most straightforward thing on this page, and that is a compliment. You build a base, you train units, you raid another player, and you find out whether it worked before the evening is over.

There is no fog of ceremony around it: the map is readable, the costs are visible, and a raid that fails teaches you something specific about layout rather than something vague about luck.

It is the entry here most likely to suit somebody who bounced off bigger strategy games because they demanded a fortnight before anything happened.

The parts worth the noise

• Base building
• Modern units
• Alliance play

Who this is for

People who want a result tonight. Progress is visible every session, and nothing here asks you to come back on Thursday to see how it went.

If you want depth that takes months to unfold, this will feel thin after a few weeks.

How to start without wasting a week

Build defence before you build a bigger army. New players raid constantly, lose their own base overnight, and conclude the game is unfair.

Scout before every raid. The information is cheap and the alternative is throwing an hour of production at a wall.