There seems to be a lot of very mixed feelings when it comes to the 2016 Kickstarter campaign, the company (Soda Pop Miniatures/Ninja Division), and even the game of Rail Raiders Infinite itself. With that being said, I have been wanting to write about Rail Raiders Infinite since it showed up on my doorstep several years ago, but have not been sure where to start. It is a game that I love and even though, yes it was late and there were a few controversies, I am still really happy that I backed it and I’m hoping to give readers a little insight into the game itself instead of reading or hearing about it via angry social media; especially since I am a firm believer in taking what you read/hear with a grain of salt and simply try things for yourself.

As for a little bit of background, Rail Raiders Infinite is one of the many releases from Soda Pop Miniatures (creators of Super Dungeon Explore and Ninja All-Stars) that utilizes chibi miniatures. As with many of their games, Rail Raiders Infinite (or Rail Raiders, for short) also utilizes a modular board. The game was designed by David Freeman who has also worked on titles such as Doomseeker, Robotech RPG Tactics, and Pathfinder Dice Arena. The art was provided by a team of contributing artists including Daniel Dussault, Heath Foley, Elmer Damaso, and Ein Lee and the sculpts were done by Ben Misenar.

The Rail Raiders campaign is also the very first Soda Pop Miniatures Kickstarter campaign that I was able to take part in. My household, game groups, and fellow Chef have all been huge fans of Soda Pop Miniatures and Ninja Division games for quite a few years now (we even did a really cool DIY Halloween Campaign one year for Super Dungeon Explore!) and though I was a little hesitant on the theme of an Old West-style train heist set in space, I knew to expect great things from the final product so I figured I would go ahead and give it a chance. I have yet to regret my decision and this is a game that has received a lot of love at home and at game nights at my FLGS with my groups and strangers alike!

Rail Raiders incorporates many of the elements that fans of the western genre love: shoot-outs and showdowns, trains and train robberies, outlaws, lawmen (or, in this case, lawbots!), poker games and gunfights! This chibi sci-fi board game pits 2-4 players against not only the Tinstar Lawbots but also against the clock and occasionally each other as players compete with one another for double-dollars and other loot. The player with the most money by the time the Interstellar Express reaches the station wins the game.

The very first thing we like to do when setting up a game of Rail Raiders is to start by building the train. Firstly, separate the Locomotive and Caboose tiles from the rest and place them face up in the center of the play area. The remaining tiles should be shuffled and a select number placed face down between the starting tiles. The number of train tiles is determined by the number of players. All other train tiles are removed from play. Once the train has been built, the High Noon, Long Arm of the Law, and Loot decks all need to be shuffled separately. The High Noon cards to be used during the current session are then pulled facedown to form a smaller deck consisting of eight cards per player. The Loot tokens are shuffled facedown and placed nearby, within reach of all players. Players then get to pick out their Raiders for the session. This can be done in one of several ways. Either players can roll off using 5 of the custom d6 dice (highest poker hand chooses first, then the next highest, and so on), Raider cards can be shuffled and randomly distributed, or players can just pick who they want to play as. Personally, I’m a big fan of playing as El Cola (who was released in a single model blister pack), Chuy, or Pearl Heart. Once players have chosen their Raiders, they receive their mini, card, and 5 dice.

Every round of Rail Raiders begins with a roll-off to determine who will be the “Dealer” (a.k.a. first player) for the round. During a player’s turn, they must complete three phases in order: High Noon Phase (even if their Raider is not on the train), Action Phase, and Cleanup Phase. The High Noon Phase consists of drawing the top card off of the High Noon deck and resolving its effects. These cards can cause the spawning of new bots as well as other game effects. A player gets to complete three actions during their Action Phase. They can either Move, Showdown, Search, or Pass. However, a player can not choose to complete the same action all three times. Showdowns can be with lawbots or with other Raiders or even both! It is also important to note that a train car can not be searched if there are still lawbots in it. The Cleanup phase is simply the end of turn bookkeeping. Play passes to the next player and continues for the round. The last round of the game is triggered when the last card of the High Noon deck is drawn. The player (or players) with the most double-dollars wins the game.

During the Kickstarter campaign, two expansions were revealed. Both expansions add dice for an additional player, new train cars, more cards, new lawbot types, and two new heroes. They each also add a “Legendary Law Bot,” which follows a new set of rules for inclusion in your games. The first expansion, The Good, The Bad, and The Bot, introduces cavalry bots and their captains along with a few options about how to include them in the game. Lt. Deadeye is the Legendary Bot for the set. The second expansion, Old Tyme Religion, themes itself around pallbearers and preachers with a slightly more ecclesiastic tone. The Legendary Law Bot, 999, for this set does not follow the theme but is still a great addition to the game.

Rail Raiders Infinite may appear to be a very daunting game when opening the box, however, it is anything but! Most players can easily pick up the game within just a round or two. If one is not comfortable with their knowledge of poker hands, cheat cards are included, so that is not something to worry about. The hardest part of this game will be trying to choose which Raider is your favorite with which to hold up the train! Though Rail Raiders was released several years ago, Ninja Division/Soda Pop Miniatures has continued to support this product with occasional releases of new characters. The most recent is a re-sculpt of Chuy, who now also includes a small Yoda-like companion named “The Apprentice.”

All photos of Ninja Division/Soda Pop Miniatures products were taken and edited by Krista.