VOR: The Maelstrom

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VOR: The Maelstrom is a science fiction miniature wargame, set in the 22nd century. It was published by FASA in 1999, but was discontinued following FASA's cessation of activities in 2001. The rules are written for 28mm skirmish games and include both set forces and rules for creating custom forces.

Contents

Background

In the VOR universe, the Earth has been sucked into a pocket universe known as the Maelstrom. Factions in the game include the following:

  • Razorbacks - The razorback breed inhabits areas of high metallic ore concentrations. Their spines and teeth are now made of metal.
  • Bluefangs - The bluefangs inhabit any lush jungle or forest they can find. As ambush hunters they will sit and wait for prey, but tend to graze their area as well, making them bloated by the sheer volume of food taken in.
  • Fireguts - These growlers have actually used heat to release the energy of their food rather than chemical reactions. They inhabit areas of volcanic activity and have the ability to spit lava.
  • Whitetusks - The most intelligent of growlers, the Whitetusks are the best coordinated of all the breeds. Identified by their white fur and large tusks coming from their heads they make up the smallest of the growler breeds.

Publishing history

The setting allowed players to include new forces as other worlds are consumed by the Maelstrom and had guidelines to create rules for them. Unfortunately the complete custom force rules were never published. Since Vor went out of print, other games such as Ætherverse have offered universal design systems.

Mike "Skuzzy" Nielsen, is both creator of the game, and an avid Vor mascot. A Vor 2.0 game was announced in 2008 (on the now-defunct Official VOR: The Maelstrom 2.0 website), but failed its 2010 Kickstarter campaign fundraising goal of US$25,000 and has since been shelved.

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