CAV: Combat Assault Vehicle

KDM Jaguar CAV, painted by Kyle Killingsworth

CAV (Combat Assault Vehicle, the mecha which dominate the battlefield of the 23rd century) is a science-fiction miniature wargame produced by Reaper Miniatures. I absolutely love this game: the associated models are outstanding, with a unique and consistent aesthetic; it has a great setting; and the second edition rules have an elegant simplicity which belies the complexity achieved in play. Gameplay is quick, allowing for dozens of models per side (unlike a certain better-known mecha game), and supports a combined arms approach where vehicles, infantry, and aircraft also have important roles to play.

I'll be posting a variety of CAV content in the future, but first, I wanted to share what I know of the (somewhat turbulent) history of the game. I should note that the only edition I have actually played is CAV Second Edition, released in 2007. My knowledge of the original game is gathered from posts on the Mil-Net and Reaper message boards, as well as personal accounts of long-time players.

Initially released in 2001, the first edition of CAV was quite popular. Strong promotion through Reaper's Black Lightning Demo Team and regular releases of four new models a month rapidly grew the community, and Reaper sold nearly 10,000 copies of the rulebook in two years. The only complaint I have consistently heard about the first edition is the utilization of opposed attack and defense rolls which tended to slow play (remember that, we'll be coming back to it). By all other accounts it was a great game with a strong player base and a well-supported line of miniatures.

Borsig-Spline Hornet AFV, painted by Kyle Killingsworth

Then, starting early in 2003, everything fell apart. For the sake of brevity, I'm going to stick to bullet points:

• Spring '03: Reaper misses one of the regular monthly releases.
• Summer '03: Regular releases stop; Reaper claims production difficulties and promises return to schedule.
• October '03: Four models released; no other releases or updates follow.
• March '04: Reaper announces new production schedule starting within a month.
• June '04: First of the newly announced models released.
• Summer '04: Reaper announces CAV 2 in place of previously announced third print run of CAV 1. Mass exodus of players. Public beta testing follows (known informally as CAV 1.5).
• Fall '05: Reaper announces CAV 2 will release soon. Shortly afterwards, the head developer leaves. Months later, Reaper announces CAV 2 to be rewritten using the R.A.G.E. system, the basis of their recently released fantasy wargame, Warlord.
• May '06: Reaper announces CAV 2 will release on August 1st, 2006.
• February 2 '07: CAV 2 released in PDF. Promises made of a print version which never materializes. Distribution won't touch the game or the models, so they're only available via the Reaper website.
• 2007: New models trickle out irregularly. Revision 1.1 released. Late in the year, Mil-Net fan community obtains license to develop the game further and begins regularly posting content.
• April '08: Revision 1.2, also known as Rage Chronicles '08, released. Technically an open beta.
• April '08: Mil-Net releases Shards sourcebook, featuring 12 scenarios, 26 new data cards, and fiction describing the opening battles of the Second Galaxy War. Only a few dozen copies are ever sold, indicating the degree to which the community has collapsed.
• August '08: Mil-Net releases War For Sale sourcebook, featuring 14 army lists, new faction doctrines, and abundant background material. Their license expires later that year, and the game is officially abandoned.
• 2010: License obtained by Talon Games, producer of a small line of mecha models and an associated game, Rogue Legion, which never saw the light of day. Reaper starts casting Rogue Legion models, and Talon Games announces a new version, titled CAV: Strike Operations. Release dates are mentioned but little other information is forthcoming.
• December '12: CAV subforum on the Reaper message boards wiped, destroying years of discussion going back to the origins of the game. Talon Games claims new direction for CAV:SO.
• March '13: Talon Games reveals eight CAV models in the same plastic as Reaper's Bones line, announces plan to migrate line to plastic to bring down costs.
• May '13: CAV:SO previewed at Reapercon. Reviews are mixed.
• February '14: New CAV models start to be previewed.
• September '14: Reaper and Talon Games launch CAV: Strike Operations Kickstarter.

Officially, the CAV:SO Kickstarter was just for the conversion of CAV models to Bones plastic and had no association with the game. This proved fairly unpopular with backers, and a rough preview copy of the (supposedly) final rules and eight data cards were made available partway through the Kickstarter, with promises of a hard copy release in November. Sufficient funding was raised to convert approximately 1/3 of the existing CAV line, plus a selection of Rogue Legion models which are to be included in the new edition (despite a fairly severe aesthetic mismatch with the existing models). All but one of the previewed new models are also to be produced.

Borsig-Spline Scorpion CAV, painted by myself

Based on the previewed rules and previous announcements by Talon Games, CAV:SO looks to be a very different game. Drastic changes have been made from CAV 2. The timeline was reset, ignoring everything developed during CAV 2. Several models, including the distinctive Scorpion, were removed from the game. The base die roll for the game was changed from a ten-sided die to two six-sided dice. For a tabletop wargame, this is simply inelegant and reintroduces the problem of the first edition--you can't easily consolidate rolls when specific dice need to be matched to each other, slowing down the game. It is a more complex game than CAV 2; unfortunately, this complexity is mostly clutter which adds little tactical depth to the game. This could all change before the book's release in November, but I'm not optimistic.

This brings me back to CAV 2. It remains an excellent game, though I will readily admit it has flaws of its own. Prior to the Rage Chronicles '08 update, infantry were completely broken. Never addressed was the ubiquitous "huddle", sections of attack units clustered around an electronics warfare model so they could receive its bonuses. These, however, are fixable problems, and minor given the game's overall tactical depth, speed, and ease of play.

As Rage Chronicles '08 was never made official, the substantial errata never made it into a copy of the rulebook. To remedy this, I recently compiled all of the errata and changes into a new rulebook document, which can be found here. This should make learning and referencing the rules significantly easier for new and existing players.

At the time of cancellation, another round of errata was in the works which intended to address the problems with electronics and add a number of interesting new special abilities. With the assistance of other fans, I am currently working on an unofficial update to the game, based on these errata, which I hope will address its weaknesses and provide a solid game for others who dislike the direction CAV:SO is taking. I'll have more information soon; for now, I'm going to cut myself off before this post gets any longer.

*photos other than mine are from the Reaper Miniatures website.