Undaunted 2200 Callisto - Old Mechanics, New Tricks

Undanuted by Osprey Games, is a series heralded as perfectly blending a deck-building game with wargaming elements. The series of games first started in 2020 with Undaunted Normandy, and rather than start with a review of the original game, we're going to work backward from the latest game, and the only one so far set outside of the World War II setting, Undaunted 2200 Callisto.

Although we haven't covered Undaunted on the site before, we have covered several of Osprey Games' titles, including the brand new Bolt Action 3rd Edition, copublished with Warlord games, and also some of their awesome supplements for their miniatures agnostic system, Frostgrave.

How Do You Play Undaunted 2200 Callisto?

In Undaunted 2200 Callisto, players draw 4 cards from their deck each turn and then use those cards to play actions from the tokens they have on the board, such as moving and attacking. Certain cards also allow you to draw more cards from your supply, or move cards from your deck to your supply, allowing you to tailor your deck as you play. New tokens can also be added to the game board as you draw new units into your deck. Some tokens have multiple cards that can activate them, with the cards having the same unit or squad name, but representing a different individual in that unit or vehicle.

This card system, as well as working for actions, also controls a unique damage system. As a unit takes hits, you must discard a matching card from your hand. If you don't have a matching card in your hand, you discard one from your discard pile, and if there isn't one there too, you discard it from your deck. If you can't find the card at all, the unit is eliminated. This can put real pressure on going first in the turn and focuses you on picking your targets. If a unit you have the card for in your hand is hit, then you discard the card and you might not be able to activate it this turn. It also adds a nice hidden element as you and your opponent try to work out how many cards units have left, and which is the optimum target to hit.

Introduced in Undaunted 2200 Callisto, which wasn't in the previous games, are maps with different elevations. These are handled extremely well, with tiles that are higher than others, but also with tiles that have bridges across. If an elevated element is on the same tile, then the units on the two different elements can't engage. But if you are shooting at an adjacent tile from an elevated position, then you change from using the standard 10-sided dice (D10) to 12-sided dice (D12), and if you are shooting at an elevated position, you drop to an 8-sided dice (D8). This mechanic simulates the advantages and disadvantages of shooting from and at elevated positions well, without making things too complicated.

Most of the game box is taken up with 4 large double-sided game boards, of which each has 1 of the 8 scenarios printed on them. The scenarios are designed to be played through in order, increasing in map size, force size, and complexity as you move through. But you are able to play any scenario you wish. The game can also be played cooperatively 2 v 2, with each player taking one of the listed groups, or solo for which there is a separate rulebook, with 8 scenarios, with rules for playing against both of the included forces.

Does Undaunted 2200 Callisto Have Different Factions?

Undaunted 2200 Callisto has 2 playable forces. The Inter-Jovian Mining Union (IMU), known as the Breakers, who are the combined workers and unions, united against the corporation, the Lunar Frontier Authority (LFA), and their hired security staff. They used to work together in harmony, but poor conditions and a focus on profits over the workers and making the mining colony a reasonable place to live has led to strikes and riots, which the LFA are looking to quell.

The 2 forces do have slightly different playstyles. The LFA has fewer token troops and has 5 mechs that use card standee figures rather than tokens. The Breakers have more troops, and 2 vehicles, the Drill and Hauler. These slightly different forces gives the impression of the Breakers swarming the LFA, with the slightly less limited LFA troops having to support each other, especially the mechs. Both sides do feel balanced, but I would recommend giving any new players you're playing with the Breakers (unless the really want to be the LFA) as they're slightly easier to pilot.

How Does The Blend Of Deck Building And Wargaming Feel In Undaunted 2200 Callisto?

The blending works extremely well. The way damage works with removing cards, and the limited card draws each turn means there are always tactical choices to be made. You need to use a scout action before you can move into a square, so there is a chance you might get an awkward draw and not be able to move forward because you don't have a scout card, which can really hamper your mobility, especially if you're opponent really hammers down on your scouts, but it's not common, so doesn't break the game.

I love the damage mechanic (using your hand and deck as health is my favorite mechanic in any gaming system), but there doesn't feel like much agency to it, and I wish there was a choice of where you lost the card from, with different repercussions depending on where you lose if from. It can feel oppressive when your opponent hammers down on a unit and negates your turn because of a poor draw. Again, it doesn't happen often, but it can happen simply because of the deck mechanic. You are of course, able to do this to your opponent too, and that's what made it enjoyable for me. It's not a matter of taking out your opponent's best unit, you need to pick your targets and stop them from scoring objectives, along with limiting their movement and options.

What Are Our Final Thoughts On Undaunted 2200 Callisto?

Undaunted 2200 Callisto is a very interesting blend of board, card, and wargame, which offers some great moments and some surprising narrative depth in the 8 scenarios it includes. It's not super deep, but you can feel the difference between the Breakers and the LFA, and over the campaign, you can really get behind their motives. Solo works well, although somewhat predictably as each of the enemy units has a fixed flowchart of actions it takes, which makes it feel more like a puzzle than a strategy wargame. The 4 player coop is fun and actually has a nice way of streamlining the draws with the smaller decks, rather than feeling restrictive with smaller forces. I really hope that we see an expansion to Undaunted 2200, either through another faction or 2, or more troops for the IMU and LFA. Even though the maps are fixed, they do offer a lot of replayability if more forces were to be added.

Should I Buy Undaunted 2200 Callisto?

Undaunted 2200 Callisto has some interesting new elements for veteran Undaunted players, along with all the mechanics that you know and love, in a new setting. New players will find this version approachable if they're not behind the WWII theme of previous games. Wargamers might not like the randomness and control of the deck system, as it can feel extremely restrictive if you're coming from a purely wargaming background, and takes some getting used to. If you're looking for a super technologically advanced sci-fi setting, then Undaunted 2200 Callisto does feel like WWII in space, even though both forces do feel thematically unique (and not like 2 countries fighting), the weapons and equipment still feel very modern, and combat feels very close.

The copy of Undaunted 2200 Callisto used to produce this review was provided by Asmodee UK.