Star Hammer: The Vanguard Prophecy
Black Lab Games · 2015 · Strategy, Adventure, Simulation, Space, Turn-Based
PC
Mostly Positive74% · 14869Metacritic
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About Star Hammer: The Vanguard Prophecy
Star Hammer: The Vanguard Prophecy is a strategy game of 3D tactical space battles. Play your part in the Second Contact War in a campaign with a branching story and over 60 missions, or create your own scenarios in skirmish mode battles!
The Universe is a Dangerous Place. In the 22nd century, we left a dying earth so that a fortunate few could settle the new home we call Novus. In time, we would learn that life on a frontier colony is neither prosperous nor peaceful. Our first encounter with the nautilid started with hostilities and confusion, and ended with sacrifice. Fourteen years later, our leaders remain politically entangled and unable to see the threats that linger, both afar and within our own walls…
Give your orders, and watch the results in explosive pausable real-time. Tailor your arsenal of crew abilities and assault class ships as your fleet grows with your command. Exploit the enemy’s weaknesses with superior positioning and flanking manoeuvres to inflict devastating damage.
Six classes of assaults ships are yours to command. Make precision strikes with the swift Swordfish Raiders, or lead from the bridge of a hulking Kraken Dreadnought. Change your tactics as you order reinforcements with stun guns, guided missiles, unmanned fighter drones and single-focus DEW beams.
The nautilid threat is as varied as it is innumerable, however, and they will not surrender. Use your wits to overcome the threat of disruption fields, bio-missiles and proximity mines. And not all opposition to your command comes from outside. Raise the shields of your capital ships and engage in devastating broadside combat with the renegade military conspiracists who call themselves the Remnant.
Manage your crew’s personalities and morale to tailor your flagship’s advantage in battle. Every crew member you enlist has their own personality traits, abilities and stories. Measure your actions against the War Scale. Will your command be a legacy of calculated tactical bombardments, or aggressive and reckless assaults? Take part in an ongoing war with no turning back. Choose who will be saved, order reinforcements to replace destroyed veteran ships, and shape the future of mankind’s second home.
Will you obey the chain of command and strengthen Novus’ defenses, or take your opponents head-on by yourself?
The Universe is a Dangerous Place. In the 22nd century, we left a dying earth so that a fortunate few could settle the new home we call Novus. In time, we would learn that life on a frontier colony is neither prosperous nor peaceful. Our first encounter with the nautilid started with hostilities and confusion, and ended with sacrifice. Fourteen years later, our leaders remain politically entangled and unable to see the threats that linger, both afar and within our own walls…
Give your orders, and watch the results in explosive pausable real-time. Tailor your arsenal of crew abilities and assault class ships as your fleet grows with your command. Exploit the enemy’s weaknesses with superior positioning and flanking manoeuvres to inflict devastating damage.
Six classes of assaults ships are yours to command. Make precision strikes with the swift Swordfish Raiders, or lead from the bridge of a hulking Kraken Dreadnought. Change your tactics as you order reinforcements with stun guns, guided missiles, unmanned fighter drones and single-focus DEW beams.
The nautilid threat is as varied as it is innumerable, however, and they will not surrender. Use your wits to overcome the threat of disruption fields, bio-missiles and proximity mines. And not all opposition to your command comes from outside. Raise the shields of your capital ships and engage in devastating broadside combat with the renegade military conspiracists who call themselves the Remnant.
Manage your crew’s personalities and morale to tailor your flagship’s advantage in battle. Every crew member you enlist has their own personality traits, abilities and stories. Measure your actions against the War Scale. Will your command be a legacy of calculated tactical bombardments, or aggressive and reckless assaults? Take part in an ongoing war with no turning back. Choose who will be saved, order reinforcements to replace destroyed veteran ships, and shape the future of mankind’s second home.
Will you obey the chain of command and strengthen Novus’ defenses, or take your opponents head-on by yourself?
FEATURES
- Fight for Novus and decide the outcome of the Second Contact War with a branching story that boasts over 60 missions.
- WeGo tactical combat in 3D space, with gameplay that rewards strategic positioning and fleet coordination. Give your commands, then watch the results in pausable realtime.
- Take command of a range of heavily armed assault ships, including Raiders, Corvettes, Frigates, Destroyers, Battlecruisers and Dreadnoughts - each with with their own weapons fitouts and unique functions.
- Balance the energy core of each ship to focus on impenetrable defences, breakneck piloting or devastating assaults.
- Manage your crew’s personalities and morale to tailor your flagship’s advantage in battle. Every crew member you enlist has their own personality traits, abilities and stories.
- Measure your actions against the War Scale. Will your command be a legacy of calculated tactical bombardments, or aggressive and reckless assaults
- Take part in an ongoing war with no turning back. Choose who will be saved, order reinforcements to replace destroyed veteran ships, and shape the future of mankind’s second home.
What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
I would only get this game on discount. I like the idea well enough and the ships are fun but there are too many bugs. I had a tough fight to escort these shuttles to the evac navpoint. All the enemies are dead and my ships are circling the nav point but the scenario doesn't end. Go play something with fewer bugs. The storyline is weak at best.5 found this helpful
I remember I played this game back in the day and I really enjoy it. I bought it when I saw it in steam to support the devs. Yes, its limited in various points, already mentioned in other comments. The thing I didn't like the most was the lack of customization between ships and the limited things you can set up with your battle-group pre deployment...almost nothing actually. But never the less, I had tons of fun, this game is unique in its kind along side with Battlestar Galactica. Its a shame there should be more; more complex, deep and clearly with more budget.3 found this helpful
Star Hammer: The Vanguard Prophecy is a tactical space combat strategy game developed by Black Lab Games and published by Slitherine Ltd. that offers a thoughtful and highly strategic take on fleet warfare in a futuristic science-fiction setting. Rather than emphasizing fast-paced action or large-scale empire building, the game focuses on carefully planned engagements where every movement, attack order, and tactical decision can determine the outcome of a battle. Combining turn-based planning with simultaneous real-time execution, Star Hammer delivers a unique command experience that rewards patience, foresight, and intelligent fleet management. Set in a future where humanity has spread beyond Earth in search of survival, the game presents a military science-fiction universe filled with political tension, interstellar conflict, and an ongoing war against a powerful alien threat. The campaign centers on humanity's efforts to defend its colonies and maintain stability during a dangerous period known as the Second Contact War. While the story embraces familiar genre themes such as survival, military duty, and alien conflict, it provides a solid framework that gives purpose to the num…2 found this helpful
For a tactical game, I'm not seeing alot of tactics... I don't want to be down on this. It's a fresh enough setting that sees us fighting back against chitinous horrors, not on the ground a la Starship Troopers, but instead in space against hordes of starfaring bioships. That is very, very cool to me...but it doesn't make up for the, I'll say lack of information. The user interface is clunky as sin and I literally couldn't tell everything that was happening with the ships, whether mine or the enemy. That's a bit unfortunate, since that is a big part of a tactical game. What are my fire arcs? What is my weapon range? Why is that alarm sound going off? I genuinely don't know...and that's a problem when I have over 3 hours of "experience" with this space tactics game. The only real claim to uniqueness is the "WEGO" turn system. In it, you and the opponent both decide where your ships move and what actions they take and then those turns resolve in a psuedo real time action. However, you're pretty limited in what you can do and, even with what little you actually can order, you can't predict your or the enemy A.I. It's hard to really describe, but please believe me that …2 found this helpful
Some engaging challenges, particularly on the higher difficulty levels.1 found this helpful
This is a great game, how come it does not have sequel : (
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