Thunder Road (board game)

Infobox_Game
title =Thunder Road
players=2 to 4
ages=10 and up
setup_time= 3 to 10 minutes
playing_time= approx. 45 minutes

Thunder Road ("aka. ThunderRoad, Le Survivant") [ [http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/804] Board Game Geek's game data] is a post-apocalyptic themed racing board game published by "Milton Bradley". Using an assortment of 4 different vehicles each ranging from a modfied dune buggy to a single-passenger helicopter, players must race down an infinite roadway against one another. The goal of the game for players is to either be the last player team alive ("eg., eliminate all other player vehicle teams") or simply out race ("ie., out distance") the other teams. Although the game was originally published by "Milton Bradley" in 1986, "Hasbro" currently owns the rights to the game as well as all other MB board games since 1984 [ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasbro] Wikipedia's information concerning "Hasbro"]

Game play

After the game pieces have been assembled ("first time setup time can be approx. ten minutes due to game piece complexity"), the "switch & link" game board has been setup with its appropriate hazard areas ("wrecks"), and player colors have been selected play begins. Initial play consists of each player rolling three yellow dice, one for each automobile, and moving said vehicles for the number of spaces rolled at the player's discretion. Once all players have done this, the rest of the game proceeds with each player rolling to move and also trying to attack opposing player vehicles.

Attacks can be done by a player ramming their vehicle into their opposition's vehicle, shooting at their opponent's vehicle with vehicle-mounted artillery or using their aerial vehicle ("the Thunder Chopper") to attack. As play progresses along the game board, it is constantly extended by using the back portion of the board; the "Rear Board". Indeed, a way in which a player can beat an opponent is by getting all of his cars and chopper onto the right-most game board ("Lead Board") faster than his opponent's vehicles. If a player is lagging too far behind and is still on the left most gameboard section ("Rear Board") by the time another player has reached the end of the "Lead Board", any vehicles on that portion of board are permanently removed from the game; this suggests that the car was "outrun". An exception to this rule applies only to the Thunder Chopper, it can stay in play as long as a player has at least one running car.

External links

* [http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/804 The "Board Game Geek" collecting community ] . Site hosts various pictures of the board game as well as auction sites (ie., "Ebay") that have this and simmilar board games available for purchase.
* [http://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/thunderroad.pdf "Hasbro/Milton Bradley" PDF Manual of Thunder Road ] . A scanned version of the original Thunder Road manual; courtesy of "Hasbro".
* [http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/325302 "Board Game Geek" Game review] . A thorough review of the game by BoardGame Geek forum member "Kyle Woelfel".

Footnotes