InQuest Review of the BattleTech CCG “Counterstrike” Expansion from 1997

The Wizards of the Coast BattleTech trading card game (find at Amazon.com*) launched in November of 1996 and was followed by the Counterstrike expansion in April of 1997. I’ve shared different bits and pieces of the Counterstrike expansion before — pack designs, peek inside a booster pack, and announcement of the expansion in the Duelist magazine — but all of those pale next to this InQuest magazine review.

I feel the review is a bit unfair in mentioning that the expansion adds no new rules. The reviewer quickly goes on to say “it seems a wise move,” but anyone reading the review and not reading to the end may walk away thinking this is a weak expansion. Just the opposite! The fact that this continues where the core BattleTech trading card game left off means that the cards are balanced and mesh nicely with the game. New mechanics are fun, but I’d rather see strong and playable cards than risk new mechanics that could break things (like the game’s Arsenal expansion, but I won’t name names).