Cyberpunk Edgerunners: Combat Zone, the latest iteration of Monster Fight Club’s light and flexible miniatures skirmish franchise, is now widely available — including at local game stores and online at places like Amazon. We finally cracked the lid on this $79 starter box, only to find a rich and accessible wargame with all the fixin’s inside. The only thing we didn’t find were traditional 3D plastic miniatures, but the overall package is so good that I’m not sure I mind their absence. If you have ever wanted to try your hand at a skirmish wargame, this might be the new best place to start.
Cyberpunk Red: Combat Zone, launched in 2023, is a miniatures skirmish game where players use small numbers of units, often just six or eight on each side, to fight out thematic battles using dice and rulers. It’s a contemporary of games like Necromunda or Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team, Infinity, Halo: Flashpoint and others. Combat Zone launched with 12 plastic miniatures, some hefty die-cut terrain, and a dead simple ruleset that leveraged easy-to-read cards to speed up play — a combination of features we found irresistible.
We especially called the game out for its price point, which at $120 was far less than competitors like Games Workshop charged for a similar experience. Cyberpunk Edgerunners brings the price down even further, coming in at just a bit more than your average hobby board game. But inside is the same kind of full-fat, sandbox experience found in the original, with all the open-ended gameplay and hobby inspiration (painting, modeling, and more) that you could ask for.
Everything inside this box feels like an improvement over the original, from the quality of the cardstock to the layout of the manual itself, which is more attractive and easier to read with additional clarifications on things like hired mercenaries. Even the die-cut terrain is improved, printed here on more robust materials and with more clear instructions on how it all goes together. But again, there are no miniatures inside the box.
Instead, players get a set of full-color, two-dimensional acrylic standees. These bright, detailed figures perfectly match the art on the cards and inside the manual, making getting up to speed with the ruleset a breeze. From the hobby perspective, using standees makes sense when you’re just learning to play. That way you can mix and match the units you fight with early on in your experience with the game, and then purchase and paint the 3D figures you really want to use later on and at your own pace. Add-on figures, including all-new factions not included in the box, start around $20. It’s an excellent way to grow your collection as you increase your skills as a player and as a painter.
Of course, if the idea of playing a miniatures game with flat, pre-printed plastic standees — even just to learn how it works! — makes your flesh crawl, then there’s not much I can do to keep you from turning your nose up at the prospect. But for those who have yet to try their hand at the hottest, fastest-growing sector of the tabletop gaming space you’re in for a treat.
Cyberpunk Edgerunners: Combat Zone is available widely, including on Amazon. The game was reviewed using a retail copy provided by Monster Fight Club. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.
