It’s always a pleasure to see familiar faces at ArcFest. Wade Dyer is a regular on the roleplaying game circuit, and I’ve run into him more than a few times at PAX Aus. It was great to finally sit down and learn more about his skirmish wargame while at the show.
If you’re into tactical tabletop gaming, the name Wade Dyer and Fragged Empire probably already rings a bell, bringing to mind deep lore, striking art, and a post-post-apocalyptic setting that stands out in an already crowded sci-fi space.
But this time, the universe is expanding in a very different direction. Double Tap is a fast-paced, high-lethality skirmish game designed to lower the barrier to entry for newcomers, while still delivering a satisfying tactical punch for veterans.
So why should Double Tap be on your radar?
Ben: I’m here with Wade Dyer, mostly known for his hit RPG Fragged Empire. He is here today at ArcFest with his skirmish wargame Double Tap. So, Wade, tell me all about Double Tap.
Wade: Double Tap is my skirmish game. set in the same universe as Fragged Empire, my post-post-apocalyptic sci-fi.
B: Double post?
W: That’s right. You’ve got to have a catchy little hook, you know?
So I was thinking if there’s a war gaming convention. I thought I was going to come here and focus on my minis and my Double Tap game that I’ve got.
B: You said that Double Tap is a skirmish game. What does that mean?
W: It’s typically eight minis per side, and then you activate a unit, I activate a unit, classic.
B: Okay, that’s pretty standard…
W: Yeah, it’s got really, really basic core rules. However, the complexity and the detail come from your character cards and their special abilities. Plus it does a few things interesting with mechanics.
When you activate, you can activate any unit that you want, including the same unit that you activated last term.
B: Okay. Okay, that’s different.
W: Then, after each person has completed 20 activations, the game ends. Hard. The person who has completed the best of 3 objectives wins.
The default objectives are capture points on the map, but each player also gets one objective card.
B: Is that card secret?
W: No. It either alters how you interact with the objective or grants you a new objective, like assassinate, protective VIP, or escort. There’s also, for example, one of them that adds NPCs into the game. So if both players take one of those cards, it’s effectively a PVEVP game. A little bit rare, that one. After you’ve finished activating your unit, you move, you shoot, you just roll that many D6, you can get a little advantage to add or subtract a die.
Every 6 deals one damage.
B: That’s simple and fast to play.
W: After you finish activating, every opponent that can see you can then trigger their reaction action against you.
B: Oh, that is cool.
W: Typically, that’s an attack, but sometimes it can also incorporate a move in it. If they’re like a dodge character. Some characters have passive special abilities rather than a reaction. You also have upgrade cards. So it’s a little bit hard in voice to sort of say this, but like have your character cards out next to you, and then you can get an upgrade card, which you put between your character cards, and they often come with two different special abilities. (See image)
One might upgrade the card to the left, and one upgrades the card to the right. It could be a classic example, like this unit can deploy smoke, which stops reactions. The other unit then gave the special ability to shoot through smoke.
B: Oh, cool. I like how the cards let your troops interact with each other. I can see here on the table that you’ve placed the cards in a particular way. Is that because that, I assume that one in the middle there is the upgrade card.
W: Yeah.
You’ve got specialist units. They’re like heroes. You only have one of each of those. Then you have henchmen, which are your mooks, and you can just have as many of those as you can afford. Specialists are really good. They’re great activating cards. Whereas henchmen are a good way of getting like hit points and reactions onto the table, a bit more of a defensive thing often.
B: As for the miniatures, I know you have been producing them yourself, and are they selling in packs? Are they necessary?
W: The way I’m doing that is so I’m running a Patreon at the moment, I’m doing the classic STL Patreon every month, everyone votes on what I’m going to do next in terms of my sculpt. Then I send the files out to people.
If you know someone or you have a 3D printer, you can just print those out and play. I’m also here at this convention selling miniatures as well, which you can just buy individually. I’ve also got a little starter pack, which is eight miniatures for half price.
B: Awesome, that would be enough to get you started. The rule book is a hardcover like your other Fragged books.
W: The Double Tap book is only about 8 to 10 pages, and the only reason it’s that long is that I’ve got so many examples and diagrams.
It’s a very, very, very light core rules. That’s a free PDF. You can buy the deck of cards from me, it’s $45 for the deck of cards. Then that gives you everything, you just grab the PDF and you can use your own minis, or you can buy mine, and you’re free to go.
B: That’s a super low entry barrier.
W: I’ve also got an app as well. The app’s free, and that’s got all the unit cards and everything on it, and you can track health and everything like that.
B: Well done again on another awesome game
W: Thank you.
B: Enjoy ArcFest. It looks like it’s just heating up; the big main hall has started playing with their 40K armies, and it’s going to be pandemonium.
W: I’m looking forward to it.
The Fragged universe has always been about more than just surviving the end of the world; it’s about what happens after the rebuilding starts. While the flagship RPG is known for its deep customisation, Double Tap zooms in on the moment-to-moment adrenaline of small-scale skirmish combat.
What is Double Tap?
Double Tap is a tactical skirmish game designed for small squads of miniatures. Whether you have a collection of official Fragged Empire minis or a shelf full of generic sci-fi soldiers, this system is designed to get them onto the table and into the fight.
The game earns its name from its lethality. This isn’t a “stand in the open and trade blows” kind of game. It’s about suppression, flanking, and, as the title suggests, finishing the job quickly.
How It’s Played: The Card-Driven Engine
The most unique aspect of Double Tap is how it moves away from traditional, bulky rulebooks in favor of a Tactical Action Deck.
Instead of flipping through pages to see what your units can do, the cards dictate the flow of battle. These cards manage your actions, special abilities, and combat modifiers. This creates a “low-flick, high-play” environment where the information you need is always right in front of you.
Key gameplay features include:
- Small Model Count: You don’t need an army. A handful of minis per side is enough for a full game.
- High Lethality: Cover and positioning are life and death. If you’re caught in the open, you’re likely going down.
- Deep Customisation: Using the Fragged heritage, players can kit out their squads with specific traits and gear to suit their playstyle.
The Best Part: Buy the Cards, Get the Game
In an era where Core Rulebooks can easily run you $100AUD or more, Wade is taking a refreshingly consumer-friendly approach with Double Tap.
The philosophy is simple: The cards are the engine.
When you purchase the physical pack of Double Tap cards, you aren’t just getting a game accessory; you are getting the entire game. The core rules and the dedicated companion app are provided for free.
By moving the crunch of the rules into a digital format and an app, the developer ensures that the game can be updated, balanced, and referenced instantly without needing to lug around a library of books. The app handles the heavy lifting of stat-tracking and rule-checking, leaving you to focus on the tactics on the table.
Why Buy it?
If you’ve ever been intimidated by the wall of text that usually comes with sci-fi wargaming, Double Tap is your exit ramp. It offers:
- Low Cost of Entry: Just get the cards and use the minis you already own.
- Modern Integration: A free app that streamlines gameplay.
- The Fragged Aesthetic: Access to one of the most visually stunning and lore-rich sci-fi settings in gaming today.
So what are you waiting for? Jump on the Patreon (it’s free with memberships offering STLs each month). Grab the cards, download the rules, app or both and get your skirmish on!
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