Modiphius just laid out the full contents for Fallout Factions: Battle for Boston. If you liked Nuka World, this feels like a confident second swing.
However, it also fixes the “deep cut” problem with a bigger, iconic setting. Therefore, you get Boston and two factions everyone actually recognizes. And yes, it is pitched as a complete game in one box.
A starter set that aims to be the real entry point
Battle for Boston comes with a full 102 page rulebook, dice, cardboard terrain, and two plastic warbands. You get the Brotherhood of Steel, plus the Institute. Lead designer Evie Moriarty told Wargamer it “genuinely is a whole game in the box,” and that is the right energy. Meanwhile, the writer notes Nuka World reviewed very well, yet its launch delays hurt. Also, the Nuka World theme was less mainstream, since it was optional Fallout 4 DLC. So this box feels like a deliberate reset, front-loading the biggest names.
Two warbands designed to feel wildly different
One critique of Nuka World was that the gangs were fun, yet they felt like “just kind of… guys.” Therefore, Moriarty made a clear rule for Boston: every crew must feel distinct. The Brotherhood are described as an anvil, slow, heavy, and dominant through armor and firepower. Meanwhile, the Institute play like a tide, pushing disposable synths onto objectives. They also mess with your positioning, which is always annoying in the best way.
The Institute get a new critical effect called Flush Out. It can shove hit enemies a few inches, so you can push them off objectives. You can also force bad combats, or drag models into open sightlines. In addition, a leader option includes a synth relay grenade. That lets you return dead Gen One synths to the table, which keeps pressure constant.
Model wise, the Institute kit is packed. It includes 12 minis, including a Courser and multiple synth types. The Brotherhood kit is already available. It includes a Knight, a Paladin, two field scribes, and four regular members.
More terrain, better campaigns, and deeper upgrades
Moriarty admits Nuka World felt light on terrain. This time there is twice as much terrain in the box. It is ruined buildings and barricades, plus vertical pieces for dense tables. Hopefully the strong token support returns too.
The campaign system stays pick-up friendly. So you do not need a fixed group or an administrator. However, Control now matters more than a victory ticker. It unlocks special crew rules, and five Control can unlock a hireable Legend of the Wasteland. Battle for Boston also adds armor modification rules and new armor perks. In fact, you can now build toward power armor over time, then upgrade plating and shielding.
Summary
Battle for Boston looks like the starter Fallout Factions always needed. It swaps niche raiders for iconic Boston factions, and it doubles down on asymmetry. Meanwhile, it adds more terrain, stronger campaign rewards, and deeper armor progression. So if you want power armor heroes versus objective bullying synth waves, this is your lane. It retails at $135 / £100, is up for pre-order now, and is expected to ship in May.
And remember, Frontline Gaming sells gaming products at a discount, every day in their webcart!
