World War Tesla

World War Tesla is a 15mm scale, alternate-history tabletop miniature wargame.

The Premise

The game is set during an alternate version of World War I where Nikola Tesla’s most radical ideas and inventions have come to fruition. Instead of traditional trench warfare, the battlefield is dominated by retro-futuristic sci-fi weaponry. The conflict revolves around technologies such as:

Death rays and anti-gravity engines
Force fields protecting troops and armor
Giant walking tanks stalking the landscape
Soldiers with rocket-packs soaring over obstacles
Flying machines and biplanes armed with energy weapons

Gameplay & 3D Printing Model

Unlike traditional tabletop games requiring expensive pre-made miniatures, World War Tesla was designed at the forefront of the print-at-home wargaming movement.

STL Distribution: Players buy the digital ruleset, which includes 3D printer .stl files for all troops, vehicles, game accessories, and terrain.
Affordability: The models are optimized for FDM 3D printers, allowing players to manufacture an entire army locally. According to the designers, even the largest vehicles cost less than a dollar to print.
Core Components: The official Starter Set provides the full-color rulebook, unit stat cards, objective markers (like a Tesla Tower), firing arc templates, and multiple vehicle/troop models.

Mechanics

Dice & Activation: The game operates on a dynamic initiative system utilizing a d6 plus specialized “Spark Dice”. It is explicitly optimized for matches featuring 4 or more players, forcing full-force activations rather than simple unit-by-unit alternating turns.
Combat & Damage: Attacking relies on 2d6 rolls factored by various terrain modifiers. Damage is rolled on a d3, where rolling a natural “6” triggers unique weapon status effects.
Expansions: Fat Dragon Games has expanded the baseline game with specialized standalone unit files, such as autonomous Land Torpedoes, the LaSalle Medium Tank, and the Glazar Light Tank. A revised Second Edition updated the core rulebook and overhauled the unit sculpts.