Bushiroad Press Release - Today's Cards - 29ｔh November 2013

From the Bushiroad Website

It's the end of the week! Today we will be releasing the Mega Trial Deck Rise to Royalty, as well as Weiss Schwarz Japanese edition booster pack of 「幻影ヲ駆ケル太陽」 !

Let's check out what we have in store for everyone today!

Weiß Schwarz

Girl of destiny, Ginka 白金ぎんか from 「幻影ヲ駆ケル太陽」

Weiß Schwarz

"Haa~!"
Midst of battle, Luna 月詠るな from 「幻影ヲ駆ケル太陽」

Weiß Schwarz

Karen Araragi & Tsukihi Araragi 阿良々木火憐 & 阿良々木月火 from 「Bakemonogatari」

Chaos TCG

"Following that, we shall become the driving force that supports our master!"
"House of Kuki" attendents, power of Rank 1 [Oshitari Azumi] 忍足あずみ from 「真剣で私に恋しなさい！A」

Chaos TCG

"Now is the time, when all our strength becomes one!"
"House of Kuki" overpowering charisma, [Kuki Hideo] 九鬼英雄 from 「真剣で私に恋しなさい！A」

Chaos TCG

"She is from Genetics Germany, 'Panzer' Julia=Munberk"
Maverick of Walpurgis, [Julia=Munberk] ユリア＝ムンベルク from 「フリージング ヴァイブレーション」

Chaos TCG

"Haaaaa"
Accel Turn アクセルターン from 「フリージング ヴァイブレーション」

Victory Spark

"If I'm ever spoiled for marriage! Please take responsibility then!!"
Kishi Toka 岸桃華 from 「夜桜四重奏 〜ヨザクラカルテット〜」

Victory Spark

"I'm definitely stronger"
Serious Mode, Petite Toka 岸桃華 from 「夜桜四重奏 〜ヨザクラカルテット〜」　

Cardfight!! Vanguard

"He understands the power of bonds, as well as its value"
Liberator of Bonds, Gancelot Zenith 絆の解放者 ガンスロッド・ゼニス

Cardfight!! Vanguard

"Bear this in mind, this is the strongest and deadliest blade dance!"
Sword Dance Eradicator, Hisen

Monster Collection

Yggdrasil ユグドラシル from 伝説のブースターパック「不滅なる聖騎士」

King of Pro-wrestling

Private ver., Shinsuke Nakamura 中邑真輔

The new month is also around the corner. Did you know that December is also called Shiwasu in the old Japanese calender? Interestingly, many anime characters derive their names from the old calender. Check them out for some interesting finds!

Warlord Games Press Release - Anglo-Zulu War: Historical British Regiments

From the Warlord Games Website

The 2nd Invasion of Zululand was not just fought by the iconic British redcoats – many British regiments took part in the conflict, decked out in a variety of uniforms. With the new Zulu! Black Powder supplement out next week, we took the opportunity to have a few of these regiments painted up.

Here are our first two regiments, both of which saw plenty action (more on the way next week!). We’ve also included one of the many awesome battle scenes from the new book…

The 60th Rifles Regiment:

The 91st Highlanders Regiment:

Warlord Games Press Release - Warlord Games Resin Reformulated

From the Warlord Games Website

Warlord Games has switched over to a new and improved formula for making our resin kits.

 

Even Better Detail

So what does this mean for you? Well firstly the detail is even sharper than before, which is good news for any modeller or painter. Secondly, the new mixture has a little more flex once it is set, so the hardened resin is less brittle. This makes for a better survival rate should you accidentally drop your model!

 

Special Blend

This new resin has been specially formulated to our requirements (in fact it’s called ‘Warlord Grey Special Blend’ – not to be mistaken with the Boss’s favourite tea!) – it also has a more consistent colour.

 

Same Price!

Our casters report that the reworked formula produces less waste and allows them to work faster. In addition it creates fewer air bubbles so fewer castings have to be rejected. All this means that even though Warlord Grey is more expensive, we can use it at no extra cost to our customers – great news all round!

Z-Man Games Press Release - Pandemic: The Board Game App Thanksgiving deal!

From the Z-Man Games Website

In the spirit of Thanksgiving in the US this week, we are offering the Pandemic: The Board Game app for iPad for only $2.99 worldwide!

This deal is offered from Thursday November 28^th to Monday December 2^nd inclusively. It’s the perfect time to get your hands on the Pandemic app, or maybe even offer it to someone! Get infected! Infect your friends! Infect your family! Infect the world! … and then try and save it from a global Pandemic all together!

What is Pandemic: The Board Game?
Pandemic has become the go-to cooperative game in the new board game revolution. Now, Pandemic: The Board Game is the go-to cooperative game in the new digital revolution. It reached #2 in overall app sales in the App Store on the very first day!

Here are a few of the functions you will find in the Pandemic app:

- 7 unique roles with different abilities to chose from, allowing for great replay ability.

- The game can be played solo or as a pass-and-play for 2-4 players.

- Different difficulty levels from beginner to expert.

- Animated interface gives clear indication of the game's progress and hotspots.

- A video tutorial that allows players to learn how to play in a simple and easy way.

- Complete rules for the game are also included.

Here’s what others have said about the app:
http://meadowparty.com/blog/2013/10/05/pandemic-ios-app/
"If you’re into the physical version of Pandemic, or want a game for your iPad that is very challenging with high replay value, this is a must-have." - Keith Law, Meadowparty.com

http://toucharcade.com/2013/10/07/pandemic-the-board-game-for-ipad-review/
"Whether you are an iOS board game fan or a puzzle game fanatic, Pandemic: The Board Game deserves a look. It is a tight, focused package that demonstrates some of the best that tabletop and iOS design can offer." - Brad Cummings from TouchArcade

http://ipadboardgames.org/2013/pandemic-board-game/#sthash.3Xmkk8p0.dpuf
"There is no doubt that Pandemic represents one of the most sophisticated implementations of a board game on the iPad that has yet hit the App Store.
- Tovarich Pizor, iPad Board Games.

http://www.gamezebo.com/games/pandemic/review
"This smoothly accessible, brilliantly presented iOS version makes solo play an absolute joy. If joy is the right adjective to use in a game where you’ll spend a lot of time watching the globe succumb to Ebola." - Matt Thrower, Gamezebo

AEG Press Release - 2013 Black Friday Sale

From the AEG Website

Happy Thanksgiving!

From November 29 to December 1 (included), the AEG Online Store kicks off the Holiday Season with its Black Friday Sale Extravangaza!

Use the following discount code on the store with your order to benefit from the below special offers:
DISCOUNT CODE: aegblackfriday2013

L5R CCG

• Free L5R Poker Deck Every Order*
• Box of Greed Pull Every $5**
• Free Coils of Madness Booster Every $10

EVERYTHING ELSE

25% Off Your Total Order***

DETAILS

*While supplies last.

**Includes Torn Asunder and Coils of Madness.

***Good for one order only.

Happy Holiday Season to one and all.

AEG Press Release - 2013 Holiday Pack Reminder

From the AEG Website

In case you haven’t ordered your 2013 Holiday Pack, here’s our next little teaser for you – three more Ivory Legal Clan Champions!

Daigotsu Kanpeki
Doji Makoto
Mirumoto Shikei

Over the next two weeks, we will preview the other Champions as well, so stay tuned! So, how do you get one of these Champions? In the Holiday Pack, of course…

The Holiday Season is upon us and as is customary we bring you a very special pack to celebrate this joyous time, now available for pre-order on the Online Store.
The 2013 Holiday Pack contains:

• 10 Ivory legal boosters
• 46 FOIL versions of already existing promotional cards
• a gift-giving themed box

and comes with 2 bonus items:

• a 2013 SummerCon Pack (until supplies last)
• a FOIL version of the Ivory Edition Clan Champion of your choice!

Happy Holidays!

Catalyst Game Labs Press Release - Lone Wolf To Release Shadowrun, Fifth Edition Data Package for Hero Lab

From the Catalyst Game Labs Website

Catalyst Game Labs is pleased to announce that Lone Wolf Development will release Shadowrun, Fifth Edition data package files for Hero Lab in the first quarter of 2014.

“We’ve gotten off to a fantastic start with Shadowrun, Fifth Edition,” said Randall N. Bills, Managing Developer of Catalyst Game Labs. “We’re starting to get out a series of Runner Resources—such as the Shadowrun Gamemaster Screen and Gear and Spell decks—in support of Shadowrun 5 to make the game easier to use than ever. But for digital space nothing beats Hero Lab and its ability to easily customize and upgrade your character during game play…we can’t wait for this brilliant support to be available. “

Released almost a decade ago, the ENnie award-winning Hero Lab includes an easy-to-use, intuitive interface atop a versatile database engine. Data packages for more than a dozen different role-playing games from a wide range of publishers are already available. Users can add their own custom content to existing games or even create data files for entirely new game systems. The combination of powerful, user-friendly software and the diverse RPGs it supports make Hero Lab one of the most successful character management tools ever released.

“We’re thrilled to be adding support for Shadowrun, Fifth Edition to Hero Lab” said Rob Bowes, President of Lone Wolf Development. “We’re very happy to continue our relationship with Catalyst and bring the newest edition of Shadowrun to the world of digital tools. As one of our most popular game systems, we’re proud to give new and experienced Shadowrun players and GMs a way to quickly and accurately create characters for use in their games.”

About Catalyst Game Labs
Catalyst Game Labs is dedicated to producing high quality games and fiction that mesh sophisticated game mechanics with dynamic universes-all presented in a form that allows beginning players and long-time veterans to easily jump into our games and fiction readers to enjoy our stories even if they don’t know the games.

Catalyst Game Labs is an imprint of InMediaRes Productions, LLC, which specializes in electronic publishing of professional fiction. This allows Catalyst to participate in a synergy that melds printed gaming material and fiction with all the benefits of electronic interfaces and online communities, creating a whole-package experience for any type of player or reader. Find Catalyst Game Labs online at www.catalystgamelabs.com.

About Lone Wolf Development
Lone Wolf Development specializes in creating innovative digital tools for the tabletop gaming industry, allowing players to streamline game preparation, eliminate errors, and spend more time playing the games they love. With Realm Works, the company has created an entirely new vehicle for RPG publishers to distribute their material to fans. With an ever-growing suite of tools, including the award-winning Army Builder® and Hero Lab® products, Lone Wolf’s digital tools are the industry standard and are in regular use by tens of thousands of gamers, from miniatures games to role-playing games. Find out more about Lone Wolf Development at www.wolflair.com.

The Game Crafter Press Release - Featured Article: Zoodlums More Mammals Mini Expansion has 5 days left on Kickstarter

From the Game Crafter Website

Fond of animals? Enjoy casual card games? Then you’ll LOVE Zoodlums!



The game was already successfully Kickstarted and delivered, but now there’s even more to love!
Introducing the Zoodlums More Mammals Mini Expansion

On Kickstarter for just 5 more short days!
If you are an existing fan of Zoodlums, add more of your favorite animals- elephants, zebras, monkeys, gorillas, and more -for just $10. Best of all, it will be delivered FREE for the holiday season.



People who are new to Zoodlums can get in on the fun for a $35 pledge. This includes the original game with over 120 cards plus the new expansion.

Zoodlums Mini Expansion, more fun with a barrel of monkeys!

Note: This article is being promoted on TGC News because the designer is participating in The Game Crafter’s Crowd Funding Promotion. If you would like to be promoted by The Game Crafter then read the details here.

Green Ronin Publishing Press Release - Wild Cards SCARE Sheet 18: Little Fat Boy / Ra (PDF)

From the Green Ronin Website

Today the latest Wild Cards SCARE Sheet PDF is available for sale in our Green Ronin Online Store, for just $1.29!
When a small town in Texas was destroyed by a nuclear blast, the authorities found a single boy, unharmed, at the heart of the explosion. It wasn't a terrorist strike or a foreign attack, but young Drake, nicknamed "Little Fat Boy," with the power to explode like a tactical nuclear bomb, a living weapon every political power in the world would like to control. (For Mutants & Masterminds Third Edition.)
Wild Cards SCARE Sheet 18: Little Fat Boy / Ra (PDF)

Game Review – Russian Railroads

Russian Railroads
Number of Players	2 - 4
Play Time	120 Minutes
Ages	14 Years and up

Since I have been playing this game so frequently as of late, I thought it was time that I do a full review of Russian Railroads.

Russian Railroads is a train themed worker placement game.  The goal in the game is to help industrialize Russia through building three train routes and building factories.  The person who can gain the most victory points to do this wins the game.

In Russian Railroad the players take turns placing workers on actions on the board.  The actions are taken when the workers are placed there.  These actions consist of building factories, upgrading trains, moving pieces up the rail or industrial track, and purchasing engineers.    The actions cost 1 – 3 workers in most cases.  The exceptions are to purchase an engineer costs one coin and there is a rail building action that costs on worker and one coin.  The more powerful the action, the more it will cost to take.  Once all of the players have placed their workers, the round is over and everything is scored and the game moves on to the next round. The game lasts seven rounds.

As the players progress in building the rail lines and factories on their player board, they will achieve bonuses.  The bonuses include victory points, the ability to upgrade track and special bonuses that can enhance their player boards.  One of the challenges in the game is to time getting these bonuses so they can help you out the most.

One of the things that I like about the game is that there are multiple paths to victory.  There are only two major strategies.  The factory strategy and the pure rail line strategy but within those strategies that are a number of tactical paths to victory.

There is some variability in the game set up.  There are more engineers available in the game then there turns.  Since only one engineer is available to the players in each round, there is a change in the special abilities that are in a play.  There are also a limited number of bonus cards available and two are not in play in each game.

The thing that I do not like about the game is that there is very little room for error.  If any player makes the mistake of focusing exclusively on their own progress and not making sure that he is not helping any of the other players, it can cause a major point swing that they and other players will not be able to recover from.  Since the score of the game increases each round, it is easy to run into the situation where the rich progressively get richer and leave the other players behind.

Here are some tips for when you play your first few games.  As I touched on earlier, there are two good strategies to the game.  The first is to focus on building two of the rail lines trying to maximize the advantages you can get from them to gather as many points as possible.  The other is to focus on building factories and only build the track you need to gain bonuses to complete building a full set of factories.

Ignore the importance in collecting some engineers especially if their abilities help you reach your goals.  There is also a 40 point bonus at the end of the game if you have the most engineers.  In order get engineers you must make sure that you go early in the turn order by using one of your workers to make sure you are the first player in the next turn.  The plus about using the worker in this way in Russian Railroads versus other worker placement games, is that you get to reuse the worker at the end of the round on another action.

If you are looking for a solid worker placement game, you should definitely take a look at Russian Railroads.  It will be available in the US from Z-Man Games in mid to late December.

Bushiroad Press Release - Today's Cards - 27h November 2013

From the Bushiroad Website

Well, it seems that most of the overseas WGP tournaments have drawn to a close, and we have our players converging in Tokyo in January 2014 for the finals!

More details to be revealed soon! Xp

Weiß Schwarz

"By the power of The Magician!"
Wielder of "The Magician", Meltina メルティナ・メルヴィス from 「幻影ヲ駆ケル太陽」

Weiß Schwarz

"A strike...... from The Fool!"
Wielder of "The Fool", Priscilla プリシラ・トワイライト from 「幻影ヲ駆ケル太陽」

.

Weiß Schwarz

"Oh, my mistake-- "You can move, but it will be very dangerous." is what I really should have said."
Battle Ready, Hitagi Senjyogahara 戦場ヶ原ひたぎ from 「Bakemonogatari」

Chaos TCG

"Let's go, Hercule Body"
User of Secret Skill Hercule Body, [Musashibo Benkei] 武蔵坊弁慶 from 「真剣で私に恋しなさい！A」

Chaos TCG

"Gaze upon it, the feeling of emptiness, at the end...? "
Dillusion Complex Archer, [Nasu no Yoichi] 那須与一 from 「真剣で私に恋しなさい！A」

Victory Spark

"I won't lose! As long as I have my spear!!"
Yarizakura Hime 槍桜ヒメ from 「夜桜四重奏 〜ヨザクラカルテット〜」

Victory Spark

"The guitarist"
Guitarist, Hime 槍桜ヒメ from 「夜桜四重奏 〜ヨザクラカルテット〜」

Cardfight!! Vanguard

"Assemble, horde of demons, Stealth Arts: Nightmare Trooper!"
Covert Demonic Dragon, Hyakki Vogue "Reverse" 隠密魔竜 ヒャッキヴォーグ “Я”

Cardfight!! Vanguard

"Are you lost? Don't worry, follow me ♪"
Battle Maiden, Sahohime

Monster Collection

Earth Dragon アース・ドラゴン from 伝説のブースターパック「不滅なる聖騎士」

Monster Collection

Hobgoblin Bodyguard ホブゴブリン用心棒 from 伝説のブースターパック「不滅なる聖騎士」

King of Pro-wrestling

Unchanging, Yuji Nagata 永田裕志

WizKids Press Release - Star Trek: Attack Wing Wave 2 Preview: the U.S.S. Excelsior!

From the WizKids Website

Star Trek: Attack Wing

U.S.S. Excelsior/Excelsior Class Ship

4 of 4 Wave 2 Star Trek: Attack Wing Expansion Packs

Releases: December 2013

Welcome back, Attack wing fans to the final look at the ships for Star Trek Attack Wing’s Wave 2 release.  Like our last round of previews, we will be looking at a starship featured prominently in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country: The U.S.S Excelsior.  At 26 points, the U.S.S Excelsior is going to be a very capable addition to Federation fleets.  With 5 Hull and 4 Shields, it is well poised to take a hit and still be extremely effective in combat.  Its offensive capabilities (with its great 180 degree forward firing arc) will be greatly enhanced by the ability to perform a Scan action as free action as long as there are no enemy ships within range 1.  Adding to its ability to stay in a fight is Captain Hikaru Sulu who allows you to shake an opponent’s target lock at the cost of disabling a crew upgrade.  Styles also is a great Captain option as he allows you to add an additional Tech slot to his ship.  With many Federation ships missing the ability to use Tech upgrades, he’s sure to see a lot of play outside of this expansion since the named and generic version of the Excelsior Class already have a Tech upgrade slot.

No Federation starship would be able to function well without outstanding crew and the U.S.S. Excelsior Expansion Pack does not disappoint.  Dmitri Valtane allows you to re-roll 2 of your attack dice if there is a Scan token next to your ship so he’s a natural to play thanks to the U.S.S. Excelsior’s special ability.  For those that love to run Weapon Upgrades, the expansion has two cards for your enjoyment: Lojur and Photon Torpedoes.  The Photon Torpedoes are a 4 attack die upgrade that allows you to convert one of your Battle Stations into a Critical Hit.  Lojur will keep you firing more frequently as he can be disabled instead of a Weapon Upgrade that has to be disabled as a part of its function.

With the Excelsior Class having a Tech Upgrade slot on its Upgrade Bar, the U.S.S. Excelsior Expansion Pack would be remiss if it did not provide some Tech Upgrades as well.  Fans will get great use out of the Positron Beam can be discarded to place an Auxiliary Power token on a target ship within Range 1.When they really need to put some distance between themselves and an opponent or get into the fight quicker, they will want to turn to the Transwarp Drive which will allow the ship to use the straight ahead 6 movement template.  That kind of movement will come in handy while attempting to complete the Operation Retrieve mission included in the expansion.

Finally, the expansion contains a Crew Upgrade and Elite Talent Upgrade that were made for each other: Janice Rand and Feint.   Former-Yeoman Janice Rand is ready to help out her captain by being discarded to allow your captain to perform the action on one of his Elite Talent Upgrades as a free action.  Feint allows a player to discard the upgrade and then target an opposing ship at range 2-3.  That ship will roll two less defensive dice if attacked by this ship this round.  By causing the Elite Talent to be used as a free action, this allows the ship to still perform a regular action to help out the attack potential even more.  Or perhaps you want to use Janice Rand to allow James T. Kirk to perform his legendary Corbomite Maneuver while saving your action to activate Montgomery Scott to repair a shield token so you can stay in the fight even longer.

No matter how you decide to use all of the new cards to fill out your Fleet, the U.S.S. Excelsior will be on many player’s lists come December.  With great upgrades and all the tokens needed to play it, the U.S.S. Excelsior Expansion Pack is a fine addition to every Federation player’s fleet options.  Make sure you stop into your friendly local game store next week and pick up all of the new ships for Star Trek: Attack Wing!

Mayfair Games Press Release - Mayfair Games wins Best in Show at Chicago Toy and Game Fair

From the Mayfair Games Website

This year marked the 11^th anniversary of the Chicago Toy and Game Fair (ChiTag), held at historic Navy Pier. Myriad events take place at the show, covering the entire spectrum of fun and frivolity that make games and toys an integral part of our lives.

Mayfair participated in a broad slate of events, from the PlayCHIC fashion show, featuring high fashion inspired in part by Mayfair Games’ world famous games and toys, to puppeteering clinics taught by Stacey Gordon of the Bob and Angus show, inspiring the next generation of dreamers.

To top the show off, the show’s 20,000 attendees were asked to vote for the “Best in Show” in toy and game categories and voted The Settlers of Catan® best game of 2013!

ABOUT THE CHICAGO TOY & GAME FAIR
Founded in 2003, ChiTAG returned as the global toy and game hub for consumers, inventors, trade, and media. In celebration of the power of play and creativity, the two-day extravaganza, taking place at Navy Pier, offered interactive exhibits, contests, live stage entertainment, tournaments, and more. Reasonably priced tickets allow attendees to preview, play, and purchase the hottest toys and games, rediscovered classics, and met the inventors behind the ingenuity. For more information, visit www.ChiTAG.com.

About Mayfair Games
Mayfair Games is an international publisher of fine board games and card games suitable for families and hobbyists. An Illinois-based company, founded in 1981, making the games of our generation.

Bushiroad Press Release - Today's Cards - 26th November 2013

From the Bushiroad Website

Winter is dawning upon Japan soon, and night falls as early as 4.30pm. Xp

Visitors from warmer regions, please don't be alarmed!

Weiß Schwarz

Girl of destiny, Akari 太陽あかり from 「幻影ヲ駆ケル太陽」

Weiß Schwarz

"I... really want to know... more about Akari."
A Night of Yearning, Luna 月詠るな from 「幻影ヲ駆ケル太陽」

Weiß Schwarz

Daughter of a Proper Family, Hitagi Senjyogahara 戦場ヶ原ひたぎ from 「Bakemonogatari」

Chaos TCG

"Very impressive, Original"
"E-Pandora" Mark IV Subject, [Jina=Purpleton] ジーナ＝パープルトン from 「フリージング ヴァイブレーション」

Chaos TCG

"It can't be helped, since this is after all...... a war "
Head of Project E Pandora, [Scarlet=Ohara] スカーレット＝大原 from 「フリージング ヴァイブレーション」

Victory Spark

"My name is 'Language-user'!!"
"Ohh, geez, my throat hurts!!"
Bassist, Kotoha 五十音ことは from 「夜桜四重奏 〜ヨザクラカルテット〜」

Victory Spark

"You're pushing yourselves too much..."
Black Dress, Kotoha 五十音ことは from 「夜桜四重奏 〜ヨザクラカルテット〜」

Cardfight!! Vanguard

"All territories belong to me. See, even the spot behind you..."
Maiden of Venus Trap "Reverse" メイデン・オブ・ビーナストラップ “Я"

Cardfight!! Vanguard

"Arise once again! Golden Absolution!"
Liberator of the Round Table, Alfred

Monster Collection

Water Dragon ウォーター・ドラゴン from 伝説のブースターパック「不滅なる聖騎士」

Monster Collection

Prince of the Seven Seas　七つの海の王子 from 伝説のブースターパック「不滅なる聖騎士」

King of Pro-wrestling

The protagonist of this ring, is me!, Tetsuya Naito 内藤哲也