Warlord Games Press Release - Preview: Judge Dredd miniatures game – the rules

From the Warlord Games Website

As we get ever closer to the release of the new rulebook for the Judge Dredd miniatures game, we are getting very excited here! This really is a gorgeous book, a fitting starting point for fast-paced and thrilling firefights that take place in Mega-City One every day!

We have managed to sneak in lots of little additions that will nonetheless have a powerful effect on play. For example, Renegade Robot forces will have access to a brand new troop type – the Mini Bot.



Mini Bots represent all the millions of small droids that toil endlessly in Mega-City One, servicing vehicles, keep pedways clean, hunting vermin, and all the other jobs that citizens take for granted. Once they break their programming and go renegade, however, they prove to be extremely cheap units that can overwhelm enemies. While Renegade Robot players will not be able to tool them up to the same degree as a Servo or Combat Droid, they have a sufficient equipment allowance to make them good at one thing, be it a close combat nuisance (and quite deadly when used in number or to support robodogs!), a cheap, short-ranged stump gun blaster – or, equipped with more expensive weaponry, a fair terror for Heroes on the other side!

One of the unique features of the Judge Dredd miniatures game is how you can start with a fairly basic Hero in your force, and endlessly customise him (or her, or it!) with not only weapon and equipment options but Talents as well.

Talents are special abilities that allow Heroes to do really cool things on the battlefield. They are arranged in ‘trees’ so while the first few Talents a Hero picks up are fairly modest, if he specialises he will quickly become a real master. Take these two trees, for example, Alleyway Fighter and Gunslinger.



Alleyway Fighter represents a real ‘street’ style of close combat – the very first Talent in the tree is Dirty Fighting, which allows a Hero to kick an enemy somewhere it really hurts, leaving them vulnerable to a follow up attack.

As a Hero gets better at becoming an Alleyway Fighter, he can progress down the tree to gain Talents such as Below the Belt and Deadly Strike, right up to Mighty Blow, which can take out even strong opponents in just, well, one might blow!

Alternatively, the tree allows a Hero to ‘branch off’ to take Careless and Thundering Charge, two talents that will give any close combat Hero a real advantage if he manages to get the drop on a foe.

Gunslinger is the Talent tree Heroes will take if they want to pursue flashy, show-off shooting techniques. However, this has its own specialisation too, making pistol weapons more fearsome in close combat with Close Combat Shooter and Pistol Whip.

Psi Talents are a variation on all of this, and are only available to Heroes with a Psi score, such as Juve Psykers and Psi-Judges.



Here we can see three Psi Talent trees, covering Pre-Cogs (seeing them before they see you!), Necromancers (call up the dead!), and Pyrokine (set fire to your enemies, or cause flames to rain down from the skies!).

Again, psychic Heroes are able to specialise or spread their Talents about, either choosing just one or two Talents from each tree to be able to handle most situations, or concentrate on just one or two and become really good at what they do…

Next week, we will take a look at how Campaigns are played in the Judge Dredd miniatures game, and how Mercenaries work to become a unique balancing factor in games so even a starting force can play against an enemy like the entire Angel Gang on a level playing field.

The Judge Dredd miniatures game rulebook is set for release on October 18th.

Warlord Games Press Release - First Look – Painted White Death miniature

From the Warlord Games Website

We’re currently taking pre-orders for the Armies of Italy and the Axis Bolt Action supplement and as with all of our Bolt Action armies books, you also receive a free and exclusive figure if you buy the book directly from us at Warlord Games.

The exclusive miniature included with this book is none other than Simo Häyhä (AKA The White Death). This Finnish sniper recorded the highest number of kills in any war – 505. What makes his feat even more remarkable is that none of these were aided by a sniper scope – he fired of normal iron sights!
As we’ve just had the model painted up by multiple Salute award winner Darren Linington, we thought you’d like a look (check out the great snow effect on the base!):



While many nations flocked to the side of the Allies, others joined forces with Germany as part of the Axis. This volume is the definitive guide to the armies of Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Finland. Fight the Winter War against the Soviets, hold back the British in North Africa, or help shore up the German offensives on the Eastern Front with this latest supplement for Bolt Action. Includes historical information, detailed army lists as well as rules for assembling forces from specific theatres.

A copy of the Bolt Action rulebook is needed to use this 96 page full-colour supplement.

Released November 2013, orders placed with pre-order items included will be held until the release date. If you want your other products earlier please place a separate order so we can ensure you get your goodies as early as possible!

Z-Man Games Press Release - Essen Game Previews - GLASS ROAD - Something Special: Production Wheels.

From the Z-Man Games Website

Like another popular Uwe Rosenberg game, Ora & Labora, Glass Road includes a Production Wheel mechanic. However, the Production Wheel in Glass Road is entirely different from any other Production Wheels you have seen in the past.

The Production Wheel in Glass Road, is actually two different wheels: one for your Brickworks and one for your Glassworks. Both Wheels are there to indicate the number of goods you have available.

Each of the Production Wheels is divided into two sections. The larger area is for basic goods, such as Water, Wood, and Clay. The smaller area is for refined goods, such as Glass and Bricks. Whenever both brown sectors on the Wheels do not have any resources on them, they MUST be rotated until one of the spaces is no longer empty. 

In this example, before the rotation there was: 1 Food, 2 Quartz, 2 Charcoal, 3 Water and 4 Wood. After the rotation, we now have less of everything, and no longer have any Food. However, on the other side of the Wheel, there is a little green pawn, it represents Glass, a refined resource. With the rotation of the Wheel, a refined resource, Glass, was created.

So manage your resources wisely, because you could lose something you needed if you’re not paying attention to the different sections of the Wheels.

Well, there you have it, that was the new Production Wheels that you will be able to discover in Glass Road, one of the fantastic games premiering in Essen October 24th.

AEG Press Release - New Mailing for Imperial Assembly Members

From the AEG Website

Yes, that’s right! All current members of the Imperial Assembly will be receiving a mailing in the coming weeks. This package, as shown above, contains two promotional cards, Merchant Guard and Travelling Market. These cards are dual bugged for both Emperor and Ivory Edition, making great additions to everyone’s collection.

Also included with this mailing will be a letter, specific to the Clan that each Assembly member chose when signing up for the program. The letter, written in the style of a message from your Clan’s Champion, will give you a glimpse of impending story points regarding your Clan.

Look for this package to arrive in your mailbox sometime in October!

Days of Wonder Press Release - Can Wil Wheaton defend the realm? Shadows over Camelot on this week’s episode of TableTop

From the Days of Wonder Website

This week on Geek & Sundry’s TableTop (the insanely popular board game web show), host Wil Wheaton welcomes Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik (“Tycho” and “Gabe” from the Penny Arcade webcomic); and actress and voice actor extraordinaire, Tara Strong (featured in dozens of animated movies, TV series and video games).

Together they’ll defend the realm; take on the forces of evil; search for the Holy Grail; and undertake many other death-defying quests as they play (the insanely popular cooperative board game) Shadows over Camelot. But they must stay vigilant… one of them may be a traitor working secretly to foil the plans of the others.

Find out whether the loyal Knights are able to emerge triumphant. Watch the Shadows over Camelot episode on Geek & Sundry’s TableTop.



To learn more about the board game, visit the Shadows over Camelot web page.

Tabletop Gaming on a Budget

Tabletop gaming can be an expensive proposition.  Whether it is purchasing new board games to play, more miniatures to improve your army, or the newest expansion for the collectible card game there is a cost to it.  What is worse is when you do buy something only to find that it is not what you expected and you are stuck with it.

There are a number of different ways to get rid of things that you do not want.  Like selling them on eBay, but you very rarely get the entire cost of you original purchase back. 

So what is a gamer to do?

I have a number of suggestions below for ways to be able to play the games that you like without spending a lot of money.  I have broken them up by type of game because not all of the suggestions will work for all types of gaming.

Board Games

One of the best ways to board game on a budget is to go free open board gaming events.  These events can be found at the friendly local game store if they have gaming space in the store.  If they do not have an event, offer to run an event at the store for them.  Most of the time the management of the store will be open to the idea since it means it will bring people into the store who are potential customers.

Another place to find these events is online at www.meetup.com.  There are many of these groups there and there should be one in your local area.

The problem you can run into is that the quality of games and players can vary from group to group.  I was lucky to find a group here in Orange County, CA that has lots of quality players and the variety of games that are brought to the events is high.  In over five years of attending events, I have not been to one where there someone does not bring a game that I have not seen before.

That being said, I have also been to events that do not a great selection of games and the players have pretty bad game playing etiquette.  You will most likely have to go through some trial and error to find a group that suits you.

Once you find the right group all you will need to do is rely on others to show up with the games and you will be able to play to your heart’s content.  I do recommend that you get your own board games when you can afford them in order to support the group.  It is not required but it is always good form.  By the time you will look to purchase a game you will already know what games you may want to purchase.

Another option for board gaming would be to play print and play games.  For a number of these games all you need is a color printer and something to represent tokens and bits for the game.  Think Cheapass Games on a budget. 

It is a good way to be able to try out a game before purchasing it.  A number of Kickstarters had gone this route with their games to get them out there before publishing the game.

Card Games

The cheapest route to go with card games is to go the print and play route.  You can find a number of free card games here http://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/39932/free-print-n-play-card-games .  All you need is a color printer and some decent card stock and you off and running.

In the case of collectable card games there are a number of counterfeit cards out there that you can get for free or cheap.  I do not recommend that any one go this route.  As far as I am concerned if you want to play this type of game you should to pay for the cards.

Miniatures

 There are a number of free rules systems out there for miniature games.  This has a lot to do with the business model for miniatures which is for the companies to make money off of the miniatures.  Only a few companies like Games Workshop and Warlord Games can make money out of selling the rules and miniatures.  A resource to find free miniatures rules is http://www.freewargamesrules.co.uk/ .  They have a very comprehensive list of free miniature game rules across all genres. 

The problem is getting hands miniatures which are the profit center for any miniatures game company.  One thing that you can do is create your own markers.  This can be done a number of ways using cardboard chits or rounds.  You just have to make sure that you make your front face and are clear about your arcs.  You will also need a way to differentiate your pieces.

Role Playing Games

For role playing games my advice is similar to the advice for board games.  If you just want to play in role playing games the best way to find a group is to find one at your friendly local game store.  You will most likely not be able to start a group unless you are willing to run games that can be purchased at the store, which will require you to spend money on the rule books if you do not own them already.

In regards to getting an actual game, role playing games seem to have a lot of the best options for gaming on a budget.  There are literally dozens of role playing game systems on the internet for free.  A resource that has a number of them but is by no means complete is http://ericgarrison.wordpress.com/about/games/ and there is always open game license (OGL) for the D & D 3.5 rules at http://www.d20srd.org/ .  These give you complete rule sets to use for role playing games.

As you can see there are a number of ways that you can make tabletop gaming affordable.  All it takes is a little time and effort on your part to be able to create these opportunities.

If you have any other suggestions on this subject, please let me know.  If I get enough of them I will do a follow up to this article.

Mongoose Publishing Press Release - Future of Deus Vult

We have just released the Sacerdos Custos Training Guide on Drivethru (printed version coming end of November!), the players’ manual for the revised and tweaked Deus Vult setting for the Legend RPG.



This book marks the start of a new wave of one of our favourite settings.  In Deus Vult, players are members of a highly secretive order of the Church at the end of the 12th century, dedicated to fighting supernatural evils that would otherwise corrupt God’s divine plan for humanity. From hunting ghouls and werewolves in the forests of the Holy Roman Empire, from tracking down diabolic cults in Rouen, to quests across the Holy Land for powerful relics that may save humanity, there is much work ahead of them.
Following the Sacerdos Custos Training Guide (next week, all going well!) is the Games Masters Story Guide, a volume packed full of history, background and enough adventure ideas to keep a campaign running for months! As well as all the nasty supernatural beasties and diabolic magicks you would expect, the Story Guide includes a full cult creation system (which can be used to create anything from devil worshippers to covens of witches) and rules that allow you to chart how the cult detects the efforts of the players, and how it reacts to them.

Le Mont St. Michel - Home of the Order

So, what is coming next?

Well, we will be doing the same tweaks and revisions on the Ex Cathedra adventures, bringing them up to current spec, and breaking them down into three seperate, bite-size PDFs, making them cheaper and easier to dip into.

However, there is also a vertiable tome’s worth of brand new material on its way.
Sancturies has already been edited and is just awaiting layout (should be appearing a few days after the Story Guide), and includes a range of different Priories across Christendom – safe houses and bases the players can use when they start to travel across Europe and beyond.

Though the Order’s strength is greatest in northern Europe, its power and influence stretch far beyond the walls of the Mont St. Michel and the borders of France. Across the Holy Roman Empire and the kingdoms of the Mediterranean it maintains priories from which its members may pursue their struggle against the enemies of Christendom. Beyond these, in storied Egypt and mysterious Cyprus, lone outposts guard against the depredations of sorcery and blasphemies of the infidel, for monsters in the night never sleep, and there are but few who can stand against them.

Sanctuaries is a supplement that outlines four of the Order’s outposts to which guardian priests might travel in pursuit of a mission – or fall back to in times of need. Each is unique, offering the chance to encounter new supernatural threats and explore an unfamiliar region and culture.  All four sections are packed with information that Games Masters and players alike can use to enrich their Deus Vult campaign. This includes new creatures, equipment and Preternatural Gifts, information on the local history, inhabitants and culture, and two complete adventures that explore the unique mythology of the local region.

This is a full ‘heavyweight’ supplement that will start to give your campaign a solid foundation, and one of the adventures has a strong tie to the introductory adventure in the Story Guide.

Weapons of the Order

Hot on the heels of Sancturies will be Shadow Societies.

Presented within this book are details of some of the mysterious groups whose activities threaten not just Christendom but the world itself. Many of these organisations are centuries old, with schemes and ambitions set to play out in the years ahead. They can provide even experienced guardian priests with new and diverse challenges – and move the events of a Deus Vult campaign far beyond the relative safety of northern Europe to the Holy Lands and beyond. For, just as the Order is increasingly aware of these shadowy groups, so they too are taking a greater interest in the warriors of the Mont St Michel.

These include Malik Dhukan, the exiled King of the Djinn, strange were-races of the Scions of Zeus, and mysterious eastern sorcerers from far Cathay.

So, we will be taking a trip to the Holy Lands at last!

This is a good time to be a Deus Vult fan with all this new material coming out, but we are not resting on our laurels as there are already new books being prepared. We will be taking a trip to Rouen (yes, it is coming!), a hotbed of heresy and dark deeds, and a great place for players to root out evil while getting into trouble with the politics of medieval Europe. Little doubt can be given to the idea that we will be returning to the Holy Lands as well in future supplements…

There are also longer term plans to expand what players themselves can do in Deus Vult – look out for both the Inquisititor’s Training Guide and Witch-Hunter’s Training Guide. Thus far, we have posed these two groups as sometimes allies/mostly rivals/soon to become deadly enemies that come to blows in a three-way power struggle within the Church, but what really makes them tick? It is going to be interesting to see how the other parts of the Church charged with (or self-appointed…) tackling the supernatural deal with what the Order faces.

Finally, Matthew has been promising a revision/re-write of Sister Devout, the novel that kicked off the Deus Vult setting. He has promised a completely different ending, a struggle for the Order to get their hands on a sacred (and very well known) relic before the forces of evil can grab it, and the entire stroy told from a different perspective.
Should be good!

One way or another, the future looks bright for Deus Vult, which perhaps cannot be said for the Guardian Priests of the Order…