On October 1, Wizards of the Coast published an update to the Sage Advice compendium.

And why is that relevant to Epic Encounters?

Because, dear reader, that update (finally!) removes the ability score penalty to intelligence for Orc player characters, and ability score penalty to strength for Kobold player characters—and the Epic Encounters range just so happens to include some awesome Kobold and Orc minis!

So, to celebrate, we thought we’d roll up some new player characters using the Epic Encounters minis...

Kobold Player Characters

By Jamie Giblin, Community Manager

Kobold Cleric, Level 6

I’m currently playing in a Dungeon of the Mad Mage campaign and things are looking pretty ropey for our party, so I need to roll up a second character (you know, just in case).

I’ve always been intrigued by Kobolds and when I saw the minis in Shrine of the Kobold Queen, one immediately jumped out to me as a perfect player character. The Priest of the Bloody Flame would make an excellent Kobold Cleric.

This miniature plays a similar role in the Shrine of the Kobold Queen, though it comes with a few more fire based spells...and we’ll leave it at that, in case you’re planning on playing soon.

I chose to go with the Life Domain so I can act as our group’s healer, whilst the Spiritual Weapon (in the shape of a Dragon’s Tooth, obviously) can help the frontline. And with the Inspiring Leader Feat, Tik-Tak can help bump up the hit points of the party. 

With the GM’s agreement, we came up with a magical item to represent the Holy Symbol Tik-Tak carries: The Unburnt Torch. 

 You can see Tik-Tak’s Character Sheet and Magical Item here.

Kobold Fighter, Level 5

With the compendium update removing the negative strength modifier for Kobolds, it’s the perfect time to roll up a Kobold Fighter. 

The Fire Brand Kobold Champion is the obvious choice for this. The miniature gives off serious Gladiator vibes, as if it’s screaming “Are you not entertained?” after dispatching another contender.

We went with the Champion subclass to grab the Improved Critical feature, befitting of one who has spent their time learning to please the crowd with deft strikes. 

Fortunately, Gladiator exists as a background option, and we took the proficiency in Performance to give our Russel-Crowe-aspirant Kobold the best chance of winning the crowd to their favour. 

Finally, for our 4th level Feat, we decided to go with Lucky. After all, it takes more than just skill with a blade to survive for years as a gladiator before taking up a life of adventuring!

Kobold Rogue, Level 4

These Fire Brand Assassins are no pushovers in the Shrine of the Kobold Queen, and the Kobolds’ natural +2 to Dexterity sets them up as excellent Rogues.

We took proficiency in Stealth (duh), Deception, Athletics and Acrobatics and Expertise in Stealth and Thieves Tools. 

We wanted to go full-on Assassin’s Creed with this Kobold, so we obviously went for the Assassin Roguish Archetype. As we’re only 4th level we don’t have access to a whole lot just yet, but seeing as we’re really pushing the assassin schtick we’ve picked the Alert feat. 

With the +5 to Initiative, we’ll be looking to get the drop on unexpecting enemies with Assassinate giving us advantage on attacks against creatures who don’t have a turn yet. Altaïr, eat your heart out!

Share Your Kobold Character Designs

So, what did you think of our Kobold player characters?

Why not check out the rest of the minis in the Shrine of the Kobold Queen and have a go at making your own?

We’d love to see them if you do, so don’t forget to share on Twitter with #EpicEncounters and tag @SteamforgedLtd.

In today’s quick guide, we’ll cover how you can use Epic Encounters to take your  fantasy roleplaying games to the next level.

What Is Epic Encounters?

Epic Encounters are exactly that: readymade RPG encounters in a box.

They can be added in to your existing campaign, used to kick off a brand new campaign, played as one-shot adventures, or even combined!

Some sets are actually designed to link together. For example, Shrine of the Kobold Queen and Lair of the Red Dragon, which we’ll explore today.

Types of Epic Encounter

Epic Encounters sets come in two types: warband boxes and boss boxes.

Warband Boxes

Warband boxes are plot-driven adventures that include minions and a boss enemy. 

(There may be a lot of minions, but don’t expect a lot of repeat content. Shrine of the Kobold Queen and Hall of the Orc King both contain NINE unique sculpts.)

Boss Boxes

Boss boxes are standalone, set-piece encounters that make for a BIG cinematic finish. 

(BIG is right—the red dragon in Lair of the Red Dragon has a wingspan over 11 inches!)

What’s in the Box?

Whether a warband or a boss box, each set comes with everything you need to run an epic encounter: 

Miniatures, double-sided playmat, and tokens, PLUS a book that helps you turn the ordinary into the epic with plot hooks, rumours, locations, stat blocks, new creatures and behaviours, and awesome GM tactics to impose threat and increase tension. 

Now, let’s take a look at those books……

Epic Encounters: Shrine of the Kobold Queen

Mother Krangor and the Cult of the Bloody Flame are the subject of extensive rumours, discussed throughout the region as people try to discover the cause of the brutal kobold attacks. 

Your adventurers are here to stop the rise of a terrible new threat, prevent the destruction of hundreds of lives and homes, and stop the unleashing of a vast and horrifying draconic threat. 

In short, to do the things heroes are meant to do!

This book includes:

• Adventure Overview - background information on the Fire Brand Kobolds and Mother Krangor’s ultimate goal, as well as rumours that your adventurers could learn

• Hooks - seed these hooks into your storytelling to raise the stakes of the encounter and introduce some optional quests.

• Details on Locations - expansive tables help keep you and your adventurers on their toes. What’s in this Kobold hut? More guards or perhaps a scared hatchling who’s willing to help? Or what about the prisoner pit? Is it empty, or has a ranger been captured who can give you advice?

• Stat Blocks - easy to access and read creature stats, including some new creations!

• New Creatures - Introduce the Ember Rage Fire Snake and the fearsome Magma Belcher Basilisk (and more) to your adventurers and watch them overcome new threats.

Shrine of the Kobold Queen Sample Pages

Get the FREE pdf straight to your inbox!

Epic Encounters: Lair of the Red Dragon

When played in sequence with Shrine of the Kobold Queen, the fight with the Red Dragon is the climactic battle and the encounter book provides you with everything to make it as memorable as possible.

The book includes:

• Lore & Hooks - What do your adventurers know about Red Dragons, and why on earth would they go and try to kill one?!

• Dragon Tactics - Don’t let the fight turn into a “countdown till breath weapon” affair. Use our GM Tips to turn the fight into the grand spectacle it is meant to be.

• Tips for Using Terrain - Both Player Characters and the Red Dragon can make use of the terrain in the dragon’s lair (afterall, it chose to live there). Lava pools, stalagmites and piles of gold can all be used by the dragon and players to make the fight more dynamic.

• New Dragon Abilities - Fighting a dragon in it’s lair is a brave/stupid thing to do. To represent this there are new abilities for the Red Dragon that take the encounter to the next level!

• Cinematic Moments - Just because we’re in combat, doesn’t mean there isn’t time for storytelling. With these cinematic moments you’ll be able to inject some awe inspiring descriptions at pivotal moments in the battle.

• Treasure - The only half-sensible reason for venturing into the cavern of a greedy red dragon is for the treasure you’ll find.

• Stat Blocks - We’ve given you stat blocks for Young/Adult/Ancient red dragons so you can tailor the experience to your parties level, you’ll also get Fire Brand Kobold stats...in case some enter the encounter along the way.

Lair of the Red Dragon Sample Pages

Get the free pdf direct to your inbox.

Add Luella, the Raging Storm to your collection today

Luella Cons

• Very low dodge

• Needs allies for offensive boons

• Easy to predict her turn

Luella Pros

• Low follower count

• Big health pool

• High threat AoE attack

If you were along for the Godtear Kickstarter back in 2018 (and have a curious mind) you might have spotted Luella teased on the retail pledge page.

Now, she’s riding the lightning right to your tabletop, and she’s ready to cause mayhem! 

Let’s check out her cards.

Luella’s Stats and Traits

Because she’s a Maelstrom champion, Luella gets bonus steps on the battle ladder when she knocks out enemy followers. 

With a speed of one in the plot phase and two in the clash phase, she’s got the usual dwarf statline we’ve come to expect after Rhodri and Nia. 

In line with her dwarvish resilience comes a low dodge value, high protection, and a VERY high health pool (especially for a Maelstrom—something Jeen will no doubt be jealous about!).

Right away, we can see some exciting stuff on Luella’s trait card.

Momentum increases Luella’s speed by one when she moves in a straight line. Remember that, because it’s important later!

Luella Skills and Ultimate

Luella is deceptively fast. You’ll want to take advantage of her speed whenever you can.

On the flipside, it does make it tough for her shieldmaidens to protect her when she’s always charging ahead.

Luella Skills In the Plot Phase

Luella has just two skills to choose from in the plot phase. However, you can use both and move if you wish!

Supercharge provides a speed boon to Luella or an ally within one hex. Use this and advance in a straight line to trigger Momentum, giving you a move of three, which...

...allows you to use Lightning Flash as a bonus action! 

Lightning Flash has a range of two hexes and is pretty accurate, rolling six Godtear dice. 

On a successful hit you’ll apply a dodge blight; perfect for setting up your clash phase.

Luella Skills In the Clash Phase

The clash phase is where we see Luella’s Maelstrom nature really come into play. Get ready for the storm!

Firstly, her speed increases to two, which means that with Momentum, we’re hitting that sweet three moves to unlock bonus actions!

Our bonus action this time is Rolling Thunder, which lets Luella target a single opponent with a respectable attack. Hey, if it’s free, you can’t complain.

Luella’s ‘big’ attack calls the lightning of her storm to target a single enemy with a strong attack. If you hit, it arcs out, hitting two more models adjacent to the first! 

A good use of this is to target a low dodge model so the lightning scatters, catching that model (or models) that are harder to hit. 

Finally, Supercharge makes another appearance. Now, with a clever use of Supercharge you can have Luella move three in the following plot phase, plant her banner, and use Lightning Flash.

Luella Ultimate Ability: Storm Rider

Well, if there was ever any doubt Luella likes to be in the thick of it, this should put that to rest.

Storm Rider gives Luella the ability to move two hexes (that count towards bonus action movement). And THEN, every enemy adjacent to her suffers a three Godtear dice damage roll!

Yeah, you read correctly: it completely bypasses dodge. So, if there’s a scrum over the objective hexes, this is bound to clear the area.

Luella Followers: Shield Maidens

Luella’s Shield Maidens are sworn to defend her in battle. So, naturally, she gets a defensive bonus whenever they’re around her—although that’s easier said than done!

With the Protective trait, Luella gets a protection boon whenever a Shield Maiden is adjacent to her at the end of their activation.

It’s also important to note that Luella is the first Maelstrom with only three followers, making her an interesting choice if your opponent likes Maelstroms. 

Remember: Less followers equals less potential steps on the battle ladder for your opponent.

Shield Maidens In The Plot Phase

Although the Shield Maidens match Luella for speed, they’ll need to March to catch up if she’s used Momentum to rush ahead.

Their second skill, Empower, gives the Shield Maidens a damage boon. This can be put to great use in the clash phase or, if you’re running Nia, there’s the option to Crystal Mirror this boon onto Luella.

Shield Maidens in the Clash Phase

During the clash phase, if the Shield Maidens are grouped on the same hex they can take full advantage of Cleave to wield an accurate (and damaging) attack, made better by Empower from the previous phase.

Once again, March will let the Shield Maidens catch up with Luella to apply that protective boon.

Luella Tips and Tricks

Plan your turns. Luella’s action economy is great when she can move three hexes in a straight line, but it does make her turns predictable. So, you’ll need to try to line up at least two targets for the clash phase.

Flex into targeting champions. Luella’s attacks are on par with some Slayers. Throwing an Arc Lightning into an injured champion may net you four battle ladder steps, instead of two for a follower!

Pick champions that can move Luella out of sequence. For example, Titus’ Glory Seekers give you the ability to move a champion one hex in the plot phase. This would let Luella Advance, trigger Momentum, have moved three hexes in a straight line to trigger Lightning Flash and THEN, for her second action, plant her banner. Not bad for plot phase activation!

Add Jeen, the Wandering Warrior to your collection today

Jeen Cons

• Rarely Contributes to banner game

• Low health pool

• Relies on allies for boons

Jeen Pros

• Devastatingly fast

• Good action economy

• Disruptive Skills

Jeen Stats and Traits

As a goblin, Jeen flips the plot and clash phases on their head, doing most of her work in the plot phase. 

But with this unique dynamic comes a balancing act. When playing with Jeen, will you focus on taking out followers, or planting her banner?

Because she’s a Maelstrom champion, Jeen gets bonus steps on the battle ladder when she knocks out enemy followers. 

With a speed of three in the plot phase and one in the clash phase, she’s pretty nimble. And with a protection and dodge of three, she’s not the easiest to knock out, either. 

Although, as we see with most Maelstroms, she has pretty low health at just five.

Her health may not be the highest, but Jeen’s stellar defensive stats get a boost whenever she’s hit. With Martial Discipline, she can choose either a dodge or protection boon after taking a wound. 

This handy little trait lets Jeen assess the battlefield to figure out whether she needs to pack on protection, or prepare to dodge.

Jeen Skills and Ultimate

As you’ll see from her skills, which we’ll explore below, Jeen is absolutely lethal with her polearm. 

She also has serious mobility and range to help her catch enemy followers unaware. Spreading out won’t save you this time, enemy followers! 

Jeen Skills In the Plot Phase

Jeen has three skills to choose from in the plot phase, all designed with the aim of taking out enemy followers and getting early steps on the battle ladder.

Blade Storm can decimate grouped followers and gives Jeen a pip of movement to relocate and find more enemies. 

With a range of just one, you’ll likely need to use her advance first to get in range, but don’t fret about the missed opportunity to attack again.

Why? 

Because Jeen has Rapid Strike, a bonus action she can use to strike at a single follower. It’s range two, so if you’ve already advanced and wiped out enemies with Blade Storm, you can still take a stab at any follower within three hexes. 

Finally, if your opponent gets wise to your Blade Storm tricks and starts spreading out their followers, you can still take advantage of the situation with Polearm Sweep. 

With this skill, you can threaten followers up to five hexes away from Jeen’s position (and still make use of Rapid Strike).

Jeen Skills In the Clash Phase

Jeen’s skills in the clash phase are similar to what you’d expect from other champions in the plot phase, as fits her goblin nature.

With her first boon-based skill, Sharpen Blade, she can improve her own damage output. 

Press Forward is more generous, letting Jeen improve her speed or the speed of her allies—useful for catching your opponent by surprise and crushing their banner with a sudden burst of speed! 

Finally, Polearm Sweep makes a comeback from the plot phase, allowing Jeen to put pressure on enemy followers in both phases.

Jeen Ultimate Ability: Overrun

Whoa—what an ultimate! Overrun gives Jeen and her allies the ability to totally reposition on the battlefield. 

As you can imagine, there are tons of ways you could use this. You’ll need to figure out what works for your situation, but there’s one obvious call: use it on turn one to catapult your warband forward, gaining a strong position on the objective hexes for future turns. 

Golden Shrikes In The Plot Phase

Jeen’s followers are defensively solid, and follow Jeen’s lead with speed three and one in the plot and clash phases respectively.

On the face of it, Sprint doesn’t feel like a particularly strong skill. But when coupled with Drive Back, it can become a useful disruptive ability.

Slash and Dash, on the other hand, follows the typical goblin archetype of being accurate-but-less-damaging when more followers are present, and vice versa. The added benefit is that each Golden Shrike in the chosen hex may make a move to relocate.

Golden Shrikes in the Clash Phase

During the clash phase, the Golden Shrikes have a move stat of just one. Like Jeen, they can boost it with Press Forward. 

(This group’s potential to give two speed boons should not be overlooked when constructing your warband!)

The Golden Shrikes’ second skill, Balanced Stance, gives them a dodge or protection boon. It’s perfect for keeping that eager Shrike who Sprinted ahead safe throughout the clash phase.

Jeen Tips and Tricks

Use the clash phase to prepare for the plot phase: Jeen and the Golden Shrikes can set up their upcoming turns by boosting their speed, giving them a staggering advance of four hexes and allowing Jeen to pose a threat from up to six hexes away!

Use Jeen’s Range: Jeen can attack from two hexes away. Exploit clever positioning so you don’t have to advance as often.

Pick champions that synergise: Jeen’s attacks are reasonably accurate for attacking followers. If you pick a champion that can give her accuracy boons, you’ll be reaping those steps on the battle ladder!

Keera, the Dragon Princess is now available on Tabletopia!

So, What Do You Think?

Will you be playing with Keera today?

Or will you be trying to take her down?

Either way, let us know on Facebook and Twitter with #Godtear.

Keera is available to preorder right now and will be released August 14. 

If you can, order directly from your local retailer. Now would be a great time to show your support!

Keera, the Dragon Princess is coming to Tabletopia!

We know many of you can’t meet up to play Godtear right now, but we didn’t want you to miss out on playing with Keera.

So, from Friday 31 July, you’ll be able to give the fiery new Slayer a try online! 

Test out your warband combinations, get some practice under your belt, and be ready for her retail launch on August 14.

So, What Do You Think?

Will Keera join your digital warband on July 31?

Or will you be trying to take her down?

Either way, let us know on Facebook and Twitter with #Godtear.

Keera is available to preorder right now and will be released August 14. 

If you can, order directly from your local retailer. Now would be a great time to show your support!

Want to find out how you could include Keera in your warband? Read on.

Get Started with Keera: ‘Balanced Beginnings’

If you’re new to Godtear and want to get started with Keera, then grab yourself a copy of The Borderlands Starter Set. 

You’ll get everything you need to play Godtear, plus two additional champions to bring your warband total up to three. Your warband will include:

• Keera

• Titus

• Finvarr

Godtear has four champion classes: Maelstrom, Slayer, Guardian, and Shaper. 

With the above combo, you’ll learn to play a Maelstrom (Titus), a Guardian (Finvarr), and a Slayer (Keera), giving you a good basis for getting to grips with the game.

Decided to give this warband a try? Check out the rulebook and beginner’s guide while you wait for your parcel to arrive.

Keera with a Shaper: ‘Super Powered Dragons’

If dragons are your thing—and you want to push them to their limit!—you’re going to want a Shaper in the warband to load them up with boons.

Try this roster on for size:

• Keera

• Rattlebone

• Blackjaw

Whichever enemy champion you target, Rattlebone can make sure they’re suitably debuffed for Keera’s Young Dragon followers to exploit. 

Meanwhile, Rattlebone’s Hexlings can power up Keera to turn her attacks from big to epic!

To round out this super powered warband, Blackjaw makes a good third. He can apply a speed boon to make sure the Young Dragons get where they need to go—and if your opponent tries to shield their champions, he can clear a hex for the dragons to land.

TL;DR - you can run, but you can’t hide!

Keera into Maelstroms: ‘Denying Team Yellow’

If your regular opponent is leaning heavily into a Maelstrom lineup, they’re probably relying on follower knockouts. Deny them those easy steps on the battle ladder with this roster:

• Keera

• Shayle

• Grimgut

Two of these champions only have large followers: Keera’s two Young Dragons and Shayle’s Landslide. 

Now, Maelstroms do get three steps for knocking out a large follower. However, by taking large followers, you’ll be denying the Maelstroms the opportunity to knock out many small followers and gain multiple steps. 

For example, knocking out five small followers could get your opponent 10 steps on the battle ladder. Not with this warband, though!

Grimgut, on the other hand, does have multiple followers, but they’re worth only one step when knocked out by a Maelstrom instead of the usual two. Again, denying team yellow their primary scoring opportunity.

And the synergy doesn’t stop there. You can use Grimgut’s Retchlings to corral enemy champions and keep them in range of the Young Dragons, while Shayle and Landslide strip away their boons!

So, What Do You Think?

Will you be playing any of the above warbands?

Or have you got your own roster in mind?

Either way, let us know on Facebook and Twitter with #Godtear.

Keera is available to preorder right now and will be released August 14. If you can order direct from your local retailer, now would be a great time to show your support.

On the outside, Keera is the essence of nobility. But on the inside, an untameable fire burns. Enemies are advised to tread lightly, for it is uncertain who they should fear more— the fiery mistress, or her mythical dragons. 

(Spoiler: It’s the Young Dragons).

View fullsize

View fullsize

That’s right. A brand new Slayer champion is joining the Godtear ranks. Yes, she’s got dragons—and she’s not afraid to use them!

Keera is Godtear’s first new champion since launch.  With her fiery fighting style and fearsome large followers, we expect this champion to become a real contender on the battlefield.

Keera’s Cards

View fullsize

View fullsize

During a battle, you’d expect to find most Slayers in the thick of the fight, putting pressure on a single enemy champion to gain those sweet extra steps on the ladder. 

Not Keera. She and her Young Dragons can threaten multiple champions at once—a unique dynamic that opponents should be wary of!

How do they threaten multiple champions, you ask? 

Well, for one, Keera’s ultimate, ‘Firebrand’, applies a wound to any enemy champion within range of her Young Dragons. 

For two, her ‘By My Command’ trait causes Keera to channel her own skills through the dragons, making them a conduit for their mistress’s power.

As you can see, with some planning—and a little help from their warband friends—the Young Dragons can deal a punishing amount of damage!

TL;DR - No enemy champion is safe.

View fullsize

View fullsize

As you’d expect from a dragon mistress, Keera’s skills turn the Young Dragons up to 11. Her ability to orchestrate their actions to follow the flow of battle, or to put pressure on enemy champions, makes them a constant threat to be dealt with.

So, will you be recruiting Keera for your warband? Or planning her demise?

Check back next week when we’ll be looking at some synergies that can maximise the Young Dragons’ potential on the battlefield.

Preorder and Release Date

Set for release on August 14, Keera is available for preorder right now. 

Consider ordering direct from your local retailer, if you can. Local gaming stores need your support—now more than ever.

Huge thanks to Harry Staszewski, Simon Roberts, and Rich Dorrell for creating the mod. 

Ready to Play Guild Ball Online?

You can play Guild Ball online using Tabletop Simulator, which you can buy on Steam.

Once you own the simulator, the Guild Ball mod is free to download!

If this is your first time playing Guild Ball, you’ll find a ton of resources on the Guild Ball Hub.

And if you’re familiar with Guild Ball but want to know how it works on Tabletop Simulator, this video is for you:

Need people to play with? Join the Guild Ball Supporters group on Facebook and Guild Ball Discord to find new opponents.

Like a lot of tabletop developers, we had a full calendar of exciting stuff planned this year. Instead, we’ve had to take a step back and figure out what’s still possible. 

Guild Ball World Championship 2020

This year’s Guild Ball World Championship was scheduled to take place at the UK Games Expo (UKGE) this month.

When lockdown began, there was a small chance UKGE might go ahead in August. But, like many events planned for this year, it’s now been cancelled altogether. 

To those of you who’ve been following the news, that cancellation won’t come as a surprise. And with the expo cancelled, the Guild Ball World Championship can’t go ahead either. 

In truth, we’re frustrated and disappointed. UKGE seemed like a great option, and it was good to be back on track with a firm plan for a key event in the Guild Ball calendar.

But we also understand that cancelling UKGE was the right call. The organisers made a difficult decision to keep staff and attendees safe, and we stand by them for that. 

Organised Play

Because of everything that’s happening right now, we have no way to know when organised play will be safe again, or what it’ll look like when it is. 

Restrictions on crowd control, world travel, and venues could all have a major impact for a while. So, for now, all Steamforged organised play events are on hold.

Revisiting GBWC 2020

Because of all the above, we had to take a realistic look at whether GBWC 2020 could still run.

It’s likely a tournament like GBWC won’t be possible until 2021 and, even then, we can’t say for sure. It could be off the cards for longer than we expect.

Because of the uncertainty, rather than keeping you waiting indefinitely—and potentially running a 2019/2020 tournament in 2021/2022—sadly, the logical conclusion is to cancel GBWC 2020 altogether. 

If you qualified, keep an eye on your inbox next week. It doesn’t make up for GBWC, but we’ll be sending you something special to commemorate your achievement. 

Cancelling GBWC 2020 wasn’t an easy decision and it’s one we’ve given a significant amount of thought. 

You’ve been patient, Guild Ballers, and we’re incredibly grateful for that. 

If GBWC becomes an option again in future, you’ll be the first to know. 

These changes are NOT presented as ‘decision made now test’. Instead they are a suite of ideas that need further thought and trying out. They are a part of a suite of ideas that need to be tested but if we try and do everything all at once it’ll get real confusing, real fast!

I’ve included some degree of rationale behind the change/idea and what I believe the expected outcomes might be but its going to be fascinating to see the community feedback over the next few weeks. Towards the end of the test period (3 weeks) I’ll publish a link to an online survey  to collate some actual data that can inform the next test.

Discussion on Twitter using #GuildBallFieldTest or #GBFT, or on Facebook in the GUBS area…as always, be excellent to each other!

Test 1 – Playbooks no longer wrap

By far and away the hardest concept to explain to a new player. Its simple enough of a rule but its quite hard to communicate logically and eloquently.

I expect this to throw up a number of models/teams that will need rebalancing as they rely on wrapping more than other teams, but looking past this then this change should make it a) easier to understand how to resolve playbook results (thereby reducing the word count in the rulebook) and b) force players to make harder decisions as to a single result…no more cake and eating it too.

Test 2 – Ganging Up / Crowding Out Capped (to +/- 1)

The trouble with being stuck on the wrong side of a Ganging Up situation is when you activate that model to try and extricate them, the Crowding Out stings you in the tail…this leads to an imprisonment style gameplay which is an NPE if you have no exit strategy. Additionally, with a strict +/- 1 limit it should be fractionally quicker to parse the game-state and work out the final bonus/penalty, most times this will be from a glance.

I expect this to make it a little harder to cage a mini and conversely, a little easier to extricate a mini should it get into a back position. Additionally, I hope a longer-term benefit will be spreading out of models as there’s less reasons to bunch up now.

Test 3 – Influence Pool

“At the start of the turn, each model on your team generates their standard amount of INF, which is then added to a central pool.  Any player can spend INF from this pool during their activation, up to their maximum INF stat, leaving any influence spent on the model. The actions and types / costs of influence spend remains the same.”

If playbooks wrapping is the hardest thing to explain, seeing new (and experienced) players misallocate Influence at the beginning of the turn and discovering it during play is the most common observation. It requires a big block of knowledge of your team, the opponent’s team, and parsed against the current game state to formulate a decent ‘turn plan’ and allocate effectively. I don’t mind this so much, but it’s the timing of discovery and being locked into a turn once you’ve realised that leads to a negative play experience.

I expect this to develop new decisions as each turn progresses. I’m looking forward to new strategies as to whether you burst a lot of INF early to get an alpha strike, or go for late turn INF dominance. New opportunities should arise if a player fluffs an attack and is forced to spend extra INF for example. This change should be fascinating.

Test 4 – “Put Me Back In Coach!” (modified)

“When a model suffering the taken out condition is activated, this model may immediately remove the taken out condition and return to the pitch as if it were the Maintenance Phase.”

No more lost activations (or lost INF using original system) leading to activation advantage. Does away with the need for a tacked-on ‘Pass token’ system elegantly.

I simply expect this to soften the impact of losing a model early in a turn but it should also mean that you don’t end up with models you are frightened to put INF on to when allocating (obviously Test 1 changes this aspect too).

(Optional) Test 5 – Goals = 3VP

As an optional element to try out, how does reducing the VP’s gained from scoring goals affect the key strategic and tactical decisions during the course of the game?

- Mat Hart