FFG: Fantasy Flight Games News

[RSSFeeder]

The Frozen Frontier

Preview the Antarctic Locations of Eldritch Horror: Mountains of Madness

The effect was that of a Cyclopean city of no architecture known to man or to human imagination, with vast aggregations of night-black masonry embodying monstrous perversions of geometrical laws and attaining the most grotesque extremes of sinister bizarrerie.
   –H. P. Lovecraft, At the Mountains of Madness

Uncover Antarctica’s nightmarish secrets in Mountains of Madness, a side board expansion for Eldritch Horror. In Mountains of Madness, players follow the path of an ill-fated Antarctic expedition that encountered magnificent ruins and unspeakable horrors.You and your fellow investigators must find out what happened to that expedition and prevent the savage creatures stirring in the ice from growing strong enough to enslave– or annihilate– humanity.

Today’s preview will prepare you for your exploration of Antarctica by providing a glimpse of the locations you can visit in Antarctica and the terrifying things, from mutilated human bodies to horrific prehistoric carvings, you may find there. The new Outpost, Mountain, and Antarctic Research Encounter cards featured in Mountains of Madness bring to life the gory trail of the previous Miskatonic expedition, the mind-blowing remains of a previous civilization and the harsh conditions of the Antarctic climate. We’ll also introduce some of the human and material Unique Assets that can help you survive in that brutal, frozen land.

The Miskatonic Outpost and Professor Lake’s Camp

Your gateway to the farthest reaches of Antarctica is the Miskatonic University outpost, where your expedition will come together and you’ll be equipped with provisions and transportation as you acclimate to the cold. You can reach the outpost from any coastal city by ship or from the Antarctica space on the main game board. Once there, you can use an action to purchase a ship ticket, securing your passage back to Arkham, or attempt to persuade an Antarctic Guide to help you survive the trials that lie ahead. Or, you may meet the only two survivors of the previous Miskatonic expedition, the geologist William Dyer and the graduate student Danforth, and gain their assistance.

Lake Camp is the last known location of the group who first explored the region beyond the Snowy Mountains. Moreover, it is the only place in Antarctica where you can Acquire Assets, and the only place where you can find a sled and the dogs to pull it. There, Professor Lake and his colleagues found the frozen remains of ghastly, prehistoric creatures, the Elder Things, whom they – incorrectly – assumed to be dead. There Professor Lake and many others were brutally killed, and the camp has not been altered since their deaths. Inside any tent you may find his dissected corpse preserved by the cold. Any mound of snow may conceal a clue. Any track through the snow may signal where the Elder Things that ravaged the camp went. Be careful, however: it is likely that the creatures, so recently awakened from thousands of years of hibernation, did not go far. They may return from their hiding places to attack– or they may still be in the camp, waiting beneath the snow.

Snowy Mountains and Frozen Waste

From Lake Camp you may follow those mysterious tracks through the snow into the lonely Frozen Waste, where the isolation can drive you insane faster than the cold can freeze your blood. But although you and your company may be the only humans for miles in any direction, you are certainly not alone. Vicious monsters who thrive in the cold have inhabited this desolation for millennia, feeding off each other. And now the ghastly and sapient Elder Things roam the expanses in search of tools, information, and prey. By watching one as it forages, you may learn valuable information about their species– or it may sense your presence and attack.

If you prefer to avoid an arduous trek through the Frozen Waste, you can go directly from the Miskatonic Outpost over the so-called mountains of madness themselves, the Snowy Mountains which surpass the Himalayas in height. During your flight over the peaks, you may test your will in order to improve one of your skills. It is not wise to bypass this opportunity. What you find on the other side of the mountains is certain to push you to the limits of your abilities.

The City of the Elder Things and Beyond

As you pass over the Snowy Mountains or through the Frozen Waste, strange, dark, non-Euclidean shapes slowly come into view. It is not until you are in the midst of them that you understand that they are immense buildings, the remains of the Elder Things’ vast city. Among the ruins are stunning murals that tell the story of the Elder Things’ rise and fall, aeons ago. If you can comprehend them, the murals may reveal how to stop these ruthless creatures from rising again. Although the majority of Elder Things have abandoned their city, it is not necessarily uninhabited. A few Elder Things may have lingered along with their shadow-like Shoggoth slaves, ravenous and ready to attack any living thing.

Beyond the city is a plateau, higher and even colder than the Frozen Waste. The moment you set foot into it, your consciousness becomes troubled, as if time and space no longer quite cohere. This place is the Plateau of Leng, a transdimensional space connected to the Dreamlands, where all Other Worlds come together. From the Plateau of Leng you could walk into earth’s distant future, or the Lake Camp as it was a week ago, or Arkham as it is in the present. By testing your knowledge of lore, or spending a Clue, you can use the plateau’s uncanny physics to leave Antarctica, move into an Other World, and through a gate back to the earthly region where that gate opened. Or you may choose to linger in the plateau and learn more about the ancient civilization that engineered it.

The Answers Are in the Ice

Learning the secrets concealed in the Antarctic ice is well worth the risk of being attacked by a monster, losing your sanity, or catching hypothermia. Only by venturing into the remotest parts of that continent can you find out what happened to Professor Lake’s expedition and how to subdue the evil that they awoke.

In future previews, we will take a closer look at the new investigators who may join your expedition and at the bizarre, ferocious Elder Things themselves. We will also be demoing Eldritch Horror and Mountains of Madness at Arkham Nights, a celebration of Lovecraftian games that will take place October 17-18 in Roseville, MN.

Pre-order Mountains of Madness from your local retailer today!

...

Source: The Frozen Frontier

[RSSFeeder]

Architect

A Look at the World Champion Card in the Up and Over Data Pack

As a Living Card Game®, Android: Netrunner is constantly growing and evolving, and part of that growth is directed by the game’s community. Through events like the Plugged-in Tour and the Chronos Protocol Tour, the game’s developers have interfaced with fans around the world to guide the design of upcoming Runner and Corporate identities. Additionally, FFG awards each year’s Android: Netrunner World Champion the opportunity to work closely with the game’s developers to craft a card that will become part of the game.

Today, as we await the upcoming release of Up and Over, we’ll take a look at the first of the game’s World Champion cards. Designed by 2012 World Champion Jeremy Zwirn, Architect (Up and Over, 61) is a sophisticated piece of Haas-Bioroid ice that’s certain to add many new layers of tricks, traps, and efficiencies to the game’s constantly evolving cyberstruggles.

Jeremy Zwirn on Designing Architect

Being given the opportunity to design a card is really the coolest prize in gaming! I put a lot of pressure upon myself to design an exciting and memorable first World Champion Card for Android: Netrunner, and I'd like to share the process with all of you.

 

My goal was to design an interesting card that players would be excited to use for years to come. After considering and scrapping a number of other ideas, I eventually thought about designing a piece of ice. There's a lot of design space for ice that I felt was ripe for exploration, and I found that inspiring. One question that I found particularly compelling ended up at the center of my design, “What if the Corp could install cards like assets, agendas, and upgrades in the middle of a Runner’s run?” I thought about the mind games one could play by installing a card in a server the Runner was currently running. I also liked the idea that the card might discourage Runners from face-checking ice, but instead of punishing the Runner, it would reward the Corp.

 

Another thing that I wanted to be sure to add to my card was a measure of variance. I like cards with variance because they provide interesting gameplay and high replayability. Gaining the ability to look at the top five cards of R&D and install one of them creates variance throughout each game. Each time it triggers, you get to ask yourself, “What card do I install?” Do you need more ice to protect your servers, or do you want that San San City Grid (Core Set, 92) to start scoring agendas? It all depends upon the current game state. Adding a second subroutine that would install a card from Archives or HQ further increased variance and provided even more choices.

 

Because I was also looking for something to help counter powerful cards, like the ubiquitous Parasite (Core Set, 12). I had thought about adding the ability, “Architect's strength cannot be lowered.” This would have been an incredibly strong ability, but also one better used elsewhere. Also, it wouldn’t have addressed the confusion that could be introduced if the Corp chose to trash Architect while resolving its first subroutine: Would the second subroutine still resolve if Architect was no longer installed? A much better solution prevented any confusion while helping to counter Parasite; I added the ability, “Architect cannot be trashed while installed.”

Playing with a piece of ice that installs cards feels like you’re creating the blueprint for a set of servers that could best impede the Runner, so the name “Architect” felt natural.

 

Playing with Architect

 

Even if you don’t install a card each time the Runner triggers Architect’s first subroutine, knowing the top five cards of R&D is still very helpful; you'll know when R&D is vulnerable and when (and when not) to draw cards. Is an agenda sitting on top of R&D? Then draw it, and make the Runner find it in HQ instead. Is an operation or a piece of ice on top? Leave it and let the Runner run R&D fruitlessly. The knowledge of what’s on top of R&D also helps you plan ahead:

   
• You can save your credits to play that Restructure (Second Thoughts, 40) that's coming up.

   
• Or you can draw any crucial cards sitting on top of R&D that you might lose by playing a Power Shutdown (Mala Tempora, 58).

Installing cards during the Runner's turn can also trigger other benefits for the Corp:

   
• You can gain a credit with Haas-Bioriod: Engineering the Future (Core Set, 54).

   
• You can draw a card with Near-Earth Hub (Upstalk, 5).

   
• If the Runner triggers Architect on his last click, you can safely install a three-advancement agenda and score it during your next turn!

Architect offers additional synergies with a host of popular cards. Knowing what cards are on top of R&D really helps with cards like Accelerated Beta Test (Core Set, 55), Accelerated Diagnostics (Mala Tempora, 52), and Mutate (Upstalk, 4). If the Runner used an icebreaker during the run, install Will-o-the-Wisp (Spaces Between, 32) with Architect to bury the icebreaker on the bottom of his stack. When Architect is protecting an agenda in a remote server and the Runner goes for it, you can install a card in the server via Architect to trash the agenda and prevent the Runner from stealing it during that run. It's even better if the card you just installed is a Snare! (Core Set, 70).

 

Acknowledgments

 

I'd like to thank FFG for giving me this unique opportunity to design a card for Android: Netrunner. I'm excited to contribute to one of my favorite games, and I hope all of you enjoy playing with Architect!

Thanks, Jeremy!

Architect is certain to inspire a range of new deck designs. Will it feature at the center of your schematics? Or will it support an existing deck? You’ll soon have your chance to play with Architect and the other cards from Up and Over. This Data Pack is due to arrive at retailers later this month!

...

Source: Architect

[RSSFeeder]

Announcing the 2014 Worlds Side Event Schedule

Play Your Favorite Games All Weekend

2014 World Championship Weekend is just over one month away. To help you plan for these awesome four days of gaming, FFG is pleased to announce the 2014 World Championship Weekend side events schedule!

Have you booked travel to the Twin Cities? If not, here are more than a dozen reasons to do so! Do you have your eye on specific main events, but are looking for more games to play? Then download the World Championship Weekend side events schedule (pdf, 2.3 MB) now!

The Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game main event helps kick off World Championship Weekend, but there are more fantastic events Call of Cthulhu fans can participate in throughout the weekend. Friday afternoon contains a tournament featuring the popular Conspiracy format, where players must use only Conspiracy cards provided by FFG in their story deck, and on Sunday, players can get their first taste of the 2014 Winter Tournament Kits with a Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game Winter Tournament.

Fans of Star Wars™: The Card Game have the opportunity to play on both Saturday and Sunday in addition to the main event on Friday.  Players looking for a team competition can participate in the Saturday morning 2v2 tournament. Team up with a friend or join a player you meet at Worlds as you play against other two-player teams from around the world. Players looking for more head-to-head action have the option of competing on Sunday and receiving prizes from the brand-new Star Wars: The Card Game Winter Tournament Kit.

We will be holding an A Game of Thrones: The Card Game Winter Tournament on Sunday for players looking to see prizes from our new season of tournament kits for the first time. In addition, we will have prize support available all weekend long for any group of players looking to draft A Game of Thrones: The Card Game. All you have to do is show up with a group, each person already holding their draft packs (which can be purchased at the Fantasy Flight Games Center), and we will give your group a box of prize support! We also have a scheduled time slot on Saturday morning in order to get as many players as possible together at once. This scheduled draft still requires players to bring their own draft packs.

We will be running a X-Wing™ Escalation tournaments on both Thursday, Nov. 6th, and Friday, Nov. 7th, for any players not competing in the main event that day. Join in on the extreme squad building and increasing round times as the tournament continues across four rounds. (For more information on the Escalation format, read our tournament rules.) As with all of our other games, we will also be running a Winter Tournament and debuting our newest X-Wing tournament kit on Saturday.

The debut of the Warhammer 40,000: Conquest World Championships in 2014 brings with it many other awesome opportunities to play the game. On Thursday, we will be hosting a Warmup Tournament, giving players a chance to get their first taste of high-skill competition before the main event. On Sunday, we will host a Winter Tournament using the first-ever Warhammer 40,000: Conquest Tournament Kit!

For players that want to warm up and get some practice in with a new deck before the main event, we will be hosting an Android: Netrunner Winter Tournament on Friday. In addition, just like A Game of Thrones: The Card Game, we will be providing Android: Netrunner prize support for any group that already has draft packs and comes to the registration desk. We also have a scheduled time slot on Thursday morning for those looking to kick off World Championship Weekend with Android: Netrunner! This scheduled draft still requires players to bring their own draft packs.

Warhammer: Diskwars players have side events both before and after the Warhammer: Diskwars World Championship. On Friday, they can compete in an all-out brawl with a 4-Player Battle Royale Tournament, where players will face fierce opponents in a 4-player free-for-all each round. Prove that you’re not only the best, but that you can take on multiple enemies at once! On Sunday, players can participate in the Warhammer: Diskwars Winter Tournament that will debut the new Winter Tournament Kit.

Preregister Today

If you haven’t already, preregister now and guarantee yourself a full four days of gaming at the 2014 World Championship Weekend with players from around the world! If you’re still undecided, don’t wait too long because preregistration closes October 16th. While players can still register on site the day they arrive, the cost will increase to $50.

Stay Tuned

Continue to keep your eyes on our website; there are more articles to come. In the future, we’ll be highlighting the prizes competitors can win during the 2014 World Championship Weekend, including some special Gen Con prizes. We will also be providing articles on what it takes to compete in a major tournament from experienced guest authors.

...

Source: Announcing the 2014 Worlds Side Event Schedule

[RSSFeeder]

Announcing the 2014 Worlds Side Event Schedule

Play Your Favorite Games All Weekend

2014 World Championship Weekend is just over one month away. To help you plan for these awesome four days of gaming, FFG is pleased to announce the 2014 World Championship Weekend side events schedule!

Have you booked travel to the Twin Cities? If not, here are more than a dozen reasons to do so! Do you have your eye on specific main events, but are looking for more games to play? Then download the World Championship Weekend side events schedule (pdf, 2.3 MB) now!

The Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game main event helps kick off World Championship Weekend, but there are more fantastic events Call of Cthulhu fans can participate in throughout the weekend. Friday afternoon contains a tournament featuring the popular Conspiracy format, where players must use only Conspiracy cards provided by FFG in their story deck, and on Sunday, players can get their first taste of the 2014 Winter Tournament Kits with a Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game Winter Tournament.

Fans of Star Wars™: The Card Game have the opportunity to play on both Saturday and Sunday in addition to the main event on Friday.  Players looking for a team competition can participate in the Saturday morning 2v2 tournament. Team up with a friend or join a player you meet at Worlds as you play against other two-player teams from around the world. Players looking for more head-to-head action have the option of competing on Sunday and receiving prizes from the brand-new Star Wars: The Card Game Winter Tournament Kit.

We will be holding an A Game of Thrones: The Card Game Winter Tournament on Sunday for players looking to see prizes from our new season of tournament kits for the first time. In addition, we will have prize support available all weekend long for any group of players looking to draft A Game of Thrones: The Card Game. All you have to do is show up with a group, each person already holding their draft packs (which can be purchased at the Fantasy Flight Games Center), and we will give your group a box of prize support! We also have a scheduled time slot on Saturday morning in order to get as many players as possible together at once. This scheduled draft still requires players to bring their own draft packs.

We will be running a X-Wing™ Escalation tournaments on both Thursday, Nov. 6th, and Friday, Nov. 7th, for any players not competing in the main event that day. Join in on the extreme squad building and increasing round times as the tournament continues across four rounds. (For more information on the Escalation format, read our tournament rules.) As with all of our other games, we will also be running a Winter Tournament and debuting our newest X-Wing tournament kit on Saturday.

The debut of the Warhammer 40,000: Conquest World Championships in 2014 brings with it many other awesome opportunities to play the game. On Thursday, we will be hosting a Warmup Tournament, giving players a chance to get their first taste of high-skill competition before the main event. On Sunday, we will host a Winter Tournament using the first-ever Warhammer 40,000: Conquest Tournament Kit!

For players that want to warm up and get some practice in with a new deck before the main event, we will be hosting an Android: Netrunner Winter Tournament on Friday. In addition, just like A Game of Thrones: The Card Game, we will be providing Android: Netrunner prize support for any group that already has draft packs and comes to the registration desk. We also have a scheduled time slot on Thursday morning for those looking to kick off World Championship Weekend with Android: Netrunner! This scheduled draft still requires players to bring their own draft packs.

Warhammer: Diskwars players have side events both before and after the Warhammer: Diskwars World Championship. On Friday, they can compete in an all-out brawl with a 4-Player Battle Royale Tournament, where players will face fierce opponents in a 4-player free-for-all each round. Prove that you’re not only the best, but that you can take on multiple enemies at once! On Sunday, players can participate in the Warhammer: Diskwars Winter Tournament that will debut the new Winter Tournament Kit.

Preregister Today

If you haven’t already, preregister now and guarantee yourself a full four days of gaming at the 2014 World Championship Weekend with players from around the world! If you’re still undecided, don’t wait too long because preregistration closes October 16th. While players can still register on site the day they arrive, the cost will increase to $50.

Stay Tuned

Continue to keep your eyes on our website; there are more articles to come. In the future, we’ll be highlighting the prizes competitors can win during the 2014 World Championship Weekend, including some special Gen Con prizes. We will also be providing articles on what it takes to compete in a major tournament from experienced guest authors.

...

Source: Announcing the 2014 Worlds Side Event Schedule

[RSSFeeder]

The Stars Are Ready...

The Sleeper Below Is Now Available for Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game

“Some day he would call, when the stars were ready, and the secret cult would always be waiting to liberate him.”

    –H.P. Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu

Sinister cultists hasten their foul rituals. Investigators race to uncover the unspeakable truths behind the relics they’ve acquired. Far below the surface of the ocean, an ancient evil of unfathomable power lies dormant, waiting for the stars to align. And the stars are coming, now, into alignment…

The Sleeper Below expansion for Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game is now available at your local retailer and online through our webstore!

Terrible Cthulhu and his secret cult are the undisputed stars of The Sleeper Below. Roughly two-thirds of the expansion’s 165 cards (three copies each of fifty-five individual cards) are dedicated to the game’s Cthulhu faction, and even as they greatly bolster a number of synergies among the game’s Cultists, they introduce a new Dormant mechanic, which adds horrifying new layers of intrigue to your struggles. Cards with the Dormant keyword can play facedown to a story, and they can then be played for free when that story is won. This means that winning a story isn’t always so good as it used to be; your victory can potentially rouse a Hunting Wendigo (The Sleeper Below, 16) or even wake dead Cthulhu (The Sleeper Below, 19).

For a more complete picture of all that The Sleeper Below adds to Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game, you can read our previews:

   
• In “The Terrors That Lie Dormant,” we illustrate how the expansion and Cthulhu faction make use of their new Dormant cards to compound your story struggles with all new layers of madness.

   
• In “The Cult of Cthulhu,” we look at how the expansion and its numerous Cultist characters greatly enhance the Cult of Cthulhu, and the Cultist subtype, in general.

   
• In “Clandestine Cultists and Secret Societies,” we look at how the other factions hope to respond to the growing menace that Cthulhu and his secret cult present. New Societies that grant each faction the means to recover from early setbacks.

   
• Finally, in “Even Death May Die,” we explore how the game further develops a mechanic that removes cards from the game and makes us increasingly aware of a fate worse than death and the discard pile.

For now, though, we offer you another small taste of the terrible power that Cthulhu grants his disciples…

Fueled by the Sacrifices of the Faithful

“In his house at R’lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.”

       –H.P. Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu

In the dark and distant corners of the world, in back alleys and shadowed tenements, the Cult of Cthulhu has slowly gained strength through its sacrifices, preparing for that horrible day when it would be able to rouse its wretched master, the great Cthulhu, from his long slumber. To illustrate the cult’s growing power and influence, we present a sample deck built from one Core Set, one copy of The Sleeper Below, and a single copy of Never Night, the fourth Asylum Pack in the Ancient Relics cycle.

Characters (32):

1x Asuilaak

3x Bone Sculptor

2x Cthulhu, The Sleeper Below

1x Fiona Day

1x Followers of R’lyeh

3x Gustaf Johansen

2x Henry Anthony Wilcox

1x Hunting Wendigo

1x Ian Hardaway

3x Initiate of Dagon

1x Innsmouth Troublemaker

1x Kassogtha

1x Keeper of the Golden Path

1x Lord of the Silver Twilight

3x Mariner

3x Obsessive Zealot

1x Ocean Crawlers

3x Watcher of Signs

Supports (9):

1x Irem

1x Sword of Y’ha-tallo

3x Temple of R’lyeh (Never Night, 73)

3x Twisted Acropolis

1x Unaussprelichen Kulten

Events (9):

1x Deep One Assault

1x Eldritch Nexus

3x Foul Induction

1x From the Depths

1x Get it Off!

1x Political Demonstration

1x Sacrificial Offerings

Total Cards: 50

This deck uses the Temple of R’lyeh, Gustaf Johansen (The Sleeper Below, 3), and a veritable horde of Cultists to remove your opponent’s characters from the board, win stories, and rouse such Dormant evils as the Hunting Wendigo, Lost Civilization of Irem (The Sleeper Below, 27), and Cthulhu, himself.

The Temple of R’lyeh is your key card, as it allows you to sacrifice one of your numerous Cthulhu characters in order to force your opponent to sacrifice a character. Then, because your characters are mostly inexpensive, and because you have three copies of Twisted Acropolis (The Sleeper Below, 22), you should be able to outpace your opponent’s board position.

Simultaneously, Gustaf Johansen provides you the key to additional card draw, aided in part by Unaussprelichen Kulten (The Sleeper Below, 25), and should you ever start to run low on characters, you can play Foul Induction (The Sleeper Below, 31) to retrieve as many as six characters from your discard pile, thanks to the fact that the Initiate of Dagon (The Sleeper Below, 1) is a Cthulhu Cultist  that costs exactly zero.

As your Cultists continue to force the sacrifice of every character your opponent plays to the table, you should be able to continue advancing your nefarious plots unopposed, grabbing two or more success tokens at each story, each turn. Victory will quickly be yours, Cthulhu will rise from the deep, and the frail threads of human civilization will be torn asunder!

We Are Not Alone

“There was a secret which even torture could not extract. Mankind was not absolutely alone among the conscious things of earth, for shapes came out of the dark to visit the faithful few. But these were not the Great Old Ones. No man had ever seen the Old Ones. The carven idol was great Cthulhu, but none might say whether or not the others were precisely like him.”

    –H.P. Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu

The most horrifying truth realized by the characters of H.P. Lovecraft’s eerie fiction is that we are not alone. Humanity is not the only sentient life in the universe. We live on a tiny planet hurtling the vast emptiness of space, surrounded by billions of uncaring stars and rocks. Simultaneously, other entities travel unobserved to our world to pursue their own alien agendas. Some of these may be relatively harmless, but many seek to destroy or devour us.

Those who become aware of these terrors most often go mad, but some steel their minds and act to shield humanity from these threats. Still, others seek to gain power and favor from these unfathomable beings, and in The Sleeper Below, you’ll find those power-hungry characters have pushed the world to a precipice. Will they finally tip us over the edge?

The Sleeper Below is now available at your local retailer and online through our webstore!

...

Source: The Stars Are Ready...

[RSSFeeder]

Launch a Crusade

Crusade of the Forgotten Is Now Available for Descent Second Edition

The cult of the Forgotten has grown to uncontrollable levels and now bursts forth upon the realm of Terrinoth! The Crusade of the Forgotten Hero and Monster Collection is now available for Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition, both online through our webstore and at your local retailer.

Within this Hero and Monster Collection, you’ll find the monster groups that support the cult of the Forgotten and the heroes you need to quell the rising threat. You’ll uncover thirteen sculpted plastic figures, previously only available in the first edition of Descent, including four heroes, two golems, three medusae, and four sorcerers. You’ll also find two brand-new quests – Crusade of the Forgotten and Shadowside Watch – that allow you to experience the heroes’ battles against the Forgotten firsthand.

 Contains four heroes, two golems, three medusae, and four sorcerers.

Stop the Forgotten

In past previews of Crusade of the Forgotten, we’ve explored the monsters employed by the sorcerers of the Forgotten and the heroes who dare to stand against this evil. Our first preview introduced Andira Runehand, a gifted Healer with a passion for vanquishing the monsters of Terrinoth. We also looked at the medusae, serpent demons skilled in dark magic and capable of inflicting any number of conditions upon the helpless heroes they beguile.

The second preview turned to Astarra, a sorceress and an expert in teleportation and magical movement. With her in your hero party, you can be sure that your heroes will get to wherever they need to be. We also examined the mountainous strength of the golems, ancient creatures drawn from living stone. These beasts are nearly unshakable, and only the most powerful of blades can pierce their rocky hide.

Protector of the Innocent

You’ll also find Tahlia, a capable Warrior, in Crusade of the Forgotten. There was a time when the slums of Irram became infected with a multitude of strange and wicked cults. The poor were enslaved, the temples closed their doors, and the city rotted from within. Leading a small band of vigilantes, Tahlia stormed basements and back rooms night after night, rooting out the cultists. She passed over the wicked like a shadow, and disappeared into the night before their bodies could hit the ground. She was unable to save her city from its descent into evil, so now she fights the Forgotten to save Terrinoth from a similar fate.

As a Warrior, Tahlia is most at home in the midst of a fight, and nothing fans her zeal for battle more than defeating the overlord’s monsters. In fact, Tahlia’s hero ability allows her to gain two movement points whenever she defeats a monster, giving her a wide range of motion across the battlefield and bringing her blades closer to other monsters.

Tahlia’s heroic feat gives her another chance to slake her thirst for vengeance. Whenever the overlord activates a monster adjacent to Tahlia or moves a monster adjacent to her, you may trigger her heroic feat to immediately attack the monster. After the attack finishes, the monster continues its turn, but if you can slay the monster, you’ll have stopped it from accomplishing whatever dark aim the overlord had in mind. What’s more, killing a monster still grants you two movement points, which you can immediately use to move towards your quest’s objective.

Free the Helpless

The expanse of Terrinoth lies before you. Will you lead the Forgotten across it with fire and sword, or will you make your stand and defend the people of the realm? Whichever you decide, you’ll find the heroes, monsters, and quests you need in the Crusade of the Forgotten Hero and Monster Collection!
 
 Pick up your copy of Crusade of the Forgotten at your local retailer today!

...

Source: Launch a Crusade

[RSSFeeder]

A Hobbit and His Burden

The Road Darkens Saga Expansion Is Now Available for The Lord of the Rings

“Rewards!” said Frodo, “I can’t imagine a more severe punishment. You are not thinking what you are saying: condemned to go on this hopeless journey, a reward? Yesterday I dreamed that my task was done, and I could rest here, a long while, perhaps for good.”

    –J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

The second The Lord of the Rings Saga Expansion is now available at your local retailer and online through our webstore!

The adventures of The Road Darkens begin in Rivendell at the Council of Elrond and sweep you along through some of the most dangerous and thrilling encounters from both The Fellowship of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game. Directly inspired by the novel, the expansion’s three scenarios allow you to come as close as possible to walking alongside Frodo Baggins and his companions without finding your name scrawled in the pages. Fight past evil Wargs and the Watcher in the Water to gain entrance to Moria, flee from Cave Trolls and the Balrog, and piece your Fellowship back together after it splinters when Frodo disappears at Amon Hen.

Just as J.R.R. Tolkien’s much-beloved fantasy saga is full of noble heroics, powerful villains, and cutting treachery, The Road Darkens races forward, plummeting from tremendous highs to the pits of despair, and then allowing you the chance to fight your way back toward the light. You’ll find new heroes and allies willing to accompany you along the way, and you’ll find new boons and burdens that ensure your every choice carries a meaningful and lasting consequence.

Continue Your Campaign

As a Saga Expansion, The Road Darkens does more with its scenarios than introduce three fun and exciting challenges; it continues the epic narrative that began in The Black Riders Saga Expansion and that will continue in future The Lord of the Rings Saga Expansions, as Frodo and his companions travel closer to the dark lands of Mordor.

Accordingly, in Campaign Mode, your struggles are given more weight and consequence by the campaign-specific cards that help bind together the individual chapters of your epic adventure. Campaign cards introduce specific rules for each scenario that only apply in Campaign Mode, and the boons and burdens that you earn in your scenarios are then added to all future scenarios, continuing to help you or haunt you so long as they remain in the campaign pool.

This means that even as such powerful weapons as Sting (The Road Darkens, 11) and Andúril (The Road Darkens, 14) can give you strength and support your cause, you may also be haunted by such devastating burdens as Ill Fate (The Road Darkens, 90) or Fallen into Evil (The Road Darkens, 83), either of which has the potential to break your Fellowship, crush your spirits, and end your quest.

Part of your duty to the Ring-bearer, then, is to offer wise counsel, ensuring that you suffer as few burdens as possible and make the best use of the boons you are granted. The closer you draw to Mordor, the more these decisions will matter.

To that end, The Road Darkens introduces several boons that differ in one significant way from those you may have earned in The Black Riders. Like Three Golden Hairs (The Road Darkens, 16), some boons in The Road Darkens are removed from the campaign pool when you use them. Though they introduce some extremely powerful effects, these effects may only be used once. Then they are lost.

Thus, these new boons bring additional layers of decision making and drama to your adventures in Middle-earth. You know you’re going to encounter perils and evils at every turn, but what you don’t know is whether or not the current situation is the best one in which to make use of your boons. Taking advantage of the resources at hand may spare you greater burdens in the future, or it may leave you empty-handed at a critical juncture. Using these boons at the appropriate moment may prove the difference between success and failure in your quest.

Form Your Fellowship Today

Bag End is far behind you. Your life in the Shire is over. The adventures you experienced on the road to Rivendell were only the beginning. Now you must begin the first steps of the rest of your journey to Mordor and Mount Doom.

Fortunately, you need not travel your road by yourself. As your saga propels you further forward, The Road Darkens introduces an iconic new hero and several powerful allies. From Gandalf (The Road Darkens, 2) to Galadriel (The Road Darkens, 3), and from Elrond (The Road Darkens, 5) to Boromir (The Road Darkens, 4), these famous characters arrive to lend their strength, offer their wisdom, and help ease your burden.

Choose your companions wisely, and set forth to retrace the path of the greatest fantasy saga of all time. The Road Darkens is now available at your local retailer and online through our webstore!

...

Source: A Hobbit and His Burden

[RSSFeeder]

Fight, Raid, Run!

DungeonQuest Revised Edition Is Now Available

The dragon was sleeping. The dwarf took a few quiet steps towards the pile of jeweled rings and picked up several before looking slowly, anxiously back at the dragon. Still sleeping. He moved slowly towards a tall pedestal where sat an ancient, gilded oil lamp, the kind that magical jinns live inside. Still sleeping. He reached up above his head and fumbled for the lamp only to push it off the pedestal. It clattered onto the stone floor. He looked at the dragon. Still sleeping. He bent over to pick up the lamp, but felt something staring at him. Without turning around, he knew the dragon was awake.

DungeonQuest Revised Edition is now available at your local retailer!

In DungeonQuest Revised Edition, players take on the roles of heroes who descend into Dragonfire Dungeon searching for loot and adventure. As you make your way through the dungeon’s winding corridors and haunted catacombs towards the treasure chamber, you’ll have to fight monsters, dodge boobytraps, creep past a slumbering dragon, grab some loot, and make it out alive before the sun sets and the doors to the dungeon are sealed, imprisoning anyone remaining inside forever. Whoever emerges with the most valuable treasure– or whoever manages to survive– wins the game.

Danger Lurks at Every Turn

Dragonfire Dungeon is a maze of rooms and corridors that opens up in front of you as you explore it. Whenever you venture into unexplored space, you draw a chamber tile, connect it to the chamber you’re currently in, and move forward: you may find yourself teetering over the edge of a bottomless pit, or tearing your way through spider webs. Once inside a room, you typically draw a dungeon card see what else you encounter: perhaps a passage down to the catacombs, the corpse of an adventurer who didn’t make it out alive, or a ferocious monster.

As discussed in the recent preview, combat between heroes and monsters has been sped up and streamlined in DungeonQuest Revised Edition. Different players control the monster and the hero, with the players involved selecting combat cards, playing them facedown, and comparing them to see whether the hero or monster wins the fight. Combat ends when you kill the monster or it kills you– or you can try to escape in order to continue your treasure hunt.

Let Sleeping Dragons Lie

In the center of the dungeon is a massive treasure chamber, filled with heaps of gold, jewels, and valuable, perhaps even enchanted artifacts. The journey there may be winding and difficult, and you may come close to death many times, but inside the treasure chamber you have a chance to grab more loot in a single turn than you could find in a dozen other chambers combined. However, if the massive dragon Kalladra wakes up to find you stealing from her hoard, you will be scorched– or even killed – by the fire of her rage.

At the beginning of every turn that you spend in the treasure chamber, you draw a dragon card to see whether Kalladra is sleeping or has awakened. If she is asleep, you may draw two treasure cards, and leave on your next turn. However, if she is awake, you roll two dice and suffer the resulting amount of damage. The victims of her wrath seldom make it out of the dungeon alive. Will  the irresistble pull of profound wealth cause you to linger in the treasure chamber, or will the incredible danger have you running for the exit with a single piece of loot in hand?

Rush for the Gold

Creep through the dark catacombs in order to reach the treasure chamber before anyone else, or search every chamber, slowly amassing loot as you navigate the labyrinthine corridors. Getting the loot is only half the battle: you’ll face many of the dungeon’s dangers, from monsters to trapdoors, on your way back towards daylight. After all, riches can only benefit the living, and only a living hero can win the game.

You can download the  Learn to Play guide and the Rule Reference for DungeonQuest Revised Edition from the game’s support page. Those of you who own DungeonQuest Third Edition may want to look at the conversion guide (pdf, 567 KB) we’ve created, also available on the support page, which enables you to use the revised rules, combat cards, and character sheets when playing the edition that you have.

Pick up your copy of DungeonQuest Revised Edition at your local retailer today!

...

Source: Fight, Raid, Run!

[RSSFeeder]

Begin Your Conquest

Warhammer 40,000: Conquest Is Now Available

The expanses of the Traxis sector lie before you. Deadly warlords and countless legions of armies await your command to bring unending war to the sector’s planets. Embark on the road to interplanetary dominion when you pick up Warhammer 40,000: Conquest, now available at your local retailer!

In Warhammer 40,000: Conquest, you command one of seven factions in the grim darkness of the far future. To achieve victory, you must conquer three planets that share a type, demonstrating your utter control of the sector. You need to balance winning battles in the present against the necessity of planning and preparing for future battles, even as you gather additional resources and card draw.

The Road to War

Our first four previews focused on the different phases of the game. We began with a discussion of deployment, illustrating how you play your units from your hand, sending them to various planets across the sector. The units that you play during the deployment phase form the base of your armies in coming rounds. In the next preview, we turned to the command phase, where you select which planet will receive the daunting military presence of your warlord. The command phase also rewards players for establishing a foothold on planets, granting you more resources and additional card draw.

The third and fourth previews turned to the main focus of each game round: combat! One preview looked at combat as a whole, giving an overview of attacking and defending alongside the shields, keywords, and abilities that can affect combat in crucial ways. The next preview gave a detailed example of a combat round, illustrating how units attack, use shields, and retreat from battle.

Xenos, Heretics, and Daemons

After our previews covering the different phases of gameplay, we provided faction overviews of the seven factions included in the Conquest Core Set. Each of these factions has its own unique warlord that reinforces a unique playstyle, allowing the units from each faction to support completely different decks.

You may prefer to fight with the Space Marines, proud and resourceful warriors who  trigger their most powerful abilities on the field of the battle. Or you may wage war with the Astra Militarum, the armed forces of the Imperium who think nothing of spending millions of lives to claim a single world for the Emperor. The Orks, however, only get stronger as they take damage, introducing massive units who can take a hit and strike back even harder.

Chaos forms the fourth faction included in Warhammer 40,000: Conquest. With a myriad direct damage effects, you can quickly drag your opponent under the corruption of the Warp. Players may also turn to the Dark Eldar, a faction that features a host of powerful events that can quickly turn the tide of battle in your favour. The Eldar’s psychic powers and Craftsworlds make them a dangerous, control-based faction. Eldar forces can quickly eliminate your opponent’s options, exhausting enemy units and canceling enemy effects. Finally, the adherents of the Tau empire cut a bloody swath through the battlefield with hyper-advanced technology. These attachments and wargear give you a way to enhance your own unit’s power and defeat your opponent.

Each of these factions is arranged around an alignment wheel, allowing each faction to borrow cards from adjacent factions, opening the doors for nearly unlimited deckbuilding opportunities. In future expansions for Conquest, two additional factions – the Tyranids and the Necrons – will join the array of playable factions.

We also added a video tutorial of Warhammer 40,000: Conquest, offering a visual representation of gameplay. Watch that tutorial below or on YouTube, and download the rulebooks for Conquest from the support page!

Click the image above for a video tutorial of Warhammer 40,000: Conquest!

Lead Your Armies

War is inevitable in the darkness of the far future, but only one warlord can attain glorious victory. Begin your onslaught by picking up your copies of Warhammer 40,000: Conquest at your local retailer today!

...

Source: Begin Your Conquest

[RSSFeeder]

Illicit Dealings

A Preview of the Scum and Villainy Faction for X-WING (TM)

Recently, we announced that the Star Wars galaxy’s Scum and Villainy will soon join the fast-paced dogfights of X-Wing™ as the game’s third faction. Arriving in the game’s sixth wave of expansions, the Scum and Villainy faction brings to battle a mix of new starships and older starships repurposed for new use. Simultaneously, the faction’s fleet also introduces two new types of upgrades, the illicit upgrade  and the Salvaged Astromech upgrade .

Along with the mix of ships available to it, as well as the unique talents of its pilots, the faction’s two new types of upgrades go a long way toward defining the distinct play style you’ll soon be associating with the galaxy’s most notorious Scum. In today’s preview, we’ll look at some of these new upgrades and the ways in which they help to reinforce the faction’s identity as the shadiest, most opportunistic, and most self-serving of all X-Wing factions.

Illicit Upgrades

It’s no big surprise that the Scum faction is the first to make use of the illicit upgrade. After all, as these upgrades represent the array of technologies that the Empire has chosen to outlaw, they belong to the galaxy’s black markets, and who runs those? The galaxy’s Scum and Villainy.

Of the seven different starships introduced to the Scum faction – or reengineered to suit its fleets – all but the Y-wing and M3-A “Scyk” interceptor gain access to the illicit upgrade, though the StarViper-class attack platform only gains access to the upgrade type through the use of the unique Virago Title card.

Combined with the fact that it is currently unique to the Scum, its ubiquity makes the illicit upgrade one of the faction’s most defining elements… along with the many dirty tricks it permits.

Like the “Hot Shot” Blaster, each illicit upgrade breaks the game’s standard rules with some form of novel, high-impact game effect. The ability to fire at ships outside of your firing arc is always a powerful game effect, but equipping a “Hot Shot” Blaster can also lead to some interesting mind games. Most likely played on a ship, like the Z-95 Headhunter, that costs far fewer squad points than any ship with a turret weapon, the “Hot Shot” Blaster is designed for just one use, but it still forces your opponent to accommodate its threat from the beginning of the game until the moment you fire it.

Moreover, the “Hot Shot” Blaster isn’t even the only illicit upgrade that allows you to damage a ship flying outside of your arc. Both the Feedback Array and Dead Man’s Switch allow you to land automatic damage against starships within Range “1,” although, admittedly, both do so at rather steep costs.

                                         

A Feedback Array allows you to damage any one target within Range “1.” However, to use the Feedback Array, you must forego your attack and receive one ion token. Even though you’d be trading away your attacks for just one damage, that’s a trade in which the value is easy enough to identify. You might find yourself outflanked, lacking a shot altogether; or you might want to land just one more damage on a ship that you’re touching, in order to finally destroy it. The ion token, however, is another matter. Ionized ships are forced to utilize straight speed “1” maneuvers, which leaves them exposed and predictable. Still, there are definitely times even the ion token is an acceptable cost. For starters, if you equip IG-2000 with a Feedback Array, the first ion token won’t ionize your ship. Then, since the Feedback Array costs just two squad points, one might imagine equipping it on up to seven Binayre Pirates who could then simply fly within Range “1” of the target of their choice and obliterate it, no dice required.

                                         

Likewise, the Dead Man’s Switch offers your Scum another way to deal damage without the use of attack dice, though its cost is even steeper than that of the Feedback Array. Only activated when your ship is destroyed, a Dead Man’s Switch deals one point of damage to each ship within Range “1.” This is interesting in a couple of ways. First, it accurately portrays the Scum faction as a collection of vengeful and self-centered individuals, only happy to cooperate so long as the credits continue to flow. Second, it encourages Scum players to fly out of formation, even with its cheapest ships, such as the HWK-290 and the Z-95 Headhunter. And while Dead Man’s Switch might introduce the first ability that would prompt us to rethink these formation-based tactics, our reevaluation is further reinforced by other cards within Wave VI, including the ship card for the Z-95 Headhunter pilot, N’dru Suhlak.

                                         

Finally, there’s more to the illicit upgrade than just the potential to deal damage. They can also allow you to stop your ship in mid-flight. That’s what Inertial Dampeners do, and for just one squad point, this upgrade is bound to give the Scum faction’s most highly skilled pilots a tremendous one-shot advantage in the Activation phase. After all, not only do Inertial Dampeners effectively add a maneuver to your ship’s dial, but they allow you to avoid taking any maneuver that would place your ship in a position that’s worse than the one in which you find it. Would your planned flight path have put you square in the sights of an enemy ship? Hit the Inertial Dampeners and avoid that maneuver. As the game continues to reward pilots with high pilot skill values, Inertial Dampeners provide Scum pilots their own, distinctive means of outmaneuvering their foes.

Salvaged Astromechs

Although the Scum faction’s Y-wing can’t benefit from the illicit upgrade, it is by no means forgotten. The Most Wanted Expansion Pack introduces no fewer than eight different upgrades for Scum Y-wings (many of which the Rebellion can also equip), and of those eight, five share the new Salvaged Astromech upgrade type.

Since this upgrade exists currently only among the Scum’s Y-wings, and replaces the standard Astromech upgrade featured by the Rebellion, it helps, once more, to define the faction. So what does it tell us? Among other things, it tells us that the Scum faction can be a bit less orderly and a bit more aggressive than their rivals, and it once again reinforces the idea that Scum pilots follow their own interests and their own flight paths.

That isn’t to say, however, that Scum pilots are any less capable than their opponents. They just have their own style, and self-preservation ranks right near the top. Accordingly, for just two squad points, the Salvaged Astromech serves as great insurance against some of the game’s most crippling critical hits, including the devastating Direct Hit. Of course, Direct Hit isn’t the only damage card with the Ship trait. In fact, there are no fewer than ten different damage cards with the Ship trait, and they can cause malfunctions in your secondary weapons, reduce the effectiveness of your primary weapons, limit your ship’s agility, or prevent you from performing actions listed in your ship’s action bar. Any one of those hits could severely hinder your fighter’s effectiveness in combat, and two squad points is a small price to pay for insurance.

Yet, though two squad points may be a rather small price to pay to grant your fighter limited immunity from an early crippling blow, you might still elect not to play with Salvaged Astromech simply because you feel other Salvaged Astromech upgrades may better suit your strategy.

                                         

For example, the Most Wanted Expansion Pack allows you to outfit your Y-wings with a Bomb Loadout, and you might want to complement your Bomb Loadout with the Salvaged Astromech upgrade, “Genius.” If your Y-wing pilot has a lower pilot skill value, “Genius” adds another layer of mind games to your activation phases, forcing your opponent to guess whether or not this is the round that you’re going to deploy your Proximity Mines or drop your Proton Bomb, then guess whether you’ll do so at the beginning of your maneuver or at the end of it. “Genius” can be even more aggravating and aggressive if your Y-wing pilot has a high pilot skill value. Now, your opponent has all the same questions to ask himself, but if your Y-wing moves after your opponent’s ships, you can see exactly what’s going to happen when you drop your bombs. Sure, if you drop them at the end of your maneuver, your Y-wing is going to take the hit, too, but it has five hull and can likely survive the hit.

                                         

Less directly aggressive, but still dedicated toward bold tactics and fast maneuvers is the Unhinged Astromech. For just one squad point, this Salvaged Astromech upgrade allows you to treat all your speed “3” maneuvers as green maneuvers, and since the Y-wing’s speed “3” maneuvers include two turns, two banks, and a straight, the Unhinged Astromech essentially reinvents your Y-wing’s maneuver dial, transforming the fighter from a relatively slow and clumsy fighter into a machine that can easily zip around the battlefield, outmaneuvering your foes with ease, just so long as you can do so while consistently flying near top speed. Again, since it’s difficult to imagine that a squadron flying in formation at such high speeds could consistently catch enemy fighters within their firing arcs, the Unhinged Astromech is yet another upgrade that suggests the Scum faction plays best when it flies out of formation and relies upon its individual pilots to make the best possible use of their ships.

A Collection of Self-Centered Individuals

If so many of the Scum faction’s pilot abilities and upgrades discourage flying in formation, how will its squadrons ever compete with the best squadrons that the Imperials and Rebels can bring to battle?

The answer is that Scum and Villainy players will have to learn how to make the most of all their dirty black market tricks and toys. The new illicit upgrades and Salvaged Astromech upgrades are likely to feature heavily in Scum squadrons, and we’ll get a better idea of how they’ll help the faction compete with the Imperials and Rebels as we continue our previews of Wave VI and explore more of what the StarViper Expansion Pack, M3-A Interceptor Expansion Pack, IG-2000 Expansion Pack, and Most Wanted Expansion Pack have to offer!

...

Source: Illicit Dealings

[RSSFeeder]

Arkham Nights Is Coming Soon

Experience the Horror October 17-18 in Roseville, MN

Arkham Nights, our annual celebration of Lovecraftian gaming, will take place October 17-18 in Roseville, MN at the Fantasy Flight Games Center. Preregister before October 10 in order to secure your place and receive exclusive souvenirs, or register at the door either day of the event.

This year’s celebration features plentiful opportunities to play your favorite games based on the works of H. P. Lovecraft: Arkham Horror, Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game, Elder Sign, Eldritch Horror, and Mansions of Madness. You will also have chances to try out upcoming expansions and meet the designers behind the games.

Old Favorites and New Expansions

Savor playing your old favorites, learn a new Lovecraft-themed game, or preview the Antarctic horrors of Mountains of Madness, the upcoming side board expansion for Eldritch Horror. You can even be among the very first to try out Gates of Arkham, the recently-announced expansion for Elder Sign. During these two nights of entertainment and fright you will also be able to meet and play with designers of many of the games featured, including special guests Richard Launius, Kevin Wilson, Corey Konieczka, and Nikki Valens.

Two Call of Cthulhu tournaments will take place: an initiation tournament for those new to the mysteries surrounding the Ancient Ones, and a competitive head-to-head tournament for those with extensive experience in struggling against the horror. There will also be opportunities to experience the 18-player Arkham Horror scenario, To the Barricades! You can learn more about the weekend’s events by downloading the schedule here. 

Rare Artifacts

Every player will have the chance to combat ancient and profound evil, but preregistered attendees will also be able to take home a bit of exclusive merchandise, including alternate art domain cards for Call of Cthlhu, a never-before-seen Ancient One for Elder Sign, gorgeous alternate dice that can be used with Arkham Horror and Eldritch Horror, and a dice bag featuring the Eldritch Horror comet symbol. These unique items will only be available to those who preregister before October 10th (this Friday), but you can also register at the door either day of the event.

Experience the Horror

Directions to the Fantasy Flight Games Center, information about hotel accommodations, and the schedule on the event’s support page.  Preregister here, or via the Arkham Nights minisite.

We look forward to seeing you at the Fantasy Flight Games Center for a weekend of bone-chilling, thoroughly enjoyable horror!

...

Source: Arkham Nights Is Coming Soon

[RSSFeeder]

A Game of Thrones Championship in Northern Europe

Announcing the 2014 Swedish National Championship

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce the date and location of the first ever 2014 Swedish A Game of Thrones: The Card Game National Championship!

Deckbox is hosting Varberg Morghulis 2014 in October, located in historic Varberg!

Taking place on October 17th-18th at the city's most famous landmark, the 13th-century Varberg Fortress, the tournament will gather not only the best players from all over Sweden, but guests traveling from all of Northern Europe. Don't miss out on what's sure to be a memorable tourney!

The main event will be the Joust tournament on Saturday, the 17th, while Sunday, the 18th, will offer several side events including a Melee tournament, a draft featuring the new Westeros edition, and a tournament for FFG's brand-new LCG, Warhammer 40,000: Conquest.

Register now to secure your place in the tournament!

A Game of Thrones: The Card Game Joust National Championship

Where: Varberg Fortress, 432 44 Varberg

When: Saturday, October 17th to Sunday, October 18th. Tournament starts at 10:30am. Registration begins at 9:30am.

Format: Swiss with cut to single elimination.

Prizes: The winner receives a trophy and a first-round bye in the European Championships at Stahleck in November. Both finalists will receive Martell backpacks. The top 8 players will receive a playmat, and the top 16 will receive Martell power tokens. Every participant also receives an alternate art Beric Dondarrion card.

Additional exclusive prizes will be handed out to all participants, as well as the top player of each house.

More Information

Further information can be found on the event website or by emailing hello@deckbox.me. Interested players can also visit the event on Facebook.

...

Source: A Game of Thrones Championship in Northern Europe

[RSSFeeder]

Know No Fear

Prepare Your Decks for Unending War with Warhammer 40,000 Art Sleeves

“They shall be of iron will and steel sinew. In great armour I shall clad them and with the mightiest weapons they will be armed. They will be untouched by plague or disease; no sickness shall blight them… They are my Space Marines and they shall know no fear.”
     –The Emperor of Mankind

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of six new, battle-ready, limited edition Fantasy Flight Supply Art Sleeves inspired by the warring factions of Warhammer 40,000: Conquest!

Conquest is the goal, and conflict is inevitable. Soldiers, Space Marines, and Daemons deploy to planets across the Traxis sector and throughout the farthest reaches of space. They wield chainswords, burnas, ion rifles, and lasguns. Death haunts them at every turn, yet they will not retreat. When you join these warriors in battle, you’re going to want two things: a plan and powerful armor. With six different and dramatic designs, our limited edition Warhammer 40,000 Art Sleeves offer powerful protection, serving as a resilient armor for your cards.

Stand Your Ground

Warhammer 40,000: Conquest and your battles for the Traxis sector are full of lasguns, explosions, glorious death, and undying victory. As the Orks embark upon their latest Waaagh! and Daemons spill out of the Warp, you’re going to need more than a few frag grenades and a lightning claw in order to stand your ground. You’re going to need every weapon you can possibly cram into your deck, and then you’re going to need quality defenses. No matter what opposition you face, our Warhammer 40,000 Art Sleeves stand resolute in their mission to protect your cards.

Made of clear, 100 micron-thick, non-PVC, acid-free polypropylene plastic, Warhammer 40,000 Art Sleeves are free of damaging chemicals that could corrode your cards. Moreover, their snug cut makes them easy to shuffle and fits Warhammer 40,000: Conquest, all of our other LCGs®, and most other CCGs, as well as any other standard-sized cards (card size: 2 1/2” x 3 1/2”).

As durable as these Art Sleeves are, they’re also inspiring. Each reinforces the quality of its defenses with stylish design. Whether you stand alongside the Ultramarines, follow a Tau Ethereal in the pursuit of the Greater Good, or seek to restore the Eldar to their former glory, you can find inspiration from our Warhammer 40,000 Art Sleeves. Six different designs allow you to side with the faction of your choice.

                                                                                                                            

Space Marines	Astra Militarum	Eldar
Chaos Daemons	Tau Empire	Orks

War has come to the Traxis sector. War is here. Choose your side – and protect your cards – in style with Warhammer 40,000 Art Sleeves!

Fantasy Flight Supply is committed to providing you the best materials to protect, customize, and enhance your games. Our Warhammer 40,000 Art Sleeves are scheduled to arrive at retailers everywhere in the first quarter of 2015.

...

Source: Know No Fear

[RSSFeeder]

Attack Run

Announcing the Fourth Force Pack in the Rogue Squadron Cycle

“The battle station is heavily shielded and carries a firepower greater than half the star fleet. Its defenses are designed around a direct, large-scale assault. A small one-man fighter should be able to penetrate the outer defense.”

   –General Dodonna, Star Wars: A New Hope

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Attack Run, the fourth Force Pack in the Rogue Squadron cycle for Star Wars™: The Card Game!

With Attack Run, you have the chance to relive the climax of Star Wars: A New Hope as the Rebel Alliance makes its desperate attack on the first Death Star. In this Force Pack, you’ll find new Pilot versions of some of the game’s most iconic characters and their starships, including an Imperial version of Darth Vader with his specialized TIE Advanced, and a Rebel version of Luke Skywalker with Red Five. In addition to these, you’ll find Jedi-faction Pilot Keyan Farlander and famed smuggler Platt Okeefe, alongside a new Pilot version of Boba Fett with Slave I. Attack Run also introduces two copies of a entirely new, highly potent, fate card to be found only within this Force Pack.

Running the Trench

Luke Skywalker’s flight through the trenches of the Death Star, pursued by Darth Vader, marks one of the most memorable moments of the Star Wars movies. With this objective set, you’ll be able to recreate that cinematic moment as well as the catastrophic damage that Luke dealt to the Empire. The set begins with the Running the Trench (Attack Run, 772) objective. This objective provides two resources, and it also bears the “Rebel Alliance affiliation only” restriction, limiting the deck combinations in which you can use this highly effective set.

The star of this set is Luke Skywalker (Attack Run, 773). This version of Luke bears the same combat icons as two of his past versions, but where Luke truly shines is at the controls of a Vehicle. Luke has the Pilot (3) keyword, allowing you to play him as an enhancement on a friendly Vehicle by paying three resources. When piloting a ship, Luke has a truly potent Interrupt. Whenever the unit that Luke enhances is focused to strike as an attacker, you may discard the top card of an opponent’s deck. Then, you deal damage equal to the discarded card’s printed Force icons to the engaged objective. Free objective damage is always beneficial, but if you discard a commonly played card like Darth Vader (Core Set, 35) or Emperor Palpatine (Core Set, 51), you can destroy an objective in a single hit!

Luke’s Interrupt gains even more efficacy with Use the Force, Luke (Attack Run, 776). This free event can be played as an Action to look at the top card of any objective deck or command deck and place that card on the bottom of the deck, if you wish. This card has enormous tactical flexibility, and can be used in any number of ways. Whether you’re altering an objective deck to manipulate upcoming objectives, or filtering your opponent’s command deck to find an optimal target for Luke’s ability, this event gives you new levels of control.

Of course, Luke Skywalker needs a ship for his ability to shine, and you’ll find a truly complementary Fighter in this objective set. Red Five (Attack Run, 774) bears a special ability allows you to assign its objective damage to a participating enemy unit rather than targeting the engaged objective. In some cases, damaging the objective is more important than targeting a specific unit, but if Luke destroyed the targeted objective with his ability, you can make sure Red Five’s objective damage won’t go to waste.

A new, enhancement version of R2-D2 (Attack Run, 775) is also found in the Running the Trench objective set. With this card, Luke’s plucky astromech can now fly into battle alongside him. R2-D2 enhances any friendly Vehicle unit, granting the unit the shielding keyword. While the Vehicle is piloted, R2-D2 becomes even more effective at keeping your starships safe, allowing you to remove a damage from the enhanced unit after you refresh.

The final card in this objective set is I Have You Now (Attack Run, 777), one copy of a brand-new fate card included only in Attack Run. This fate card provides only one Force icon to the edge battle, but if you win the edge battle, you may immediately destroy a target participating enemy unit, from a lowly stormtrooper squad to an enormous Star Destroyer. Between I Have You Now and Luke Skywalker, this objective set can pave your way to victory with massive amounts of damage.

Man Your Starfighters

Whether you draw upon the piloting talents of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Boba Fett, or another Pilot included in this Force Pack, you’ll find plenty of powerful new Vehicles and Pilots to include in your decks.

Look for Attack Run at your local retailer in the first quarter of 2015!

...

Source: Attack Run

[RSSFeeder]

The Assault Begins

Preview Movement and Combat in Imperial Assault

“Bring em on, I’d prefer a straight fight to all this sneaking around.”
    –Han Solo, Star Wars: A New Hope

Take your place in the Star Wars saga with Imperial Assault, a board game of tactical combat and adventure for two to five players! Every game of Imperial Assault brings you directly into the action of the classic films, whether you infiltrate secret Imperial bases as Rebel operatives, or use your squads of Stormtroopers and mercenaries to quell the insignificant Rebellion.

As we explored previously, two complete games are included within Imperial Assault. In the campaign game, up to four players control heroes of the Rebellion, engaging in a series of thrilling, cinematic missions. Opposite these heroes, one player controls the unlimited resources and power of the Galactic Empire, fielding massive AT-ST walkers, deadly Stormtroopers, mechanical Probe Droids, and more.

Both the campaign game and the skirmish game, as well as the various units for both sides, will be explored in more detail in later previews. Today, we’ll explore how your units in both the campaign game and the skirmish game race between objectives, interact with the mission, and battle your opponent!

Make Your Move

In any game of Imperial Assault, you and your opponent alternate activating a figure or group of figures. Each time a figure is activated, it receives two actions to move across the battlefield, attack enemies at range or in melee, interact with objects in the mission, or rest from the strain of battle. Most actions can be used twice in a single activation, but only heroes in a campaign have the ability to attack twice in one activation.

As you lead your Rebel strike team or Imperial squads through a mission, you’ll quickly learn the necessity of movement. Any figure can use a move action to gain movement points equal to the speed listed on the figure’s hero sheet or Deployment card. Each movement point allows your figure to move one space in any direction, and what’s more, you can spend these points at any time during the figure’s activation. This means you can interrupt your figure’s movement with another action, allowing you to fire your blaster before diving for cover, or open a door and keep running.

For example, the Imperial player chooses to activate a group of Stormtroopers, and starts the activation by choosing a single Stormtrooper. He begins by taking a move action, which gives the chosen Stormtrooper four movement points. He moves the Stormtrooper one space, then uses his second action to open the adjacent door, removing it from the map. Finally, he continues using the movement points his Stormtrooper gained with its first action, moving three more spaces.

The Stormtrooper uses a move action to gain four movement points (1), moves one space and opens the door with his second action (2), and spends his remaining three movement points (3).

Although movement is usually straightforward, you’re sure to encounter a wide range of terrain in your missions. Every mission in Imperial Assault is constructed out of a series of double-sided, interlocking map tiles that depict a wide range of Star Wars environments. You might venture into a dusty Tatooine cantina, explore a Corellian factory, or battle deadly creatures through the dense jungles of Yavin 4. Wherever you find yourself in the galaxy, the terrain around you is sure to have a potent effect on how you move through a mission. You may need to go well out of your way to avoid difficult or impassible terrain.

Fire When Ready!
 
 Although movement brings you to your objectives, you still need a way to handle your opponents. Whether you’re rescuing captured prisoners or escaping from the clutches of Darth Vader, you’ll quickly find yourself battling those who stand between you and your objective.

Combat in Imperial Assault is resolved by rolling a number of combat dice. During an attack, both you and your target roll combat dice to determine how much damage is dealt to your opponent. On the combat die, the number of  (damage) rolled determines how much damage may be dealt to the target of your attack. One damage is prevented by each  (block) rolled on the defender’s dice.

In addition to damage, the attacker may generate  (surge) when he attacks. These symbols are used to trigger special combat abilities, allowing you to deal more damage, pierce armor, recover health, and other powerful effects. A surge can be cancelled by an  (evade), reducing the attacker’s ability to trigger his special combat abilities. The final die symbol is the  (dodge). This symbol only appears on one face of one defense die, but if it is rolled, the defender dodges the attack and sustains no damage!

 

There are two different types of attack that can occur in Imperial Assault. Some figures are armed with melee weapons, only threatening units directly adjacent to them. Others are equipped with powerful blasters and slugthrowers that can fire across rooms at any figure within your line of sight. When making a ranged attack, however, you must ensure that you roll enough accuracy for the attack to hit your target. Many combat dice bear a number alongside the symbols – the total of the numbers shown on your attack dice represents your attack’s accuracy. If your target is seven squares away from you on the battlefield, you must roll a total of at least seven accuracy for your attack to hit. Otherwise, the attack misses and your target takes no damage.

As an example of an attack, a Stormtrooper figure decides to fire at Jyn Odan, who is six spaces away from him. The Imperial player checks that his Stormtrooper has line of sight to Jyn Odan, then both players roll their combat dice at the same time. The Imperial player rolls a blue die and a green die on attack, as shown on the Stormtrooper’s Deployment card, while the Rebel player controlling Jyn Odan rolls a white die, corresponding to the die shown as Jyn Odan’s defense on her hero sheet.

Both players receive the results shown above: the Stormtrooper has rolled four accuracy, three damage and one surge, whereas Jyn Odan has rolled one block. Ordinarily, the Stormtrooper’s attack would miss, because he needs at least six accuracy to hit Jyn. However, the Imperial player can spend the surge to trigger a surge ability shown on the Stormtrooper’s Deployment card. He triggers an ability that grants the attack two additional accuracy, bringing the total to six accuracy – a hit! One of the three damage rolled is prevented by the single block, and Jyn takes two damage from the Stormtrooper’s attack.

Take Command

Although moving and fighting are the main focus of your Imperial Assault missions, you’ll find that other actions have plenty to offer. Interacting with objects allows you to open doors, investigate crates, or pick up objects crucial to your mission. If you stand next to a door and take an action to interact with it, the door is opened and removed from the map. No figure can close a door voluntarily, although some game effects may force a door to close.

Your campaign missions are also sprinkled with a variety of supply crates. By interacting with a crate, a hero can claim its token and draw a card from the Supply deck. These cards offer a host of helpful items for the heroes during a campaign, ranging from grenades to bacta infusions. What’s more, investigating crates grants you additional credits after the mission ends, giving you more buying power for new items and gear, as we’ll discuss in a later preview.

Battle for the Fate of the Galaxy

The fate of the galaxy rests in your hands with the intense ground battles of Imperial Assault. Whether you complete missions on the orders of Rebel High Command or serve the power of the Galactic Empire, you’ll find Star Wars adventure in Imperial Assault.

Check back for more in-depth previews of both the campaign game and the skirmish game in Imperial Assault, and join us next time as we take our first look at the new heroes of the Rebellion included in this game.

...

Source: The Assault Begins