Welcome to week three of Warhammer: Invasion designer notes. This week I’ll be showing some more cards and talking a bit about the design process for this game.

For those of you new to the column, I recommend the first two designer’s diaries, The Invasion Is Coming and The Best Defense.

Design Challenges
Because Warhammer: Invasion is FFG’s first card came envisioned as an LCG from the beginning, I wanted to make sure to design a game that took advantage of the incredible benefits the LCG model can provide.

As the card pool with any brand new game is limited, I had to make sure each card was the best it could be. In addition, each card had to be fun and something people would be excited to have in their deck.

Warhammer evolved from a game design I was crafting that was inspired by real time strategy games (RTS). I liked the idea that players had to choose which function their units and buildings would perform after playing them, creating a game that gave a nigh-unprecedented amount of control over one’s own development. Each card in the game has two or three very different uses, depending on how you play it.

Another thing that makes LCG’s unique is the release model itself. We get to introduce a small number of cards in fast-paced intervals, something that gives us the opportunity to offer you an ongoing narrative. You’ve seen the beginnings of this with our other two LCG’s, and we’re taking it to the next level with Warhammer. Even the card design is affected by this, as I have seeded some cards that are good on their own, but offer an interesting story and gameplay payoff later on.

The largest benefit of this monthly injection of cards, is that the game continues to evolve each month. No longer do you have to wait three months for the newest set of cards to come out, you get a game that has an ever-changing metagame. New cards might suddenly make older cards incredibly powerful, or provide the answer to a difficult combo. This opportunity to create a game that will act as a living thing is what prompted the name, Living Card Game.

Drafting a New Experience
Warhammer features a new mode of play that I’m very excited about. It is a two-player draft format specifically designed to really take advantage of the LCG model. The basics work like this: you and your opponent each bring the cards you wish to make a deck out of to the table, including a set of draft-specific cards designed for this format. After you shuffle your assembled cards, you take turns building a draft deck on the fly by drawing 15 cards at a time. You then select two of those cards to go into your deck, then pass the cards to your opponent. They then choose one of those cards to be removed from your available cards. This continues until you have three cards remaining that are discarded, then you draw 15 more cards and repeat the process.

This continues until you have built for yourself the best deck that you can, and strategically denied your opponent what you hope are his best cards. In addition to this, you may choose to trigger the “draft only cards” from the packs for their effects, which changes some of the rules of the draft itself!

It’s an exciting format that I think will illustrate why the LCG is a fun, unique model. I can’t wait to see it in action in the real world.

Savor The Flavor
With the extensive history of Warhammer, I wanted to make sure that we kept each race as flavorful as possible. From the grudges of the Dwarfs to the addiction to fighting of the Orcs, we wanted each to feel as if they came straight from the annals of Warhammer. 

We did this in a couple of ways. The first is the flavor and names themselves. Each card was passed by our resident loremasters, Jay Little and JR Godwin. Both of them are steeped in Warhammer history, and were excited to help shape the face of the game. Adding both card titles and writing all of the flavour text, these guys were dedicated to capturing the essence of the Old World. From the Orc Boar Boyz “Dun know which smellz worse, der boyz or der boarz!” to the Savage Marauders “It is time the cattle of the Empire learn the meaning of slaughter.”, each card belongs in the gritty universe of Warhammer.

Secondly, flavor was added in the game mechanics themselves. Known for their grudges, Dwarfs will not rest until they right the wrong done to them. To this effect, there are a number of Dwarf cards that have a spiteful effect when they are removed from play. The Zhufbar Engineers are a perfect example of this. Chaos works to corrupt the world, and this threat was maintained in the game as well. Many Chaos units are able to corrupt units, and other cards have abilities that only trigger on corrupted units. Melekh the Changer gains strength from every corrupted unit, on both sides of the battle! Each race has a handful of specific abilities that they are best at, which provides you a number of options when building a deck.

Join me next week when we take a close look at fine folks found in the Empire!

Warhammer Invasion LCG is a card game, by Eric M. Lang, in which 2 players develop their kingdoms and lay waste to their foes. Each side is comprised of either the forces of Order -Dwarfs, High Elves, Empire- or the forces of Destruction -Orcs, Chaos, Dark Elves- as they seek to extend their empire to include the entire Old World.
 

By Rogue Trader RPG Senior Developer, Ross Watson
 

Greetings Rogue Trader fans!

A while back I created a release schedule for Dark Heresy called Knowledge Is Power. That is particularly powerful title, and I feel it is a truism that can be applied to nearly any pursuit. I’ve also been gaming for over a couple of decades now (Yes, this means I’m getting up into the “middle aged” category!), and I’ve learned that for a Game Master, knowledge is most definitely power.

The Rogue Trader Game Master’s Kit is a great way to put that power into the GM’s hands. First, it contains a fold-out GM’s screen chock-full of vital information straight from the Rogue Trader rulebook. All the critical charts, diagrams, and reference information are right at your fingertips, and the screen is built from FFG’s sturdy, linen-finish stock that makes it a very durable screen indeed! Finally, the screen is paneled on the opposite side with lush, full-colour artwork.

However, the GM’s screen is just part of this package! Also included is a booklet that contains a Rogue Trader adventure suitable for beginning-rank characters, a starship combat summary, a starship construction “cheat sheet,” an NPC vessel generator, and a planet and system generator—a very useful packet of information for any GM!

Look for the Rogue Trader Game Master's Kit to be available this fall.

Rogue Trader is a roleplaying game set in dark gothic far future of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players take on the roles of explorers aboard a Rogue Trader's ship, searching for profit and adventure while discovering new alien cultures and threats in the uncharted regions of space.

GenCon is a great time to check out new games. This year we will debut the new Warhammer: Invasion Living Card Game (LCG) and have demoes running all weekend long. We will also have a limited number of copies available for purchase at our booth.

Every player who picks up a core set can join us at the Training Grounds held in the Fantasy Flight section of the Card Game Event Hall. We will be matching up people in the training grounds so that you can explore and get a feel for the game in a fun, casual environment.

The first 50 players participating in the training grounds will receive a Warhammer themed binder to hold your new cards in. Also remember that the Core Set comes with two exclusive in game items for the Warhammer Age of Reckoning MMO, we will also have special free trial disks for the MMO at the training grounds for every participant.

For those interested in putting the strategies and ideas you have come up with to the test, we will be having an event to showcase the game on Saturday at 2 P.M. in the Fantasy Flight Games section of the card game hall, the same place the training grounds are held at. Players will get a chance to pit their newly honed skills against each other in a tournament. There will be prizes for the top finishers, but the emphasis of the event is to give players and event to try out the decks they have built and played so far during the show in a fun setting.

Keep an eye out for designer Eric M. Lang at the Training Grounds. He will be journeying from the frozen lands of Canada to play some games and answer your questions about the newest addition to the world of Warhammer Fantasy.

Warhammer Invasion LCG is a card game in which 2 players develop their kingdoms and lay waste to their foes. Each side is comprised of either the forces of Order -Dwarfs, High Elves, Empire- or the forces of Destruction -Orcs, Chaos, Dark Elves- as they seek to extend their empire to include the entire Old World.

A Ratcatcher’s Tale– Part 2
By Graham McNeill (read part 1)

     THE SHADOWS JERKING on the wall moved further down the tunnel, and Rolf heard what sounded like muffled screaming, like someone trying to shout with a gag in their mouth. Rolf had lived in Altdorf long enough to know that sound. Had footpads set upon Ol’ Nenny? That seemed unlikely, as no-one in their right mind would think a ratcatcher had anything worth stealing.

     He moved gingerly down the tunnel, Mandred keeping pace with him and sniffing at the filthy ground with agitated snuffles. Rolf dropped to one knee and put his hand on Mandred’s collar as the shadows halted. Hugging the tunnel wall, Rolf eased forward to get a better look at his quarry.

     Two hooded figures in tattered, filthy robes struggled to drag a third figure behind them, moving with hurried, jerky motions. Hunched over, they talked in rapid, high-pitched chitters. One held a strange, orb-shaped lantern – the source of the green glow – while the other carried what looked like an elaborately embellished Hochland longrifle.

     After a rapid exchange of squeaks and hisses, they set off once again, and Rolf had to use every ounce of his considerable skill in moving silently to keep up as his pursuit took him deeper into the warren of tunnels. The strange orb-lantern bathed the tunnel in an oddly unsettling glow, the water throwing back strange reflections onto the wall. The rippling shapes seemed to form leering mouths, and Rolf made the sign of the hammer to ward off the evil eye.

     At last the shadows stopped, and Rolf pressed his back to the damp stonework. He heard the sound of an iron grating being opened, and the hooded figures dragged their prisoner into a smaller side tunnel. The light went with them, and Rolf let out a relieved breath.

     He waited for a while before unhooding his lantern, its warm glow reassuring in its normalcy. Moving along the tunnel towards the opened grate, Rolf lifted the lantern to the arch’s keystone, looking for the mason’s mark. He ran his fingers over the stone, feeling a circle with three vertical cuts in its bottom right segment, bisected by a horizontal cut with an arrowhead on the right.

     ‘Eastern tunnels, third circle, second quarter,’ whispered Rolf. ‘We’re under the grain houses of Unterzeit, Mandred.’

     The terrier looked up at him, its back stiff and its hackles raised. Mandred had smelled rats and wanted to kill them. Rolf patted the mangy dog as he knelt before the grate and looked along its darkened length. Every instinct told him to turn back. He was alone in the sewers, armed only with a skinning knife and some caltrops. Not exactly a Reiksguard Knight or a shining hero like the ones in Detlef Sierck’s plays.

     For all that Rolf was a lowly ratcatcher, a man most quality folk would look down on, he prided himself on trying to do the right thing where he could. Not easy in a city like Altdorf, but a man did what he had to do to survive. He remembered Hansi, the ratcatcher from Wolfenburg who’d discovered that pleasure cult in the sewers under the docks some years ago. Hansi had brought Sergeant Mueller and twenty watchmen back with him, and they had dragged the screaming cultist to the surface, where they were strung up outside the Gallows Head tavern.

     Hansi had earned himself a couple of gold coins for his trouble and the prospect of some easy cash was a greater lure than the notion of a ratters’ fraternity. Rolf bent down and made his way along the tunnel, keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of the unsettling green glow or anyone lying in wait.

     The base of the tunnel was slimy and an inch of stagnant, stinking water soaked his thin boots. He saw prints in the slime, elongated like a man’s bare foot, but with what looked like claws on the toes. Rolf was reminded of the far-fetched tales of sewermen who claimed to have seen monsters in the tunnels; monsters with the faces of rats, but who walked like men. He put such nonsense from his mind as he saw faint light spilling into the tunnel. As he made his way to the source of the light, Rolf saw the brickwork ahead had collapsed inward; the base of the tunnel filled with crumbled mortar and bloodstained bricks.

     Rolf carefully eased his head around the hole in the tunnel, seeing a large chamber filled with workbenches and shadowed cages. There were things inside the cages, but the light was too dim to make out what they were. Animals? People? The workbenches were crowded with all manner of strange and hideous artefacts. Brass rods, drills, enormous shears, brightly coloured placards, swirling globes of greenish yellow fluids and jars of staring eyeballs.
‘What is this place?’ he wondered aloud. ‘It’s a wizard’s laboratory or somesuch. I think we’re in over our heads, Mandred.’

     Hearing its name, the terrier bounded into the room, circling the nearest cage and making wheezing, soundless barks as he bared his yellowed teeth. Rolf beckoned Mandred to return, but the dog was having none of it, silently growling at a lumpen shadow in the cage. Rolf saw the shape move, heavy and gradual like a slowly waking farm animal. As game as Mandred was, he wasn’t brave enough to squeeze through the bars to get at whatever was in the cage.

     ‘Damn it, Mandred, this is a job for the watch, not us!’ hissed Rolf, ducking through the hole in the brickwork to fetch his dog. The air inside the chamber stank of burned meat and hot iron, a place of death and despair. Mandred scampered farther into the chamber, sniffing at the ground, which Rolf now saw was streaked and spattered with blood.

     An ill-fitting door of warped planks was wedged in a hole in the far wall, just beyond a wide slab-like table. Moving closer, Rolf saw it was caked with brownish stains and fitted with thick leather straps. It looked like a butcher’s block or barber surgeon’s table, but it was surely too large for that.

     Mandred circled the table with angry snarls, and Rolf took a moment to study the objects strewn across the workbenches. Numerous coloured bone cubes, decorated with strange symbols – hourglasses, skulls, comets and the like – were scattered alongside numerous sheets of paper covered in tightly-wound script. The longrifle lay on the bench too, its workings far more complex than any blackpowder weapon he had ever seen.

     ‘Come on, damn you,’ hissed Rolf, scooping up his dog. The terrier struggled in his grasp, but Rolf was in no mood to hang around this place of death. He turned and made his way back to the hole in the wall when he heard the creak of warped wood scraping on stone.

     He looked over his shoulder in terror as the door to the chamber began to open.

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce the next League Season for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game and new league kits are now available!

The new league kit features a storyline that players can contribute to by playing matches in their league. Each league kit includes voting forms which players can win through league participation. The votes of league participants will affect the design of future cards and change the metagame!

In this A Game of Thrones LCG league, as representatives of the Great Houses, players will battle to determine who the mysterious Melee Champion will align himself with. Which House will prove worthy of the Champion's might?

The A Game of Thrones LCG League Kit includes:

• 30 custom Power tokens
• 1 House Baratheon Pin
• 1 House Lannister Pin
• 1 A Game of Thrones Binder
• 1 League Poster
• 1 League Booklet
• 8 Voting Forms

Included in this A Game of Thrones LCG league kit are special game-specific faction pins. Each pin is an invitation to a special event to be held at the FFG Events Center, in Roseville, Minnesota, next year, similar to our Path of The Master event for UFS - an entire weekend devoted to gaming! Come with a pin and you will be chosen to compete in these exciting events - Watch this space for more information!

Remember, these pins and all of the other materials in the kits can be used in the manner that seems to work best for your play group. The kits are intended as a toolbox to help you promote and support the game at the local level.

Start your A Game of Thrones LCG league and win the melee champion for your House!

Are you starting a League at your store for the first time? Contact Scott Clifton to sign up and get started. Have you run league before? Just contact our Sales department to place an order. Each league kit costs $15 and includes domestic shipping (international stores please contact us for more information). For more information, send us an email at organizedplay@fantasyflightgames.com

Based on George R.R. Martin's bestselling fantasy epic, A Song of Ice and Fire, A Game of Thrones Living Card Game brings the beloved heroes, villains, locations, and events of the world of Westeros to life through innovative game mechanics and the highly strategic game play. The Living Card Game format allows players to customize their gaming experience with monthly Chapter Pack expansions to the core game.

Welcome to the latest in the series of Universal Fighting System Set 13 Tekken 6 spoilers, presented by Set 13's designer, James Hata.

Today we discuss Kazuya Mishima, one of most popular characters in the Tekken series. Kazuya is known for being a brutal and vicious fighter, and his character themes are a reflection of that - or as I like to say - Kazuya hates the world and likes to show it.

Click on the image to the left for a larger version.

Kazuya plays off of a mechanic that is rarely used in UFS - the stacking or “fusion” mechanic. This means that his abilities are based on how many copies of his character card are in his staging area at any given point in time. In this particular situation, Kazuya has a lower difficulty of 4 on his character card to help this strategy along.

Once he has at least one additional version of his character fused along with his starting character, Kazuya becomes a huge threat. Essentially, he has an opportunity to clear the entire board and make his attacks stronger. This threat alone is enough to make your opponent shift gears and change his strategy. Kazuya’s support cards also support this theme of staging area destruction, as well as the strategy of character stacking in general.

I am confident that this powerful character will be an interesting and welcome addition to the UFS universe. If you would like to see another spoiler for the Tekken 6 set, please visit this UFS fan site: Team Canada Online.

Watch this space for more UFS Set 13 Tekken 6 spoilers as we approach the pre-release weekend of August 28th-30th. Be sure your store has its order in for the pre-release kit! For more information on ordering a pre-release kit, follow this link to join the Iron Fist Tournament.


UFS (Universal Fighting System) is the premier fighting game TCG where all of your favorite console fighting game characters get to slug it out in the Arena of Champions. For more information on UFS, check out our UFS minisite.

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce the next League Season for Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game and new league kits are now available!

The new league kit features a storyline that players can contribute to by playing matches in their league. Each league kit includes voting forms which players can win through league participation. The votes of league participants will affect the design of future cards and change the metagame!

In this Call of Cthulhu LCG league, the Mythos factions, Investigator factions, and every thing in between will contend to control the infamous Elder Sign, an object of immense and terrifying power. Will the Elder Sign be locked away where it is safe, or used to further some devious agenda?

The Call of Cthulhu LCG League Kit includes:

• 1 Call of Cthulhu Poker Deck
• 1 Agency Pin
• 1 Syndicate Pin
• 1 Call of Cthulhu Binder
• 1 League Poster
• 1 League Booklet
• 8 Voting Forms

Included in this Call of Cthulhu LCG league kit are special game-specific faction pins. Each pin is an invitation to a special event to be held at the FFG Events Center, in Roseville, Minnesota, next year, similar to our Path of The Master event for UFS - an entire weekend devoted to gaming! Come with a pin and you will be chosen to compete in these exciting events - Watch this space for more information!

Remember, these pins and all of the other materials in the kits can be used in the manner that seems to work best for your play group. The kits are intended as a toolbox to help you promote and support the game at the local level.

Start your Call of Cthulhu LCG league today and seize the Elder Sign!

Are you starting a League at your store for the first time? Contact Scott Clifton to sign up and get started. Have you run league before? Just contact our Sales department to place an order. Each league kit costs $15 and includes domestic shipping (international stores please contact us for more information). For more information, send us an email at organizedplay@fantasyflightgames.com
 

Based on the fiction of H.P. Lovecraft and his literary circle, Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game takes two players deep into the Cthulhu Mythos where investigators clash with the Ancient Ones and Elder Gods for the fate of the world. To learn more about Call of Cthulhu, visit our minisite.

The next wave of hard-to-find sourcebooks and adventures for the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition roleplaying game is now available from DriveThruRPG and RPGNow. These versions of classic Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay texts have been updated to incorporate errata and are available in an easy-to-use PDF format with chapter tabs and searchable text. These digital books will make excellent additions to any Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay campaign.

Read on to learn more about the WFRP PDFs that are now available:

Ashes of Middenheim (Paths of the Damned, Vol I)
DriveThruRPG
RPGNow

All is not well in Middenheim.  Corruption eats at the very heart of the City of the White Wolf, and it's up to your heroes to help root it out.  An action-packed adventure involving heresy, murder, betrayal, and the scent of corruption most foul, Ashes of Middenheim is part I of Paths of the Damned, the epic adventure trilogy for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay.  In addition to the adventure itself, this book also contains a full description of Middenheim, including a detailed city map and descriptions of neighborhoods, key NPCs, and a host of important locations.

Spires of Altdorf (Paths of the Damned, Vol II)
DriveThruRPG
RPGNow

Deep inside the city of Altdorf lies a buried secret that promises power but delivers nothing but damnation. In Spires of Altdorf, the heroes must travel to the great city, learn its ways, and find the second artefact of their quest.  Altdorf is a hotbed of intrigue, and it takes more than skill with a blade to survive its perilous streets in Spires of Altdorf, part 2 of Paths of the Damned, the epic adventure trilogy. In addition to the adventure itself, the book features details on Altdorf, including a history of the city, key locations, and advice on evoking the proper atmosphere.  

Barony of the Damned
DriveThruRPG
RPGNow

In Barony of the Damned, the heroes are hired by a powerful noble to bring back the head of a nefarious agitator. In searching for their quarry, the heroes will find themselves embroiled in a twisted tale of intrigue and investigation, thwarting the plots of pirates, murderers, and even the blasphemous force behind the Barony of the Damned. Barony of the Damned is a stand alone adventure, designed to breathe life into one of Bretonnia's more infamous lands.  In addition to the adventure, this book details the Mousillon, its history, its people, and politics.  Inside you'll find several new monsters like the Grey Men, new diseases such as the Rod Pox and the Swampaire's Croup, and two new careers: the Frogwife and the Swampaire.  In addition, this book presents statistics and information on all the important characters found in this foetid land.

Tome of Salvation
DriveThruRPG
RPGNow

Tome of Salvation provides a detailed look at religion in the Empire, exploring faith's role and function within the nation's convoluted and complex society.  Inside this massive sourcebook you will find:

• A detailed history of religion in the Empire, filled with fascinating details to spark countless adventures.
• Full entries on each of the gods, including their nature, strictures, priests and more.
• Extensive overviews of the various expressions of faith in the Old World, covering everything from folk religion to zealots, fanatics and other extremes of worship.
• And much more!

Tome of Salvation is an invaluable sourcebook for both Players and Game Masters, providing useful tools and information for characters of a religious bent and great material from which GMs can build adventures of their own design.  With the information contained in this sourcebook, you can stand strong before the gathered hordes of Chaos, emboldened by the power of the gods!

Realms of Sorcery
DriveThruRPG
RPGNow

The Winds of Magic blow south from the Realms of Sorcery, and only those with the knowledge and talent can master them. The Realms of Sorcery sourcebook is an indispensable addition for players and Game Masters alike, expanding how magic functions in the Old World. This book serves as a valuable resource for both those seeking the paths of wizardry and for those looking to acquire the tools needed to defeat them. Inside this tome you will find:
 
 • Scores of new spells for each Wind of Magic.
 • Exhaustive information on all the Colleges of Magic, examining their history, goals, key figures and more.
 • An extensive overview describing the nature of magic, and the role magic plays in the Old World.
 • A complete adventure, "A Brutal Finish".

Knights of the Grail
DriveThruRPG
RPGNow

Renowned throughout the Old World the Grail Knights of this green land are some of the greatest Warriors. But there's more to this land than Questing Knights and damsels in distress. Bretonnia harbours its share of sinister secrets, peril and adventure. Knights of the Grail is the definitive sourcebook for Bretonnia. Inside, you'll find:
• A detailed history on this storied land, covering the birth of this nation and its subsequent exploits against Orcs, Undead and worse.
• A comprehensive look at what life is like in Bretonnia.
• Details on the political and social structure of the nation including crime and punishment, the laws and the role and objectives of outlaws.
• A new map of Bretonnia.
• "Ill Tidings", an adventure for new or experienced characters.

Bretonnia is an exciting realm in the world of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. With this book, you can take your games beyond the Empire, to explore the wider world of grim and perilous adventure.

Adventure in the Old World beckons - begin your quest today!

Set in the war torn world of Games Workshop's Warhammer universe, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay is a roleplaying game that sets unlikely heroes on the road to perilous adventure. Players will venture into the dark corners of the Empire, guided by luck and Fate, and challenge the threats that others cannot or will not face.

We're all going to New Caprica. All of us. Every last, single one of us! It's our chance to be together. To be together again... I'm going to sign my first executive order requiring the fleet to immediately establish settlements on the planet we have come to know as New Caprica.
-President Gaius Baltar, “Lay Down Your Burdens, part 2”

Offering a renewed confidence in the future, New Caprica seemed to many to represent a chance to finally put the war against the Cylons to rest... a chance to start over. Although the land was harsh and the climate was unforgiving, the crew of Galactica dreamed of starting families, building homes, and setting down roots. But the dream soon became a nightmare. The Cylons arrived, and with promises of peace and aid, occupied New Caprica and subjugated humanity once again. Their only hope was that Galactica, which had abandoned them when the Cylons first arrived, would return to liberate them.

Welcome to the third preview for the Pegasus Expansion of Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game! In the first preview, we took a look at Cylon Leaders. In the second, we explored the capabilities of Battlestar Pegasus herself. This time, we’ll get a sneak peek at the New Caprica board, the setting of humanity’s new victory condition. We’ll also meet the troublesome and manipulative Ellen Tigh, a new addition to the political leader category, and we’ll thumb through the New Caprica Crisis deck, a collection of all-new obstacles specific to the revised endgame!

The optional New Caprica Objective Card, if used, replaces the existing Kobol Objective Card, requiring that the action of the game shifts to the New Caprica Board after the humans have traveled seven or more units of distance. That is, if they make it that far. New Destination Cards give greater options to the Admiral, so you’d better be sure of his or her loyalty! The “Binary Star” destination, for example, grants two distance at a cost of only one fuel, but the confusion it causes temporarily leaves your civilians vulnerable. The “Misjump” destination provides an opportunity for a conniving hidden-Cylon Admiral to kick humanity while it’s down; not only does it fail to move the fleet forward, it destroys a civilian ship! If humanity overcomes these threats, they’ll face an even greater challenge on New Caprica’s surface.

In the mountains north of here there's this little stream that comes down into this lake... The water is so clear, it's like looking through glass. I'm thinking of building a cabin.
-Laura Roslin, “Unfinished Business”

Once the New Caprica phase of the game has begun, things change in some fundamental ways. The ultimate goal for the humans during this phase is to protect themselves from the Cylon forces and prepare for Galactica’s return. The main Galactica board remains in play, (as does Pegasus, if she has survived this long) but its locations are off-limits, and its jump track takes on a somewhat different function; it represents the time remaining before Galactica’s return to New Caprica (at which point players can again use its locations). In order for the humans to win, they must prepare the remaining civilian ships for an escape, and the Admiral must order a final jump with Galactica (once it has returned) thereby leaving New Caprica and ending the game. Any human players left behind are executed and any civilian ships not evacuated are destroyed. If these losses reduce any of the resource dials to zero, the humans lose. If not, they escape and win, after which the Cylon Leader reveals his Agenda card to see if he can claim victory as well!

Upon the start of the New Caprica phase, all human players (including unrevealed Cylons) move their characters to the “Resistance HQ” space of the New Caprica board, and all revealed Cylons move their characters to the “Occupation Authority” – neither team may leave the board until Galactica returns. Any remaining civilian ships are randomized and stacked on the “Locked Civilian Ships” space; the humans will need to prepare them as they hold out for Galactica’s homecoming!

The Cylons have established a human police force… Hundreds of us have been rounded up by the Cylons, held in detention. Questioned. Tortured.
-Laura Roslin’s Diary, “Crossroads”

The New Caprica Crisis deck, an all-new set of obstacles based on the award-winning third season of Battlestar Galactica, provides the game timer for the New Caprica phase, just as the standard Crisis deck had done for the majority of the game. Until Galactica returns to orbit (a timer which is still based on the recurrence of the familiar “prepare for jump” icon), all Cylon ship activation icons are ignored. But once Galactica returns and the evacuation is underway, these icons are again obeyed; additionally, players may then move between the ship and surface as they wish. The result is a frenzied and climactic endgame, as some crew members remain behind, desperately fighting to move the remaining civilian ships, and others head into orbit to defend those who have already launched against a new onslaught of enemy ships!

Before that, however, the humans must work to prepare as many civilian ships as possible. In the New Caprica Crisis card to the right, “Labor Union Strike,” you can see two important new icons along the bottom of the card. In this example, after the crisis is resolved, players should resolve the lower-left icons first, as usual. The first icon is the familiar “Activate Raiders.” Unless Galactica has returned and is in orbit (indicating that the end of game is imminent), this icon should be ignored. Next to that, you’ll notice the new “Activate Occupation Forces” icon. This icon indicates when “Occupation Forces” tokens are to be placed or moved along the bottom of the New Caprica board (the same result can be achieved through the use of a Cylon action on the “Occupation Authority” space), and when these tokens leave the shipyard, the top locked civilian ship is destroyed! This creates a desperate race against the clock – humans must either prepare all the civilian ships, ensuring their safety, or they must actively destroy occupation forces... all while rooting out hidden Cylons, and (if Galactica has returned) fending off raiders, heavy raiders, and basestars in orbit!

Continuing with the “Labor Union Strike” crisis example above, you’ll also notice a new icon on the lower-right corner of the Crisis card. Just to the left of the “prepare for jump” icon, the “evacuation” icon is only resolved when Galactica has returned to orbit (and in this case, the “prepare for jump” icon is ignored). It requires that the current player draw the top civilian ship from the “Prepared Civilian Ships” space and move it to the main board, indicating that it has been successfully evacuated (but leaving it vulnerable to raider attacks!). Since ships can also be evacuated using the “Shipyard” space on the New Caprica board, the humans will need to coordinate as many evacuations as it takes to feel secure in the final, game-ending FTL jump. After all, any abandoned characters or civilian ships will immediately translate into a loss of valuable resources!

I went to see them, the Cylons. Finally got to the one in charge... and I got him to notice me … the way men notice me. I'd do it again. I’d do anything! I didn't want anybody to be killed.
-Ellen Tigh, “Exodus, part 2”

This Fall, the devious and ambitious Ellen Tigh joins the available characters. A political leader falling just below Tom Zarek on the presidential line of succession, Ellen is adept at taking power at just the right (or wrong) time. A deeply conflicted character, she is the only non-Cylon-Leader who draws Treachery cards as part of her skill set. Her “Politically Adroit” ability, however, gives her impressive control over her hand, and her once-per-game “Manipulative” ability means she can make the big decisions when it suits her.

The addition of the New Caprica board and mechanics promises to create an even more satisfying endgame for your Battlestar Galactica experience! In our next preview, we’ll present a revealing designer diary from Daniel Clark, who along with Corey Konieczka and Tim Uren, designed and developed Pegasus. In it, Daniel will share some of the “bumps in the road” that the design team encountered, and will give his insights into how even those failures had their benefits.

Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game is a semi-cooperative game of politics, betrayal, and survival for 3-6 players, based on the hit Syfy Channel series.

Greetings Rogue Trader fans!

Just around the corner is Gen Con 2009, where fans can get their first real look at the Rogue Trader core rulebook! As part of this momentous occasion, I’ve put together a special surprise.

Back in June, we were proud to participate in Free RPG Day, and the Rogue Trader quick-start booklet Forsaken Bounty was the result. Today, I am pleased to announce that there is a sequel to Forsaken Bounty, a free adventure suitable for the pre-generated characters and quick-start rules from that booklet. It is called Dark Frontier, and it is written by the same author as Forsaken Bounty, Owen Barnes.

Dark Frontier takes your Rogue Trader characters on a perilous journey to a forbidden, alien region of the Koronus Expanse. Can your Explorers discover the secrets of the Dark Frontier? Great risks and great rewards await!

Dark Frontier - high-resolution (PDF, 44.6 MB)
Dark Frontier - web-quality (PDF, 3.2)

Rogue Trader is a roleplaying game set in dark gothic far future of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players take on the roles of explorers aboard a Rogue Trader's ship, searching for profit and adventure while discovering new alien cultures and threats in the uncharted regions of space.