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NO POSTING - Heroscape 2.0 News from Designers and Staff

"Loredump Junior" (because it's smaller than the previous one).
Encarmine said:
Consider this: over time. A Kyrie ventures out across a pasture they have known for their entire lifetime on Valhalla. The blue-green grass blowing in the wind a constant reminder of a once peaceful world now thrown into chaos by war and strife. As the war rages around it, this pasture has thus far remained unscathed by the bloodshed and battle. However one day this same Kyrie crests the hill and looks down upon the land only to see it changed. Where once the grass moved to the rhythm of a soft breeze, the Kyrie sees strange and alien plants that appear like oversized neon mushrooms darted the horizon, a common sight on Marr, but not on Valhalla. Is this a sign that the constant usage of these Wellsprings to draw living things from across the universe is effecting the ecosystem of the planet perhaps? Have we been dabbling in things we don’t completely understand?

Would perhaps drastically expand terrain options for the future no?

So now… what happens to a living creature that constantly is accessing that same power and energy over an extended time?
Encarmine said:
Anitar said:
Encarmine said:
Rogueidealist said:
SkyWhale said:
Rogueidealist said:
I'm fascinated by Revna, we know so little of this general or ideals.
Encarmine said she's mean
But why so mean? Who spat in Revnas waffles?
The other Kyrie Tribes.
And now that we know this, the name of her bug minions makes perfect sense-- "Nemesis" was the goddess of revenge.
Anitar ate her Wheaties today it seems.
Encarmine said:
Just working through some stuff
age_of_annihilation_3d_map_render_original.jpg
 
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I was looking forward to the 5 Attack, but it was not to be.

A correction.
Hi, everyone!

I’ve been given permission to release a small bit of information about a design in progress.

The *actual* current stats for Killian Vane, as opposed to the incorrect ones put on the sample card, are as follows:

Life 5
Move 5
Range 1
Attack 4
Defense 2

Otherwise the card is precisely as we are currently considering it.

Thanks!
Dad_Scaper said:
I don’t remember who I was addressing yesterday, but now that the stats for KV are fixed, feel free to have a close look at the design and share your thoughts. This is obviously not intended to be anything complex or groundbreaking on its own, but you are looking at a good guy pirate hero, who can be a part of a pirate army or maybe serve some other purpose.
 
From the official Twitter:
[ame]https://twitter.com/i/status/1580685844280647687[/ame]

Transcription, courtesy of @Myth26 (thank you Myth):
Spoiler Alert!



Intergalactic Patrick said:
Coolpat said:
This is showing added value for the same price tag on the campaign, assuming they put this information on the haslab page of course
Pretty major Haslab page update should hit next week.

We are sharing updates as they happen to keep y'all up to date as early as possible.
 
Bookburner.
Avalon Bill said:
There's more to come a little later today, but I thought y'all might like a little taste - note these are not final army card designs
first_officeer_bok_bur_na_original.jpg
Encarmine said:
SkyWhale said:
So was this made within the last few days, then?
Yes it was

And yes, there will be character illustrations on both sides of the card.
Encarmine said:
Stormbrook said:
So the Seasons are you allowed to elaborate how they'll work?
I want to produce two campaign settings each year. With their own scenarios, uniques, common packs and terrain packs.
Encarmine said:
Slaader said:
More lava!
Hot Lava Death pack is already spec’ed
Encarmine said:
Would be cool if the entire campaign happened to be tracked collectively as an ongoing narrative on the companion app no? :wink: wins/loses across the world recorded real time, effecting the entire map, battle lines updating daily… I have some ideas.


Would be even cooler if the outcome determined by the players, became the canon results of the campaigns and were transcribed back up into the lore each season…
 
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Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
[ame]https://twitter.com/AvalonHill/status/1581029990614835200[/ame]

Gameplay video:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc4B6Ar0JDY[/ame]

New cards:
killian_vane_original.jpg

knight_primus_adelbern_original.jpg

frostclaw_paladins_754818_original.jpg

queen_maladrix_the_conqueror_192153_original.jpg

festering_honor_guard_587849_original.jpg

skyknight said:
Anitar said:
skyknight said:
I have been chomping at the bit for you guys to get to meet the Queen!
What's her royal title of address?
Someone said “her Royal deadliness”. I like that :smile:
(That was me, by the way)
 
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Encarmine said:
caps said:
Encarmine said:
The Vanguard Edition will never be offered again after the Haslab.

I also guarantee it will be the best value you probably ever see at a standard msrp.

Assume this combination of product contained in one offering is not a standard practice and will never work at retail because of the financials used to generate it.

I’m saying the value is impossible to match in standard retail.
My interpretation was that the retail will be multiple separate products that are, in aggregate, more expensive than the Vanguard Edition but much cheaper individually
Something like that, yes.

It will be cheaper, and smaller. But half the components doesn’t yield half the price, or half the price doesn’t get you have the components. It doesn’t work that way.

It costs more to produce an item for retail, then it does for a Haslab, because the retailer demands higher margins. So in the end, while the price point of a master set will be less then $250, the value comparison won’t be close.

So IF proven successful and IF Heroscape makes it to a full retail launch, players shouldn’t assume the value will scale with the price lowering. Like I said, players who wait will find they will not get the same volume of components for their dollar. It just doesn’t function that way.


Also, we’ll end up destroying the tools for the exclusives. We really can’t legally release them again.

Encarmine said:
Coolpat said:
Encarmine said:
The species concept for the Clockwork actually comes from another game concept I was working on that isn’t going forward.
I assume you can’t tell us anything about it because of NdAs?
Um no, not really. There was a game concept that included a theme associated with modern contemporary gangsters, that happen to be animals.

..And another article:
https://geektyrant.com/news/herosca...e-age-of-annihilation-via-haslab-crowdfunding


Encarmine said:
Myth26 said:
Encarmine, which general is the 7th, Revna or Volarak?
How would you judge it. The day they drink from a Wellspring or the moment they are revealed in the story?

I would say Volarak drank first, but Revna reveals herself first.
 
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Anitar, Myth26, and co. are hard at work getting a transcription of the Tales of Valhalla podcast interview last night with Chris Nadeau/Encarmine put together. In the meantime I wanted to post a few tidbits that I thought were really interesting/revealing:

- There are only 6 full-time staff members on the Avalon Hill team.
- There is a HasLab team at Hasbro that is responsible for the website. They are entirely separate from Avalon Hill and have their own processes and patterns for putting together the pages (you can see a kind of standard grid template on most HasLab pages).
- The HasLab team is used to putting together campaign pages for toys for collectors. Collectors know how action figures work, so they don't need it explained to them. Ergo, explanation of the product is not a typical part of a HasLab page.
- Changes to HasLab pages are made by the HasLab team, not by Avalon Hill.
 
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Anitar, Myth26, and co. are hard at work getting a transcription of the Tales of Valhalla podcast interview last night with Chris Nadeau/Encarmine put together. In the meantime I wanted to post a few tidbits that I thought were really interesting/revealing:

- There are only 6 full-time staff members on the Avalon Hill team.
- There is a HasLab team at Hasbro that is responsible for the website. They are entirely separate from Avalon Hill and have their own processes and patterns for putting together the pages (you can see a kind of standard grid template on most HasLab pages).
- The HasLab team is used to putting together campaign pages for toys for collectors. Collectors know how action figures work, so they don't need it explained to them. Ergo, explanation of the product is not a typical part of a HasLab page.
- Changes to HasLab pages are made by the HasLab team, not by Avalon Hill.
- In a similar vein, the Avalon Hill team does not have their own 3d printer. They use an in-house "print shop" which also produces prototypes for other departments. It took two weeks to build the Age of Annihilation prototype. That + the other "clients" for the print shop is why they have only one prototype right now. He did say they are slowly working on a second copy of the prototype as a side effect of closely reviewing and finalizing each sculpt.
 
Anitar, Myth26, and co. are hard at work getting a transcription of the Tales of Valhalla podcast interview last night with Chris Nadeau/Encarmine put together. In the meantime I wanted to post a few tidbits that I thought were really interesting/revealing:
Here's a "Table of Contents" of the podcast, if you will. I'd like to see some discussion of this over on the BGG page, as well as our info silo here.

3:40 -- Chris Nadeau introduction. Background to returning HeroScape, and Chris' professional & gaming background getting to Avalon Hill.
15:00 -- Avalon Hill Discord -- communicating real-time with the fanbase.
17:45 -- Philosophy of the HeroScape design team -- response to Oct. 14 demo playthrough with new figures/cards & figure powers.
31:00 -- What to show (and not to show) leading up to the Oct. 1 HasLab crowdfund. New faction concept art.
41:00 -- Avalon Hill information channels (Discord, Hasbro Pulse, etc.)
44:00 -- Gettysburg, Battle Masters, Space Crusade, HeroQuest--returning titles to market.
53:00 -- Chris's online handle (Encarmine)
57:20 -- Oct. 14 "bugs vs. bears" demo -- showing the new game is HeroScape in feel.

1:06:55 -- HasLab / HasbroPulse crowdfunding campaigns
1:14:30 -- Deep dive into the background lore. Organizing the backstory around the prophecy.
1:28:05 -- New lore: Revna. Volarek. Wellsprings.
1:39:30 -- What does flipping the wellspring switch mean? My Little Pony-Scape could be a thing.
1:50:20 -- Sgt. Drake as a template for consequence.

1:58:20 -- Why HeroScape now? Why Age of Annihilation?
2:07:15 -- Chat questions: The "Blueprint." Assigning factions. Tooling costs. "Old Man Drake." _Ice Pirates_.
2:21:15 -- Festering Honor Guard question. Plushies. Migol. The Map Compass symbol.
2:34:30 -- Sign-offs from staff.
2:45:15 -- Chris' final thoughts.
 
@Myth26 is setting up a team for transcribing official audio content for this thread in general, in light of the interview in the latest Tales of Valhalla. I'd very much appreciate anyone able and willing to help doing so.

Also, unrelatedly, yes, I've got another official quote.
Dad_Scaper said:
Coolpat said:
Dad_Scaper said:
Our goal with design and testing was that a player with the new set only has enough to play competitively, or casually, with a player who has the old stuff. And, conversely, our goal is also that the other player, with the old stuff, sees the new set as something that complements that collection. It is our goal to thread the needle, and everybody - it is our hope and design - should feel included.
Can you tell us if your dryans have any call backs like that to old scape or do we just have to wait and see?
If we are going to thread the needle effectively - having an independent, complete set for new players, but also complementing old units - we should not rely much (as I see it) on direct interaction. That's fun, and important, as part of the execution. But it's also important that there is some soft synergy, and also some ways in which the units just happened to fit neatly together without any kind of synergy.

Reliance on too much direct and indirect synergy might, I would think, leave the new player feel like the new set, with all of its many minis, was still incomplete. And I would not want that, for the new player. When you pull all of this glorious, beautiful plastic out of the refrigerator carton that Encarmine hand delivered on a cart to your house, you should not feel like you need xyz to stack up against what your neighbor has.
 
Today is Haslab updates today.

New banner:
age_of_annihilation_banner_original.jpg


New and changed images at the top:

That picture with the katana that we've already seen is now in use as the front page image.

3D battlefield.
terrain_closeupa_2000x_original.png


The exclusive figures, side by side.
pulse_exclusive_jpg_2000x_original.jpg


Most of Army Cards, most of which are new. Note the name changes on Bonny, Dorim, and Cornelius, which are not reflected elsewhere on the page. Note the erroneous image on the Glide Strikers, and that Halushia's listed info seems like it was supposed to be for Haluchott instead. Note that Maladrix is listed as a "Skodyre" rather than "Skordyre"...
cards_2000x_original.jpg


The layout has been revamped.

The bears-versus-bugs exhibition match, now named "The Basics of Battle", is present.

We've got a beta rulebook, minus the pictures and scenarios. Notable tidbits:
Valkyrie: The Valkyrie general who leads the army (Revna, Volarak, Jandar, Utgar, Ullar, Vydar, Aquilla, Valkrill or Einar).
Let's say you’re playing the two-player Quick Play 1 game scenario on the Plains of Menlinnia battlefield.
Some squad figures, like the Dreadnauts of New Tortuga, have more than one life. If one of these figures receives a wound, use the tiny wound markers to track how many wounds each figure has. [Show the underside of the base with the tiny wound marker attached to the base]
SCORING
In cases where scoring is necessary, each player or team scores points for each army card with figures still on the battlefield. Refer to the Points value found on the card.
• SQUADS
If part of a squad has been destroyed, divide the Points number by the number of figures in the squad to get the cost for each individual figure. For example: Three of your four Vorid Glide Strikers were destroyed. You have one left on the battlefield. The total Points for this squad is 50. 50 divided by 4 equals 12.5. You would score 12.5 for the Vorid Glide Striker that is still alive.
• HEROES
If a hero has no wound markers on its army card, score the full Points amount. If there are any wound markers on a hero’s army card, you will score less. Divide the Points number by the Life number to see how much each wound costs in points. These wound marker points will reduce the total points value. For Example: Halushia’s Points number is 125 and his Life is 5. 125 divided by 5 equals 25. Xenithrax has Four wound markers on its army card. Four times 25 is 100. Now, you subtract the value of the wound markers. 125 minus 100 equals 25. Halushia with four wound markers is worth 25 points.
Permanent Glyphs
The power of each permanent glyph is in effect for as long as a figure is standing on it.
Exception: The Glyph of Brandar is an artifact. It usually represents an object as directed by the
specific game scenario.

Glyph of Astrid (Attack +1)
For each figure you control, roll one extra attack die when attacking normally.
Glyph of Gerda (Defense +1)
For each figure you control, roll one extra defense die.
Glyph of Xenithrax Vines (Vines)
If a huge figure moves onto this glyph, this glyph is immediately removed from the battlefield and that figure may continue its movement. Figures standing on this glyph roll 1 fewer attack die and 2 fewer defense dice. When a figure on a Xenithrax Vines glyph moves off of the glyph, roll one attack die. If you roll a skull, that figure takes one wound. Remove this glyph from the battlefield after a figure moves off of it, or at the end of the round if a figure is standing on it.
Glyph of Brandar (Artifact)
The rules for this glyph vary, depending on the game scenario.
Glyph of Yadulkia (Disengage)
Your figures are never attacked when leaving an engagement.

Temporary Glyphs
The power of each temporary glyph takes effect only once. When one of your figures moves onto
any of these glyphs, follow its rules, then remove it from the game.


Glyph of Haukeland (Healing)
When one of your figures stops here, you may remove up to 3 wound markers from any of your
army cards.
Glyph of Quillivon (Extra Movement)
Choose any 3 of your figures. You may move each of the chosen figures up to 6 spaces.
Glyph of Fellaron (Glyph Removal)
Remove any other glyph from the battlefield.
Flying and Stealth Flying: Many army cards have Flying or Stealth Flying. For these two powers,
just the name is listed. Refer to the below for the special powers Flying and Stealth Flying.


FLYING
When counting spaces for a figure’s movement with Flying, ignore elevations. This figure may fly over water without stopping, pass over figures without becoming engaged, and fly over obstacles such as ruins. When this figure starts to fly, if the figure is engaged it will take any leaving engagement attacks.


STEALTH FLYING
When counting spaces for a figure’s movement with Stealth Flying, ignore elevations. This figure may fly over water without stopping, pass over figures without becoming engaged, and fly over obstacles such as ruins. If this figure is engaged when it starts to fly, it will not take any leaving engagement attacks.
More than One Common Army Card: If you have more than one Common army card of the same squad or hero, you only need to put one card on the table. For example: You have three Common squads of the Knights of Weston. You do not need to bring three Knights of Weston army cards to the table. You can bring just one card.
The exclusive figures' descriptions are different.
Scavorith, Lord of Ruin
Surging into battle, Scavorith menaces its foes with up to three attacks in a single turn - but risks wounding itself!

Thyraxis Dragoon
With a maddening chitter that echoes through the battlefield the Thyraxis Dragoon can alter enemy activations and disrupt battle plans!
There's a lot more emphasis on the terrain and its modularity.
eb599d11-4e31-4089-bb71-ba250ddfcd7a

modular_terrain_0_original.jpg

modular_terrain_2_original.jpg

HeroScape features a unique battlefield creation system using modular hexagonal terrain pieces that allow for a battlefield only limited by the amount of terrain you have. These pieces feature terrain such as grass, rock, sand, water, ruins, trees, and other realistic types of landscape. Tiles of different sizes can be connected and stacked on top of each other to expand not only the base area of the war zone but its height as well. Best of all, the design of the battlefield will affect the game! Units can gain bonuses or penalties based on differences in terrain height, the types of terrain may influence unit movement, and much more. Creating a unique battlefield is an exciting part of HeroScape.
modular_terrain_3_original.jpg

modular_terrain_4_original.jpg

modular_terrain_5_original.jpg


The factions have group photos. The individual photos have been changed so as to use the new borders.
dryan_lifeborne_order_faction_shot_original.jpg

nemesis_war_brood_faction_shot_original.jpg

dawnraider_syndicate_faction_shot_original.jpg

clockwork_combine_faction_shot_original.jpg

ironclad_collective_faction_shot_original.jpg


The flavor text of the new kyrie, as a group:
In addition to the five factions, Age of Annihilation includes seven Kyrie, the winged natives of Valhalla and champions of their respective Valkyries. Some are good while some are evil, and they may join battle with factions of similar beliefs. Below are concept images for the included Kyrie, with rendered examples to come soon.
 
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I've also got unrelated quotes, because of course I do.
Intergalactic Patrick said:
caps said:
Will we get to see the full cards in news-and-updates or something Intergalactic Patrick ? :D
Not full cards yet, but we have shipped some out to some cool people to share soon.
Avalon Bill said:
PRESENTING... The Annihilation Compendium! There's nothing new here yet, but this will be our repository for Army Cards.
https://hasbropulse.com/blogs/avalon-hill/the-annihilation-compendium
Dad_Scaper said:
Ooh, look, some cards are up on the HasLab page. Pirates & Dryan are mine, as you folks already knew. I'm excited to see them out there. Our veteran readers will recall that the Vorids are dok's, and the Queen (and the other bugs) are Skyknight's.
Dad_Scaper said:
"Anitar has done an outstanding service to the community by gathering and organizing information to share in a compact, meaningful way. She's the best." ~ DS :)
 
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We've got a new... narration, actually. Full of lore, courtesy of the guy they hired to voice Thormun.

Transcript provided by myself proofreading the auto-captions, because they're surprisingly clear this time.
Baldermort/Thormun said:
Welcome, gentle listener. I am Baldermort, your faithful servant. Now, Avalon Hill, creator of many many fine board games, is crowdfunding something truly special. But also, because, well, you know the rule and I think that this is cool, links to the crowdfunder are in the video description as always. But let's find out the "where", "why", and "what" of it all. Enjoy!

It has been too long. A classic returns, yet deeper and richer than ever before. Now come join me as we gain but a tiny taste of the lore and setting of Heroscape: Age of Annihilation.

[the trailer plays; we've seen it before]

Undead creatures and horrors of war that would cause me to wake up screaming in the night-- so realistic were these visions that I could not dismiss them as imaginative ramblings or fantasy. I instinctively knew I was seeing the inevitable future of Valhalla and its people-- my people-- but the first wellspring, years before, was a gift in those early days.

I came upon it, quiet and alone, in a densely wooded copse near the Tarn of Volsunga. I had heard the legends and studied the myths, hoping to be the one to find it. I needed to make a name for myself to earn the respect of the good people of Valhalla.

I'd been hiking for days and as I neared the wellspring, overcome with fatigue and thirst, I stood back, hesitating to approach its basin. I was parched, but I cautiously inspected the crystal clear water without touching it. Then, as though an unseen force had taken hold of me, I drank greedily. As soon as the water touched my lips, my nerves began to tingle. I felt an alien sensation deep in my being. Slowly my wings started to grow until they were doubled in size. Soon, my physical strength had increased to a frightening level. My energy, vigor, and the clarity of my mind were now sharper and more powerful than ever before. The wellspring's magic had seeped into me. I continued to drink alone from the wellspring for days while I recorded all of the remarkable changes to my mind and body that I was experiencing.

Soon, however, the story of the discovery of the first wellspring and its supernatural powers became known, reverberating among the tribes of Valhalla as if it had been carried mysteriously on the wind. The Archkyrie of those tribes then quickly came together to discuss the threat the wellspring posed to a planet constantly ignited in war.

But in those early days, I had no way of knowing that six other Archkyrie would find their own wellsprings, gain the same dangerous powers that had come to me, and use them for their personal gain. The Archkyrie decided that those who drank from the wellsprings would no longer be known as kyrie, but as Valkyrie; and our own Archkyrie Jandar revealed himself first to his fellow Archkyrie leaders, cautioning those of the great power he had gained to defend his people.

But it was Utgar who took the rest of the Archkyrie by surprise by issuing an ultimatum to his fellow leaders: Unite under his banner, or die. And in the end, many lost their lives rather than choose to align themselves with evil. As Utgar's conquest engulfed Valhalla, his slaughter of Archkyrie changed the course of life there forever. Minor feuds, territorial conflicts, and petty squabbles amongst the Archkyrie evaporated. Valhalla had never been a peaceful planet, but leaderless tribes now pledge their loyalties to the different Valkyrie, hoping for some vindication, or even just a say in their fate when everything settled.

My fellow Valkyrie now discovered another of the wellsprings' mystical powers: their ability to summon warriors from strange places unknown. The only possible solution was to study this phenomenon. Each Valkyrie convenes soldiers from different times and places in history, all most powerful combatants. And so the war evolved, replenishing armies from different worlds using the magic of the wellsprings.

As bleak and violent as life on Valhalla was, my visions of the future foretold something much worse. In addition to the grim never-ending war I found myself in the middle of, there were also more wellsprings hidden around the planet-- 15 wellsprings to be exact, each with a strange and magical artifact and each tied to a different planet. Unable to deal with the burden and responsibility of this knowledge, I stopped drinking from my Wellspring. I let the magic slowly drain away from me until the powers-- the super strength of mind and body, the ability to see into the future-- drifted away forever. The war continued without me. Utgar stomped across nearby nations with a massive army, laying waste to the land. Jandar met him on the battlefield. Soldiers died, but the Valkyrie remained, regrouped, and did it all over again.

I am a Valkyrie. And now the time has come for me to honor that commitment, join my colleagues, and fight not only for the future of Valhalla, but for life itself. Now that I have regained my birthright, now that I have left the sidelines, I look, I search using my Valkyrie powers, I throw back the veil and begin to see the forces involved, the legions and legends I must defeat. For in this battle, none but the most wary will survive and none but the most bold will thrive. Each will be my own equal empire and there can be no quarter, so I must know those who I will face from across the lands they come. Five are the main factions with which I must contend, each a trial and test near impossible to match, yet I must do this. I must face them all.

Mystical weavers of the raw magical energies of life and death, the Dryan Lifeborne Order has dwelled in the dark forests of Planet Arboreas for countless ages, attuning their powers with the spirits of Nature and the etheric beasts that also called these ancient and forbidden places of the wild home. Masters of the arcane, these spell-weaving Magi learned to harness the very life force contained in the anima of living creatures, even using the fallen and deceased to increase the power of their spells or calling upon the powers of the earthly elements to create destructive manifestations of raw carnage. Though few in Number, the Dryan Magi make up for this by enlisting the aid of the world's many creatures and beasts, bolstering the ranks of their armies with the unbridled fury of their animal kin and unleashing the Very definition of feral rage upon their enemies. They call themselves protectors of life, yet amongst them are so many dealers in death. Raakchott, Desecrator of the Dead. Marachott, Mind Whisperer. Halushia, Scion of the Wild. Titanic Xenithrax the Soulweaver, drawn to Valhalla, unstoppable in its power. So many burning lights, so many dangers and dealing with them. The Dryan will not fall easily nor swiftly.

The Nemesis War Brood. Evolving over countless millennia of almost constant military campaigns and conquest on the home planet of Arboreas, the Nemesis War Brood had perfected the arts of War within their draconian martial culture. Their insectoid appearance can be deceiving at first, leading many to believe them barbaric and crude, base things of rage and slaughter. And contrary to that belief, however, the Nemesis War Brood possesses a highly advanced intelligence and fights with iron discipline to uphold and maintain their society against their enemies. Their hives are kept hidden from all outsiders and it is believed those Brood members encountered on Valhalla are comprised entirely of a sort of warrior caste. Leveraging their organically bio-engineered weapons and abilities. Revna utilizes the Nemesis War Brood's unique military tactics on the battlefield to great effect, feinting army compositions, using centralized neural network communications to execute complex maneuvers, and even spawning new reinforcements as a battle unfolds, and tactics change to meet the moment. The Nemesis War Brood use Oathbound shock troops will cover the lands and, of course, Queen Maladrix the Conqueror, the harbinger of doom with her Festering Honor Guard, a canny warrior, a venomous enemy. She will strike like a scorpion if I give a one-inch opening, unleashing her brood of horrors on the land unfettered should I fail.

The Dawn Raider Syndicate. The mercenaries of the Syndicate call no Valkyrie their master, refusing to bend the knee to any of the warring factions on Valhalla. With motivations as varied as the composition of those species that called the Syndicate their own, the Dawn Raiders take to the battlefields of Valhalla for whichever side pays their high price for temporary loyalty. Often found in the shadows of the main advance, they fight for more than just the spoils, booty, or carnage, but because they enjoy the challenge of battle. The Dawn Raiders are led by a charismatic Council of captains who collectively function as the Syndicate's governing body in deciding the path of the Dawn Raiders, negotiate terms with the other factions on Valhalla, which contracts to honor, confirm new members into the group, et cetera. With such a diverse mix of characters and specialties within their ranks, there is always a willing crew available for the required task at hand, coming into each battle hard and making the impact felt, fighting like madmen. The Dawn Raider Syndicate-- Dorim the Bulkhead Brawler with his unquenchable chain axe, always leading from the front; Cornelius Breech the Derelict Prince and his legendary butcher's cleaver; the Knaves of the Silver Scimitar, brigands and scoundrels, all just as Revna always wanted. I must be as hard as rock and as sharp as a blade if I wish to defeat them all.

The Ironclad Collective. For eons unknown on their planet of Noxdorma, the Ironclad have been waging war using the cold logic of their data cogitators and the hard steel of their inorganic weapon systems, the limitations and mortality of their organic species reforged and forgotten as countless generations focused on perfecting their methods of destruction. Every outcome on the battlefield is pre-calculated, every possible strategy is processed before the first shots are fired. The Collective's military composition constantly adapts to battlefield conditions as they upgrade their cybernetics to counter new enemy tactics, sometimes even relinquishing individuality to upgrade themselves into combined monsters, war machines of searing intensity. Members of the Collective reflect their harsh philosophies of war in various death masks, creating metallic reflections of nightmares and generating a visual persona of fear and despair in the minds of their enemies. Every potential edge in combat is analyzed, even the psychological advantages gained through uncompromising terror tactics. The Ironclad Collective-- their Wraithriders watch from the skies, ready to strike at a flash; the inexhaustible legions crush all beneath their boot. But their Master, the Lich Lord, right hand of their Valkyrie: he is the one to watch as vile toxins infect his own men, enhance them, or slay them, but they annihilate his foes at the barest touch.

The Clockwork Combine. Once a peace-loving and pacifistic society of farmers and artists from the planet Noxdorma, the various creatures of the Clockwork Combine have been forced to learn to make war on a previously unimaginable scale or face their complete extinction at the hands of their enemies. In their desperation and with an utter determination to survive annihilation, the Combine's artificers, engineers, and scientists developed amazing technologies and fantastic flying machines of wonder to create havoc on the battlefields of their home planet and allow them the tactical flexibility to move their best troops to exactly the right place at the right moment. With the help of their advanced technology and limitless ingenuity, the Combine is now capable of lightning-quick redeployments, aggressive aerial insertions, and even equipment repairs in the heat of battle. I will not enjoy doing battle with these dreamers and shapers whose minds and craft have been twisted to fouler ends. The elite Glide Strikers and their hero Tuck Harrigan; valiant Imperator Kayne with his double-edged cannon; their Frostclaw Paladins are a sight to see. I do not wish to bring them low, but I must, for Valhalla can only know the sweet caress of peace when there are none left who will fight this accursed war.

If only there were others who would fight these forces with me. If only there were more Valkyrie to save my world, my home, my Valhalla.

Heroscape: Age of Annihilation. Customize epic battlefields, draft your army, and join the greatest battle of all time. Heroscape: Age of Annihilation. Become legendary.
Encarmine said:
TreePowerz said:
Will Thormun become another Valkyrie that summons his own units and such? That’s what it sounds like based on the video
I mean. I guess it's possible...
Screen_Shot_2022-10-20_at_7.30.53_PM.png

I told you all... we have ideas.
 
Anitar, Myth26, and co. are hard at work getting a transcription of the Tales of Valhalla podcast interview last night with Chris Nadeau/Encarmine put together. In the meantime I wanted to post a few tidbits that I thought were really interesting/revealing:
Here's a "Table of Contents" of the podcast, if you will. I'd like to see some discussion of this over on the BGG page, as well as our info silo here.

3:40 -- Chris Nadeau introduction. Background to returning HeroScape, and Chris' professional & gaming background getting to Avalon Hill.
15:00 -- Avalon Hill Discord -- communicating real-time with the fanbase.
17:45 -- Philosophy of the HeroScape design team -- response to Oct. 14 demo playthrough with new figures/cards & figure powers.
31:00 -- What to show (and not to show) leading up to the Oct. 1 HasLab crowdfund. New faction concept art.
41:00 -- Avalon Hill information channels (Discord, Hasbro Pulse, etc.)
44:00 -- Gettysburg, Battle Masters, Space Crusade, HeroQuest--returning titles to market.
53:00 -- Chris's online handle (Encarmine)
57:20 -- Oct. 14 "bugs vs. bears" demo -- showing the new game is HeroScape in feel.

1:06:55 -- HasLab / HasbroPulse crowdfunding campaigns
1:14:30 -- Deep dive into the background lore. Organizing the backstory around the prophecy.
1:28:05 -- New lore: Revna. Volarek. Wellsprings.
1:39:30 -- What does flipping the wellspring switch mean? My Little Pony-Scape could be a thing.
1:50:20 -- Sgt. Drake as a template for consequence.

1:58:20 -- Why HeroScape now? Why Age of Annihilation?
2:07:15 -- Chat questions: The "Blueprint." Assigning factions. Tooling costs. "Old Man Drake." _Ice Pirates_.
2:21:15 -- Festering Honor Guard question. Plushies. Migol. The Map Compass symbol.
2:34:30 -- Sign-offs from staff.
2:45:15 -- Chris' final thoughts.

Wow this is great. Thanks for all the time and effort!
 
There's an interview about the Haslab and, in particular, its controversial price point.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5ViTff-LoQ[/ame]

Transcript provided by @Strack9:
Spoiler Alert!
 
The fixed a few issues on the Haslab page update from yesterday. Most notably, we have corrected cards!
Spoiler Alert!

And new box art!
Spoiler Alert!
 
Another short interview, this time about the backstory of the game's revival.

[ame]https://youtu.be/tszlmaRBAmI[/ame]

Transcript provided, once more, by @Strack9.
Spoiler Alert!



And while I'm here...
Encarmine said:
SkyWhale said:
Myth26 said:
I'm excited to see what is gonna come next!
Onshu, maybe?
2 colors per card probably, and dice that match the attack and defense symbols…
And probably Onshu to make Skywhale happy
And whenever Intergalactic Patrick let’s me post this visual I made earlier this week…
Encarmine said:
Chill said:
Dice that match the symbols or symbols that match the dice??
Dice that match the symbols. Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to keep Marro skulls on the dice.

But themed dice in future sets could be super cool.
Like Penguin dice
Could be an easy thing for convention exclusives too “I went to GenCon and here are my Black-on-black Valkrill dice that I picked up from the AH booth.”
 
From the Compendium, we now have full unobstructed views of the new Master sides-- stats included.
vorid_burrowbreaker_card_original.jpg

fia_bonny_card_original.jpg

cornelius_breech_card_original.jpg

dorim_card_original.jpg

halushia_card_original.jpg

(Pretend this card says "Halushia" in the power text like it's supposed to)

queen_maladrix_card_original.jpg
 
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I don't know how to feel about this besides surprised?

Is this a thing? This is a thing. Apparently, yeah, this is a thing.
Encarmine said:
caps said:
TonyStark said:
So since we're getting a companion app with map and squad-builders, that would be a better place for points than on the cards. Then they could update the points like Delta does, to shake up the meta and keep things balanced.
Yeah I love that idea. I don't think they're going to do it.
Actually, exactly what we are thinking.
Encarmine said:
TonyStark said:
Points off the cards, or app points in addition to the cards?
In addition to ensure the meta stays balanced.
Encarmine said:
Coolpat said:
Wait, so does this mean that changing the points of the classic scape cards is on the table? Like delta does for example
...
 
Just a thing.
Intergalactic Patrick said:
Anitar said:
Intergalactic Patrick said:
haha. we have another video in the works that will reveal some more, but i think its getting delayed...working on it now.

We have one more video of Chris and I playing, and then one coming from some people who are a little cooler than us.
Please tell me that all of the units in use in that video are ones we haven't seen stats for.
I think that's true. At least most of them.
 
If I don't keep an eye out for these things, will anyone?

Soon.
Intergalactic Patrick said:
we are running to get ready for London Comicon on Friday.
we have a few things dropping as a part of 1027 (a pulse event) tomorrow. includes cards and a scenario. :D
Intergalactic Patrick said:
We are now looking at a video coming out later today with Chris and I, but I am pretty sure you are sick of us, so we have two videos in development with cool folks, and one more that MIGHT get kicked off soon. I am very hopeful but it's not final yet. Also, we have some press dropping in the UK celebrating London Comic-con and a display there as well. I have a few more moves we are working on, but that's all I can really say for now.

We are getting into a pretty big push here in the last couple of weeks, and I am hopeful with your support it will help us get to where we need to be!

everyday we are hustling on this.
Intergalactic Patrick said:
Myth26 said:
Intergalactic Patrick said:
well, I am scavorith so its fine
the world can know it!
So, is this confirmation that you used Scavorith in the new video?
I did use Scavorith. A BLAST to play
 
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