Wow, some good deals there! Good looking out.
Double Posting! The last Plaid Hat Podcast of the year had the cree talking a little bit more about Summoner Wars 2. @truth, @Grungebob, @mrbistro, time to update the heroscapers ads!
Gonna do 2.0 like monpoc, to fix some of the problems. They have the dude who did Crystal Clans doing the artwork.
SUMMONER WARS 2.0 FAQ
• Is Second Edition compatible with the First Edition?
No.
• But why isn’t Second Edition compatible with the First Edition?
I want it to be!
I said NO!
• You just made it so that Second Edition isn’t compatible with the First Edition because you want more of my money! Right?!
No, I promise!
• I WANT more Summoner Wars but I don’t want to buy a whole new edition. Why didn’t you just make more First Edition decks?
Really?! You’re still here? Ok, listen, we made First Edition 12 years ago. We were babies! Summoner Wars has so much more potential than what we were able to pull off back in 2009. The only way to realize that potential is with a new edition. We needed to build on an improved foundation that takes into consideration all of the insights we learned from years of releasing first edition decks as well as 12 years of experience publishing games. If you don’t trust that this version is going to be better, just wait for the reviews to come in. If it’s just like, ‘the principle of the thing, man’ then we understand, enjoy your complete First Edition. We promise not to show up at your house and burn your collection in a devious plot to force you into buying Second Edition.
• This art looks like it is for babies! I liked the first edition art better. Why did you change it?
Out of spite for you personally. That and we wanted a fresh new look.
• Will Second Edition be available in other languages?
A Chinese version is releasing at the same time as the English version from the publisher MYBG. We also have partners for the following languages that have committed to releasing their versions later this year:
Hungarian
Polish
Czech
We will continue to look for publishing partners in other languages
• Can I pre-order from another country besides the United States?
Yes! We are offering $5 off shipping costs for the master set and subscription shipments to locations outside of the 48 contiguous states.
• Will I be charged immediately if I sign up for the subscription services?
You will be charged for the master set at the time of purchase, but won’t be charged for the first subscription product until it ships out. ETA for first subscription delivery (The Phoenix Elves vs Tundra Orcs Starter Set) is August 2021.
• Why is the Full Subscription the same cost as the Master Set only?
The cost is the same because we aren’t collecting payment for the first subscription product at the time of check out. Signing up for the subscription plan helps us know how many players are interested in PHG continuing the Summoner Wars line beyond the Master Set. The Full Subscription also gives access to the digital app for FREE! So we definitely recommend signing up for the Full Subscription. You can unsubscribe at any time!
• If I don’t sign up for the subscription will I still be able to purchase the faction decks I want?
Yes! Summoner Wars products will be available to purchase in our web-store and at participating retailers. The subscription program is just a convenient way to keep up with the product line and to get free shipping in the 48 contiguous states.
• Can I subscribe to the subscription service after the pre-order
period?
Of course! If you already have a Plaid Hat Games account you can sign in and click the subscribe button. If you don’t have an account you can add the subscription to your cart from our web-store and follow the instructions.
• What is the Beta version of the digital app?
It is a version of the Summoner Wars web app made available while it is still actively being developed for a full release. At first, this will be similar to the Breakers vs Cave Goblins demo, but during the beta we’ll be adding the other 4 master set factions as well as lots of critical features, including those reached from community goals but also important things like security, secrecy, etc, so that the game is suitable for competitive play.
• Will the app be available on platforms like Steam and Switch?
We may bring the app to other platforms in the future, but for now it will be accessible through any device with a web browser.
• When does my digital subscription begin?
When the app has all six factions from Master Set available to play - ETA August 2021.
• Will my friend need a digital subscription to play me if I already have one?
Yes, every player will need a subscription to play.
• Will there be deckbuilding in Second Edition?
Yes! See page 11 of the rulebook. The rulebook can be found on our website.
• I like pips on my dice. Do I have to use the second edition dice?
Yes. The new ruleset requires the dice included with Second Edition.
• What factions will we see in the future?
• August 2021 - Phoenix Elves and Tundra Orcs Starter Set.
• November 2021 - Cloaks Faction Deck and Skyspear Avians Faction Deck
• February 2022 - Eternal Council Faction Deck and Fungal Dwarves Faction Deck
Releases will continue in this fashion, with a pair of faction decks being released every 3 months. Our intention is to bring back every faction from the first edition while also introducing new factions at the same time. Sometimes the second edition versions of a first edition faction will have different names (like the Benders are now the Breakers and the Jungle Elves are now the Savanna Elves) and every first edition faction is being re-explored from the ground up, not just updated to match the new rules.
I haven't tried the demo yet, this is just first impressions (I'll give it a whirl next week over break). I see your point, and I'm glad they're making it more balanced. More deck building options is neat, but is that worth the trade-off of having to buy literally everything again?I disagree on the last point. The game has changed more significantly with respect to deckbuilding and the stats on units. This opened up the design space a bit and has made commons better. Have you tried the demo? Sneeks feels largely the same, but kinda like a greatest hits list of Sneeks and Frick. But there’s a 1/3 melee, 2/2 melee, and 2/1 ranged unit all at 0-cost. Similar variety is seen in the 1-cost breakers commons.
I look at X-Wing, and the conversion kits were better value. Further, X-Wing 1.0 was WAY worse than SW 1.0 in every regard (balance, degeneracy of the meta, literally everything imaginable). X-Wing 1.0 was, quite frankly, a complete dumpster fire. SW had its problems, but I just can't see myself dropping the money to replace everything when the in-game experience will largely be the same, while not having HUGE problems to fix (like X-Wing 1.0 had).
Last, (since I assume you, Jexik still have something to do with Summoner Wars development), please have Colby update the Heroscapers front-page ad for Dead of Winter to either Ashes 2 or Summoner Wars 2. The DoW link is long broken.
Question: What are the six faces of the new dice?
Is melee now 4/6 hits and range 3/6? Though I suppose the exact composition is important when dealing with those 'special' symbols that are used in a few abilities.