Posts tagged with 'Mantic Games'

From today you’ll be able to pick up the latest Vanguard faction, the mighty Dwarfs, plus the awesome 7-inch tall plastic fantasy Giant. Either order from your friendly local gaming store or head to the Mantic website to order yours. Let’s take a look at all this week’s new releases:

The Dwarf Warband Set is the perfect place to start your Vanguard Dwarf collection. Inside you’ll find 10 resin and hard plastic miniatures, plus 21 Warband Cards to give you the stats for your new warband.

Knorri Ironheart’s personal battle armour, his Steel Juggernaut, has divided opinion amongst the clan lords. Some have placed orders for their own personalised versions, or have their own engineers scrambling to copy the design. Others see it as an affront to warfare and the armour of a coward.

Dedicated to the Fulgria, the Goddess of White Fire, the mysterious Flame Priests are able to harness and channel fire into weaponry. They use their knowledge to destroy as the dwarf Warsmiths use the same powers to create masterworks of metal and engineering.

Younger dwarfs often mock packmasters for work they consider to be beneath a warrior. Such mockery lasts only until the packmaster sets his charges loose – a pack of purebred war dogs with sharp teeth and a taste for ankles.

Shieldbreakers are aggressive fighters, with little to no thought of self-defence. Often encountered on the front lines of an army, these belligerent warriors can also be found joining an advance party; to clash with the enemy all the faster.

Veteran marksmen, the Ironwatch spend years mastering their weapons. Having fought in wars for many decades, their experience and skill are invaluable tools to any warband, although the black powder rifles they sometimes bear are appreciated, too.

Dwarf Reinforcement Pack – Induction into a dwarf hold’s military is a long and difficult process, for their masters are nothing if not strict and stubborn. Civilian aspirants must each serve years as a Levy – under the stern watch of Ironclad warriors – fighting in small skirmishes until they are deemed ready for true war.

Firebrand is a legendary corsair, renowned for breath-taking feats of bravery, swashbuckling action, and daring escapades. Her fantastically exciting life and phenomenal skills are what all other salamander corsairs aspire to.

On the battlefield the combination of Kuzlo‘s unpredictable magic and Madfall’s even more unpredictable tendency to eat anyone that gets too close is a dangerous one… to foes and allies alike.

Ice Elementals are a rarity in Mantica, able to be summoned only in the frozen northern realms. Sustained by the magic of the Ice Kin, they can be led to war in any environment.

A giant is a huge humanoid, a veritable mountain of bone, sinew, and flesh with a massive appetite. The brain of a giant is way too small to properly control the creature’s huge body. However, when goaded in the right direction, these dumb brutes are a terrible threat to any foe.

All of the releases above are now available from the Mantic website or your friendly local game store.

The post New This Week: New Vanguard Minis & Kings of War Giant appeared first on Mantic Blog.

Hi Martin here! We are very proud to announce we have TWO premium co-sponsors for the Spring 2019 Brush with Death painting competition. Our friends at Artis Opus have once again agreed to sponsor all the category winners with exclusive box sets of their amazing brushes. The Autumn winners loved their prizes and we are over the moon to be working with them once again!

Our second co-sponsor is the amazing Vallejo! Vallejo paints are used by some of the best painters in the business, including Angel Giraldez who is one of our Studio Painters. Each category winner will receive a fantastic paint set.

Launching today ahead of the Spring Mantic Open Day on the 4th of May 2019 you have just under 4 months to get your award winning entries painted. The closing date for emailed entries will be Wednesday 1st May 2019 to allow the judges time to go through the entries. Entries can be delivered in person by midday on the 4th May at Mantic HQ. The winners will then be announced by Ronnie Renton during the open day!

How to enter:

All submissions should be photographed at least 3 times , from different angles and emailed to brushwithdeath@manticgames.com. Make sure your pictures are well lit and sharp – so we can see your amazing paintjobs. There are plenty of guides online to help you when it comes to photographing your minis. You can also choose to send in or drop off at HQ in Nottingham too.

Brush With Death is split over 4 categories. All categories are for ANY GENRE. There are no restrictions for our Fantasy, Sci-Fi or licensed ranges.

Single Figure

Single figure from the Mantic range. There is no size restriction on the figure or the base size so can be on a plinth or display base. It can be anything from a brand new Dwarf Flame Priest to a Shadowhulk to a Druid with grass hair… but remember that bigger is not always strictly better!

Unit, Squad, Team or Warband

A minimum of five miniatures from the Mantic range, displayed on the appropriate base sizes for the game the miniatures are used in. Figures may be mounted on a single display base, be multi-based or individually based. The unit must be able to function within the game it is from.

Diorama

At least two figures from the Mantic range, of any genre, mounted on a base no larger than 300mm in diameter. There is no height restriction.

Army

At least 1,000 points army from either the Mantica or Warpath universes. Must be 100% Mantic Miniatures and must be a usable army.

And here is what you will win:

• The winner of each category will receive an engraved collectors box with 4 Artis Opus brushes and brush soap.
• The winner of each category will receive a Vallejo Colour Paint Set.
• The winner of each category  will also receive £100 Mantic online-store credit! 

Brush with Death Competition rules

• All miniatures must be produced by Mantic Games
• Conversions are allowed, but it must be obvious it is a Mantic produced miniature.
• Scratch built miniatures are not allowed
• You may mount your miniatures on a suitable gaming or display base
• The person entering the miniatures into the competition must be the person that painted them
• You can only enter each category once and you can enter all of the categories.
• By entering the competition, you agree to your entry/entries being photographed/videoed, and that all recordings shall be the property of Mantic Games to be used in whatever manner Mantic Games sees fit.

Good luck!

Cheers, Martin.

The post BRUSH WITH DEATH PAINTING COMPETITION – Spring 2019 – Two Amazing Sponsors!! appeared first on Mantic Blog.

Hope you’ve been enjoying ‘Dwarf Week’ so far. On Monday we featured the Dwarf warband in our weekly Live Stream, which you can watch here. Then yesterday we gave you some tips and tactics about how to get the most from your hardy fighters during a Vanguard scrap. In today’s blog we’re covering the Kings of War crossovers with the new Dwarf miniatures.

That’s right, with a lot of these Dwarf minis, you’re actually getting ‘two for one’ because, as well as being units in Vanguard, they’ve also got entries in Kings of War (after being introduced in Clash of Kings 2019). From day one we always wanted Vanguard to a launchpad for new KoW units, as well as existing KoW entries moving into Vanguard. The Dwarfs are just the latest example of that philosophy in action. And, as you can see below, there are exciting times ahead for Vanguard and Kings of War.

FLAME PRIEST

Burn baby, burn! In Vanguard the Flame Priest is superb for clearing out groups of enemies, thanks to the mighty flame thrower. In Kings of War, the Flame Priest is a Hero (Inf) with a pretty nifty Fireball (6) attack that can be upgraded to Fireball (10) for 15pts. What’s more, to reflect the inherent magical nature of the Flame Priest, they can also be given Bane Chant for an additional 15pts.

STEEL JUGGERNAUT

One of the most iconic entries in the Vanguard list is the Steel Juggernaut. This mighty, heavily armoured Dwarf packs a mean punch, thanks to the mini cannon on one arm and the massive axe on the other. Meanwhile, in Kings of War the Steel Juggernaut is a little like a mobile cannon, thanks to Blast (D3), Piercing (2) and a range of 24″. He’s going to be tough to shift too, with a Def of 6+ and Ne -/13.

MASTIFF HUNTING PACK

The Mastiff Packmaster is a great all-rounder in Vanguard. He can throw the Mastiff – 3D8 and Piercing(1) – and help support other units, thanks to the Swarm ability. Team him up with the Steel Juggernaut during a Group Assault and your opponent is in for trouble. Over in Kings of War, the Packmaster doesn’t have his own entry, but you will find the Mastiff Hunting Pack – a group of angry dogs, led by an even angrier master.

The Vanguard Dwarfs are shipping from January 21st and are available to pre-order now from your local gaming store or the Mantic website.

The post Vanguard Dwarfs: Kings of War Crossover appeared first on Mantic Blog.

Short in stature but as unyielding as the mountains themselves, the Dwarfs are a proud and noble people who attach a great deal of importance to heritage and custom. It is a naïve opponent indeed who does not acknowledge the Dwarf talents for war…

The time has come for the Dwarfs to enter the fray in Vanguard. These stout warriors may not be the fastest fighters on the block. However, what they lack in stature, they more than make up for in fire power and resilience. In today’s blog we’re going to give all you budding Dwarf players out there some tips and tricks for getting the most out of your new faction.

TACTICAL REDEPLOYMENT

The majority of the Dwarf Warband is pretty slow, with a typical speed value of 4. However, this lack of speed is made up for (in part) by their Warband Ability: Tactical Redeployment. This allows you to spend 2 Power and move all Dwarfs within 9″ of a Command model an extra 3″.

Not only is this great for giving your Dwarfs a movement boost ahead of their activation, it’s also good for re-positioning and controlling the board. You can use those extra 3″ to block off charge lanes, move out of range from foes, etc. You could also save the ability until the end of a Round and then move onto objectives when your opponent thinks you’ve got no movement left.

Another handy tactic for giving your Dwarfs a little extra movement boost is to use the Steel Juggernaut‘s Tremor Stomp. This acts like the Shockwave spell to move models 3″ away from the user. However, don’t forget, it also works on friendly models, so if the Steel Juggernaut is sitting behind your troops, he can push them forward. Every inch counts when it comes to Dwarfs.

DWARF LEVY

With the likes of the Ranger, Shieldbreaker and Ironwatch, it’s easy to overlook the humble Dwarf Levy. However, at only 8pts, the Levy is a great way to unlock the likes of the Steel Juggernaut or different Command Options, like the Ranger Captain and Sergeant.

What’s more, it’s a great support unit when armed with the Spear. Team a Levy up with some of your heavy hitters (like the Shieldbreaker or Ironguard) and it grants a bonus die even when not engaged. This keeps the Levy out of trouble but helps to take out those pesky enemies.

COMBINED FIRE

We’ve already talked about the fact the Dwarfs are quite slow. Another great solution for this is to take advantage of their superior shooting, thanks to the Combined Fire ability. With the Rangers and Ironwatch, you get extra dice when targeting the same target during a Group Shoot action. This is an ideal way to pepper targets with attacks. What’s more, if they’re out in the open, you’ll be rolling four dice per model… not too shabby.

AREA CONTROL

We’ve already mentioned area control for the Dwarfs and units like the Flame Priest really help with that. The Breath ability on the Flame Thrower mean the Flame Priest can potentially clear out multiple enemies at once. If your opponent is lining up for a charge, has models blocking charge lanes or keeps units gathered around objectives – the Flame Priest can give them a quick blast of his Flame Thrower.

HEADSTRONG

Make sure you take advantage of the Headstrong ability. If a model with this ability is Fatigued, you roll a die when it’s activated. If you roll a 6+ then the Fatigue counter is removed and the model can act as normal. 

This really gives you an opportunity to push your models beyond their normal limits, without necessarily having to rely on left over Power at the end of a round to clear any Fatigue. This means you can spend your Power on more useful things, like special abilities or Group actions.

The Vanguard Dwarfs are shipping from January 21st and are available to pre-order now from your local gaming store or the Mantic website.

The post Vanguard Dwarfs: Tips & Tactics appeared first on Mantic Blog.

Last weekend saw the UK’s first ever Vanguard tournament, organised by Andy Sharp from Weight of Fire. 28 players from across the country headed to The Forge in Manchester to fight it out with their warbands. Among the collected commanders were Martin and Rob from Mantic – who both fought valiantly to come mid table. Following the event, we thought we’d share some highlights/hints, just in case you’re planning to organise your own Vanguard tournament.

CHOOSE YOUR SCENARIOS

There are plenty of scenarios in the Vanguard rulebook, so choosing the right ones for a tournament can be quite tricky. For example, although the Capture the Giant scenario is one of the most iconic in the book, we’re sure Andy might have struggled to get 14 giants painted up for the event! With that in mind, look at choosing missions that are easy to get on the table and have different methods of scoring. The four scenarios at Cry Havoc were:

• Supply Grab (a good introductory scenario to get everyone warmed up)
• The Power Stones (players score each round, so this encourages them to get stuck in!)
• Recover the Plans (in this one, you’ve got to chase the plans around the board)
• Secure the Portal (a fun mission to end on, as the Portal can suck units into the Abyss)

LEVEL UP YOUR CHARACTERS

As you hopefully know, the tagline for Vanguard is ‘Your Warband, Your Story’ because during campaign play your characters will gain new skills and abilities as they gather experience. This element of the game was included in Cry Havoc because players could level up Commanders, Spellcasters, Large models, Warriors and Support. After each game there was the opportunity to choose one model to receive some an extra benefit.

This was an enjoyable – and relatively simple – way to add the progression element of a campaign into a tournament. However, on the flip side, Commanders, Spellcasters, Support and Large models could receive injuries too… so you had to be slightly careful when throwing your best units into combat. A nice touch by Andy was to award a spot prize to the player with the unit that had suffered the most wounds during the day. Recalling correctly, this was an Elven Prince with two mangled legs and a suppurating wound.

EXPLORE FOR GOLD

Another interesting twist on the typical tournament format was that it wasn’t just about winning games! This was because players had to find gold too. Again, using a stripped-down version of the campaign rules, after each game participants rolled on an exploration table to see if they found a dragon’s lair, silver mine or barren lands, etc. As a result, even if you lost a game you could get a lucky roll on the exploration table. In fact, Rob only won one game but rolled ‘thieves in the night’, which meant he actually received less gold than the games he lost. Perhaps not everyone’s cup of tea, but it certainly added a little chaos to proceedings.

The Tournament Pack for Cry Havoc is still available, and you can download it here. It’s full of great ideas to base your own event on.

I WANT TO PLAY IN A VANGUARD TOURNAMENT!

Well, great news! There are few events coming up and tickets are still available.

• Vanguard Demonstration – if you’re not quite ready for a tournament yet, but want to learn the game. Head to Plymouth, UK on February 2nd to get up to speed on the basics. Details here.
• Jack of Herts 2 – also on February 2nd, a combined Kings of War and Vanguard event in glorious Hemel Hempstead, UK. Details here.
• Vanguard National Championships – over at Adepticon, we’re hosting the US National Championships on 29th March. 24 participants are already signed up and we had to open up extra space! Grab your ticket here.
• Border Conflict – VC Games is hosting a one-day Vanguard tournament at Mantic HQ on April 27th. Contact Sharad Vora for more details.
• Spearhead – we will be hosting a one-day tournament at Mantic HQ on June 8th. Tickets and full details will follow shortly, but mark your diaries now!

Plus, let us know in the comments below about tournaments coming up near you too.

And don’t forget. Tournaments being run in stores have the opportunity to purchase the exclusive Vanguard Organised Play Pack! Just speak to your friendly Mantic rep.

The post Vanguard Tournament Report appeared first on Mantic Blog.

Back in the distant mists of time (2015) we released Dungeon Saga, a board game that harked back to the dungeon crawlers of the past. The game itself was hugely popular and continues to sell out even today. However, one of the surprise successes on the back of Dungeon Saga was how popular the 3D fantasy scenery was. The game came with dungeon doors and scenery, which we sold separately and constantly kept selling out.

The popularity of the scenery got us thinking – if these few bits have been successful, what about making an entire range of fantasy terrain and scenery? Boom! TerrainCrate was born. This range of PVC plastic fantasy scenery gave everyone the chance to create the dungeon of their dreams or a battlefield that you’d be proud to fight over. From a Wizard’s Study to a campsite, TerrainCrate helped us to launch a massive range of scenery.

As well as being a popular Kickstarter, TerrainCrate has also been massively successful at retail. In fact, demand has been so high, we’ve been re-ordering stock since it was launched. What’s more, we were able to release a retail exclusive set (the Town Centre) and produce the Dungeon Starter Set. This contains not only a load of scenery to kit out your dungeon but also some great miniatures and a giant freakin’ dragon. You can see Ronnie excitedly unboxing it below.

It also brought Mantic Games to a whole new audience. We’re already well known for our super miniatures and amazingly fun games among the wargaming and board gaming community. However, with TerrainCrate we’ve found a whole new bunch of fans among roleplayers. It’s been great to see loads of TerrainCrate scenery being used in Dungeon & Dragons or Pathfinder. And we’re sure it’ll be used in the recently announced Kings of War RPG too

So far, we’ve released a whole bunch of TerrainCrate sets but we’re not done yet. From March you’ll be able to get the remaining sets from the original Kickstarter, including the awesome Abandoned Mine and Temple, among others.

BUT WHAT’S NEXT?

Well, we always like to save something special to end our 12 Days of Christmas blogs – and this year is no different. Today, we’re very happy to announce that TerrainCrate 2 will be coming to Kickstarter soon!

Following the release of TerrainCrate, we’ve been inundated with suggestions from the community about extra pieces of scenery we should make. From modern, post-apocalyptic scenery to WWII bunkers and spooky mansions, the scope of ideas was absolutely massive. Plus, we wanted to go back and fill in some of the gaps from the original dungeon offering, with pieces like beds, bathroom fittings, a kitchen, etc. The list quickly became so massive that we realised we would need an equally massive Kickstarter to really do it justice.

Unlike the first campaign, which focused solely on fantasy pieces, TerrainCrate 2 will do things a little differently. We’ve got some key themes in each of the crates that will mix together very nicely and find a home in loads of board games, RPGs and wargames. Plus, once again, it’ll all be made in hard-wearing PVC plastic.

We’re planning to have four Crates on the Kickstarter, including Gothic Estate, Modern Life, Occupied Town and Abandoned Village (all names TBC). Across these four Crates, we’re going to cover a load of different periods, settings and uses. What’s more, if you want to pick up four Crates (and who wouldn’t) there will be a great all-in deal during the Kickstarter.

Of course, plenty of the pieces will perfectly complement our existing TerrainCrate range so you can mix and match to your heart’s content.

We’re going to be sharing plenty more TerrainCrate information in the weeks to come, so make sure you’re signed up to the Mantic newsletter and keep your eye on our Facebook page.

The post 12 Days of Christmas: TerrainCrate appeared first on Mantic Blog.

Looking back at 2018 it was a fantastic year for Deadzone. Let’s just cast our collectives minds back to the wonderful events that took place *screen goes all wobbly, sound of a clock ticking*

• The main event was the Outbreak supplement. This wonderful piece of work updated all the existing faction lists and added two brand new factions: Mazon Labs and Nameless
• Talking of Nameless, we released an awesome new faction starter, alongside some big models like the resin Bathomite and mighty Goliath
• All this culminated in the summer campaign. Across the course of six weeks, players around the world battled for the fate of Starfall and the future of the Nameless. Although the Nameless didn’t win, their expansionist tendencies have increased and it’s likely they’ll be seen a lot more in GCPS space. In fact, yesterday we released an alpha list to use the Nameless in Firefight

The reaction from the Deadzone community to all of the above was fantastic. In fact, the summer campaign was the biggest we’ve ever run, and we had more than 1,500 games reported over the course of the event, which is great.

What’s more, Outbreak was so popular that it’s now sold out! We won’t be doing a second print run (and you’ll see why in a moment) but if you still want to get hold of one, they’re available in some game stores and the digital edition is now on Mantic Digital. The fact it’s sold out is a great sign of how active the Deadzone community is, and that’s given us the confidence to have more Deadzone-specific releases in 2019. So, let’s take a sneak peek at a few upcoming releases in 2019…

COMMAND PROTOCOLS: ESCALATION

Thanks to the roaring success of Command Protocols:Outbreak, the supplement will now become an annual release. A little like Clash of Kings, Command Protocols will include any errata/new units for the existing factions, along with new ways to play, Elite lists and potentially new factions.

In Escalation the main focus will be on getting all those mercenaries combat ready! The RC and playtesters are currently busy pushing the mercs to their limit and ensuring they’re more balanced, so hopefully we’ll see them popping up in more games. What’s more, a whole new selection of mercs from Star Saga will be added to the roster. Now you’ll be able to add Erika Dulinsky, Curby and more to your Deadzone factions. Exciting stuff!

However, that’s only the tip of the iceberg because Escalation will include multimat scenarios, new units, rules for using interactive scenery and more! Just like Outbreak, it’ll be due out in the summer so stay tuned for more details. It will also include all the faction lists again, so if you’ve missed out on Outbreak, don’t worry! Escalation will have all the stats and any errata required.

INCOMING INTEL DECK

Along with Escalation, another exciting addition to the Deadzone range is the Incoming Intel Deck. Imagine for a moment that your elite strike team of soldiers is out in the field trying to secure various objectives. However, out in the chaos of the battlefield, plans can often change on the fly. One minute you’re trying to take out the enemy leader, the next you need to capture a particular point on the battlefield.

Well, imagine no more Deadzone fans, because the Incoming Intel Deck will recreate those exciting scenarios. This entirely optional deck of cards generates new objectives throughout the mission and you’ll score extra VPs if you manage to complete them. And as you complete more objectives, you’ll be able to draw new cards from the deck to earn extra VPs. Don’t worry if you can complete a mission either because there’s the opportunity to trade in cards for an all-important re-roll. What’s more, some cards will trigger special events – these could be a race to reach a certain location, or a bonus for particular units.

The Incoming Intel Deck will be available alongside Escalation in the summer. More details to follow soon! 

NEW MINIS

Of course, it wouldn’t be right if we didn’t have some sweet new miniatures to accompany the supplement and card deck. This means in July we’ll have a few brand-new miniatures, alongside a re-release of a couple of old classics.

Leading the charge for the re-releases is the infamous Stuntbot. Out of print for years, the Stuntbot will be making a glorious return in resin for 2019. Even better it’s going to have alternate arms, so you can build a melee-heavy or ranged-heavy version. And don’t worry all you Stuntbot owners out there because you’ll be able to buy the arms separately from the website.

To celebrate the re-release of the Stuntbot, we’ll be releasing an awesome new mini Stuntbot, in the form of ‘Bolts’ – a new Leader for the Marauder faction. You can see an early render below.

Bolts isn’t the only new release because the Nameless will be getting access to an extra couple of units, including the Feromite. Think of it like a mini Ogre.

There will be some other surprises in Containment Protocols: Escalation too, which we’ll be revealing closer to release. However, all this should give you a taste of what’s coming up in 2019. Deadzone is going from strength to strength and the future looks extremely bright.

The post 12 Days of Christmas: Deadzone appeared first on Mantic Blog.

Hope you’ve all been enjoying the 12 Days of Christmas blogs so far. As we thunder into 2019, we’ve still got a few more blogs planned over the next few days. Today we’ve got something for all our sci-fi fans, as we’re looking at what’s coming up for Warpath/Firefight.

Firstly though, we’ll be starting work on an updated FAQ/errata for both Warpath and Firefight. The aim of this will be to clear up any community questions and also address any balancing issues that have cropped up since Warpath’s retail release in 2017. We’ll also be covering the game more on the blog and on our upcoming weekly live streams throughout the year too – so stay tuned for that.

PLAGUE ARMY LAUNCH

2019 will see the launch of the Plague army sets for Warpath/Firefight. The Plague is the scourge of humanity – able to bring entire planets to their knees. This terrifying, mysterious disease infects its host, changing it into a bloodthirsty beast. Some are turned into horrific mutants, while others become warped versions of their former self. They still have some semblance of their former intelligence, which drives them to achieve one purpose: leave the host planet and infect more unwitting victims.

Seeing a Plague army up close is an awful sight to behold. From the towering Stage 1As, to the mindless zombies, a Plague force will overwhelm its enemy with sheer numbers. They’re also able to use some GCPS tech, although it too is warped by the Plague’s terrible influence. As a result, the howling hordes of infantry are often accompanied by Hornets and Mules that are adorned in the twisted ‘decorations’ of the Plague.

The Plague Mega Force and Starter Forces will be released in March. Then in April we’ll be releasing the Reserve Force and the separate vehicles. This brings the total number of factions available in Warpath/Firefight to six (Asterians, Enforcers, Forge Fathers, GCPS, Plague and Veer-myn).

NAMELESS FIREFIGHT FACTION

However, that’s not the only exciting news we’ve got to share for Firefight fans. Today, we’re releasing an alpha army list for the Nameless! Introduced as a Deadzone faction in the Outbreak supplement before taking a starring role in the Battle for Starfall campaign, the Nameless are now making their way into Firefight – thanks to the hard work of the Warpath/Firefight Rules Committee.

Previously thought to be a benign and peaceful race by the GCPS, many are starting to change their minds about the intentions of the so-called Nameless. Occasional raids on outposts and lone starships were written off as pirate activity, however it is now becoming increasingly clear that the seemingly gentle Nameless have hostile intentions.

Through makeshift translation, information has emerged detailing that back on the Nameless homeworlds a religious rift is splitting the species apart. The vast majority of the Nameless live as members of the sects that dominate their worlds. Historically, the Federation of these groups has largely seen humanity and the rise of the GCPS with total indifference… but that has begun to change.

A particularly vicious group – known as the Ul-Ug’urub – has come to the conclusion that the GCPS is vulnerable and ripe for conquest. To the Ul-Ug, the GCPS is like the near-dead mass of a stellar whale. It is a floating feast, one that struggles feebly against the galactic tide, knowing that it will, eventually, inevitably, succumb to a circling predator. Many are already nibbling at its corpse. There is blood in the water, according to the Ul-Ug, and they have begun a movement to devour it.

This campaign to destroy the GCPS began after the Ul-Ug arrived on Starfall. Although they didn’t succeed in taking over the planet, their successes were enough to inspire other sects to join their cause. With their numbers swelling, the Ul-Ug are able to deploy a larger force. Lumbering Bathomites march alongside the skittering Scuttlers, while the awesome Goliath swats enemies with its mighty tentacles. Can anything stop the Nameless advance?

You can download the alpha list here. The RC is interested in hearing feedback from the Warpath community, so make sure you join the Firefight Fanatics group on Facebook. Now’s the perfect time to start your Nameless force too. Use the code NEWYEARNEWARMY on the Mantic website to get 20% off the Faction Starter and Minion Booster. Also, if you’ve never tried Firefight, you can download the rules for FREE here.

The post 12 Days of Christmas: Warpath & Firefight appeared first on Mantic Blog.

2018 was most definitely the year of Vanguard (well, at least the latter half was). As we’ve mentioned before, it was one of our most successful game launches ever and the first print run of the book is already long gone (more on the way in January, dear reader). What’s more, it was even awarded the inaugural ‘game of the year’ by BlackJackLegacy, which is absolutely awesome, plus it came second in Ash Barker from Guerrilla Miniature Gaming’s games of the year list. Amazing.

In 2019 the plan is to build on all this with new faction releases, extra scenarios, a new supplement book in the summer and hopefully an online campaign. Obviously, we’re not going to spoil all the surprises here, but we’ve got a few exciting teasers up our sleeve.

DWARF FACTION

First up though, we’ve got the release of the Dwarf Faction. It should probably come as no surprise that Ronnie’s favourite shorties are one of the first new factions. With this new faction you’ve awesome new miniatures like the Steel Juggernaut and the Flame Priest, alongside the new warband set and support packs.

These new Dwarfs are without doubt some of the nicest miniatures we’ve produced, thanks to our wonderful resin department. What’s more, new minis like the Steel Juggernaut and Flame Priest have also been given stats for Kings of War in the latest Clash of Kings supplement. So, even if you don’t play Vanguard (shame on you) there’s an opportunity to use these stunning Dwarfs in your mass battle games too.

FORCES OF NATURE FACTION

Following the release of the Dwarfs, we’re then planning to release some sets for the Forces of Nature. Since launch we’ve had numerous requests to create Vanguard-specific warband sets or boosters for our existing miniatures range. After all, if you don’t play Kings of War, it may be tricky to get hold of an individual unit to add to your warband.

With this in mind, throughout 2019 we’ll be revisiting our existing range and repackaging them in a more Vanguard-friendly format. The first releases on the calendar are several Forces of Nature packs, including an introductory Warband set, plus support packs. Obviously, we couldn’t resist squeezing in one new miniature, so the Forces of Nature are getting a brand new druid! Again, this is likely to come in useful for Kings of War players.

Later in the year we’ll be doing a similar thing with the Trident Realm faction. And we’re sure their new miniature will have you hopping with excitement.

GOBLIN FACTION

But look, forget all those other factions – this is what 2019 is really about. The full release of the goblin faction, complete with superb new resin models, a full warband set and metal reinforcements. Unlike the Forces of Nature or Trident Realm release, the goblin launch will be similar in style to the Dwarf release and will include a whole host of sexy new greenskins (if goblins can actually be considered sexy).

The faction launch will introduce miniatures for new units – like the Banggit and Luggit – but also create a selection of unseen units, such as the Winggit, Snaggit and extremely exciting Mawpup Launcher – some of which you can see below.

Just like the new units for the Dwarfs, these may also work their way into Kings of War too in the future. The new goblins are currently being painted by the hugely talented Angel Giraldez and we can’t wait to see the finished results.

UNCHARTED EMPIRES

As if all that wasn’t exciting enough, today we’re officially releasing the “Uncharted Empires” warband lists. This covers the remaining Kings of War factions that weren’t included in the main rulebook. This includes:
• Ratkin
• Varangur
• Kingdoms of Men
• Brotherhood
• Salamanders
• League of Rhordia
• The Herd
• Twilight Kin

These are all getting starter warband lists that we may add to throughout 2019 during an online campaign or other special events. You can download the updated Warband lists here.

Well, hope that all whets your appetite for another great year for Vanguard. Hopefully we’ll see a few of you at the Cry Havoc tournament in a couple of weeks.

The post 12 Days of Christmas: Vanguard appeared first on Mantic Blog.

Allright, allright, allright and ho, ho, ho!  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!  We’re coming up on a New Year and we wanted to give you guys an outline on what we’ve got planned for North America for 2019.

First of all we’re going to increase the taxes on tea, second we’re going to increase our involvement with the colonies.  After that we will bring back the Sugar Act, Quartering Act and Currency Act……wait….this is the 2020 agenda…..

Ahem….so what we have planned for 2019 for our North American Events.

March

Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2)

March 22 – 24th should have us at C2E2.  With the release of Hellboy the board game and Here’s Negan, we think it time to share some of the goodness with the comic fans too.

AdeptiCon

March 27th – 31st brings us to our first show in the states.  This is one if not our biggest show.  Not only will be be debuting Hellboy, we’ll have more more model lines to add to Vanguard and Kings of War.  Don’t worry Deadzone, Warpath, and The Walking Dead will be there in full swing.

Event wise, AdeptiCon is where we hold all the National Championships. We’ll be having the first Vanguard National Championship on Friday followed by Deadzone National Championship.  Saturday will see the NADC Dreadball National Championship.  Saturday will also start the 2019 Clash of Kings to determine the National Champion who, if his or her army qualifies, will be flown to England to compete in the UK National Championship.  The 2019 USA CoK will have the UK’s National Champion Dominic Staveacre as well as the notorious Nick Williams coming to take the opportunity away!

So don’t miss out and don’t let the English steal the American title!!

April

Little Wars

April 25th – 28th will have us at Little Wars which is held at the Westin in Lombard, IL.  This will be just a vendor event for us so please stop buy and great the latest April releases.

July

HistoriCon

Look out East coast!  Here we come to HistoriCon on July 10th – 14th. This too will most likely be a vendor event but there are plans to hold a Deadzone, Vanguard and Kings of War tournaments and for you Masters players the Kings of War tournament might be a qualifier event.

August

Gen Con

August 1st – 4th brings is to the Best four Days of Gaming! Indianapolis here we come for the 5th straight year.  This is by far our biggest attended show so we pull out all the stops with the new hotness as well as host a plethora of event that cover just about all our systems from Kings of War to Star Saga.

November

PAX Unplugged

PAX Unplugged will close us out for the year.  After a year hiatus we will be returning to the City of Brotherly Love and crush some cheesesteak.  After that come by and grab some great stuff at the booth.  This will be our second stop on the East Coast tour.  See you then!

So that the year is a nutshell. As always these event are subject to change but don’t worry we’ll be at an event near you soon!

The post 12 Days of Christmas: North American Events! appeared first on Mantic Blog.

Hi everyone, Martin here again. In 2019 we are trying some new stuff with Organised Play. Starting with Vanguard we are launching a brand new Organised Play kit into stores. Only stores will have access to these sets as the rewards within are exclusive and AMAZING! 

Each set will have enough content for 3 months of events and will consist of exclusive Mercenaries, miniatures and one grand prize! 

I wanted to make the top prize something spectacular but also practical. So we are working with the guys over at Kraken Wargames and have created this…

Each Organised Play kit will contain a bronze coloured Vanguard token set. These will not be available anywhere outside of the Organised Play sets, so get your warband together and head over to an event at your FLGS! If you are a Tournament Organiser you can speak to the store you are holding your event to order the set for you.

We have existing Organised Play sets that are still available

• Kings of War – 12 and 24 players OP kits
• Dreadball – Organised Play set and an amazing trophy

We will be respeccing The Deadzone kit in 2019 to really engage with in store play and tournaments, plus we will be working on The Walking Dead: All Out War too!

Clash of Kings 2019

We are ecstatic to announce we are holding Clash of Kings 2019 at Element Games in Stockport once again. We were so impressed with the 2018 event that we wanted to book again for next year straight away. The date is the weekend of the 28th and 29th September 2019.

This year you can expect the usual 2 days of amazing Kings of War gaming but we have listened to feedback and will be planning lots more! Included will be:

• Prizes for best placed Mantic Army per race.
• Lots of spot prizes throughout the weekend.
• Brush with Death painting competition (Single figure, Unit, Army and Diorama)

On top of this we will have a whole raft of activities for the evening including a Kings of War Keynote Speech plus a new and improved pub quiz. Tickets are available NOW!

Regional Qualifiers

In 2019 we will also be linking in with community run events to offer the  highest placed Mantic Army a free ticket for Clash of Kings 2019. There will be three qualifiers this year.

One has been announced already, which is The Midlands Regional Qualifier – VC Games presents Battle Masters 2019 to be held on the 31st August 2019 in Loughborough.

We are proud to announce the two other regional qualifiers are:

• The Southern Regional Qualifier is at Franticon – Kings of War FG Tournament: Erit Bellum I taking place on the 24th March 2019 at Darksphere Games – London
• The Northern Regional Qualifier is at the Four Foot Snake event – 
  Another Four Foot Snake Thing taking place 23rd and 24th February 2019 at Element Games, Stockport.

Of course, if anyone has bought a ticket and wins the prize, we will refund their ticket cost.

That is all for now! Stay tuned for more 12 Days of Christmas blogs!

Cheers, Martin.

The post 12 Days of Christmas: Organised Play and Clash of Kings 2019 appeared first on Mantic Blog.