BattleLore Website available!
A preview of the official BattleLore website is now live at www.battlelore.com
There you can download the Primer for a more in-depth look at the game:
You can also pre-order the game now…
Let the fun begin!
Other Languages:
October 13th, 2006 at 7:00 pm
Wohooo!!
October 13th, 2006 at 7:18 pm
There is a lot of great information there. Awesome site!
October 13th, 2006 at 7:23 pm
The site is just getting started. We will add many sections as we get closer to the actual shipping (and beyond). More news in a future entry.
October 13th, 2006 at 7:28 pm
Just in time for my lunch break!
October 13th, 2006 at 7:29 pm
Ordered !!! HURRAY !!!!
October 13th, 2006 at 7:35 pm
hmmm, just paging through the primer online and found a pic with foot, a spider, and cav figures side by side. The inf and cav figure are clearly out of scale, as a standing infantry has a height almost the same as the top of the man on a horse.
Sigh, none of this will effect the game play, but still I wished that at least the “real world” figures like man & horse would be in scale with each other.
October 13th, 2006 at 7:36 pm
Hey, the Hill Giant and Earth Elemental look cool!
I love the description of the Hill Giant - “Towering over the battlefield, the Hill Giant is a frightening sight to behold. His hammer blows send terrifying shockwaves that shatter the best armor! And that’s before he even gets to his Rock Pile, from which no distant foe should feel safe!”
A rock-throwing Hill Giant - I’m having flashbacks to when I used to play D&D 20 years ago - and I like it! BattleLore is the game Eric wished he had to fight mass combat battles when he used to play D&D. I have a lot of fond memories of years of adventuring with my friends and if BattleLore gives me even 10% of that satisfaction I’ll be happy.
Now - to download and devour the Primer…
October 13th, 2006 at 8:20 pm
Are the Hill Giant and Earth Elemental good examples of what we might expect to see in future “blister” releases?
October 13th, 2006 at 8:29 pm
An Epic Project:
How true! Lack of time is the exact reason I am looking so forward to the game.
Now to finish up the rest of the primer……
October 13th, 2006 at 8:48 pm
Yes, the Hill Giant and Earth Elemental are examples of what future blisters might look like. It will not be limited to Creatures (or miniatures, for that matter) but it is way too early to discuss this ;-).
October 13th, 2006 at 8:51 pm
If this game does not win the Speil des Jahres I will be shocked. The game looks great!
Eric, what is the diffenece between a Standard Bearer Archer and
October 13th, 2006 at 8:54 pm
(Oops, I hit the wrong button)
a green banner archer? This is from page 6 of the primer. Are the banners of the standard bearers permanently attached?
I hope I can demo, or get a demo, of the game at my local hobby shop. The Earth Elemental looks very cool.
October 13th, 2006 at 9:21 pm
Argh, why do the Europeans get both elemental and hill giant for pre-ordering, but Americans only get the hill giant?
October 13th, 2006 at 9:23 pm
A few things I’ve noticed and some comments -
I see they have the German packaging for the Hill Giant in the Primer. ‘Bergriese’ is German for Mountain Giant (ie Hill Giant).
Online Adventure Editor - There will be free access for those with a Web Access Number. That’s great support and it looks easy to use. I assume DOW will let people submit there own-designed adventures to share with the BattleLore community. I hope there will also be an area where you can log plays of games of the official adventures as they have with Memoir ‘44.
The 24 page Adventure Booklet - I’m looking forward to reading more about the mythos of Uchronia. The whole game is already developing a certain ‘feel’ to it - it’s own identity so to speak.
The Lore Master tokens - These are placed on the War Council sheets I believe. I hope they are plastic like the Commissar chip from the Memoir ‘44 Eastern Front expansion pack - it had a nice solid feel to it. If they’re card thats still fine. Eric can you confirm?
White-bordered Command, Lore and Summary cards - I’m pleased about this as wear and tear from shuffling is less noticeable on white-bordered cards.
80 page rulebook - When they say ‘lavishly illustrated examples’ they’re not wrong! Sure, text can be used to describe actions but when it is combined with illustrated examples you can’t go wrong. Very nice.
Pre-assembled miniatures complete with banners - This is very convenient and lets gamers get into the action straight away. DOW have obviously listened to feedback from gamers about frustrations and difficulties in assembling components from other games.
Artwork - The artwork, symbols, layout, and design are all top notch in my opinon. Simply beautiful.
The Banner System - I know we’re familiar with this already but I do acknowledge this is a really clever game system. When you can combine and convey game information and visual appeal into a gaming piece at the same time you’ve done something special.
A glimpse at more Lore Cards - If you ‘zoom in’ on these you can read the text. Some cool effects and it’s interesting to think about how your battle tactics will be determined depending on which Lore Masters you have in your War Council. I can really see the replayability of scenarios being increased by trying battles with different Lore Masters.
The 3-d artwork on the terrain pieces - I really like that effect. In fact, the whole board and terrain pieces are beautiful and evoke that fantasy environment.
The miniatures - I’m going to have to wait until I see them in person to really get an impression. From what I’ve seen I’m cautiously optimistic.
Overall impression - Blown away!
October 13th, 2006 at 9:32 pm
JonnyG,
As explained in a previous entry, different countries have policies re how they will distribute their Hill Giants and Earth elementals.
As far as the US are concerned, you are paying $ 70, not 70 euros ;-), and we’ve made it clear that the Earth Elemental will be widely available following the release of the game.
October 13th, 2006 at 9:34 pm
Regarding the Lore Master tokens.
No, they are cardboard. We initially wanted them as custom printed Poker chips, but the cost was simply WAYYY too onerous - especially given that there are 24 in each game.
Doesn’t mean we won’t release nicer sets independently down the road, however.
October 13th, 2006 at 9:34 pm
Eric,
I understand, I had to gripe about something, everything else was good. And it didn’t stop me from pre-ordering, now I’m waiting….
October 13th, 2006 at 9:35 pm
Hmmm, looking at the Primer, I notice on page 8 the picture captioned “Lavishly illustrated examples!” there is an example of how kill creatures. I can make out a reference to “Critical Hits”, which are apparently necessary for killing creatures. I can’t decipher the diagram — any thoughts?
October 13th, 2006 at 9:50 pm
Maxdog - That ‘Critical Hits’ section is a bit too small and hard to read at this stage. As Creatures will be the next blog update we shoudn’t have to wait long to find out though.
October 13th, 2006 at 9:56 pm
Oz: Hrumph! I KNOW it’s too small!
And, frankly, my patience has worn through waiting for this beast! I want my BattleLore…(with apologies to Mr. Knopfler)
Seriously — this lastest installment pushed me over the edge — pre-ordered from my FLGS. Scratch one Hill Giant…
October 13th, 2006 at 10:07 pm
Two things:
1) How will those of us that live in the middle of nowhere (in the US)(ie, no convention presence) be able to procure an Earth Elemental? That is the coolest rendition of one I have ever seen and I must have one, but I live at the end of the Earth. (lament…)
2)Having read the war council stuff a few times and the primer 3 times in just the last few hours, I humbly retract any and all ‘constructive criticism’ regarding similarities to D&D classes–now it’s clearly obvious that that was the intent!
And as i said all along…I’m totally cool with it, even more so since it is intentional!
Only (!) 8 more weeks…
October 13th, 2006 at 10:08 pm
Eric,
Now onto what I really want to know. It’s been said that M’44 is the next online game from DoW. Why not this one?
Any plans to add it. I think I already have about 3 1/2 years on my webcard, but this one would guarantee that I remained a customer.
Thanks,
JonnyG
October 13th, 2006 at 10:57 pm
*drool*
’nuff said.
October 13th, 2006 at 11:03 pm
I’m content to wait for Eric and company to get back from the purgatory that is presenting at Essen before they figure out ways to distribute the Earth Elemental.
Eric has said (repeatedly) that there would be a wider distribution of the Earth Elemental. I used to worry about the orange knight in Shadows over Camelot, but it was pretty easy to get him several months after all the hubbub had stopped—plus he became available in a pack of painted expansion knights about a year later. So now anyone who wants him can have Sir Bevedere (painted, to boot, along with painted versions of all the other knights).
So I think it is best to wait for a bit, and I don’t think repeatedly asking the question so close to Essen is going to make the answer come sooner. (Plus I have doubts of its therapeutic effects.
)
I think I will figure out a way to make little sculpey stands with flag poles so that one can add one’s own critters to the game with the proper adornment. Although the creatures sound very potent already… still, I want a dragon now.
Earth elemental sounds very nice and all, but you can’t beat a dragon.
(Once the Memoir ‘44 air unit rules get finalized and released with the appropriate expansion, maybe we can have flying dragons in Battlelore! We probably will at that.)
October 13th, 2006 at 11:16 pm
As an old time D&D player I could not be happier with what I have seen so far. I am a bit surprised that DoW is marketing directly to us “old” time players.
October 14th, 2006 at 12:11 am
You know, Amusdiv, it does look like they’re marketing to ‘grown up’ fantasy gamers. It felt as if I fit their demographic as I was reading the intro in the Primer. I used to play D&D and other fantasy games in my youth when I had all the time in the world. Now I’ve got a busy job, a wife and little kids and I have no time at all. BattleLore with it’s one hour playing time suits me fine (and I can get them to play with me when they learn to read)
October 14th, 2006 at 2:23 am
I hope the ‘monthlys’ have the Wiz/cleric/rogue, etc. figures..
So they can be on the battlefield.
I can see there would be times I’d like to run off a pesky Wiz or Cleric from the battlefield.
Thats my only ‘complaint’…
And I hate to use that word,, the game is looking great !!!!!!!
Of course I can find some figures somewhere for my own
‘house-rules’.
October 14th, 2006 at 2:43 am
I ask Eric about heroic figures before. I really hope we see them.
I too am an old time D&D player and Games Workshop fanatic that has a job and kids. No figs to build, play in an hour, all of the D&D flavor I can handle, no terrain to store, well all I can say is thank you Eric and DoW!
Do you have any marketing planned for the Gen X and Y folks?
October 14th, 2006 at 4:41 am
aslskfan -
Yes, must be a diff. in the archers [?]
Would need that to make the 14 different figures.
Unless ????
October 14th, 2006 at 5:54 am
aslskfan,
you may be older than you think… as a GenXer I can tell you we have started in with the whole job and and kids thing. This does seem like a good game to share with the kids. Teenagers will probably like the darker elements you find in GW & Privateer Press games.
DOW seems to have hit a good balance of lightness and strategy here. I think this could the start of something really good.
I preordered my copy today.
October 14th, 2006 at 6:32 am
I pre-ordered my copy a few weeks ago, even though I was a little unsure about the game (I’ve hardly had the opportunity to go through all the Memoir ‘44 expansions), but after reading the latest blog entries and this Primer, I’m really happy I’ll be getting this as an early X-mas present to myself!
October 14th, 2006 at 5:09 pm
cannondaddy, fourtunately I am right at the very tail end of the baby boomers. So, I hope I am not considered too old.
However, I do remember we started playing D&D with the first D&D blue box set (whith the dragon on the cover) when it came out. We did not have dice when we first started to play. We used to draw the chits, that came in the middle of the book, from a cup and made up our own adventures.
Orc breath, I am still wonerding about the standard bearers. It seems like it would be easier to put the standards in a seperate place (as it looks like some green banners are stored on the second tray), than leave them intact on the figures.
October 14th, 2006 at 7:56 pm
About the critical hits section, it’s too small too read, but from the pictures I would assume, that you have to reroll all hits (green banners and bonus strike in that case), and if you score a second hit, it is counted.
October 15th, 2006 at 12:19 am
From the primer, the box looks packed… which is great. I love the fact that everything fits inside a tray and stores easily (no tackle box purchases)… except for the fact that when we buy the blister packs, they won’t fit.
Is the box not as packed as I think, or is there some other mechanism you guys are dreaming up to be able to store the Hill Giant/Earth Elemental/Other Figures so that we can keep everything inside the (seemingly) nice tray provided?
October 15th, 2006 at 1:13 am
I think its going to be pretty packed box.
There will be all the monthly’s and expansions -next year.
So BL will need its own ‘carrying case’ by ‘08, once they figure out one for M’44 they’ll have to apply that to BL..
October 15th, 2006 at 5:06 pm
tech7:
Duh! You’re right! You’d think as a long time D&D player I would make the connection to “confirming crits”!
October 15th, 2006 at 5:47 pm
So, I thought I’d look to see if someone made a Wikipedia entry for Battlelore yet…they did, only not this Battlelore!
Look at Wikipedia’s entry for ‘Battlelore’ or just go straight to battlelore.NET.
Reminds me of the WH40K band, Bolt Thrower!
October 16th, 2006 at 1:38 am
If we pre-order in Australia, how much later will the stock arrive here than in the US?
October 16th, 2006 at 12:36 pm
Why is the game 70 dollar and 70 euro?
70 dollar is 55.9529 euro?
70 euro is 87.6109 USD!
So the game is in Europe pretty expensive?
October 16th, 2006 at 12:54 pm
$8 postage for the USA. Free postage in Europe ? That makes it more even.
October 16th, 2006 at 2:36 pm
Not to mention that you get the Hill Giant AND the Earth Elemental if you pre-order in euros!