Warzone Eternal Kickstarter Relaunched!

 Hi!

Just a quick post this evening with the news that Res Nova have relaunched their kickstarter for Warzone Eternal and its doing pretty well and has some really exciting stuff coming down the pipeline too!

WARZONE ETERNAL KICKSTARTER

The renders look ace and as of now, it's successfully funded and they've started showing some stretch goals including these rather fantastic Pretorian Stalkers for Algeroth:

The starter sets and booster boxes have been totally redesigned and redone since the original campaign with single piece but nicely dynamic figures for Capitol, Mishima, Imperial, Bauhaus, Cybertronic, Algeroth and the Brotherhood too.

I'm really excited to see the figures in the flesh so to speak and am looking forward to seeing how the campaign goes, especially as the booster packs allow me to re-build my classic Warzone collection and hopefully we'll see them getting a general release (including in the UK!) next year.

In related news, Modiphius has got their Siege of the Citadel core game reduced to £20 

While its not really Warzone Eternal, it is Mutant Chronicles and I've seen it played on several Youtube channels and it looks quite a bit of fun, especially as you can play it solo so why not grab a bargain while you can?

Gosh! All this Mutant Chronicles goodness is really exciting and hopefully the Warzone Eternal campaign with keep rocking and we'll see lots of lovely new stuff post Kickstarter as the universe of MC and Warzone is absolutely brilliant and I'd love to see them succeed! 

In the meantime, All the best!

Warzone Eternal Kickstarter Paused

Hi!

Sadly the Warzone Eternal Kickstarter has been paused as despite the initial funding goal being paused, support had plateaued, largely due to there not being lots of shiny stretch goals to tempt folks to back more stuff.

While I'm rather sad that the launch has been delayed, I still believe Alex and Res Nova Games are the right people to hold the license as the figures were looking spot on, the rules looked great and both Alex and Bryan are obviously passionate about the project whilst retaining the good sense not to try and promise folks the moon.

From the update Alex gave, he's been really honest, upstanding and determined that we will see Warzone, but just a bit later than we'd originally hoped. 

From my own perspective, I think that the issue was that the campaign launched before we saw the figures painted, before the rules were showcased and the lack of stretch goals stymied things somewhat. 

I'd love to have seen a full squad of the figures painted for each of the options available in the boxes and more on the setting, factions and characters who inhabit it so we could have enticed new players into the game rather than just diehard Warzoners.

Still this has been a learning experience for Res Nova and I'm sure we'll see them come back, stronger than ever and give Warzone the love it deserves as its such a great setting that allowing it to slide back into obscurity would be heartbreaking.

My TALES FROM THE WARZONE BLOG will continue running and I plan on keeping it regularly updated by delving into the setting using the 1st edition books and magazines from my collection to give more detail on the Mutant Chronicles universe.

I also plan on beginning a series of terrain building articles to allow me to create some simple terrain for each of the battlegrounds of the setting, be it the Dough Pits of Mars, the steaming jungles of the Graveton Archipelago on Venus or the warren of subterranean tunnels of Mercury. 

Hopefully it will keep folks entertained and may tempt one or two of you to take a look at Warzone Eternal as it comes closer to release!

In the meantime, All the best! 

Warzone Battle Report Sighted

 Hi!

I know I have started another blog for all things Warzone but Alex and Bryan have posted a battle report over on Youtube and I thought it was worth posting a link here as it gives a good feel for the new game.

Looking at what we can see, its just the sort of game I'm interested in. A small number of figures and a 3'x3' board. The game has a rather fun cinematic feel to it with both players being kept fully engaged throughout with lots of opportunities for reaction fire, ambushes, diving for cover and lots of nods to the original 1st edition of Warzone!

If you've got a bit of time, do nip over and take a peek at the video as its rather entertaining, especially when Alex rolls a fumble on his Blood Beret trying to light up a Necromutant who is in the open at close range, only for his LMG to go click!

In other news, I'll be uploading some pics of my latest figures that I've completed for Planet 28 but until then, All the best!

Warzone Eternal Blogging

 Hi!

I've been spamming my blog here with lots of Warzone stuff for a while now and have decided that I need to separate it out into its own page so I can keep sharing the love for all things Warzone without clogging up this page which will continue with lots of Planet 28 and other randomness.

I know it can be a pain to follow lots of different pages, especially as I have about a dozen of them scattered around the net but I'm hoping to expand the Warzone one to be a bit of a community effort once the game is launched so feel it deserves a separate page to attract fans of The Mutant Chronicles setting and Warzoners in particular. 

If you fancy nipping over for a gander, please click the image below which will whisk you off to the Second Corporation Wars! Its completely unofficial and without backing from the chaps over at Res Nova but I felt the need to support them in what small way I can!

In the meantime, All the best!

Warzone Eternal Kickstarter Is Go!

 Hi!

Exciting news this evening as the Res Nova Warzone Eternal kickstarter is live and already halfway to funding on its first day!

Concentrating on a small skirmish level game with a core rulebook and a box for each of the megacorporations as well as the insidious forces of Algeroth, its really exciting to see Warzone and the Mutant Chronicles making a welcome return!

It's a really focused and modest goal that Res Nova have set themselves so there's not going to be any mad stretch goals and tons of bargains, just enough to get the game up and running and I love this realistic target as its much more likely to mean that Warzone gets going and getting figures into peoples hands.

Thus far, we've got renders of the basic figures on the Kickstarter page but we've already seen some of the painted examples over on the Warzone Eternal page and there's going to be loads of pictures and a battle report posted up on the Kickstarter page over the next few days and I can't wait to see what Res Nova has planned!

To top it off, backers within the first 48 hours will get a free mini campaign called the Graveton Protocol so why not head over and take a peek and help Warzone rise shiny and chrome!

The Link can be found HERE TO THE KICKSTARTER and I'm hoping to be able to post updates as we get them and eventually some of my own battle reports and painting articles as the miniatures and rules become available!

In the meantime, All the best!

Warzone Eternal Q&A With Alex and Brian

 Hi!

There's only a couple of weeks until Warzone Eternal launches and we've started to see a few more sneak peeks of painted figures and now Brian CP Steele has been interviewing Alex, owner of Res Nova answering the questions of the many Warzone fans out there:

Here's some shots of another Blood Beret:

I have to say that this is the best looking painted figure we've seen and here's another in the form of a Razide (painted by Alfie Warzone I believe):

The game is really looking rather like how I remember classic Warzone but with more up to date sculpts and I'm really liking pretty much everything I see and hear thus far, apart from possibly the Necromutants which seem a bit awkward sculpt wise but its only a small niggle as with a wee bit of conversion, I'm sure they will be fine.

Alas I'm busily working away on completing a commission so I've not had time to really do much hobby related stuff but hopefully the second half of May will see me getting back into the swing of things but until then, all the best!

Warzone Eternal Kickstarter Launch Date Confirmed!

 Hi!

Just a quick update this evening as Res Nova have announced the launch of the Warzone Eternal kickstarter launch date!

The page is set and can be found HERE so do nip over and register your interest to get informed upon launch on the 17th of May so mark your diaries!

Excitingly looking at the background art, there's a really exciting stuff coming as the artwork we can see looks awesome featuring some Dark Legion gribblies taking on a pair of Bauhaus Megacorporate troops. 

Brian CP Steele and Alex Kanous will also be running a Q&A session over on the Warzone Eternal Facebook page so we shall have to see how things develop but I'm getting rather excited about the whole business.

I am in no way involved with Res Nova but really love Warzone and want to see the game succeed and will continue to keep sharing news here as I find it.

In the meantime, All the best!

New Warzone Eternal Previews UPDATED!

 Hi!

There's been some new previews for Warzone Eternal in the form of a completed Imperial Golden Lion and an Algeroth Necromutant painted by Shoshie's Magnificent Miniature Painting:

Golden Lion

I'm liking the Golden Lion with the classic red and black tiger stripe camo and its got all the classic Warzone vibes from the heroic proportions to chunky gear and big shoulder pads!

Next up, there's the Necromutant:

Necromutant

This chap is really rocking the classic Paul Bonner artwork style but I do think the paintwork looks a bit incomplete and a little bit wonky and could do with a bit of finishing (not to mention some grubby rust for his armour!) but hopefully the complete figure will do the sculpt justice and I'd love to get my hands on one to paint for my own collection. 

UPDATE: Alex has very kindly shared some unpainted examples of a Necromutant so we can see the detail and its looking pretty sharp!

I'm really looking forward to seeing some more finished figures as well as some complete with bases and what the full launch range is like. It would also be great to see some unpainted examples so we can see what the bare bones sculpts are like.

Its quite exciting to see the figures are starting to appear and I'm pretty pleased with what we're seeing thus far and I'll post updates as we see more!

In the meantime, All the best!

Warzone Eternal Update!

 Hi!

Warzone Eternal is getting closer to release and Alex Kanous, the man behind Res Nova has recorded a fascinating interview over on Youtube with Upturned Table:

The interview gives us a bit of an idea on what we can expect from the initial releases and is well worth a listen and as I've mentioned in previous posts, its really reassuring that Alex is being very passionate about the classic Warzone and Mutant Chronicles aesthetics and story. 

He's also very realistic over what is manageable from a small company and is planning on launching a very focused Kickstarter campaign that will see a couple of squads from each of the megacorporations and the Dark Legion of Algeroth. Interestingly, the Brotherhood aren't going to be represented initially as a complete force, rather there will be the odd character with the full force penned in for a future release. 

While this may not be a popular decision with some players, the prospect of starting small and actually getting the game going before expanding with new units, forces and individuals is at least in my opinion, a very savvy one as there's no point of going mental and releasing a massive amount of stuff straight away and I personally like the idea of starting with a few core units before moving forward into expansions that make it possible to expand your collection!

Alex also goes into the background and has confirmed the fact that the game will be set in the second Corporate Wars era, the setting from the original Warzone 1st and 2nd edition and there's some fascinating chat about incorporating Dark Legion interference into games too!

The conversation has also confirmed a rulebook, faction box for each of the five Megacorps with each box having 5 figures which will allow you to make troops for two of the iconic squads for each force with a sergeant and a selection of specialists. Algeroth is confirmed to have a box of Undead Legionnaires, Necromutants and a Centurion as well as a Razide. A Brotherhood character has also been confirmed.

The focus of the game is initially going to be very focused on small forces of half a dozen models and as things develop, there sounds like theres going to be lots of scope to start introducing new elements, be they new scenarios, settings, units and forces. I'm loving the focus on getting the game released and building on the initial release rather than trying to do too much. The Kickstarter doesn't even have any stretch goals which I personally approve of as there is no point of creating a sprawling project like we've seen with some other games where the added gubbins result in the game itself failing.

We've also seen some sneaky peeks of some work in progress figures:

Razide

Blood Beret

I'm loving the figures as they're the first time we've seen the new sculpts in the flesh so to speak and while they're not complete and based, they're looking awesome with the heroic proportions of the classic sculpts but using much nicer and more modern standards.

Alex has also confirmed that the kickstarter launch will have complete painted examples of the final figures so no renders which is heartening as the game will almost be ready to go once the kickstarter completes.

We shall have to see where the game goes once the Kickstarter launches but I cannot wait to see how the project develops and plan on getting some figures when I can and will continue posting updates as things develop but in the meantime, All the best!

Warzone Eternal Update

 Hi!

We've started getting some more information on Warzone Eternal with the kickstarter arriving within the next couple of months which is really exciting as I cannot wait to see the games release.

In the meantime, some official concept art has been shared on the interwebs and here's some samples from the rather talented Dan Morison:

Nepharite of Algeroth

Mishima Samurai

Cybertronic Chasseur

Imperial Blood Beret

Brotherhood Inquisitor

I'm absolutely loving the graphic novel style of these pieces and they are very reminiscent of the classic Warzone art from 1st edition and it really channels the vibe of the techno fantasy game I remember from the 90's.

No doubt we shall see more stuff in the coming weeks as we get closer to the kickstarter launch and I'll share them here but I'm getting rather excited to see what the final project looks like!

In the meantime, All the best!

Delving Into Warzone and The Mutant Chronicles

 Hi!

Over the last few days I've found myself re-reading my old Warzone 1st edition rules and the Mutant Chronicles RPG sourcebooks that I picked up many moons ago and it got me to thinking about using it as the setting for a campaign initially using Planet 28 and eventually 1st edition Warzone and then Warzone Eternal once it gets released.

But why you ask? The setting and artwork that accompanies it is utterly brilliant! Warzone and Mutant Chronicles combines loads of brilliant concepts from corporate dystopia to cosmic horror, 80's action films to dieselpunk and despite having been around for the best part of 30 years now, it still holds together remarkably well.

Venusian Marshall

Set in our own solar system in a future where nation states have been replaced by five Megacorporations who have terraformed much of the system and abandoned the Earth as an irradiated wasteland, Mutant Chronicles has so many great scenario ideas and unique gaming options. Does the action take place in the dusty deserts of Mars, the steaming jungles of Venus, the subterranean caverns of Mercury or on some blasted rock out in the asteroid belt?

Imperial vs Bauhaus

Over the years Warzone has appeared and vanished several times but my favourite is still 1st edition as it really was groundbreaking and was at heart a fantastic skirmish system that brought the setting to life with small groups of soldiers with the odd hero or evil doer leading them fighting desperate battles for their corporate overlords.

It's been compared to 40k quite a few times with the Brotherhood, the spiritual leaders of humanity being somewhat similar to the Inquisition of the Warhammer setting and the Dark Legion being seen as just a chaos rip off but having re-read the source material, I found the Warzone stuff to be very much its own unique setting which differs from 40k in several important ways. Primarily Warzone is a setting which contains hope. Hope that humanity can unite to defeat the evil of the Dark Legion, hope that no matter how grim things may get it can improve and hope that the heroes can actually save the day rather than 40k's view of everybody being essentially doomed.

Vince Diamond, Hero of Cybertronic

Coupled with the setting itself being our own solar system which makes things a bit more relatable than the galaxy spanning madness of 40k, it is believable to see characters traversing the system fighting the good (or indeed bad) fight and the technology is much more grounded too, more so the fact that the unleashing of the Dark Legion saw thinking machines run amok and high tech stopping being reliable and showcasing the sheer determination of humanity and their unique will to carry on makes for a setting that I'm keen to explore further!

Looking online, it's been really heartening to see the fact that Warzone has survived in some form or another over the last 25 plus years and Res Nova, the newest company to acquire the rights are dedicated to bringing back the game to its roots with the classic aesthetic, forces and skirmish style game I love. 

Mitch Hunter and Co

The Mutant Chronicles RPG has proved to be a really rich source of inspiration and I'm slowly putting together my ideas which will hopefully see a group of Freelancers taking on a seemingly simple contract from some shady corporate suit before getting flung into a campaign which will see them crossing the solar system and mixing it up with pretty much everyone from the Megacorps to other freelancers, the Tribes of Earth and the sinister Dark Legion.

I need to crack on with some painting and rummage out what I can find of the remainder of my Warzone collection, which at this point looks to be very little but I figure I can use some proxies until I can get my hands on some new figures once Warzone Eternal launches. I'm hoping that I can get enough figures sorted out to build my team and begin the campaign at some point this autumn which gives me plenty of time to paint figures, build some scenery and really get to grips with the setting again but I highly recommend folks pick up a copy or at least a pdf of the 1st edition Warzone and Mutant Chronicles books as they're good reading materials and who knows, they may inspire you to have a bash!

In the meantime, I hope to keep putting together articles and as as we get closer to Res Nova launching the new edition I'm keen to share what news hits the net but until then, All the best!

Warzone Eternal Update

 Hi!

Well we've seen a sneak peek of the first digital sculpt from Res Nova's Warzone Eternal range in the form of an Imperial trooper and I must say I am liking how he's looking!

Now it has to be said that this is a bit of a work in progress so the Plasma Carbine needs to be downscaled somewhat as it's a bit OTT at the moment but its definitely got that classic Warzone vibe to him. 

Imperial Golden Lion with Plasma Carbine WIP

At present he's a little bare, still needing some detailing such as pistol holster, pouches and ammo clips but as the kits are going to be modular, he's coming together nicely. Looking at the image I do think he needs a smidge more detail on the likes of his boots as well as they're a little simple at the moment but that's an easy fix and there may also be limitations with the sort of plastic kit that Res Nova plan on using.

Yes the sculpt needs a bit of tweaking and finessing to get it to the final standard but I must admit that this level of detail on a wargaming figure is absolutely fine with me as he's very reminiscent of the old Warzone sculpts that I love so much with chunky, heroic detail and avoiding the temptation we see so often with modern CG sculpts to make the figure too realistic or fussy with details literally everywhere.

Yes it may not be super detailed or realistically proportioned ala modern GW or indeed the Warzone Resurrection stuff but thats not the point! Res Nova have been utterly clear from the very beginning that they were going back to the classic Paul Bonner aesthetic with heroic proportions, big shoulder pads and big guns, something Prodos who were behind Warzone Resurrection departed from creating a game that had elements of the original but a sleeker, more modern style that really didn't fit the comic book dieselpunk that I loved back in the 90's.

Invader Assault Rifle, Plasma Carbine and Aggressor SMG

This is what I'm loving about the new sculpt, even if it's not a final piece. It fits the style of classic Warzone. It looks like a model that is intended to be painted and gamed with without worrying about breathing on it and it breaking. It's got the chunky heroic proportions and it's also modular so will allow for all sorts of interesting conversions, customisation and general hobby hijinks!

Compare him to the first sculpt we saw, the test piece Blood Beret:

I think folks will warm up a bit once we see the final sculpts in the flesh so to speak as a digital shot doesn't compare to a nicely painted figure and I'm really looking forward to seeing more of the project as it develops.

Here's the original Mark Copplestone sculpted Blood Beret and the 2nd edition Kev Adams ones:

While in my heart of hearts, I must admit I'd love to see the Warzone Eternal range traditionally sculpted, it's just not going to happen and at least this way there will be a standardised style carried across the whole range, something that the old Warzone didn't have as so many different sculptors worked on it.

For reference, here's a pic of Imperial troops in action by the legendary Paul Bonner:

I love the style of Bonner's work, especially for classic Warzone and am really raring to go for some further previews of the figures as Res Nova develop the project towards its eventual launch and I really hope that folks will be willing to offer constructive criticism when needed and support when possible as it would be a crying shame to see such a fantastic setting with it's brilliant forces, monsters and characters disappear into obscurity for another decade because a first sculpt doesn't look mindblowingly amazing.

For example, here's a super rough resize to the gun:

Apologies for the crudeness of my butchering of the original pic but by simply toning down the gun a smidge, the figure really looks great!

I don't work for Res Nova and the only interest I have in this is that I absolutely love Warzone and want the opportunity to delve back into a future dominated by megacorporations battling it out with monsters on the assorted planets of the solar system and I really want to see a game that sticks to the aesthetics of the classic while modernising the rules and figures without losing that magical element that made the Mutant Chronicles and Warzone so very great!

Now enough of my ramblings! I hope to see more Warzone in the near future and really look forward to the game getting released so I can pick up some Warzone figures and re-explore the setting and blow away some undead legionnaires on Mars or Venus, fight running battles in the tunnels under Mercury's surface with sword toting Megacorporate Samurai against rival corporations. I look forward to the setting being developed further with more detail on the outer solar system such as Imperials holdings in the asteroid belt or the cursed tenth planet Nero!

But until then, All the best!

Lockdown 2.0 Project Log Day 107: Spider Swarm!

 Hi!

Following on from my swarm of Rats, I've now got a swarm of Spiders to menace my adventurers with, be it Fisher's Inquisition team or my Boar Company!

Now I fear and hate spiders so I was in a bit of a quandary as to how to represent the eight legged beasties in my games but after a bit of experimentation, I churned out eight of them using super sculpey.

Much like the rats, they're not very detailed but do the job for low level menaces for adventurers from throughout time and space and will be making a handy addition to my collection. Yes I know they're not anatomically correct for proper spiders but they're as accurate as I'm willing to sculpt them!

In other news, I have been struck by the very different approaches by two different companies who have the licenses for some of my favourite games, namely Res Nova with Warzone Eternal and Clockwork Publishing with Chronopia.

Without getting into the ins and outs of it all, I can't help but feel that Res Nova is developing a very professional approach that will have a tight focus on a small skirmish game and a kickstarter that should deliver just what they promise as everything we hear about the process has been professionally done with people who seem to know what they're doing. While it would be awesome to see lots of figures and artwork, I'm really pleased and reassured by the approach they're taking and feel a great deal of confidence that this new Warzone is going to be just my cup of tea!

 Clockwork publishing on the other hand has been showing sneak peeks of digital renders for a while now and seem to be trying to cover everything from solo and coop gaming to skirmish to mass battle all in one go which I can't help but feel would be better suited to future releases rather than trying to jam it all in their first release. Similarly, the digital renders we've seen thus far aren't inspiring me with too much confidence. Yes digital sculpting allows for dynamic poses but just because something can be done, doesn't mean it should be done. Also the poses chosen for some have been awkward with ropey or soft detail. I can't help but feel they are trying to do too much and will end up pleasing no one but hardcore fans of the original, many of whom still prefer the old sculpts...

Only time will tell as to which will succeed and I really hope they both do but even without any physical product to show, I'm much more inclined to put my money towards Warzone Eternal than Chronopia.

But enough of my ramblings! Tomorrow will see another game of Planet 28 being played with Inquisitor Fisher venturing into the sewers beneath Freeport City in search of a nameless horror so until then, All the best!

Warzone Eternal Update!

 Hi!

The folks over at Res Nova Games have just posted their monthly update so without further ado, here's whats new with Warzone!

Greeting Warzone fans!  Spring is arriving early here in Michigan, and we hope the changing seasons are bringing good tidings to all of you as well.

As promised, we intend to periodically provide some insight into where Res Nova is in the development of Warzone Eternal.  We know you're all as excited for this game's release as we are - perhaps even more so! - so we're happy to provide you with these peeks behind the "curtain."

Rules development has continued to be a primary focus of our efforts of late.  The playtest draft has moved on to its 4th iteration, and while it looks like we have settled on a solid set of core mechanics to undergird the game, our playtesters are rigorously testing Unit characteristics and special abilities, weapon stat lines, and our standard scenarios.  We anticipate we'll be pushing out the next playtest draft to our testing groups next month.

Vince Diamond, Hero of Cybertronic

Five playtest drafts may seem like a lot, but as many of you have noted, we want this game to release with a set of rules from which we can build our first several waves of product releases. In those early days of launching a new game, the last thing we want to do is have to release a revised edition to address our failures to future-proof the system for new Unit types and scenario packs.

Miniatures development has been the most exciting update over the last month however.  As we've stated before, Res Nova has never produced miniatures before.  While we're veterans of the hobby, and thus have an understanding of what we desire in a good miniature and have some knowledge of the process of miniatures production, putting that into effect requires a level of expertise that we were somewhat short on.

So we're excited to announce that Tom Mason, a veteran sculptor who helped define the aesthetic of MERCS miniatures and is and has been a frequent contributor to Reaper miniatures and myriad other ranges, has joined Res Nova as the miniatures production Project Manager.  In that role he'll leverage his vast experience to lead the efforts of our sculptors and production teams.  We've stated many times our commitment to building on the classic Warzone/Mutant Chronicles aesthetic, and Tom will be helping us to manage our team of sculptors to bring that to fruition.  To say that we're excited to have him on board would be an understatement.

That's it for now, but be on the lookout for another fiction excerpt from the Warzone Eternal rulebook in the next few weeks.

Alex

Geralt the Wolfbane Approves!

I'm really excited by the way Res Nova has been developing the new Warzone Eternal and while we've not seen much yet, its really heartening to see that they are putting the effort in to get the rules right and from what Bryan mentioned on his Youtube channel, TALES FROM A PROFESSIONAL NERD the feedback coming from the play testers is really positive too.

As much as I'd love to see more miniatures, art, play throughs of the game and a definite date for the Kickstarter, I'm more pleased by by the fact that they are taking their time and making sure the game is as good as it can possibly be and that they're staying true to the original Warzone and Mutant Chronicles whilst bringing us a new gaming experience!

Coupled with the fact that the aesthetics and background of the original setting is central to the project and they've put brilliant rules designers and sculptors to work on it (more so that Bryan Steele is a huge fan of said original!) is getting me really looking forward to the games release later this year. I also really like the fact that Res Nova seem to have a good head on their shoulders with what they want to do with the game in the short and long term, starting small with a focussed Kickstarter that doesn't offer the moon, but concentrating on key units and allowing for developing the game from a small, special forces based skirmish into something a bit grander.

Only time will tell as to what else they've got tucked up their sleeves but in the meantime, All the best!