Eh, most of them just add a few hit points and an extra gun over a basic battleship while staying strictly in the same battlefield role, meaning they don't add much to gameplay but do threaten to make battleships obsolete. Which, I suppose, is exactly what happened IRL.
Some notable exceptions are the ones with a unique weapon system like the Commonwealth artillery dreadnought and the Japanese one with the Space battleship Yamato energy cannon.
lord_blackfang wrote: Eh, most of them just add a few hit points and an extra gun over a basic battleship while staying strictly in the same battlefield role, meaning they don't add much to gameplay but do threaten to make battleships obsolete. Which, I suppose, is exactly what happened IRL.
Some notable exceptions are the ones with a unique weapon system like the Commonwealth artillery dreadnought and the Japanese one with the Space battleship Yamato energy cannon.
From the looks of these new ORBAT entries, most of the newer Mass 4 ships (even the word dreadnought is not used) seem to have multiple build options to have unique weapon systems. I suppose the Archimedes/Schneider/Nansen was the first of that kind).
The Crown is also getting a "+1 battleship" in the Gloriana, but also has that super generator flagship option. I can't really recall any entries where I went: "oh, this is just a better version of the main battleship" without it also looking like there was another high tech/weird option to build out of it. And that seems good to me... That's a way to please both crowds I suppose.
chaos0xomega wrote: Dreasnoughts being battleships +1 is a tabletop fantasy naval gaming concept that needs to just... die.
So you want fantasy naval gaming to not mirror our reality in this regard and invent a new concept of what a dreadnought is, or just drop the term altogether?
Dreadnoughts IRL were just battleships. There was nothing "+1" (or "+10" if you prefer that nomenclature) about them. The only distinction they had over existing battleships of the era was the standardization of armament around the "all-big-gun" concept. This didn't necessarily make them "+1" - while it gave them a heavier main armament it came at the expense of the ability to defend themselves from smaller surface combatants and limited their effectiveness in close-range firefights, as such its better to think of dreadnoughts as battleships with a re-distribution of capability more closely aligned to practical application of force, rather than the design for theoretical application of force which was predominant in the pre-dreadnought era.
chaos0xomega wrote: Dreasnoughts being battleships +1 is a tabletop fantasy naval gaming concept that needs to just... die.
So you want fantasy naval gaming to not mirror our reality in this regard and invent a new concept of what a dreadnought is, or just drop the term altogether?
Dreadnoughts IRL were just battleships. There was nothing "+1" (or "+10" if you prefer that nomenclature) about them. The only distinction they had over existing battleships of the era was the standardization of armament around the "all-big-gun" concept. This didn't necessarily make them "+1" - while it gave them a heavier main armament it came at the expense of the ability to defend themselves from smaller surface combatants and limited their effectiveness in close-range firefights, as such its better to think of dreadnoughts as battleships with a re-distribution of capability more closely aligned to practical application of force, rather than the design for theoretical application of force which was predominant in the pre-dreadnought era.
Uh... sure... AFAIK X+1 colloquially means "X but better" which is what they were, better battleships, to the point that the term dreadnought eventually became redundant as all battleships in active service were dreadnoughts.
Tho it is amusing that DW Dreadnoughts often add more support weapons, which is guess is the opposite of what actually happened.
I suspect its because they have to balance them into the game with a function beyond just being bigger and better. But lets also not forget that support generators and such are very powerful things that we don't have in reality.
So it makes sense that if you've got this huge flagship of your fleet and powerhouse of damage and armour; you'd 100% want to put some generators on it that support the rest of your fleet.
Real world aside, Spartan Games made the choice to make their dreadnoughts big - many were twice the size of a regular battleship in the setting. Both in Dystopian Wars and Firestorm Armada.
The models for Dystopian Wars look really great, especially the airships. The naval units don't interest me anywhere near as much the zeppelins and other aircraft. A full-on air armada game without the surface (and submerged) ships would be great. I haven't seen a game like that where it looks like the airships were designed to fly from the outset, like Dystopian Wars has done. Other games, like Castles in the Sky, usually look like they just took WWI ships and made them fly without any thought as to how that might change the design.
Keep your fingers crossed - before Spartan died the air side was fully fledged. Battleships, dreadnoughts, unique things, gunships, fighters, interceptors, carriers - you could run a fully air to air combat game without any sea surface forces if you wanted.
Sure full diversity included the sea and land back then, but I'm sure Warcradle will grow the air section. Heck considering that the current Dystopian Wars isn't listed to include the land elements and they've used plastics to get a lot of multi-part kits out; we might well see even more air diversity!
Some air diversity, but definitely not as much as naval. Like subs, airships are still a support element and not all nations will lean into them equally. I think most factions are not going to go much farther than what we're seeing already - a sky fortress, a sprue that builds 1-3 air cruiser classes and 1-3 air frigate classes, and that's about it.
chaos0xomega wrote: Dreasnoughts being battleships +1 is a tabletop fantasy naval gaming concept that needs to just... die.
So you want fantasy naval gaming to not mirror our reality in this regard and invent a new concept of what a dreadnought is, or just drop the term altogether?
Dreadnoughts IRL were just battleships. There was nothing "+1" (or "+10" if you prefer that nomenclature) about them. The only distinction they had over existing battleships of the era was the standardization of armament around the "all-big-gun" concept. This didn't necessarily make them "+1" - while it gave them a heavier main armament it came at the expense of the ability to defend themselves from smaller surface combatants and limited their effectiveness in close-range firefights, as such its better to think of dreadnoughts as battleships with a re-distribution of capability more closely aligned to practical application of force, rather than the design for theoretical application of force which was predominant in the pre-dreadnought era.
Uh... sure... AFAIK X+1 colloquially means "X but better" which is what they were, better battleships, to the point that the term dreadnought eventually became redundant as all battleships in active service were dreadnoughts.
Tho it is amusing that DW Dreadnoughts often add more support weapons, which is guess is the opposite of what actually happened.
Thats debatable - the "fast battleships" of the World War 2 era were battleships evolved into battlecruisers rather than a true continuation of the philosophy and doctrine underlying the concept of the dreadnought. In a few cases, fast battleships were quite literally battlecruisers (i.e. the ships were reclassified as battleships/fast battleships after having previously been classified as battlecruisers, or in some cases were classified one way by one nation and another way by another nation).
Similarly, the "design revolution" of HMS Dreadnought is grossly overstated - and the ship was itself basically obsolete as soon as it launched. The "all-big-gun" armament scheme of Dreadnought was inefficient and unwiedly owing to the placement of 2/3rds of its guns into wing turrets, and the "secondary" armament (really a tertiary armament by comparison to the ships that came before and after it) was underpowered and incapable of properly defending the ship against the growing threat of torpedo boats and destroyers in the absence of the medium/intermediate caliber weapons carried by her predecessors. While it may have been "+1" vs other battleships, it was really more like "-5" versus MTBs.
The South Carolina-class is a slightly better example of later battleship construction (center-line primary armament in a superfiring configuration, still suffered from the inadequate 3" tertiary-turned-secondary battery). The British began to fix the Dreadnoughts deficiencies with the Bellerophon just two years later with a slightly larger though still inadequate 4" battery (and eliminating most of the wing turrets), which was then superceded by the Orion-class in 1910 with its all center-line primary armament supplemented by the still-inadequate 4" guns - and finally fully realized modern warship design with the Iron Duke-class in 1912 which fully eliminated center-line turrets and provided for a proper secondary armament of 5" guns, moving 3" guns (amongst others, including 4" guns following the 1928 refit) into a small tertiary anti-aircraft battery. By that point though, the US had already beat them to the punch with the Delaware and Florida-class ships (launched 1909 and 1910, respectively) which were the first "Dreadnoughts" to bear an all-centerline primary armament and carry an adequate 5" secondary battery, and featured a small tertiary battery (later supplemented with additional anti-aircraft weaponry in 1917 - this was a design feature that the US somewhat abandoned in future classes of vessel until it became clear that the AA tertiary was a necessity rather than a luxury). But even before that, the Germans launched the Nassau-class (1908), Helgoland (1909), and Kaiser-classes (1911) which, while still utilizing wing turrets for their primary armament, had a 5.9" secondary battery and a full-size tertiary battery of 3.5" guns. Likewise the Japanese Kawachi-class of 1910 - while winged in the primary armament, featured a 6" secondary and a large albeit mixed tertiary of 3" and 4.7" guns.
But its actually the Italian Conte di Cavour (1911) which can be said to be the first truly "modern" battleship, featuring a centerline primary armament with superfiring guns, a full size secondary armament of 4.7" guns (just barely on the right side of adequate), and a large tertiary of 3" guns (which would later be refit into an AA armament), followed by the Austro-Hungarian Teggetthoff-class the same year which featured a similar distribution of weapons, though opting for a 5.9" secondary and a 2.6" tertiary. If you placed either of these two warships next to HMS Dreadnought, you would see little similarity between them, whereas placed next to Iowa or Yamato you could see the clear evolutionary trend that lead from one vessel to the other. Likewise, placing the South Carolina or the Nassau next to the Dreadnought similarly reveals stark contrasts between the vessels and the design philosophies associated. The fact that neither the South Carolina-class nor the Nassau-class was actually designed in response to HMS Dreadnought (having been designed and started before the existence of Dreadnought was known) and instead were designed in response directly to pre-dreadnought warships (the Lord Nelson-class in the case of Nassau and South Carolina due to shortcomings in the design of the Connecticut-class) kind of speaks volumes, and theres some clear design through-lines from those late pre/semi-dreadnought warships into both vessels that bypass HMS dreadnought entirely, which comes full circle into the design of Conte di Cavour and Teggetthoff, as they were both influenced by American and German shipbuilding theory and design, rather than English (or for that matter French).
Anyway, point is, "Dreadnoughts" as a concept don't truly exist. Dreadnought was not actually a prototype for another 40 years of warship-building as many claim it to be, and later battleship designs don't owe very much to Dreadnought itself. Likewise, Dreadnought was not truly "+1", it was conceptually +1 within the context of a theoretical warfighting doctrine, but that doctrine proved impractical as major navies would learn just 10 years later and the design of Dreadnought (and indeed many of the "Dreadnoughts" afloat at the time who were influenced by it) was largely inadequate in practical application as a result, which necessitated further adoption of a heavier and more voluminous secondary armament -similar to the pre-dreadnoughts that they supposedly replaced- in order to make up for the inadequacy of battleships against smaller combatants which resulted from the prior elimination of secondary and tertiary armaments in many designs following the launch of HMS Dreadnought. Any actual "+1" in terms of size and capability of "dreadnought" era warships was the result of an ongoing and pre-existing trend enabled by technology, rather than design philosophy. That is to say, the tonnage of warships and the caliber of weaponry was already on a 50 year upswing leading into the launch of Dreadnought and there is no reason that would not have continued if Dreadnought had not been launched. That is to say, the fantasy-naval standard of handing players a significantly larger vessel with more and even bigger guns called a "dreadnought" is an artificial construct, when in reality a dreadnought should be roughly identical in size to the vessels those games deem to be battleships, with the only real difference being that of the ratio of primary/secondary/tertiary weapons.
lord_blackfang wrote: Some air diversity, but definitely not as much as naval. Like subs, airships are still a support element and not all nations will lean into them equally. I think most factions are not going to go much farther than what we're seeing already - a sky fortress, a sprue that builds 1-3 air cruiser classes and 1-3 air frigate classes, and that's about it.
I don't know about that, there are a few nations coming up that will be exclusively flying ships it seems.. So there will be plenty of list builds possible with purely Aerial units for those who wish to do so.
The Polish-Lithuanian fleet seemingly will be a purely airship nation, the Spanish will be air-born galleons with a zeppelin like structure on top, the Bavarians will be 100% airborne and it looks like the Koreans will also be solely based on aircraft. If I'm not mistaken, both Crimson league and eclipse company mercenaries will also mostly be sky-vessels... So I think it'll be a viable way to play for a lot of factions, should the player want to do so.
lord_blackfang wrote: Some air diversity, but definitely not as much as naval. Like subs, airships are still a support element and not all nations will lean into them equally. I think most factions are not going to go much farther than what we're seeing already - a sky fortress, a sprue that builds 1-3 air cruiser classes and 1-3 air frigate classes, and that's about it.
I don't know about that, there are a few nations coming up that will be exclusively flying ships it seems.. So there will be plenty of list builds possible with purely Aerial units for those who wish to do so.
The Polish-Lithuanian fleet seemingly will be a purely airship nation, the Spanish will be air-born galleons with a zeppelin like structure on top, the Bavarians will be 100% airborne and it looks like the Koreans will also be solely based on aircraft. If I'm not mistaken, both Crimson league and eclipse company mercenaries will also mostly be sky-vessels... So I think it'll be a viable way to play for a lot of factions, should the player want to do so.
Sure, but keep in mind national sub-factions aren't designed to run solo, you might be able to do a legal build but they're not going to have the full gamut of tactical options. Ukraine is a purely submarine nation that is fully done with no plans to expand so that's our first example of a specialist nation, and what do they have? One sprue
Yep Spartan Games had them too. They are designed as allies to major powers. Eg in the old game the Russian force didn't have many air units, their power was having super land and sea forces to compensate. However they had allies like Lithuania who brought in things like their carrier airship to bolster the Russian forces.
Perhaps in time popular allied forces might bulk out and splinter off as an ally and become a major power; but we'd have to wait and see in the future.
Overread wrote: Yep Spartan Games had them too. They are designed as allies to major powers. Eg in the old game the Russian force didn't have many air units, their power was having super land and sea forces to compensate. However they had allies like Lithuania who brought in things like their carrier airship to bolster the Russian forces.
Perhaps in time popular allied forces might bulk out and splinter off as an ally and become a major power; but we'd have to wait and see in the future.
The difference is that in Spartans rules construct, factions like the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth were designed and balanced as separate standalone factions that had the capability of allying into the core factions, like Russia, in order to supplement their capabilities. In Warcradles rules construct, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (or to use a better example, Ukraine) is not a separate faction but in fact a natively integral element of the Commonwealth (i.e. Russian) faction that has the option to be played standalone, but isn't necessarily well balanced for use in such a manner vs an opponent that fielding a true "multinational" faction fleet, etc.
Basically to use 40k as analogy, Spartan designed the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as Genestealer Cults to Russias Tyranids. In Warcradles case however, Russia/the Commonwealth would be more like playing the Tau Empire or Orks, whereas playing Poland-Lithuania/Ukraine would be like playing pure Kroot or pure Beastsnaggas. Can you do it, yes? Will you be successful at it? That depends.
Yep, all I'm saying is that as the game expands we might one day see one or some of the subfactions splinter from their parent major nations and become large enough ranges on their own.
Of course we are years off that ever being on the horizon and we don't even have Warcradle running all the other spartan games licences either - Firestorm, Uncharted Seas, to say nothing of the land war for dystopian wars etc...
I don't think they'll splinter it in such a manner. As they indicated early on in development, Warcradle developed the faction construct they are using for business reasons - it was the number of factions they felt they could support consistently with a regular pace of new releases, the number of factions they felt their retailers could support by allocating the appropriate amount of shelf-space to stocking, etc. They very explicitly said that they did not want to follow Spartans path of many standalone mini-factions, as that would inevitably result in SKU bloat and stores that had too-small amounts of seemingly random inventory for a broad range of factions that was insufficient to properly support a player interested in getting into the game with one of those factions (I think we all have probably encountered this issue with other third-party games, some of us may even see it at smaller shops with 40k/AoS,etc.), whereas by keeping everything defined within the limits of the 8 or so existing factions, a new player coming in is guaranteed to have access to a good selection of options for their chosen faction at all but the smallest of shops. The "subfactions" that are things like Ukraine/Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth are meant for "advanced collectors" or "power users" or whatever you want to call it. The expectation is that the vast majority of players will start by playing the faction as a proper whole, and then later possibly specialize into one of the sub-factions while retaining their collection of non-subfaction units for play where it suits them to do so if the sub-faction struggles in the meta, etc.
That was certainly my experience with Spartan both in brick&mortars and with online retailers. Outside starters it was always a random handful of boxes.
Same. The few stores locally that carried any of Spartans games had the exact issue. It was always a random assortment of stuff, usually because they ordered an incomplete selection of the product range (because gauging demand for the game and/or specific products for a game with such a small audience and playerbase is not easy) or because they ordered 1-2 copies of each thing and never restocked it as it sold because it moved too slowly to justify further investment. If you wanted to play "faction xyz", then you could maybe find a starter box for them (if you were lucky) and a few random blisters or boxes, but it was rarely what you needed to make a standard points level game or to assemble an effective and balanced army list, which meant you either had to go online to fill in the holes, hop over to other local stores to fill in the gaps, or try to place a special order for the items through your store (hit or miss in the days of Spartan, at least for US retailers).
Warcradle has done a good job of making that less of an issue as the reduced faction count and the consolidation of products into battlegroup sets (rather than individual blisters or whatever for each type of ship) makes it much easier for retailers to manage and curate their inventory - even if they know nothing about the game.
Warcradle has done a good job of making that less of an issue as the reduced faction count and the consolidation of products into battlegroup sets (rather than individual blisters or whatever for each type of ship) makes it much easier for retailers to manage and curate their inventory - even if they know nothing about the game.
I think the move to multi-build plastic sprues probably helps the SKU bloat more than anything. The battlefleet set are for sure a good thing though, as you can start a fleet using any of them through the flagship system... And that has only gotten more flexible as time went on (ruleswise that is).
Another thing is it means that a lot of the sku that they will end up with is going to focus on the really fancy stuff.
Your run of the mill ships are your cruisers and support cruisers with their multi-build hulls and then boom all the rest of your range is big flagships, mechs, skyships, etc.... Not always big, but certainly the fancy, crazy science stuff that really gets people engaged and interested and just looks really interesting on the front of the box.
That does sound like a pretty packed month... Russian flyer ships AND russian skimmer ships in one month, along with the options to build the three new flagships in that box.
The Topkapi box feels a bit odd, as it seems to only include some parts to connect the hulls in resin... But it may include the portals as well for the faction.
Grabbed off the facebook.
Note I stuck to the new things so there's also those new battlefleets coming this month too. Note that the new starter for the Commonwealth (Russia) has the new skyships and hovercraft
There's also a completely redone Konrad, which is nuts to me. The original model released June 2021 to a lukewarm reception and here's a new sprue a year and a half later.
Yes that is kind of nuts, but then again they seem very keen to retool their moulds which does give them room to make modifications like this where they update to feedback.
Warcradle is the first company I know of that's eager to improve molds and I really admire that, although I don't know if it makes financial sense vs. making something new. So far redoing molds has always been touted as too expensive and we had to live with any mistakes for years or decades. The one exception was that one time GW reinforced Crisis Suit ankles.
I take this as a sign that the Warcradle crew genuinely wants to put of the best product they can, rather than just something "good enough" and move on (looking at you Mantic FFS )
In theory GW could do it a lot more since they own the tooling company and all.
For WC so far they've done retooling in the sense of adding a new part here and there to their existing sprue designs (there seems to be some disconnect between the rules development and model development?)
It depends, they produce in the UK so who knows perhaps they managed to buy up the tooling equipment themselves.
I don't know about that, but being a rather big distributor and retailer they can at the very least bully Renedra to get all the best production slots on the newest machines. The sprues look a lot like the newest high end Warlord sprues, with the stacking pegs in the corners and such.
Also update from the discord, the Commonwealth, Imperium, Crown and Enlightened all have updated sprues. This includes updates to things like small turrets! So no more blocky turret with the barrel fused to the ship!!
I'm glad that I've been holding off getting in if they are making retroactive updates to their molds, etc. It means when I do dive in I'll have a more developed set of kits.
The new Konrad sculpt looks nice... but I also liked the goofiness of the previous sculpt so *shrug*.
That new big-gun russian dreadnought though... *chefs kiss* the designs just keep getting better and better. If I wasn't thousands of dollars deep into panic-buying Warmachine/Hordes kits before they go out of production I'd probably be buying a few fleets for this right now.
I almost went into Warmachine panic buying, but most of the stores were already low on Everblight stuff and honestly I don't really want more metal unused on the shelf. It's a huge shame as they had some fantastic sculpts (I should clean up and finish my Archangel one day)
chaos0xomega wrote: I'm glad that I've been holding off getting in if they are making retroactive updates to their molds, etc. It means when I do dive in I'll have a more developed set of kits.
I'm a little bit envious of that! It hurts for the Imperium especially, all their hulls were upgraded with new panel lines, rivets and decking and I got the old ones so recently I haven't even assembled most of them. But I tell myself, if it weren't for us buying early, the game wouldn't have made it to the point where we can get improved sprues.
I held off for ages because I couldn't decide on a force and wanted to see more of where they were going with each fleet.
Even though I got the original starter set and I will expand my Russian force steadily at some stage (if just because artillery dreadnought!).
Right now though I really like the Sultanate and I'm warming to the Alliance who I think really got some of the best broadside weapons in terms of visual looks. They look like broadsides that mean business, not just little cannons sticking out of holes on hulls.
I really think with developed core fleets and air units appearing and more fancy stuff, this year should be a big year for DWars in getting back on the high seas of the market in a big way.
Overread wrote: I almost went into Warmachine panic buying, but most of the stores were already low on Everblight stuff and honestly I don't really want more metal unused on the shelf. It's a huge shame as they had some fantastic sculpts (I should clean up and finish my Archangel one day)
The Archangel is what convinced me not to sell all my stuff. Was prepping my collections for sale until I pulled it out of the case and decided the minis were too cool for me to sell.
We’re continuing as we mean to go on this year with even more exciting new pre-orders for Dystopian Wars and Warcradle Scenics. Are you ready for the legend to come to life?
The waters of the Dystopian Age grow dark, but not with evil. Instead, a shadow is cast across the waves as the mighty Avalon soars past, followed closely by the rest of its Battlefleet. The Union and Alliance are also set to make a splash as the Columbia Battlefleet Set, a dual-faction Battlefleet, offers players of either faction a mighty vessel to return to the seas time and time again.
Cannons at the ready, or should that be ‘cannon’, as the Rikhter Battlefleet Set brings all the firepower the Commonwealth could need to pulverise their foes in one large weapon. The only way to escape such devastation and enact a counterattack would be through teleportation. It seems the Sultanate are in luck as the Topkapi Battlefleet Set brings with it the ability to travel through portals to avoid and launch precise attacks.
Following the introduction of the Faction Battlefleet Starter Sets last month, the remaining four sets are coming to provide the perfect way to start a force of any faction you’re interested in. Packed with reliable units and never seen before new additions, the Enlightened, Commonwealth, Imperium and Crown Faction Battlefleet Start Sets are coming soon.
The Buckhorn Ranch Set also becomes available to pre-order as separate terrain kits this month, offering even more customisation to your wargaming tables set around a cattle-rustling conflict and more!
Due to be released at the end of February 2023.
DYSTOPIAN WARS
Hold onto your proverbial horses, as this month is massive when it comes to Dystopian Wars releases. There are four new battlefleet sets: The Avalon, Columbia, Rikhter and Topkapi and four new starter sets that are perfect for those of you who shared half your starter set with a friend but secretly wanted to start a fleet with both sides!
Avalon Battlefleet Set
Suspended on galvanic rotors, these Sky Fortresses are only made possible by the engineers at Bletchley and the wootz-steel Sturginium alloys used in their construction. Her Majesty’s amusement was shown when the Avalon-class, the Victoria, flew over Horse Guards Parade, causing the cavalry to rear up and dislodge their riders into the rain-soaked ground.
This box contains:
1 x Avalon Skyfortress
2 x Agincourt Cruisers (Each Cruiser can alternatively be built as either Athelstan or Hotspur Class)
4 x Excalibur Heavy Destroyers
2 x Morgana Submarines
2 x SRS Tokens
2 x Prydain War Rotor
2 x Tintagel Battle Rotor
4 x Saxon Scout Rotor
Columbia Battlefleet Set
At the close of the Ore War, Confederate President Davis commanded his forces to stand down. Though General Robert Lee carried out this order, Fleet Admiral Elizabeth Buchanan refused and withdrew her battlefleets southwards to find a safe haven in the Socialist Unity of South America.
This box contains:
1x Columbia Heavy Battleship (can alternatively be built as USS Virginia)
2x Ore War Cruisers (Each Cruiser can alternatively be built as either Gettysburg, Providence, Saratoga or Sumter Class)
4x Springfield Corvette
4x Escort
2x Talon Tokens
Rikhter Battlefleet Set
Mounting the largest naval cannon in the world, the Rikhter class relies on kinetic dampers to absorb the massive recoil from the weapon. A void engine is used to translocate the colossal atomic munitions from a fortified stronghold deep in Siberia. The shockwave alone will utterly pulverise any crewmember foolish enough to be on deck when fired.
This box contains:
1x Dreadnought (can alternatively be built as either Rikhter, Moskva or Prezidium Class)
2x Cruisers (Each Cruiser can alternatively be built as either Kutsov, Norilsk, Oleg or Sineus Class)
4x Rurik Class Frigates
2x Skycruisers (Each Skycruiser can alternatively be built as either Tunguska, Irkutsk or Saransk Class)
2x Hovercraft (Each Skycruiser can alternatively be built as either Yak or Giyena Class)
4x Nikel Escorts
Topkapi Battlefleet Set
The twin-hulled Topkapi carrier provides an excellent platform for Sultanate Commodores to operate from and deploy air cover for their forces. Topkapi crews train to provide a dramatic tactical choice for Commodores with their Sabiha fighters using portals to cover vast distances and strike.
This Box Contains:
1x Topkapi Class Battleship (can also be built as a Nemrut Class)
2x Portals
4x Ferik Escort Tokens
2x SRS Tokens
FACTION BATTLEFLEET STARTER SETS
Crown Starter Set - Faction Battlefleet
Find strength in the men and women of the Albion; those who have seen the rise and fall of the Crown through traitorous plots, tyrants and petty Kings. Led into battle by the Britannia, take back the world in the name of the Queen
This Box Contains:
1x Britannia Battleship
2x Frontline Cruisers (Each Cruiser can alternatively be built as either Albion, Lancelot, Picton, Bedivere or Sabre Class)
4x Caliburn Frigates
2x Support Cruisers (Each Cruiser can alternatively be built as either Agincourt, Athelstan or Hotspur Class)
4x Excalibur Heavy Destroyers
2x Morgana Submarines
2x SRS Tokens
1x Rulebook
1x Victory and Valour Deck
20x Action Dice
6x Critical Dice
1x DA Token Sheet
1x DA Template
Imperium Starter Set - Faction Battlefleet
Become a part of the mighty colossus of central Europe, the Imperium, and go not shrinking into the darkness. Instead, enforce your rule in blood and iron with battleships and brute strength.
This Box Contains:
1x Battleship (can be built as either an Elector, Heidelberg, or Kaiser Class or the SMS Brandenberg, SMS Holtzendorf or SMS Tirpitz)
2x Frontline Cruisers (Each Cruiser can alternatively be built as either Augustus, Schaumburg or Blucher Class)
4x Arminus Class Frigates
2x Support Cruisers (Each Cruiser can alternatively be built as either Reiter, Volsung or Konrad Class)
4x Destroyers (Each Destroyer can alternatively be built as either Sigimer or Toten Class)
2x Blitzen Bomber special Tokens
2x SRS Tokens
1x Rulebook
1x Victory and Valour Deck
20x Action Dice
6x Critical Dice
1x DA Token Sheet
1x DA Template
Commonwealth Starter Set - Faction Battlefleet
Stand as a beacon of hope for the oppressed and victims of failed conquest, a new democracy spanning from the centres of Poland-Lithuania to Siberia, the Commonwealth! Prove your loyalty to the Tzar with the Borodino and it’s fleet and showcase to the world the perseverance of man.
This Box Contains:
1x Borodino Class Battleship
2x Cruisers (Each Cruiser can alternatively be built as either Kutsov, Norilsk, Oleg or Sineus Class)
4x Rurik Class Frigates
2x Skycruisers (Each Skycruiser can alternatively be built as either Tunguska, Irkutsk or Saransk Class)
2x Hovercraft (Each Skycruiser can alternatively be built as either Yak or Giyena Class)
4x Escorts
1x Rulebook
1x Victory and Valour Deck
20x Action Dice
6x Critical Dice
1x DA Token Sheet
1x DA Template
Enlightened Starter Set - Faction Battlefleet
Serving the goal of chasing the pursuit of scientific advancement, take control of the many marvels Enlightened fleets have to offer and demonstrate your technological superiority to the world! Deploy the Descartes and a range of submarines and machines to tear your opponent asunder.
This Box Contains:
1x Descartes Class Battleship
2x Support Cruisers (Each Cruiser can alternatively be built as either Plinius, Tacitus, Quintilian or Claudius Class)
2x Submarines (Each Submarine can alternatively be built as either Praxilla or Diogenes Class)
2x SRS Tokens
2x Physeter Tokens
2x Advanced Cruisers (Each Cruiser can alternatively be built as either Newton, Origen, Vesalius or Zumeena Class)
2x Assault Machines (Each Machine can alternatively be built as either Ketos or Lotan Class)
2x Enlightened Escorts
2x Orca Tokens
1x Rulebook
1x Victory and Valour Deck
20x Action Dice
6x Critical Dice
1x DA Token Sheet
1x DA Template
WARCRADLE SCENICS
Buckhorn Ranch Farmstead
Buckhorn Ranch is a typical example of life on the frontier. It's changed hands many times over the years, occasionally sold by a family who've grown too old to look after the place but more often through nefarious means. The Farmstead on Buckhorn Ranch is a comfortable home for a family as well being the place where folks gather after a long day of work.
This box contains:
1 x Buckhorn Ranch Farmstead
Buckhorn Ranch Barn
Part of Buckhorn Ranch, the well kept Barn houses all the hay needed to supplement any cattle feed as well as being somewhere they can calve.
This box contains:
1 x Buckhorn Ranch Barn
Buckhorn Ranch Scatter
Scattered around the ranch there’s a hen house to keep the workers in fresh eggs, a well and water tower to keep them watered and the one piece of engineering, a tractor for any big jobs.
This box contains:
1 x Buckhorn Ranch Scatter
Buckhorn Ranch Stables
All this work needs cowboys and cowboys need horses, that’s where the Stables come in.
This box contains:
1 x Buckhorn Ranch Stables
Buckhorn Ranch Silo
The great Silo can hold enough grain to help keep a herd of cattle fed through the winter months.
This box contains:
1 x Buckhorn Ranch Silo
Buckhorn Ranch Lodge
The Lodge is usually reserved for trusted workers to stay while they’re working the ranch. It’s often the last chance for them to rest in an honest to goodness bed before they hit the cattle trail.
This box contains:
1 x Buckhorn Ranch Lodge
February looks to be another massive month, with those four new Battlefleet Sets, four new Faction Battlefleet Starter sets and individual Buckhorn Ranch terrain kits! What are you looking forward to the most? These pre-orders will go live on the 27th of January 2023 at your FLGS or Wayland Games Online.
They finally got me. I had a fleet back in the dark days of the 1st edition of this game. I thought for sure they'd never really get it going or get it to where I'd want to grab a few fleets to provide fun for my buddies. Well they managed it.
I've been following this thread and I'm now putting in for the 2-player flyer starter and enough to flush out Crown and Imperial forces and then a good sized Union fleet.
Also glad to see the photography/renders have finally caught up to actual model quality. Time and again when opening prodcut I was pleasantly surprised to find the casts are actually far sharper than in the images. Glad to see they're finally represented correctly.
Clever buggers. I'm going to need like 4 of the Columbia set between SUSA and Union and then I'm still gonna need like 2 Frontline boxes when they come out.
It’s that time again when we look ahead to the next set of pre-orders ready to grace your tabletop in March. There’s plenty to look forward to for Dystopian Wars and Warcradle Scenics this month!
A new nation prepares to enter the seas of Dystopian Wars for the Latin Alliance, with the Italians deploying the Mars Battleship and its corresponding Battlefleet to up the ante. The Imperium also launch a significant threat with the Zeppelin Battlefleet Set providing an aerial advantage only seen before in the Sturginium Skies Two-Player Starter Set.
Squadrons aplenty, as there are two new Squadron boxes to pre-order outside of their corresponding Battlefleet Sets. The Ore War Veterans Squadrons from the Columbia Battlefleet Set bolster your Union or Alliance fleets, and the Crown Aerial Squadrons from the Avalon Battlefleet Set help take your Crown fleet airborne.
But that's not all! We also have an exciting new scenic set that's like nothing you've seen before... The Immortal Tombs Set blends the history of ancient structures with an element of high technology and is perfect for your favourite wargame systems requiring that touch of mystery.
Due to be released at the end of March 2023.
Mars Battlefleet Set
The Mars class heavy battleships are the pride of the League of Italian States. The Tetrarchy know the worth of these powerful vessels and not a single one weighs anchor unless they are convinced that it is Italy’s needs and not the vain glories of Napoleon that are best served by doing so.
This box contains: 1x Mars Class Battleship
2x Italian Cruisers (may be built as either Gladius, Spatha, Auxillia or Pilum)
4x Frigates
4x Escort Tokens
Zeppelin Battlefleet Set
Designed by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, the framework is made of duralumin - a Sturginium alloy of aluminium and copper. To hold the helium that gives the craft its buoyancy, the ship employs dozens of rubberised cotton gasbags within the frame, leaving plenty of room for the heavy munitions that make these vessels rightly feared.
This box contains: 1x Zeppelin Aerial Dreadnought (may be built as Stark Imperium)
2x Airships (may be built as Nuremberg or Kriegsturm)
4x Aerial Destroyers (may be built as either Jaeger or Munich)
4x Pflicht Escorts
2x SRS tokens
Ore War Veteran Squadrons
Gettysburg heavy monitors are showing their age after nearly two decades of war. Electrical problems make their facilities sparse, though the rugged design of these ships along with their lengthy battle honours make their crews extremely loyal to these veteran warships.
This box contains: 2x Ore War Veteran Cruisers (may be built as either Gettysburg, Providence, Saratoga or Sumpter)
4x Springfield Corvettes
4x Escort Tokens
2x Talon SRS Tokens
Crown Aerial Squadrons
Tough and reliable airships, the Prydain has served the Crown for two decades, replacing the Glaisher class war balloons after the debacle during the Rout at Mboto Gorge. Despite their age, the Prydain still prove to be more than a match for the latest aeronautic vessels of the other Great Powers.
This box contains: 2x Prydain War Rotor
2x Tintagel Battle Rotor
4x Saxon Scout Rotor
Immortal Tombs Set
Many worlds across the explored Galaxy have been found to contain structures that have remained unchanged and unravaged for millennia. They are witness to an ancient and powerful civilization that has long been absent.
This box contains: 1 x Obelisk
1 x Pyramid
1 x Temple
1 x Gateway
1 x Walls
1 x Pool
Another month filled with exciting new pre-orders that you will be able to get your hands on soon at your FLGS or at Wayland Games Online. These pre-orders go live on the 24th of February 2023.
What are you the most excited for? Make sure to let us know over on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and stay up to date with all the new releases right here on the Warcradle Studios Blog.
Light month, but after the last 2 bangers, but at least that gives me time to catch up on painting.
I'm happy that the ore war plastics are already coming out though, I need me some helicopter assault ships.
The Empire receive a new Battlefleet to add to their arsenal with the Hachiman Battlefleet Set, a Japanese vessel boasting devastating close-ranged attacks with its Exosubs. Opposing them is the pride of any Crown fleet, the Gloriana Dread-Naught. This mighty warship arrives this month to serve Queen and Country (and do so ruthlessly) in the Gloriana Battlefleet Set.
Additional reinforcements also arrive for the Imperium and Alliance, as the Imperium Aerial Squadrons and the Italian Frontline Squadrons are also due to be released in April.
The unsolved mysteries of the Immortal Tombs resurface again this month as the Individual Terran Kits from the Immortal Tomb Set become available to pre-order separately. How will your wargames utilise this unique ancient yet high-tech landscape?
Due to be released at the end of April 2023.
DYSTOPIAN WARS
For fans of the Japanese nation, the Hachiman Battlefleet Set attempts to close the gap and offers players an excellent flagship for their fleet. Bring glory to the Crown with HMS Gloriana, a Dread-Naught feared across the globe with an equally efficient Battlefleet to back herself up.
Previously seen in the Zeppelin Battlefleet Set and Mars Battlefleet Set, respectively, the Imperium Aerial Squadrons and Italian Frontline Squadrons are an excellent pickup for any Imperium or Alliance player looking to add a little more firepower to their fleet.
Hachiman Battlefleet Set
Squadrons of deadly Rin Exosubs can launch from the Hachiman’s twin magnetic accelerator tubes. These nimble automata skim the surface before plunging beneath the waves, reconfiguring into a torpedo-like form. Devastating the enemy at close range, the Exosubs rocket to the surface in flight mode and return to the Hachiman for redeployment.
This box contains:
1x Hachiman Assault Carrier (may also be built as Akita or Matsumoto Class)
3x Cruisers (may be built as Osaka, Kanagawa, Honshu, Hokkaido, Miyagi, Okinawa, Yamaguchi or Ishikawa Class)
12x Chita Automata
3x Submersibles (may be built as Koromodako, Kensai, Ryujin, Mizuchi, Umibozu or Kagutsuchi Class)
6x Kyoto Frigates
3x Chubu Submarines
3x Sakata Destroyers
3x Rin Exosub Tokens
3x SRS Tokens
Gloriana Battlefleet Set
When HMS Gloriana was launched in 1851, she was an apex predator without rival. Even today, these imposing vessels are able to rout entire battlefleets alone and fear nothing, giving rise to vessels in her image being desired by all the Great Powers, but never exceeded.
This box contains:
1x Gloriana Dread-Naught (may also be built as either a Camelot or Adventurer)
2x Prydain War Rotors
2x Tintagel Battle Rotors
4x Cruisers (may be built as either Albion or Bedivere Class)
8x Caliburn Frigates
4x Saxon Scout Rotors
1x Quickstart Booklet
Imperium Aerial Squadrons
Colloquially referred to as war rockets by the Prussian navy due to their distinctive missile-like shape, the Kriegsturm patrol the skies around the Imperium and beyond. Commonly armed with deadly high-speed Luft Speerschleuders, these weapons are ideal for hunting down submerged targets while its Flak Batteries rip apart aircraft.
Italian Frontline Squadrons
Pride of the Castellammare di Stabia shipyards, the Gladius is a superb vessel. Optimised for long sea voyages with comfortable crew berths and excellent fresh-water reclamation systems, the Gladius is a popular assignment in the Regia Marina.
This box contains:
2x Cruisers (may be built as either Gladius, Spatha, Auxillia or Pilum Class)
4x Cestus Zebeks
4x Escorts
WARCRADLE SCENICS
Following the release of the Immortal Tombs Set last month, the Individual Terrain Kits are now able to be pre-ordered separately. Outfit your tabletop with Pyramids, ancient Walls, Gateways and more and bring the mysteries of the Immortal Tombs to your wargames.
Immortal Tombs Terrain Kits
Many worlds across the explored galaxy have been found to contain structures that have remained unchanged and unravaged for millennia. They are witness to an ancient and powerful civilization that has long been absent.
Strange energy signatures can be found emanating from them, but all attempts to decode or understand them have failed. What secrets do these constructions hide, and what happened to their builders?
The seas are rarely calm for too long in the Dystopian Age, and this month is no exception with many new releases for Dystopian Wars.
Introducing the Cyclone of Shadows Campaign Set, an exciting new addition that fans of narrative play will love. Serving as a campaign supplement for your games of Dystopian Wars, this set contains a hefty offering of narrative materials, expanded encounters, and even the Admiral’s League - our take on Organised Play for Dystopian Wars. This is not one you will want to miss!
No need to deploy the landing gears, the Alexayev Battlefleet Set is here to bring Commonwealth players all the hovercraft they desire contained within the largest Ekranoplan. The excitement about the devastating Alexayev is palpable!
Following the soon-to-be-released Hachiman Battlefleet Set, the Japanese Support Squadrons offer Empire players a way to expand their fleet this month, as well as the Order Exemplar Squadrons offering the same for any Sultanate player.
Due to be released at the end of May 2023.
DYSTOPIAN WARS
Get ready to jump head first into the new Cyclone of Shadows Campaign Set, packed with new encounters, terrain and all you need to host your own Admiral’s League! For Commonwealth fans, the Alexayev Battlefleet Set is equal parts awe-inspiring and devastating on the tabletop, featuring the titular Heavy Transport.
Add additional units to your Empire and Sultanate fleets with the Japanese Support Squadrons and Order Exemplar Squadrons, packed with the ships needed to perfect your force.
Cyclone of Shadows Campaign Set
This massive, 154 page campaign supplement is the biggest update to Dystopian Wars since its launch. The book contains a huge slice of narrative material exploring the Dystopian Age during the events of 1874. It also contains several expansions to the core rules of the game, which can be used separately or can be combined to enhance your Dystopian Wars Encounters.
This box contains: 3x Large Platforms (with multiple build options)
3x Small Platforms (with multiple build options)
6x Islands
3x Minefield Markers
3x Wreck Markers
1x Campaign Book
Alexayev Battlefleet Set
The largest Ekranoplan in the world, the Alexayev is tasked with rapidly deploying small squadrons of hovercraft or even other Ekranoplans to key locations as part of a rapid reaction force. Named after Evgenievich Alexayev, the brilliant engineer who won the Tzar’s wager by proving his proposed design for the Ekranoplan was possible.
This box contains: 1x Alexayev Ekranoplan Heavy Transport
2x Cruisers (may be built as either Khatanga, Morozko or Pravda Class)
2x Ekranoplan (may be built as either Stoletov or Dragunov)
4x SRS Tokens
2x Skycruisers (may be built as either Tunguska, Irkutsk or Saransk Class)
2x Hovercraft (may be built as either Zubr or Giyena Class)
4x Escorts
Japanese Support Squadrons
“The shadows of Japanese submersibles had been spotted on an intercept course. With no sign of any Miyagi or Okinawa nearby and no long range visuals of a Tianlong in the area, the usual aerial support of such a battlefleet, it was just a case of waiting for them to surface and picking them off with supporting fire from their collective storm vanes.”
This box contains: 2x Japanese Submersibles (may be built as either Koromodako, Kensai, Ryujin, Mizuchi, Umibozu or Kagutsuchi Class)
2x Chubu Submarines
2x Sakata Destroyers
2x Rin Exosub Tokens
4x Chita Escort Automata
Order Exemplar Squadrons
“We thought we were safe. There was only one cruiser, reckoned we’d scared the rest of them ‘Sultanas’ off. Good work, job done, back home for tea and biscuits. I remember saying to Jonesy what an easy patrol it was. Then I saw it over his shoulder, like a giant mirror with a glowing frame a little ways off the port bow.”
This box contains: 2x Lesath Exemplar Cruisers
4x Carolus Destroyers
Which of the new releases are you the most excited for? You can pre-ore all these exciting new products at your FLGS or at Wayland Games Online on the 28th of April 2023. Make sure to let us know over on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and stay up to date with all the new releases right here on the Warcradle Studios Blog.
Really excited to see what the first campaign box brings. More gameplay options is always welcome and you pretty much get the models in there that are used during the new competitive play encounters.
Look up to the skies as an aerial unit like no other hovers above the sea, its vast shadow a portent of the carnage to come. The Enlightened are no strangers to weird science, but the Thule Battlefleet Set takes their scientific prowess to a new level! The Italian forces of the Alliance launch an offensive of their own as the Minerva sends Strike Fighters to hit hard and fast.
The whirring of Skydrills can also be heard this month as the Commonwealth Advanced Squadrons bring a whole range of Commonwealth units now available in their separate box. Also available to pre-order separately this month is the Sturginium Platforms & Objectives Set, allowing you to introduce the platforms found in Cyclone of Shadows, Beyond The Sturginium Skies and Beyond The Hunt for the Prometheus to your tabletop.
Sinister circumstances have led you down an unfortunate path as the eldritch town of Myskham invites you in. Take some time, stay a while, but don’t dig deeper than you have to, as the new Warcradle Scenics Myskham Town Set offers an excellent setting for any eerie wargaming scenario where it feels like every dark corner is staring back at you.
Due to be released at the end of June 2023.
DYSTOPIAN WARS
Try not to stare too long at the latest marvel of Enlightened engineering, the Thule Sky Fortress, as it charges up an attack to decimate all those transfixed by its physics-defying hovering. As well as the Thule Battlefleet Set, the Minerva Battlefleet Set is here to bombard any opposing force with a volley of Strike Fighters in the name of the Alliance.
Prepare to add Skydrills and Hovercraft to your Commonwealth fleets with the Commonwealth Advanced Squadrons, offering major offensive capabilities. The Sturginium Platforms & Objectives Set will be a great pickup for any Dystopian Wars player, offering components from Cyclone of Shadows and the Beyond sets for the first time outside of a bigger box.
Thule Battlefleet Set
“I’ve never seen anything like it. How can something so massive just hang in the air? Sure, we've got airships but at least they follow the laws of nature.”
This box contains:
1x Thule Sky-Fortress
1x Adamski Strike Saucer (may also be built as Haunebu or Valtar Class)
6x Euclid Scout Saucer (may also be built as Pytheus Class)
6x SRS Tokens
Minerva Battlefleet Set
It was a small unnamed island, part of an unremarkable chain. Uninhabited. If there were anyone there they would have been treated to a glorious site. A formation of Malinois Strike Fighters soared above the battlefleet, pilots seeing far into the distance thanks to their elevated position.
The triangular craft were only visible as specs by the crewmen below and would have gone unnoticed to the wildlife of the island. Even the men of the fleet who did see made no mention of it as they were far too busy preparing for the oncoming violence.
This box contains:
1x Minerva Assault Carrier
3x Scorpio Artillery Cruisers (may also be built as Vulcan or Jupiter Class)
3x Gladius Strike Cruisers (may also be built as Spatha, Auxillia or Pilum Class)
6x Cestus Zebeks
6x Pugio Destroyers
3x Sagitta hunter Submarines
3x SRS Tokens
Commonwealth Advanced Squadrons
Commonwealth engineering is often a case of forcing something to work, whether it wants to or not. This is surely the case with the Irkutsk Skydrill. While checks and balances of the laws of physics must be adhered to, it doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to work around them.
This box contains:
2x Irkutsk Skydrills (may also be built as Saransk or Tunguska Class)
2x Giyena Shockwave Hovercraft (may also be built as Zubr Class)
4x Escort Tokens
Sturginium Platforms & Objectives Set
Isolated in the vast ocean, the platform stood in defiance of nature. A symbol of humanity’s conquest of the globe in the Dystopian Age. It was quiet now. A fire that had previously run out of control had been put out by a recent storm. All hands abandoned the place during the conflict that had caused the blaze, the only inhabitants now were some errant seabirds pausing their migration.
This box contains:
2x Large set of Platforms (with multiple build options)
2x Small set of Platforms (with multiple build options)
2x Wreck Markers
2x Mine Markers
WARCRADLE SCENICS
A dense fog clears in an instant and in the distance a mysterious town can be seen, offering refuge to passersby - but there’s more to Myskham than meets the eye. Introducing a brand new terrain set from Warcradle Scenics, perfect for your eldritch investigations and wargames like Mythos.
Myskham Town Set
The air in ‘The Elder Sign’ was thick with whispers. Furtive looks were exchanged between the regular patrons and the clinking of glasses punctuated the suspicious murmuring. Roger Prendergast wondered why the locals, all of whom shared what he called that “Myskham look”, frequented this particular establishment, then he realised that there was nowhere else to drink in this part of town.
This box contains:
1x Myskham Automobile
1x Myskham Firestation
1x Myskham Subway Station
1x Myskham Town House
1x Myskham The Elder Sign
1x Myskham Urban Scatter
Which of the new releases are you the most excited for? You can pre-order all these exciting new products at your FLGS or at Wayland Games Online on the 26th of May 2023.
Make sure to let us know over on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and stay up to date with all the new releases right here on the Warcradle Studios Blog.
I'm absolutely loving that flying fortress from the Chinese.
And the Skytanic there is indeed a thing of beauty. People on Discord who were there said the people from Warcradle mentioned that ship would be a civilian asset that will be used during new mission in the new 2-player starter set (coming around November this year).
A monumental shadow is cast across the turbulent seas of Dystopian Wars this month as the Empire showcases the latest fortification in their aerial force with the awe-inspiring Zhanmadao Battlefleet Set. With towering walls and intricate architecture, this imposing castle in the sky is far from the worst sight to see before your inevitable demise.
With the Minerva launching its maiden voyage last month, the Italians continue to support their advances with the deployment of the Italian Support Squadrons this month. Reportings of weird sightings have continued as the Enlightened Aerial Squadrons fly close behind the Thule, ready to blast any helpless vessel out of the water.
The dense fog of Myskham lingers throughout the town once more, the lessened visibility making each building feel completely isolated as the Myskham Town Set becomes available in individual terrain kits.
Due to be released at the end of July 2023.
DYSTOPIAN WARS
As if it’s very foundations were planted in the clouds, the Zhanmadao emerges from the sky this month as an exciting release for any Empire player. Sturdy yet ornate, this Empire Sky Fortress is not one to miss.
The Latin Alliance and Enlightened both see more reinforcements released for them with the Italian Support Squadrons and Enlightened Aerial Squadrons, respectively. With units featured in the soon to be releases Minerva and Thule Battlefleet Sets, give your fleet that extra firepower.
Zhanmadao Battlefleet Set
Kai Chen had joined the navy to escape his rural life, see the world and do his part for the Celestian Empire. He’d heard about the Zhanmadao in training camps but even after learning about their use as a central command unit for a battlefleet and seeing diagrams, he was still awestruck when he finally saw a ‘castle in the clouds’ for the first time
At that moment Kai Chen knew he had made the right decision to join the navy and would make it the rest of his life’s work to be posted aboard a Zhanmadao. This was an example of the Empire’s glory and no one could stand against it.
This box contains: 1x Zhanmadao Sky Fortress 2x Ziwei Sky Bastions (may also be built as Qianshao Class) 6x SRS Tokens
Italian Support Squadrons
“While our discoveries of Sturginium and its uses has ushered in a time of scientific marvels, unrecognisable to those of previous generations, there has also been a recent resurgence of older designs but with vastly more powerful results.”
This box contains: 2x Scorpio Artillery Cruiser (may also be built as Jupiter or Vulcan Class) 2x Sagitta Hunter Submarines 4x Pugio Destroyers 2x SRS Tokens
Enlightened Aerial Squadrons
James Spigot reeled across the deck, feeling that what he saw wouldn’t be out of place in a penny dreadful. Strange saucer shapes soared through the sky, unleashing beams of light that carved through the Crown frigates like a hot knife through butter.
This box contains: 1x Adamski Strike Saucer (may also be built as Haunebu or Valtar Class) 2x Euclid Scout Saucers (may also be built as Pytheus Class) 2x SRS Tokens
WARCRADLE SCENICS
Travelling down the silent roads of Myskham, it was as if the small town itself grew with every step, as if it didn’t want anyone to leave. Expand your town of Myskham this month as the Town Set becomes available to pre-order as individual terrain kits for your tabletop.
Myskham Firestation
Myskham has a tendency for dampness and so the chances of an inferno raging through the town are slim. Still, a fire station is a part of any good city's infrastructure. Most are well kept and staffed with volunteers eager to do their part, even if that part is mostly waiting around, playing cards to pass the time.
This box contains: 1x Myskham Firestation
Myskham The Elder Sign
The Elder Sign, while not an imposing site, is certainly a local place for local people. Roger Prendergast was feeling more uncomfortable by the minute. Not that he could see the passing of time from the broken clock on the wall.
This box contains: 1x Myskham The Elder Sign
Myskham Subway Station
Most parts of Myskham were connected to the subway system and of those most were perfectly fine to use. Folks living their daily lives, commuting to work, without anything untoward bothering them. There was one station however, on the outskirts of town, that lay unused.
This box contains: 1x Myskham Subway Station
Myskham Town House
Rows upon rows of terraces criss-cross this part of Myskham. While the boom of industry was strong, town planners thought they could set themselves up for a massive profit by luring workers to this part of town with affordable housing.
They may have put profits ahead of building quality and size but surely they could make a fortune once the houses were full of young families looking for a place to stay. Unfortunately for their profit margins, those already living in the location, as well as the foul smelling fish canning factories that they were to provide workers to, scared their potential workforce off.
This box contains: 1x Myskham Town House
Myskham Urban Scatter
A small, bug-eyed child kicked a can past the Grapevine newsstand. Old magazines whipped around his legs in the cold breeze. String-tied packages of newspapers lay mouldering on the sidewalk.
Folks around here didn’t think much of the city boys and their fake news. They spread information by talking. The gossip among these inhabitants of Myskham spread from house to house faster than a truck could deliver a paper. Those with a suspicious mind might think it was a little too fast to travel, almost as if there was something unnatural going on. Of course, that was impossible. Wasn’t it?
This box contains: 1x Myskham Urban Scatter
Myskham Automobile
While not everyone in Myskham has an automobile, they are quickly becoming commonplace. Even the less savoury parts of the city have got their fair share of vehicles. If you were to ask the locals, few would admit to owning one though.
This box contains: 2x Myskham Automobiles
Which of the new releases are you the most excited for? You can pre-order all these exciting new products at your FLGS or at Wayland Games Online on the 30th of June 2023.
Make sure to let us know over on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and stay up to date with all the new releases right here on the Warcradle Studios Blog.
An eclectic mix of pre-orders are coming your way this month, including a new Battlefleet and Squadrons Box for Dystopian Wars and a new range of Warcradle Scenics.
Eager to prove their restored might and ensure they are never downtrodden again, the Union launch a fervorous fight for their Independence once more with the Independence Battlefleet Set. The possibility of defeat is unacceptable and will not be entertained.
Setting a course across the seas of Dystopian Wars this month is the Empire Sky Bastion Squadrons, previously seen in the Zhanmadao Battlefleet Set. Empire players would be wise to employ these aerial units to complement their fleets.
Introducing Normandy Farm, the latest Warcradle Scenics set that depicts a wartorn farm. A last bastion for soldiers to hold the fort and fight off any oncoming assault it is perfect for historical wargames like Bolt Action, adding an element of realism and detail to your tabletop.
Due to be released at the end of August 2023.
Independence Battlefleet Set
“In short, after experiencing what this former colony has been attempting recently, it would seem that they are taking their so-called ‘Manifest Destiny’ very seriously. I have observed their Farpoint Platforms in action along with the battlecruiser sized Frontier Class vessels. The Union of Federated States can now create a surprisingly defendable location in a matter of days, if not hours.”
This box contains:
1x Independence Battlecruiser (may instead be built as Liberty, America or Frontier Class)
1x John Henry Vitruvian Colossus
2x Akron Sentry Rotors
1x Cheyanne Hunter Submarine
1x Union Farpoint Sentry Platform
1x Valiant Fast Destroyer
1x Gettysburg Heavy Monitor
2x Springfield Corvettes
2x Escort Tokens
1x Yorktown Cruiser (may also be built as Lexington, Intrepid or Reliant Class)
2x Farragut Frigates
1x Roanoke Strike Carrier (may also be built as either Montgomery, Washington, Discovery or California Class)
2x RC-52 Patriot Automata
2x Talon SRS Tokens
1x SRS Token
Empire Sky Bastion Squadrons
The truth of it was mundane. It had to be. It existed in the world so it could be explained with material engineering and Newtonian physics. Despite that, Kai Chen couldn’t help but look upon the site with wonder. His first aerial posting was aboard the Ziwei Sky Bastion, ‘Abundant Peace’. This was the first time since leaving the mainland that he’d had the chance of a quiet moment for himself and so he stood, gazing out at the open ocean. Shafts of sunlight pierced the clouds and danced across the glassy sea.
This box contains:
2x Ziwei Sky Bastions (may also be built as Qianshao Class)
2x SRS Tokens (B)
Normandy Farm Set
D Company took the abandoned farm without much trouble. A rare time of quiet had them brewing up in the cottage, still standing after the battle. Watches were posted but now it was a time to check webbing, tend to the wounded and catch a breather. Despite the recent fighting the old farm was almost peaceful now. Apart from the Tommies joking around to relieve the stresses of the last few days.
This box contains:
1x Normandy Cottage
1x Normandy Barn (can be built as a Damaged variant)
1x Normandy Windmill
1x Normandy Walls (can be built as a Damaged variant)
1x Normandy Farmyard Scatter
1x Normandy Workshop
1x Normandy Checkpoint
You can pre-order all these exciting new products at your FLGS or at Wayland Games online on the 28th of July 2023.
September sees the introduction of two new powerful Battlefleets and a Squadron box to Dystopian Wars, spanning across the globe and even including a new nation.
The Sultanate’s ever-growing reach is unstoppable, with no terrain proving too difficult to traverse. The deserts and oceans of the Dystopian Age pose no threat to their advancements as the Abydos Battlefleet Set proves the might of Egyptian hovercraft!
Horns of war can be heard in the distance as the Scandinavians launch an offensive. First into the fray and arriving on the tabletop soon is the Scions of Jutland Battlefleet Set, striking fear into the hearts of all those unlucky enough to see an Einherjar emerge in front of their bow.
The clash of the colossi continues as the Union Vanguard Squadrons provide Union players with key elements from the Independence Battlefleet Set, such as the John Henry Vitruvian Colossi.
Due to be released at the end of September 2023.
DYSTOPIAN WARS
September is a busy month for the seas of Dystopian Wars with the introduction of two new battlefleet sets, the Abydos and Scions of Jutland.
Additional reinforcements arrive as the Union Vanguard Squadrons aim to solidify the Union’s return to form as one of the leading powers of the Dystopian Age.
Abydos Battlefleet Set
The Egyptians have designed their vessels to float upon cushions of air, equally adept at gliding across the endless deserts as well as the open ocean. A prime example is the Abydos Hover Stronghold, numerous gun batteries can be brought to bear while repair crews wait, ready at a moment’s notice to perform remarkable feats of field engineering.
This box contains: 1x Abydos (may also be built as Tanis or Pharos Class)
4x Mandjet (may also be built as Sabah, Sobek or Mesektet Class)
4x Hashashin (may also be built as Kopesh Class)
4x Scarab SRS
Scions of Jutland Battlefleet Set
Any port was understandably scared when they saw the vessels of the enemy on the horizon, defences were manned and military forces were on alert. If the ships sighted were bearing the markings of the Scions of Jutland, it was an altogether more desperate affair. Often a battlefleet will be led by a Valhalla Fast Dreadnought, its paired Sturmbringers and fore-mounted heavy volt gun batteries providing a devastating punch before eager marines perform a decisive boarding action.
This box contains:
1x Valhalla Fast Dreadnought (may also be built as SMS Skjalden or Asgard Class)
2x Thor Assault Raider (may also be built as Loki, Angrboda, Heimdall, Baldr or Gefjon Class)
2x Odin Reaver (may also be built as Jotuun or Gungnir Class)
4x Fenrir Hunter Submarine
2x Valkyrie Hunt Rotor
4x Escort Token
2x Vali SRS Token
4x Hoth Heavy Corvette
2x Einherjar Vitruvian Colossus
Union Vanguard Squadrons
Only moments ago the Alliance patrol was chugging peacefully along. Now there was only chaos and violence. The patrol was making routine rounds 205 Nautical miles from the Bay of Oiapoque that marked the border with SUSA and the Union of Federated States. Merely two days ago this stretch of sea was devoid of any points of interest. Now there was a Farpoint Sentry Platform.
This box contains: 2x John Henry Vitruvian Colossus
2x Akron Sentry Rotors
2x Cheyanne Hunter Submarine
2x Union Farpoint Sentry Platform
2x Talon SRS Tokens
2x Valiant Fast Destroyer
You can pre-order all these exciting new products at your FLGS or at Wayland Games online on the 25th of August 2023.
Stay up to date with the latest news and releases on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and here on the Warcradle Studios Blog
Is that paddle wheel submarine? That's some quality madness right there!
Maybe they are for surface level movement only, and there is some jet propulsion on top for submarine travel? I guess it is more to keep the visual style of the faction consistent, common sense be damned.
Newcomers and veterans of Dystopian Wars rejoice! We’ve recently been dropping a few hints about our upcoming pre-orders, but it’s finally time to announce what you can expect to see this October.
Fortune and Glory! This brand new two player starter set for Dystopian Wars sees the brilliant minds of the Sultanate and Union engage in aerial combat. This set offers players two mercenary fleets that work great out of the box but are especially useful to hire as support for any of your pre-existing fleets from all eight factions.
Also available to pre-order this month is the brand new Icebergs and Glaciers Set, offering a great way to represent those cold climate encounters in style. Paired with the Islands and Archipelagos and Sturginium Platforms, you can make sure you’re prepared for any engagement. You can also pre-order the Scandinavian Support Squadrons this month to add to your Imperium fleet, a perfect addition to the recently released Scions of Jutland Battlefleet Set!
Fortify the walls, and hunker down as the Normandy Farm Set becomes available to pre-order as individual terrain kits. Customise your historical tables with Barns, Cottages, Scatter and more.
Due to be released at the end of October 2023.
DYSTOPIAN WARS
Fortune and Glory brings a perfect way for new players to jump into Dystopian Wars: two powerful fleets, rules, dice, cards and all you need to take your first steps into the game. These two mercenary fleets allow you to expand your force into any faction that grabs your attention, offering an impressively versatile first experience.
Add additional terrain to your games of Dystopian Wars with the new Icebergs and Glaciers set, containing enough terrain pieces to deck out your tabletop with an icy-cold appearance. Whether you customise them and create impressive story-telling terrain or deploy them as they are, your sea battles will look great.
Following the announcement of the Scions of Jutland Battlefleet Set last month, the Scandinavian Support Squadrons are available to pre-order this month, featuring additional firepower for Imperium fleets.
Fortune and Glory Two Player Starter Set
The Great Powers vie for control of the world’s trade routes, unleashing mercenary forces to disrupt shipping and sow chaos and confusion to destabilise their rivals. Two of the most notable of these privateers are The Crimson League and The Honorable Eclipse Company.
This box contains: Union
1x Excelsior Class Heavy Aircruiser. (May also be built as Venture or Custodian Class)
3x Steward Class Sentry Airships. (May also be built as Constellation, Republic, Ticonderoga or Ranger Class)
5x Bogota Class Carryall
5x Union SRS Tokens
Sultanate
1x Lyceum Aerial Dreadnought
3x Nasr Class Skyship. (May also be built as Awsbiri or Muharib Class)
3x Hirka Class Skycutter
3x Alsaqr Class Skybarque
3x Sultanate SRS Tokens
2x Titan Class Heavy Conveyer. (May be built as Passenger, Freight or Oil Variants)
2x Merchant Ships
2x Escort
2x Small Ship Tokens
2x Ground Assault Detachment Tokens
Icebergs and Glaciers Set
Able Seaman Peter Harris had been on watch for the last three hours. He was sure he was becoming snowblind. Gazing out at the expanse of whiteness, he wasn’t really sure what he was looking for. “Signs of the enemy” was the order but how could he tell, trapped in this seemingly endless ice flow?
This box contains: 8x Icebergs
Scandinavian Support Squadrons
Commonwealth propaganda states that the Barents Sea is perfectly safe, thanks to its proximity to the sheltered docks of the White Sea from which defensive patrols regularly launch. In truth, however, it is far from tranquil. Raiders from the Scandinavian portion of the Imperium, not to mention the Scions of Jutland, frequently ambush the numerous fishing vessels and exploratory platforms. Loki Shadow Raiders make excellent use of their Ivaldi Shroud Generators to make surprise attacks and then fade away once they have crippled their target.
This box contains: 2x Thor Assault Raider (may also be built as Loki, Angrboda, Heimdall, Baldr or Gefjon Class)
4x Fenrir Hunter Submarine
2x Valkyrie Hunt Rotor
2x Vali SRS Token
WARCRADLE SCENICS
Raise a Barn or several this month as the Normandy Farm Set becomes available as separate terrain kits. Customise your farm how you see fit, ready for the ensuing battle to commence.
Normandy Farm - Cottage
Until recently this cottage had only been host to hushed talk and sombre thoughts. Now it was host to laughter again. The fire burned a little warmer and the soup seemed to taste a little better.
This box contains: 1x Normandy Farm - Cottage
Normandy Farm - Barn
The barn echoed with the chatter of soldiers, glad for the chance of rest after the fighting of the last few weeks. In more peaceful times, not one of them would have relished the thought of sleeping in a barn but now, it was luxury.
This box contains: 1x Normandy Farm - Barn
Normandy Farm - Windmill
Private Reggie Wainwright used the windmill as a lookout tower, noting the plumes of smoke in the distance, no doubt the burning remains of enemy tanks. He mused that he would have to return here when the war was finally over, in peacetime, this land would be quite beautiful.
This box contains: 1x Normandy Farm - Windmill
Normandy Farm - Walls
These walls had stood for generations thanks to the odd repair from the owners of the farm. Now they were damaged more than they had ever been. While they may never be restored to their former glory, they would still be strong enough to keep the cows secure come milking time.
This box contains: 1x Normandy Farm - Walls
Normandy Farm - Farmyard Scatter
The tractor chugged back to life once the fuel had been syphoned from the tank. It spluttered from lack of use but it was soon put to work pulling the truck out of the ditch it had been unceremoniously dumped in months ago. If only everything was so quickly returned to normal.
This box contains: 1x Normandy Farm - Farmyard Scatter
Normandy Farm - Workshop
Farmhands finally had the chance to get back to work now the fighting had died down. The first job was checking the workshop for any damaged machine parts, then to check nothing had been pilfered. Only then could they get on with making repairs across the rest of the farm and by the look of it, it would be a long day.
This box contains: 1x Normandy Farm - Workshop
Normandy Farm - Checkpoint
The checkpoint was unmanned now. C Company had chased the last patrol away and they’d made no effort to return. What was once a local symbol of oppression felt now diminished. The shed that once kept soldiers dry held potatoes, a makeshift honesty box for passersby.
This box contains: 1x Normandy Farm - Checkpoint
You can pre-order all these exciting new products at your FLGS or at Wayland Games online on the 29th of September 2023.
Stay up to date with the latest news and releases on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and right here on the Warcradle Studios Blog.
The new starter set is amazing value and it's going to be sooo good for starting the game as both sides can be used as mercenaries, so you can simply field them together as your starting fleet, and still use them later no matter which faction you branch into.
Of course the usual splitting the box with a friend or trading halves to get double of one side are also still completely valid options.
Personally I think I want 3 Union and 2 Sultanate halves.
Following last month’s massive pre-order announcement, the Alliance have made sure not to disappoint with an iconic miniature for the French making an appearance in Dystopian Wars.
With the excitement of a new Two Player Starter Set releasing very soon, another hotly anticipated release is ready to stand tall in the face of its foes. That’s right, La Dame Liberte can be mounted on a Couronne-class Fleet Carrier in the Couronne Battlefleet Set. This offers Alliance players a new take on this legendary landmark’s venerated visage.
Elsewhere, the ingenuity of the Imperium is on full display this month as a new battlecarrier arrives in the Falkenstein Battlefleet Set. Taking advantage of all the positive characteristics of past designs, the ships of the Falkenstein Battlefleet Set are truly amongst the Imperium’s finest.
Also available to pre-order this month is the Egyptian Frontline Squadrons, ready to fortify any Egyptian force, such as the recently released Abydos Battlefleet Set.
Due to be released at the end of November 2023.
DYSTOPIAN WARS
Two new Battlefleet Sets are making quite the splash this month as the Couronne and Falkenstein both offer a new twist on Iconic miniatures that are sure to blow any opposing vessel out of the water.
The Egyptian Frontline Squadrons box is here to provide Sultanate players with additional hovercraft to skim effortlessly to victory.
Couronne Battlefleet Set
“The Couronne Grand Carrier is a masterpiece of form entwined with function. Girders and domes more at home in Parisian architecture than on machines of war are accentuated by extravagant filigree to the fore.“
This box contains: 1x Couronne Grand Carrier (may also built as La Dame Liberte)
2x Chasseur (may also built as Furieux or Voliere Class)
2x Chevalier Cruiser (may also built as Charlemagne, Loire or Picardy Class)
2x Epaulard Artillery Submarine (may also built as Sirene Class)
4x Ecuyere Frigate
2x SRS Token
Falkenstein Battlefleet Set
The Imperium's focus on modular naval vessels is apparent in the Falkenstein Battlecarrier. By making use of the same integrated components and mechanisms of the Elector, Blucher and Konrad classes, the Falkenstein features many of the best traits of these vessels.
This box contains: 1x Falkenstein Battlecarrier
1x Volsung Class Cruiser
2x Sigimer Class Destroyers (May also be built as Toten Class)
1x Blucher Cruiser (May also be built as Augustus or Schaumburg Class)
2x Arminius Frigates
Egyptian Frontline Squadrons
The Shams Rahima skimmed across the coastal waters at full speed unworried about the sandbars that plagued this particular stretch. The Sobek class vessel was flanked by a pair of Kopesh Fast skimmers, ready to change formation at a moment's notice. This was supposed to be a routine patrol but the crews knew that the events of the last few months had been far from routine. Piracy was on the up, even if it had been performed mostly under the label of privateering.
This box contains: 2x Mandjet Heavy Skimmer (may also be built as Sabah, Sobek or Mesektet Class)
2x Hashashin Destroyer Skimmer (may also be built as Kopesh Class)
2x Scarab SRS Token
You can pre-order all these exciting new products at your FLGS or online at Wayland Games on the 27th of October 2023.
Stay up to date with the latest news and releases on our Facebook, Instagram and X and right here on the Warcradle Studios Blog.
Dude you cannot promise me Lady Liberty mounted on an aircraft carrier firing heat rays from her torch and then fail to deliver Lady Liberty mounted on an aircraft carrier firing heat rays from her torch.
Honestly it's better than the first take where Lady Liberty was mounted on two blimps and shot heat rays from her torch, but I think the half Lady Liberty torso and half Eifel Tower just doesn't work. If you're going for madness you need to embrace it full on. A full sided Lady Liberty firing heat rays from her torch.
Kid_Kyoto wrote: Dude you cannot promise me Lady Liberty mounted on an aircraft carrier firing heat rays from her torch and then fail to deliver Lady Liberty mounted on an aircraft carrier firing heat rays from her torch.
Honestly it's better than the first take where Lady Liberty was mounted on two blimps and shot heat rays from her torch, but I think the half Lady Liberty torso and half Eifel Tower just doesn't work. If you're going for madness you need to embrace it full on. A full sided Lady Liberty firing heat rays from her torch.
Lady Liberty should just be the whole ship itself, like Spaceball One, flying through the air posed like wonder woman with her arm extended straight out in front of her firing heat rays from her torch.
Honestly done well I'll be very very excited for Dystopian Armored clash. I'm hoping it's more epic scale and not as small as it used to be where there was NO infantry. But I'll collect it like I do DW because the ruleset will likely be fun and the models cool.
The last official news was it would be 10mm scale and very purposefully set in the interior of Africa.
It was a double move to basically fully separate it from the ship and airship game to allow tanks, infantry and such to be their own thing without being constantly overshadowed by sea based units.
It got a cool reception when WC announced this plan years ago and everyone still had their fresh land units and mobile airfields and such. I think one thing the long gap has done is dilute that feeling and people are now more willing to accept it returning in 10mm even if it means it being a separate game to the sea one.
So there's good and badsides too it; but as time passes the bad are mostly "old guard" elements as supplies of those old models dwindle and such. Plus I think once its out it should establish itself well and should let the WC staff do some really unique and creative land units that aren't overshadowed by ships
Pretty sure it's just because GW used ketchup and mustard is often viewed as an alternative diametrically opposed condiment (yes, many people use both, but some insist on mustard over ketchup, such as with hot dogs, while others argue the opposite).
Could also just be that it's the next most common and recognizable condiment.
Well this has my attention. I have some stuff for the old Dystopian Wars ground game, but it was never well integrated and balance between theatres was wonky.
A proper 10mm game where you can have infantry that isn't just flat tokens will help sell the scale better. Should be easier to get the group in to this than Epic as they're already invested in the fleet side. Can't wait to see how they translate things to the new scale.
I'm very excited for this, but man do I wish it was a revived Firestorm Planetfall instead, or Firestorm Armada for that matter.
With no Gothic revival on the horizon that could carve out its own space in a market, where-as Armored Clash, Epic Warpath, and Legion Imperialis will be directly competing for every set of eyes.
NewTruthNeomaxim wrote: I'm very excited for this, but man do I wish it was a revived Firestorm Planetfall instead, or Firestorm Armada for that matter.
With no Gothic revival on the horizon that could carve out its own space in a market, where-as Armored Clash, Epic Warpath, and Legion Imperialis will be directly competing for every set of eyes.
Yeah I'd have loved to have seen Firestorm back! Esp as Dropfleet just isn't taking off as it should (seriously they've had 5 years of the market totally to themselves save for Starwars).
I think WC are just being cautious and honestly its not a bad move to go from Sea to Land with factions and styles that people are already attached too. It should hopefully mean that they can grow the land game as quickly as Dystopian Wars and that both together selling well might well generate more income for WC. The more income; the more machines and investment they can make which might well mean that when FA gets its turn to return; it can do so even better and faster. Heck already we've seen WC evolve their sprue design for Dystopian Wars quite a lot so FA should be able to launch with some REALLY awesome plastic model work (and resin of course!)
Is the mustard a reference to mustard gas/WWI or am I reading too much in?
Mustard is a UK slang word for excellent, they are basically saying "GW cant cut the mustard" implying they are no good and their Armoured Clash is far better and superior than Imperial Legions.
I always liked the idea of the combined arms of land, sea, and air that D-wars had.
Unfortunately it resulted in your land and sea forces each being stuck on half a table.
Another issue is that ships were predominantly very powerful which meant that smaller tanks and infantry had a hard time keeping up. Of course this balanced out with mega-land-ships and such. However I think the point was good that the sea ships could dominate the game - the point about having enough space to play is also very valid.
I did love the whole combined arms side of the game and its a shame that the air units will not cross over to the land game; however I think that WC can do well. If anything the 5-6 years since Spartan closed down has likely helped WC being able to go their own direction with the land game because enough time has passed that people aren't quite as strongly attached to their armies and are more willing to invest into a new game with the same theme. I recall there was a lot of cold/cool reception to the early news because everyone had their landships and such; or they really wanted them and couldn't get them because Spartan had just shutdown pretty much overnight.
That's the entire point of splitting DWars into sea and land game.
Let the ships be the focus of their game (with decently sized models) while the tanks/infantry get to shine in their own game (with decent sized models).
The one thing to avoid now is to simply make AC play exactly like DW, but set on land... It will need to be diverse enough, barring a few mechanics.
Ι was a bit disappointed that you can't combine both Dystopian Wars and Armored Clash but i get why they did it. A combined campaign system though would rock.
Personally I am very happy that we get to explore the setting in a different scale, for example we will get to see individual craft from SRS tokens as 1-2" models, surely you always wanted to count the rivets on a Frelon Heavy Bomber?
Yeah, I'm a big fan of the different scales. I'm pretty excited for Armored Clash. I thought I was gonna be pumped for LI but this coming hot on it's heels and honestly probably just a more fun game has me more excited.
The East India Trading Company make their first appearance in Dystopian Wars, fulfilling their contract to support the Crown’s presence in the Pacific with the Ganges Battlefleet Set.
Following the release of the latest Dystopian Wars Two Player Starter Set, Fortune and Glory, the Beyond Fortune and Glory set offers each side the perfect addition to their mercenary fleets to take their campaign to the next level. The Sultanate and Imperium also launch new reinforcements in the form of the Order Colossus Squadrons and Maximilian Aerial Linebreaker, respectively.
In case you missed it, we recently announced the Dystopian Industrial Set, our 10mm terrain set that’s ideal for any epic scale game like Armoured Clash or Legions Imperialis. This set is available to pre-order now and will be released alongside the rest of January's releases.
These are due to be released at the end of January 2024.
DYSTOPIAN WARS
The seas and skies of the Dystopian Age are packed with a plethora of new pre-orders this month, including the introduction of Indian ships in the Ganges Battlefleet Set, additions to the mercenary fleets of the most recent starter set with Beyond Fortune and Glory, and even more aerial units with the Order Colossus Squadrons and Maximilian Aerial Linebreaker.
Ganges Battlefleet Set
Thanks in part to the East India Trading Company, the influence of The Crown spread across much of the globe. As such, they must defend their holdings with all they have to prevent their colonies from being blockaded or worse. This has led to a contract with the House of Scindia of the Gwalior Princely State for locally constructed and specialised craft being incorporated into the Crown’s Indian and Pacific Ocean Fleets, as well as the EITC.
The Ganges Battle Cruiser and Devaki Littoral Monitor, in particular, became much relied on as exemplary vessels, well suited to coastal action. A shallow draft and a pared-back design, reminiscent of an earlier age of Crown industry, might give the mistaken impression that these are not up to the task of warfare in the Dystopian Age.
This box contains:
1x Ganges Battlecruiser (may also be built as Palashi Class)
2x Nagaraja Tactical Cruiser (may also be built as Indus, Godavari, Devaki or Chanura Class)
2x Platform
2x Landing Token
Beyond Fortune and Glory
It was thought that what began as a skirmish between two mercenary companies would end with both parties leaving with a bloody nose and no more said of the matter. This turned out to be far from the truth. With their future hiring power in jeopardy, neither of the forces could surrender the fight without losing face. The Crimson League and Honorable Eclipse Company were now locked in battle, both needing to secure their future contracts and, consequently, the future of their very existence.
This box contains: 2x John Henry Vitruvian Colossus
2x Akron Sentry Rotor
2x Cheyenne Hunter Submarine
2x Farpoint Sentry Platform
1x Large Platform
1x Small Platform
2x Iskandar Cruiser (may also be built as Sadrazam, Pasha or Izmir Class)
2x Temir Frigate
1x Rule Book
20x Action Dice
6x Critical Dice
1x DA Token Sheet
Order Colossus Squadrons
Ammo stores cracked, and crewmen screamed aboard the USS Cranston. Fires surged hungrily across the deck of the Boston Class frigate while it listed to its starboard side. Lieutenant Junior Grade Ryan knew he and the rest of his crew were doomed; it was only a matter of time before the fires reached the fuel tanks, and they would be consumed in flame. Part of his mind prayed for a swift death, but the colossal steel form in front of him hypnotised the rest. It acted less like the comparatively crude and clumsy John Henry attached to the fleet and more like a dancer he had once seen in New York.
This box contains: 2x Chaska Vitruvian Colossus (may also be built as Qualor Class)
Maximilian Aerial Linebreaker
In the distance, what appeared to be an Imperium zeppelin floated towards the Khan Heavy Platform “Khüchirkheg Tsaiz”. Tiny imperfections, like dust motes on the horizon, showed it wasn’t alone. The crew had been warned that an attack was incoming but were prepared; they knew that the Imperium fleet was stretched across the multiple platforms that held this part of the Barents Sea. These men had defended their post before and would do so again.
This box contains: 1x Maximilian Aerial Linebreaker
WARCRADLE SCENICS
As we recently revealed, the Dystopian Industrial Set is available to pre-order now and will be released in January. This entirely modular terrain set is ideal for any epic scale wargame, allowing you to take your battles of Armoured Clash or Legions Imperialis to the industrial district.
Dystopian Industrial Set
Another war, another battlefield. An orchestra of conflict rang through the air. The bass rhythm of artillery supported the constant screech of tank tracks crunching through the wreckage. A percussive rattle of small arms fire kept time. None of which could entirely drown out the cacophonous choir of wounded screams.
You can pre-order the Dystopian Industrial Set now, with the rest of the exciting January releases available to pre-order at your FLGS or online at Wayland Games from the 29th of December 2023.
Stay up to date with the latest news and releases on our Facebook, Instagram and X.
New releases are up. The sub for the Enlightened looks awesome! The Indian stuff still don't excite me. I think they should have pushed the design more.
I think they got just the right amount of submarine above water to really convey that domed front!
I think the Indian Fleet is a little plain because they do follow the Crown ship design very closely. A bit like the Canadian fleet, the Crown and its allies use very similar hulls and structures.
It might be that the Indian will stand out more when they get to exotic models; like a lot of WC releases they start with the plastics and the core ships, which are great designs, but can sometimes be on the plain side compared to the wild stuff!
The Crimson League and Eclipse Company getting sets of their own are good solid sets and its nice to see them out so close to the duel set they released not overly long ago.
As February draws near, the seas of Dystopian Wars have gone silent. What could be lurking below?
This month an invisible threat surfaces as the Enlightened take to unfathomable depths to launch an offensive with the Chione Battlefleet Set.
Eager to aid any conflict where their presence commands a high price, the Honourable Eclipse Company and Crimson League launch their own individual Battlefleet Sets outside of Fortune and Glory. Further reinforcements are deployed this month as the Indian Raj Frontline Squadrons bolster India’s entrance into Dystopian Wars with the Ganges Battlefleet Set.
These are due to be released at the end of February 2024.
DYSTOPIAN WARS
This month, the water's surface is calm as Dystopian Wars sees the Chione Battlefleet Set stalk beneath the waves and the Honourable Eclipse Company and Crimson League Battlefleet Sets take to the skies. For those looking to command India's maiden voyage with the Ganges, the Indian Raj Frontline Squadrons are the perfect addition to dominate the Pacific.
Chione Battlefleet Set
Commandant Matthias Alborough gazed from the huge viewports of the Chione class submarine Benefaction. The darkness of the deep ocean might have terrified weaker men, but Alborough felt no such trepidation. To him, the void ahead was an abstraction of the future, unknown and endless in scope. A thing that he would impose his will upon for the benefit of all.
Below him, moving across walkways and attending consoles, were officers relaying orders and constructs performing the menial tasks that kept a submersible of this size running. It was a hive of order that the Commandant knew would one day be replicated across the globe.
This box contains: 1x Chione
6x Euripides Ambush Submarine (may also be built as Diogenes or Praxilla Class)
2x Plinius Support Carrier (may also be built as Claudius, Quintilian or Tacitus Class)
2x Physeter Token
2x SRS Token
Honourable Eclipse Company Battlefleet Set
Tales of the Honourable Eclipse Company had spread through the military forces of the Union of Federated States over the past few years. Being a largely aerial-based force they had influence over land battles, naval conflicts and particularly in air-based assaults. Opinions were largely varied. For some, they were a welcome reinforcement, arriving just in time to save the day. For others, a logistical complication. More traditional strategists were annoyed that the HEC operated with their own autonomy, frustratedly figuring out how to incorporate them into the larger operations while still allowing them creative execution of their orders.
This box contains: 1x Custodian (may also be built as Excelsior or Venture Class)
3x Steward (may also be built as Constellation, Republic, Ticonderoga or Ranger Class)
5x Bogota Carryalls
5x SRS Tokens
Crimson League Battlefleet Set
“Ever since the coronation of Sultan Mustafa, Princess Scheherazade has kept herself amused using the funds she received from the government of her brother to continue her research as a member of the Covenant of Enlightened.
She was instrumental in funding and developing several Covenant projects and served as a Covenant ambassador to several capitals during the early years of her brother’s reign. Exactly what role she played in the Covenant’s Schism is unclear – as is our understanding of the event.
In any case, her talents as both a leader and a strategist called her to explore other avenues for profit and adventure – and she expanded her own ‘Promethean Complex’ into a veritable armoury, developing many different advanced weapons for sale to the Great Powers or for the use of Enlightened forces."
-Sir Humphrey Attlee, Permanent Secretary
This box contains: 1x Lyceum Aerial Dreadnought (may also be built as the Badroulbadour)
4x Nasr Skyship (may also be built as Awsbiri or Muharib Class)
4x Hirka Skycutters
4x Alsaqr Skybarques
Indian Raj Frontline Squadrons
The waters of this particular stretch of the Bay of Bengal were quiet for now, but they would remain so. When the Empire battlefleet that was massing in the Andaman Sea arrived they would become a roiling, violent tempest. The line drawn between the territories of the Crown and the Empire may not be literal lines through the ocean, but as soon as an unwelcome vessel crossed from one territory to the other alarms would be raised and fighters launched.
This box contains: 2x Nagaraja (may also be built as Indus, Godavari, Devaki or Chanura Class)
2x Ceylon Platform
4x Escort
2x Landing Token
You can pre-order all these exciting new products at your FLGS or online at Wayland Games on the 26th of January 2024.
Considering you can get a full playable fleet for less than the cost of a Vanguard or Combat patrol I'd agree that it's pretty cheap. And if you aren't a collect them all nut you're generally only looking at like $50-$100 every 6 months to a year and that's if THAT particular boxset trips your trigger
Hulksmash wrote: Considering you can get a full playable fleet for less than the cost of a Vanguard or Combat patrol I'd agree that it's pretty cheap. And if you aren't a collect them all nut you're generally only looking at like $50-$100 every 6 months to a year and that's if THAT particular boxset trips your trigger
Yup, it is one of the reasons i love Dystopian Wars so much and i urge more people to get into it. Can't wait for Armored Clash.
Same on Armored Clash. I wanted to like LI but it's models are so fiddly and I just don't love the game play. I'm interested in Warpath but the video looked super dry. I think that if they do with Armored Clash what they did with DW then I'll be may favorite epic scale warfare game
New armored clash mini preview on facebook in the "storm of steel" facebook group, workblocked from FB so can't post it, but it looked pretty rad. It appears to be a big cannon with a tiny 10mm scale pith-helmeted englishman on the firing platform.
In the pursuit of expanding their reach throughout the Dystopian Age, the Union launch the largest vessel in their air fleet with the Destiny Battlefleet Set. Set on spreading the influence of the Federated States, the Destiny proves a mighty asset to the Union, one that the other Great Powers cannot ignore.
More aerial units are inbound as the Merchant Convoy Squadrons mark the separate release of the Civilian ships from the Fortune and Glory Two Player Starter Set as they attempt to protect themselves.
Rounding out the aerial releases for March, the Sultanate Aerial Squadrons help to reinforce any Crimson League or Sultanate fleet you plan on deploying.
These are due to be released at the end of March 2024.
DYSTOPIAN WARS
This month sees the introduction of Destiny Sky Fortress to the Union’s arsenal, offering an imposing threat that casts a massive shadow over any opposing fleet’s hopes of success.
Appearing first in the Fortune and Glory Two Player Starter Set, the Merchant Convoy Squadrons and Sultanate Aerial Squadrons are launching this month, allowing you to flesh out your existing fleets however you desire.
Destiny Battlefleet Set
It was an engineering marvel, rivalling even the greatest creations of the other Great Powers. It was named for the most powerful aspiration of the Union of Federated States, an ultimate goal which it could not help but achieve - Destiny.
When it was but the New World, settlers had spread across the continent, proving to themselves, without a shadow of a doubt, that Manifest Destiny was an assignment from the Almighty. Since then, they had mastered any land they arrived at and seemed intent on working their way across the globe.
This box contains: 1x Destiny Sky Fortress
4x Ticonderoga Assault Airship (may also be built as Constellation, Republic or Ranger Class)
8x Bogata Container Carryalls (may also be built for Fuel, Tank or Torpedo)
8x SRS Tokens
Merchant Convoy Squadrons
“Working in the merchant navy has always been tough, but now it’s worse than ever! Used to be we’d have to cope with months away from home, the physical labour of dealing with cargo and whatever wet hell the weather could throw at us."
This box contains: 2x Titan Passenger Conveyor (may also be built for Freight or Oil and also as Olympia Class)
2x Merchant Ship
2x Escort
2x Small Ship Token
2x Cargo Token
2x Ground Assault Detachment Token
Sultanate Aerial Squadrons
Given that airships are spotted from a greater distance than surface vessels, the crews that spy them tend to have an extended time in which to panic before their aerial opponents move in for the kill.
This is doubly true for Nasr Skyships and their variant classes. Along with smaller Hirka and Alsaqr machines, these could be from the Sultanate or the Crimson League. Either allegiance will imbue dread upon their enemies for different reasons.
This box contains: 2x Nasr Skyships (may also be built as Awsbiri or Muharib Class)
2x Hirka Skycutter
2x Alsaqr Skybarques
2x SRS Tokens
You can pre-order all these exciting new products at your FLGS or online at Wayland Games on the 23rd of February 2024.
I know Armoured Clash and Dystopian Wars are likely taking a lot of the focus, but I wonder if we'll see any expansion to Mythos or Lost World Exodus in the next year or so. WWX feels pretty built out, so I get taking a beat on them. But Lost World had a fun pulpy feel I wouldn't mind seeing more of!
Two deadly, new Battlefleet sets are entering the seas of Dystopian Wars this April; are you ready?
Preparing to demonstrate their persistence to the rest of the Great Powers, the Commonwealth is deploying a new weapon in its arsenal. The Khodynka Battlefleet Set easily leads the charge in any Commonwealth fleet, able to withstand a torrent of attacks with one hand and compromise any opposing ship’s defences with the other.
Dead set on its mission to ensure the Chinese troops it carries make their way onto the shores of their foes, the Ergun Battleship is preparing to endure any resistance to its arrival this April. Supported by a range of new support vessels, the Ergun Battlefleet Set will become a great asset for any Empire admiral.
Expand your fleet as the Union Aerial Squadrons provide additional firepower from above, adding an extra element to your existing ground fleets or reinforcing your aerial force.
These are due to be released at the end of April 2024.
DYSTOPIAN WARS
April sees the release of two new battlefleet sets for Dystopian Wars, the Khodynka Battlefleet Set and the Ergun Battlefleet Set, as well as Union reinforcements in the form of the Union Aerial Squadrons.
Khodynka Battlefleet Set
The Khodynka Heavy Skycruiser “Nebesnaya Gora” hung in the sky, defiant against the laws of nature. Ablative armour plates had been blown off, and small fires were being extinguished by weary skymen. The engine at the heart of the beast rumbled on, with nothing but the occasional splutter to suggest there was anything wrong at all.
The Commonwealth fleet had been ambushed while making routine patrols around the Barents Sea. The Scions of Jutland had appeared like wolves in the night and unleashed a stream of rockets that would have obliterated a lesser vessel. Only the crew of Nebesnaya Gora had understood that this night would be a loss to the Scions.
This box contains: 1x Khodynka Heavy Skycruiser (may also be built as Konostoga or Krasnaya Class)
2x Irkutsk Skycruiser (may also be built as Saransk or Tunguska Class)
2x Giyena Shockwave Hovercraft (may also be built as Yak Class)
4x Escort Hovercraft
Ergun Battlefleet Set
The Ergun Assault Battleship has no peer when it comes to leading landing operations. Most naval forces believe in the idea of multiple smaller vessels, admitting that while they may lose some, they can’t lose them all.
The Emperor believes that losing troops before they’ve even made landfall is madness. To this end, the Empire built the Ergun: a resilient battleship that can take the fire of coastal defences before reaching its target. Volleys of alchemical rockets and gun battery fire pummel into enemy emplacements and shore defences as the vessel closes in.
This box contains: 1x Ergun Assault Battleship (may also be built as Heilong Class)
2x Diyu Immolation Cruisers (may also be built as Yaoji, Mekong, Wuhan, Lantau or Qiang Class)
2x Hexie Hover Zebeks
2x SRS Landing Troops
Union Aerial Squadrons
“The military optimism of the Union is exemplified by their enthusiastic bellows whenever a Union dirigible passes overhead. I’ve had multiple reports from assets placed in vital positions describing their, please excuse the term, “hooting and hollering. Of course, it shows a lack of engineering skill that they aren’t simply appalled by the reliance on newfangled airship designs over our vastly superior, tried-and-tested rotorcraft."
Commodore Gerald St.John-Smythe, debriefing to the Crown Military Intelligence Service
This box contains: 2x Republic Cloudraker Airships (may also be built as Constellation, Ticonderoga, Steward or Ranger Class)
2x Bogota Carryall Rotor
2x SRS Tokens
You can pre-order all these exciting new products at your FLGS or online at Wayland Games on the 29th of March 2024.
The wait is over; the hotly anticipated Vauban Sky Fortress makes its entrance to Dystopian Wars this month.
The Vauban has arrived! The sight of this impressive Sky Fortress is not one that the French Navy will forget, as the awe-inspiring Vauban Battlefleet Set launches this May. Packed full of Levant ships, the Alliance are ready to pack an aerial punch.
Hot on the heels of the Ergun Battlefleet Set, the fiery new Empire vessels are now available in their own Empire Support Squadrons box.
These are due to be released at the end of May 2024.
DYSTOPIAN WARS
May introduces a fan favourite to Dystopian Wars, the Vauban Battlefleet Set, and allows players to put the pyre in ‘Empire’ with the new Empire Support Squadrons.
Vauban Battlefleet Set
The Vauban is the largest and the oldest of the early generation levant vessels still in service to the Republique. Photojournalists at the time of her launch etched the Vauban into the imagination of the French people. An indelible image is left of an engineering marvel hanging majestically low in the sky, sending waves of her heroic fighters and bombers to victory.
It is said that in the weeks following the public showing of the first Vauban Sky Fortress, French military recruitment centres reported a 22% increase in enlistment. Requests for an assignment within the Service Aeronautique were so prevalent that public relations officers had to be brought in to steer the public into more needed positions.
This box contains: 1x Vauban Sky Fortress
2x Chasseur Levant Cruiser (may also be built as Furieux or Voliere Class ship)
2x Dieppe Levant Cruiser (may also be built as Alma, Marseille or Gascony Class)
2x Epaulard Artillery Submarine (may also be built as Sirene Class)
6x Honneur Levant Destroyer
2x SRS Tokens
6x Frelon Tokens
Empire Support Squadrons
Despite orders to the contrary, Captain Vanya Sokolov gave the command to push forward to attack the flank of the Diyu class vessel ahead. After months patrolling the Sea of Okhotsk, finally there was action and an enemy to fight. If he achieved the first kill, it would only be a matter of time before a promotion was due. Surely the cursed Commodore Belyaev only wanted him to hold back so that he could get the honour of first blood.
Captain Sokolov couldn’t help but admire the craftsmanship of the Diyu as he closed the distance. The jade green tiles that covered the roofs, the ornamental dragonheads cast onto the muzzles of guns and the rich golden lacquer made the Empire ships look like works of art, glinting in the sun. Sokolov vowed to take one as a prize and gave orders to flank the squadron of Diyu and prepare the marines for boarding.
This box contains: 2x Diyu Immolation Cruisers (may also be built as Yaoji, Mekong, Wuhan, Lantau or Qiang Class)
2x Hexie Hover Zebeks
1x Yangshi Firebase
2x Escorts
2x SRS Landing Troops
You can pre-order all these exciting new products at your FLGS or online at Wayland Games on the 26th of April 2024.
Non Dystopian Wars player here (that could/probably will change), but I saw the Armoured Clash models on OnTableTop's youtube channel and me and my sons are excited as hell. But I can't seem to find muhc info on release dates and sets. Has anything been released or confirmed and I'm just sucking at search engines?
.Mikes. wrote: Non Dystopian Wars player here (that could/probably will change), but I saw the Armoured Clash models on OnTableTop's youtube channel and me and my sons are excited as hell. But I can't seem to find muhc info on release dates and sets. Has anything been released or confirmed and I'm just sucking at search engines?
Just whispers on the Discord. IIRC June-ish release, single player starters starting with Empire (Chinese) and Crown, then Union towards the end of the year, then... Enlightened? early '25 and so on.
.Mikes. wrote: Non Dystopian Wars player here (that could/probably will change), but I saw the Armoured Clash models on OnTableTop's youtube channel and me and my sons are excited as hell. But I can't seem to find muhc info on release dates and sets. Has anything been released or confirmed and I'm just sucking at search engines?
Right now there's not much. We know its coming and its coming this year, but not really any great detail beyond that. I think they are aiming for around mid-year somewhere; but we also know there's a new AoS editoin landing them so they might try and land one side or the other of it .
.Mikes. wrote: Righto, thanks guys. I'll keep an eye on this thread and facebook then.
There are some small tidbits being released in the DW boxes with some artwork for Armoured Clash, so a release is very imminent. Here's a Crown and Empire banner from the latest Vauban boxed set:
The most interesting thing is seeing the aircraft in those images. We already know they are making a big investment in resin models with the large tanks they showed off at Salute.
Aircraft in them could be huge - as big as any of GW's aircraft if to scale.
Of course they might just be there for the artwork, they are not bound to do what they show in art to theme the release and certainly infantry and tanks are going to be a big focus
I know when they originally proposed it years ago it was a very unpopular idea. That was when Spartan closing doors was a very fresh event and everyone thought WC was going to start up production very soon (I think even WC thought that until they got the messy post-closedown material*).
That said I think time has helped ease that pressure off and people are more excited to see fresh models. The change in scale does let them do different tings and I think there is a sane point that the combined arms approach to all 3 theatres in one led to the land game having some issues. Mostly because battleships on the high seas and airships were often very very powerful. So many smaller tanks and the like had issues keeping up.
Plus there were practical board issues that if you've a board great for one theatre its often a bit small for the other, greatly limiting choices unless everything was a walker/hover unit.
They've also had enough time to hook people on the story and style of the setting once again. So in theory whilst they aren't double-dipping on the model front, they are on the lore, story and faction aspects. People with a sea force of Crown are likely to want a land force of Crown to go with it.
I think when we see a lot more previews it will help out. Plus the scale they've gone for lets them have more crazy tanks and vehicles; more so than a 32mm game would have allowed (which Spartan also did back in the day)
*Its important to note that Spartan didn't sell themselves otWC, but went through bankruptcy and being auctioned off. So instead of getting a working firm they got a bunch of pallets of stuff shipped down to them with stuff on them
