GenCon weekend has ended, and while all the vendors and gamers recuperate and overcome their con crud, we’re bringing you all the biggest news from The Best Four Days In Gaming. Our first stop is with Fantasy Flight Games, who certainly didn’t waste time showing off their newest goods. They delivered a live presentation (dubbed the “In-Flight Report”) to a packed house on July 31st, where they showed off upcoming releases as well as expansions to some of their most popular current games. From Marvel to Star Wars, FFG is working to bring some of the biggest properties in the world to your tabletop.
Cancelling The Apocalypse
One such game is a brand-new board game in FFG’s Arkham Horror series called Arkham Horror: Final Hour; a fast-paced, intense game that is meant to be a thrilling and high-pressure experience. Meant to appeal to fans of fast-paced strategy games like Pandemic, a full play-through is only eight turns worth of gameplay and should be able to be completed in under an hour. This structure seems perfect for board game marathons where a group plays multiple games in one night or plays one game for six hours—there is no in between (most other Arkham Horror titles are epic strategy games that last for hours on end).
Unlike other Arkham Horror games, the investigators aren’t trying to stop a ritual or thwart the cults: the ritual has already happened. Instead, you’re racing to reverse the dark ritual bringing the Ancient Ones back, and the clock is ticking. However, communication between investigators is limited, and they can only use “priority cards” to declare their intention. Not only do these cards replace dice in the game, they are the only way to coordinate actions between players, necessitating quick thinking and intuition on the part of the players in order to emerge victorious. This quick and exciting game could provide many a tense and fun time at the table! The game will release some time in the last quarter of 2019.
A Galaxy Far, Far Away (And Very, Very Tiny)
FFG’s bread and butter for years has been their line of Star Wars miniatures and wargames, and fans of the series will not be disappointed this year. FFG announced brand new products for all of their biggest lines, including some fan favorite characters and vehicles finally making their way onto the battlefield.
Star Wars: X-Wing added a whole slew of new fighters and ships from all over the Star Wars Galaxy for players to add to their dogfights including
- The Fireball and Major Vonreg’s TIE Interceptor from Star Wars: Resistance
- Saw’s Renegade’s customized T-65 X-wing and U-wing fighters and Director Krennic’s Tie Reaper from Rogue One
- The fearsome TIE/D Defender from Star Wars: Rebels
- And, finally, classic ships from the Original Trilogy like the TIE/in Interceptor, Bossk’s personal ship The Hound’s Tooth, and the nimble RZ-1 A-Wing
They’ve also announced three new card pack expansions to enhance the game: the Never Tell Me The Odds Obstacle Pack, the Fully Loaded Devices Pack, and the Hotshots and Aces Reinforcement Pack.
Moving back to the chaos of the Clone Wars, FFG has added new heroes, vehicles, and units to the battles of the Prequel Trilogy. The CIS can bolster their forces with the mighty B-2 Battle Droids, or add some heavy armor with the AA-T Trade Federation Battle Tank. They can even field the Sith Lord Darth Tyranus aka Count Dooko, who can bring his mastery of the force to bear against the Republic. Opposing them are the hardened Phase II Clone Troopers, as well as decorated hero Captain Rex. They’re riding in on TX-130 Saber-class Battle Tank, a swift and agile vehicle favored by Jedi like Aayla Secura and Plo Koon. Check out all the newest additions below:
Finally, two new ships have been announced for the Star Wars: Armada Line. Rebel fleets will gain access to the Nadiri Starhack, as seen in Rogue One, as well as Commander Kyrsta Agate at the helm. The Empire will match the Rebels with Onager-class Star Destroyer, a fearsome long-range weapon under the command of Commander Beck.
Two Marvelous Debuts
Another big upcoming release from FFG is Marvel Champions, a cooperative card game that focuses on teamwork and strategic skill-building, of course featuring some of Marvel’s most famous faces. Heroes ranging from Captain Marvel to Black Panther to She-Hulk and more must cooperate to take down the villain and whatever encounters and minions they have at their disposal.
What makes Champions unique is the emphasis on the heroes’ alter egos. Iron Man is just as much Tony Stark, Spider-Man is just as much Peter Parker. Heroes’ skills are based not just on their superpowers, but their abilities from daily life. For example, T’Challa can use a unique skill called “Ancestral Knowledge” to aid him and his team. This aspect of the game adds new layers and depth to a star-studded card game. Marvel Champions is set to release in October of this year, with future products releasing each month following release.
In the same vein of Marvel-town, a relatively new company called Atomic Mass Games is set to release a miniatures game called Crisis Protocol. It’s more freeform, allowing players to mix heroes and villains together in a close-quarters free-for-all. The miniatures are hard plastic, which will draw in hobbyists for sure. The freedom and battle royale-style gameplay presented by Protocol will be available this fall.
New Work In House
Back in the realm of FFG’s in-house games, additions and expansions to their RPG Genesys are soon to be released. The Genesys Expanded Player’s Guide, more tools for GMs, and a new KeyForge setting are key features of this release—but what stands out the most is the Genesys Foundry, an upcoming platform for user-generated content hosted on DriveThruRPG.com. This service launched on August 1 and is available to the public now.
Speaking of KeyForge, the popular card game is getting some new accessories. The third new set of cards, titled Worlds Collide, expands the world of the game and introduces new allies, foes, and factions as the possibilities continue to grow. The first new faction is the Saurian Republic, which are essential Roman Dinosaurs and kick a lot of ass. The other new faction is the Grand Star Alliance, the newest visitors to The Crucible (the game’s setting) in direct contrast to the Saurian’s status as the oldest.
One does not need to purchase or use the previous two deck expansions in order to play with Worlds Collide. This expansion will be available in the last quarter of 2019. And lovers of the Mars and Sanctum sets, which the new sets are replacing, need not fret, as FFG has plans for them coming soon.
Any and all upcoming Fantasy Flight games and expansions are available for preorder at local retailers or through their website.
All images courtesy of Fantasy Flight Games
