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May 2007
May 31, 2007
The Raven
For the peasant used to living his entire life in one village, a chaotic Normandy port such as Harfleur can prove a daunting, even terrifying experience. But places such as these are my element. Here I can walk among the crowds, ever watching and recording as is my want, but without the elaborate precautions that I must take on many of my expeditions. I am just one more face among hundreds.
On this day I was by the docks, noting the composition of the fleet, when a ship came in from distant Araby. Even my eyes, accustomed to so many wonders, widened at what came off that boat. Flanked by huge, obese, dark-skinned guards with curved scimitars at their hips, chest after chest was swiftly loaded from the ship to a waiting caravan. Once, several struggling slaves tripped and their burden fell to the dock, spilling a load of riches that sparkled blindingly in the sun. Instantly, a frenzy of overseers, a closing of ranks of guards, a rain of blows upon the slaves’ backs!
But after the slaves, the many chests, the jugs and jars and carpets and bundles—in skittish, tramping rows the strangest beasts I had ever beheld were led, with much difficulty, off the boat. Like giant birds they were, yet on long, powerful legs. They had sharp beaks that pecked at anything foolish enough to come too close. Their beady eyes were full of fear and anger.
I watched these creatures as they were loaded into special wagons and then, following my instincts, kept an eye on the merchant overseer, who slipped quietly into a nearby warehouse. I soon found a window off the street through which I could witness the heated negotiation that followed. A negotiation with goblins.
May 30, 2007
Colosseum available now!
In between games of BattleLore you may want to check out Days of Wonder’s new game Colosseum, which is now on game store shelves.
Read the reviews at:
Boardgame News
Bruno Faidutti’s site
Tom Vasel at the Dice Tower
Shannon Appelcline at RPG.net and
Gamepack
Don’t forget to check out the official site—and enter the arena!
May 29, 2007
Official Word: Goblins invent the printing press!
The latest post on the official blog site is an announcement for the new PDF generation functionality now built into the Adventures section of the official site.
The Export PDF button generates impressive-looking Adventure layouts very similar to those in the original Adventure booklet. The system is in BETA at the moment but no doubt fine-tuning by those busy goblins will bring it to perfection in no time!
May 27, 2007
The BattleLore Lore Cards Compendium: June ‘07 edition
The redoubtable Gerald Uitz keeps us all impeccably up to date with his June 2007 edition of his Lore Cards Compendium—a few days early due to a well-earned impending holiday.
Go to the Guild Downloads section for the latest English, French and German PDF downloads.
May 24, 2007
The Raven
“Hell’s teeth, cannot a man enjoy his dinner in peace!” John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, threw his half-gnawed turkey leg at the back of his manservant, who had been his manservant long enough to know that interruptions to Shrewsbury’s dinner were best delivered prior to a quick exit. Shrewsbury drew the back of his hand roughly across his greasy lips and sat back, cradling his goblet of wine. “Send him in, fool!” he shouted.
Two men-at-arms entered quickly to stand at either side of the tent’s entrance. The light from the flickering braziers outside was blocked and a tall, heavily cloaked figure entered. He glanced from right to left. “Leave us” he whispered. The men-at-arms looked to Shrewsbury in surprise and confusion, until he nodded assent.
When they were alone, the cloaked figure moved forward and sat on a nearby divan. He threw a scroll upon the table between them.
“A glass of wine and some food perhaps, Raven? Or do you feast only on corpses?” Shrewsbury asked with a smile.
“I am in the habit of preparing my own meals” was the reply. The figure leaned forward, his face still in shadow, and tapped the scroll. “Besides, this information will buy me many, many excellent feasts.”
“Perhaps, mysterious one … and perhaps not. I have reconsidered the terms of our little agreement. I think perhaps the information you have for me should be considered a good deed for king and country - and therefore one not requiring pay-“
Suddenly Shrewsbury lurched forward, spraying wine in a wide arc from his mouth, and threw the goblet across the tent. He gasped for breath, clutching at his throat, going red with the effort of trying to breathe.
“Indeed?” said the cloaked figure. “You’ll not be needing this then, I take it?” he said, drawing a small vial from within the folds of his cloak. “Tell me, how is the wine?”
Strategy Article
PlanetSmasher outlines his detailed BattleLore strategies in Part II of his analysis My Approach to BattleLore in this thread on BoardGameGeek. Part I is here.
May 20, 2007
Fan-made BattleLore Desktop Wallpapers
More BattleLore Desktop Images for your computer, each in four different resolutions, and this time from a dedicated fan!
Dennis Jewell created these four BattleLore desktop wallpapers and kindly submitted them to BattleLoreMaster for your enjoyment.
Keep watch for new desktops in the Guild Downloads section as they are created, and feel free to submit your own designs to share with other fans.
May 18, 2007
Custom BattleLore Dice Tower
Sebastian Schwarz shows us his new custom BattleLore dice tower:
For full instructions on how to make your own, check out the Guild Gallery.
May 14, 2007
Call to Arms rules clarification
Richard Borg clarifies some questions about creatures raised by the new Call to Arms rules in this thread. Also, we get our first official indication that there will be creatures in the future that count for multiple council levels!
May 13, 2007
Call to Arms Adventures
The six adventures that come with BattleLore: Call to Arms have been added to the official adventures section of the BattleLore website. These are terrain and background setups to which you add your own armies using the Call to Arms rules. You need to be a registered owner of BattleLore to enter.
May 11, 2007
The BattleLore Reference Sheet V7 (German)
The BattleLore Reference Sheet (currently at v7) has been kindly translated into German by the hard-working Gerald Uitz. Get it here.
May 10, 2007
Free Epic!
Eric has announced in a comment on an official blog entry that owners of two sets of BattleLore who want the Epic expansion will be able to get it for free, excluding shipping and handling. More fantastic support from Days of Wonder!
Update: Check out the Days of Wonder store for information about this deal.
May 7, 2007
Officlal Word: The Sounds of Music (Part I)
The latest post on the official blog site introduces the first of the specialist figures for BattleLore: Goblin Musicians!
New units and figures like the musicians are deployed with the use of Specialist cards. Continuing the advantages of the card deployment system over normal point-based systems, normally only 2 Specialist cards will be allowed for each player, which stops one player ‘out-purchasing’ another and filling up their army with special units, but still allows for a lot of choice and unit flavour.
The first specialist unit to be released is the Goblin band. Goblin musicians can be fielded in one of two ways—first, as a complete band (band leader and three drummers), which gives a Support presence, or half the support required for a unit to be fully supported (Bold) to all friendly units in the same Section of board (or both sections if it is on a dividing line). Second, as individual drummers embedded in existing foot units to make that unit Bold.
Musicians enbedded in a unit are removed as casualties when the controlling player decides, ie. usually as the second-to-last figure before the banner bearer.
It looks like this new mechanic of embedding specialist units within other units will become a common feature of BattleLore as it expands further. I wonder if Heroes will be embedded in units this way, or be free figures on the battlefield?
Review of Call to Arms
A glowing Tom Vasel review of the new Battlelore: Call to Arms on BoardGameGeek.
May 2, 2007
Specialist Pack Contents
Thought Hammer are listing the contents of the upcoming Goblin Skirmishers and Dwarf Battalion Specialist Packs.
Goblin Skirmishers
1 Goblin Band Leader
3 Goblin Drummers
8 Goblin Spear Bearers
8 Goblin Slingers
10 new Banners
Rules Booklet with 2 new adventures
4 new Specialist cards and 4 new Weapons
Summary cards
Dwarf Battalion
4 Iron Dwarf Bagpipers
8 Iron Dwarf Spear Bearers
8 Iron Dwarf Axe Swingers
14 new Banners
Rules booklet with 2 new adventures
3 new Specialist cards and 3 new Weapons
Summary cards
Strategy Article
PlanetSmasher outlines his detailed BattleLore strategies in Part I of his analysis My Approach to BattleLore in this thread on BoardGameGeek.
For the peasant used to living his entire life in one village, a chaotic Normandy port such as Harfleur can prove a daunting, even terrifying experience. But places such as these are my element. Here I can walk among the crowds, ever watching and recording as is my want, but without the elaborate precautions that I must take on many of my expeditions. I am just one more face among hundreds.
