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| D&D Miniatures News |
Set 9 will be called War Drums.It will be released in March 2006.
War Drums will be the 3rdStarter set.
D&D Miniatures Starter Set
New rules and new figures make an all-new Starter Set.
The rulebooks, components, and configuration of this latest Starter Sethave all been modified to introduce those unfamiliar with D&D orminiatures gaming to basic skirmish concepts in an easy yet fun manner.Key changes include a new "Start Here" rulebook that takes astep-by-step approach to terms, battle tactics, and other gameelements. This rulebook also features the two fixed miniatures that arenow found in every Starter Set, allowing every purchaser the samelearning experience right out of the box. Two full-color, double-sidedmaps supply vital play surfaces and also make a great visual impact.
In addition to new components, the overall game rules have been updatedto facilitate faster gameplay and encourage larger battles. Rules havebeen adjusted to accomodate any size figure, from tiny to huge and evenbeyond, and will be compatible with any D&D Miniatures Gamerelease. Per previous releases, the figures in the set are selectedfrom key D&D roleplaying games titles such as MonsterManual, Monster Manual II, Monster Manual III, MiniaturesHandbook, and the Eberron and Forgotten Realmscampaign settings. The set also includes an elite group of figures thatcome with a second, epic-level stat card, allowing players to assemblehigher-value armies with which to do battle.
10 randomized and 2 non-randomized miniatures, $19.99
(The two fixed minis are the Orc Mauler and the Wood Elf Ranger)
War Drums Booster Pack
Monsters and heroes face off on the miniatures battlefield!
True to the head-to-head nature of the D&D Miniatures Game,the latest expansion set highlights miniatures against the backdrop ofwar. Per previous releases, the figures in the set are selected fromkey D&D roleplaying games titles such as Monster Manual, Monster Manual II, Monster Manual III, MiniaturesHandbook, and the Eberron and Forgotten Realmscampaign settings. The set also includes an elite group of figures thatcome with a second, epic-level stat card, allowing players to assemblehigher-value armies with which to do battle.
Set List (34 of 60)8 randomized miniatures, $12.99
Maps
- Aspect of Moradin (LG; rare; large);
- Combat Medic (LG; uncommon; medium);
- Warpriest of Moradin (LG; uncommon; medium);
- Dragonne (CG, rare, large) - Inquest#131
- Steelheart Archer (CG; uncommon; medium);
- Warforged Barbarian (CG; rare; medium);
- Wemic Barbarian (CG; rare; large);
- Wood Elf Ranger (CG; common; medium; fixed);
- Hunting Cougar (CG/CE; common; medium);
- Aspect of Hextor (LE, rare; large);
- Enlarged Duergar (LE; uncommon; large);
- Flameskull (LE; uncommon; tiny);
- Goblin Blackblade (LE; common; small);
- Goblin Underboss (LE; uncommon; small); ;
- Inspired Lieutenant (LE?; uncommon; medium);
- Night Hag (LE) - Inquest #131
- Shuluth, Archvillain (LE; rare; medium);
- Snig, Worg Rider (LE, rare, large);
- Zakya Rakshasa (LE; rare; medium);
- Derro (CE; #46; common; small) - mentioned in Hellspike Prison;
- Fiendish Girallon (CE; uncommon; large);
- Hill Giant Barbarian (CE; uncommon; large) - promotional minifor PC Gamer -
- Hill Giant Chieftain - Inquest#131
- King Obould Many-Arrows (CE; rare; medium);
- Orc Mauler (CE; common; medium; fixed);
- Chimera (large, rare);
- Quaggoth Slave (CE common; medium);
- Wardrummer (rare);
- Arcane Ballista (rare, large)
- Arcanix Guard - Inquest #131
- Skeletal Legionarre (common; medium);
- Tiefling Blademaster - Inquest#131
- War Troll (epic) - DragonMagazine #340
- War Duke - Dragon Magazine
Spoiler Notes
- Broken Demongate - epic
- Dragon Shrine -
- Field of Ruin - epic -
- Tower of Teleportation (?)
Hill Giant Barbarian
- Warforged Barbarian - Melee Attack +?/+? (20 magic); SA BloodyRage (Whenever this creature activates, 1 adjacent enemy immediatelytakes 5 damage); DR 5.
- Wemic Barbarian - Melee Attack +?/+? (?); SA: Bravado
- Wood Elf Ranger - 23 pts; HP 40?; Melee Atk: +?/+? (10 magic/5magic); SA: Hunter (Melee damage +5 unless more than 1 enemy isadjacent); Orc Foe (Melee damage +5 against orcs)
- Hunting Cougar - Spd 8; SA: Natural Soul
- Enlarged Duergar - 15 pts; HP 45; SPD 5; Melee Atk: +? (15);SA: Conceal 6; Melee Reach 2; Overwhelming Size (Melee attack +2 andmelee damage +5 against Medium or smaller enemies).
- Flameskull - Ranged Attack +18? (5 fire), range 6; SA: Flight.Conceal 6, Immune (three energy types); Spells: Fireball (range 6)
- Inspired Lieutenant; Commander; SA: Recall Agony specialability (replaces attacks; sight; 20 damage; DC 18); Smite +15; Spells:Psionics hostile empathic transfer(heal 25 damage, deal 25 damage)
- Zakya Rakshasa: AC 22; hp 65+; Melee Attack +14; SA TrueStrike;
- Derro - SA: Blind Fight; Sneak Attack +5; SpellResistance; SP: darkness (Conceal 6); sound burst
- King Obould Many-Arrows - Commander 4; CE: Tactics; SA Unique.Domineering (no other commanders in your warband); Death Strike
- Fiendish Girallon - +?/+? (?); SA: Rend
- Orc Mauler - 26 pts; AC 18; HP 50?; Melee Attack +11 (15);
#49/60; War Drums; 78 pts
Level 8; Speed 10; AC 17; HP 155
Melee Attack: +12/+7 (35)
Special Abilities:
- Furious Spirit (Until it makes a melee attack, this creature takes 5damage at the end of each turn)
- Melee Reach 2
- Overwhelming Size (Melee attack +2 and melee damage +5 against Mediumor smaller creatures)
Epic War Troll
War Drums; rare; 202 points
Lvl 10; Spd 6; AC 24; HP 140
Melee Attack: +23/+18/+13 (25)
Ranged Attack: +15/+10 (15)
Special Abilities:
- DR 5
- Melee Reach 2
- Regeneration 10
- Spell Resistance
- Stunning Attack (DC 25)
Notes
- 4 Unique figures in War Drums
- There will be a commander in every booster
- War Drums introduces anumber of changes to the rules, particularly the use of maps instead oftiles.
- By the time War Drumsreleases, there will be 12 legal maps: 4 in War Drums, 4 in Fane of the Drow, 3 in Hellspike Prison and one publishedin Dragon Magazine.
- The Arcane Ballista requires a Spellcaster or similar
- 1st map: Tower of Teleports(Epic) - has teleportation squares interspersed across the map. Whenyou walk onto a teleport square, you can jump to any otherteleportation square on the map. They are spaced far enough apart thata speed 8 or speed 10 beater can basically reach nearly anywhere on themap in one turn. The exit squares are shared between side A and side Band are in the middle of the map.
- 2nd map: Broken Demongate - Half of the map is a holytemple, and the other half is a scarred wasteland. It includes asmaller portion in the centre for the introductory game (Orc Mauler vsWood Elf Ranger).
Designer Comments
- War Drums starter maps are 22x34 - the same size asthe blank grids in the old starter. Fantastic Locations mapsare 21x30. Skirmish maps for the forseeable future will be one of thesetwo sizes. - Stephen Schubert
- For the record, the maps rank up there as some of the coolestthings ever done for D&D and the minis game. Ever. Think of thebest tiles you've seen released, increase the level of detail by factoror two, stretch it out to fill 22 inches by 34 inches (!), and thenthink about how amazing it would be to run a skirmish or a D&Dencounter on them. Heck, I'd expect non-skirmish D&D players, uponseeing the maps, to buy a starter just for the maps - and the coolminis are a bonus!
I won't go into much more detail now, but I will point out that thefixed minis don't take the spot of your rare. Hopefully, the approachwill soften the learning curve of the game, allowing people likeyourselves to more easily bring newcomers into the game. - Stephen Schubert
- Double-sided maps, not just grids. You still get a rare in thestarter. Interesting, indeed. - StephenSchubert
- We are NOT doing chase rares. Epic is our new name for 500point play. Some figures come with two stat cards: a normal one for 200point play, and a second, epic one for 500 point play. - Mike Mearls
- As Steve hinted at the fixed minis are only commons that youwill be fine with multiples of (a common orc and elf). These are justin there because there is a teaching the game guide that walks youthrough a fight between the 2 minis.
The maps are all full color like the Championship map. Additional mapswill be available through fantastic locations so you will have manymaps to choose from right away. Each of them is beautiful also (I justsaw a bunch of them finished this week and they made me quite happy!).Fantastic Locations contain 4 maps (2 double sided).
Epic cards and epic play will continue being part of the game but willnot replace 200 as the primary format. It will be the new way to playat 500 points. We have numerous Epic maps also which are all hugefriendly and legal in the 500 point epic format.
Initiative will be used to determine which player's map is used andthen again to determine who chooses the side they want. Each playerbrings one map with them to the tourney as part of their warband.
The 'simplifications' are not anything to be excited about. The biggestone is the use of maps to get the games started faster (more playingand less setting up). We were also able to do some really cool stuffwith the maps that we could never do with tiles (hint: teleporters). Sowe managed to make some of the maps even more tactical than tiles couldbe for the people who are into that style of play.
The only other significant change is the speed 2 rule went away. Thisseems to speed up the game and make it more fun because you don't haveto keep checking that everyone is under command constantly and youdon't have to worry about accidentally moving someone full speed whenthey were not under command (I hate when I do that). It was alsonecessary due to some maps with heavy walls which would blockcommanders from seeing their troops. - MikeDonais