9th Age: Essence of War - NEW Quick Play/Starter Edition!
Oct 23, 2020 15:26:08 GMT -9
squirmydad and Vermin King like this
Post by RHWorldbuilding on Oct 23, 2020 15:26:08 GMT -9
Hey Cardboard Warriors!
Sharing this because it's close to my heart, but also because it's tailor-made for paper miniatures. For example the designs I make, and those from Antohammer. You can find loads of other useful models in the Hoards and Downloads sections here on the forum.
It's a lot to read, but it's a worthwhile game system, and again, perfect for paper minis.
Earlier this year I was invited to participate in Veil of the Ages booth at AwSHUX Digital Convention, which was last weekend. I was fortunate enough to play 3 out of 4 games (streamed LIVE on Twitch!) of VotA’s incredible new Tabletop Simulator Mod of The 9th Age: Essence of War with some wonderful members of the 9th Age community from all over the world! The Mod features armies made up of my own paper miniature designs. I was also invited to join VotA's booth at this long weekend's SPIEL.Digital Convention (Thursday-Sunday). So far I've played another two games, and have at least a few more coming. This livestream celebration was timed to coincide with the announcement of the BRAND NEW starter/quick play edition of The 9th Age...
The 9th Age: Essence of War
Essence of War is the newly announced ALPHA version, Starter AND Quick Play rule set from The 9th Age. All the rules are 100% FREE, and will be releasing in an ALPHA version THIS SUNDAY, Oct. 25th. The purpose of EoW is to replace the previous Quickstarter Edition. The new system simultaneously updates the “Essential” rules for beginners looking for a straightforward but practical entry into rank and flank wargaming, while also creating a “Quick Play” edition which is both competitively viable and enjoyable for even the most experienced T9A: Fantasy Battles (full scale edition) players.
-Small Armies
The 9th Age: Fantasy Battles is usually played at the grand scale 4500 army points on a 6x4’ table. Each player will have several units, from just a handful of big blocks, up to twenty or maybe even more smaller units! Essence of War however, is designed to MAX OUT at around half that. EoW focuses on creating tactically interesting battles in a range from 800 to 2500 army points with fewer, smaller units on an easy to find 3x4' table. This allows a hobbyist to deploy a fully painted army much earlier than T9A: FB, while also making it more likely that an experienced player can field a complete army for a friend who might be interested in trying 9th Age, but isn’t inclined to buy any models without playing it.
-Shorter Games
9th Age: Fantasy Battles is played for up to 6 turns. This allows for an impressive and immersive game, but the fact that A game could potentially stretch to over 5 hours is in itself a barrier for some. Once the players are comfortable with the rules, a 4 turn game of EoW could easily be over in less than 2 hours without sacrificing any of the tactical significance of the battle.
-Customize your Army
Unlike the previous Quickstarter Edition. Once players are comfortable with Essence of War’s basic concepts, the Advanced Rules allow one to write custom army lists from a set of available units for each army. For even newer players, this opens up an arena that captivates T9A: Fantasy Battles players of the highest order, LIST CRAFTING! This includes Character Mount options, Special Items, Spell choices and variable unit sizes. All upgrades are made using Army Points, just as in T9A: Fantasy Battles, so beginners can get a taste of what is involved in building a list at 4500 points.
-Learn T9A
The 9th Age: Essence of War stands proudly on its own two feet next to T9A: Fantasy Battles, as a game in its own right. But for some, Essence of War will just be a stepping stone on their path to the larger Fantasy Battles experience. And it is designed to do just this job for for anyone interested in learning the 9th Age basics while still playing an exciting and immersive game. As you learn to play Essence of War, you will naturally absorb the major concepts needed to play Fantasy Battles at even its largest scale.
If you're interested in rank and flank tabletop wargaming, but apprehensive of the scale. I urge you to check out The 9th Age: Essence of War (alpha rules should be dropping this Sunday, Oct, 25) and The 9th Age: Fantasy Battles at The 9th Age Community. Go to the Forums to engage with the community, which is very active. Go to the Downloads section for FREE downloads of all the rules, army books and more.
Rob
RH Worldbuilding