Heroscape is back...Renegade version of failed Age of Annihilation

It has been over a year since the failure of Avalon Hill's attempt to bring back Heroscape. During that time Renegade has taken over and I wasn't sure if it would actually happen, but pre-orders are up for the remix of the failed Age of Annihilation. 

I have really struggled with how I want to feel about this. I want to be excited for new scape but it just looks like Heroscape from the outside. I want to support it but, not at the price they are asking for it. There is some good things they have done but really they should have just used the terrain and basic rules to create a new game; instead of using nostalgia to sell a product.

The only positive for me is you can buy new terrain, if you need any, and I personally don't unless I find a huge amount of people to play with, host tournaments, and the time to do it all...which is not going to happen for me anytime soon. 

I mentioned this in my post from 2022 that I didn't like the direction of the story they are trying to push. These "designers" don't play Heroscape, they don't understand the lore of Heroscape, and they are just using the name as a marketing ploy. 

My biggest problems are: 

1) The introduction of  "factions". This is not needed, this is already done with the generals. I like adding additional generals, I have done it with my customs, and so have many others

2) The removal of Valkrill. I think they should have found a way to work it out with WotC to use him, instead of a new Valkyrie general that appears to replace him. 

3) Making Raelin evil again. This was done in the sort comics, I have and others have made customs of this. It doesn't make sense to do it again, and change her from having metal wings to red feathered wings. 

4) A design for a Kyrie that follows Vydar that does not match the description of the only kyrie that follows him in the lore. I could get past this but the story from the Master Set Swarm of the Marro makes it pretty clear that his kyrie pretty much all left him. 

5) The new Dragon doesn't match the aesthetics of the other dragons and just doesn't look like it belongs, I also don't really like it's vine growing ability. You could say this about most of the new figures. Also a Marro bounty hunter...doesn't align with the hive mentality. 

6) "Compatible" with original Heroscape. Again they are using the names, rules, and terrain; but this is not an extension of the original. 

 7) The cost. This is a big one. While the argument could be made that its not a bad price for the non-painted sets and cost of the painted set is crazy high. I have seen it said the the difference is only $5 per figure, which is really cheep for "hand painted by a professional person" but these will not be that. There was nothing wrong with the "paint apps" for the original Heroscape, why are the upgrading it to "premium paint apps". 

8) Card art looks cheep and unprofessional, it doesn't match the original. 

So, I guess if you want to support this go for it. But as of right now I would not call this Heroscape. 
If you like the unit designs then just do what the community has done for the past year: print your own cards and buy a proxy figure to use. 
This how I felt about it the first go around, wanted to be excited, then looked at it and was really put off.

Heroscape and the community that plays it doesn't need this. They, myself included, have continued making it for over a decade. And I would argue done a much better job. 
I may still buy it for the terrain, but if I do I will be remaking all of the cards...maybe that will help give me the spark to get back into playing, I guess we will see. 

The Book of Bruni

       The Book of Bruni

Bangerang Disney Custom

The figure used for this unit is Custom 3D printed and painted figure.

BLAZING FIRE 16

After moving, you must roll the 20-sided die once for each figure Bruni passed by. If you roll an 16 or higher, that figure receives 1 wound. Figures with the Lava Resistant special power are not affected by Blazing Fire 18. While moving normally Bruni is never attacked when leaving an engagement.

LAVA RESISTANT

Bruni never rolls for molten lava damage or lava field damage, and it does not have to stop on molten lava spaces.

NEGATIVE ELEMENT

Bruni can never roll defense dice while it is on a water space.

CLIMB x3

When moving up or down levels of terrain, Bruni may triple it’s height. 

-Rulings and Clarifications-

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-Combinations and Synergies-

Synergy Benefits Received 

N/A

Synergy Benefits Offered

N/A

The Book of Pegasus

       The Book of Pegasus

Bangerang Disney Custom

The figure used for this unit is Modified Moonstar figure from Heroclix: Fantastic Forces.

CARRY

Before moving Pegasus, choose an unengaged friendly small or medium figure adjacent to Pegasus. After you move Pegasus, place the chosen figure adjacent to Pegasus.

STEALTH FLYING 

When counting spaces for Pegasus’s movement, ignore elevations. Pegasus may fly over water without stopping, pass over figures without becoming engaged, and fly over obstacles such as ruins. When Pegasus starts to fly, if he is engaged he will not take any leaving engagement attacks.

-Rulings and Clarifications-

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-Combinations and Synergies-

Synergy Benefits Received 

N/A

Synergy Benefits Offered

N/A

The Book of Sisu

     The Book of Sisu

Bangerang Disney Custom

The figure used for this unit is Custom 3D printed and painted figure.

WATER MANIPULATION 5

Start the game with 5 water tiles on this card. After revealing an Order Marker on this card, you may remove a water tile from this card and place it on either one of the spaces Sisu occupies or any empty land space within 5 spaces of Sisu, if the water tile fits normally onto that space.

WATER JUMP

If Sisu ends her normal movement on a water space, you may immediately place her on any empty water space within 5 spaces. If Sisu is engaged when she starts her Water Jump, she will not take any leaving engagement attacks.

SUPER STRONG SWIMMER

While Sisu is on a water space, add 1 to her Attack and Defense.

If Sisu starts her turn on a water space, add 1 to her movement for that turn. Sisu does not have to stop her movement when entering a water space.

-Rulings and Clarifications-

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-Combinations and Synergies-

Synergy Benefits Received 

RAYA : GUARDIAN OF THE DRAGON GEM

As a Dragon Sisu may benefit from Raya's GUARDIAN OF THE DRAGON GEM Special Power.

Synergy Benefits Offered

N/A

The Book of Raya

      The Book of Raya

Bangerang Disney Custom

The figure used for this unit is Custom 3D printed and painted figure.

TUK TUK ROLL

Raya may add 3 to her Move as long as she is unengaged prior to moving.

WHIP SWORD

After moving and before attacking with Raya, you may choose one opponent’s small or medium figure within 3 clear sight spaces whose base is no more than 6 levels above Raya’s height or 6 levels below Raya’s base. Roll the 20-sided die. If you roll a 11 or higher, place the chosen figure on any empty same-level space adjacent to Raya and the chosen figure receives one wound. If the chosen figure is engaged when it is moved by Whip Sword, it will not take any leaving engagement attacks.

GUARDIAN OF THE DRAGON GEM

After taking a turn with Raya, if she is engaged, you may immediately take a turn with one Dragon Hero you control.

-Rulings and Clarifications-

_________________________________________________________________

-Combinations and Synergies-

Synergy Benefits Received 

N/A

Synergy Benefits Offered

DRAGON UNITS : GUARDIAN OF THE DRAGON GEM

The following may benefit from Raya's GUARDIAN OF THE DRAGON GEM Special Power:

• Braxas
• Charos
• Jiaolung
• Mimring
• Moltenclaw
• Nilfheim
• Othkurik the Black Dragon
• Tezcacoatl the Blue Dragon
• Zelrig

Heroscape Age of Annihilation

So this is a really late post but Hasbro is try to relaunch Heroscape through Avalon Hill on HasLab-Hasbropulse. I guess it is there way of doing a pre-order/Kickstarter campaign. It has a number of long time members of the Heroscapers.com community as designers along with Craig Van Ness the games original designer leading the rebirth. It is called Heroscape Age of Annihilation. 

When I first saw it announced I really didn't believe it. It showed professionally painted and based miniatures, which would be great but showing off minis with that much detail and not original Heroscape bases I didn't believe it. Well I was right not to believe the figures would come painted like they used to, because they wont. I know this is a big turn off for most, but they are not only changing to painted figures they are also adding new Valkyrie Generals, and then separating everything even further into five factions...based on the color of the plastic they are printed in, I think. 

I really want to be excited about this, but I just am not. I can get past the unpainted miniatures, I enjoy painting minis and most of my customs are painted, that's not the problem. The problem is the need to change/fast-forward the story behind the game.  There is no reason to do this, none of the new units draw from the strength of what made Heroscape great: historical units and pop-cultural inspired units, mixed with fantasy and sci-fi. This new version is all steampunk and sci-fi/war hammer style units. Only the "stretch goal" units are new versions of familiar heroes, and are unlikely to be achieved. 

The campaign will only fund and go into production if they sell 8000 copies. There is only the one tier with no add-ons, it is all of it or nothing at $250. The price for what you get is not bad, but it is a steep price for a new player to get into a game. 

I don't think it will succeed, but it would be kind of cool to have some official new Heroscape figures to add to the collection.  We will find out on November 15, 2022, and if it does wait at least a year until they are delivered. 

 Anyway, here are some images of the beta cards:

Stretch goal figures:

New artwork of Kyrie that I don't believe are included in the game...

The Book of Krang (Giant Form)

   The Book of Krang (Giant Form)

Bangerang TMNT Custom

The figures used for this unit is a 1994 5" Krang TMNT action figure.

ROBOTIC BODY SUIT

The Species of Krang is considered to be both Ultrom and Android. 

EYE BEAMS SPECIAL ATTACK

Range Special. Attack 5.

Choose 11 spaces in a straight line from Krang. All figures on those spaces who are in line of sight are affected by Krang’s Eye Beams Special Attack. Roll 5 attack dice once for all affected figures. Affected figures roll defense dice separately.

-Rulings and Clarifications-

EVENT HEROES

This rule, although optional, should always be used when playing with a C3G Event Hero. The main thing to remember about Event Heroes is that because they are a different type of hero, they are not susceptible to powers that specify Unique or Common Heroes.

EVENT HERO SPECIAL RULE:

When selecting cards to put in your Army, you cannot select two of the same Event Army Card. Event Heroes are never destroyed without first taking enough wounds to be destroyed. If a terrain rule or a special power on any Army Card, Glyph, or Destructible Object would automatically destroy an Event Hero, that terrain rule or special power instead inflicts 4 wounds on that Event Hero. Players may never take temporary or permanent control of an opponent’s Event Hero.

EVENT HERO CLARIFICATION - Event Heroes may not pick up Equipment Glyphs. Equipment Glyphs may only be equipped by Unique Heroes.

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-Combinations and Synergies-

Synergy Benefits Received 
N/A

Synergy Benefits Offered
KRANG : MOLECULAR AMPLIFICATION

Krang (Giant) may benefit from Krang's MOLECULAR AMPLIFICATION special power.