Any signs of Puppet Wars?

[i_was_like_you]

I did like that aces counted as a double suit. Had me scrabbling to check the rules for 'Faux to see if I'd been doing it wrong. No such luck (unless you're Lynch).

[Omenbringer]

Double Suit plus an additional card for the Value when you flipped an Ace. They were really potent when you were dodging.

I really liked that Puppet Wars wasn't "Malifaux Lite" like a lot of people thought. There were some similarities but it really was it's own game.

[i_was_like_you]

Double Suit plus an additional card for the Value when you flipped an Ace. They were really potent when you were dodging.

I really liked that Puppet Wars wasn't "Malifaux Lite" like a lot of people thought. There were some similarities but it really was it's own game.

I kinda was hoping it'd be Malifaux lite. A quicker, easier way to snare people into the game, in a much more portable fashion. As a boardgame, it should be able to be self-contained, having everything you need for 2 to 4 players all in one place. Instead, even with the PW bag, there's still more than it can handle.

[I don't know who approached whom on crafting the bag, but PW, potentially having a puppet for every model in Malifaux, needs a bag closer to the Malifaux bag, whereas Malifaux needs something closer to what Warmahordes uses. ]

[RichS]

Not having bought a copy of the original I'm quite eager for the new version. Hopefully it will be out by May and I can persuade my girlfriend it would be an ideal gift!

Looking at the box contents on miniaturemarket it lists 44 puppets and 2 fate decks. Counting up all the puppets available for the original I think there were 40 different ones. Are we expecting multiples or 44 unique characters? Also is it likely that just adding 2 more decks will make this 4 player? I suspect the answer to both these questions is simply "we don't know yet" but worth asking.

[ThePandaDirector]

@RichS: There were 18 Puppets in the starter, 12 of which were Pawns. So it works out:

12x3 = 36

6 + Viktoria and Hooded Rider = 8

Total = 44

So it's just the starter with triple pawns plus Viktoria and HR. But hopefully they'll release the Expansion shortly after (Gencon? so we can pick up Marcus and Pandora.

[RichS]

Thanks, so does that mean there are 12 different pawns and three of each in the box? The 6 others are then Seamus and Justice and two sidekicks each? If that's the case then roughly 50 quid for the starter and then 20(?) for the multiplayer expansion makes this a lot harder to swallow.

[ThePandaDirector]

In PW you can have a maximum of three of each Pawn. Since plastic is cheaper Wyrd are able to provide this option straight out of the box, as opposed to you buying Boosters. So you get the same 12 Pawns that were in the original metal starter, but in multiples of three, and in plastic.

The other 8 models will be - Justice, Seamus, Viktoria, Judge, Bete Noire, Misaki, Rusty Alyce and Hooded Rider. Same as it was in the original starter (plus Vik and HR).

That would leave Marcus, Pandora, Nino, Lucius, Sebastian, Joss and Kade for the expansion, plus 3x 13 Pawns (not including Teddy iirc). So in the Expansion you can expect 3x Ice Golem, Mature Nephilim, Gremlins, and any other Pawns that aren't in the starter. Though this list might change.

I also believe all the game tokens will also be redone and modelled in plastic (instead of the cheap coloured tokens in the old starter).

[RichS]

Ah, I had forgot about the game tokens, of course if these are modelled nicely this time then that makes a difference. I doubt I will be able to resist regardless but it may make it harder to sell to non-malifaux players as only a 2 player board game.

[ThePandaDirector]

it may make it harder to sell to non-malifaux players as only a 2 player board game.

Well technically with Viktoria it's a 3-player boardgame, but still, this is why I'm hoping the expansion will come out shortly after, as that will give the game the boost it needs and clear the way for new Masters, Sidekicks and Pawns (many of which I'm already expecting ).

[i_was_like_you]

That would leave Marcus, Pandora, Nino, Lucius, Sebastian, Joss and Kade for the expansion, plus 3x 13 Pawns (not including Teddy iirc). So in the Expansion you can expect 3x Ice Golem, Mature Nephilim, Gremlins, and any other Pawns that aren't in the starter. Though this list might change.

I also believe all the game tokens will also be redone and modelled in plastic (instead of the cheap coloured tokens in the old starter).

Better tokens would be nice.

Prediction for GenCon 2013: A new set of plastic PW Teddies!

[ThePandaDirector]

Yeah no idea how they're going to do Teddies. The way the plastics work the game seems to be designed to be purchased in self contained box sets and expansions, as opposed to having clamshells and boosters, etc. Since the old rules allow you to have as many Teddies as you want, I wonder if Wyrd will change that so they can fit them into one of the boxes (hopefully the first expansion). It would be sad to lose the Teddy Picnic, but I'm not sure they work under the new packaging policy.

But once we get past the stuff that is available in metal, I will start getting a lot more excited. Not only is there some awesome stuff on the (now distant) horizon, I also want to see some of the best Puppet artwork get sculpted; notably McCabe and Slate Ridge Mauler =]

[Omenbringer]

Yeah no idea how they're going to do Teddies.

Betting they are still going to be random "finds" in the releases or available as prize support for events.

Not only is there some awesome stuff on the (now distant) horizon, I also want to see some of the best Puppet artwork get sculpted; notably McCabe and Slate Ridge Mauler =]

A lot of that stuff is probably going to have to change as well. I am looking forward to more Gremlin Goodness though.

[ThePandaDirector]

Betting they are still going to be random "finds" in the releases or available as prize support for events.

I think there was a bit too much backlash around getting a hold of Teddies for them to be kept as "rares", especially since they are one of the best models to pull people into the game. But I wouldn't say no to a free frame of Teddies if you buy early or something =]

[Omenbringer]

I think there was a bit too much backlash around getting a hold of Teddies for them to be kept as "rares", especially since they are one of the best models to pull people into the game. But I wouldn't say no to a free frame of Teddies if you buy early or something =]

If they release Teddy Packs again then I would like to see some rules for a multi-hex occupying Teddy that looks like it was stitched together from all the different colored bears (limited edition useable in Malifaux model).

[edonil]

...that would be awesome.

I know I'd love to see the Teddies still have function in Puppet Wars, I own a full set and love the pieces even though I haven't gotten to play the game!

[ThePandaDirector]

That would be awesome, but I think LE and rare models should stay out of PW from now on. Let everyone enjoy the power of friendship =]

[sssk]

For anyone who's not on twitter, EricJ tweeted a picture of the new puppet wars stuff yesterday (UK time, maybe earlier today US time, I get confused), with:

Look what I got on Friday! (sorry for the glare). That is 44 minis in there! #puppetwars pic.twitter.com/27XSiqUx8y

The board looks awesome, box looks slightly more robust than the old one. There's still a sheet of what look like counters, as if they're still card, but that might be something else, or might be how they do more robust counters nowadays. Wouldn't like to start fairly unfounded rumours. So it looks like puppet wars may be almost upon us (May release probably).

I wonder if they're going to do limited editions for it. The problem being that they'd need a whole additional sprue for adding teddies into "booster" sets, but they could easily do a "miss terious" style gencon type sprue.

[RichS]

The counters look like the exhausted icon on the puppet wars website so hopefully the work benches are actually sculpted but we'll see soon hopefully.

[ThePandaDirector]

Yeah a little disappointed at the likelyhood of cardboard counters. As great as the art is I was hoping both counters and tokens would be plastic. I would have even liked Exhausted Counters to work like Infection Counters in Sedition Wars, which clip on the bottom of the base as a nice and visual reminder. But so long as the game tokens are nice and characterfully sculpted then it's still an improvement.

But I don't see an upgrade kit being possibe, or really needed. The tokens are likely on the same frame as the models, the board isn't notably different to the original (just slightly bigger with different art) and the counters look the same. The only thing you might want is the rulebook which looks the same too (and the rules will all be online). So if you don't like the new models and like the original game, then really I don't see any reason to "upgrade" anything.

[Hugor]

Happy to see Unstiched made the Chronicle and that it will be coming out soon. It will be hard to decide if I should get this when it comes out, when I paint all of my original puppet war models (still have several to go, but they have been moved fairly far down the list), or at some other time when I have extra money...

[RichS]

The chronicle has some very high resolution images of the box contents. I guess the work benches etc are under the exhausted tokens because Nathan says they are plastic but I can't see them on the sprue. Assuming somewhere on this side of the pond stocks it I'll be geeting this asap I think. Those plastics are just beautiful.

[sssk]

and confirmed plastic counters. Sounds pretty exactly like the test version we got to try out before Christmas.

[Clousseau]

I believe the UK stocks have arrived and will be at Salute this weekend.

[RichS]

Interesting, not that I'll be going but any idea what the price is going to be like? With no UK pre-orders I've just been guessing up to this point.

[ThePandaDirector]

@Clousseau: If this is true... Frak! =P