It’s a crazily hot August afternoon here at Mantic HQ! The mercury’s high, we’re in barbecue season, it’s shorts weather (with optional loud shirts) and there’s only one – yes one – thing that can possibly be on the agenda today.

You’d better believe it – Christmas! Why, I hear you ask? Here’s Ronnie to tell you all about it! (Links to YouTube)

2026’s latest and greatest tabletop gaming advent calendars are on the way to Mantic HQ right now! And trust us – they’re going to sell out…again.

So – we want YOU, our fantastic community, to get a head start and first pick of everything that’s coming. We know that lots of you are now building up a collection of as our tabletop gaming advent calendars become a fun annual tradition.

Now – in a few weeks time, we’ll start telling the rest of the world about them – so this is your EARLY ACCESS chance to get one step ahead of the crowd, while you’ve got the chance to pre-order whatever you like from across the whole range while stocks last!

*NEW* Hellboy: The Advent Calendar Game

New for 2026, fans of Mike Mignola’s iconic paranormal hero can uncover a complete tabletop adventure one day at a time with the new Hellboy Advent Calendar Game.

Designed for 2-4 players, each door reveals new components, building toward a climactic battle against Rasputin!

This advent calendar board game includes plastic miniatures of Hellboy, Liz Sherman, Abe Sapien, Johann Krauss and Rasputin, plus Frog Monster standees, custom dice and an illustrated game mat featuring authentic Hellboy artwork.

Inspired by the classic snakes-and-ladders format (with a Hellboy twist!), players race floor-by-floor through a mysterious building, battling or evading Frog Monsters while avoiding monstrous tentacles on their way to a final showdown with Rasputin.

Easy to learn and packed with surprises, the game is designed for families, casual gamers and dedicated Hellboy fans alike!

*NEW* TerrainCrate Dungeons: for Fantasy & RPG Fans!

We teased earlier this year that some time after TerrainCrate Battlefields, we’d be seeing TerrainCrate Dungeons and work is continuing on that exciting project in the background.

But a looong way ahead of the main range, the advance party has arrived with not one but two advent calendars – one filled with dungeon furniture, and the other with classic fantasy hero and enemy miniatures!

Between then – or even better, together – we think this is the perfect way to reward your Games Master this winter, and to bring your very own fantasy tabletop gaming to life with some fantastic extra scenery and highly detailed miniatures – like these ones!

Perfect for roleplaying fans, fantasy skirmish games, dungeon crawlers, diorama hobby projects and so, so much more – we think these are going to be a firm favourite for a huge number of tabletop gamers this year.

It’s time for a dungeon delve!

Fan Favourites Return – Worms and The Walking Dead Gaming Advent Calendars

The big stars of our existing tabletop gaming advent calendar range are BACK, so if you missed either of these two then you can catch up with your collection now. Let’s hear a big welcome for…Worms and The Walking Dead!

The Worms advent calendar game is a gloriously silly game of all-out worm warfare, that distills the essence of the award-winning full size board game into a 2-4 player experience for ages 10 and up. Plus, it includes several Worm miniatures not in the standard edition of the larger board game – bolster your teams, or hang onto these if you love this version and level up later to the full-size game!

And if you’re in the mood for some edge-of-your-seat tension, then The Walking Dead advent calendar game is for 1-4 players, ages 14+, that sees you taking survivors on dangerous supply runs, as the Walker threat grows ever more severe….will you survive?

Check out the short videos below to find out more!

Your Pick of the Classics: Fantasy or Sci-Fi?

Let’s take a trip back to where it all started – the ingenious idea of opening one door at a time, collecting a complete board game through 24 days of miniatures and game pieces, and unleashing it all on Christmas day!

If you haven’t been here since the start, then these two advent calendars offer two complimentary – and yet wildly different! – experiences, taking place in our Pannithor and Warpath Universe settings. However, they’re perfect for any fantasy and sci-fi fans, whatever your favourite stories may be.

Bar Room Brawl is a game for 3-4 players, where you each take control of your choice of hero in a rowdy tavern – because that’s where all good fantasy stories begin. In this light-hearted adventure you’ll be competing to deliver festive food and drinks back to your table, while dodging the chaos caused by other revellers, and avoiding the mischievous goblin bouncer. On top of the game itself, and all the fun heroes you’ll need (below), this calendar also includes enough 3D scenery to build your own tavern.

Meanwhile, Deep Space Pest Control is a game for 1-2 players. In this high-stakes adventure, you’re the last line of defence against the veer-myn (i.e. space rats)! Seal their tunnels, hold your ground, and buy enough time for the colonists to escape. One player is Kyro, our alien mercenary hero – with the rats controlled either by the game or another player! With every door through December, you’ll get the miniatures and scenery you need to build your outpost, preparing for your sci-fi mission.

Find out more in these two quick introductions!

Behind the Door? Bundles Galore.

It wouldn’t be a Mantic advent calendar launch if we didn’t have some great deals lined up for you – so of course we do…

Firstly – we have some multi-buy bundles where you can get a great deal on gaming advent calendars for you and your family, partners, friends, club mates, colleagues…or whoever you like!

And secondly, we’ve managed to get some extra stock made of two stone-cold-classic Mantic collector’s pieces: Holiday Hellboy and Eeny Meeny Miny Mo (from The Walking Dead). Stock of those is super limited – so congratulations to everyone who manages to grab one of those bundles.

Whatever takes your fancy this Christmas, this is your chance to get ahead of the crowd and take free pick from the very best of everything that’s coming.

You’ll find it all at the link below, so from all of us here…enjoy!

P.S. Has Anyone Seen a Lost Hat?

One of Ronnie’s hats has disappeared. Again!

Last seen at Mantic HQ, casually perched on a gaming hall table, surrounded by Advent Calendars. Approximately one cap tall. Bright blue complexion with curved brim and a confident, laid-back attitude. Known to associate with sunny afternoons. Distinguishing features include a tendency to collect amused remarks, and an uncanny ability to disappear the moment it’s actually needed.

It’s…well, it’s a blue hat. You get the idea.

And maybe…just maybe, it’ll turn up in one of your Advent Calendar Bundle orders!

Ho-ho-ho everybody….Merry August!

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The Second Portal – A Story by Mark Barber

The cannons atop the battlements of the city’s east wall blasted into life again; sulphurous, black smoke belching up from the long weapons to obscure a blue sky, tinged with red. The mid-afternoon sun of the heatwave continued to beat down remorselessly, illuminating every crevice and nook between the dry rocks of the foothills to the east of the city, and the scores of corpses littering the plains leading to the eastern gate.

The lines of Basilean troops, numbering in their thousands, spread out in a long line to the south of the city. Behind them, staging areas and supply trains were set up to support the front lines with a constant flow of water, arrows, and basic medical supplies, whilst the wounded and exhausted were cycled back away from the fighting. The south wall had been reached and contact established with the battered defenders, and even now the first ladders were in place along the city wall to allow soldiers of the 5th Legion to begin reinforcing the city guards.

From his position in front of his command tent in the high ground to the south, Grand Master Gnaeus Sallustis, half-Elohi commander of all Basilean paladins, narrowed his eyes as yet another attack was launched from the enemy-held north wall along the contested west wall. With deep bellows and roars audible across the still, summer air even from this distance, ranks of warriors rushed across the battered battlements. Orcs this time. Perhaps the Abyssals were flagging.

“Grand Master!”

Gnaeus turned to regard his addresser – a tall, thin paladin officer in the white-trimmed blue of the Order of the Sacred Arc. High Paladin Augus – the commander of the famed paladin order.

“What news, old friend?” Gnaeus forced a thin but encouraging smile as the younger commander weaved his way through the grand master’s entourage of aides and assistants.

Augus halted by the prone form of Nakir, Gnaeus’s legendary lion companion.

“Not much to update,” the silver-haired high paladin winced, “the Abyssal main force still occupies the plains to the east, although there is no sign of reinforcements coming in through the Samarites. They hold the north wall. We still comfortably hold the south and east walls, whilst the main fighting continues in the city centre, the west wall, and across the western approaches.”

Gnaeus nodded, massaging his temples with one armoured finger and thumb. The city centre, where the second force of Abyssal warriors had poured into the heart of Samarik itself through a portal. A portal large enough to move an army appearing without any existing portal stones…it was unthinkable.

The largest contingent of the Abyssal force – perhaps four or five thousand red-skinned, demonic warriors, held position in the dusty plains outside the east wall, continually bombarded by the city’s cannons. There had been two main clashes between the Abyssal force and the combined reinforcements of Basileans and salamanders. The first was a stalemate with heavy losses on both sides; the second saw an Abyssal attack beaten back with losses so heavily inflicted on the demons that for a few moments, Gnaeus dared to allow himself hope of victory there and then. But the demonic attackers, rallying under the guttural roars of the towering Lord of Lies himself, held fast and kept their distance. But this, all of this, Samarik…to what end was this sudden attack? Gnaeus could only speculate. A brazen march through the Samarites with an army of demons to coincide with perhaps the largest portal to the Abyss ever opened in the mortal world… this was no mere probe.

“Then we maintain the upper hand,” Gnaeus exhaled before flashing a more encouraging smile to Augus, “we must be patient. Dictator Baccius’s actions in the city are commendable, but the battle will be won out here. We hold position, wear them down, and await further reinforcements. The Abyssals have no more warriors coming to their aid, save isolated bands of orcs, ratkin, and goblins, whereas our reinforcements will be significant. We will defeat them on attrition alone, if needs be.”

There was a commotion to the west and both senior paladins turned in place to look down the rocky slope leading up to the command tent. A smile spread across Gnaeus’s lips as a trio of strangers in ruddy browns and greens approached. The lines of paladins, Sisterhood warriors, and legion men-at-arms parted to permit them past as if the newcomers were plagued.

Three feraun tribal hunters, pale-furred and long of horns, passively and graciously approached the grand master. The first offered a courteous bow. But Gnaeus’s smile grew already before the feraun warrior even spoke. Messengers of Galahir. The Green Lady had sent aid. If the aid was significant, this battle was about to become one-sided.

“Grand Master Sallustis,” the veteran tribal hunter said softly, “I bring greetings and news from my Lord Ydrin Thorncreeper, who is but a stone throw from here. My Lord brings an army of…”

Any optimism growing in Gnaeus’s heart seemed to dissipate immediately when a colossal bang sounded from within the city walls. All eyes along the Basilean and salamander lines turned as one to regard the besieged city, groans of despair rippling along the masses of armoured warriors from those who had arrived with the first wave of reinforcements. From those who knew what the sound was.

“By the Ones.” Augus’s head fell forward. “Surely… surely they cannot…”

“They’ve opened the portal,” Gnaeus spat bitterly, “again, within the city itself! The bastards can use that thing more than once…”

Gnaeus clasped his hands together and muttered a prayer for Dictator Baccius and the defenders inside the wall. The forces of the Abyss had a way to reinforce their armies. This battle was far from won.

The Siege of Samarik summer campaign is live now – click HERE to read more about it!

The post The Siege of Samarik: The Second Portal appeared first on Mantic Games.

Play Games, Write History

The Siege of Samarik is live!

From today until Sunday 30th August, players around the world will be fighting games of Kings of War, Kings of War: Champions and Armada to decide the fate of the Basilean city of Samarik.

For the next three weekends, every submitted result will push the balance towards one of two outcomes: Samarik Stands or Samarik Falls. Whichever side wins, the result will become part of the ongoing history of Pannithor.

So choose your allegiance, get your army on the table, and have your say!

ENTER THE SIEGE OF SAMARIK SUMMER CAMPAIGN

Choose Your Side

Before each game, decide which player is fighting for Samarik Stands and which for Samarik Falls.

Any faction can support either outcome. You might stand alongside the Basilean defenders, throw in your lot with the Abyssal invasion, or come up with an entirely different reason for your army to become involved. Your battle doesn’t even need to take place at Samarik itself – conflicts elsewhere in Pannithor can still influence the wider struggle.

Ydrin Thorncreeper has been sent by The Green Lady to aid the defenders.

Once the battle is over, one player submits the result through the campaign website. Submissions are limited to one result per user per day, and you can follow the live standings there throughout the campaign.

If you want the full rundown on how everything works, our campaign guide has all the details.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

The Battle Continues

In the story, the siege itself is already well underway.

A huge Abyssal force under the Lord of Lies has descended on Samarik, while Basilean troops, Salamander allies and other reinforcements fight to prevent the city from being overwhelmed.

Gnaeus Sallustis leads the Basilean army sent to reinforce Samarik.

Today we’re publishing The Second Portal, a new piece of fiction from Kings of War author Mark Barber, picking up the battle as the campaign begins.

Your armies and your games will decide what happens next.

READ ‘THE SECOND PORTAL’

Take the Siege to Your Tabletop

You don’t need to play a siege battle to take part – ordinary games across all three systems still count.

But if you want to embrace the theme, the new beta Siege Rules for Kings of War 4th Edition are available to download for free. They include rules for fortifications, garrisoned units, destructible walls, siege equipment and a selection of scenarios for fighting battles around defended positions.

These rules are still in development, so we also want to hear how they work on your tabletop. Our Siege Rules feedback form is now live, giving you the chance to help us refine them for the future.

DOWNLOAD THE FREE BETA SIEGE RULES

GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK

What Happens Next?

Part One of the campaign runs from today until Sunday 23rd August, with both sides starting on equal terms. There are some optional Battle Conditions on the campaign website to add a little spice to your Kings of War games, if you and your opponent choose to use them.

On Monday 24th August, we’ll reveal which side holds the advantage, publish the next piece of short fiction from Mark Barber, and introduce a fresh set of optional Battle Conditions for the final week.

Then it all comes down to one last push before the campaign closes at the end of Sunday 30th August and the fate of Samarik is decided.

Whether you fight once or keep returning to the battlefield throughout the campaign, you’ll be part of the worldwide Mantic community, helping to shape the next chapter of Pannithor’s story.

Play games. Write history.

JOIN THE SIEGE OF SAMARIK

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