Friday Pre-orders: Deadzone Returns In Style

5th Jul 2024

Dan Mapleston

It's been an amazing summer so far for Firefight. We've had new Nightstalkers, we've had Asterians, and we've unleashed our best-ever starter set: Edge of Sanity.

But what about all our Deadzone fans around the world, who've been waiting patiently these last few weeks for their turn in the spotlight?

Well - your time is now, and we mean....RIGHT NOW.

With nine new sets up for pre-order today (and shipping from the 24th of July) there's something for everyone!

Matsudan House Conclave Starter

Protected by their deep sense of honour, the Matsudan have become a vital weapon in turning back the tide of the Nightstalker advance.

The traditional hymns and prayers of the Gyoji echo across the battlefield, while the Matsudan march side-by-side with the AI-controlled marionettes in an effort to hold back the advancing shadow of the void-bound horrors.

Matsudan Wanderers Booster

Occasionally a Matsudan will fall to the whispers of the Nightstalkers and their deep-seated sense of honour is broken. Rather than risk spreading the curse of the shadowy terrors to their fellow warriors, Ronin will lead from the front in a final display of their bravery, before retiring to a life of solitude where they will eventually succumb to the horrors of the darkness.

Matsudan Daidarabotchi Booster

Originally developed by the advanced engineers of House Daida, when the Asterians called upon the Matsudan to fight against the Nightstalkers, the Daidarabotchi was put into mass production across the different Houses.

Armed with weapons such as the Shirudo Shield or Heavy Fission Beamer, the Daidarabotchi can go toe-to-toe with whatever titanic nightmares emerge from the void.

Asterian Clade Warriors Starter

The brothers of Asteria’s warrior clades do not merely drive their Cyphers as a human soldier might a tank – rather they become their Cyphers, their very consciousnesses being beamed directly into the constructs’ semi-organic brains. Indeed, each Cypher is partially grown using an individual pilot’s genetic material, allowing him to inhabit its metallic frame like a second skin, firing its powerful Noh weapon as if he were holding it in his own fingers.

While they are simple robotic constructs in comparison to the elite Cyphers, Marionettes are nonetheless highly effective, commanded as they are by Asterian pilots no less disciplined than those in the clades.

Asterian Clade Veterans Booster

Black Talon pilots are regarded as something of an elite cadre amongst the highly skilled warrior brotherhoods of the clades. Deploying Cyphers specialists such as Black Talons is often seen as overkill, but as the galaxy has fallen into greater turmoil such measures have become more and more common. Threats are despatched quickly and cleanly, but not before another has arisen elsewhere.

The Shu'uvatar exist to watch over the Overseers of the Asterian Military, and ensure that the decisions they make are in balance.

Asterian Kalyshi Booster

The Kalyshi go to war in traditional warpaint, armed with bows and glaives, but only a fool would mistake them for simple savages – the Kalyshi are no less technologically advanced than any other Asterian. The bows and blades are powered by noh energy and quite capable of penetrating the toughest forged armour.

Known for shocking charges, their lightness and speed means their chosen target is often cut to pieces before it has a chance to react.

Nightstalker Starter

The beginnings of a Nightstalker invasion are proceeded by nightmares and paranoia. Even a small concentration of these victims is enough to open up a crack in reality for a few creatures to slip through. These vanguards stalk the night, killing isolated individuals and spreading fear among the populace, inevitably leading to larger breaches.

Nightstalker Nightmare Incursion Booster

The groupings of Reapers and Luctus Rays have been nicknamed ‘hunting packs’ by combat veterans. According to ETCU records, these are often accompanied by Horrors, who search out defenders through as yet unknown means. The other creatures then use this information to surround and ambush their victims.

Nightstalker Interdimensional Horrors Booster

Though most recorded Nightstalker interlopers identified by the ETCU specialise in melee attacks, this isn’t true of all specimens. Dread Ravagers seem to bear devices close to conventional weaponry as part of their anatomies. Mind-screeches attack through more esoteric means, rupturing synapses and overloading nervous systems with psychic screams.

Meanwhile, the thundering Butcher Fleshrippers take advantage of this confusion, wading into enemy defenders and tearing them limb from bloody limb.