Infestation and the Future of Deadzone

So, the Deadzone: Infestation Kickstarter has finished shipping and the office campaign is escalating. Deadzone has picked up a lot of momentum recently, although I’m not sure whether it’s down to the fantastic rules, the awesome models or the amazing community.

I’ll be honest, when we were starting work on Deadzone again (about the time I joined Mantic) I really wasn’t interested. I’d played 1st edition, but the game just wasn’t interesting to me. That changed when I was invited to do a little in-house playtesting. I played Ronnie, with 100 points of Plague versus his 100 points of Enforcers, using very early rules for what would be 2nd Edition. Naturally, I won (which I’ve never rubbed in his face at all), but what really impressed me was that not only was this more slick and fun than 1st Edition, but tactical. Ronnie tried to kill everything, whilst I focused on holding objectives. The game ended at 12VPs to 10Vps – so despite us both taking completely different strategies, we both almost won.

Fast forward a few months and the game is entering a new renaissance. There’s a beautiful new Hardback rulebook, with all of the faction lists and rules inside. Everyone seems to be picking up the new game and loving it. We’ve been running a campaign in the office for the last month or so, which has seen many new players and exciting games, even when I’m being decimated by Matt’s Enforcers. Everyone has been busy building and painting their faction and trying to get the edge over the others.

Campaigns

Campaigns are easily one of the best parts of 2nd Edition. They’re easy to set up and play with friends and gaming groups and they add a lot of interesting narrative to your games. Rivalries develop and everyone shares stories of their rolls on the Campaign Exploration Table. My Progenitor was once saved by cannily rolling the Field Hospital result. Personally I love the Civilian Survivor result, which describes what each of the various factions does when they find a human survivor, from infection (Plague) to recruitment (Rebs).

All of this new activity is going to be supported going forwards, starting with the Infestation Expansion. Set on the doomed world of Exham IV, this is a narrative campaign that provides a whole new set of missions and threats to face for your Strike Teams. Those fielding Characters from the events in the story line will have access to the new Elite army lists – themed Strike Teams that grant special abilities.

Infestation also introduces a brand new faction to the game – the Veer-Myn. These are rats who walk like parodies of men. They have an affinity for powerful chemical weapons and a mostly a mystery to the GCPS. from the teeming hordes of Crawlers to the monstrous Night Terrors, they creep from out of their nests to destroy whole colonies. Exham IV is the site of the largest Veer-Myn infestation every located and it is up to only a small Strike Force of Pathfinders to eradicate their leader and ensure that the vile creatures never leave the planet.

Exham IV isn’t the only planet to disappear into a Deadzone and likewise, Infestation won’t be the only expansion we do for the game. We’ll be revisiting one or two old favourites as well as adding new settings and factions as we go forward, to support the game.

The future of Deadzone is looking bright, what would you guys like to see going forward?

Fancy seeing what all of the fuss is about? Deadzone 2nd Edition, Infestation and the Veer-Myn are available to Pre-Order now!