Vanguard preview! Ogres and Ratkin!

2nd Apr 2020

Rob Burman



Hi everyone,

If you’ve been following the blog this week, you’ll know that we’ve been recapping some of our Virtual Adepticon announcements… and revealing a few extra things too. We’ve already covered Deadzone (and the awesome Spectra), plus Kings of War (and the wonderful goblins).

In today’s blog we’ll be covering Vanguard – our hugely popular fantasy skirmish game.

ACCESS ALL AREAS

Since launch, we’ve aimed to improve the accessibility of Vanguard. Whether that’s making all the warband stats free to download or ensuring the core rules are free, we want to make sure we’re knocking down the potential barriers to entry.

One thing we keep hearing from the community and our retail partners, is that they’d love a two-player starter set. After all, it’s much easier to get new players into the game if you can pop into a store and pick up a couple of warbands and all the tokens, dice and other stuff you need to play. As a result, we’ll be making a two-player starter set for Vanguard. The set will feature the hideous Nightstalkers going up against the courageous Basileans. A little like this artwork…

OGRES

Did you know we’ve now released 10 full warbands for Vanguard? They include:

  • Abyssal Dwarfs
  • Basileans
  • Dwarfs
  • Forces of the Abyss
  • Forces of Nature
  • Goblins
  • Nightstalkers
  • Northern Alliance
  • Trident Realm
  • Undead

A full warband release means we go back to the starter warband list in the rulebook and review it. We also look at results from tournaments to see which warbands might need a little boost. When reviewing a warband, we look at what else they might need to make them effective or if any units need tweaking to make them more useful.

The next warband to get the full warband treatment are the ogres. These mercenaries for hire are pretty loose with their morals, as long as they’re getting paid. This means they make the perfect Vanguard warband because it’s likely small groups of ogres would be roaming Pannithor looking for work.

MATRIARCH

When it comes to the ogres, you’ve got a few options when it comes to your commander. One of those options is the Matriarch. She’s very good at outsmarting the enemy, so has special moves that allow you to redeploy models and even snatch the first turn away from your opponent.

BERSERKER BULLY

Another option is the Berserker Bully. This is actually a unit option in Kings of War, but we’ll be launching the miniature as part of the Vanguard range. That’s something we’ll continue to do in Vanguard, as it’s a great way to release hero miniatures for its bigger brother.

PAYMASTER

We mentioned this unit on the initial video but didn’t actually show it. Well, let’s make up for that! The Paymaster is a support option for the ogres. He can put a bounty on enemies, which gives your warband +1 dice in melee when attacking that enemy. Get a couple of Paymasters in your warband and you can dish out multiple bounties.

SIEGEBREAKERS

Talking of ogres, alongside the Vanguard release, we’ll also (finally) be launching Siegebreakers! Although primarily a Kings of War release, there’s also a unit entry for these in Vanguard too.

RATKIN!

Ok, this is a biiiiig one! Well, actually they’re not that big but they are very sneaky. Although you’ve seen the Ratkin as part of the Abyssal Dwarf list, we’re now planning to give them their own warband.

We’ll keep the details slim, but we will unveil one of the models currently being worked on: a Ratkin warlock…

What do you reckon? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.

Related Products

Vanguard: Getting Started FREE Rules

Vanguard is fantasy skirmish game set in the world of Mantica. It is a magical place, full of wonder, but also one of conflict and war, as almighty armies clash and empires crumble. Gods and demons roam the world and the skies light up with the crackle of magic. The mortal races strive for dominance across the vastness of the world; from the depths of the oceans, across to the deserts and plains, to the soaring mountain ranges and ice-covered peaks – there is adventure, glory and peril to be had in equal measure.

Included:

  • Digital Rulebook & Summary Sheet
  • PDF

Add to wishlist

£0.00
MGDG025
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Vanguard Rulebook

This book includes all of the core rules for playing Vanguard, including unit entries, scenarios, campaign system, advanced spells and abilities, and rules for tying your games into Kings of War!

PLEASE NOTE – THIS IS THE REVISED VANGUARD RULEBOOK FOR 2021. FIND OUT WHAT’S INCLUDED HERE.

Add to wishlist

£25.00
MGVAM106

Kings of War Vanguard – Digital Rulebook

This book includes all of the core rules for playing Vanguard, including unit entries, scenarios, campaign system, advanced spells and abilities, and rules for tying your games into Kings of War!

PLEASE NOTE – THIS IS THE REVISED VANGUARD RULEBOOK FOR 2021. FIND OUT WHAT’S INCLUDED HERE.

Add to wishlist

£20.00
MGDG026
Digital