ArcWorlde: Second Edition, a new narrative-driven battle game, hits Kickstarter this September and after playing it ourselves, it’s definitely one to watch.
Developed by Warploque Miniatures, ArcWorlde sees players enveloped in a breadth of story-driven scenarios, using their wits, tactical skill and outside-of-the-box thinking to battle undead pirates, wild elves, beastmen, halflings and more.
As you can imagine, we play a lot of tabletop games here at Polaroids and Polar Bears, some good, some bad. We came across ArcWorlde at wargaming expo, Chillcon and were immediately sucked in by the miniatures on display. After a quick chat with the team, they directed us to a table where Alex, the brains behind the RPG, was demoing the new edition.
With so much to see at these events, it can be difficult to learn a new game in the short time you have, however ArcWorlde is incredibly simple to pick-up, without diminishing the experience.
Players use a simple action point (AP) system to complete missions, slay beasts, capture objectives and defeat rival commanders. But why read a rule book when you can watch the creator of the game explain it to you.
Once you’ve got to grips with the basic mechanics, players can then customise warbands with new items and equipment and add in new heroes. One thing I particularly loved was the ability to create in-the-moment custom actions, which can turn the tide of a battle. While playing as ‘Big Mog’, a rather handsome forest troll, as a custom action I picked up a nearby Halfling, throwing him a good 12ft into a tree. It certainly packed a punch and he wasn’t getting up anytime soon. The great thing about this mechanic is that you’re only really limited by your imagination (and what is feasibly possible by your character).
The Factions
The Kickstarter for ArcWorlde: Second Edition will see the release of the first four factions (Halflings, Beastfolk, Wild Elves and Undead Raiders) in the series, with more to come next year and beyond. We had first-hand experience of playing with the Halflings and Wild Elves, which were both unique in their play styles and great fun to play. To get an idea of how the factions work, you can download a copy of the rulebook as well as the faction stat cards for free here.
Pledge Levels
When it comes to backing a Kickstarter, the most difficult task is deciding which pledge to take advantage of. ArcWorlde comes with plenty to choose from, whether you’re going it alone or fancy joining forces with a friend to buy all of the warbands.
With an easy to grasp rule system and fantastic miniatures to take control of, we have high hopes for ArcWorlde and can’t wait to place our own pledge.
ArcWorlde: Second Edition is live on Kickstarter until 25 October. To place your pledge click here.