by Gavin Dady

The clouds of war are gathering and the dead are restless…

Three important updates this week

Firstly, the good news is that by the time you read this the shipping of the Chapter 2 bundles should be well under way. Now that these bundles are starting to reach the outside world we’ll also be releasing the Chapter 2.2 sets for general release, so that’s the Council of the Dark Brotherhood, Dark Brotherhood Aspirants and Flame Ataronachs. We are also previewing the next two sets, the Imperial Vanguard and Stormcloak Shieldbreakers, ready for release at the end of July

The Imperial Vanguard rounds out the forces of the Empire with three new Hero figures, Adelaisa Vendicci, who specializes in hunting pirates and bandits; Legate Fasendil, who allows his allies to take advantage of critical strikes by granting an immediate follow-up and Captain Aldis, who has the Drillmaster ability that lets his allies exchange two Yellow effect dice for a Black effect dice! We also have three new Followers in the form of the Imperial Recruits. Cheap and lightly armoured – they have no shields, unlike many other Imperials - the recruits make ideal forces for flanking manoeuvres or with a strong leader figure who can bolster their abilities such as Rikke or The Imperial Captain.

The Stormcloak Shieldbreakers adds some hard hitting units to the Stormcloak side. Gonnar Oath-Giver allows you to craft your tale by choosing additional Oaths as the game progresses – letting you choose your moment to claim a few extra Victory Points. Thorygg Sun-Killer brings a deadly fighter who works well with units that wield two handed weapons, increasing their lethality by enhancing any Punishing value they have. Nura Snow-Shod helps to reinforce your faith in Talso and brings useful abilities with Smithing and Restoration skills. Finally the set is rounded out by three unique Stormcloak followers wielding axes.

To go along with those sets we also have the release of the first of our Histories of the Empire thematic storyline books. Histories of the Empire Volume 1: The Stormcloak Rebellion is a narrative driven expansion to The Elder Scroll: Call to Arms. Enabling its players to take part in pivotal events such as the search for the Jagged Crown and the Battle for Whiterun, culminating with the final push on the capitals of Solitude or Windhelm.

It includes a three-part campaign detailing the rise or fall of the Stormcloak Rebellion in their fight against the Imperial Legion. The first act details the skirmishes and rising tensions that lead to the Battle for Whiterun. The second places the player in command of their chosen faction, allowing them to tactically decide which holds to attack and gradually push their front lines toward the enemy’s capital. The third and final act entirely focuses on the siege of a faction’s capital, moving from the walls into the city itself and culminating in the hero’s facing each other for a final confrontation that will decide the fate of Skyrim.

Also included within this book are new rules for setting your battles within any of the nine Holds of Skyrim. From Haafingar with its soaring peaks to The Rift and its many beast nests, these new Hold rules allow players to further expand on the environment mechanics presented in the core rules and experience more thematic battlefields.

Building and expanding on the existing rules for Elder Scrolls: Call to Arms, this book offers new and exciting experiences for fighting in Tamriel. Adding extra effects to environments, altering what equipment each faction can take and offering thematic bonuses based on the holds the player controls, these expanded rules add a new depth to the game so the player can truly control how their faction handles the war.

Finally, we have also included rules for an entirely new faction - Hold Guards. Included are Heroes, Followers and Adversary cards that can be used as allies or enemies in your struggle for dominance.

HotE:V1 – TSR should be available for pre-order from the Modiphius Webstore at the end of July and should be shipping around the end of August.

Last, but by no means least, we are really please to be able to share our interim rules for  Draugr as a playable faction. We’re going to be covering the Draugr in much more detail in a later chapter (yes, with more Dragon Priests) and these rules are a taste of what we have in store. Draugr are a unique playing experience, as they care nothing for the petty needs of the living word. We’ve had to work out alternate quest systems for the Draugr, so we’re really interested to hear your feedback over at the Modiphius Forums.

You can download the new Draugr Faction Rules from the Modiphius Webstore.