By Ben Maunder
Wake up Wasteland! Emerging from the darkness of the Vault chewing pre-war coffee beans straight from the can it’s me! Ben, standing in for our ever beneficent Overseer Jon Webb as he toils away in secret. With a bleary eyed introduction out of the way, follow me into yet another #FalloutFriday and prepare your brain meat for the wonders we have to show you!
New Releases
We wrapped up our Commonwealth Wave last month, sad times all around. But if you thought we were done with the magnificent (sometimes a bit terrifying) Greater Boston area, goodness gracious were you wrong. Charging ever northwards we’ve found ourselves deep in the midst of the North Central Commonwealth, where we’ve met some fresh (maybe not the best word now I think about it) faces! First and foremost a young farmhand who's made some questionable choices, but hey who hasn’t? I say give young Jake Finch a chance, but then again I say give anyone with a flaming sword whatever they want…
Speaking of flaming swords and bad choices, it looks like we’ve got a nasty bunch of raiders plundering away up here! Decked in harsh iron and setting fire to anyone and everything that they even remotely think will burn, The Forged are here to steal your heart, and house, farm, anything they can get their hands on really. Led by the terrifying Slag and his right hand woman Bedlam (let it never be said Raiders don’t get inventive with their names) are a welcome, if somewhat volatile, addition to any Raider warband.
After a close encounter with immolation some, myself included, may opt for a quieter life. How’s tending a farm sound? How about a farm of ornery Ghouls? I promise they’re lovely, as long as you don’t try and take what's theirs of course. Someone should probably pass that message back to The Forged. The Slog are the first all non-feral Ghoul box we’ve ever released and you could not ask for a better group to start with. Wiseman, Deirdre, Arlen and Co are among the hardest working folks you’ll find on this side of the Saugus River, and those Tarberries are to die for!
I must admit though, in my desperation to put as much distance between me and the fire obsessed maniacs I hadn’t noticed I’d left something rather important behind. Now, I like the idea of keeping all of my insides, inside, so when I get back to the Vault I’ll look about getting another one made up as soon as I can. At the very least, I still have the cover to show you! The Forged in the Fire rulebook has experienced a slight delay and will be out in the world next month!
Must say, I’m envious of the farm they’ve managed to put together. So jealous in fact I may just leave my little typing hole in the Vault and set up my own Homestead out in the wilds. And you know what, we have just the book I need to do so! Introducing Homestead! The newest book for Fallout: Wasteland Warfare massively expands on our current settlement rules with a host of new options, events and all sorts of other wonderful bits! So get out there and settle down, just be careful of Raiders, Deathclaws, Super Mutants… just be careful!
3D Printing
Now, far, far, exceedingly far away from the lovely Boston, there are a whole bunch of public art pieces dotted around the place. They’re an odd collection I must say, must be some form of modern art I don’t understand. Oh, wait, I’m being told that they’re actually victims of some horrendous virus, slowly petrified in their own skin. Well. That’s a bit grim.
They’d look great in the garden though, right next to the Mutfruit, pop a little hat on them. Lovely. Best get them printers up and running all!
Community Roundup
Look I’m putting the net down, how I read “Community Roundup” and how everyone else does is very different. *ahem* Now then, I don’t get out of the Vault much, but in my wanderings I’ve seen some pretty awesome (and terrifying) work from some frankly very talented people. I’ve seen it, enjoyed it, and now you get to do the same! Sharing is caring after all.
I’ve made a distinct habit of avoiding Deathclaws if possible. It's a solid life choice and I recommend you do the same. There are few specimens of the species that better represent my point than the beast painted up by TesseractTomb, an image that has imprinted itself in my nightmares for a while now.
On the way away from the lizard of doom above, I did manage to catch a glimpse of a heroic standoff between a stern looking Vault Dweller, his dog, a dapper looking Mr. Handy and what I can only describe as a duo of metallic monsters (and their own eager dog!). Whilst I don’t like the Vault Dwellers chances, I can’t help but admire how great they all look. Nice work Simon Lam!
I heard someone say, or more precisely shout through loud robotic speakers that “Democracy will never be defeated”, which is a lovely patriotic thought. One the ever so slightly mutated inhabitants of the village below seem to have taken to heart as they bedeck themselves in as many flags as possible, even down to their undergarments! Now ladies and gents, that is a true patriot! Hats off Renaud Thomine for this wonderful display of national pride!
I’m not the greatest fan of Robots, can’t trust nothing I can’t share a drink with. So when I see a whole bevy of the rust buckets together, I tend to just keep moving. When I see a Sentry bot, I move a fair bit quicker. Even I’ve got to admire a well oiled group though, if they’ve managed to keep themselves all prim and proper this far into the apocalypse, they deserve some respect. And more respect to Dan Byrne for putting together such wonderfully clean looking murderbots!
On my final few steps back to the Vault, I was proud to see someone’s taken my earlier words about setting yourself up a little homestead to heart. A single Mr. Handy’s taken up a pitchfork and, from what I can tell, has started rearing rad-chickens! Though he’s either put a particularly disobedient one on display to the others, or one he’s very proud of. One way or the other I’m impressed with Quentin Ladevese’s work!
And that, sadly, is that for another month. I know, I know, it’s an upsetting moment for all of us. But this was my yearly break from the Vault, and there’s so much wonderful Fallout: Wasteland Warfare goodness on the way for me to help with from the confines of my little room.
Thanks to the amazing contributors to this month’s roundup and if you want to be involved in next months one, go give our glorious Overseer Jon a message or let us know about what your up to using #FalloutFriday!
Until next time Wastelanders!
