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A world engulfed by war and broken asunder by its creator. Armies of brave warriors, titanic beasts, arcane spellweavers and devastating war engines clash for dominance of a fantastical land. Success or failure, victory or death lies in the hands of the commander – that commander is you!

Warpforged Games is excited to announce the upcoming Kickstarter for Mark of War, a virtual tabletop battle game that allows you to collect and command an army to battle for control of a war-ravaged world. Combining all of the hobby appeal of tabletop miniatures gaming with the versatility and interaction of video gaming, Mark of War puts you in control of every aspect of your army, from the overall strategy to the look of your fighters to the dice rolls that determine their fate!

A team with decades of video game development experience and a lifelong passion for miniatures, Warpforged Games are proud to finally bring the tabletop gaming experience to your PC or Mac. Inspired by hugely successful tabletop games such as Warhammer, Warpforged have joined forces with best-selling writer and former Games Workshop designer Gav Thorpe to create the world of Mark of War, bringing to life a land ripe for conquest and battle – your conquest, your battles.

Coming in August 2014, the Mark of War Kickstarter will allow fans of tabletop games and turn-based strategy games not only to make this project a reality, but to get in from the start to help develop and steer this groundbreaking game. Check out the amazing rewards and add-ons, including fantastic limited edition miniatures and the opportunity to be involved in the game development process.
Just as victory is in your hands, so is the future of Mark of War. Spread the word and be part of something unique in gaming history.

“War is simple. They all die, or we do.” Arch-Prophet Ajzak-Votan

At first Fulke thought the noise was thunder, but the clouds overhead, while dark, were no storm. The reverberating crash made the wall of the Hinterkeep shudder again and Fulke looked to Captain Jacquette for reassurance. Her face was set grim, staring north-east towards the edge of the forest, far from comforting. Craning to see what drew his commander’s attention, Fulke leaned on his spear to stand on tiptoe.

From the treeline came a line of darkness, of black haired, ruddy-skinned brutes, each stride accompanied by the crash of a weapon on shields. Behind them towered a giant, skin like ancient leather, enormous hands dragging a treetrunk for a club. Something even more bestial, an unnamed monster from the Rift, bellowed and howled and tugged at the heavy chains of its captors.

The Queen Bez’s Ire sounded thunder of its own, belching smoke and fire from the east tower. A ragged cheer rose from the company, Fulke’s voice amongst them, as the iron shot ploughed a break through the enemy ranks. The cheer faltered quickly as the gaps closed and the advance continued without pause.

Fulke grasped his spear a little tighter and praised the builders of the Hinterkeeps for the solid stone beneath his feet. It would take more than a few pounds of iron to decide this battle. Captain Jacquette raised her sword and called them to attention with the three Pillars of Civilization, strengthening Fulke’s resolve.

“Discipline, obedience, loyalty!”

To learn more about this project go to www.markofwar.com

Please do keep us updated as things progress

We will absolutely make sure to keep everyone well informed. There is a ton of information up on our website at www.markofwar.com and MUCH more info to be released soon!

Somewhat interesting ...

I'm quite sure what is gained vs. a normal turn-based strategy game by having all the fiddly bits of tabletop gaming added in. (And by playing on a pseudo-board instead of just having a nice environment)

Also - little confused - the site mentions the exclusive miniatures KS rewards that are part of the campaign will be on-sprue plastic. It seems like a significant amount of money will have to be raised/spent on these few minis alone - money that could be going to game development?

@Schmapdi

Thanks for the feedback! To specifically address your question yes you are correct that we will be rewarding our backers with high quality plastic miniatures. But the number models produced will be based upon Stretch Goals being reached. This is to ensure that the impact of of the mold costs is minimized compared to the primary goal of adding as much content to the game as possible.

Will the game allow for a modding community so that things can be changed such as skins and the rules?

@Malkaven

Yes we very much want to support allowing the community to change skins and some of the rules. One of the earliest stretch goals is the " Enhanced Army Customizer" which will support those features and more.

Backer Rewards
http://www.markofwar.com/rewards/

To show our thanks and appreciation to our backers Warpforged Games will be giving away numerous fun and exciting rewards!

Plastic Miniatures
Warpforged Games will be creating proper high quality models that can be used in any of your favorite tabletop wargames. The models will be high quality plastic injection mold and come on a sprue with numerous optional pieces and pose-able parts!

Digital Rewards
* Game Poster
* Strategy Guide
* Soundtrack
* Artbook

Game Content
* Full downloadable copy of Mark of War
* Custom in-game dice
* Kickstarter exclusive in-game units & skins
* Expert Army starter kits

Game Access
* Alpha Invite
* Beta Invite
* Early Release Access
* Dev Team Challenge

Game Design
* Working with the dev team you will help design the powers and visual look of a Unit, Building and Magic Weapon in-game.
* Your face and likeness created on an Hero. In addition you get to work with the dev team to create the background for the given unit.
* Working directly with the dev team you will get to help design a Legendary Lord Character and a Mission.
* Exclusive access with the dev team to help design and decide what army will next be added to the game.

Developer Forums
The Mark of War team is incredibly passionate about the project and tabletop wargaming. We also know that there is a legion of similarly passionate people in the wargaming community. This is their chance to have direct insight and access to the dev team as Mark of War is being developed. Backers will not only get to see early content as it’s being made but also have involvement in the design and creation of the game.

* Art Forum – Imagine and help direct what the races, weapons, battlefields and world of Mark of War will look like.
* Story Forum – Participate in the creation of the heroes and armies defining their heroic or tragic past to their bloody and deadly present.
* Army Forum – Guide and pick the units and powers of each army from terrifying monsters to devastating war machines, powerful wizards and more.
* Design Forum – Help shape and influence the core rules of the game from movement to combat and everything else.


And many more!

First Army for Mark of War Announced:

The Kingdom
The Kingdom is home to the remaining humans loyal to the Creator’s original vision. The symbol of the Kingdom is three intertwined chain links that represent Discipline, Obedience and Loyalty. These are the three Pillars of Civilization, which the Kingdom rigorously enforces in law as well as custom. Ruled by the seeress-monarch Queen Elyzabet, Incarnate Serenity of the Creator, the people of the Kingdom live in the fortress-city of Westfort. From birth its people are raised on the Pillars of Civilization and before reaching maturity children of all backgrounds are schooled in warcraft and formation combat.

The army of the Kingdom is based on solid ‘regiments of foote’ and devastating knightly charges. Professional and well-trained, these defenders of the Kingdom are supported by elements such as militia from the Hinterkeeps, Worldwalkers and Free Riders, Longhacks and Royal Sappers , plus the bombards of the Artificers’ corps and spellcasters from the Royal Court.


“For the Creator and Queen Bez! Charge!” – Syr Martyn of the Vales, the battle of Standford.

To hear the Theme Music head on over to: http://www.markofwar.com/armies/

Next Army for Mark of War announced - Orcs!

To Learn more go to www.markofwar.com

Orcs
The Liberator and those that had been cast as demons into the outer darkness laid their touch upon the humans and made the orcs, filling them with the same hatred of the Tyrant that they held. The orcs were an unstoppable force, righteous in their destruction of all that the Tyrant and humans had built. Upon the eve of their great victory, as the last city of the Tyrant lay within their grasp, the orcs were betrayed by their allies. The city held and the Tyrant unleashed the Day of Wrath, slaying many orcs and tearing asunder the world. Following the Day of Wrath the Liberator disappeared, leaving the orcs alone and without purpose. Many have become common brigands, while a number still hold to their original mission, to purge the land of all the Tyrant’s mark. Some are nihilistic destroyers, known by other orckind as un-orcs or fallen orcs, willing to fight for anything, to die for nothing, but with nothing to live for either.

When an orc tribe despatches one or more battle-clans, it sends a force that is hard-hitting, disciplined and determined. The orcs are tough, skilled fighters in a one-on-one situation, though their strategy is often brutally simplistic, bulldozing the enemy with sheer violence and bloody-mindedness! The orcs are highly effective slavers and beastmasters, and can break nearly any creature to their will. Many ride ferocious lizardine mounts and orcs frequently drive into battle on chariots pulled by even bigger reptilian beasts. They make wide use of hunting packs, as well as larger monsters such as trolls, ogres and even giants, and rarer creatures like basilisks and venom-spitting carcosaurs.

“There is no place for us in this world until unless we build it with the bones of our enemies.” – Chakok the Flame, Word-tearer of the Dread Legion.

Computer games development is difficult and expensive. Hard plastic miniature design and production is difficult and expensive. Many, many kickstarters have tried and failed at doing one or the other. What are you bringing to the table that'll give backers the assurance that you can actually produce both these things simultaneously, to the level of quality expected and on time?

Also - what are you bringing to the table that vassal doesn't already allow us to do?

@ MaxT

Thanks for the response, and those are some excellent questions. I would invite you to check out our teams About page: http://www.markofwar.com/about/ to see some of the great talent we have lined up for the project (many more to be announced in the future).

In particular Our core team alone has shipped over 20 titles with more than 35 years of industry experience. We have worked on numerous AAA games over the years and for us making a high quality fun gaming experience is incredibly important. The development team is made up of an incredible pool of talent from multiple industries and mediums. From video games to tabletop gaming, novels, commercials, marketing, art, audio, special effects, production, and design the team has decades of development experience under its belt. Mark of War’s team members have worked on numerous licenses including Warhammer, Call of Duty, Halo, Destiny, Star Trek, WWE, UFC, Ninja Gaiden, Mass Effect, Spiderman and many more.

Specifically to address your question about cost, we have several team members who have numerous years of experience with contract hires and outsourcing methods that will enable the team to keep the costs down while delivering loads of high quality content.

As for the miniatures side of things you are correct that it is a challenging process which is why we have teamed up with existing modeling and manufacturing companies that have loads of experience. Head on over to the http://www.markofwar.com/rewards/ to see more about that.

As for Vassal we think that is a fantastic program, but does not have the complete tabletop gaming experience that we plan on delivering. Head on over to: http://www.markofwar.com/game-overview/ to read more about all of the great features and modes from army customization to campaigns and even castle sieges etc...

Thanks!

We are excited to unveil the first Backer Reward Miniature that we will be giving away during the Kickstarter!

Head on over to the Reward page to see more including the turnaround video: http://www.markofwar.com/rewards/

The Orc !

Facebook

Please help spread the word about Mark of War. Just for Liking Mark of War on Facebook receive an additional free in-game skin! More updates to come soon.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mark-of-War/1456104964659599

Launch Date Announced!

The Mark of War Kickstarter will officially go live on August 25th! Please let all your friends and gamer buddies know, we need your support!




Automatically Appended Next Post:
New Army – Elves

To find out more: http://www.markofwar.com/armies/

Part-Angel and part-mortal, the Elves are the foremost power of the Creator in the world. The Harmony binds together elven society, ensuring that no elf feels alone or abandoned, and equally prevents any deviation of thought or disenchantment that might breed disobedience or selfishness. The elves live in their own cities high in the mountains, but a good number spend much time in the Kingdom, ensuring that the people of the Kingdom do not pursue forbidden knowledge. Some elves – the Skyborn – are so blessed by the essence of the Creator that they have wings. This is taken as a sign of leadership and nobility.

United in purpose and movement by the Harmony elven warriors fight with unparalleled timing and precision. While storms of arrows descend unerringly on the foe, flights of Skyborn take to the air. With them giant eagles and phoenixes swoop down with beaks and talons. Elves use the Harmony to channel the Essence of the Creator to their Spellbinders, who unleash this energy as devastating blasts, protective shields and mind-controlling Words of Will. The elves also possess many arcane items dating back to the great war, forged by the mightiest artisans of the Angels, and with such weapons and armour their heroes are a match for foes many times their natural size and strength.

“He that stands, stands with all. He that fights, fights with all. He that falls, falls alone.” Lady-Advocate Iomene.

New Army - Ascended

To find out more: http://www.markofwar.com/armies/

Listening to the teachings of the Liberator, the Ascended have discarded obedience and the unthinking dogma of the Creator for a more enlightened approach to knowledge. The Ascended seek the secrets of the universe in many diverse ways, cleaving to exotic philosophies and using esoteric means to uncover the mysteries that lie beyond the veil of ignorance. Each of the Ascended city-states has its own beliefs, hierarchy, religions and military, but they are all characterised by an expansive and predatory outlook on other societies and races. Some Ascended societies practice slavery, others espouse freedom for all and even take in dissidents of other city-states. Some are run with iron control and brutally enforced codes of belief and behaviour while many are barely-functional anarchic states where the most ruthless or charismatic rule for a short while. The Ascended city-states have one thing in common – an insatiable hunger for resources. Some simply need food and workers, others lust after the study of the myriad beasts and monsters unleashed by the Day of Wrath or the accumulation of history and wisdom.

Most armies from the Ascended city-states comprise a mix of mercenaries, indentured levies and household troops belonging to the army leaders. Occasionally a sage-sorcerer or high prophetess will accompany an army to lend magical power and authority to a campaign. Sometimes an army of the Ascended will entreat a demon to join them. These unworldly behemoths rarely care for the ambitions of mortals, frequently turning such deals to their own agenda. Ascended armies are commonly mobile, with a core of well-armed and hard-hitting cavalry and infantry, but lacking in discipline and staying power. Levy troops are numerous but disposable, as likely to get in the way of the professional troops as they are to hurt the enemy. Typically Ascended armies fight hard and continue to fight well as long as the battle is going their way, but morale will soon unravel if the tide of battle turns on them.

“If you desire it, seize it. If you despise it, destroy it. That is the secret of a happy life.” – Khadiz Sek, addressing the Anointed Cabal of Hydraphates.

New Backer Reward - Ascended Dreadknight

We are excited to unveil the second Backer Reward Miniature that we will be giving away during the Kickstarter!

Head on over to the Reward page to see more: http://www.markofwar.com/rewards/

That detail is way too fine/shallow to work on a 30mm-ish figure. Your "experienced team" should know that before showing it off, and showing the guy's 3d modelled pores is redundant.

You shouldn't need to have any of this pointed out to you on a forum by some random internet user (that's me). Does not inspire confidence.

 Azazelx wrote:
That detail is way too fine/shallow to work on a 30mm-ish figure. Your "experienced team" should know that before showing it off, and showing the guy's 3d modelled pores is redundant.

You shouldn't need to have any of this pointed out to you on a forum by some random internet user (that's me). Does not inspire confidence.

: /

Thats helpful. At least you dont sound condescending.

@Azazelx

Thank you for sending us the feedback, and whether encouraging thoughts or tough criticism we appreciate it.

You are correct that some of the extra detail on the model will be lost in the miniature making process, but we will also be using this high res model for Textures that can be used elsewhere which is why there is more detail than necessary. Our team is comprised of video game veterans who have loads of experience making video games which is our primary focus for Mark of War. We are teaming up with Dimensional Innovation & Solid Concepts to ensure the final model will have any technical details resolved and that it will be of the highest quality possible for the scale of the model.

It absolutely looks like a detailed 3d model for console/PC gaming. The issue is that proportions and detail need to be quite different on a 28-32mm model, and since the above 3d model is being shown off as the miniature and not as art assets for the videogame, I feel you've made a bit of a mistake - better to show the digital art assets for the videogame as that, and show the tweaked/changed models for miniatures gaming as the ad for the exclusive model. Not doing so, and indeed, showing the wrong model does not come across as something that inspires confidence. It comes across as videogaming guys showing off a videogame model/mesh and hoping the miniatures consumers don't notice.

And that's the thing. If you have wargaming art professionals/sculptors in the team amongst the videogame artists, they should know that and have pointed it out, or gotten you to show the wargame renders rather than the videogame renders with a close-up shot showing skin and armour texture. It looks lovely, but it's very much for a different medium. You shouldn't need me or anyone else here to mention it. You may as well have shown hand-drawn or digital concept art in many ways.

New Page - The World

To Learn more head over to: http://www.markofwar.com/world/

When the Liberator used demon essence to turn humans into orcs these legions overwhelmed all civilisation they encountered. In desperation the Creator removed the barrier that kept his Angels from entering the world and sent them to place their essence upon the humans still loyal to His cause. Thus were the first elves created. The cities raised before the great war fell to the influence of the Liberator or were conquered by the orc legions, and from these cities came the Ascended. At the end of the great war, the legions of the Liberator had swept all before them and only one city remained. Upon the eve of their victory the orcs were abandoned by their allies. The city held and the Creator unleashed the Day of Wrath, slaying many orcs and tearing asunder the world. The last bastion of the Creator’s design survived as their foes scattered and now after a century of rebuilding the people of the Kingdom are ready to reclaim the lands that have been lost.

The Kingdom is for the most part the great city of Westfort on the north-western coastline, built on a solitary dormant volcano surrounded by sea. The majority of elven cities can be found in the White Peaks, south of the Kingdom. These tall, forbidding mountains are almost impassable, although occasional orc assaults forge into the mountains to attack the elves. The orcs inhabit the Wildlands and the northern coast, most of them living nomadic lifestyles following such whims and needs of their chieftains. Most of the Ascended city-states can be found in the inner region of the Wildlands and further east and north, spreading into the hills and scrub of the Eastern Peninsula. The cities are as varied as their inhabitants, some of great marble construction, filled with colour and beauty, others dark, sinister places where evil sorceries twist the air and the wail of captives sounds a continual dread chorus...

New Expansion Army - Dwarves

To find out more: http://www.markofwar.com/armies/

As the armies of the Creator and Liberator brought ruin to the lands, one divine servant grieved for the wounds inflicted upon creation. The divine servant allowed its Essence to be absorbed into the ground itself, giving rise to the race of dwarves, imbuing them with a fierce disposition and desire to protect all things of natural creation. In giving birth to the dwarves the Maker gave up its immortal existence, living on only in the souls of its creations. The dwarves are at one with the world and its ways, at home equally in the deep caves as they are the dense forest or the icy peaks. Imbued with the raw Essence of the Maker they have an affinity for the beasts and birds. This kinship with natural essence allows the dwarves to capture its energy in all manner of artefacts using detailed marks and patterns called Oggra. The dwarves scattered during the great war, seeking out groves, mountain passes, sacred hills and other locations worthy of their protection. These became the clans. Dwarves are of the earth and if returned to the earth they will be reborn, truly dying only when their Essence is taken from them or their bodies so mutilated that their Essence has nothing to rebuild.

Dwarves fight mainly to protect their homes and other sacred areas. Dwarves share an exceptional kinship with each other and will stand and fight long after others would have fled. A dwarven warrior is strong, compact and tough. Dwarven Oggraic hexes are used by Foe-cursers to confound the enemy by numbing their sword-arms, confusing their thoughts and sowing fear in weak minds. Oggra-carved weapons and Oggra-marked armour, as well as Oggra talismans and all manner of other creations, turn an already fearsome dwarf warrior into a formidable prospect. Oggraic runes can also be used to unleash lightning strikes, give life to the inanimate, conjure ravines and strike down the foe with a raging tornado. The dwarves have many allies in the animal kingdom and frequently ride to battle on the back of larger beasts such as bears.

“The dwarves and the world are in each other. It is our mother and father. We are its teeth and claws.” – Ruan Orcbaiter, Elder of the Moss Clan.

I have wanted a table top game on PC like this for eons.

However, you lost me at "collect" and "in game exclusives". That sounds awefully like paying for individual items once you have purchased the game.

Is that the case?

Curious as to how a video game is meant to include a hobby aspect as far as wargaming goes.

@ Fullheadofhair

We are so glad to hear that this is a game you have been waiting for!

As far as collecting models/armies go when the game is released players will start with all of the armies unlocked and ready to play immediately. Within each army we plan on creating as many different units, heroes, spells, and magic items as our funding allows. Many of those will be unlocked from the beginning while others can be unlocked through completing achievements, playing through the single player campaign and just by playing online vs. other players, just as you would normally expect stuff to unlock from a video game.

Also as for the hobby aspect this means many different things to many different people. For the Hobby aspect besides collecting models and building new armies we plan to support lots of army customization. This will range from changing colors, to different armor selections, banner patterns, hero voices, and more. If we can reach our stretch funding goals we also want to build in a system that will allow players to import new custom models into the game giving them incredible freedom to create truly unique looking armies.

If you have any ideas or things that you would like to see included in Mark of War we would love to hear your feedback! Please let us know!

Not really a fantasy player, but who is this Mark you keep talking about?

New Backer Reward - Knight of the Kingdom

We are excited to unveil the third Backer Reward Miniature that we will be giving away during the Kickstarter!

Head on over to the Reward page to see more: http://www.markofwar.com/rewards/

I don't really get the appeal of this type of game.

It's supposed to be a tabletopgame, and played as such, but within the confines of a computer?

Doesn't this game just become like a Total-War game (for exemple) but with some added limitations? A major point of tabletop miniatures for me is precisely the tactile and visual experience of actual physical models, painted and customized by the participants and is why I still find it enjoyable despite ever increasing graphical and other technological progress in computer games.

Am I missing something or is the game perhaps just not for me?

Good luck with the project in any case.

New Backer Reward - Elven Guard

We are excited to unveil the fourth Backer Reward Miniature that we will be giving away during the Kickstarter!

Head on over to the Reward page to see more: http://www.markofwar.com/rewards/

New Expansion Army - Undead

To find out more: http://www.markofwar.com/armies/

Nobody knows for sure where the Hollowed Ones first came from. These vampiric creatures appeared shortly after the Day of Wrath, but unlike the other monsters that were released from the Rift, they appear to have a purpose, an agenda to fulfill. The Hollowed Ones have earnt their name because they contain no Essence – no spark of life left over from when the Creator brought the world into being. In order to survive the Hollowed Ones must consume the Essence of other creatures. Even angels and demons can be drained of their Essence by a suitably powerful Hollowed One, leading to True Death for the unfortunate victim. It is rumoured that the Hollowed Ones can, if they choose, make another of their kind,. Certainly they seem to be growing in numbers in recent years. Many theorists agree that the lack of Essence and grotesque physical features are linked to the imprisoning of the demons; some even believe that the Hollowed Ones are the physical remains of the Liberator trying to gather enough Essence to reincarnate itself.

Mortal remains drained of their Essence remain animated by the presence of the Hollowed One that created them. These Reawakened are mindless slaves to the will of the Hollowed One, but their lack of independent thought makes them crude servants and warriors. More valued by their masters are the ghoulish humans that have fallen into thrall to the vampiric lords. These fiends have fed on flesh denuded of Essence and in turn their own bodies have become twisted mockeries of what they once were. The lynchpin of any exanimated army is the Hollowed One that created it. The vampire is the centre of a cloud of Essence that controls and instils unlife into the exanimated, able to make dead warriors fight, repair damage inflicted upon their creations and themselves, and even bolster their ranks with a deadly touch or, in the case of the most powerful Hollowed Ones, even a glance. Hollowed Ones are incredibly fast, strong and tough, more than a match for most mortal foes and even a few immortal ones.

“Puppets. You’re all just puppets already, so why not let me twitch the strings?” – Vagrath Sharptalon.