NOT LONG TO GO… LET’S PEEK AT SOME PAGES

August 2, 2017

With just over two weeks to go before Dark Age: Skarrd hits the shelves, we want everyone to get ready to grab those 236 pages and get the evolution of the rules and the Dark Age narrative!



Because here at Dark Age we believe strongly in giving sneak peeks and exciting previews, we grabbed a few pages of story lore and are letting you fans have a short read to whet your appetites for more!

Get ready… there are some VERY important things that happen in the stories found in Dark Age: Skarrd, and clever readers will discover some truly interesting hints at the future!

Take a few minutes and read these “random” story pages!

(Just kidding, they aren’t random… Bryan chose them based on maximum awesome with minimum spoilers!)

http://dark-age.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/skarrd_book_web_narrative_preview.pdf

SKARRD – THE EVOLUTION OF SAMARIA’S HORRORS

August 7, 2017

Only a short time before Dark Age: Skarrd comes out for everyone to marvel upon, and it will probably take quite a while for you readers to find all the cool new aspects of the older units and pick out the best parts of the new ones.

In proper Dark Age fashion, we have decided to give you a little preview of just a handful of these monsters. Five previews; one from each section of the book. We are going to take a look at the new versions of four existing units – and preview the existence of one that has never before been seen!

Dark Age: Skarrd brings some awesome new tactics to the tabletop, and we cannot wait for you players to discuss and utilize these units in new and fantastic ways!

Let’s begin…

Skarrd Horde – The Drillhead


One of the old stand-by units for both the Skarrd and Johann’s old comrades, the Followers of the Heretic (under new management as of the events in this book, by the way!), the Drillhead has been something of a staple for many forces. Reducing its cost by 10 points to follow the 25-point increment standard, the Drillhead has had quite a few adjustments to also fall in line with the current power level of the game and strategic utility of these horrid little grafted worms.

It’s Assault Group allows for the monster to reach out with its coiled body and stab at foes using RE all of the time, sending horrifying chunks of enemy flying in all directions if it gets a good stab going. Once an activation however, it can really put all of its weight behind an attack and shred even the toughest of foes.
While it lost some protection and a HP from its former profile, the new Drillhead has something that its story has supported since the very beginning – Regeneration. The zmei worms have always been noted to regrow very rapidly when cut up… and now they show that on the battlefield!

Drillheads are not quite the same asset of war they once were, but having a new role has made them no less a stalwart part of any Skarrd force.

Blood Cult – The Keepsake

Formerly used a leader of the hideous Puppets either through Squadlink or being nearby them, the Keepsakes have become a more universal “middle management” kind of Commander. Their Commander trait and high Squadlink numerical value allows them to be able to join with packs of Buzzblades, Warblades, Blood Mistresses, and yes… even Puppets once more. Their Incite ability turns even lowly 25 point grunt Buzzblade soldiers into capable warriors, and tossing in a Blood Reign if possible can be utterly devastating!

Between the Blood Cult Psychogenics available to her as well as the addition of a second Assault Group – the Bloodcurse – the Keepsake can be tremendously useful at short ranges too. Simply adding Bleed Counters to models at range without fear of retaliation and then making the most out of Psychogenics like Blood Dominance and Sanguine Plague.

Blood Cult players are going to set aside 75 points, at least in their competitive Reinforcements, to make sure they have a Keepsake on hand when pack tactics and Bleed are going to be game winners!

Toxic Cult – Father Curwen

he supreme leader of the Toxic Cult has become a more “hands on” kind of battlefield leader in his new form. Statistically falling in line with the new 150-point Cult Fathers (and one Mother!), Curwen is still a powerful asset on the tabletop – but former Toxic Cult players should take note and just don’t think he is the all-consuming tank that he once was. In Dark Age, after all, everything dies…

Curwen still keeps a lot of the same feel as his older version. His Injector Scythe can either sweep aside several targets – giving them all Toxic Counters to be used in a multitude of ways – or single Reach attacks can make use of existing Counters to ensure his attacks strike home. Even if he doesn’t want to directly engage, his Foul Spew is still a great way to get past tricky armor and add even more Toxic Counters to small groups of models.

While Virulent Fumes no longer inflict free hits, they help make Curwen last longer in combat and add to his role as a Commander of his troops. His Squadlink number rate of 6 allows him to take a HUGE amount of soldiers along with him when he charges into battle, and if he keeps himself near their enemies as well they can benefit from his foul odor too!

Being a Psychogenic Master, as well as his innate Toxic Cult abilities, gives Curwen a multitude of different ways to use the Toxic Counters on friends and foes alike. When planning out the uses of Curwen’s AP in his activations, players will want to take a few extra seconds to look at every option he currently has to spend, add, and spread all that Toxic around!

Cult of Metamorphosis – The Nightmare Juggernaut

One of the iconic Cult of Metamorphosis models, the Nightmare Juggernaut has always been a ferocious force to see on the battlefield – and now it is a tactical surprise as well! From one of its first narrative appearances, the Nightmare Juggernaut was supposed to be a “tunnel up from below” type of siege monster… now it is! The addition of Ambush to this model allows it to get stuck in to the enemy right away, barring a bad Ambush scatter of course, and disrupt enemy plans by suddenly appearing where it was not expected. If the Nightmare Juggernaut appears properly and its player gets initiative, it can be devastating.

Its Assault Group is the exact same as that of the normal Drillhead (which makes sense, knowing what this creature is made up of), but uses Pack Attack to roll as many dice as it has current HP. This means that – even though it has Regeneration – once it starts getting damaged, its efficiency drops quickly.

Luckily for Cult of Metamorphosis players, the Nightmare Juggernaut is a difficult monster to kill. Although its DEF 8 makes it easy to hit again and again, its AR 20 and 4 HP (effectively 5 HP, if you count while it is Regenerating) keeps it around. Enemies might have trouble delivering that last killing blow through that hard flesh – even when it is lying there trying to heal!

Cult of Decay – The Macabres

A brand new unit to the Skarrd, the Macabres are what happens when Buzzblades have a constant diet of highly rotten flesh. It makes them mutate bigger, tougher, meaner – and definitely crazier. Macabres run headlong into battle swinging their cleavers, hooks, blades, and chains at anything that gets too close – hoping they can make a future meal out of them!

Multiple swings per attack AP make them efficient killers at their meagre 50 point cost, but knowing that their Frenzied ability could cause them to turn all these swings at friendlies makes them somewhat dangerous to have around. Crafty players will bring a Scourge out of the Horde to hopefully keep them in line, but they will need to protect the whip-cracker – as he is nowhere near as resilient as these bulky barbarians are.

Their above-average AR of 16, Tough as Nails, and Fueled by Combat (albeit only with a PS 12) means that – against the right opponents – they can get in and stay in combat for quite a time. Their lower point cost makes them a good way to bulk up – pardon the pun – Cult of Decay forces with efficient killers.

While we would love to show you more… we still have to go and get some things prepared for GenCon… and some things aren’t even Skarrd…

Gen Con 2017 – Lots of Great New Things for Dark Age!

August 9, 2017


With people getting ready to head out to Indianapolis for “the best four days of gaming” known as Gen Con 2017, we know that everyone has started scheduling their purchases and arranging for their so-called ninja-shoppers.

To help our loyal fans and such get their dollars, pounds, euros, gold doubloons, or Trent-mint ‘gelt ready to drop on all the new things for Dark Age next week, we decided to go ahead and send out this list of new products that we will have on hand (while supplies last, of course!).

So, if you get there on Thursday morning and are ready to grab all the new hotness before it is gone at the show, these are some of the great things you will find on and around our shelves!



Dark Age: Skarrd – $39.99
Dark Age Skarrd 2017 Faction Deck – $14.99
Skarrd Faction Starter Box – $59.99
Skarrd Raze and Disciples of Raze Unit Box – $54.99
Skarrd Scourge and Fell Pack Unit Box – $34.99
Dragyri Slaves Unit Box – $49.99 (now includes the Earth Caste Stat Cards, too!)
…and more!!!

Also, if you manage to beat out the crowds and get them while we have stock in the booth… you can even get your hands on some of our special, Limited Edition Dark Age miniatures!
Scarlet Greater Fire Elemental – $25.00
C.O.R.E. “Coy” TB-13 – $10.00
Ancient Tech Ghrakun, Herald of Tenacity – $20.00

…and introducing for the first time…
Leuedai, Female Ice Caste Blizzard – $20.00!!!!!!

Wait! We’re not done! The first 500 Dark Age customers will also get their hands on the first printed copies of the brand new Chronicles: Skarrd; Diary of a Toxic Man, fantastic narrative collection of game scenarios based around the actions and missions of Father Curwen!

There is much more going to be available for sale, and a number of amazing new miniatures in our display cases for the first time ever. Come on out, grab what you need, and then let’s go play some Dark Age!

Marches to Immortality at GenCon 2017!



August 11, 2017

Hello Samarians!

GenCon 2017 is just next week, and we wanted to make sure everyone planning to attend was made aware of the three distinct March to Immortality tournaments being held during the Best Four Days in Gaming!

If you are coming to the convention and want to throw some dice and push some killer miniatures around for fun, fame, and prizes – including the coveted bludgelt coins used to buy your way into the Immortals tournament at CMON Expo in May 2018 – you will want to sign up! These are ticketed events, so be sure to make sure your spot gets held. Spots are going fast!

All of these tournaments are going to be 3-round events using the standard MtI 2017-2018 format, calling for 500 point Forces (bring an optional 150 point reinforcement “sidebar”) and all your normal gaming accoutrements.

The information you will need to get in on these fantastic events are as follows:
NMN17123039 – Thursday Night 8:00pm (Hosted by the guys at New Ashkelon Radio!)
NMN17122599 – Friday Night 6:00pm (Hosted by Bryan Steele himself!)
NMN17123041 – Saturday Night 8:00pm (Hosted by the guys at New Ashkelon Radio!)

Come one out, get signed up, and get some cool prizes while playing some fun games against people from all over the world!

August Dark Age Releases Now Available

August 19, 2017 New Releases

While Bryan toils away here at Gen Con, the hard-working warehouse crew was busy making sure that everyone is going to get something this weekend. The August releases for Dark Age are now available!

It’s quite an important release this month, as we’ve got the new Skarrd book for you.



This new tome of Dark Age lore and rules puts a new face on the mutant cannibals and introduces a powerful new threat from within their ranks – the undying worshippers of atomic fallout, the Cult of Decay! Bringing new rules for one of Dark Age’s oldest sets of monsters as well as revealing many new units, Dark Age: Skarrd is a must have for Skarrd players and Dark Age fans

We also have a new Skarrd Faction Starter.



From the early days after the Abandonment, when the they fled from the ruins of Port City to become the tribes of the Baniss, to the appearance of the Heretic Saint and the creation of the Skarrd, the denizens of the Northern Wastes
have had to become brutal killers to survive. There is no room for the weak, there are no resources to be spared on the sick or elderly. In Skarrd society, you take what you need to survive and you follow the commands of your Tribal Father.

Up next is the Fell Unit Box.



Much like the members of the Skarrd tribes, the fell jackals of Samaria are skilled scavengers who use pack tactics to bring down their enemies. It is little wonder, therefore, that the beasts are now ubiquitous around the fringes any Skarrd camp. They can be used as hunting dogs, or guided into battle by the violent Scourge taskmasters. Whichever way the Fell Packs are used, you can bet that no tears will be shed over their fate.

And then Raze gets a new box set.



No one can remember where Raze came from, and the silent Raze does not care to illuminate anyone. There is much speculation on his origin – from suggestions he is a cyborg to rumors he was created before the Fall – but none of it really matters. All that matters is that Raze goes where he pleases, and the enemies of Raze do not last long. This stoic and constant presence has spawned a cult of admirers, fanatics who have modified their bodies to echo the shape of Raze himself.

Skarrd aren’t the only faction with something this month. Dragyri have a couple of releases, also.



The Dragyri culture runs heavily on the idea that the Trueborn warriors are devoted to glory and combat, leaving the menial tasks to a multitude of comparative diminutive Slaves. These scampering servants are brought to battle alongside the Trueborn, hurling themselves to the best of their ability at the enemy – sometimes with the crack of a Taskmaster’s whip at their backs!

And last, but not least, the new box for Air Caste Elementals.



Among the elements attuned to Trueborn Castes, Air exhibits the most variety in the way it can be channeled by a Soul Warden. In addition to the Greater Storm Elemental, the Soul Wardens can summon packs of Zephyrs, who rely on numbers
to assault their foes, or Squalls, who can deliver their destructive lightning strikes at range.

September Dark Age Releases Now Available

September 15, 2017

New Releases

As the year wears on, the nights get longer and the winds start to blow. Seems like a perfect time for some new Shadow Caste and Air Caste releases. And that’s exactly what we’ve got for you this month. Each faction gets a pair of releases. Let’s take a deeper look at them.



Starting off, there’s the Air Caste Leadership Box. Yovanka is worthy of her position as Grand Arbiter. She is utterly unafraid of change, and shatters notions of tradition while redefining honor amongst the modern Dragyri forces. A formidable warrior, Yovanka is also without peer when it comes to manipulating her Air Focus. The Spirit Lord of Air stands ready to carry out the orders of her Arbiter, bringing her own martial prowess and Focus to bear on the enemies of the Dragyri.



Up next, there’s the Storm Elemental Box. When the Soul Wardens for the Air Caste master their focus and pull together the forms of a trio of lesser elementals, they can create the massive and incredibly dangerous Greater Storm Elemental. Brute strength and vicious clawing attacks, lightning strikes and savage blows, they are a vortex that demolishes all in their wake without mercy.



Turning to the dark world of the Shadow Caste, we begin with the Shadow Caste Leadership Box. The Shadows have risen from the depths of Samaria, and their leaders have made it clear – they will not shy away from the battles of the surface. The Spirit Lord of Shadow has shamanic mastery over darkness but Amabilia, the Arbiter of Chaos, is a well-trained fighter with nearly as much mystic power. With them at the head of the Shadow Caste, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished.



Skulking behind the next corner is the massive Huntress box. Nearly as old as the Shadow Caste itself, the Huntress is an ancient horror that has come to the surface world for the first time. She is an abominate combination of Dragyri, Arachnae, and elemental darkness that stalks the world with an eternal hunger and the instinct to lead her spidery hordes into combat.

That’s what you can get new this month, my good Sumerians.

OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:no sign of stock arriving at Element Games yet, wonder how long it will be

(or if it's going to be the same sad story of their old distribution in the UK of being available in theory but never really in practice)

highlord tamburlaine wrote:I love how they keep churning out new and interesting models for both this and Wrath of Kings, but NEITHER GAME IS IN STOCK AT RETAIL.

Quite frustrating.

If they weren't so slow (or pricey) about shipping from their webstore I probably would have ordered a bunch of models from both games already.

September 20, 2017 Uncategorized



You asked and we answered. Bryan takes a look at 20 questions that you wanted to know about the Skarrd faction.

Q#1 – (Dan Brugman): “Are Followers of the Heretic getting any attention with new models/rules, or are we stuck with current sculpts and rules halfway between Skarrd and Forsaken?”

A#1: Well, the Followers got a little bit of an update with the new Skarrd rules to existing models like Drillheads and Harpies, but the real bonus comes from getting access to Jon Woe and ANG-1E. When the Forsaken get the camera shifted back to them in a year or so, there will be new love for the Heretics – some of which the seeds for will be found in upcoming stories.

Q#2 – (David McWilliam): “Why does the art for The Marius Project show it with such neat beard and hair?”

A#2: The horrifying beast that Mother Blazon’s cult made out of Marius and the Cherubs is her personal pet (and pet project), so it makes sense that she grooms him regularly!

Q#3 – (Scott Webster): “How many Skarrd releases will we see between now and the Brood release?”

A#3: Lots. If all goes well and to schedule, all of the Skarrd Unit Boxes will be out in stores before Dark Age: Brood releases in August. Some of the Brood resculpt boxes will overlap the Skarrd, but not before the book actually drops.

Q#4 – (Josh Street): “New player here: what books should I buy after the [Skarrd] starter set?”

A#4: That is a very deep question based on a few factors. Do you have a specific Cult in mind? Are you interested in a mostly Panic-driving force? This is a matter that can be better defined over a conversation thread on the Dark Age: Samaria Reborn facebook fan group, perhaps?

Q#5 – (Matthew Bartholomew): “For the Toxic Psychogenic Tainted Blood. When does the enemy receive toxic counters? So if a model swings at the Tainted Blood model, does it apply -2 AS immediately, or not until the next swing?”

A#5: Ooh! Good question. As that it doesn’t make note specifically of when the Toxic Counter would be added (ie: when targets, hits, etc.), it should be added after the action is completed – whether or not the Psychogenic’s user dies in the attempt. This will be added to the Faction FAQ for clarity. Thanks!

Q#6 – (Sam Gallagher): “Are they’re going to be any additions to the faction outside of the book release? Like more church of the worm or disciples of raze models and rules.”

A#6: With the success of non-book additions like the Earth Caste, the Haniel Ranger, and more coming soon… we are definitely looking at adding more things to the Skarrd in the future. This will happen after we get done taking care of the factions/sub-factions that still need some love, but it WILL eventually happen.

Q#7 – (Cory Walker): “How often do you restock? Supposedly new Skarrd Starter Box is sold out (my local retailor got put on back order).”

A#7: We order our restocks from the casting facilities as soon as we notice that stock is getting thin. In the case of some products as of late, the stocks are depleted so fast that we have to put in the order almost immediately. We order restocks pretty much constantly, but are at the mercy of the timeline the casters’ machines and manpower. It is an awesome sign that Dark Age is doing so well that things are selling out so quickly, but we have to do our part in raising those stocking numbers as well. These are the growing pains of our success, but they will get better… we promise!

Q#8 – (Cliff Hamrick): “According to the Blood Cult, which of the other factions are the most delicious?”

A#8: As of the discovery of “bot pudding” (eating the organic meat-soup found in C.O.R.E. entropic cell batteries), I think most of Mayhem’s madmen are seriously hankering for some robots’ tasty, gooey centers!

Q#9 – (David Moffit): “Shouldn’t cannibals have fueled by combat?”

A#9: Fueled by Combat, as an ability, is not just the physical consumption of an enemy. Depending on the model, it could be an invigoration because of killing a foe, the active draining of some kind of aetheric essence, or something else entirely. Giving every model that eats another model in this game Fueled by Combat would put that ability all over the place. Not all cannibals get the same rush from taking a life – maybe it is just a bite for the road!

Q#10 – (Ray Wright): “When will the Cult of Decay models be released?”

A#10: The schedule for the releases recently had to be altered due to a delay with the mass production of a couple of their sculpts, so the Cult of Decay boxed sets are scheduled to be in our webstore starting in January 2018. We were hoping for November, but that pesky Marius Project and a few of the Flesh Echoes have been dragging their feet. Trust us however, they are TOTALLY worth the wait!

Q#11 – (Owen Rehrauer): “What’s the best drink pairing to serve with bot pudding?”

A#11: Oh, that is easy… a little Luck’mai’taii, rimmed in xenosathic salt. (Man… Bryan really should do a Samarian Cookbook, shouldn’t he?)

Q#12 – (Daniel Galluppi): “Will blister packs start being released again?”

A#12: No. Blister packs will only ever be used to sell Limited Edition models and older models that are waiting for new friends to join them in a regular unit box (ie: Captain Cora or Dah’vid).

Q#13 – (Igor Ivanov): “Will he [Father Johann] get a new sculpt in the upcoming year (yes/no, no need to get into the details)?”

A#13: Not at this time. A good paintjob makes Father Johann’s model pop just fine. Perhaps in the future, but he is not on the list of impending resculpts for the foreseeable future.

Q#14 – (Tyler Drew Jones): “I’m liking the new Cult wide Gifts of Evolution. Any plans do so with Heretics or other Forsaken sub-factions?”

A#14: Well, we aren’t going to be looking into touching back on the Forsaken Faction for at least a year, but who knows where the story will take us and what will happen when that time comes?

Q#15 – (Erica Barlow): “Are there any play balance issues that everyone seems to have? Is Golab too good? How would these issues be addressed going forward, or is now set in stone because it’s in the book?”

A#15: Nothing in our game is ever fully set in stone, as that we can always make errata and card adjustments through the online documents and card files. However, we like to wait at least a year before any major unit changes need to take place.

Q#16 – (Igor Ivanov): “So who is Skars and how is he related to Skarrd (and Kukulkani too)?”

A#16: Skars’ sordid tale is told in the Skarrd book, but we can sum it up for you… he was a human being captured by the Kukulkani to be experimented upon and bridge the communication gap between the Kukulkani and humanity. They filled him up with horrible stuff and eventually he escaped. Now he lives as a frontier monster, either hanging out with other monsters (Skarrd) or getting his internal implants and augments recharged by being close to the technomantic bio-energy network (Kukulkani).

Q#17 – (Corey Gilarno): “Are there gonna be separate cult starters coming out? Any time frame?”

A#17: There will be faction boxed sets for all the Cults similar to how we released sub-faction boxes for the Forsaken Saints. As for a time frame, I believe the new schedule has the first of those coming out in January 2018. In the meantime, you can get much of the line still in blister format through our webstore.

Q#18 – (Alex Bannet): “Will we see more Bounty Hunters that can work with Skarrd?”

A#18: Oh yes; with Father Johann trying to assemble a legitimate nation of Skarrd under his banner… he will be getting some of the less scrupulous Bounty Hunters in the world to work for him and his ilk.

Q#19 – (Derrick Postale): “Do Charity’s Might or Zeal (or Dominique’s Chalica) still count as Buzzblades for other purposes?”

A#19: Nope; as soon as the model that changes them deploys onto the field of battle and gives them their new stat card and model name, they cease being Buzzblades and join the battle as something totally new and improved!

Q#20 – (Melissa Wiley): “Is Father Curwen going to kill Father Johann for getting involved with the Mary situation?”

A#20: While we won’t straight out and say that one Father will kill the other in any sort of open conflict, I think it is safe to say that the two mighty Tribal Fathers are going to eventually have to come to blows over their opposing views on how to handle poor, poor Mary.

Q#4 – (Josh Street): “New player here: what books should I buy after the [Skarrd] starter set?”

A#4: That is a very deep question based on a few factors. Do you have a specific Cult in mind? Are you interested in a mostly Panic-driving force? This is a matter that can be better defined over a conversation thread on the Dark Age: Samaria Reborn facebook fan group, perhaps?

GIVING YOU A LOOK AT THE FUTURE

October 2, 2017

In Bryan’s Facebook Live video last week he mentioned pulling back the curtain and filling you, the loyal and waiting Dark Age fanbase, in on what is coming over the next few months for our game. Never wanting to make a liar out of him, here is a few things to mark on your calendar (or at least make note of) to get excited about.

October sees the final official unit box releases of the Shadow Caste Dragyri as well as the first official Brood Faction Starter box! As that we are sorting out post-hurricane(s) restock orders and the like, we should also see lots of the out of stock boxes pop back up into sales-ready levels. Among these are the second printings of the 2017 Secondary Objective decks AND the 2017 Master Rules! Things have been going so well in the last year that we needed to order new cards AND books! Awesome, huh?

Additionally in October, you will see the update to the Beta Brood Rules stat cards based on YOUR feedback! Look VERY soon for the first installment of changes to keep these monsters fair and fun before their unit boxes and resculpts start to launch.



November heralds the beginning of winter for Bryan, so he has planned to get those unit boxes and resculpts of the Dragyri Ice Caste out in force this month. With CMON going to the first ever Pax Unplugged as well as these awesome beasts coming out, it should be a great month for Dark Age new and old alike.

Bryan is also planning on hosting a fun new contest via the Dark Age Facebook page in the month of November, so if you like winning free stuff and getting personal accolades from surely your favorite apocalyptic sci-fi skirmish game… stay tuned and get caught up on your narrative plots and characters!



December is always a strange time around the various CMON offices, as that there are a lot of holidays to contend with around the globe as well the one month that Dark Age always chooses NOT to have a full release of anything new. It gives everyone a chance to have some family time, play some games, and for us in the production process – get a little caught up and ready for the madness of the next year.

While we won’t be releasing anything new to the webstore, we will still be taking orders and (for you retailers out there) updating our stocks and preorder sales forms accordingly. For you, the fans and players, we have filled our social media calendar with a ton of great things to share with you. From starting the month off with a Facebook Live event, making sure you get some new video support, to getting a fun new narrative story and some stat card updates a year or so in the making – there will still be a lot to look forward to at the end of 2017.



Finally, for January, we plan to kick off the new year with some really cool stuff. Cracking open the vaults and letting out the first of the Skarrd Decay Cult boxes alongside some of their much-needed Character support is a great way to start 2018. Add in some resculpted unit boxes for other factions and you have a great month to look forward to in the case of models.

Additionally, if that wasn’t enough, Bryan has a special pack of new Secondary Objective Cards that all players are going to want to get their hands on for one reason or another. With official events allowing players to doctor their decks, these cards will bring a fun new aspect to everyone’s games – and quite possibly give more reasons for players to build their forces in particular ways.



Well… without dipping too deeply into what is to come and spoiling all of our surprises, we hope this shows you that – while 2017 is coming rapidly to a close – we are still very much ready to keep you excited, talking, and most importantly – playing Dark Age throughout these next months!

YOU HAVE BEEN HELPING THE BROOD TO EVOLVE!

October 4, 2017 Cards



It has been roughly 90 days since we released the initial cards for the Beta Brood Official Playtest, and the results have been humbling. You folks (the players) really do have a soft spot for these regenerating beasts of bio-engineered flesh and chitin! With the Brood Faction Starter Box just about to be available to the public and Bryan showing up at this convention or that event with his scary little monsters, it became evident that it was about time to update the Beta Brood Cards to show how much your feedback (emailed to bryan@cmon.com) about the Brood actually means to the Dark Age team and design process.

Along with this article, the online Brood stat cards have now been adjusted to discuss the changes our playtesting and your feedback has helped shape.

We didn’t want to just leave you having to hunt and peck for stat changes and the like, so let’s discuss what really changed right here.

Let’s start at the top.


MJB-4 is an in-close fighter, getting in the thick of things fast and seemed not to have all the chances to heal like he ought to. However, he is still 20 feet tall and ABLE to heal, so we chose to add a point to his AR while making him one easier to be hit as well. There were several comments about him not hitting hard enough, so we went ahead and gave him Furious Charge to help sharpen his teeth (staff?). Lastly, in reflection of something else coming to join MJB-4 in next year’s Brood book, we dropped his Commander rating to 4; still good for leading monsters, but not the best the faction will have available to it.

Helexa was a place where nearly all the emails had something to say. Her most notable comment was, when combined with Broodspawn: Awakened, she could have a PS 20 that she passes on to her entire force. While not utterly game-breaking, we at Dark Age don’t like many “sure things” in our game, so we reduced her PS from 16 to 15 as well as modified her Mental Link to have a radius of effect instead of table-wide. This makes her still very useful, but forces tactics and choices instead. We also increased her Commander rating to help make sure she can keep those friends close. Giving her an extra point of AR and Never Panic helped make her worth her 150 points once the battle was engaged, but so did the addition of a new ability called Parting Blow – letting her engage enemies and know that she will eventually get swings at them, one way or another.

Murtros is the Brood’s “backwoods general”, and we needed him to stay firmly in that role. He was given Never Panic; he is a legendary nightmare to frontier folk, after all. His Commander rating was adjusted to show his leadership role, but not outshine the hive mind of Helexa, either. Nothing else really stood out or was pointed out about our guerrilla warfare specialist.

Scion saw a great deal of use, it seems, by the sheer number of people commenting about her in their reports. The biggest change was the need to increase her Point Value from 125 to 150. She was definitely fighting above her weight class before, and now she seems to fight right in. Like other 150 point Brood Characters, we gave her Never Panic. While her points increase was needed, we also felt that her claws could hit harder and her tendrils could hit more often, so those numbers were also adjusted slightly.

The Mandible has also seen a lot of use lately, reports show. His adjustments came primarily from a string of reports that complained that the Mandible always outpaced or Ambush-deployed nowhere near the models that he shares a Squadlink keyword with – so we gave him the new “middle management” special ability of Commander*(1). Now he can fit in with any unit as battlefield support, and with Reach added to his attacks he can do so without getting in the way of the packs he is joining.

Gazelle is another fan favorite that reports were telling us that she just didn’t seem to live up to her potential. One large change that needed to happen was the adjustment of her Masochist ability to give her an additional AP instead of something she could already get from being a Broodspawn. Going along to match the narrative as well as celebrate two amazing new sculpts by Thierry Masson (a work-in-progress shown below), we decided to add a small Squadlink to the Gazelles. It isn’t a huge change to let them pair up, but it does help. Finally, to give Gazelles the punch that people universally claimed she didn’t have, her basic kicks now have Reach and can knock people down… but it is her big Double Kick that can make for a great running dropkick now that it has Devastating Charge.


Lashers, like their bigger sister Scion, were really fighting at a higher class than they were intended to. They are fast, smart, and agile scouts able to fill several battlefield roles, but their attacks were putting them over the top. The PW on their attacks was lowered, as was the AS of their head-tentacles. Now they fight more like a 75 point scout-like model should. Additionally, their Survivalist was removed and their DF raised by a point. Already having Reaction Strike and Elusive, they could already do a lot – and you players noticed.

We had a couple solid reports on the much-maligned Pod; walking Pud nests capable of effectively sacrificing themselves to *maybe*get a single PW 10 hit on someone. The AR was increased on these monsters, hoping to get them into combat with a little more survivability to make use of their increased combat efficiency. This is also to help them make more of a difference on the battlefield, because after hearing about piles of Pud Roamers all squadlinking at once with Furious Charge – we knew that Field Order had to go.


Alpha Broodlings were being heralded as the newest greatest thing, and we believe we understand why – 2 HP AND Regenerate on a 50 point model. So, much to the chagrin of many, it is being reduced back down to 1 HP. However, to make the most out of that HP, we added two points of chitinous AR and changed that Field Order into a squadlink-based Order.

The frequently proxied Mucous Bloatling only saw a very minor change that doesn’t affect them AT ALL until new units emerge in the future – we changed the name of their squadlink keyword from “Mucous Bloatling” to just “Bloatling.” That will be eventually evident as to why.

The last unit to see any of these first changes, the basic Broodling was a little too easy to pop for a close combat unit without Reach. Even at only 25 points and Regenerate, it was just too easy to kill swaths of them. It isn’t much, but a slight increase to their AR should help get these swarming devils up into combat where they belong. Now, one other change was more to reflect the desire to bring an Alpha along with them, and that was a minor decrease in the squadlink rating from 4 to 3 (also the number of new Broodling sculpts that will be coming in their unit box).

Not just changing the units, but also looking into the Bio-Gens, we added a special caveat to the Pud Hatchery to make it more useful for certain choices, and to prepare it for other changes in the future!

So… there you have it. The Brood rules have evolved slightly here and there, and the process in still ongoing. Until you see a unit box with printed cards in hand, we are still accepting playtest reports and notes on how these guys perform on your tabletops!