Hello Brimstone Gang!

Well, here we are. On the eve of the Pledge Manager. Is anyone excited? This is the big Update #42...the answer to life, the universe, and everything. Do you know how hard it was to time out the updates to hit #42 right at the launch of the Pledge Manager? (j/k)



What’s New?

It’s finally here, the Shadows of Brimstone Pledge Manager! After long months of working diligently on polishing the Core Sets and getting them through production and manufacturing, we have been breaking a lot of new ground with this project! With everything from making higher detail hard plastic figures to paint sets to fully die cut puzzle connection map tiles and all of the art and sculpting, it has been a crazy ride getting the pipeline and game system for Shadows of Brimstone fully realized. Over this time, a lot of things have changed, both in the game’s design as well as the manufacturing and pricing of things. This has led us to make a few changes to the structure of the Pledge Manager as well as several additional brand new items that are now available as Add-Ons. Here is a list of all of the new features of the Shadows of Brimstone Pledge Manager:

Estimated MSRP Pricing

One of the things that we discovered rather quickly is that the costs for printing highly detailed die cut map tiles as well as hard plastic miniature production has become a bit more expensive than previously expected. This has led to higher costs on our end and will affect many of the estimated/final RETAIL prices for items in the Kickstarter. This DOES NOT however, change the Add-On pricing for KS Backers. It just means that you guys are getting an even better deal than anybody realized! The current estimated Retail price total for the Mine Cart, including all of the Stretch Goals, etc., weighs in at upwards of $1,600 MSRP!

Shipping in Waves

Shadows of Brimstone will be shipping out to backers in 2 Waves. Wave 1 will include primarily the 2 Core Sets and the Outlaw Rules, Cards, and Character sheet (unfortunately, the miniature isn’t ready yet, so that will come later). There may be a few other items that can ship out with Wave 1, but that will most likely just be the Pads of Hero Character Sheets and Paint Sets for any Backers that add them in the Pledge Manager. All of the other Items (Stretch Goals, Add-Ons, Custom Dice, etc) will be included in Wave 2. Currently we are estimating that Wave 2 will start shipping out some time next Summer (2015), most likely around August timeframe.

Extra Shipping Wave 1.5
One of the Add-On items that has been included in the Pledge Manager is an Extra Wave of Shipping. This is an optional cost that covers shipping (still subsidized by us – shipping charges have gone through the roof recently) for an extra Wave 1.5 to be sent to those Backers that select it, that will include everything that is ready up to that point. We do not have a firm date on when this optional Wave 1.5 will ship out, but the plan is to have it at a mid-way point between Wave 1 and Wave 2, most likely starting to ship out sometime around March/April 2015. This Wave 1.5 is an optional extra cost and we don’t expect most Backers to elect to use it (just based on the high costs of shipping), but we wanted to make it available to any who want a huge influx of new material several months before absolutely everything is complete for Wave 2 to ship out.

Mine Cart Rounds 5, 6, 7, and 8 Bonus Credit

Backers that pledged for Mine Cart Rounds 5 ($425), 6 ($450), 7 ($475), and 8 ($480) during the Kickstarter Campaign were offered a Bonus Credit for use in the Pledge Manager. This is still the case and will be included in your Pledge Level when you log into the Pledge Manager. As a reminder, this Bonus Credit may not be used on Extra Pledge Levels or Shipping. Trying to do so may result in a significant delay to your order being processed and shipped.

No Late Backing

Based on several factors, including the increasing costs of production and the amount of Backers we already have from the KS Campaign itself, we have made the decision to not allow Late Backers to join the KS after the Campaign has finished. There was a lot of discussion on this point, but we finally reached the conclusion that allowing Late Backers was not something that we could really do.

Extra Passages and Standard Room Tiles SG Swapped for New Frontier Bandit Enemies

One of the original Stretch Goals in the Kickstarter was an extra set of the Passages and Standard Room Map Tiles for both City of the Ancients and Swamps of Death. This only included the generic passages (corners, T-Junctions, Straight paths, etc) as well as the generic room tiles (the couple of tiles that you get 2 of each in the box, that don’t have any real distinguishing features to make them unique). The initial thought on adding these was that it could be good for players that wanted to make larger pre-set maps that had more passages between rooms or more generic rooms to fill it out with. As the design of the game progressed, it became less and less interesting to include these. At the same time, something that was not included in the KS at all was a normal gang of Human Bandits to use as Enemies, both while in Town as well as down in the Mines. As we have been working on the Expanded Frontier Town and other Enemies for the game, this became something we thought would be really cool to add.

For this reason, we have made the decision to swap out the Stretch Goal from the rather pointless extra generic rooms and passage tiles to a brand new grouping of Frontier Bandit Enemies that include 6 Figures as well as the corresponding cards and rules for using them in the game! As an Outlaw level Backer or higher, you don’t need to do anything in the Pledge Manager for this upgrade, it has happened automatically!

On the outside chance that any Backer would rather have the original Stretch Goal, as listed in the KS, instead of the new Frontier Bandit Enemies, you can send us an email to admin@flyingfrog.net with the Subject Line “OPT OUT OF FRONTIER BANDIT ENEMY UPGRADE” to let us know. We will honor the original Stretch Goal for the extra set of Passages and Standard Map Tiles as it was initially presented. Note, though, that there is no other way to get the new Frontier Bandit Enemies in the Pledge Manager.



Void Sorcerers

Another element of the game that has evolved during development is the Void Sorcerer Enemy. Originally this was going to be a Mini-Boss type Enemy, but as the rules for him progressed, it has become an Enemy type that requires 1-3 figures. They are now a Heavy style Enemy that can show up in groups. Because of this, the Stretch Goal for the Void Sorcerer has been upgraded to include 3 Void Sorcerer figures instead of only 1. This is a free upgrade.



Outlaw Upgrade to Mine Cart (MC Round 9)

Many Backers have been asking about the possibility to upgrade their Pledge Level from Outlaw to Mine Cart. We are happy to announce that this will now be possible in the Pledge Manager. Any Backer that is currently at the Outlaw (Early), Outlaw, Map Maker (Outlaw), or Deluxe Outlaw Pledge Level may select the option to Upgrade to Mine Cart Round 9 for an additional fee (as listed in the Pledge Manager entry for Upgrading). Note that this option to Upgrade is only offered to Backers that are currently at the Outlaw Level or higher. Backers that Pledged at a lower level than Outlaw will not have access to this Upgrade.

Additional Pledge Levels for Outlaw and Mine Cart (Limit 1 each)

As discussed in previous Updates and Comments, we will be allowing any Backer that Pledged at Outlaw level or higher to add up to 1 additional Outlaw Pledge level to be shipped to the same address as their normal Pledge Rewards. We will also be allowing any Backer that Pledged at the Mine Cart level or higher to add up to 1 additional Mine Cart (MC Round 9) to be shipped to the same address as their normal Pledge Rewards.

These additional Pledge Levels are being limited to 1 Outlaw and 1 Mine Cart for several reasons, not the least of which is the ever growing Production Costs for manufacturing and the logistics of packing and shipping everything. For Backers that already added extra funding to their Pledge during the campaign with the intent to get more than one extra Outlaw or Mine Cart Pledge Level added to their rewards, please send an email to admin@flyingfrog.net and we can discuss the options for a resolution/refund of this extra funding.

Extra Copies of the Outlaw Hero Class
Extra Copies of the Kickstarter Exclusive Outlaw Hero Class are available as part of the Pledge Manager for an additional cost. This includes the Hero Record Sheet, Cards, and Rules for the Outlaw Hero Class as well as both the Male and Female Outlaw figures. As the Outlaw Figures are not ready yet for Wave 1 Shipping, they will be included in Wave 2. All of the Outlaw Record Sheets, Cards, and Rules will be included in Wave 1 (where available).

Trun Hunters, Trederran Mutants, and Tribal Ghost Warriors

We are excited to announce that, though the Stretch Goals for them were not quite reached during the KS Campaign, we have added the Trun Hunters, Trederran Mutants, and Tribal Ghost Warrior Enemies as optional Add-Ons which may be purchased in the Pledge Manager!



Corpse Piles and Derelict Ship Auto-Turrets

We have also included Optional Add-Ons of brand new Terrain Hazard Figures for Corpse Piles (previously counters in the Swamps of Death Core Set) as well as Auto-Turret Defenses for the Derelict Ship OtherWorld (these will also be counters in the Derelict Ship OtherWorld set).

Artifact Card Supplements for each OtherWorld

Another addition to the Pledge Manager as an Optional Add-On is an Artifact Card Supplement for each of the OtherWorlds. Each of these Card Supplements more than doubles the number of OtherWorld Artifacts for the world it is associated with!



Custom Dice Mega Set

We have also created a Custom Dice Mega Set that includes one of each Set of the different Custom Dice (96 dice total) for a discounted amount.



Blank Card Sets

As we continued to work on refining the design of the game as well as getting everything into production, some of the card decks changed and a few new card decks were even added to the game that did not exist during the time of the KS Campaign (such as Epic Threats and OtherWorld Threats). Because of this, as well as lots of feedback from Backers, we have made a few changes to the way the Optional Add-On Blank Card Sets are organized in the final Pledge Manager. You will now find that they are organized into themed groupings that make sense for what you would want in the game, while still keeping a reasonable price point. They are also no longer grouped with multiple OtherWorld specific blank cards combined into the same set.

Now you will find that the Blank Cards are available as a Threat Set (Low, Med, High, and Epic Threats), a Mine Set (Mine Encounters, Mine Artifacts, Gear, and Darkness), and a set for each OtherWorld (world Encounters, world Artifacts, and OtherWorld Threats).



Blank Hero Character Sheet Pads and Enemy Record Sheet Pads

Toward the end of the KS Campaign, we announced that we would be including an Optional Add-On for pads of extra Blank Hero Record Sheets. The Pledge Manager now includes this option as well as pads of blank Enemy Record Sheets for making your own new Enemies. These Pads are $10 each and include a set of 40 Full Color prints of the blank Hero Character Sheet or the blank Enemy Record Sheet.



Sets of Extra Bases – 30mm, 40mm, and 60mm

Sets of extra bases are also available as part of the Pledge Manager in regular 30mm, Large 40mm, and XL 60mm. These work great for mounting figures on to match the rest of your Shadows of Brimstone set if you want to add your own new Enemies or Heroes to the game!

New Promo Cards

We created exclusive Promo Cards that gamers outside of the Kickstarter will get when they buy the Core Sets directly from Flying Frog Productions. Of course, as you guys are our biggest supporters, we have included these with your Pledge as a free bonus: All KS backers who pledged at Prospector Level will get TWO Promo Cards (the two associated with their chosen Core Set) and all KS Backers who pledged at Outlaw or higher will get all FOUR of the Bonus Promo Cards! Everyone who picked up their games at one of our Pick-Ups already received these Promo Cards.



FAQ

What Comes in Wave 1?

The following items will be included in Wave 1 if you got them as part of your pledge level or purchased them in the Pledge Manager:

Shadows of Brimstone: City of the Ancients Core Set
Shadows of Brimstone: Swamps of Death Core Set
Miniature Set of Heroes and Enemies from both Core Sets in Variant RED color
Signed Art Print
Kickstarter-Exclusive Outlaw Hero Class (Rules, Upgrade Chart, Character Sheet, Game Cards, but No Miniature yet)
Bonus Promo Cards
Heroes of the Old West Premium Paint Set
Creatures of the Void Premium Paint Set
Pads of Color Blank Character Record Sheets
Pads of Color Blank Enemy Record Sheets
Shadows of Brimstone Vinyl Sticker Set
What Comes in the Optional Wave 1.5?

This is an early estimate of what we will have ready to ship in Wave 1.5, but is subject to change:

2 Otherworlds (TBD)
2-3 Mission Packs (TBD)
Outlaw Miniatures
3-5 New Hero Classes with Miniatures (TBD)
Blank Cards
6-12 Game Card Supplements (TBD)
4-12 New Enemy Groups (TBD, including some XL and XXL enemies)
What comes in Wave 2?

All remaining items. Wave 2 will only ship once everything from the Pledge Manager is ready.



Shadows of Brimstone Vinyl Sticker Sheet
Shadows of Brimstone Vinyl Sticker Sheet
General Information about Pledge Manager
1. You should receive an email from the fantastic folks at PledgeManager.com very soon! When you receive your email, you will need to click on the link and just follow the simple instructions to get started.

2. Once you are in your order, you just need to confirm the shipping address where you’d like to receive your rewards and confirm your order. If you would like to add additional goodies into your order, you can do that, too. If the process isn't clear once you're in, take a look at this overview to see how easy it is to confirm your order: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBOkInmQS5o

3. Once you have checked out and your order has been confirmed, we will begin processing and fulfilling your Pledge Rewards. Wave 1 (as described above) will be shipping around the world over the next few months.

What is PledgeManager?

PledgeManager is a specialized fulfillment tool that will help us get your rewards to you as efficiently as possible. PledgeManager is intended to improve your experience for the period after Kickstarter but before reward delivery. It offers you the ability to review centralized information on your PledgeManager projects through a single sign-on. You can change your shipping address up to the moment of reward shipment, and even track the progress and delivery of projects you’ve backed that are loaded in PledgeManager.

Why PledgeManager?

Can’t you just get my information through Kickstarter? It’s true. Kickstarter does offer a survey tool that we could use after our project ends. However, it’s fairly limited in functionality and we feel it ultimately doesn’t meet your or our needs. With PledgeManager, not only can you update your shipping address and track the project delivery, but you can also select the detailed reward options for your reward level, and add more rewards that you may have missed. For us, using PledgeManager means accurate and detailed orders for our manufacturers, cleaner shipping and handling charges (especially for international backers), and knowing that the address we’re shipping your rewards to is the right one. Not to mention it gives you, our awesome backers, complete control and visibility into your order and shipping information at any time!

Wrap Up
That's all for now. We plan to begin sending out the invitation to the Pledge Manager shortly, but we will be sending the invites in groups so we can be sure everything is working properly. Not everyone will get their invitation at once. Please be patient. Your Pledge Manager awaits...

Cheers,
Scott & Jason