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Well then... There's another release preventing me from ever clearing my hobby backlog for this game!

Cherno Alpha is ready to join the Commonwealth fleet!

Once painted up, those arms feel a lot less blocky than the render made appear. I think those big pistons on them are a lot less obvious once painted up (ironically).

I know the design is one giant Cherno Alpha reference, but I STILL feel like they clash a bit with the smooth, rounded body and head.

As a Cherno Alpha reference, it falls flat IMO.

chaos0xomega wrote:
As a Cherno Alpha reference, it falls flat IMO.

Does it? I mean... It's not a direct copy of that Jaeger for sure (I'm sure it can't be), but as a heavy-handed wink to that pop-culture reference, I think it works.

I mean, it still keeps that typical commonwealth Cryo generator design (which is more rounded) but with the very clunky and blocky arms/fist. I just happen to think they look slightly less thick in the painted picture compared to the render...

Yeah, I see what they were going for, I just don't think the Marena's are as cool as Cherno Alpha, in large part because the proportions don't really match. The Marena's head is proportionally/relatively smaller than Chernos is, whereas Chernos boddy is narrower/smaller than the Marena's. They are kind of inverse shapes of one another, and IMO Cherno's proportions/shape work a lot better than the Marena's. That and the Marenas arms just look clunky and weird, I think thats due to their posing being extended out in front of the body - the way they are positioned along with how they are shaped doesn't really demonstrate the idea that they articulate or move the way an arm would, they just look kind of like they are solid booms that can pivot at the shoulder but otherwise are fixed into position. I.E. its very "stiff".

October is a monumental month for us here at Warcradle Studios with massive releases for Dystopian Wars and Warcradle Scenics.

Conflicts are escalated sky high in Dystopian Wars this month as the Sturginium Skies - Two Player Starter Set hits the tabletop. The first Two Player Starter Set for Dystopian Wars since Hunt for the Prometheus, Sturginium Skies sees the Crown’s Canadian air force defend against an incoming Imperium invasion.

But the Dystopian Wars releases don’t stop there! The Empire begin deployment of Ika Colossi to ensnare their enemies with the Ika Colossus Squadrons, and the Akula Battlefleet Set offers the submarines seen in the Black Wolf Battlefleet Set separately.

Get ready to furnish your tabletop with Paddle Steamers and rundown Manors as the Black Lake Bayou Set becomes available to purchase as individual terrain kits.

Due to be released at the end of October 2022



Dystopian Wars

Introduce a whole new dimension of combat to your games of Dystopian Wars this month with the aerial additions in the Sturginium Skies Two Player Starter Set. The Empire and Commonwealth also employ more reinforcements this month with the addition of the Ika Colossus Squadrons and Akula Battlefleet Set respectively.

Sturginium Skies - Two Player Starter Set

Perfect for brand new and entrenched players alike, the Sturginium Skies Two Player Starter Set offers a great way to jump into the action of Dystopian Wars with a mix of entirely plastic Aerial and Naval units with all you need to start playing the game.



The great powers of the Dystopian Age are constantly testing each other’s boundaries, fighting for territory and resources. The Imperium has decided to make a push into the Labrador Sea, to claim some of the Crown’s Dominions in Canada. It was believed that in the face of an overwhelming military presence in the region, the Crown would yield and allow the fishing and gas fields to be ceded to the Imperium.

Sturginium Skies not only provides everything you need for two players to start playing Dystopian Wars, but it also contains a campaign that showcases the beleaguered Canadian forces as they hold off against a powerful Imperium attack. Will Air Marshal Spottswoode and the 14th Rotor Expedition arrive in time to make a difference for the Crown? Or will Kommodore von Hoeppner and her Prussian battlefleets reach their target for the glory of the Imperium?

This Starter Set will walk players through the rules of Dystopian Wars encounter by encounter, slowly building up to the final confrontation between the Crown and Imperium Forces.

This Box Contains:
1 x Stark Imperium Skyfortress
2 x Kriegsturm Assault Airship
4 x Jaeger Aerial Fast Destroyer
4 x Aerial Escort
2 x Reiter Cruiser
4 x Sigimer Destroyer
3 x Prydain War Rotor
3 x Tintagel Battle Rotor
6 x Saxon Scout Rotor
3 x Newfoundland Attack Cruiser
6 x Orca Hunter Submarine
SRS Tokens
1 x Rule Book (Revision 3.03)
1 x Campaign Book
2 x Victory & Valour card decks (60 cards each)
1 x Template set

Ika Colossus Squadrons



Since the creation of the first primitive maps, there have been parts of the world where monsters lay and sailors fear to wonder. The Empire have been inspired by this to create their own monstrosities of the deep. Marvels of engineering created not only to sow fear and doubt in the minds of their enemies but also to demonstrate the mechanical mastery of the Empire.

Using the most advanced engineering techniques, by command of Empress Shinzua herself, huge automata in the form of giant squid have been successfully developed. The layered wax and silk cognition cylinders for these submerged creations are of a complexity that exceeds even those of the Enlightened.

This box contains:
2x Ika Colossus (can be built as either a Kaiju or Okuforu Class Ika Colossus)
4x Chita Submersible Escort Automata

Akula Battlefleet Set



Flagship of the Black Wolf Mercenary Fleet and commanded by the charismatic Volodymyr Nikonov, the Death Bringer is feared around the globe. Stolen from the Enlightened during a presentation to the Tsar, Nikonov ensured the Death Bringer was an utterly unique masterpiece by destroying the blueprints and setting the shipyards ablaze.

Extrapolated by Ukrainian engineers from charred blueprints of the stolen Death Bringer, the Akula is still the most powerful in the Ukrainian Submarine Command. One element that was successfully replicated was the Akula’s magnetohydrodynamic drive enabling the boat to approach virtually undetected before striking.

This box contains:
3x Grand Submarine (can be built as either the Death Bringer or Akula Class ship)
6x Khyzhak Attack Submarines
6x Piranya Hunter Submarines

Warcradle Scenics

The Black Lake Bayou Set becomes available to pre-order in individual terrain kits this month, allowing you to customise the swampy scenery of your tabletop to match the theme of your wargames.




Black Lake Bayou - Manor



Built many years ago when the French had colonised the local area, the Manor at Black Lake was once a place of opulence where the well-to-do would dine and socialise. Since the Ore War, it has certainly lost its shine. While still an imposing building, it is now for a very different reason. Rumours of it being haunted and the now overgrown local flora make it creepy rather than captivating.

The ‘ownership’ of the building has changed hands many times over the past years with everyone staking a tenuous claim from local moonshiners to Confederate remnants of the Ore War to Mme. Marie Leveau and her entourage. This last entry being the source of many of the macabre tales that seem to centre around this former location of luxury

This set contains:
1x Black Lake Manor

Black Lake Bayou - Paddle Steamer



The Paddle Steamer in Black Lake must have had a name at some point but that is now lost to the lake, as is a large section of its hull. Whether by war, accident or the simple passage of time, no one seems to remember but it is now scuppered with anything of use torn from its rotting carcass.

Despite this, there are still determined souls willing to risk their lives delving into the submerged hold, hoping to find the gold that was the prize in a forgotten poker tournament. No one seems to know if this was even real or not but those who search for it often find the bodies of those who went before them. Like those decaying corpses, this Paddle Steamer will eventually be consumed by the bayou, never to be seen again.

This set contains:
1x Black Lake Paddle Steamer

Black Lake Bayou - Boat House



While in the grounds of the Black Lake Manor, this Boat House is rarely seen in the same place twice. This is made all the stranger given that no one seems to live there. Clearly, someone does but no living person has ever seen boarding or disembarking this crudely built dwelling. Even when gunfights break out between local bandits and lawmen, no movement is seen across the deck. If anything does make this haphazard construction its home, it seems to be able to sense trouble before it arrives and makes its way elsewhere.

This set contains:
1x Black Lake Boat House

Black Lake Bayou - Summer House



The Black Lake Summer House has fallen into a state of almost total decrepitude. Years ago it might have been considered a picturesque folly for effete members of the family to make their dalliances, though like those once young and beautiful people its best days are far behind it. Now it is only home to wildlife and whatever transient creatures traverse the bayou at night. Very occasionally, the tree growing through the roof is used as a dead drop between whoever might be up to nefarious deeds and do not wish to be disturbed.

This set contains:
1x Black Lake Summer House

October looks to be one of the biggest months for Dystopian Wars releases with a brand new Two Player Starter Set, Sturginium Skies and much more! Make sure not to miss out when they go live for pre-order on the 30th of September 2022 at your FLGS or Wayland Games Online.

Keep up to date with all the latest news and releases on the Warcradle Studios Blog and socials, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

AIRSHIPS AIRSHIPS AIRSHIPS AIRSHIPS!

Ok I'm not going to lie, the War-rotor looks, uninspiring/a little too much like a toy/blocky in sculpting style. However that's I think because I'm comparing it to the old resin War-Rotor and my impression of these new ones is they are much smaller and more cruiser sided instead of battleship sized?

I think it also might be the fact that its a render not a photo of a mini and that a sense of real world scale and proportions will lose that impact.


Everything else is utterly freaking awesome. From a huge flotilla of submarines through to the huge Imperial Zeppelin and its lighter support craft.
I'm really excited seeing air units and can't wait to see what bigger, different things are coming for all factions. I'm really hoping to see Russian ones and the Sultanite and more!!

Sturginium Skies preview already gained us our first local Imperium player, and 9th player overall.

The Ika Colossus box is definitely on my shopping list and that 2 player starterset for sure.

Nice to see ever more exotic ships being added.

 Overread wrote:
AIRSHIPS AIRSHIPS AIRSHIPS AIRSHIPS!

Ok I'm not going to lie, the War-rotor looks, uninspiring/a little too much like a toy/blocky in sculpting style. However that's I think because I'm comparing it to the old resin War-Rotor and my impression of these new ones is they are much smaller and more cruiser sided instead of battleship sized?

I think it also might be the fact that its a render not a photo of a mini and that a sense of real world scale and proportions will lose that impact.


Everything else is utterly freaking awesome. From a huge flotilla of submarines through to the huge Imperial Zeppelin and its lighter support craft.
I'm really excited seeing air units and can't wait to see what bigger, different things are coming for all factions. I'm really hoping to see Russian ones and the Sultanite and more!!

Yeah, the Crown War-Rotors in this set are Mass 2 and 1, so Cruisers and Frigates. There's artwork in the Orbat (Codex) of a War-Rotor Aircraft Carrier, which will be the bigger flagship for them.

Yep carriers were always huge on sky, sea and land. I hope this also means that they'll get a unique style air battleship too!

October releases are now available to pre-order!

Make sure to check out the Warcradle Studios Blog for more information.

I will have to hunt around to see if I can find Sturginium Skies locally

We did an interview with Chris and Stuart about the new box set and the future of Dystopian Wars recently, some very interesting stuff coming. Just search for The Markov Dossier podcast if you're interested.

I really got a sense of professional pride from them - by which I mean they are people who want to go to sleep each night knowing they did the best job they could. Something rare in these days of "meh, good enough" releases from major and minor companies alike.

Reviews/unboxings of Sturginium Skies are trickling in already, this is the third one I've seen and I'd say the most concise.

The paintjob on that Flagship zeppelin is pretty stellar!



That is one hell of a large centerpiece model!

See now that's the kind of display that makes me want to buy things!!

Or pester WC until they release more huge airships!

Glorious indeed and surprisingly large for plastic. Seems to be about the same volume as the Mass 5 donuts, and being Mass 4 but lighter than air that feels pretty fitting.

I was surprised it wasn't resin, then again I think it looks beefier than any of the airships Spartan did so making it plastic and hollow makes sense over a massive resin chunk. You 100% can do big resin on a flight stick, but its going to weigh way more.

Yep and thanks to clever use of symmetry the whole thing is built from two copies of one sprue!

This month at Warcradle Studios, we’ve not only been busy preparing the latest pre-orders for Dystopian Wars and Warcradle Scenics, but also getting ready to announce our latest thrilling Wild West Exodus novel!

Following the release of Sturginium Skies last month, and the original Two Player Starter Set Hunt for the Prometheus, you can now venture further into the Dystopian Age with Beyond The Sturginium Skies and Beyond The Hunt for the Prometheus. Will you seek to claim the Labrador Sea for either the Crown or the Imperium or are you prepared for a Commonwealth ambush on the Enlightened? It's time to choose your battle and fight.

And the Dystopian Wars releases don’t stop there! With THREE new Battlefleets setting sail at the end of November, you have plenty of options to choose from for your next tabletop force. Union players will be able to add the Mexico Battlefleet Set to their collection, whereas Crown players have the Protecteur Battlefleet, and Sultanate players will be able to expand their fleet with the Retaj Battlefleet Set.

Build your tabletop farmstead with the Buckhorn Ranch Set from Warcradle Scenics. Featuring a Silo, Stables, a Water Tower and more, you'll have everything you need to set the scene for games of Wild West Exodus.

Due to be released at the end of November 2022.



Dystopian Wars

Beyond The Sturginium Skies



The Labrador Sea had barely stopped roiling when the call for reinforcements went out. Both the Crown and Imperium lost vessels and both were too proud to leave control of the Labrador Sea to the other. Where they differ, however, is their response to the conflict.

The Crown sent word to have a battlefleet assemble which is now on its way from the United Kingdom while the Imperium mobilised the Teutonic Knights and used its efficient logistical chain to assemble a battle platform, defended by Vitruvian Colossi, to maintain hold on the area before more support can arrive.

The fight was thought to be over but it seems to have been merely a break in the storm. The Sturginium Skies boil with battle once again. Who will claim the Labrador Sea as their own, the Crown or the Imperium?

This box contains:
2x Crown Cruisers (Can be built as either an Athelstan, Agincourt or Hotspur Class ship)
2x Morgana Assault Submarine
4x Excalibur Heavy Destroyer
2x SRS Token
2x Sets of Platforms
2x Hochmeister Vitruvian Colossus (can also be built as Metzger Vitruvian Colossus)
1x Wreck marker
1x Mine Marker
1x Rule Book
1x Campaign Book
20x Action dice
6x Critical dice
1x Token set

Beyond The Hunt for the Prometheus



After Helsinki Markov’s treachery stole the Prometheus away from its creators there has been a bitter rivalry between the Covenant of the Enlightened and the Commonwealth. Certain Peers of the Enlightened have decided to make an example of the Commonwealth for such an audacious heist and show that they have as much military influence as any of the Great Powers.

As for the Okhrana, the Commonwealth Intelligence Service, they hope for more secrets of the age to be unlocked by luring the various automata and advanced enemy vessels into engagements that they can’t hope to escape from. With the plan of dissecting any captured inventions for reverse engineering.

With the help of Mongolian offshore platforms and a web of false leads, the Okhrana have orchestrated for an Enlightened battlefleet to be in place for an ambush. The Commonwealth now has engineering marvels of their own in the shape of Vitruvian Colossi. Will the Enlightened fall for the trap or have the Commonwealth bitten off more than they can chew?

This box contains:
2x Marena Vitruvian Colossus (can also be built as Kostroma Vitruvian Colossus)
4x Boyar Heavy Frigate
2x Sets of Platforms
2x Assault Machine (can be built as either a Ketos or Lotan Class machine)
2x Advanced Cruiser (can be built as either a Newton, Zumeena, Vesalius or Origen Class ship)
2x Enlightened Escort
2x Orca Token
1x Mine Marker
1x Wreck Marker
1x Rule Book
1x Campaign Book
20x Action dice
6x Critical dice
1x Token set

Protecteur Battlefleet Set



Huge submersible strike carriers, the Protecteur class was the brainchild of Canadian Frank Andrew Fleming and his assistants at the Davie Shipyard. The Protecteur uniquely combines the capacity of a large support carrier with the stealth and strike capabilities of an attack submersible.

This box contains:
1x Protecteur Submersible Carrier
2x Canadian Frontline Cruiser (can be built as either a Newfoundland, Bonaventure, Halifax, Toronto or Yukon Class ship)
4x Orca Hunter Submarine
2x SRS Token

Mexico Battlefleet Set



The Testbed ship for Nikolai Tesla’s revolutionary Arc technologies, the USS Mexico is often sent into the heart of engagements against the enemies of the Union. The results of these engagements make for precious study material at The Pipeworks.

The Union fleet has seen a number of technological improvements since the defection of Nikolai Tesla from the Imperium, and a significant overall increase since the end of the Ore War. Support Cruisers and Automata have all been upgraded by the creative team in the Pipeworks.

This box contains:
1x USS Mexico
2x Union Support Cruisers
Each Cruiser can alternatively be built as Discovery, Roanoke, California, Montgomery or Washington Class
4x RC-52 Patriot Automata
2x SRS Tokens

Retaj Battlefleet Set



Sinister vessels crewed entirely from the cult of the Order, the Retaj Portalship is beyond the limit of the scientific and engineering expertise of the Sultanate. Indeed it is beyond even the esoteric designs of the Enlightened. Able to create stable rifts in the aether and allow entire ships to pass through, these fantastic energies can be harnessed and repurposed most lethally.

This box contains:
1x Retaj Portalship
4x Carolus Destroyer

Wild West Exodus

Lazarus

Welcome to an alternate 1870s where the heroism and hubris of humanity in this era of steam and steel have unlocked secrets that the world was unprepared for, as super-science and alien technologies bring about an exciting and unpredictable age. The Dystopian Age.



The Badlands of North America are a wild and dangerous place. It has been a generation since the end of the civil war, known as the Ore War, and the Union of Federated States has emerged as a dominant power on the world stage. But all is not as it seems and there’s something rotten in the prosperous frontier town of Provenance. The Union have sent Major Willa Shaw to investigate in an adventure that will see her cross paths with old friends and new and terrifying enemies. Can Shaw and her allies discover the origins of Lazarus before all hell breaks loose?

1x Softback copy of Lazarus

Warcradle Scenics

Buckhorn Ranch Set



Buckhorn Ranch is a typical example of life on the frontier. It’s changed hands many times over the years, occasionally sold by a family who’ve grown too old to look after the place but more often through nefarious means.

This set contains:
1x Farmstead
1x Lodge
1x Silo
1x Ranch Scatter
1x Barn
2x Stable

There’s a little something for everyone in November, with so many exciting pre-orders available! Make sure not to miss out when they go live for pre-order on the 28th of October 2022 at your FLGS or Wayland Games Online.

Keep up to date with all the latest news and releases on the Warcradle Studios Blog and socials, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

A slightly weaker month for DW in terms of purely new stuff, but those are some nice boxes. Would recommend a "Beyond" box to any pair of players who had just split a starter. A really aggressively priced way to get the second rulebook and some unit variety (opposed to splitting two starters).

Interesting twin duel box release - though I hope the platforms in time come in their own box (perhaps with more platforms/other npc/generic items.).

The new stuff looks great - huge carrier for Brittania then some support ships and a big new ship for the Union and then the cool portal ship and destroyers. I'd say its a good solid release considering 3 factions are getting new units in one go and the boxed sets, whilst having less unique stuff, are fun.

The Mexico is actually the existing Constitution sculpt with just a new resin generator bit. And frontline cruisers are swapped out for support cruisers. It's a nice box, but not new new.

Ahh I'd not kept an eye on the Union forces that closely.

I think this is a pretty solid month. There are 3 fully new sprues in it (4 if you want to get really pedantic about a resin generator)

More importantly though, it creates some clear expansion options for those just looking for a narrative gameplay experience and want to expand their campaigns.

There is only one major gripe I have with the "Beyond" style boxes... And that is the lack of flagships in them. Currently, your fleet is made up of battlefleets and most battlefleets need to be lead by a flagship and that allows for up to 4 regular units to be added. The 2 player startersets mostly consist of 1 flagship and some normal units besides them... Having expansions that have regular units in them, does allow those players to swap out unit, but not to GROW the forces in the starterset.

An easy enough fix though if Warcraddle allows the "base platform kit" included to have some type of configuration that can functions as a flagship for a generic faction fleet... If you look at the parts shown in the blogpost and the B2B website, that kit is no doubt flexible enough to make a single "full option" naval base out of it that has control of a defensive fleet nearby. That option pretty much only leaves the Enlightened out (as they don't have access to those bases in the current ORBAT), but that is not an issue as their starterset force already includes 2 flagships, which allows them to field up to 8 units (plenty to field all your toys at once).

Crown being especially weak in this regard since their only "flagship" is building Torontos from their Canadian cruiser sprues.

The November releases are now available to pre-order!

Make sure to check out the Warcradle Studios Blog for more information.