Mierce Miniatures Darklands Ongoing News and Rumors Thread! Darklands Rulebook ships on April 18!

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**RiTides**

Division of Joy, I was about to link to that thread Alpharius sent you to, as that's where a lot of information is compiled. I definitely don't think any of it should be "left behind", but that is the appropriate place to discuss it / ask more questions if you have any.

I made a summary post of the known facts within that thread, here is a direct link to it:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/615473.page#7212887

**Denilsta**

I am really looking forward to tomorrow, I've missed my weekly fix of Mierce's updates.

**RiTides**

It'd be even better if monstrous mounts gets an update! The behema has been far along but not finalized for quite some time now, and I'd really like to see it finished.

**Alpharius**

WHAT THE

?!?!?

Printing the Darklands: First Edition Rules

We've decided to put back the printing of the rulebook to summer 2015. We just do not have the time to get everything playtested and written before then.

**Joyboozer**

Yeah, fething what? I love Mierce, but that's just fethed, I want that fething book! feth!

**tre manor**

..................And they are wanting to add more to the pile of " stuff to do"........

**Henry**

Glad I'm not the only one thinking WTF. I've supported Mierce by buying enough miniatures for three healthily sized armies, but this is the limit for me.

There will now be no more support from me for Darklands until the rulebook is released and I feel I can trust Mierce to produce a full wargame, not just pretty miniatures.

**highlord tamburlaine**

Bummed about the book printing.

I was looking forward to it too.

I feel rather conflicted about this. Unfortunately they seem to have distracted me with this new shiny armored wyvern with an orc on it.

**Looky Likey**

I'm only interested in the miniatures so I'm not waiting on it for gaming, but I am a bit fed up that it has been pushed back again and again since I paid for it quite some time ago now. I'm sure it'll be lovely when it does arrive though.

**The Division Of Joy**

RiTides wrote:
Division of Joy, I was about to link to that thread Alpharius sent you to, as that's where a lot of information is compiled. I definitely don't think any of it should be "left behind", but that is the appropriate place to discuss it / ask more questions if you have any.

I made a summary post of the known facts within that thread, here is a direct link to it:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/615473.page#7212887

Thanks for that, really cleared some stuff up for me.

**Alpharius**

Henry wrote:
Glad I'm not the only one thinking WTF. I've supported Mierce by buying enough miniatures for three healthily sized armies, but this is the limit for me.

There will now be no more support from me for Darklands until the rulebook is released and I feel I can trust Mierce to produce a full wargame, not just pretty miniatures.

I'm a big fan of Mierce's Darklands stuff.

ESPECIALLY as a fantasy tabletop wargame.

This latest news of another delay to the book printing is VERY disappointing.

I'll admit that this is also beginning to concern me more than a little bit.

**Denilsta**

I have backed Meirce very heavily from the first KS onward, I must have spent around £ 3000 if not more. This was not for an investment to be sold on ebay later or anything like that, I was investing in the game play, the back ground and the miniatures. ...I hate data slides and tablets for rules, as I have been wargaming for over 30 years I'm a bit old fashioned and prefer a physical book.
This latest delay is upsetting and troublesome especially as it is the same reason used for nearly a year now. Please Rob, Tim and Mierce sort this out, the book should come before any further Kickstarters as it will show a real commitment to make this game work.

**RiTides**

Alpharius wrote:
WHAT THE ?!?!?

Printing the Darklands: First Edition Rules

We've decided to put back the printing of the rulebook to summer 2015. We just do not have the time to get everything playtested and written before then.

Wow. That's not what I was expecting...

That puts it's release simultaneous to GW's fantasy update, which even if the fantasy update is poor, it will have momentum when it starts. Releasing now would've given Darklands time to take hold as an alternative ruleset for people to consider if they didn't like the new fantasy. Now... it'll likely just get lost in the shuffle.

And in the interim they'll likely put out a lot more artwork for new minis that they'll schedule to ship in 2016

. They really don't seem to be taking the feedback that people really want to see the game materialize that they're buying all these armies for. I think it likely someone will mention the Quickstarter rules, but the current state of those are described below:

The Darklands QuickStarter Rules are a simplified version of the forthcoming Darklands: First Edition rules that will allow the keen wargamer to play a very basic version of Darklands easily and long before the full rules are released.

As such, wargamers must understand that - whilst the basic procedures of how to play Darklands are presented here (such as how to move your units and fight with them, as well as shoot the enemy and invoke sorcery) there will be much more to those procedures within the full rules as well as much else besides.

Until the creation of the Darklands: First Edition Rules, the QuickStarter Rules will always be "living" rules - i.e., they will be updated when necessary

I don't think that's what people are looking for... imagine fantasy being released and their saying it's just good enough to "allow the keen wargamer to play a very basic version"

**Alpharius**

Alpharius about 1 hour ago

NOOOOOO!!!

Rulebook has gone from "February 2015" to "SUMMER 2015"?!?

Also, did we ever find out what the 'answer' was to the "Hror Question"?

Creator Mierce Miniatures about 1 hour ago

@Alpharius - well, printed rulebook.

The Hror question is something I will turn my attention too soon, but it won't involve a refund or anything like that; he's actually turned out pretty big.

Alpharius about 1 hour ago

Rob,

Ah, so the full rules will be available well in advance of the printing in "Summer 2015"?

That will help!

Also, I certainly wasn't looking for a Hror Refund - just wondering what ever came of the whole thing!

**RivenSkull**

I am very disappointed

**Bossk_Hogg**

What's the deal w Hror?

**Alpharius**

He was charged at (X) during the campaign, which was usually the price for a larger sized mini, but then he came in at a significantly smaller size.

But now, maybe, he isn't so small?

Apparently?

**Alpharius**

Creator Mierce Miniatures about 18 hours ago

Tim's running the BaneBeasts project, and they're mostly conversions; whilst I do have to do the graphics, my input there is limited.

My total focus right now is getting the full rules (in PDF form) ready for you all in the next few weeks, and then you can play and go mad. There'll be more diagrams too - I've been waiting for our photographer to do top down shots of painted miniatures so that I can present them nicely. The rules you've already got will have more diagrams, I just wanted to get them to you before Christmas.

We are a very small team and I, as the writer and main driver of the Mierce Miniatures business, have a limited amount of time to get the rules done in a working day. Not only do I answer e-mails and messages, sort out orders, post updates and keep the website running, I also have to prepare the accounts and do all the things necessary to keep a business going and to keep the wolf from the door. Additionally, I have a big family and cannot spend as much time as I would like to work at home.

At the end of the day, I've put one day a week aside for updates, and in hindsight that's probably too much. As soon as I mentioned they may go monthly, there was a bit of an outcry.

I am just one man and I am doing my best. I appreciate people are disappointed but if I could do it quicker, I would.

I think maybe Rob should get some help on that rulebook!

**Denilsta**

Alpharius wrote:

Creator Mierce Miniatures about 18 hours ago

Tim's running the BaneBeasts project, and they're mostly conversions; whilst I do have to do the graphics, my input there is limited.

My total focus right now is getting the full rules (in PDF form) ready for you all in the next few weeks, and then you can play and go mad. There'll be more diagrams too - I've been waiting for our photographer to do top down shots of painted miniatures so that I can present them nicely. The rules you've already got will have more diagrams, I just wanted to get them to you before Christmas.

We are a very small team and I, as the writer and main driver of the Mierce Miniatures business, have a limited amount of time to get the rules done in a working day. Not only do I answer e-mails and messages, sort out orders, post updates and keep the website running, I also have to prepare the accounts and do all the things necessary to keep a business going and to keep the wolf from the door. Additionally, I have a big family and cannot spend as much time as I would like to work at home.

At the end of the day, I've put one day a week aside for updates, and in hindsight that's probably too much. As soon as I mentioned they may go monthly, there was a bit of an outcry.

I am just one man and I am doing my best. I appreciate people are disappointed but if I could do it quicker, I would.

I think maybe Rob should get some help on that rulebook!

I completely understand if he wants to keep the rules to himself, it's his baby after all.....but maybe some help with all the other stuff he listed may not be a bad idea.

**zedmeister**

New releases into the Webshop! These have been lingering for a while - produced during the first Kickstarter, they've only just appeared for regular sale:

The Wolves of Mierce

Over the last few months we've been releasing miniatures funded by our Darklands: First Edition project, but we're interrupting normal service to bring you some stragglers from Darklands: a World of War! February's new releases are mostly about the Angelcynn, for the excellent Wulfric's Pack, Wælwulf Unit is being released as individual miniatures as well as in unit form. Wælwulfas (slaughter-wolves) are mighty wolf-men of Mierce, somewhat more devolved than the Werwulfas and much more ferocious. These guys were funded by our very first project, but it's taken us a while to get them painted an photographed for release. They're here now though!

This month we also have some Templar's Forge base packs for you. The old base packs didn't include some of the new base sizes, so we've addressed that, and we've also ensured there's a new Monstrous Infantry Base Pack, too.

Unfortunately, just like the previous releases this year, thanks to us being busier than busy bees we've just not had the time to get the release art and descriptions done; but you can still see some good images of each miniature on the website of course.

Wulfric's Pack, Wælwulf Unit

Sculpted by Benoît Cosse from the artwork by Danny Cruz, and painted superbly by Martin Grandbarbe, Wulfric's Pack comprises five Wælwulfas - champion, banner bearer, herald and two warriors - to overwhelm your enemies with their speed and ferocity. Purchasing the unit saves you £20 from purchasing the miniatures individually, effectively giving you a free Wælwulf (pronounced 'WAL-wulf')!

Wulfric of Tamtun, Great Wælwulf

Wulfric is the champion of the Wælwulf unit, a 'Frēawælwulf' or Great Wælwulf, which is why it's called Wulfric's Pack, of course. He's quite keen on ripping his enemies apart with his bare hands, as you can see...

Æsc, Wælwulf Fane-Bearer

Æsc (pronounced 'Ash') is the Wælwulf Unit's banner bearer equivalent, a Monewælwulf or Maned Wælwulf.

Dudda, Wælwulf Howler

Wulfric's Pack also contains a herald - a Thēotenwælwulf or Howler Wælwulf. Dudda is that herald, and he calls the pack to hunt at the whim of Wulfric!

Inguc, Wælwulf Warrior

The first of the two Wælwulf warriors is Inguc, and he looks like he's been in a few scrapes before. He might be hold, but he can still fight...

Cenric, Wælwulf Warrior

Cenric is a young Wælwulf, strong and foolhardy and thirsting for battle.

Templar's Forge Base Packs

This month we have some new and re-released base packs for you all, which include the new base sizes of 40mm, 50mm and 80mm as well as the old ones of 30mm, 60mm, 100mm and 120mm. The Darklands Bases Pack contains some of each size, whilst the Darklands Infantry, Monstrous Infantry, Cavalry and Monster Bases Packs contain bases relevant to that class of warrior. Whichever Bases Pack you go for, they all save you money on purchasing the bases individually or as size packs - usually around 20% - but the Darklands Bases Pack saves you a massive 40%!

All of the releases above will be officially released on the 7th of February 2015, but you can pre-order them now from this very website to your heart's content!

Watch out for more releases next month, too!

**RiTides**

I like some of them quite a bit, although the leader showing off his "8-pack" is a bit much for me

on the muscles... lots of companies do this but I feel like scary beasts shouldn't always be "cut" like they're promoting an 8-minute abs commercial.

**Azreal13**

Why do they have white nipples?

**cincydooley**

RiTides wrote:
I like some of them quite a bit, although the leader showing off his "8-pack" is a bit much for me on the muscles... lots of companies do this but I feel like scary beasts shouldn't always be "cut" like they're promoting an 8-minute abs commercial.

To be fair, I think thats partially due to the highlighting on the model. I've seen some painted up with more subdued highlights, and it doesn't look nearly as jarring.

I understand all you whiners and your complaints about the rulebook (/joking); however, the quick start rules give you a TON of game. It's what we've been using for quite some time (since before GenCon) and we've put in probably 40-50 games since then (not including all of the demos I ran, upwards of 120) and they're really fun. Morale is going to make it a fuller game, but I think the quickstart is already better than most fantasy rulesets out there.

It is good to see the PDF rules are going to be avail sooner, that's for sure!

**Barzam**

Ooh! Wolves! How'd I mis this update? They look good, but I don't think they look quite as good as their concept art. I don't know what it is, but the art had a more feral look about them, especially Wulfric. If I ever saw them for a good price, I'd totally grab them, though. Now, bring on Eoric's pack.

**Bossk_Hogg**

Those look a bit better than a recall, but I'm still not a fan of Aesc's weird mane, since it makes him kind of look like a gnoll.

Also it looks like these werewolves have had an appointment with Dr. Snips' Vet Clinic. Unless Monster Squad lied to us all those years ago, and Wolf Man, in fact, did not have nards.

**JWBS**

I think they should get some better painters in-house. These past months all the paints are like cmon 7s or something, not really good enough for these minis.

**Undead_Love-Machine**

I'm not a fan of the paintwork either, there's too much of an extreme highlight vibe going on, it looks almost chalky at times.

**drazz**

JWBS wrote:
I think they should get some better painters in-house. These past months all the paints are like cmon 7s or something, not really good enough for these minis.

I agree with this, and I think its making the models like comic, almost digital.

**Wehrkind**

Dudda there looks very familiar...

**ImAGeek**

They look really...flat? Hoping its just the paint job as mentioned.