The theme of the game is historical fantasy battles.  The setting will start in late medieval Europe and then progress beyond reality into a fantasy setting.  The first of the scenarios, which are called adventures, will feature the Battle of Agincourt.  Subsequent adventures will add more fantastic creatures such as dwarves, goblins, and much more.  Each adventure allows players to customize their forces, allowing for greater replayability.

The BattleLore box will have the same footprint as the standard Days of Wonder big box, but it will be 50% deeper and packed with components.  Days of Wonder is already planning to support the game with many expansions and these expansions will take a number of forms.  There will be traditional boxed expansions, a la Memoir ‘44, and currently there are two waves of these planned - one for June of 2007 and the other for October 2007 (Essen).  There will also be blister packs with additional cards, creatures, or other game components - these are to be released monthly, starting in March 2007.

Days of Wonder is planning to support the game in a big way via their website www.battlelore.com.  Leading up to the release of the game, they will be posting information about the game in the BattleLore Chronicles weblog on the site.  Days of Wonder is looking to foster a community around the game and have players use the game as a toolbox to create their own adventures via the BattleLore Online Adventures Editor, which will be available free of charge to every owner of a single copy of BattleLore.  Player created adventures may also be published as expansions by Days of Wonder. 

And yes, this is the game referred to by ‘The start of something big, very BIG!’ teaser card in Days of Wonder’s recent games.  The big foot on the teaser card refers to a Hill Giant promotional miniature that will come in a blister pack along summary cards explaining how the creature works as well as the creature’s lair - an illustrated hex with unique terrain effects.  This miniature will be shipped to retail stores in Mid October 2006 and will be available in advance of the release of the game - you will get it from your retailer right when you pre-order the game (those that pre-order the game from Days of Wonder will be mailed the miniature).  Also available in advance of the release will be The BattleLore Primer, an 8-12 page booklet that will describe the game system, available for free from your retailer or by downloading it from Days of Wonder. 

BattleLore will be demoed at the Essen game fair and will be generally released in Late November 2006.

Los Altos, CA; Paris, France – September 8, 2006. Days of Wonder, a leading publisher of top quality board games, today announced their newest, most ambitious project to date, the BattleLore™ game system. The world of BattleLore meshes history and fantasy together - putting players in command of a vast array of miniature troops on the battlefields of a Medieval Europe Uchronia at the outset of the Hundred Years War.

Drawing on the strengths of its own best-selling and critically acclaimed Memoir ’44™, Days of Wonder’s newest game takes the time-tested, card-driven mechanics to a whole new level and offers gamers and role-players a unique twist on epic fantasy. Game play takes place on a largescale hex board filled with armies, legendary races and monstrous creatures that fight over varied terrain and landmarks to capture the enemy’s banners in a series of unique Adventures.

Powerful Lore Masters, such as Wizards, Clerics, Warriors and Rogues gathered in customizable War Councils; Mercenary bands chosen from among mythical races such as the Iron Dwarves of Northern England; and Monstrous Creatures all complement the dizzying array of possibilities and tough choices that will face players as they venture in the World of BattleLore.

Building on years of experience producing the industry’s most appealing board games, Days of Wonder raises the bar several notches higher with this new release. BattleLore’s over two hundred miniatures use a new patent-pending, Banner Bearer™ mechanic to provide both a visually stunning new look to a players’ armies and to display all the unit-specific information that was traditionally compiled in unwieldy army booklets, reference sheets, or hard-to-read wheelbases.

“Not just another game, or the latest game system fad, BattleLore is a foundation game for us - something we first envisioned long before we even started the company and that hearkens back to the days we first discovered Chainmail™�, said Days of Wonder CEO, Eric Hautemont. “As a project, BattleLore has been years in the making, yet what we are delivering this fall only lays the groundwork for the future. The coming years will hold many surprises for both resellers and game enthusiasts worldwide.�

BattleLore includes: over 210 highly detailed plastic miniatures, including 58 banner bearers; an extensive Player’s Guide, with separate Adventures Booklet; a double-sided battlemap; 46 Terrain and Landmark tiles; 60 Command cards; 60 Lore cards; 48 Summary cards; 2 War Council sheets; 24 Lore Master Tokens; 12 Battle dice; and a Days of Wonder Online Access Number, giving players free access to the BattleLore Online Adventures Editor. BattleLore is for 2 players (or 2 teams), ages 10 and up and takes approximately 60 minutes to play.

The game is expected to be available in late November in both North America and Europe in English, French and German. Suggested retail price is US $70.00 and €70.00.

A promotional miniature, the Hill Giant, packed in a blister complete with figure, banner and lair, will be available through friendly local game stores and the Days of Wonder web site to any customer who pre-orders the game ahead of its actual release. A second promotional miniature, the Earth Elemental, will be available through a variety of sources including conventions and demo events leading to the game’s release. The BattleLore Primer, a printed piece that further describes the BattleLore game system, will be available free of charge through the same channels starting in early October. Additional game information will also be posted online weekly in the newly launched BattleLore Chronicles weblog at www.battlelore.com.

Woo-hoo!  Merry X-Mas to me!  I’ve always been close to buying Memoir ‘44, but I just couldn’t bring myself to play a game where I might have to be the Nazis.  It’s one thing to play the villain, but those guys were true, real-life evil.  That frustrated me, as Memoir is undeniably a great game.  This, however, is something I can throw myself into whole-heartedly.  Kudos to DOW and congrats to Rick on the big scoop.

Now I guess I’d better get busy practicing with C&C:A!

Yikes!  Dream come true!  Fantasy C&C!  Oh my!

Giant amounts of replayability!

Dwarves!  Spiders!  Elves!  Fantasy things!

Yay!

I wanted this for so long, and I thought it would never ever happen!  I asked him about it at Gathering of Friends even---he sort of gave a sly answer but I still thought it would never happen.  I mean, too much stuff.

And now it is happening!

And it sounds like it will be more like a war instead of just little battles---it may just replace Wizard Kings in my heart!  And I’ve been looking for a replacement for some time now.

Well, maybe not.  Must not get too hyped up about it all.  But it will stil be very close!

Yay!

Yay!

Yay!

etc.

Are there going to be halflings?

More drool at Essen!

The Battle of Agincourt with unit customization. Armies of advancing French spiders being slaughtered by the archers of Avalon?

Personally, I want an army of Hello Kitties. THAT would inspire terror.

Moo,
Frank

oooh, there’s a blog:

http://blog.battlelore.com/en/

Heh, if that opening paragraph doesn’t get you..

Maybe I missed it, but did anyone see the scale mentioned?

OMGoodness, such beautiful miniatures, warring with each other? Bring it on!

I, too, always passed on Memoir ‘44, due to the theme.  After visiting Normandy, I just couldn’t bring myself to play a game about all those young men who died there so horribly.

I’m much more tempted by this one, although it’s a bit pricey