Black Rose Wars: Rebirth

A new (Rule)book in the Library
almost 2 years ago – Sat, May 14, 2022 at 09:19:37 PM

Hello, Magisters!

The last time we anticipated this updated an overview on Apocalypse, starting with the 4 new schools of magic contained in this expansion, but we decided to change the program, given that the tuning work is still in progress and we would like to show you the new cards when they are final.

The 4 schools of Magic included in Apocalypse are now all revised/rewritten, a playtesting phase is underway with the Great Magister Marco and his acolytes to make sure that they are balanced with all the material of BRW:R and BRW.

The Rulebook is Online!

By following this link, you can access the Rebirth rulebook (English) and immediately start studying the new rules, and why not, try to play them using the BRW material that you already have.

We are happy to actively involve you in the development of this project, so if you want to help us make BRW:R even better, you can comment directly on the pdf document and leave your feedback!

In the rulebook, you will find also the new artwork of the Possessed (veery creeepy!!). We've given the Possessed a form of his own, although as you know you can use any Mage to represent him. The image represents the spirit of the Black Rose who controls the Mage in the lodge. Do you like it?

We suggest you read the rules of the Possessed (which will then be applied to all Avatars), very soon we will have another surprise for you all...

The most attentive of you will notice that the bases to tag your Evocations no longer have Roses but Gems. We had to reluctantly give up the roses, because in the printing tests carried out with the factory unfortunately their aesthetics, given the size, was really poor for our standards. The Gems, thanks to their very clean design, will allow easy reading during the game while keeping intact the atmosphere and elegance of the game material.

That's all for today! See you next week for a new update!

Fireball!

Easter in the Lodge!
about 2 years ago – Sat, Apr 16, 2022 at 01:21:46 AM

Hello, Magister!

A quick update before Easter. After the overview about Core Box new features (in the previous update), we've been happy to receive a lot of positive feedback! The Avatars rules have aroused a lot of interest, so we will give you more details about the other Avatars included in the Rotas box in the future updates!

At the moment we're working hard on Apocalypse, as you know this expansion introduces the long-awaited Constructed/Tournament Mode, one of the great news of Rebirth. After some accurate playtesting sessions managed directly with the Great Magister Marco Montanaro, 2 schools of magic (War and Famine) were working really well, the 2 other schools (Death and Pestilence) need to be re-worked to make sure they will result well balanced and fun to play with. Marco is reviewing and changing the 2 schools, so we can start very soon to run new playtest sessions and complete as soon as possible the work on Apocalypse. Anyway beginning of May we will write a first update dedicated to Apocalypse!

BRWR Core Box files will be ready for translations into the other languages beginning of May.

Before saying goodbye, we post you the final render for a couple of miniatures that we didn't show here yet, hope you will like them!

In the meantime, we wish you a happy Easter!

 Fireball!

What's new in the box?
about 2 years ago – Fri, Apr 01, 2022 at 10:12:39 AM

Hello, Magisters!

While the BRWR Core Box is in translation, we want to update you on the changes we have made in recent months, after a series of intense Playtests that allowed us to improve our game even more and define the new rules introduced with Rebirth.

But let's not waste time, and let's see what has changed!

The Possessed and the Avatar rules

Let's start with the big news introduced with Rebirth! Many of you are asking us for more information regarding Avatar rules, and we are happy to explain them in more detail now that they have been defined, tested and approved during the last few months.

As you know, the Possessed is the Avatar (automa) that you will find inside the Core Box. You will also find all the material needed to play with any Avatar you will get with expansions and stretch goals.

Since the Possessed will be controlled by the powers of the Black Rose,  you can use any Mage miniature in your collection (even one from BRW) to represent it within the Lodge.

The Avatar Board will be used for any Avatar you want to add in your games, and it will be placed in the Lodge instead of one Player's Cell. On its board, there are spaces for the Avatar Card, the Action Cards and the Wound slots. If the Avatar board reminds you of the Lucifer Board included into Inferno expansion (from BRW first chapter), it is not surprising, as we have always said, Lucifer can be considered a proto-Avatar.

The Avatar Card describes the special powers and characteristics (Movement, Punch, and Health).

The Action Cards are the heart of its AI system. As for the Events, there are specific set of cards identified by the different Moon phases. During its turn, the Avatar turns one Action card. Action Cards emulate the actions a human player would perform and usually allow the Avatar to perform a Physical Action and cast a Spell (not necessarily in that order).

Physical Actions could be a move, a move + punch, or a move + Room Activation.

The Spell will be described directly on the card and, as for standard Spells, it will fall into a type (Combat or Contingency), will have an Element indicated, and will be able to trigger all the effects that usually are triggered when a player casts its Spell (Traps, Defenses, Etc).

Both Actions and Spells will have a sequence for choosing the target. For example, a move action may target the closest Mage; then the one with the most Wounds suffered; then the one with the most Power Points.

Do Avatars use Traps and Defenses? Of course! Some Action Cards will have Traps and Defense symbols on the back and their trigger condition. When the top card of the Action Cards deck has a Trap or Defense icon, you will know that the Avatar has an unpleasant surprise ready for those who will target it. If the Trap/Defense is triggered, the Avatar will flip this card and apply the Trap/Defense effect, ignoring all other actions/spells. If nothing is triggered, the card will be used normally during the Avatar's turn.

The Avatar Board will also allow you to place the Avatar's Evocations and Quests. You got it right! Avatars will be able to Summon and complete Quests, just like any other human player. Many Avatars will have their own unique Evocations (for example, Odin can summon Fenrir) but will also be able to use the common ones summoned through the Rooms' powers.

Finally, in the Core Box, you will find a deck of Avatar Events, to be used instead of the standard Events in any game where an Avatar will be included. Some Avatars will also add one or more exclusive Events to this deck, customizing it according to their mechanics.

We hope that this quick overview gave you a more precise idea of ​​what awaits you. After all tests, we are very excited about the final result, so much so that now in our games we always include an Avatar, even when there would be no need, to add variations, unpredictability and... fun!

Pimp my Hex

During the playtests carried out after the KS, we realized that the Hex School did not have the performances we expected. Although the Curses mechanic was fun, this school was not performing like the others, and it was often used only as a "side-school", even by players who play with Gramigna. 

Of course this was unacceptable for our Great Magister Marco! He decided to review and modify all the Hex Spells, making them more competitive and increasing the interactions with the Curses.

Now, Hex School is back to shine and can compete with any BRW and BRWR School.

If you love "debuff and control" mechanics, you will be ready to destroy your opponents with powerful Curses... and a lot of bad luck.

New Trap & Defence trigger rules

With the introduction of Apocalypse and the Constructed mode for Tournaments, we had to create simple rules to describe more clearly what triggers Traps and Defenses, maintaining an aspect that we really like: chained effects, which makes this type of cards truly exciting.

With the new rules, you will easily handle these situations without wasting time and loosing the fun!

All Spells introduced with BRWR will have their text optimized for these new rules, but don't worry, BRW's spells can also be used without much effort. Where needed, we will publish new FAQs to manage the most intricate cards!

Alternative Evocations Phase 

The Evocations Phase is currently resolved so that starting with the player with the Crown, players take turns activating all their Evocations.

This allows the player with the Crown to have a big advantage, making the contest for the conquest of the Crown a serious matter, rewarding the player who invests resources in conquering it.

The downside of this system is that it is hard to still have Evocations to activate for players who play last.

We listened to your feedback and decided to give an alternative set of official rules, which will allow to manage the Evocation Phase in a more balanced way.

With these rules, players, starting with the one with the Crown, will be able to activate only one Evocation at a time. When all players have activated one Evocation, the round will restart to activate another one, and so on until all players have activated all their Evocations. This system reduces the advantage of the Crown but introduces a more tactical management during this Phase, giving a lot of importance to the choice of which Evocation to activate.

We think that both systems offer exciting game possibilities, therefore Players will be free to choose which rule to use in their games and try different styles and challenges. 

We hope you enjoyed this update and hope that you liked the innovations introduced in the Core Box. Let us know what you think of everything we have described to you!

Before saying goodbye, we just remind you that next 1st April, we will charge credit cards on BackerKit for the surveys completed during March. If you have any issues with your survey, or if you have a closed order and you want to add more stuff in it, contact our SUPPORT CUSTOMER SERVICE!

That's all for today! See you in the April update with new spoilers and a news about development and production!

Fireball!

Pledge Manager Update!
about 2 years ago – Sun, Feb 27, 2022 at 07:50:03 PM

Hello, Magisters!

A quick update to remind you that as planned,

Tuesday 1st March we will carry out the first charge of the cards for the completed surveys.

We also remind you that as long as the cards are not charged, you can freely modify your order by adding new add-ons.

After the charge of the cards, it will still be possible to change orders but to do so you will need to contact our Support Service.

Survey changes will be possible until the Pledge Manager closes in June 2022.

After the charge of March 1st, we will carry out a charge every 1st of the month for the following months until the Pledge Manager closes.

We take advantage of this update to give you some more information on a novelty that we spoiled in the last update and on which many of you have asked us for more information: Black Rose Wars Skirmish.

With the release of the new Rebirth Playmat, thanks to the amazing Artwork that portrays the ruins of the Lodge, it will be possible to play a quick Skirmish.

What do we mean by "Skirmish"? It is one of the most popular forms of three-dimensional wargames, where two small bands of warriors (represented by miniatures) face each other on a battlefield trying to exploit the elements of the terrain to achieve objectives or simply trying to wipe out the opposing gang.

In these games, the preparation of your Warband and the tactics you will use on the field are fundamental elements, and in the case of BRW Skirmish it will be basically like having a game in the game, or if you prefer, 2 games instead of 1!

BRW Skirmish rules and cards will be released on our Web App and will take advantage of all the miniatures currently available in the BRW and Rebirth range.

These nimble rules will allow you to create your own Warband made up of a Mage and his/her Evocation and challenge another player's Warband in furious and tactical battles in the ruins of the Lodge.

But even in this case, the Mages will have to deal with the Black Rose, which even if dormant, will use its powers to put the players in trouble!

Following the tradition of the world of wargames, each model will have its own card where you will find all its characteristics and abilities and a score that will vary according to its strength on the battlefield.

The Mages will be the heart of your Warband and with their skills and spells, closely linked to its School of Magic, they will be able to unleash effects and situations in a completely new way compared to the game we all know (and love).

The Evocations will be your loyal warriors and can be used in the most varied ways according to their characteristics. Do you need brute force? The Colossus will be ready to join the fray. Do you need cannon fodder to control the field? The Cadavers will be ready to die (and eventually be revived) for you. Do you want a piece of support or someone to stand in the way of the opponents? Succubus will be the right model for your strategy!

And if you are wondering if you can use the very powerful Forgotten Evocations, well the answer is an absolute yes! So get ready to witness titanic clashes between the largest and most powerful Summons in the world of BRW.

In addition to the miniatures, to play with these rules you will only need the Rebirth playmat, a meter, and some 6-sided dice, and you will be able to challenge yourself in the Lodge like never before!

We also do a little update on the development of your favorite game.

At the moment Marco has finished the Apocalypse expansion with the new schools in the last phase of Playtest; the last phase of development of the rules for deckbuilding and tournament management is also underway. Competitive players will find something for their teeth.

For those wanting to learn more about Avatars, we will soon be releasing the complete rules for playing the Possessed (the Avatar included in the Rebirth core box), so that you can also try it out using the BRW material, and be ready for when all the cool (and deadly) Avatars of your pledge will arrive!

As for the miniatures, we have finished all pre-production reviews and the files have already been delivered to the factory, ready for mass production!

That's all for today! From the next update, we will start with more in-depth spoilers on the KS material, we will go to take a closer look at the new Schools of Magic, Evocations, and of course, Avatars and Mages!

Fireball!

Pledge Manager Launched!
over 2 years ago – Wed, Jan 19, 2022 at 03:47:43 AM

Hello, Magisters!

As announced, BRW: Rebirth's Pledge Manager is live!

BackerKit is starting to send all of you an email containing a link that will connect you with your survey, so we suggest to keep an eye on your email inbox (and the Spam Folder!), to make sure you don't miss it!

The system will take few days to send the emails to all backers (very first emails are sent to a small portion of backers to see if everything is working properly), so don't worry if you don't receive it immediately. If you haven't received anything by next Monday, please write to our SUPPORT SERVICE to solve the problem.

Here you have quick illustrated guide to help you fill out your survey easily, especially if you are at your first experience with a Pledge Manager.

Step 1 - Confirm your Pledge

Once you click on the link you find in the BackerKit email, you will be redirected to your survey, and the first thing you will be asked is to choose the language of the objects that make up your Pledge Level: Core Box and Rotas Box (and Jukas if you have an Early pledge Bird). Once you have chosen the languages ​​for all items, click on "NEXT: ADD-ONS" to go to the ADD-ONS section. 

Step 2 - Add-ons

In this screen, you will find all the add-ons available for this project, divided by categories (Additional Pledges, Expansions, Cosmetic, Bundles, and Specials). If you have selected add-ons during the campaign, you will find them directly in your cart, but you can change the order as you wish by removing and adding items. For example, if during KS you have added the "Apocalypse" expansion but now you want a Gamers Bundle, you can remove Apocalypse from the cart by clicking on the trash can icon and adding the bundle you wish without losing your credit.

When you have finished your shopping click, on the "NEXT" button found under the cart. 

At this point, the system will ask you to select the language for each of the expansions in your cart (this will only happen for Expansions that were available as add-ons during the KS campaign). Once you have answered all the questions, click the "NEXT" button again. 

Step 3 - Shipping

In this form, you will have to enter all the information necessary for the shipment of your pledge. When you have filled in all the fields, click on the usual "NEXT" button. 

Step 4 - Confirm

In this new screen, you find your order summary for a final check before payment. If everything is ok, the last thing to do is fill in the payment fields in the box on the right and press "Place my Order" to finalize your order. 

Please note that the cards will not be charged immediately, we will carry out a first mass charge at the beginning of each month, the first of which is set for March 1st, 2022.

The plan is to keep the Pledge Manager open until June 30th, 2022, so you have until this date to finalize your pledge.

As you can see, the procedure is very simple but if you have any problems do not hesitate to contact our Support Service for any help!

As we anticipated in the last update, among the add-ons, you will find some new objects that were not present in the KS campaign. Before talking about them in detail, during the KS of Rebirth we announced that we would work on a nicer storage solution for the Sator Box (the first BRW stetch goal box), and if we had found an optimal solution, we would have included it in the Rebirth PM. We want to tell you that we have some options for that, but unfortunately none of these have proved economically feasible to be included in this survey. One of the main issue is the volumetric weight that this object would have, which would make the shipping extremely expensive and hard to manage (also due to the situation of sea transport from China). We will continue to work to find a solution for its realization, eventually adding it to the Pledge Manager at a later stage (of course giving all the option to add it even if the order is already closed) or making it available on our webstore.

After this introduction, let's take a look at the news for this Pledge Manager!

Seal of Fire

We decided to create a new expansion, freeing the creature that many of you were waiting for!

#ReleaseThePhoenix

The Phoenix is ​​the absolute protagonist of this new add-on, a new and gigantic Forgotten Evocation ready to be evoked in the lodge to bring destruction, but also... Rebirth! 

Together with the Phoenix, you will find her 3 new and very tender Pets! These baby phoenixes can be summoned via the new "Phoenix Nest" room and wreak havoc on the lodge, following the orders of their Master.  

 Finally, a new YOUNG (and good-looking!) Mage joins the already large Rebirth cast: Prospero!

Despite his young age, ambition and power are not to be underestimated, and the family tradition of controlling fire (his father, Nero, is quite proud of him) will be carried on in this new Black Rose War too! 

In addition to 5 new fantastic miniatures, Seal of fire contains all the cards necessary to add them to your games, you will therefore find Prospero's Mage card, his Personal Spell in 3 copies, the Pets cards, and the Forgotten Spell that will allow you to summon the Phoenix.

So be careful not to burn yourself, this expansion is literally on fire!

Rebirth Playmat

Here is finally revealed the mysterious new playmat for Rebirth. This high-quality Neoprene playmat with stitched edge is double-sided for the first time! 

On one side you will find splendid art representing the ruins of the Lodge which form the layout for placing all the game elements for a game with up to 4 players. The design is almost completed, but the more we look at it and the more we find nice things to add (torches, skeletons, ponds, ruined weapons, etc.). We will keep improving it until our illustrator will come here with a knife instead of his pen tablet... :)

You can then immerse yourself even more in the world of Rebirth with a fantastic image full of details and atmosphere!

On the other side, you will find the LMS logo without any layout, so you can use this playmat for any game (by LMS and not... we are not so jealous!). An elegant way to enrich your game table with a touch of "Italian style"!

Also as an extra bonus, after looking at the beautiful ruined lodge, we decided to add the mini-game "BRW Skirmish", which will allow you to play a quick skirmish in the ruins of the lodge using the miniatures of BRW, Rebirth, and Nova Aetas Renaissance! The rules and cards to play this mini-game will be published on the LMS Web App in the coming months! Stay tuned to find out more!

So we just have to wish you good shopping and give you an appointment at the next update for new previews on the development of Rebirth!

Fireball!