An introduction to Torn Armor

[Roger Bunting]

And there's more...

Until there's the current installment of the little backers' game called "The Battle for An Gearesdan". This time us backers have to fight for our favoured faction by getting a friend (and I think I can call you fellow gamers and mini painters friends), to back the project. it only has to be $1. Even for those a bit skint that's affordable and it all goes to help get this game into production.

All you have to do is sign up on the kickstarter to pledge and then go to the updates, #8 and post in the comments beneath that with the name of the person who referred you and which faction you are backing. the totals will be added up thursday evening, I think and the winning faction gains more ground on the island and hopefully to get control and win an extra mini for that faction.

Oh, and that's not all. If you pledge $75 or more, both the referrer and referred will get $10 each to go towards add-ons. So at $75+ you get the reaper Clockwork Dragon and $10 of add-ons. You may also want to watch the podcast that's in update #8 for a promo code.

[tornworld_jack]

There is still about 24 hours to go for the current Battle for An Gearesdan: REFER A FRIEND!

Get a friend to pledge to the Torn Armor kickstarter! Have them post in Update #8 and mention your name and what faction they are fighting for! Your friends can pledge ANY AMOUNT (even $1)... BUT for every friend you bring on-board that pledges $75 or more, we will throw in $10 worth of add-ons for you AND your friend (you choose what you want independently), free of charge! (You can use this $10 towards something that costs a greater amount.)

This battle and offer ends 9:00 PM PST on Thursday March 14th! Don't miss it!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...235/torn-armor

GREAT NEWS!
The two HUGE miniature units (the War Elephant and the Behemoth Kerrosus) have been UNLOCKED! That's right, they have unlocked early and are now available as add-ons on the Torn Armor Kickstarter!

MORE GREAT NEWS!
The Torn World is now collaborating with Reaper Miniatures! The first 500 backers of $75 or more will receive the Clockwork Dragon FREE! The Clockwork Dragon will be a mercenary unit for the Torn Armor game, meaning that either side can use it! (The mini will come complete with its own unique unit stat card).
http://www.reapermini.com/graphics/g.../77177_w_1.jpg

[tornworld_jack]

And there's more...

Ooop! Roger you beat me too it! =D

[tornworld_jack]

So not only is there the collaboration with Reaper miniatures (with the FREE Clockwork Dragon included with all the other rewards at pledges $75 and up) but there is ALSO the Winged Hussar unit that has been unlocked as a "mini stretch goal" (a stretch goal reached before funding!)
Check him out here!


AND!
The 30k "mini stretch goal" has been revealed as well!
Check out the updates on the Torn Armor Kickstarter page
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1471855235/torn-armor

[tornworld_jack]

An update on the miniatures currently in the Torn Armor kickstarter
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...235/torn-armor

Take a look!

[tornworld_jack]

In case you guys missed it:
Preview of the 40k Stretch Goal!
The Maychian Akongo Felis and the Sisk Syntagma Tribuni Angusticlavii. They will be free to the "all stretch goal" pledge level, but will also be available as add-ons.

Both are leaders, both are powerful, and both inspire the troops!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...235/torn-armor

[Roger Bunting]

Here is the artwork for the 30K mini stretch goal which has been added. There's the small pic on the pledge list above but here it is larger.

[Roger Bunting]

More info.

New maps are being added to the core set at 25K and 35K. That means more options for the gaming table.

On that note, the current little contest is to design a map. You have to be a backer to take part. Here's the blurb on it.

The Challenge:
Okay, so here's a single empty map template for the Torn Armor game. If you could fill this with grassland, trees, boulders, buildings and other goodies ... what would it look like? What would be the story behind it?

You can join multiple maps together to create a larger battlefield if you like. One submission per backer (although you can replace previous submissions if you like).
Now show us the battlefield that sits in your mind: the trees, the walls, the ruins, the hills ... whatever you see. Remember that each hex is 5" across and contains an entire assault unit or 3-9 miniatures as a unit.
Break out the pens boys and girls ... battle mat creation time. You can print this and draw on it (simply with icons or letting is fine!), bring it into MS Paint ... whatever suits your fancy.
Send submissions back to us here at Torn Armor by 9PST Thursday night. You can post them to your social sharing wall and link us to it, put them on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/TornWorld) or PM Natalya for email details!
At 9PM we will send all of the challenge entries to an industry name - someone not associated with the project, but a huge miniatures fan and skirmish gamer! - and he is going to judge the maps along the following lines:

• Creativity
• Can the maps be used alone (if you have several templates)?
• Balance and fun between the different sides/factions
• How easily can your maps be butted alongside other maps and join nicely (for example: out coastline has one side that can do that, our woods maps can do it on all 4 sides).

When you send us your designs, also please tell us the faction you are fighting for.
The winner will win the next Battle for An Gearesdan.
And we may well contact some of you directly about including the maps into future releases ...
~ Alyssa & Jack"

The hex template can be found on the update here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...r/posts/431616

It's half way through the map contest but there's still time.

[Roger Bunting]

And there's more...

The first information on a third Behemoth unit has been given, with artwork due later this week. Here's the fluff.

"
"Moriarty's Bell"
The gnomes of Torn are a very rare race; very few of them are seen about the world. Those that do exist are fixated with developing their life's dream: an invention to beat all inventions. Something that will indelibly place them into the annals of time. Every gnome chases a different dream, a different device, many spend decades tinkering with pieces, parts and gadgets all related to that masterwork creation.
And so enters "Moriarty's Bell."
This is a gnomish clockwork assault platform.
We're getting the concept artwork drawn up as I type this, but just imagine Wild-Wild-West, Steampunk, and Back to the Future. Imagine steam engines, metal crab arms, rivets, levers, more steam engines, wheels, and gnome spellcasters hurling random magic from the gantry. From the top something called a "Ploozmoo" belches forth violent magical energies, and down below Moriarty himself sits on his control platform, wrestling this contraption into the fray. With wild hair, a "British" pith hat upon his head, hussar jacket flapping open about his torso, and wild mustache perched under bulging eyes.
Ladies and gents, I announce to you: "Moriarty's Bell."
From a game perspective this will be a "Assault Behemoth" (called an Assault Platform). It will have two spell casters on the gantry and a wild gnomish spell-belcher (called a Ploozmoo). It will have the advantage of range, and the ability to attach spells to the unit (unheard of for assault types). But it will have the disadvantage of the ranged attacks and melee attacks being weaker than normal, and ... well ... this is gnomish ... if the ranged attacks miss during a round, it will take the entire of the next round to fix the problem, and if the melee attacks miss, then Moriarty's Bell actually hurts itself.
We cannot wait to show you the concept artwork (and final artwork!) on this one. We will add it as an add-on when the artwork is in and final."

Here's the most recent update. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...r/posts/432523

The main points:

From now until the end of the kickstarter a random backer will win a free unit and there will be a grand draw at the end as well.

Painted examples will be posted soon of some of the minis and there's some sculpting WIPs on the page by John Robertson.

http://tectoniccraftstudios.com are making 3D terrain for the game.

Those great people at Tor Gaming http://www.torgaming.co.uk/rd/ have offered the use of their warehouse so that the EU fees can hopefully be waived due to the bulk import. So that means reduced shipping costs. details yet to be worked out. Alyssa says it will hopefully mean they will be able to absorb any remaining shipping costs so that could possibly mean free shipping to the EU.

As an added thing, they're making some sculpts available to http://www.shapeways.com/shops/TornWorld so you could get your hands on a Mu Slinger, even in Silver. it's not representative of the production method or quality of the minis for the game but if it's your thing then why not?

[Roger Bunting]

Here's the update I mentioned in the news section. Watch the video for more info, too. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...rn-armor/posts

Okay,

So this has been 3 or 4 weeks in the making: FREE SHIPPING WORLD WIDE.
Why did we not launch with this? Well the simple truth is that shipping out of the US is $40 a box, minimum. If we had ended up we a few backers here, a few over there, and x-amount over there, we would have been eating a lot of costs ... it would have hurt ... so we opted for the shipping fees. It turned a few people away, but it made business sense.
But here we are 2 weeks into the Kickstarter and we have a sense for where people are located. Aside from anything, it is a THRILL to see people crop up in Poland, the Netherlands, Spain, New Zealand, Australia, and so many awesome places. Seriously, can you imagine how cool it is to be talking to gamers from the world over? It's like the old pen-pal system, but HERE and NOW.
One thing that has emerged is that we have a lot of backers in my good old country of England. Love you guys, love that the gaming community is so strong there. But what does this mean?
Well the England is right there in the EU. Theoretically if we could ship enough boxes to England, then we could do it en-bulk, we could warehouse everything and ship out to the rest of the EU from there. Shipping to anywhere in the states - for one of our boxes - is about $15. Shipping from England to France or Germany is about $15. All it requires is for us to have enough orders from the EU and a location to ship from.
Enter Tor Gaming. (http://www.torgaming.co.uk/rd/)
They kindly offered to be that central shipping point and warehouse, so suddenly we have some options. Which then ties in to the fact that we've had a lot of backers from the EU!
Now we can ship a pallet from America to England, cover import costs (!) and ship out (at American comparable rates) to all EU backers. Are you kidding me? The game just changed right there.
So that's what we're doing!
So what about the non-EU backers? WORRY NOT!
The simple truth is that you guys rule and (New Zealand, Australia) you tend to get shafted when it comes to any type of game. So here's what we're doing for you, we're covering your shipping at our expense. Yes it will eat into the cost vs. pledge level, yes it may mean that we have to eat a little ourselves, but honestly getting you a kickass game for you to play at a reasonable rate is worth it.
What about those folks with "Free Shipping!" promo codes (you have been watching and listening to the podcasts and interviews right guys and gals?), again, worry not. All "free shipping" promocodes will be converted to $ add-on value to apply to add-ons.
Promocodes: Sometimes I post a podcast *cough* http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamepodcastepisode/96954/meeples-amp-miniatures-episode-104-torn-armor *cough* that reveals something about the game, Torn, or a promocode. Just saying *cough* http://thedeploymentzone.com/episode...vage-and-torn/ *cough* 1:31:19 Seg6: Let’s Kick It!- Torn Armor
So what abut the add-ons?
Honestly? We have it covered as well. Our biggest concern two weeks ago was shipping odd-sized parcels to a bazillion different countries, but that's not going to happen, and the Tor collaboration allows us to mitigate a lot of our business concerns. We can waive the fees on the add-ons and still be comfortably positioned.
So watch the video, I go all out there, but at the end of the day we are thrilled to be at this point at to be able to offer you Free Shipping, we really are.
Please - help us spread the word. You've been fantastic, you are our voices "out there." Help us let people know that import and shipping costs should not be an obstacle to them getting in on this great Kickstarter!
~ Natalya & Jack

[Roger Bunting]

On to updates. Four character minis have been added to the stretch goal pledges: two goblin airship pirates, Telza the gnome and the Blackwater Mage. These will be in resin.

At 45K two more maps will be added as well as four more terrain tiles: walls, barricades, rocks and trees.

At 50k small siege weapons to be added for the Sisk and Maychians.

At 55k, custom dice to be available as add-ons as well as additional unit cards.

At 60k unlock more units and variable miniatures (heads, arms, poses, etc).

Extra dice have been added as add-ons.

A new pledge level for the core miniatures, the two minotaurs and all stretch goals and the minotaurs have been made available as add-ons.

More value is being added all the time really.

[Roger Bunting]

Several things to update here.

The first and biggest is Torn Armor has reached and passed it's funding goal! But there's more time to push it further to reach more stretch goals and unlocks.

With that in mind here are a few of those goals.

At 50k a siege weapon, Ballista with 3 crew for the Sisk and a Hwacha with 3 crew for the Maychians were added to the stretch goal pledges and as add-ons.

At 55k custom faction dice will become available and variable unit cards will be available so you can vary the units more. "The units in Torn Armor are "named," they are not generic units, but specific named creatures and people. What does this mean? Well that you could have another hoplite unit with slightly different abilities! So we are going to provide additional unit cards so you can field veteran versions of the core units (of course, each will cost additional gold to field in the battles). "

At 60k variable poses will be unlocked to go with the different unit cards. Also a special Clockwork Dragon scenario and map will be added.

At 65k 3D resin terrain will be unlocked.

There's also a collaboration with Boardgamegeek in the form of a contest to win a free copy of the game. http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/...t-ends-apr-2nd

Another collaboration is that at pledges of $35 or more you get a free set of paper terrain courtesy of Fat Dragon Games.



http://www.fatdragongames.com/fdgfil...dition-fdg0072

And another thing... The third behemoth unit is unlocked available for $40 and stands at approximately 120mm tall. it's also available with the other two behemoths for a total of $100.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...r/posts/437952
The Maychian skirmish golem has been reduced in price to $15

[Roger Bunting]

Okay, it's in to the last 48 hours and the 60K stretch goal has been achieved. So that's the variable poses and the map and scenario for the dragon.

At 65k 3D resin terrain will be available as add-ons, an example is this:



The Battle for An Gearesdan will determine which of the below units are added to the stretch goals or as an add-on.



At 75K these are added to the stretch goal pledges.


Currently this is what you get at the different levels of pledges.

[Roger Bunting]

It's in the last 24 hours now so if you're waiting to pledge you don't have a lot of time to decide.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...235/torn-armor

[Roger Bunting]

3D render of the Hwacha.

http://www.sixus1.com/Clients/Torn/HwachaTurntable.mov