Taking part in the Kickstarter campaign and deciding what to Pledge?
By Spartan Neil

As we launch our Dystopian World Expansion Kickstarter campaign, I wanted to give you a breakdown of our Pledges and Products, which are based upon the research we conducted earlier this year.

The first thing to say is thank you for the research because knowing what you want allows us to take projects we had been working on in the background and convert them into something meaningful for you. I am sure that most of you are completely aware of how a Kickstarter operates, but for those of you to whom this is new, I’ll quickly run through the process. A campaign is based around hitting a Funding Objective, an amount of money that is deemed enough to form the basis of ensuring that all that is on offer can be successfully made and shipped on time to those people who backed it.

The backer makes a Pledge of an amount of money on the understanding that the amount will guarantee them product to that value. Nice and simple. Thus, Pledges are created by the campaign owner to attract support. Now these Pledges are not the be all and end all as there are additional items which may be bought in addition to a Pledge, called Bolt-ons, meaning that whilst we set the level of our key Pledges, what you actually Pledge is controlled by you in order to receive what you want to. Your Pledges are controlled using the pledge manager tool.

The next part of the campaign is Stretch Goals. The Funding Objective is the amount needed to make the campaign a reality, whereas the Stretch Goals are literally that: get us to amounts greater than the Funded amount and we’ll add more cool things to the Campaign for you to buy, or indeed give to you for free because you’ve Pledged.

This is exactly how we’ve structured our Campaign. I appreciate you indulging me running through the Kickstarter basics, apologies to those who knew all of this, and I’ll now run through our proposed Pledges, Bolt-ons and Stretch Goals with you:

Ensign Pledge – Joining In!
Nice and simple. Register your interest which enables us to keep you updated on what’s happening, so that as we roll out new images, PDFs, graphics etc. during the life of the Kickstarter you’ll be kept in the know. It also allows us to answer your questions.

Chief Petty Officer Pledge – Dystopian Wars 2.5 ‘Softback’ Rulebook
You’re probably now spotting the naming trend here – Royal Naval ranks. This lets you grab yourself a softback copy of our brand new Dystopian Wars 2.5 Core Rulebook. This new edition builds on the established core game engine and focuses on making gameplay faster and smoother, but without losing any of the granular in-depth game mechanics which make Dystopian Wars the ultimate combined arms wargames engine!

New design and layout, graphics and model photography make this book a must have for both new and existing players. We’ll also add your name to the acknowledgements page at the end of the new book.

This is our largest Dystopian Wars book to date (260 pages) and we’re very excited by its creation. Our Kickstarter price reflects a saving to backers over the RRP when it hits retail.

Lieutenant Pledge – Dystopian Wars 2.5 ‘Hardback’ Rulebook
Not many words needed here – it is, funnily enough, a cracking hardback (casebook as my printer keeps telling me) version of the new 2.5 book.

Captain Pledge – Book and Expansion Models Combo
This deal gets you a hardback book and one of our Core Nation Expansion Boxes. We have a working list of new models that we want to make for Dystopian Wars, models which fill out the nations and add either much needed functionality or narrative coolness. Following our research, which told us to make you MORE models, we locked down 7 sets of models, one each for the existing core nation of the game.

Inside the box you get 1 Large, 1 Medium and 1 Small Squadron. The total number of models in each will vary by nation. Watch out for my next blog where I’ll go through the narrative for each of the new model boxes and discuss how they game. As a side note, the model statistics are with our alpha testers right now and will be transitioning to beta test by the end of this month, giving us plenty of time to lock them down before you get the models in March 2017, or earlier if we can.

Given that a lot of Dystopian Wars players have more than one fleet we have made the Core Nation Expansion Boxes Bolt-ons in the Kickstarter so folk can buy as many as they want.

When the Campaign funds the Captain Pledge gets two free add-ons: a cool A1 world map which shows the state of the world war in 1876 and one Squadron of our brand-new League of Crimson Poniard Class Frigates (4 models). See the text at the end which talks about the League of Crimson.

Commodore Pledge – brand new 2-player Starter Set, Operation: Ice Maiden
I have been waiting to deliver this starter set for a while now. The original concept came to me about 2 years ago, and about 4 years ago for the Ice Maiden model. I just loved the idea of pitting the Prussian Empire against the Russian Coalition in the Baltic. Spartan Sam then took it a stage further and embraced the Eastern Front in the Campaign Book of the same name.

We’re going to be pulling out the stops with this starter set, so here are the contents:

Prussian Empire (22 Naval models)

• 1 x Large Squadron (Gutav Class Bombard Monitor) (1 model)
• 1 x Medium Squadron (Konigsberg Battle Cruiser) (1 model)
• 1 x Medium Squadron (Brandtaucher Class Submarine) (3 models, 3 Submerged models plus 6 Mine Tokens and Dice)
• 2 x Small Squadrons (Lahn Class Destroyer) (4 models per Squadron) (8 in total)
• 6 x Wachter Escorts (we may make new Escorts for this set)
• 15 x SAS Tokens and 3 x SAW Trays and Dice

 Russian Coalition (20 Naval models – 30 if you count the Kavkaz Driller bases)

• 1 x Large Squadron (Magadan Class Submarine) (1 model, 1 Submerged model)
• 1 x Medium Squadron (Azov Class Battle Cruiser) (1 model)
• 1 x Medium Squadron (Onega Class Light Cruiser) (4 models)
• 3 x Velicky Escorts
• 8 x bases of Kavkaz Drillers
• 2 x Small Squadrons (Mezan Class Gun Corvette) (5 models per Squadron) (10 in total)
• 10 x SAS Tokens and 2 x Saw Trays and Dice

 Other contents:

• TWO Dystopian Wars 2.5 Softback Core Rulebooks
• 1 x Starter Campaign Guide
• Card Tokens and Templates (DW and Fleet Action)
• 1 x Generic TAC Cards
• Resin Scenery (Icebergs and 2 x Sea Fortresses – these highly detailed Forts are 95mm across)
• 2 x A4 Card Large Ships (Ice Maiden Invasion Carrier and Murmansk Fleet Operations Vessel)
• 20 x D6 Dice

As you can see, this box is brimming with enough exciting toys to keep gamers busy for countless hours of fun! Our hope is that it appeals to current gamers, but has sufficient coolness to entice a raft of new gamers to our exciting Dystopian World. And as this is a 2-player set we decided to put two of our new 2.5 rulebooks in!

We also took the decision to add some highly detailed resin scenery to the starter set from the get go. As you can see from the image in this blog, our Sea Forts are well detailed and very Dystopian. Our icebergs will, funnily enough, look like big floating chunks of ice. Our two Large ships are central to the campaign narrative, hence their inclusion as digitally painted card sheets.

As with the others, this pledge offers great value for money and offers you a great saving over the RRP price when it releases to retail.

When the Campaign funds the Commodore Pledge also gets two free add-ons: our cool A1 world map which shows the state of the world war in 1876 and a choice of one League of Crimson Squadron: either the Poniard Class Frigates (4 models) OR the Blade Class Armoured Cruiser (3 models). See the text at the end which talks about the League of Crimson.

Rear Admiral Pledge – Deluxe 2-player Starter Set, Operation: Ice Maiden
I called this Deluxe, but only because calling it the ‘Super Awesome Pledge’ seemed un-cool, despite it actually being super awesome! Our 2-player set is slick as it is, but the idea of making it even more grand appealed. The way we have done this is to make the two rulebooks Hardback, upgrade the tokens and templates to acrylic and then add in TWO stunning, and enormous, highly-detailed resin Kickstarter Exclusive models.

Kickstarter Exclusive Model 1: SMS Ice Maiden – this is a crazy model, but then again that level of cool madness is what Dystopian Wars is all about – St Pauls on a tank anyone? Ice Maiden is an Invasion Carrier created by the Teutonic Order to support the operation in the Baltic and due to its operational role, it is huge, given that it has been made by the TO from a Sturginium infused iceberg. Our model makers have had a great time with this model and at 275mm long this is the largest naval vessel we have ever made for Dystopian Wars.  That’s just short of the length of a 12” ruler!

Kickstarter Exclusive Model 2: Murmansk Fleet Operations Vessel – the ability to operate freely in the Baltic is something that Russian Commanders enjoy daily, and in part this is due to the support that the Murmansk gives fleets in the region. This mammoth vessel (135mm across) acts as a repair vessel, but don’t let this fool you. She has a bite, festooned as she is with weaponry, and her ability to strike out with 8 bases of Kavkaz Drillers means she harass enemy vessels or sea emplacements by boarding them. What is cool, is that the sea doors at her rear can be opened, allowing models up to Cruiser size to be fitted inside for ‘repair’ – less functional, more diorama cool looking.

When the Campaign funds the Rear Admiral Pledge also gets three free add-ons: our cool A1 world map which shows the state of the world war in 1876 and BOTH League of Crimson Squadrons: the Poniard Class Frigates (4 models) and the Blade Class Armoured Cruiser (3 models). See the text at the end which talks about the League of Crimson.

Fleet Admiral Pledge – Deluxe 2-player Starter Set, Expansion Boxes and Customise Your Rulebook
I wasn’t sure I was going to fit this title on the page! This Pledge starts by giving you the contents of the Rear-Admiral Pledge and then takes it to the next level.

You get to add THREE Core Nation Expansion Boxes (seven to choose from) and you can then customise ONE of your Hardback Rulebooks. There are limitations as to how far the customisation can go, but you will be able to choose your Rank (Commodore or Admiral) and add a name (up to 10 characters) – the customised text will go on the front in a gilt blocked font. The book will be covered in a high quality faux leather (colour still to be set) which, along with your name, will allow it to stand out as unique amongst other rulebooks. For example, my book will say Admiral Fawcett on the front. This Pledge includes FREE world wide shipping.

When the Campaign funds the Fleet Admiral Pledge also gets three free add-ons: our cool A1 world map which shows the state of the world war in 1876 and BOTH League of Crimson Squadrons: the Poniard Class Frigates (4 models) and the Blade Class Armoured Cruiser (3 models). See the text at the end which talks about the League of Crimson.

 Also, we will additionally add further Unlocked Stretch Goals to this Pledge. These include THREE Nation Guides (matching up to the chosen Core Nation Expansion Boxes) and BOTH of our Campaign Books: Operation: Ice Maiden and Operation: Bronze Typhoon.

This is a fabulous Pledge for fans of Dystopian Wars!

Admiral of the Fleet [limited to 30]
Our last Pledge is one of those ‘money can’t buy’ Pledges – except we’ve made it so you CAN BUY IT!

We start with all the coolness of the Fleet Admiral Pledge and then things get TRULY awesome: as part of your Pledge you can work with our lead product designer and his team who will assist you in the creation your very own unique Dystopian Wars model – just pick a size class (small, medium or large), pick a faction (core or alliance), pick air, land, sea or terrain and then let your creativity flow!

Once your model is created we’ll master it and make 6 complete Squadrons to send you. You can choose to allow Spartan Games to manufacture it for other gamers to buy in our Online Store OR you can keep it to yourself and only share with your gaming friends.

We’re excited to be able to work with fans of the Dystopian Wars game to trail blaze something this cool. Our people will work with you to help define your initial design and once the first cut of the model has been done we’ll look to offer 2-3 revisions until you are happy. We will also work with you generate statistics so you can game the model if needed.

We will make a document available that runs through the design methodology and IP details. This is going to be a cool exercise in customer/fan involvement and we very much hope to see folk get involved – we can’t wait to her your ideas!

It probably goes without saying but I’ll say it anyway, this your bespoke won’t model ship at the same time as the other goodies in the Pledge!  We’ll send the regular products along with everyone else, but the model you design will ship once you’ve, well, designed it.  And we’ve manufactured it, of course. This Pledge includes FREE world wide shipping.

And if this isn’t enough, when the Campaign funds this Pledge also gets three free add-ons: our cool A1 world map which shows the state of the world war in 1876 and BOTH League of Crimson Squadrons: the Poniard Class Frigates (4 models) and the Blade Class Armoured Cruiser (3 models). See the text at the end which talks about the League of Crimson.

 Also, we will additionally add further Unlocked Stretch Goals to this Pledge for FREE. These include ALL SEVEN of our new Core Nation Guides, a National TAC Deck, BOTH of our Campaign Books – Operation: Ice Maiden and Operation: Bronze Typhoon – and ONE Naval Battle Group box of whichever new Faction is Unlocked and then voted for.

OK, well done for getting this far. I’ll try to tidy the end section up quickly for you.

Bolt-ons
Our shopping list of additional products will expand during the Kickstarter, but here are some highlights:

Core Nation Expansion Box Bolt-Ons Dystopian gamers asked us for new models – and that is exactly what we are creating for them. Brand new and exciting models which expand the core nations of the game, delivering even more fleet building options and filling in tactical gaps in a nation’s military. There are SEVEN boxes to choose from – Kingdom of Britannia, Prussian Empire, Russian Coalition, Reublique of France, Covenant of Antarctica, Federated States of America an Empire of the Blazing Sun. Each box contains 1 Large Squadron, 1 Medium Squadron and 1 Small Squadron, model numbers vary by Nation).

We are working on a Core Nation Expansion blog which will provide details of the models inside these boxed sets. The blog will grow as the Kickstarter rolls along, giving you even more rich information.

Core Nation Battle Groups Dystopian Ware is a game that has many models already created for it. These Bolt-ons are ideal for new players to our exciting world, and perfect for existing players to bulk out their forces. On offer are the Naval, Aerial and Armoured Battle Groups for our Core Seven Nations. This vast array of models will be available to you at a special Kickstarter price:

Kingdom of Britannia Naval Battle Group
Prussian Empire Naval Battle Group
Empire of the Blazing Sun Naval Battle Group
Covenant of Antarctica Naval Battle Group
Republique of France Naval Battle Group
Russian Coalition Naval Battle Group
Federated States of America Naval Battle Group

Kingdom of Britannia Aerial Battle Group
Prussian Empire Aerial Battle Group
Empire of the Blazing Sun Aerial Battle Group
Covenant of Antarctica Aerial Battle Group
Republique of France Aerial Battle Group
Russian Coalition Aerial Battle Group
Federated States of America Aerial Battle Group

Kingdom of Britannia Armoured Battle Group
Prussian Empire Armoured Battle Group
Empire of the Blazing Sun Armoured Battle Group
Covenant of Antarctica Armoured Battle Group
Republique of France Armoured Battle Group
Russian Coalition Armoured Battle Group
Federated States of America Armoured Battle Group

The Dystopian World A1 Fold-Out Map The year is 1876 and the world war has raged for six years now. In this time, many of the world’s nations have won and lost territories and this brand-new map brings the world up to date for you. Ideal to pin to the wall of a wargames club or store, or simply to own for reference!

And there will be more… Once the Kickstarter is off and running we will be adding some fantastic Scenery Bolt-ons. These will encompass naval and ground scenery and categories will include: Naval Islands and Hazards, Fortified Islands, City Defences and Fortified Walls, Town/City Tiles, Roads & Rivers and so on. We will also add t-shirts and other fun items. Remember that you can adjust your Pledge at any time to accommodate any Bolt-on you see and want.

Stretch Goals
It wouldn’t be a Kickstarter without targets, or Stretch Goals as Kickstarter calls them. We have kept these simple and very targeted for the game:

• 60,000 – We will Unlock BOTH of our Campaign Books, adding them as Bolt-ons and FREE with some Pledges.
• 65,000 – We will Unlock our Seven Core Nation Guides, adding them as Bolt-ons and FREE with some Pledges.
• 75,000 – We will Unlock a National TAC Card Deck, adding them as a Bolt-on and FREE with some Pledges.
• 80,000 – Time for a bit of fun. Backers will be able to vote for a new Faction (Naval Battle Group) – this will be chosen from a list of the Spanish Confederacy, Teutonic Order, Free Hellenic Kingdom, Republic of Egypt and Garibaldi’s Legion. The highest voted for Faction will be added as a Bolt-on and FREE for the Admiral of the Fleet Pledge.
• 100,000 – We will make translated versions of the new Dystopian Wars 2.5 Edition Core Rulebook available. Added as Bolt-ons to buy.

The League of Crimson Mercenaries
We’re almost at the end now, so I’ll keep this piece short as we are working on a separate full-length background blog and PDF for you to read. Small in number, but big on technology is the short way to define the League of Crimson. Composed of some of the world’s wealthiest individuals what bonds this Mercenary faction is the love of war that that its members share. Using stolen Covenant technology, vessels of the League are fast, durable and wield energy-based weapons.

In our Kickstarter, we give Backers access to two ships to start with, both highly capable and able to be fielded by ANY faction. We will, however, be fleshing this Mercenary Faction out with more models in the future. The League of Crimson likes money and war – they will fight for anyone!

In Summary
I thought I would end this blog by discussing the delivery plans of our Kickstarter. Our major expansion of the Dystopian World requires significant resources (3D sculpting, graphics design, retail packaging design, writing, manufacturing etc.) to bring it to fruition, and this Kickstarter is designed to accelerate that development for you.

Our intent is to heavily resource this work with the funding so that we can deliver all Pledges no later than the last week of March 2017, or earlier if we can. As often indicated by many Kickstarters, issues do arise during projects, but we have selected a funding level we are confident will enable us to circumvent any potential obstacles and hit our deadline for you. That said, an invasion by a superior Alien Species would cause us all delivery problems!

It is also important to understand that these products will also have a retail release, but this will not come at the expense of Kickstarter backers.  The retail release will be managed separately so that backers get their products first, and at prices that reflect their early support for the project. In other words, this will be available through retailers, but a bit later and at slightly higher prices than backers enjoy.

All the best,
Spartan Neil