Let's talk Battlelore

[johnsemlak]

Excuse me for putting out this non-RPG topic in the general forum, but I think this topic is overlaps with RPGs just enough to fit here.

I was wondering if anyone outthere was as psyched out as I am about the upcoming Fantasy miniatures boardgame Battlelore, which will be released from Days of Wonder this month.

Now, I am not a very big-time boardgamer, and I haven't played the game Memoir 44, which this game is based on mechanically. However, this game really seems to be answering my long-held need for a fantasy-battlegame/boardgame. It's supposed to be absolutely gorgeous, and it appears it will be an excellent source of miniatures that will be usable in RPGs.

There's been a lot of buzz about Battlelore on the gaming podcast circuit lately. (check out The Dice Tower, Have Games Will Travel 77, and OgreCave Audio Report Sept 24). What do people here think about this game?

I've heard that this game might be an viable option for playout D&D mass-combat senarios. Any comments on that?

Here's a Battlelore page at Boardgamegeek.

 

[johnsemlak]

I'd like to try to jump-start this comversation with some picks. Here's a cool Hill Giant:

Other stuff:

Board:

 

[Twowolves]

This game looked interesting... until I realized that the minis come unpainted.

No thanks, been there, done that, got the eyestrain to prove it.

 

[theRogueRooster]

I've got this on pre-order and am chomping at the bit to get the game into my grubby little hands. The Hill Giant promo figure has already arrived and is currently sitting on my desk, taunting me with a steely-eyed gaze under his protruding brow.

I own Memoir 44 and enjoy the game, although I don't believe that the Commands & Colors system is necessarily the best fit for WWII era battles. BattleLore is the fourth incarnation of this system and from what I've read of the game so far, it looks to be the most evolved (which would make sense).

DoW has a blog which contains a ton of useful information about the game for anyone interested.

I admit to being a little confused concerning Twowolves's comment about the unpainted figures. A boardgame as lavishly produced as BattleLore is suddenly uninteresting because the playing pieces aren't painted? How does that in any way compromise the quality or depth of the gameplay inherent to the ruleset? I mean, I get the coolness factor that is attached to a game with fully painted minis, which is why some folks like to paint them, but to assign a negative worth value to a board game solely on the basis of a lack of painted minis is odd to me, and a bit ironic considering Days of Wonder's reputation for high production values.

But different strokes and all that.
-tRR

 

[Twowolves]

I admit to being a little confused concerning Twowolves's comment about the unpainted figures. A boardgame as lavishly produced as BattleLore is suddenly uninteresting because the playing pieces aren't painted?
-tRR

Mainly because the promo pics show a cool game with wonderfully detailed painted figures. Then when you look closely, you see that is not what you actually get. It's like looking at a really cool car for sale, then you see that what was advertised is a highly tricked out customized model, and not what the base model on the lot is.

Sure, you can play WFB or WH40K with pennies and matchboxes, and it doesn't take away from the ruleset to do so, but most would agree that it is not the same gaming experience.

 

[ken-ichi]

I am really interested in this game as well. I used to play warhammer and 40K a lot. I got tired of the 4 hour games and wanted a quick strategy game that I can play in an hour or two.
I read the blog they have and decided to preorder the game. I have my hill giant waiting on my desk. I like the fact that the figures come in a tray in the main game box. I might actually get around to painting them, unlike other plastic figure board games which don't come with any way of protecting the paint jobs.

 

[theRogueRooster]

Mainly because the promo pics show a cool game with wonderfully detailed painted figures. Then when you look closely, you see that is not what you actually get. It's like looking at a really cool car for sale, then you see that what was advertised is a highly tricked out customized model, and not what the base model on the lot is.

Ain't perceptions fun?

I go to BattleLore's website and find nary a painted figure. There aren't any painted figures on their blog either. BoardGameGeek has 100 (100!) images of the game, of which only 4 are of someone's painted set. I can't seem to find the bait-n-switch which you imply. But that's just my perception.

Sure, you can play WFB or WH40K with pennies and matchboxes, and it doesn't take away from the ruleset to do so, but most would agree that it is not the same gaming experience.

I agree with the point you are making, namely that a game with full color pieces is "cooler" than a game without (hence the "coolness factor" comment in my previous post), but do you really mean to say that playing BattleLore with unpainted pieces is equivalent to playing a miniatures game without the miniatures? That's a bit overstated, don't you think?

-tRR

Edit: The 'Geek has added even more pictures, and apparently a fourth one has painted troops. Editing for veracity.

 

[Twowolves]

I go to BattleLore's website and find nary a painted figure. There aren't any painted figures on their blog either. BoardGameGeek has 100 (100!) images of the game, of which only 4 are of someone's painted set. I can't seem to find the bait-n-switch which you imply. But that's just my perception.

Two weeks ago when this thread was new, BGG had about 6-8 pics, not 100+, and only 1 or 2 showed unpainted figures. I never implied the manufacturer was trying to pull a bait'n'switch. In fact, the only link provided in the OP were to reviews, not to an official website, and since BGG was the only one I regularly visited, that's where I went.

I paint metal minis (and have for years) as a part of my D&D hobby. I also played (past tense) mini games in which you had to paint your army yourself. I also play mini games now with prepainted figs. Given my limited play time, I'll not be painting any figs unless they are major characters in an RPG I'm playing in, and with the ever improving quality of prepainted paint jobs, I won't be dropping a ton of cash on a game without them in the future. Heroscape, Star Wars, D&D minis, all have decent paintjobs and high production values. And I can always repaint any I don't like.

I agree with the point you are making, namely that a game with full color pieces is "cooler" than a game without (hence the "coolness factor" comment in my previous post), but do you really mean to say that playing BattleLore with unpainted pieces is equivalent to playing a miniatures game without the miniatures? That's a bit overstated, don't you think?

Other folks mentioned what a great ruleset Battlelore has, so that makes the appearance of the figures secondary to the enjoyment of the game. The same can easily be said for any miniatures game: if the rules are great and it's such a fun game, you don't need the well-painted, pretty "cool" figures to enjoy it. But it does make playing more fun. So, no, I don't think it's overstated at all. You can play chess with coins, on a board drawn with a stick in the dirt, after all. But most would prefer something a little better presented. Plain grey figs kinda detract from the colored gameboard and colored cards, after all.

 

[MeepoDM]

I'm a big Memoir '44 fan. Lets just say I've already filed my checking account information with Days of Wonder for this baby.

 

[johnsemlak]

I would like to know exactly what miniatures come with the game, myself. I've listened to at least 3 audio reviews of Battlelore from podcasts by people who had played demo games. At least 2 commented that the game looked very nice, but I don't remmeber any specific comments about what kind of miniatures. Considering the cost of the game, I'd at least like to know what sort if minis are included, though I'll get the game either way in all likelyhood.