Heroscape

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Heroscape

A six-person game of Heroscape using multiple Master Sets and Expansion Sets.
Players	2 or more
Setup time	20+ minutes
Playing time	20 Minutes - 1+ hours
Random chance	Medium
Age range	8 and up
Skills required	Dice rolling, Strategy

Heroscape (stylized as "heroScape" or "HeroScape") is an expandable turn-based miniature wargaming system originally manufactured by Milton Bradley Company from 2004 to 2008, and later by Wizards of the Coast from 2008 until it was discontinued in November 2010.^[1] The game is played using pre-painted miniature figures on a board made from interlocking hexagonal tiles, allowing for the construction of an interchangeable and variable 3D landscape. This system and the relatively high production quality of the game materials are lauded by fans even years after the game was discontinued.

History[]

Heroscape sets were first released in 2004 by game designers Craig Van Ness, Rob Daviau, and Stephen Baker through Milton Bradley Company, a subsidiary of Hasbro. The first master set was entitled Rise of the Valkyrie, featuring thirty plastic figures and corresponding cards, eighty-five terrain pieces of various sizes, and two ruins structures. From 2004 to 2008, another master set (Swarm of the Marro), ten small-figure expansions, three large-figure expansions, and four large terrain expansions were released, along with various other exclusive sets and figures through partnerships with Walmart, Toys "R" Us, and Gen Con.^[2]

In 2007, a master set based on Marvel Comics was released, entitled The Conflict Begins. Hasbro had recently acquired the license to produce Marvel-themed toys and merchandise. Containing ten heroes and villains from the comics, plus urban-style terrain, the Marvel expansion is fully compatible with the regular game, though many fans consider the characters to be overpowered.^[2] Two five-figure expansions were scheduled for future releases, but Heroscape was discontinued before they entered production.^{[citation needed]}

In 2008, Hasbro shifted the Heroscape brand away from Milton Bradley Company to another of their subsidiaries, Wizards of the Coast. At the time, Wizards was also responsible for the development and distribution of Dungeons & Dragons. From 2008 to 2010, another master set and three small-figure expansions were released, featuring D&D themes and characters. The behind-the-scenes changes were reportedly intended to reduce production costs, but players also interpreted it as an attempt to convert players away from Heroscape to the more popular D&D. On November 3, 2010, Wizards of the Coast announced that they would be discontinuing production of Heroscape products, in favor of focusing on developing their core games Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. This caused an immediate backlash within the Heroscape community, including petitions and threats of boycotts. Despite the lack of official production for over a decade, the game remains popular, with a strong and dedicated community, regular tournaments, and additional user-created content.^[2]

In 2015, Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro published Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Planeswalkers, incorporating the rules and terrain based on Heroscape, but with the addition of spell cards, summoning, and select creatures and spells from the Magic: The Gathering universe. Two expansions were later released: Battle for Zendikar, which featured additional figures, updates, and combinations; and Shadows Over Innistrad, which adds a battlefield obstacle called the cryptolith. Some fans consider Arena of the Planeswalkers to be the spiritual successor to Heroscape, while others still disagree.^{[citation needed]}

Gameplay[]

Background[]

At its essence, Heroscape is an epic battle between and among characters across dozens of genres, time periods, planets, and cultures, taking place on a three-dimensional gaming surface of various elevations and terrain types. Although the game manual contains some official designs and scenarios, most players combine multiple sets of terrain tiles to create large playing surfaces and develop their own house rules and custom scenarios. Playable characters drawing from a variety of sources, including fantasy, science fiction, history, nature, myths, and legends. A single team may consist of any number of individual characters or squads, including but not limited to valkyries, dragons, elves, orcs, robots, spies, Vikings, knights, samurai, cowboys, ninjas, Roman soldiers, minutemen, werewolves, zombies, trolls, ogres, American soldiers, yetis, gladiators, wolves, spiders, superheroes and villains from Marvel Comics, and Dungeons & Dragons-inspired characters, in addition to original contributions from the mythology, backstory, and fantasy world within Heroscape.

Designed for two or more players ages 8 and older, it can also be easily adapted for a large group of players, particularly if multiple master sets and expansion sets are used.

The game comes with two sets of rules: the basic rules create a simpler and shorter game accessible to younger players, while the advanced rules are designed for a longer and more complicated game for older and more experienced players. Regardless of the game mode, each miniature figure or squad of figures has a corresponding card, called an army card, with the basic game mode printed on one side and advanced game mode on the other. For the basic game, only the factors of movement, range, attack, and defense are used, while the advanced game considers these factors, plus point value, health, species, class, personality, size, and special abilities.

To play the game, a master set is required, which contains enough tiles to build a battlefield large enough for more than two players, but experienced players often combine multiple sets to create larger and more elaborate playing surfaces. Over the course of production, four total master sets were released. The original, Rise of the Valkyrie, includes grass, rock, sand, and water pieces of various tile sizes, plus two ruins to diversify the playing surface. Various expansions and the other master sets add molten lava, lava field, snow, ice, swamp grass, swamp water, dungeon, shadow, road, concrete, and asphalt tiles, in addition to ruins, trees, glaciers, jungle vegetation, rock outcrops, a bridge system, and even a castle structure, complete with walls, turrets, and a gate.

Building the scenario[]

Heroscape requires players to construct the three-dimensional playing surface for the game. Scenarios from the master set or some of the larger expansions include detailed instructions for board setups, but many players enjoy designing their own. While the original master set Rise of the Valkyrie was released in 2004, two more master sets were released in 2007. Continuing the story from the first set, The Swarm of the Marro was released in August and features two alternate models of characters from Rise of the Valkyrie, plus new characters. The previous month, the Marvel Comics Master Set called The Conflict Begins was released, containing five heroes and five villains from the Marvel Comics universe. Following the transition to Wizards of the Coasts, a master set based on the Dungeons & Dragons franchise was released in 2010, entitled Battle for the Underdark.

There are also separate smaller expansions that contain a new set of themed terrain along with a new unit(s) that takes advantage of said terrain. Volcarren Wasteland contains lava and volcanic rock tiles; Thaelenk Tundra contains ice and snow tiles, plus large glaciers; Road to the Forgotten Forest contains roads, bridge pieces, and trees of varying sizes; and Ticalla Jungle features more trees and jungle vegetation.

Selecting armies[]

Each player selects one or more "units," where a unit may be a unique and distinct hero or an entire squad of generic figures. Army cards explain the various attributes and special abilities are packaged with each unit. There are four types of units in the original game: Unique Hero, Common Hero, Unique Squad, and Common Squad. Hero cards are associated with a single figure and squad cards are associated with a set of two or more figures. In their army, a given player may only have one of a unique hero or squad, but there is no limit on how many copies of a common hero or squad may be selected.

D&D Heroscape introduced a fifth type of unit: Uncommon Hero. These play just like Unique Heroes, but a player can have more than one in his army and one must keep track of which one belongs to which card since they can take damage (as opposed to Common units, which only have one hit point). The idea proved to be unpopular, as most players simply played with them as if they were just Unique Heroes.

All basic game scenarios and some advanced game scenarios specify the units for each player. Most advanced game scenarios allow players to choose units based on the points values printed on the army card. Usually, scenarios have a different number of points that you can use to buy characters. Depending on the scenario, players may be required to place their team in a specific location, or they may randomly select where each player begins.

Structure of a round[]

The flow of play in Heroscape is broken up into rounds and turns. The terms are often used interchangeably in other board games, but there is a key distinction in Heroscape with each round including 3 turns for each player.

At the beginning of the round, each player must place order markers on his/her armies. Order markers determine which armies will be used during that round and what order they will be utilized. These markers indicate the turn in which each unit will be activated, but the numbers are hidden from the table. A fourth "dummy" marker may also be placed to add some ambiguity as to which units one will be activating. The same unit may be activated multiple times in a single round by placing multiple order markers on it.

After order markers have been placed, each player rolls a twenty-sided initiative die. The highest roller takes the first turn and play passes to the left.

Syvarris and Theracus command the high ground in a snowy forest atop the mountains.

The player with the highest initiative roll begins his first turn by revealing which unit contains his first order marker. A turn usually consists of moving and then attacking. For squads, each figure in the squad is moved before any may attack. The number of hexes that each figure may move is listed on its card. Typical movement amounts range from 4 to 8 and normally moving one hex costs one point movement. Certain types of terrain are dangerous (e.g. lava), impassable (e.g. glaciers), slow you down (e.g. snow) or speed you up (e.g. roads). Moving up in elevation also costs additional movement points for each level, but not for moving down. Some figures' special abilities, such as flying, may also affect movement.

After movement has been completed, each surviving figure in the unit may attack any figure within its range and line of sight. Melee units are those with a range of one, and ranged units typically have a range of four or more.

The number of dice rolled for offense is listed on the army card, but may be improved by various bonuses, including terrain bonuses, elevation bonuses, or special abilities. The attack dice contain skulls on three surfaces (in 1st edition) giving a 50% chance at scoring a hit for each die. The defender likewise calculates how many defense dice he may roll, based on his unit's natural defense value and any other bonuses (terrain, elevation, special abilities, etc.). The defense dice contain only two shields, giving a statistical advantage to the attacker. In the second edition the defense and attack dice are combined into one white dice, with three chances for attack, two chances for defense, and one chance for a blank roll.

If the defender rolls a number of shields equal to or higher than the number of skulls rolled by the attacker, nothing happens. If the number is lower, the defender receives a number of wound markers equal to the difference. Once a unit receives a number of wound markers equal to its total life points, it is destroyed and removed from the playing surface immediately. Heroes usually have multiple life points; squads always have one life point per figure in the squad. In the basic rules version of the game the wound marker system is not used, and each unit simply has one life point; hero units usually have exaggerated defense to compensate.

Various abilities by specific units may modify these rules to some degree (e.g., the samurai may counterattack and inflict damage while defending), but this move/attack/defense flow is typical of a turn.

Once the player has finished all of his attacks, play passes to the left, and that player then reveals his first order marker and takes his turn. Play continues in this manner until the final player has completed his first turn, and then play resumes with the first player, who reveals his second order marker and takes a turn with that unit. This process is repeated for the third order marker, and then the round is completed. Sometimes a player will lose a turn if the unit he had placed an order marker on was destroyed on a previous player's turn.

Victory[]

The conditions for victory vary based on the scenario. Time limits, round limits, holding certain locations, quest-like goals, or "last man standing" variants are all common. In tournament settings, there is often a "Fractional Scoring" system used when time expires. In this case, the player with the most points remaining at the end of the time limits wins.

Characters[]

Playable characters in Heroscape are divided between seven Archkyrie Generals, fighting on the fictional planet of Valhalla. All started as Valkyrie Generals who discovered mythical Wellsprings, drinking from them, which gives them the ability to manipulate time and space to gather massive armies from numerous planets, dimensions, and times. Five generals (Jandar, Ullar, Vydar, Einar, and Utgar) appeared in the original game; Aquilla was introduced in 2007; and Valkrill was introduced in 2010 as part of D&D Heroscape.

Despite this backstory, players are free to draft any combination of characters without regard for the in-game alliances or hostilities, unless a group specifically wants to play through the events of the story. Only a few characters' special abilities specifically reference the generals, as specified on the army cards.

• Jandar is considered an archetypical "heroic general," fighting to stop Utgar from using the wellsprings to conquer all of Valhalla, the universe, and possibly time itself. His army includes the Sentinel faction of Kyrie, Sgt. Drake Alexander and his Airborne Elite from an alternate version of World War II, Vikings, knights, robotic Omnicron Snipers, cowboy Johnny "Shotgun" Sullivan, Scottish warriors, the white dragon Nilfheim, and the yeti-like Dzu-Teh. Jandar's army cards have a blue and white color scheme.
• Ullar consistently allies with Jandar, with his army consisting of species often referenced in the fantasy genre with an overall "good nature" theme. His army consists of elves, reptilian assassins called Vipers, Shaolin monks, the giant Jotun, the Gryphillin Theracus, the Protector faction of Kyrie, the green dragon Charos, and the cowboy sniper "Deadeye" Dan. Ullar's army cards have a dark green and brown color scheme.
• Vydar is the only "true-neutral" of the neutral generals, aiding either Jandar or Utgar as it suits his own mysterious agenda. His army is very futuristic and technological, mainly consisting of advanced humans and robots, while also incorporating the gun-wielding gorilla-like Primadons, a dog-like alien creature called Dünd, the undead queen Sudema, and the black dragon Braxas. Vydar's army cards have a grey and navy color scheme.
• Einar first allied with Utgar, but later shifted his alliance to join Jandar. His army consists almost entirely of humans from the history of Earth, including warriors from Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, the American Revolutionary War, and feudal Japan. Exceptions to this include the Imperium faction of Kyrie, the red dragon Zelrig, and a cyclops-like ogre named Gurei-Oni. Einar's army cards have an orange and purple color scheme.
• Utgar is the archetypical "conqueror/overlord," a villainous figure fighting to take control of the mysterious wellsprings in order to use their power to conquer Valhalla, and then the rest of time and space. His army consists of dark forces including the Minion faction of Kyrie, the hive-controlled skeletal Marro, orcs with dinosaur mounts, robots, the undead (ghosts, zombies, and vampires), wolves, werewolves, ogres, and the dragons Mimring, Othkurik, and Moltenclaw, among a scattering of other creatures and beings. Utgar's army cards have a red and black color scheme.
• In 2007, Aquilla was the first new general to be introduced, as well as the only female general. Little is known about this mysterious and relatively undeveloped general, except that she is allied with Jandar. Aquilla's army is made up of a darker fantasy/nature theme, with squads of Fyorlag spiders and other giant bugs, Native Americans, and fantasy dwarves. Aquilla's army cards have a black and gold color scheme.
• In 2010, Valkrill was introduced in later expansions for D&D Heroscape as an initial ally of Utgar who turned and formed his own evil and chaotic faction. As Heroscape would be canceled shortly after his introduction, Valkirill possesses the smallest army, consisting of demons, goblins, orcs, and the undead. Valkrill's army cards have a dark olive-green and rusty bronze color scheme.

• The ten Marvel superheroes and villains are not allied with any particular general, but they are still fully compatible with the other characters. As a result, each card has a unique color scheme representing the colors of the specific hero or villain.

Fan-generated content and tournaments[]

Fan-generated content[]

Heroscape players have created much fan-generated content and material, including custom terrain, jungle pieces made out of aquarium plants, battle boards, ruins, buildings, and sci-fi terrain. Custom figures are also created in a variety of ways: some create cards for figures from other miniature games, and some 3D print their own using online software. Groups of players have formed to create and play-test custom figures.

• The Classic Customs Creators of Valhalla (C3V) attempts to keep continuity with the official Heroscape characters, backstories, and themes by play-tested against official figures.
• The Soldiers of Valhalla (SoV) reviews existing customs created by members for inclusion into "Fanscape."
  • Valhalla Customs (VC) is the collective name for the C3V and the SoV, whom work very closely together.
• The Comics Customs Creators Guild (C3G) releases superhero customs, mostly using HeroClix figures play-tested against the canon Marvel Heroscape figures, as well as updated versions of latter to balance their abilities.
• Various groups have come together to play-test figures from a number of different franchises such as Star Wars, Middle-Earth, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles using previously existing figures or creating new 3D printed versions using a number of different software systems.

Although fan-generated content may be posted at various online outlets, the most prominent community of custom creators and their creations is found on forums of the official fan-site Heroscapers.com which is also the only place to get the most up-to-date rulebooks, FAQ, and official scenarios that were created by Hasbo and Wizards-Of-the-Coast.

Tournaments and events[]

Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast never held nor supported officially sanctioned events such as they had with Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon or Axis & Allies; however, a fan-run tournament scene started up soon after the release of Heroscape. The biggest tournaments have been held at major gaming conventions such as Gen Con or multi-genre conventions such as Comic-Con, but various local and regional tournaments are run regularly.^[3]

References[]

External links[]

• Heroscape at Curlie
• Various Heroscape releases from BoardGameGeek
• Official Fansite