“There will be a substantial reward for the one who finds the Millennium Falcon.”
   –Darth Vader, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Whenever there is a sizeable bounty to be collected anywhere across the galaxy, Boba Fett will assuredly be on the hunt in his signature ship, Slave I. A heavily modified Firespray-class patrol craft, the ship belonging to the most infamous bounty hunter in the Star Wars galaxy is sure to strike fear in anyone with a price on their head. Later this year, you’ll have the chance to add this notorious craft to your Scum and Villainy squadrons from the beginning of X-Wing™ Second Edition with the Slave I Expansion Pack.

In the Slave I Expansion Pack, you’ll find a fully assembled and pre-painted Firespray-class patrol craft miniature, as well as all the components you need to seamlessly incorporate one of these highly customizable ships into your Scum squadron, including six unique pilots and twelve upgrade cards to outfit your ships as you see fit.

Veteran players can bring their existing Firespray-class patrol craft and other Scum ships from the first edition into X-Wing Second Edition with the tokens, cards, and maneuver dials found in the Scum and Villainy Conversion Kit! This kit will be available when the game launches on September 13th, 2018, and all of the ship and upgrade cards found in the Slave I Expansion Pack will also be contained in this kit. New players, on the other hand, can expand their ship collection with the six other ship expansions launching alongside the Slave I Expansion Pack and the Core Set!

On the Hunt

Boba Fett might be the most recognizable name associated with the Firespray-class patrol craft, but he is far from the only member of the galaxy’s seedy underbelly to choose the craft. Originally designed for law enforcement purposes, the Firespray quickly became a favorite of bounty hunters, pirates, and other criminals, thanks to its robust chassis that offered plenty of space for additional weaponry and other modifications. This customizability meant that the Slave I wasn’t the only prominent ship prowling the stars using the Firespray-class patrol craft as a starting point. As a result, the Slave I Expansion Pack includes three Title upgrade cards that foster different approaches to piloting the ship.

Boba Fett himself isn’t afraid to face down groups of enemies up close. In fact, he can reroll one die for each enemy ship at Range 0–1 while defending or performing an attack, giving him better odds of succeeding when there are more enemies nearby. This should be of little difficulty if Boba Fett is flying his personal ship, the Slave I. In addition to adding a torpedo slot to the ship, this title gives you the ability to quickly alter your course after revealing a turn or bank maneuver. No matter who’s piloting it, the Slave I has the extraordinary ability to make use of its red Reinforce action and reduce the damage it takes by positioning enemy ships in front of or behind it.

While Boba Fett prefers to take advantage of the three attack dice provided by the Firespray’s front and back arcs, the ship also allows pilots like Emon Azzameen to make use of the devices they can plant in their opponents’ path. Not only does Azzameen have more flexibility where he drops devices than other pilots, his ship, the Andrasta, has an extra device slot and the ability to reload any missiles or devices he may be carrying.

Emon Azzameen uses the three-turn template to drop a Proximity Mine directly in the path of a pursuing T-65 X-wing!

This extra slot dedicated to devices means that Azzameen has the ability to litter the battlefield with a mixture of bombs and mines, including the particularly deadly Proximity Mines. Unlike bombs that detonate at the end of the Activation phase, a Proximity Mine remains in play until a ship overlaps or moves through it. When this happens, the ship that triggered it rolls two attack dice and suffers regular or critical damage for each matching result!

Still other pilots, such as Kath Scarlet, use those under their command for their own personal gain. She fires freely at enemy ships that are close to her squadmates, rolling an additional attack die when there is at least one friendly non-limited ship at Range 0 of the defender. This attack could be even more potent while she’s piloting the Marauder. While Kath Scarlet is piloting her signature ship, she can reroll an attack die while performing a primary attack from her rear arc. What's more, this title also gives the Firespray a gunner slot that can be filled with Veteran Tail Gunner, potentially giving the ship two attacks if you’re able to line up shots from both your front and back arcs. 

Fully Armed

While piloting an infamous ship like the Slave I or the Marauder is certainly enticing, you can also use the Slave I Expansion Pack to fully customize your own Firespray-class patrol craft. Able to carry cannons, missiles, devices, crew members, illicit upgrades, and modifications, the ship you create will almost assuredly be powerful enough to be able to operate as a Lone Wolf, away from friendly ships.

Beyond this, some pilots encourage you to outfit your ship with certain upgrades. If you add Krassis Trelix to your squadron, for example, you can launch a salvo of Concussion Missiles from your back arc, potentially damaging one ship and forcing others nearby to expose a damage card. No matter which arc he uses for a special attack, Trelix has a better chance than most of making the best use of his special weapons.

Koshka Frost, meanwhile, has a more general purpose ability—she gains a reroll while attacking or defending if the enemy ship is stressed, encouraging her to put as much pressure on her opponents as she can. Of course, she'll be able to do this from the very beginning of the game if she decides to add Boba Fett as a crew member. Much like he did while tracking the Millennium Falcon in The Empire Strikes Back, Boba Fett lets you to conceal yourself on an obstacle at the beginning of the game, potentially forcing enemy ships to resort to red maneuvers earlier than expected.

And if an enemy ship appearing from an asteroid or debris isn’t enough to stress out an enemy pilot, being chased by a ship armed with a Heavy Laser Cannon certainly will. Although you must have the target in your bullseye arc to use this weapon, it gives you four attack dice, one of which could potentially be rerolled with Koshka Frost’s ability.

Claim Your Bounty

Whether you’re tracking a target to the farthest reaches of the galaxy or engaged in an intense dogfight, the Firespray-class patrol craft provides the firepower to get the job done. Outfit yours and track your mark with the Slave I Expansion Pack!

The Slave I Expansion Pack (SWZ16) is releasing alongside the X-Wing Second Edition Core Set on September 13th, 2018. Pre-order your copy at your local retailer or online through our website today!

The Old Ones were, the Old Ones are, and the Old Ones shall be. Not in the spaces we know, but between them, they walk serene and primal, undimensioned and to us unseen.
  –H. P. Lovecraft, The Dunwich Horror

Evil haunts strange, far-flung places in Horrific Journeys, the newest expansion for Mansions of Madness! Reality has begun to deteriorate in the New England countryside, danger rains from the skies, and even the seas are not safe as evil emerges from the depths. In the countryside, a speeding train desperately flees from a threat that defies all laws of reality. In the clouds, a dirigible’s voyage is interrupted by a vicious murder as a storm rolls in. And on the waves, a luxury ocean liner has been sabotaged by some madman planting explosives to sink the vessel.

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Horrific Journeys— which you can pre-order at your local retailer or online through our website today!

Fresh Faces

In this latest expansion for Mansions of Madness, the investigators of Arkham find themselves far from the comforts of home, and the danger increases with each step they take away from their beloved city. To stand against the coming darkness, Horrific Journeys calls upon four new investigators from a wide variety of backgrounds, including a sailor, a spy, a musician, and a waitress. These brave men and women are each more than meets the eye, and the unique backstory on the back of their investigator cards tells you what has led them to this point—how they went from living the life of an average citizen to being thrust into the world of Elder Gods and monsters beyond comprehension.

To help them fight against and survive the mythos, each investigator has a special ability gained from their personal travels and years of living in a sleepy town on the edge of madness. The sailor Silas Marsh may not have much experience with the supernatural, but he is willing to push himself further than anyone to aid his allies, flipping his horror cards faceup to reroll his dice during a test. Meanwhile, Trish Scarborough, the skilled spy, finds it easy to succeed while performing a search action. Jim Culver is one of the world’s most talented musicians and he begins each game with his treasured Golden Trumpet. Finally, Agnes Baker is a waitress with dark powers that she is only beginning to understand, starting each investigation with her own signature spell.

When you choose to step into the shoes of these investigators and bring them to life, you're accepting the responsibility of defying maddening monsters with the knowledge that you will never receive thanks or even an acknowledgement that your fight exists. Arkham holds its secrets close. Most of its citizens insist that their sleepy town is the very definition of normal, but those who dare to look closer know that all is not right in Massachusetts. Now, as the evil that rots Arkham from within spreads beyond the city limits, you have little choice but to chase down the darkness and bring it to heel.

Tales from the Road

Horrific Journeys unlocks three new digital scenarios, packed with previously unseen secrets, conspiracies, and mythos events to challenge and intrigue your team of investigators. In 10:50 to Arkham, you and your colleague, Harriet, are passengers on a train winding through the New England countryside. She has been working on a theory regarding a complex conspiracy; one connected not only to you, but to several of the other passengers. So, when Harriet disappears from the car, you know your enemies must be close. But now there is nowhere for them to run… right?

Then, in Murder on the Stargazer Majestic, you have the golden opportunity to travel aboard a dirigible airship on a transatlantic voyage. But what begins as a peaceful journey is suddenly interrupted when you hear cries from below. Rushing to the gondola, you discover that a passenger has been killed. At the same moment, lightning cracks across the sky and rain begins to pelt the craft. Whatever has taken place here, it is no ordinary crime. There is a dark force at work.

Finally, Hidden Depths takes you to the deck of the RMS Morgana, where you have been hired to investigate strange rumors surrounding the vessel. The ship has been plagued by a series of tragic accidents, and reports of unnatural sea creatures grow evermore frequent. After four days at sea, you are about to step below deck as you have many times before, when you are thrown back by a freak explosion. What on Earth happened? Was this planned? As the crew erupts into chaos around you, how do you know who to trust?

With this last scenario, Horrific Journeys introduces a brand-new mechanic in the form of agendas, which represent the hidden allegiances of each player. When playing Hidden Depths with three or more investigators, you each receive an agenda card that you must keep secret from the rest of the team. Taking a twist on the Insane condition already present in Mansions of Madness, these cards foster the seeds of mistrust, potentially turning your teammates against one another and forcing you to become suspicious of the very people you would once trust with your life.

You may find that you are unchanged; simply another human, attempting to escape in the lifeboats with as many of your fellow survivors as possible. But you must be wary, for some of those among you are not all they seem: the other agenda you may receive casts you into the role of a Deep One Hybrid. With this shifted loyalty, you do not win the game as normal. Instead, your goal is to sabotage the investigation and keep the secrets of your people from being revealed to the rest of the world. You must get to the lifeboats with the humans and prevent them from reaching the shore, but if there are too many of them, you will be outnumbered and outmatched. Wherever your loyalties lie, you must be careful not to let your paranoia get the best of you as you seek out friends from foes. If you made a rash decision that cost an innocent ally their life, would you ever be able to forgive yourself?

All Aboard

Wherever evil emerges, the investigators of Arkham will be there to fight back the darkness and protect our world from the terrors that thrive beyond our reality. Should you join them, there is no guarantee that you will survive the journeys that await, and even if you can survive, you will not be unchanged. But the call to take a stand is not one that you can deny. Pack your bags, climb aboard, and steel your nerve for the horrors ahead!

Pre-order your copy of Horrific Journeys (MAD27) at your local retailer today or online through the Fantasy Flight Games website here!

I felt myself on the edge of the world; peering over the rim into a fathomless chaos of eternal night.
  –H.P. Lovecraft, “Dagon”

Your descent into madness has taken you far into the wilds of Arkham Horror: The Card Game! In The Forgotten Age, you took part in a scientific expedition that brought you to the dark rainforests of Central America in search of a lost Aztec city, but what you uncovered has set a series of events in motion that puts the entire world at risk. As The Forgotten Age cycle progresses, you must learn as much as you can about the dangers you unleashed to undo your mistake and save the Earth from a terrible fate. Now, your mission has brought you to a monster-filled chasm where the only way out is down.

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce The Depths of Yoth, the fifth Mythos Pack in The Forgotten Age cycle for Arkham Horror: The Card Game—now available for pre-order at your local retailer or online through our website!

Pit of Despair

This Mythos Pack, which can be played as a standalone adventure or as part of the eight-part campaign, finds you on a perilous precipice looking into a seemingly bottomless cavern. Following the events of The City of Archives, you have reached the winding staircase that leads through the remains of another age and down into the unknown. Far below, a red glow illuminates a network of labyrinth caverns littered with the ruins of an ancient city, and from those depths there also emanates a strange, animal-like sound. Something is down there.

And thus, your descent begins. The Depths of Yoth draws you down into the deepest reaches of the Earth, tracking the current depth level of your investigation in a separate space on the scenario reference card. While the depth level has no effect on its own, deeper levels of Yoth are deadlier. Some of the creatures that dwell there, such as an Eater of the Depths (The Depths of Yoth, 298), become stronger the further you descend into the cavern. You may find that it becomes more difficult to deny your terror as you journey deeper with treacheries like Lightless Shadow (The Depths of Yoth, 300) threatening to trap you in the ruined city for all time. But the answers you seek must be waiting at the bottom of this pit, though you wonder whether they are worth facing whatever awaits.

Relentless Pursuers

As you plunge into darkness with only the light of some unimaginable hell to guide you, you may wish to turn back—to find any other way out of this prison. But you are not alone in this cavern, and if you look back you are lost. Slithering creatures of Yoth stalk you through the twisting caverns, and even as you move deeper into the depths, they may follow by moving into the “pursuit area” beside the act and agenda decks. Enemies in this area are out-of-play, and although you can't attack them, at least they're too far away to reach you for now. Still, even if your assailants ease the chase, they are just out of view in the shadows, always watching. Waiting.

Even if your enemies may have fallen behind you as you plunge deeper into the depths, the fury of the Father of Serpents may compel them to rush forward and attack on his behalf. When his Scheme, Serpent's Ire (The Depths of Yoth, 302), is revealed, the most powerful Serpent enemy in pursuit of your team moves forward to strike, forcing you to test your agility. If you fail, that enemy immediately attacks you—and even if you dodge the first attack, you must still contend with this Serpent who's now engaged with you. To discover what awaits at the end of your journey, you must survive the descent, so be sure to stay light on your feet and pray you don't trip, lest you fall into the pit below. 

Outrun, Outlast

To help you dodge the monsters breathing down your neck during the descent, The Depths of Yoth provides you with new, powerful player cards to strengthen your investigators’ decks and prepare you for the trials ahead. If you have The Skeleton Key (The Depths of Yoth, 270) in your possession, you may easily investigate nearly any location, unlocking the ruins’ secrets with an ease to make even Rex Murphy jealous.

Meanwhile, Mystics may use the experience gained over the course of The Fogotten Age cycle to increase the potency of their arcane talents with an upgraded version of Mists of R'lyeh (The Depths of Yoth, 271). This Spell has an incredible five charges which you may use to evade, using your willpower in place of your agility. And if that weren't enough, this Spell also dramatically increases your willpower for your attempt. Beyond the confidence this card offers you in your own abilities, Mists of R’lyeh rewards you further if you succeed. If you pass your skill test, you may move to a connecting location—continuing your investigation without becoming bogged down by enemies.

However, as often happens when you call upon the power of the Mythos, using this card comes with a certain amount of risk. If you reveal any chaos token other than a numbered token or the elder sign token, you must discard a card from your hand. Despite the inherent risk of magic, this is the time to pull out all the stops and use every tool in your arsenal. For as long as you remain trapped in this unholy pit, no one is coming to save you.

Light at the End

The closer you move to the end of your descent, the greater the threat to your life becomes. But despite the terrors and the monsters, you may find a strange sense of serenity among the ruins. If nothing else, at least you know where you are going. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Pre-order your copy of The Depths of Yoth (AHC24) at your local retailer today or on the Fantasy Flight Games website here!

Representing both the eternal nothingness and vast makeup of the universe, the Void is an element of contradictions. Those who seek enlightenment must come to terms with this contradiction, searching to understand its deeper mysteries. Shugenja that can harness the Void must always be cautious to not be overtaken by the emptiness that awaits. But in this nothingness, there is power, and as the elements fall out of balance, the Void could overtake all. 

Join us today as we preview All and Nothing, the fifth Dynasty Pack in the Elemental Cycle for Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game!

All and Nothing features three copies of twenty new cards, and continues the themes found throughout the Elemental Cycle. Expect to find powerful new Shugenja, a holding for the Phoenix, a neutral Philosophy, and more!

Pragmatic Purifiers

Even in their darkest hour, the Crab continue to defend the Emerald Empire from the nightmares to the south—giving no thought to enlightenment, they do what must be done to protect the Empire, lest Rokugan dissolve into nothing. The Tainted Hero (All and Nothing, 83) knows the task at hand, and even if he must soon succumb to the encroaching darkness, he will continue to fight for the safety of Rokugan as long as he can. However, this hero can only attack or defend should one of his allies make the ultimate sacrifice, allowing the Tainted Hero to blank his own text box and join the battle. Sacrificing an ally may seem like a heavy cost, but there are other ways to calm the Tainted Hero without spilling blood. As a Berserker, the Tainted Hero can also be moved into the conflict via Crisis Breaker (Fate Has No Secrets, 82). Since moving the Tainted Hero into the conflict does not constitute declaring him as an attacker or defender, he is free to contribute his sizeable skill to the battle. 

This vicious warrior can singlehandedly break provinces, but is the sacrifice worth it? While the Tainted Hero is a powerful character, the Crab must ask themselves if they are willing to go to such lengths to defend Rokugan. Is it worth it to repurpose their tainted warriors into killing machines and risk further exposure to the darkness of the Shadowlands?

Dueling Wordsmiths

The Crane, meanwhile, use much more civil methods to defeat their foes. Rather than tetsubos and berserk fury, the Crane battle with their words and art, acting with incomparable finesse. The Callow Delegate (All and Nothing, 85) is inexperienced in the ways of the Crane, but he has potential. His stats are unimpressive, since he only offers a single political skill. However, when he leaves the battlefield, you may honor a character you control. This makes the Callow Delegate an ideal target to play on the field with no fate. You'll immediately receive an advantage when he leaves the field, and it gives you a chance to honor a powerful character like Kakita Yoshi (Into the Forbidden City, 43). The Callow Delegate may not be threatening on his own, but provides a strong benefit when he leaves play. And of course, if you have the Asahina Storyteller (Core Set, 50) on the field, you receive an even bigger boost from honoring your Crane characters in the form of more conflict cards!

The Crane are master wordsmiths, but this does not come easy. Every aspect of Crane life assists them in becoming a better orator, and even their recreation puts these skills to the test. Sadane is a game of verbal sparring and polite insults, and it's no surprise that it's extremely popular among the Crane. A  Game of Sadane (All and Nothing, 93) enters Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game as a political duel, with the winner becoming honored and the loser becoming dishonored. Since you get to pick both of these targets during a conflict, you can nearly ensure your victory, lowering your opponent’s overall skill while raising yours. This verbal contest can lead to major swings in skill, especially if you manage to honor a high-glory character like Doji Hotaru (Core Set, 52) herself.

Watchers of the Void

Of course, All and Nothing also contains cards examining the mysteries of the Void. Those who study the element face danger and wonder every time they stare into the vast emptiness and all-encompassing mass of the element.

The Ethereal Dreamer (All and Nothing, 89) is a Phoenix Shugenja who is flexible enough to become a major player in any of your conflicts to come. At the start of your conflict phase, you choose a ring, and the Dreamer skills are greatly increased while you are contesting that ring. Of course, you have to be able to plan ahead and keep in mind what rings you’d like to take for the turn, or the Ethereal Dreamer won't be able to contribute greatly to your success. This is especially true if you are looking to claim a specific ring to trigger an effect, such as the one found on Isawa Tadaka (Disciples of the Void, 10). If you can use Ethereal Dreamer to claim the Earth Ring with the Elemental Master on the field, you can lock your opponent out of their best events, helping you to claim a resounding victory. 

All and Nothing

The Crab’s struggle to defend, the Crane’s words as deadly a blade, the magic of the Phoenix, all are insignificant next to the Void. The Void is nothing, the Void is all. And with the elements out of balance, the Void threatens to overtake Rokugan.

Discover the Void with All and Nothing (L5C13), available now for pre-order from your local retailer or our website!

Regret is a sin.
   –D.G. Laderoute, A Crane Takes Flight

For any Great Clan of Rokugan, defeat is a difficult concept to come to terms with. For the Crane, the pinnacle of perfection and grace, it is especially so. However, it is something they are becoming accustomed to. Constant battles with the Lion over the city of Toshi Ranbo have reduced the Crane’s forces, a tsunami has depleted many of their crops and resources, and precious cargo at sea goes mysteriously missing. These setbacks are devastating for a clan trying to finance a war and maintain their way of life.

But the Crane are not so easily defeated, and with Clan Champion Doji Hotaru leading them, they will continue to fight for their honor. But what cost is too high? Does the inexperienced champion have the leadership skills to navigate the Crane through this difficult time? Will the Crane lose their identity in their struggle to survive? And is there a greater threat that hides behind these challenges, waiting just out of view?

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to present “A Crane Takes Flight” by D.G. Laderoute, a new short story set in the world of Legend of the Five Rings!

Smoke on the Battlefield

“A Crane Takes Flight” focuses on Doji Hotaru of the Crane Clan and references information found in “The Fate of Flames” (1.1 MB) and “The Fires of Justice” (1.8 MB). You can download the story here (1.8 MB)!

“A Crane Takes Flight” also marks the return of web fiction for Legend of the Five Rings! Be sure to visit the website every Wednesday for the next five weeks to read new stories set in the land of Rokugan. Also, don't forget to explore the world of Rokugan for yourself in Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game, Battle for Rokugan, and Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying!

The elements are out of balance. Discover the mysteries of the Emerald Empire with new Legend of the Five Rings fiction on the Fantasy Flight Games website!

A man might befriend a wolf, even break a wolf, but no man could truly tame a wolf.
  –George R. R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons

The winds of winter begin to blow across Westeros, bringing with them death and the threat of long-forgotten horrors rising in the cold. At the Wall, Jon Snow is torn between his duty and his humanity. In King’s Landing, Cersei Lannister struggles to hold onto the loyalties of the smallfolk as the Tyrells and the Faith Militant divide them. And in Essos, Daenerys Targaryen attempts to establish a lasting rule in Meereen while the Sons of the Harpy plot her downfall. As the sun threatens to set on these characters, they must test the demands of their morality and ask how much humanity are they willing to lose to gain power and ascend the Iron Throne.

The March on Winterfell, the second Chapter Pack in the Dance of Shadows cycle for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game, is on sale now at your local retailer or online through our website!

Domain of the Shadow

The March on Winterfell draws you into the pages of A Dance with Dragons, where the key players in the game of thrones are surrounded by enemies on all sides. The only way to survive is to embrace the shadows that shield these foes. Throughout the Dance of Shadows cycle, you will see the reintroduction of the shadow mechanic from the first edition of A Game of Thrones: The Card Game. Shadow creates a new, separate area for you to store some of your most duplicitous cards—a place protected from effects that target your hand and board. For the low cost of two gold, you may hide your cards with the shadow (x) keyword facedown in shadows. Later, you can spring them into play by paying their shadow cost, snapping your trap shut before your opponent even realizes what's happening.

If you wish to build a deck around this keyword, you will need to step into the darkness with the cycle's new locations that offer you with plenty of places to hide and plot your schemes. The Oldtown Undercity (The March on Winterfell, 24) offers you a new level of control over your deck and the cards that you have at your disposal. With a shadow cost of two, it is a small matter to keep this location tucked away as an extra level of security until you need to change course and set your enemy off-balance. With this location on the board, after you bring a card out of shadows, you can look at the top three cards of your deck, bringing one to your hand, one to the bottom of your deck, and the other to the top of it. Thus, you can lay your schemes in order, carefully compiling the tools that you need to strike at the Iron Throne. Of course, if you have The Queen of Thorns (The March on Winterfell, 23) in play, you can use the Oldtown Undercity even more efficiently, constantly shifting your plans and adapting to any challenge your opponent presents.

A Humble Servant

Beyond returning to the realm of shadow and deceit, The March on Winterfell offers a variety of cards to appeal to players who value honesty and loyalty above all. You don't need to spin the webs of deceit that your rivals may soon tangle themselves in. If you align with House Targaryen, you may use the twisted alleys of Meereen (The March on Winterfell, 34) to hide and protect your most precious cards, to potentialy draw more burn events, or to fill your hand with cards you can discard for powerful effects. Alternatively, you may use honor as your sword and your shield with  Honor-Bound (The March on Winterfell, 22). In keeping faith with the Stark themes of direct, open confrontation, this attachement rewards you for denying the call of southron intrigues altogether. During military challenges, an Honor-Bound character gains increased STR, but they cannot be declared as an attacker or defender in intrigue challenges. This bonus may be invaluable when you face faceless warriors like the mysterious Ser Robert Strong (The Shadow City, 10) on the battlefield. And of course, you can also play Honor-Bound on your opponent's characters, like Daenerys Targaryen (The Faith Militant, 93), to prevent them from participating in intrigue challenges.

Yet perhaps the most honest character in all of A Game of Thrones: The Card Game is the opportunistic Tycho Nestoris (The March on Winterfell, 37). As a servant of the Iron Bank of Braavos, Tycho has no affiliation. What he does have is a massive +3 gold modifier—enough to play at least one card into shadow each round, with more left over to add to the income of your plot card. But while this increased economy can dramatically accelerate your economy, such power comes with a price. When Tycho joins your ranks, you cannot win the game until your loan has been paid, with interest, by paying six gold to blank his text box until the end of the phase. Of course, if gathering the funds to repay your debt presents too much of a challenge, you may simply play The Iron Bank Will Have Its Due (Oberyn's Revenge, 99), immediately returning Tycho to your hand and leaving you free to reach victory!

Brace Against the Cold

The snows bury the North, leaving the common folk isolated without aid and entire armies stranded, forced to feast on horses. Do you have the strength to survive, or will you fall before the elements and your foes? Learn to live in shadows, call your banners, and prepare to march!

Pick up your copy of The March on Winterfell (GT32) at your local retailer today or on the Fantasy Flight Games website here!

"Life is already fleeting. Why waste such precious time with war?" 
   –Asahina Takako

As the Great Clans of Rokugan continue to clash in conflicts on the battlefield and in the courts, young samurai must come to terms with their own skill. For this next generation is the future of Rokugan, and honor demands they serve their clan in the battles to come. But is war truly the path Rokugan must walk? After all, as long as the clans are focused on each other, their eyes are averted from true threats, waiting in the darkness...

Tainted Lands, the second Dynasty Pack in the Elemental Cycle for Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game, is available now from your local retailer or our website!

Tainted Lands continues the themes found in the Elemental Cycle by introducing powerful Earth Spells and Shugenja, but it also features cards disconnected from this element. Here, you can look for three new, inexperienced samurai from three different clans, as well as two Crane cards focusing on the Air element.

Fresh Blood

The Elemental Cycle introduces a cycle of inexperienced samurai. Novices and recruits, these characters lack efficient stats and have no glory, but they can become stronger if you claim specific rings. Every clan receives one of these characters in the Elemental Cycle, and three of them can be found in Tainted Lands.

The Court Novice (Tainted Lands, 29) is inexperienced in the ways of the Scorpion, but with proper training can learn to become a master manipulator. One military and one political skill for one fate is not the best value, but when you have claimed the Air or Water Rings, the Court Novice gains two political skill and becomes a much more lucrative investment. With the Scorpion’s affinity for the Air Ring to manipulate the honor on the field, the Court Novice can quickly get up to speed and learn to adeptly serve the interests of the Scorpion.

While most of these inexperienced characters have one of their skills enhanced by claiming a ring, the Dragon find balance in all things. Instead of having a single skill enhanced by two, the Impulsive Novice (Tainted Lands, 28) sees both his military and political skill increased by one if you claim the Fire or Void Rings. On his own, the novice is already balanced, with two military and political skill, but if you can boost those numbers to three, the Impulsive Novice is a solid investment who can participate in any conflict. As a Monk, the novice also has access to cards like Hurricane Punch (Breath of the Kami,17) to further enhance his skills.

The final inexperienced character in Tainted Lands is the Ikoma Reservist (Tainted Lands, 34), who increases her military skill when you have claimed the Fire or Water Rings. Like the Court Novice and the Impulsive Novice, the Ikoma Reservist becomes extremely valuable when you have claimed an appropriate ring, but she also includes an additional benefit.

As a conflict character, the Ikoma Reservist can wait until just the right moment to enter the battle—preferably, after you have already claimed the Water or Fire Ring, guaranteeing you get the best value for the character. All risk is eliminated, and the Ikoma Reservist can enter the field at their full potential.

These recruits and more await you in the Elemental Cycle, and though they may be inexperienced now, they represent the future of their clans. With proper training, they can become the samurai they are meant to be.

Respite

While Tainted Lands focuses heavily on the element of Earth, the Crane cards found in the pack focuses on their element of choice: Air. Bonsai Garden (Tainted Lands, 27) is a new holding that allows you, as an Action, to simply gain one honor during an Air conflict. It's well known that the Crane are experts at gaining honor, and they can accumulate an excess amount of the currency by simply waiting as their honored characters leave the field. Now, the Bonsai Garden gives them additional ways to gain honor for free during Air conflicts. A deck focusing on Bonsai Garden, claiming the Air ring, honorable characters, and perhaps a Way of the Chrysanthemum (The Chrysanthemum Throne, 80) could potentially see the Crane winning via honor.

The Crane also gain a new Shugenja in Tainted Lands. Asahina Takako (Tainted Lands, 26) can help protect your lands and keep your dynasty cards exactly where you want them to be. By allowing you to freely look at your facedown cards and switch or discard them as an Action, Asahina Takako opens up a new way of thinking about your dynasty cards—protecting your most precious resources and moving holdings freely. Furthermore, five political skill can easily tip a conflict to your side, and with Shizuka Toshi (Core Set, 2) on your side, the Crane can become nearly unstoppable during a political conflict.

Shattered Earth

With war overtaking the clans of Rokugan, every samurai of the Great Clans must contribute to ensure not just the success of their clan, but its survival. While these samurai perform their duty, will it be enough to save Rokugan from the fury of the elements?

Find out in Tainted Lands (L5C10), available now from your local retailer or our website!

"That is the way of things… the way of the Force."
   –Yoda, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

It's time to fulfill your destiny! Way of the Force, a new set of boosters for Star Wars™: Destiny, featuring 160 brand-new cards, is available now in North America from your local retailer or our website. Look for European releases throughout the month of July!

From the opening crawl of The Phantom Menace to the Resistance’s daring escape from Crait in The Last Jedi, Way of the Force explores every era of the Star Wars saga. You can play out whatever battles you imagine: Count Dooku could do battle with the treacherous rogue DJ on Scarif, or Ezra Bridger could take on Jabba the Hutt on the planet Dathomir!

Way of the Force expands on the themes established in Legacies, with new Plot cards, ways to deal indirect damage, and a reintroduction of classic characters. With cards representing every era of the Star Wars saga, Way of the Force is the next step in your journey to fulfill your destiny!

Way of the Racer

Adrenaline-pumping podracing finds its way to Star Wars: Destiny in Way of the Force! You can take on the Boonta Eve Classic (Way of the Force, 155) to try and gain a huge windfall of credits, but you’ll need a podracer to even stand a chance. While the best racers have their own unique pods like Anakin Skywalker's Podracer (Way of the Force, 102) or Sebulba’s Podracer (Way of the Force, 50), if you have the skills, any Podracer (Way of the Force, 153) can get the job done!

Of course, you have better odds if you’re fielding some of the best racers in the business. Sebulba (Way of the Force, 38) always wins, and he will take any advantage he can get to try and win the Boonta Eve Classic. Sebulba’s ability allows him to stack resources on his podracer, quickly taking a lead in the big race. Meanwhile, Anakin Skywalker (Way of the Force, 88) is more mechanical, ensuring your podracer is showing the best die side possible. With podracing making its way into Star Wars: Destiny, your battles will never be the same! For a full preview of podracing in Way of the Force, click here!

Way of the Rebel

Years after Anakin Skywalker won the Boonta Eve Classic on Tatooine, a small group of heroes fought to spark a Rebellion on the planet of Lothal. First introduced in Empire at War, the cast of Star Wars: Rebels continues to enter Star Wars: Destiny in Way of the Force!

When Ezra Bridger began his journey, he was a Force-Sensitive Thief (Empire at War, 38). In Way of the Force, we see him grow and change into an Aspiring Jedi (Way of the Force, 54). Under the tutelage of Kanan Jarrus, Ezra’s understanding of the Force has grown, and the more he learns through the upgrades you equip, the more powerful he becomes.

Opposing Ezra Bridger and the Spectres is Arihnda Pryce (Way of the Force, 18), the Unscrupulous Governor. A brutal military officer, Pryce’s special symbol can let you turn a die to any side, resolving it and increasing its value by one if you control the battlefield. With absolute control of your dice, Arihnda Pryce can overwhelm your opponent with brutally efficient force. For a full preview of the Star Wars: Rebels characters in Way of the Force, click here!

Way of the Resistance

Thirty years after the original trilogy, a new conflict is brewing between the light and the dark. Way of the Force includes characters from The Last Jedi, the latest episode in the Star Wars saga!

Leia Organa (Way of the Force, 73) has gone from Princess, to Hero of the Rebellion, to the Heart of the Resistance. Rallying a new generation of heroes, Leia Organa fights in a more indirect method in Way of the Force. As a Power Action, you may remove one of your character dice to discard cards from the top of a deck equal to the value showing on that die. With this Power Action in mind, you can build a deck focused on milling your opponent’s cards, winning by emptying your opponent’s hand and deck.

Opposing Leia and the Resistance is the First Order, dedicated to wiping out the new Republic. Rather than raising up those around him, the First Order’s Supreme Leader, Snoke (Way of the Force, 4), revels in the destruction of his own subordinates. This is why his Power Action allows you to deal a damage to one of your characters to resolve their character dice, increasing its value by two! This can turn your other characters into powerhouses, as any of their character dice suddenly becomes more terrifying. If you're willing to damage your own characters, Snoke can provide power from pain.

For a full preview of characters from The Last Jedi in Way of the Force, click here!

The Way of the Force

Way of the Force has arrived, and with it, characters representing every era of Star Wars. Whether you’re looking to race podracers with Anakin Skywalker, fight for Lothal with Ezra Bridger, or join the war between the Resistance and the First Order, Way of the Force has something for you. Fulfill your destiny today!

It is time to fulfill your destiny. Way of the Force (SWD12) is available now from your local retailer or our website!

"You've taken your first step into a larger world."
   –Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars: A New Hope

For over forty years, Star Wars has inspired a legion of fans with dreams of a galaxy far, far away. Ten years after the release of A New Hope, these fans found a way to craft their own Star Wars adventures with Star Wars™: The Roleplaying Game from West End Games. Since then, a variety of media has brought the worlds of Star Wars to life in different ways, but many can trace their roots back to this original game. And now, you can reignite that sense of adventure all over again.

Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game 30th Anniversary Edition is available now at your local retailer or online through our website!

Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game was first released in 1987 and allowed fans of the epic saga to craft their own adventures in the Star Wars galaxy. Not only that, the rulebook and its companion sourcebook were instrumental in developing concepts and revealing information about Star Wars lore that would help to shape the canon for years to come. Now, forty years after the debut of A New Hope and thirty years after its first printing, Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game makes its return as a limited edition set of two lovingly recreated, hardcover books, Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game and The Star Wars™ Sourcebook!

Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game 30th Anniversary Edition includes both of these historic books, and acknowledges their importance with a forward from Lucasfilm Story Group Member Pablo Hidalgo. This is one of the few changes from the original books found in the 30th Anniversary Edition; you’ll also find a few updated photos, pieces of concept art, and advertisements, but they're all carefully designed to match the book's original style, including its alternating use of black-and-white and full color.

An Ancient Religion

Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game 30th Anniversary Edition features an award-winning roleplaying system developed over thirty years ago. Using twenty-four character templates and a handful of six-sided dice, the system was praised for its intuitiveness and flexibility. Players could immediately throw themselves into the action through a Game Master’s custom adventure or with “Rebel Breakout,” a pre-written adventure featured in the rulebook.  

The rulebook goes into great depth when examining what it means to tell a story in the Star Wars galaxy. Not only does the book give you all the tools you need craft your own adventures,  the rulebook's chapter on "Designing Adventures" so clearly and effectively deconstructed the particular nature of space opera to which Star Wars belongs that Pablo Hidalgo cites it as inspiration for the writers' bible he developed for the Lucasfilm Story Group.

For a closer look at the gameplay systems of Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game 30th Anniversary Edition, click here!

A Larger World

Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game 30th Anniversary Edition also includes TheStar Wars Sourcebook. A companion piece to the core rules, The Star Wars Sourcebook was instrumental in revealing Star Wars knowledge, such as the names of Ithorians, Twi’leks, Rodians and more.

TheStar Wars Sourcebook explores the galaxy with style and flair. Not do you get a full breakdown of various ships, alien races, weapons, and characters, but the information is presented in ways designed to immerse yourself in the Star Wars galaxy. Expect to read intercepted Imperial transmissions, fictitious author forwards, and a technical readout of the Millennium Falcon, signed by Han Solo himself.

TheStar Wars Sourcebook served as a fountain of information for fans thirty years ago, and a deeper look at its contents can be found here!

Don’t Underestimate the Force

 Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game is a piece of history from an era when the future of Star Wars was uncertain. The original release of the West End Games edition provided fans with a way to envision their own new adventures in the galaxy, even if they weren’t sure if they would ever see the saga on the big screen ever again. Now, the re-release of the classic game comes at a time when Star Wars is bigger than ever, still providing that same gateway into adventure.

Visit a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game 30th Anniversary Edition (SWW01), available at your local retailer or online through our website now!

“Look, Your Worshipfulness, let’s get one thing straight. I take orders from just one person: me.”
   –Han Solo, Star Wars: A New Hope

Han Solo took an unlikely path to becoming a general of the Rebel Alliance. After years of looking out for himself and his ship as a smuggler, it took meeting Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa to convince Solo of the worthiness of the Rebels’ cause. Although he may be an unconventional leader, Solo has proven himself an effective field commander, and soon, Han Solo will be able to lead your Rebel troopers and vehicles into battle with the Han Solo Commander Expansion  for Star Wars™: Legion.

The Han Solo Commander Expansion includes everything Rebel leaders need to add Han Solo to their Star Wars: Legion armies as a commander. Alongside a single unpainted and easily assembled miniature depicting Han Solo readying his trusty DL-44 Blaster Pistol, you’ll also find a unit card outlining Solo’s abilities and three command cards that let you make use of his unorthodox leadership style. Finally, rounding out the expansion are three upgrade cards that unlock even more potential in Han Solo or your other units.

We're also excited to announce that Star Wars: Legion is now compatible with the Star Wars Dice app for your Android or iOS device! You'll now be able to quickly and conveniently select and roll the custom eight-sided dice representing the blaster fire and other attacks your units launch against the enemy and the custom six-sided dice that determine if your troops can dodge these attacks.  

Pre-order your copy of the Han Solo Commander Expansion at your local retailer or online through our webstore today. Then, read on for a closer look at Han Solo’s unique brand of leadership!

Smuggler. Scoundrel. General.

As the Rebellion’s third Star Wars: Legion commander, Han Solo completes the trio of heroes from the classic Star Wars trilogy, providing another option for the commanders you can add to your army. While he may not be able to tap into the Force like Luke Skywalker or have the natural leadership abilities of Leia Organa, Solo still fills a unique role in battle, leading his troops with the same bravado that made him one of the best smugglers in the galaxy. At 120 points, Han Solo falls directly between his fellow commanders in terms of cost and likewise provides a blend of offensive capabilities and unique tactical options.

Lacking the polished tactical training of many other Rebel leaders, Han Solo instead relies on his ability to improvise and his skill with a blaster to bring him success in battle. If there’s anyone that knows the value of a good blaster, it’s Han Solo, and as you’d imagine, he’s almost unrivaled when attacking with his DL-44. The blaster pistol packs quite a punch up close, granting Han two red attack dice. These dice already give his shots a good chance of hitting, but his Sharpshooter 1 ability makes this even more likely, mitigating the effects of whatever cover Solo’s target might be hiding behind. Perhaps most impressive, though, is the speed at which Han Solo can fire. As a Gunslinger, he can immediately perform a ranged attack against a different unit after performing a ranged attack, giving him the chance to deal with two threats at once.    

But doling out damage is far from Han Solo’s only talent. He also has a surprising knack for avoiding damage. While his Low Profile improves his cover, you don’t earn a reputation like Han Solo’s without a little luck. Although he may roll the weaker, white defense dice, Han Solo’s Uncanny Luck ability allows him to reroll up to three of these dice, increasing his chances of coming out of an engagement without a scratch.

Unconventional Commands

Han Solo is certainly a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, but he can’t take on the entire Empire himself. He still needs to command the other Rebel forces, and he brings his own bold style of leadership to this task. Where most commanders attempt to think several moves ahead, Solo tends to rely on his instincts and react as the situation evolves. As a result, Han Solo’s three command cards reflect his penchant for thinking on the fly.

For instance, Sorry About the Mess guarantees Han Solo will be able to make the first move and get the jump on his opponents. With no pips in the upper left corner, this command card lets Han Solo get out in front of even the fastest cards like Ambush or General Veers' Maximum Firepower, and the aim and dodge tokens he gains from it ensure that he’s ready for anything.

Still, even Han Solo needs to issue orders to other units and his Reckless Diversion card proves that he’s willing to put himself in harm’s way for those under his command. With this card in play, Han Solo and another trooper unit can draw enemy fire away from your other units, giving them time to launch their own assault or scurry away with a critical objective.

Finally, if the battle is taking a turn for the worse, Solo is not afraid to call for a Change of Plans. Normally, players select a single command card that defines their strategy for an entire round. Change of Plans, however, allows you to return your opponent’s selected command card to their hand and forces them to select a different one. Not only does this disrupt your opponent’s strategy for the round, it could also save you from powerful card effects, such as having to face Darth Vader twice in a round thanks to Implacable.

Han Solo's Change of Plans command card forces the Imperial player to return Implacable to their hand, sparing the Rebels from seeing Darth Vader activate twice this round.

On top of the commands he issues in the field, Han Solo can also be equipped with three new upgrades that make him all the more effective. Gear like  Emergency Stims can help keep Han Solo or another unit in fighting shape for another full activation after they would normally be eliminated. Similarly, some of this damage could be negated if you use Duck and Cover to gain a suppression token during the Apply Dodge and Cover Step of a ranged attack. Even though this token could interfere with your later activations, it will raise your cover, helping avoid damage in the short term. Finally, you can always lend a unit with an open Command upgrade slot a bit of Han Solo's impromptu style with the ability to create Improvised Orders, drawing two tokens from the order pool and choosing one to use. 

Hotshot Hero

Despite his unconventional approach and gruff demeanor, Han Solo became one of the most iconic leaders of the Rebel Alliance. Recruit him to your cause and fight the tyranny of the Empire!

The Han Solo Commander Expansion (SWL20) is due at your local retailer in the third quarter of 2018! Pre-order this expansion at your local retailer or on the Fantasy Flight Games website here!

It’s obvious to even a casual card gamer that not all cards are created equal. Some cards have small effects, only marginally contributing to your plans. Other cards can swing the entire game when used correctly, singlehandedly turning the tide in your favor.

Today, Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Gamedeveloper Tyler Parrott writes about the differences between high-impact and low-impact cards, and the reasons behind designing both!

Tyler Parrott on Two Styles of Card Design

You may have been in this situation before: you’re playing a game and every card your opponent plays disrupts your board or victory condition. You look at your hand and think, “None of these cards are close to that good!” Not all cards are created equal, and there’s a reason that low-impact cards such as Contingency Plan (Core Set, 205) exist in the same world as high-impact cards like Banzai! (Core Set, 204). A small amount of that variance is simply due to the tweaks in playtesting, but understanding the impact of each card and targeting cards for specific levels are important elements of set design.

In this article, I’ll explore the twin concepts of “hits” and “haymakers,” referring to cards and game experiences made up of either small, incremental advantages (hits) or large, sudden swings in tempo (haymakers). Any card game is going to have a certain amount of each, but some games tend to favor one type more than the other. Understanding what defines these playstyles and why they’re beloved enables a game designer to create cards for those playstyles—and for players to contextualize and appreciate the diverse sets of cards that make up their favorite game!

Earning Your Advantage

A card is a hit when the impact it has on the game, by itself, is small. You’re not going to KO anyone in the ring with a single hit, but the proper sequencing or combination of hits can wear out even the toughest of foes. That’s why games that lean towards this style of play tend to feel more strategic: no single card will define the game, so acquiring an accumulation of small advantages is required to win. This management of resources and long-term strategizing leads to a rewarding game in which victory is earned and player skill can be highlighted.

A player who can derive the most value from the hits that they play is going to find the greatest success with such a game: they will trade hits until their advantage is insurmountable. Because a game that leans toward this kind of play requires more possible card interactions, such games tend to have high-volume card draw mechanics, which is why many modern games allow players to draw more than one card per turn.

Exciting Memories

While a hit-style card (or game) is fun because it is a strategic puzzle, haymaker-style games are fun because they’re memorable and exciting. As one might expect, a haymaker is a card whose effect dramatically changes the game state: an expensive bomb character such as Ikoma Ujiaki (For Honor and Glory, 26) or efficient character removal like Assassination (Core Set, 203). These large swings in board position create a dynamic experience, in which each turn and each game is different. Players will remember the story of these games even after they’re finished.

Haymaker-style games are not inherently any less strategic than hit-style ones—in games such as Magic: The Gathering’s Modern Constructed, where nearly every card is a haymaker, many of the same strategic decisions must be made: “Do I use my efficient removal on the two creatures currently threatening to win the game, or wait until another comes into play so I can get additional value?” is contrasted by “Do I stick with the creatures I currently have and force my opponent to use their removal, or do I play additional threats to try to end the game faster, in case they don’t have that removal yet?”

This type of game also allows players to pull out an unlikely victory, and being able to win from behind feels rewarding. Haymaker game states—in which large swings of fortune can happen quickly—allow for such a victory, and they add tension to the game because even the player who’s winning can’t feel like their leading position is safe. This tension keeps the game interesting; the next card played could always be the next big game-changer.

The Perfect Storm

I’ve described these playstyles as if they were different kinds of game, but the truth is that almost every game has both hits and haymakers. Often, they are balanced against each other by virtue of cost: lower-cost cards tend to be hits, while more expensive characters and events are the board-altering haymakers. This limits the number of haymakers that each player can play on a turn (or in a game), so that hits and haymakers can be combined to maximum effect.

Having both kinds of cards in a game is valuable beyond providing balance and variety: it also allows players to learn the value of a card when they pick up a new game. Players often start by seeing a card’s effect and understanding its role in the deck. For example, Contingency Plan lets you manipulate your dial bids, and Eager Scout (Core Set, 25) provides a cheap, expendable body for the Crab Clan’s efficient sacrifice effects. However, as they progress, players learn to replace cards whose value depends on other cards with cards that are stronger on their own: converting hits into haymakers. Then, when new cards allow a player to effectively use a particular combination of hits, they rediscover the cards they had originally written off as bad.

Finding Balance

A game is at its best with a good mix of hits and haymakers, and it falls on the developer to maintain that balance. Any game developer is human, which means they have biases—and that includes potentially favoring one style of game over the other. Generally, I have a preference for the more memorable, exciting, haymaker-style games, which is what drew me to Star Wars: The Card Game and cooperative LCGs® like The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game. However, Legend of the Five Rings is more of a hit-style game, due to its higher-volume card draw and the back-and-forth nature of conflicts. It can be difficult to make fun haymakers that don’t simply outclass the hits, but they’re an important part of the game experience.

This is where, as a developer, it’s important to know what makes for an interesting hit and what makes for a fun haymaker. Hits are most interesting when they’re slightly context-dependent—a card that has value on its own, but is better when set up properly. It rewards you for setting up synergies between cards, and it provides an out for your opponent to maneuver the game and reduce the effect of your cards. This leads to cards like Steward of Law (Core Set, 139), a card barely worth its cost on its own, but whose effect can be dramatic if set up properly.

Of course, this puts pressure on the haymakers to ensure they’re not simply better than their competition. Usually this can be done by increasing the cost and increasing the effect: Mirumoto's Fury (Core Set, 159) is a hit, whereas A Fate Worse Than Death (Fate Has No Secrets, 98) is a haymaker. Alternatively, a hit could be a smaller and more consistent version of the effect, such as Reprieve (Core Set, 132), while a similar haymaker might have a more dramatic, less consistent effect, such as For Greater Glory (Core Set, 168). A player has to work harder to play their haymaker, while taking the risk that the card could do nothing. This inconsistency makes for cards that are memorable when they work, but because they don’t always work, neither player can predict the course of the game—leading to a fun, tension-filled, experience!

Because customizable card games let you play the game the way you want to play it, the opportunity exists to build a deck that plays closer to one style than the other. I hope this has illuminated this aspect of card game design—both for players and aspiring designers.

Until next time, maximize your hits, enjoy your haymakers, and happy shuffling!

Tyler Parrott (who is secretly a parrot) is a designer for Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game, and also contributes to Star Wars™: Destiny. After playtesting LCGs for many years, he took an FFG internship, transitioned to a freelance designer, and finally landed a full-time design position. For fun, he enjoys medieval/renaissance music, singing, and sandwiches—so long as they don’t have pickles on them.

“The Mandalorians have endured wars since before the formation of the Republic.”
   –Fenn Rau, Star Wars: Rebels

Mandalorians are some of the most feared warriors in the Star Wars galaxy. Forged by centuries of warfare, the Mandalorian culture has a distinct martial edge that reveres the glory of combat. Although virtually all Mandalorians are considered fearsome warriors, only the most elite among them are chosen to join the Journeyman Protectors and pilot the Fang Fighter. The ship’s advanced pivot wing technology grants it exceptional agility, allowing its pilots to pull off some daring maneuvers. And when X-Wing™ Second Edition  launches on September 13, you can bring these intimidating fighters to the table as part of your Scum and Villainy squadrons with the Fang Fighter Expansion Pack!

Within the Fang Fighter Expansion Pack, you’ll find a fully assembled, pre-painted Fang Fighter miniature featuring posable wings alongside everything you need to add one of these nimble fighters to your games of X-Wing Second Edition. Alongside the tokens, base, and maneuver dial, you’ll be able to choose from six unique pilots to take control of your Fang Fighter and four upgrades to improve it or your other ships.

If you’re a veteran X-Wing player, you can bring your existing Fang Fighters and other ships from the first edition into X-Wing Second Edition with the tokens, ship cards, maneuver dials, and upgrade cards found in the Conversion Kits available at launch. If you’re a new player, however, you can grow your collection of second edition ships with the six ship expansions launching with the Fang Fighter Expansion Pack and the Core Set. All of the ship and upgrade cards included in the Fang Fighter Expansion Pack can also be found in the Scum and Villainy Conversion Kit.

Designed for Combat  

Unlike much of the Scum and Villainy faction, the Mandalorian Protectors aren’t motivated by profit or personal gain. Rather, their loyalties lie with Mandalore and her people. Powers like the Galactic Empire and the Alliance to Restore the Republic may interfere in their affairs, but the Mandalorians will continue to cling to their cultural traditions. Chief among these traditions was a reverence for defeating a worthy opponent in single combat. As a result, Mandalorian warriors have a reputation as fierce combatants, using a number of advanced techniques in battle.

This ferocity is reflected in the design of the Fang Fighter. The ship features a robust maneuver dial and action bar that most pilots would use to slip out of an enemy’s firing arc, especially if their ship only had four hull like the Fang Fighter. But the Journeyman Protector pilots of the Fang Fighter prefer just the opposite. As we saw in Star Wars Rebels, they charge headfirst into combat, facing down enemy ships at high speeds with their Concordia Faceoff ship ability. Putting yourself directly in the line of fire may seem counterintuitive, but the Concordia Faceoff guarantees at least one evade result if your Fang Fighter is at Range 1 and in the attacker’s front arc. This gives you a good chance of shrugging off any enemy fire you may face while pulling off your own attack with extra power.

What’s more, the Fang Fighter's ability to link a barrel roll or a boost action into a focus further helps aggressive pilots get in prime position to launch a devastating strike against an enemy ship. Rather than using these close-quarters movement actions to escape an enemy firing arc, a daring pilot can quickly move directly into an enemy ship’s path and focus, readying them to modify their dice during the ensuing attacks.

The Concordia Faceoff ship ability allows Joy Rekkoff to change one of her defense dice to an evade result when she's attacked from Luke Skywalker's front arc.

Far from solely being a trait of the Fang Fighter itself, those who pilot it are also prepared for head-on confrontations. Representing the best pilots Mandalore has to offer, it should be no surprise that Fang Fighter pilots are exceptionally skilled. Of all the pilots included in the Fang Fighter Expansion Pack, only the  Zealous Recruit has an initiative less than four. This means that most Fang Fighter pilots can gauge their movements in relation to enemy ships that are already in place, while also giving them a good chance of firing first. Charging in head-on, then, could deal massive damage to an enemy ship—or even destroy it in one fell swoop. 

The chance to eliminate an opposing ship before it even takes a shot is certainly enticing and the Fang Fighter pilots all have abilities that synchronize nicely with the Concordia Faceoff strategy. For example, at Range 1,  Fenn Rau can roll an additional die while defending or attacking, granting him a whopping five dice for an attack and four dice while defending. Those extra dice give Fenn Rau the leeway to be extra aggressive, relying on a large number of dice to dole out damage and keep him safe from incoming fire. Making Fenn Rau a Daredevil can help him become even more dangerous, granting him the ability to pull off a tight turn when boosting to snap into the perfect position to open fire.   

The Concordia Faceoff is an undeniably aggressive and risky maneuver, one that could easily lead to a Fang Fighter’s untimely destruction. This risk can be reduced a bit, however, if Old Teroch is in the pilot’s seat. When the Engagement Phase begins, he can force an enemy ship at Range 1 to remove all of its green tokens if he is in its front arc, robbing it of the opportunity to enhance any attack.

Similarly, when getting up close to enemy ships you want to press your advantage as much as possible. Beyond its primary attack, the Fang Fighter also features a concealed torpedo tube that the Mandalorians like to use at the last possible moment to catch their opponents off-guard. In addition to the torpedoes this allows the ship to carry, Joy Rekkoff has found another use for her torpedo tubes. She can spend a charge from an equipped torpedo upgrade such as the Ion Torpedoes contained in this expansion to force a defender to roll one fewer defense die. At the close range of the Concordia Faceoff, this ability puts the defender at an even greater disadvantage, giving Joy Rekkoff a better chance of landing some hits.

Kad Solus performs a speed-two Tallon Roll, gaining two focus tokens and a stress token for executing a red maneuver. 

The Concordia Faceoff is such an effective tactic that perhaps the Fang Fighter’s biggest weakness is that opposing squadrons will be prepared to do whatever it takes to keep them from moving in close. While most Fang Fighter pilots choose to zoom straight at enemy ships, Kad Solus prefers to be a bit more unpredictable. He gains two focus tokens after fully executing a red maneuver, perfectly preparing him to enhance both his attack and defense rolls—especially if he can use a Koiogran Turn or Tallon Roll to enter a Concordia Faceoff. This can be difficult to pull off, but equipping Solus with Afterburners could give him the extra boost he needs to close the distance after performing a Koiogran Turn. 

The Joy of Combat

Mandalorians are not ones to back down from a fight. Rather, they seek out the honor and glory of facing a worthy adversary. Accept the challenge and show of all of your skills with the Fang Fighter Expansion Pack for X-Wing Second Edition!

The Fang Fighter Expansion Pack (SWZ17) is launching alongside the X-Wing Second Edition Core Set on September 13, 2018. Pre-order your copy at your local retailer or online through our website today!

“Kill the boy, Jon Snow. Winter is almost upon us. Kill the boy and let the man be born.”
  –Maester Aemon Targaryen, A Dance with Dragons

Winter has come to Westeros. At the Wall, the brothers of the Night’s Watch constantly question the demands of their Lord Commander, Jon Snow, pondering the demands of their duty and those of their morality. In King’s Landing, the Tyrells, Lannisters, and the newly restored Faith Militant divide the smallfolk as the city becomes a powder keg about to explode. And in Essos, Tyrion makes his way to meet Daenerys Targaryen, not knowing that she has flown from the fighting pits on the back of Drogon and the harpy’s city is now without a queen. Now is the time for those who dwell in the shadows to strike back against the light.

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Daggers in the Dark, the sixth Chapter Pack in the Dance of Shadows cycle for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game—now available for pre-order at your local retailer or online through our website!

Seen in the Flames

Daggers in the Dark draws you into the last pages of George R.R. Martin’s A Dance with Dragons, where the fight for the Iron Throne has left the battlefields behind, and now emerges in deadly plots where it is nigh impossible to tell friend from foe. In the grand conclusion of the Dance of Shadows cycle, you are given new ways to form strategies and lay your traps with the continual development of the shadow keyword. For the price of two gold, you can play cards with the shadow (x) keyword facedown into shadows, keeping them safely hidden until the opportune moment to reveal them. With this keyword, you can build strategic plans with more security than ever before, with the near certainty that so long as your cards remain under the shroud of shadows, they are safe.

This Chapter Pack is designed to delve deep into darkness, with new events that can only be played from shadows and effects that can even push less nefarious cards into the gloom. Banished from the Light (Daggers in the Dark, 108) lets you move any character to shadows, even if they don’t have the new keyword. You may return one of your own cards to shadows, safeguarding it from harm. Or, you may return one of your opponent's characters to shadows, forcing them to pay a hefty price if they want to bring their character back to the light. Either way, the dark plots you're enacting require careful planning.

The brothers of the Night’s Watch are all too familiar with the need for quiet plotting with their event, Daggers in the Dark (Daggers in the Dark, 106). When you command the Night’s Watch you may use this card, paying two gold to reveal this event and kill an attacking character once you successfully defend your order. The attacking player may sacrifice two characters to cancel this effect, but blood will undoubtedly be shed and your opponent will be forced to question if one life is worth more than the cause of their House?

For the Realm

In Daggers in the Dark, you will also find a variety of cards that become stronger as the shadows stretch longer. The Lannisters’ Underhanded Methods (Daggers in the Dark, 110) increase a character's STR for each of their cards in shadows—and the fact that you can play this attachment from shadows for free, at any time, makes it easy to tip a challenge in your favor. Then, once your plans have ripened and you are ready to spring your trap, you can call upon Cersei Lannister (Daggers in the Dark, 109), whose recent experiences with the Faith Militant, the Tyrells, and even her uncle Kevan have only increased her viciousness. Changing from her original version (Core Set, 84) in the Core Set and her second variant (Lions of Casterly Rock, 1) in Lions of Casterly Rock, Cersei has gained the shadow keyword and a new ability to dismantle her enemy’s plans with her own. During the challenge phase, for each card you bring out of shadows, your opponent must discard a random card from their hand. With the Lannisters’ caches of gold in Casterly Rock, it will be a simple matter for you to store a hoard of cards and play them all at once to shred your opponent’s hand and any hope they have for success.

The lords and ladies of Westeros may spin their webs of treachery and deceit, but none compare with the Spider himself, Varys (Daggers in the Dark, 119). You may choose to marshal him normally, but the Master of Whisperers’s true strength comes from the underhanded shadowplay that has run throughout the entire Dance of Shadows cycle. While Varys has a shadow cost of eight, this is reduced by one for each other card in shadows, regardless of whether they belong to you or your opponent. Then, after Varys comes out of shadows, you may choose and kill a character with power. No matter which House you're pitted against, you can effortlessly remove one of their key characters from the board, taking any power that they had earned with them. Should you wait until your enemy is on the threshold of victory and use the Spider's ability to murder a key renown character like Daario Naharis (The Archmaester’s Key, 14) or Tywin Lannister (Core Set, 90), the blow is sure to be nothing less than devastating.

Dying of the Light

The last light of the sun is about to leave Westeros and after the War of the Five Kings, few are set to survive the long nights ahead. The realm is on the brink of total collapse and you can no longer afford the luxury of scruples. Do you have the strength to do what must be done?

Pre-order your copy of Daggers in the Dark (GT36) at your local retailer today or online through the Fantasy Flight Games website here!

“Guards, leave us.”
   —Emperor Palpatine, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

As the ruler of the Galactic Empire, Emperor Palpatine is the ultimate power in the galaxy. Wherever he goes, the Imperial Royal Guard is sure to follow, even onto the battlefields of Star Wars™: Legion. Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the Imperial Royal Guards Unit Expansion!

Inscrutable behind their blood-red masks, the Imperial Royal Guard will face down anyone that dares threaten the Emperor. While little is known about these enigmatic warriors, one thing is certain: their sole directive is to protect the leader of the Galactic Empire, with their lives if necessary.

The Imperial Royal Guards Unit Expansion contains everything you need to add a unit of Emperor Palpatine’s personal bodyguards to your army. The squad of four unpainted, easily assembled miniatures stands ready to protect the Emperor or do his bidding on any planet across the galaxy. The Royal Guard is also accompanied by five distinct upgrade cards that invite you to outfit them with even more tools for protecting the Emperor.

The Imperial Royal Guards Unit Expansion is releasing alongside the Emperor Palpatine Commander Expansion in the fourth quarter of 2018. For more information on that expansion, click here!

Vigilant Protectors

The Imperial Royal Guards give every Galactic Empire commander a new option for the special forces that will play a pivotal role in their armies. Every Star Wars: Legion army can include up to three special forces units and the Imperial Royal Guards will soon join the Scout Troopers in offering their unique skills in service of the Empire. But where the Scout Troopers range far and wide across the battlefield to quickly secure vital objectives and sabotage enemy operations, the Royal Guards serve a different role altogether. These warriors are ideally suited for hanging back and dominating small sections of the battlefield. In other words, The Royal Guards are at their best when they’re protecting key points, whether they be Emperor Palpatine, another Imperial commander, or a mission critical objective.

No matter what enemies they face, the Royal Guard is most effective up close, their deft reflexes and exceptional combat awareness making them exceptionally deadly at close range. Every member of the Royal Guard carries an EC-17 Hold-out Blaster that contributes two black dice to the attack pool per miniature, but is limited by a shorter range than other blasters. However powerful these blasters may be, they’re still no match for the Royal Guards’ skill with a Force Pike.

These melee weapons allow the Imperial Royal guard to quickly cut through opposing forces and ensure they are one of the few units that wants to engage the enemy one-on-one. Adding an Electrostaff Guard only reinforces the Royal Guard’s reputation as fierce melee combatants. Not only does this heavy weapon miniature contribute even more dice to a melee attack pool, it also enhances their defensive capabilities beyond rolling red defense dice.

With their Disciplined 2 ability, the Royal Guards remove two suppression tokens when they are issued an order!

Their weapons and armor certainly set the Royal Guard apart from other units, but they truly distinguish themselves with their superior poise in battle. The Royal Guard represent the best that the Imperial military has to offer and are singular in their resolve to protect the Emperor at all costs. Their superior training makes the Royal Guard more disciplined than almost every other unit, granting them the ability to shake off up to two suppression tokens when they are issued an order.

We’ll take a closer look at everything contained in the Imperial Royal Guards Unit Expansion in a future preview!

Loyal to the Last

The Imperial Royal Guard are prepared to defend the Empire until their last breath. When joined by an powerful Sith lord like Emperor Palpatine, they become a true force to be reckoned with.  

Look for the Imperial Royal Guards Unit Expansion (SWL23) to release alongside the Emperor Palpatine Commander Expansion (SWL22) in the fourth quarter of 2018! You can pre-order your copy at your local retailer or online through our webstore today!

“From here, you will witness the final destruction of the Alliance and the end of your insignificant rebellion.”
   –Emperor Palpatine, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Fantasy Flight Games is happy to announce the Emperor Palpatine Commander Expansion for Star Wars™: Legion!

The Galactic Empire encompasses countless star systems, ruling over the galaxy with an iron fist. Sitting at its head is Emperor Palpatine. As the ultimate ruler of the Empire, all bow before him, even the fearsome Darth Vader. A brilliant manipulator who almost singlehandedly orchestrated the fall of the Jedi order and his own rise to power, the Emperor makes a perfect addition to Star Wars: Legion as a commander of the Imperial forces.

Within the Emperor Palpatine Commander Expansion you’ll find everything you need to add Emperor Palpatine to your army as a commander—leading the Imperial forces on his own or alongside another Imperial commander such as his apprentice, Darth Vader. A single unpainted, easily assembled miniature depicts a cloaked Emperor Palpatine plotting his next move, while three upgrade cards allow you to tap into his mastery of the dark side of the Force. Finally, three new command cards give you more options for determining your battle plans, letting you make use of the Emperor’s abilities as a master strategist.

Releasing alongside the Imperial Royal Guards Unit Expansion, you’ll be able to field Emperor Palpatine and his full entourage in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Release Your Anger

With the Emperor Palpatine Commander Expansion, Emperor Palpatine can take his place as the supreme commander of the game’s Imperial forces. In this capacity, he can join fellow Imperial commanders Darth Vader or General Veers on the battlefield, showing your opponent the true power of the dark side with fellow Force user Darth Vader or bringing the weight of the Imperial legions to bear against the enemy alongside General Veers. Either way, Emperor Palpatine combines powerful combat potential with his status as ruler of the Galactic Empire to mobilize his troops on an unmatched scale.

Despite what his frail appearance might suggest, Emperor Palpatine is more than capable of doling out damage. His command over the dark side is so strong that he can use it to summon powerful Force Lightning to strike down any opponents that threaten him, even those who attempt to engage him in melee combat. These attacks are so intense they easily pierce through the enemy’s defenses and rival the AT-ST in sheer destructive power.

Emperor Palpatine unleashes a flurry of Force Lightning against Luke Skywalker!

Emperor Palpatine is undoubtedly powerful, but that does not mean he isn’t vulnerable. He moves at a plodding pace, making him an easy target for enemy units that are more fleet of foot. To get close enough to launch an attack, however, these units will inevitably have to contend with the Emperor's Royal Guard. His position as the head of the Empire means the Emperor is afforded special protections, and he allows you to ignore the rank of one unit of these elite warriors when building your army, freeing space for you to include other special forces units.

With a powerful attack that influences the flow of the battle around him and abilities that bend the rules of army-building, Emperor Palpatine clearly enjoys extending his control to every aspect of Star Wars: Legion and this control even stretches to your overarching strategy through his three signature command cards. The Emperor commands vast amounts of power, both with the Force and through the military strength of the Empire, and his command cards let him tap into both. When he needs it, for example, Emperor Palpatine has An Entire Legion of troops at his beck and call, ready to strike exactly when he wants them to.

We’ll take a closer look at all of Emperor Palpatine’s command cards and everything included in the Emperor Palpatine Commander Expansion in a future preview!

Fulfill Your Destiny

Emperor Palpatine sits at the head of a galaxy-spanning empire with unfathomable amounts of power at his fingertips. Soon, you’ll be able to bring this power to bear in your games of Star Wars: Legion.

Look for the Emperor Palpatine Commander Expansion (SWL22) and the Imperial Royal Guards Unit Expansion (SWL23) to release together in the fourth quarter of 2018! You can pre-order your copy of the Emperor Palpatine Commander Expansion at your local retailer or online through our website today.

Whether you’re a new player interested in Legend of the Five Rings, or a hardened expert looking to explore the system, the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Beginner Game is the first step in your journey. With a slow roll out of mechanics and an adventure designed to assist first time Game Masters and players, there has never been a better way to experience Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying for the first time.

When you first sit down for a game with two to four of your friends, you’ll have some decisions to consider. Most importantly, you will have to select which one of you will become the Game Master and which players will take on the roles of the characters. The Game Master is responsible for running the game and describing what happens to the players. Luckily, the adventure featured in the Beginner Game gives aspiring Game Masters all the tools they need to succeed. Look for a future preview on how to use these tools, but today, we're focusing on the players who choose to become samurai of Rokugan.

Today, we'll guide you through your very first session of the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Beginner Game, up through your very first skill check. This preview is designed to show new players what Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying has in store for them, and will contain light spoilers for "The Topaz Championship" adventure found in the Beginner Game.

Prelude to Adventure

As your first step to entering the world of Rokugan and embodying powerful samurai of the Emerald Empire, you and your fellow players are encouraged to read through the example of play included in the game before you sit down to begin. Even if you're unfamiliar with roleplaying, this example gives you a good idea of what to expect from a session, and it also sets up the context to your story so far…

After this introduction, you and the other players each get to decide which samurai they will roleplay in the Emerald Empire! While those familiar with Legend of the Five Rings may have an idea of what Great Clan they would like to represent, the back of every character folio gives you a brief backstory on the character and a few bullet points telling you how that character plays within the mechanics of the game for those new to the world.

For example, if you would like to play a character who is a master wordsmith, you might select the Crane Clan’s Doji Ren. Or perhaps you’d like to play a character who summons the spirits to aid you, in which case you might select the Phoenix Clan’s Isawa Aki. The Beginner Game features four different folios, but if you are looking for more options, the Fantasy Flight Games website will have three additional characters for download once the Beginner Game is released!

Once characters have been chosen, the game proper begins. While it is suggested the Game Master read through "The Topaz Championship" adventure beforehand, the rules are introduced as they come up, giving everyone else the opportunity to jump right in to the action without any prior knowledge.

The Topaz Championship

Once you and your companions have selected your characters, the Game Master will set the scene for the introduction of your characters to the story, as they meet a peasant who has overturned his cart on the road to the village of Tsuma and the Topaz Championship! There is no easy way around the cart, and players are immediately faced with their first decision of the game. What will they do about this lowly peasant in their way? The options are fairly straightforward and require no dice to be rolled. Still, this choice gives you the first opportunity to examine the freedom available to them in a roleplaying game!

This first encounter also introduces the tone present throughout Legend of the Five Rings. As a samurai of Rokugan, the code of Bushidō must be followed. Circumventing the cart will bring your character through mud, dirtying their clothes and forcing your character to feel the social consequences of such uncleanliness. Do you take this path? Bushidō demands compassion—do you help the peasant? And what of these mysterious papers spilled all over the road? Regardless of their choice, players can question the peasant as much as they like, moving on when they feel they are ready.

The Game Master is often provided with a script to keep the action of the game flowing!

After this chance meeting, you and the other player characters find yourselves at the House of the Laughing Carp, their home for the duration of the Topaz Championship. Tensions begin to rise as they come across a fellow competitor in the Championship on the verge of a shameful outburst. With no additional vacancies at the House, this young samurai is dangerously close to losing face by exploding onto the peasant innkeeper. If you don't diffuse the situation, you may get caught up in the fallout. However, this could also be an oppurtunity to gain an edge over a competitior. The choice is yours. 

This is the players first introduction to skill checks, the backbone of Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying. When player characters face some kind of challenge, the Game Master calls for a skill check, which sees players rolling the custom dice that come included with the Beginner Game. A check can result in a mix of results: success( ), explosive success ( ), opportunity ( ), and strife ( ). For this first check, strife and opportunity are ignored, and players only have to focus on succeeding at the task at hand.

Together, you and the other players will have to figure out the best approach to solving the situation. The choice is only limited by their creativity! Based on what you decide, the Game Master then determines what kind of approach and skill your characters are using. Perhaps you volunteer to share their room in order to diffuse the situation. The Game Master decides trying to control the conversation means this is a Courtesy check, and the logical and grounded solution means an Earth approach is appropriate.

For the Beginner Game, the Game Master will often be the one determining the skill and approach of a check, meaning players can just focus on figuring out what they want to do, rather than the mechanics behind their decisions. As this is your group's very first check, the Game Master also provides a Target Number of one. This means you get to roll some dice! A check's Target Number determines to how many successes you need to roll. The type and element of the check tells you how many dice to roll. While this may seem like a lot of information to handle, the character folios make it easy!

You'll simply refer to your character sheet to find your Courtesy skill and determine how many Skill dice ( ) you roll, and your Earth value to find how many Ring dice ( ) you roll. As a member of the diplomatic Crane Clan, your group decides to let Doji Ren handle the test. This gives Ren's player two Skill Dice, and one Ring die.

Your character folio will always make it easy to determine how many dice you roll during a skill check!

Rolling at least one success symbol will defuse the situation, but rolling none may escalate it. Regardless, the game will continue, with more and more rules being slowly introduced throughout the adventure. These encounters seem incidental, but the mysteries surrounding the Topaz Championship run deeper than your characters know…

Your Next Adventure

With maps, tokens, an adventure book to guide your way, and complete character folios, the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Beginner Game is the perfect introduction into the world of Rokugan. If your group completes the Topaz Championship and is looking for more challenges, visit www.fantasyflightgames.com for a free follow-up adventure and information on the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Core Rulebook and Game Master's Kit, coming later this year!

Dive into adventure with the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Beginner Game (L5R01), available now for pre-order from your local retailer or our website!

"What did you have in mind for your next move?"
     –Leia Organa, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

The time has come for the world's greatest X-Wing™ aces to plan their next moves.

For nearly half a year, the game's top bounty hunters and squadron leaders have been flying to battle in the 2018 System Open Series, looking to claim both prizes and fame. We've seen fantastic starfighter duels waged everywhere from PAX Unplugged to Portland and from Kraków to Birmingham. We've seen players adapting to the ever-evolving metagame. And as much as we've seen some truly top-level competition, we've also seen these events turn into fantastic celebrations of all the different things that make X-Wing such a great game: the detailed miniature starships, the intuitive maneuvering, fast-paced combat, and—above all—the enthusiastic and welcoming player community.

Now, as the 2018 System Open Series draws toward a close with the event in Seattle, we look forward to the culmination of these tournaments at the 2018 Coruscant Invitational.

Scheduled for the weekend of October 5th – 7th in Roseville, MN, the 2018 Coruscant Invitational will be not only the culmination of the 2018 System Open Series; it will be the first major competitive event for X-Wing Second Edition!

The Details

Open only to those players who qualified through the 2018 System Open Series, the 2018 Coruscant Invitational will serve as a thrilling transition to the game's second edition. As such, the event will feature everything that makes the second edition such an exciting prospect—refined gameplay, a renewed emphasis on maneuvering, reinforced faction identities, the game's new app, and the integration of the Force and Force powers!

The main event will begin on Saturday the 6th and feature six rounds of Swiss. Everyone with four wins will qualify for Day 2 on Sunday the 7th, which will jump straight into single elimination play. Byes will be awarded to the top players from Day 1, and the end of the day will see the crowning of a new Coruscant Invitational Champion!

There will be a number of side events, as well. Before they launch into the second edition fighter battles of the main event, players will enjoy one final, massive battle. A Team Epic tournament on Friday the 5th presents an opportunity to field all manner of first edition starfighters—as well as a huge ship or two. Then on Sunday the 7th, there will be a special side tournament for all those players who were eliminated on Day 1, as well as those who are eliminated during the earlier rounds of Day 2.

Event Schedule

Importantly, although the physical event is invite-only, we are once again inviting everyone to participate in the 2018 Coruscant Invitational. Building upon the tradition of community involvement that has become such a central component of the whole System Open Series, we plan to offer everyone a few different ways to get involved:

• We'll stream featured matches throughout the weekend—hosting them on our Twitch channel and aiming toward a wide range of different ships and squad builds.
• We'll build toward the event with a series of articles that will help newer players learn from our veterans and better understand what they'll later see on the stream.
• And we will once again invite everyone to participate in a series of Twitter polls that will help to shape the event itself… Even if you can't attend, you can help steer the fate of your favorite faction.

The Prizes

Of course, there will be prizes, too! All the squadron leaders and bounty hunters who fought their way toward qualification during the 2018 System Open Series will find themselves rewarded with a cascading cache of prizes that keeps coming throughout the tournament—round by round.

Naturally, these prizes will keep with the year's focus on the Scum and Villainy faction, even as they feature some of the newer and cleaner designs from the game's second edition.

Main Event

Side Events

The side events will have prizes, too, as the players in Sunday's side tournament will have their chance to to claim the same prizes that the Day 2 competitors can win through the first three rounds of elimination play. And the players in the Team Epic event will each walk away with an alternate art Jabba the Hutt crew card.

But the prizes don't stop there!

As part of our celebration of X-Wing Second Edition and the fantastic X-Wing community, we'll be giving away a handful of second edition prizes over the course of the weekend—everything from single ship expansions and conversion kits to complete copies of the X-Wing Second Edition Core Set intended to welcome new players to the party. The details of these giveaways won't be broadcast until we go live during the event, so be sure to follow our Twitch coverage and to follow us on Twitter @FFGOP!

Join the Celebration

The 2018 Coruscant Invitational is coming to the Fantasy Flight Games Center this October 5th – 7th, and it promises to be one truly epic celebration of X-Wing Second Edition!

If you've qualified through the 2018 System Open Series, head to our registration page now. The main event is completely free, and we hope you'll attend to help us usher in the new edition in style.

If you haven't qualified, be sure to check our 2018 System Open Series page for the details of our last qualifying event. Then, be sure to stay tuned as we share more event details, including the way you'll be able to influence the shape of the event and improve the chances of your favorite faction. Along the way, we'll take a look at some of the coversion kit upgrades that are brand new to X-Wing Second Edition!

While Legend of the Five Rings often focuses on the samurai of the Great Clans, they are not the only denizens of Rokugan. In villages far from conflict, peasants strive for a life they can call serviceable. These villagers may not have the same skill with a katana or experience in courts that samurai wield, but they still find their own peace in life, and are happy when the conflicts of the Great Clans stay far away from them, lest they become trampled under the foot of intrigue and battle.

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to present "Kurosunai Village" by Chris Longhurst, a new piece of fiction set in the world of Legend of the Five Rings!

Under the Feet of Giants

"Kurosunai Village" focuses on a group of peasants located in Crab lands and their daily struggle in the world of Rokugan. This is a stand-alone story that can be downloaded here (1.8 MB).

Be sure to check the Fantasy Flight Games website every Wednesday for additional Legend of the Five Rings fiction. Join us next week for a short story focusing on the Phoenix Clan by Robert Denton III!

Also look for additional fiction inserts inside the Elemental Cycle Dynasty Packs for Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game, and make the story truly your own with Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying!

Don’t get trampled underfoot. Tainted Lands (L5C10) for Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game is available now from your local retailer or our website!

Throughout the Elemental Cycle, Rokugan has teetered on imbalance. The Air swirls into raging hurricanes, Water coalesces into raging tsunamis, Fire becomes a raging inferno, the Earth heaves and shakes, and the Void threatens to consume all. Amid this chaos, the clans still bicker in the courts and clash on the battlefield. But if these samurai don’t recognize the signs at hand, will there even be an Emerald Empire left to fight over?

Join us today as we preview Elements Unbound, the final Dynasty Pack in the Elemental Cycle for Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game!

Elements Unbound ties the themes of the Elemental Cycle together, introducing new Shugenja and Spells, as well as three new ancient Creatures, a new way to duel, and a new stronghold representing the changing world of Rokugan.

From the Depths

With the elements out of balance, ancient creatures aid the Great Clans in the conflicts to come. Elements Unbound introduces three more of these ancient beasts, including new additions to the Scorpion and Crane Clan.

The  Reclusive Zokujin (Elements Unbound, 109) is as sneaky as it is deadly, a perfect fit for the shadowy Scorpion Clan. During an Earth conflict, the normally subterranean Zokujin gains covert and is immune to enemy card effects. This means that the Zokujin can help you slip past one of your opponent’s best characters, while protecting itself from any kind of retaliation.

Traditionally stronger in the political arena, the Reclusive Zokujin also gives the Scorpion a key boost to their military skill, and is likely able to negate the impa your biggest threat. While this effect only works during an Earth conflict, the Scorpion are often looking for ways to refill their conflict hand, and the Zokujin and Earth conflicts can be the perfect way to accomplish that.

Still, your efforts may be stymied if your opponent’s biggest threat also happens to bear the covert keyword. The Crane are some of the greatest Duelists in the Empire, and the Tengu Sensei (Elements Unbound, 105) excels among them. An ancient and noble Creature, the Tengu Sensei can not only defeat your opponent’s characters, but completely immobilize and prevent them from counter-attacking. When the Tengu Sensei bypasses a character with his covert ability, that character cannot be declared as an attacker for the rest of this phase! This can completely lock down even the strongest of foes, and with four military skill on the Tengu’s side, he is already an impressive attacker in its own right. With two glory and a full suite of ways to honor Crane characters, including the Way of the Crane (Core Set, 146) and the  Callow Delegate (All and Nothing, 85), the Tengu Sensei can be the centerpiece of your forces, negating powerful characters while breaking provinces with exceptional military and political skill.

Masters of the Elements

No one truly understands the state of the elements like the Phoenix. They have seen the signs heralding destruction, and despite the fact that the elements are becoming unbound, they still maintain control and call on these elements to fuel their Spells. In impressive displays of skill, the Phoenix can remind Rokugan of the wisdom—and power—that they wield.

A Taryū-Jiai (Elements Unbound, 119) is a duel between two Shugenja, both trying to prove their superiority with the elements. Now, you can challenge your opponent to a Taryū-Jiai duel in Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game. During a conflict, you can play this event to select two Shugenja characters, one controlled by you, one by an opponent, and have them participate in a glory duel! The winner can resolve a ring effect as if they were the attacking player. With the Phoenix's trademark high-glory Shugenja like Adept of the Waves (Core Set, 81), they immediately have the advantage in a glory duel. Should you succeed, resolving the ring effect can also trigger cards like Asako Azunami (The Ebb and Flow, 66), giving you an even greater reward for winning the duel.

The Phoenix also receive a new way to manipulate the state of the rings in Elements Unbound with the Roving Michibiku (Elements Unbound, 118). The Roving Michibiku is a balanced character who can contribute to military and political conflicts equally, but their true power comes with their ability to steal a ring your opponent has claimed when you win a conflict. While this does not give you the effects of the ring, the Phoenix have plenty of ways to take advantage of this effect. For example, with Isawa Tadaka (Disciples of the Void, 10) on the field, you can completely take away your opponent’s ability to play events already in their discard pile. Or, you can give your Henshin Disciple (Fate Has No Secrets, 87) an appropriate boost. Either way, the Roving Michibiku is extremely synergistic with the rest of the clan, and can set up some impressive combos.

Edge of Disaster

Rokugan sits on the edge of disaster. Air, Earth, Fire, Water and the Void are all falling out of balance, and the catastrophes that have already struck the Emerald Empire are just the beginning. When these five elements come together into a raging fury, what Clan will come out on top, and will Rokugan still be standing?

The Elemental Cycle comes to a thrilling conclusion with Elements Unbound (L5C14), available now for pre-order from your local retailer or our website!

"Lock S-foils in attack position."
     –Red Leader, Star Wars: A New Hope

The Rebels and Imperials of X-Wing™ Second Edition are fast approaching their initial engagement—and there's still time for you to be a part of the action!

The fast-paced game of thrilling starfighter battles in the Star Wars galaxy, X-Wing Second Edition takes everything you've loved (or heard about) from first edition and makes it better. There's a stronger focus on flying, your actions are more important, your faction feels more tightly themed, and you can now—if you choose—reach out and use the Force!

Can you sense it? The Quickstart Rules (pdf, 1.1 MB) and Rulebook (pdf, 4.0 MB) are now online, and this hotly anticipated game is now just weeks away from its first appearance. We will have a limited number of copies for sale at Gen Con Indy 2018, and you can be sure you get your copy of the Core Set, as well as one of your faction's Wave I starship expansions, by taking part in the X-Wing Second Edition Preview Tournament!

Are You a Rebel or an Imperial?

Your first chance to hop into the cockpit of the new X-wing or TIE fighter, the X-Wing Second Edition Preview Tournament runs twice on Thursday, August 2nd.

We have made tickets available for both Rebel and Imperial players, and if you attend, you don't just race into a series of fun and light-hearted games—you also claim one copy of the Core Set, plus one copy of the Wave I ship for your faction that doesn't appear in the Core Set.

• All Imperial participants will receive one X-Wing Second Edition Core Set and one TIE Advanced x1 Expansion Pack
• All Rebel participants will receive one X-Wing Second Edition Core Set and one BTL-A4 Y-Wing Expansion Pack

Regardless of which faction you support, you'll find yourself blasted quickly into battle thanks to the new Quick Build format. This format simplifies the process of squad building, so you'll be ready to fly your ships almost as soon as you get them attached to their bases. You'll even find a number of suggested combinations for your Quick Build squadron on the back of the event's special rules…

Yes! This event has special rules. But don't worry—these rules simplify your initial battles and introduce a "power up" option that's sure to entice even the most battle-hardened veterans. Throughout the Gen Con Preview Tournament, Rebels and Imperials will look to reclaim valuable shipments that were dropped when a band of smugglers were almost caught by an Imperial cruiser. As you fly across the battlefield, you'll have chances to snag these shipments and gain valuable focus or evade tokens for your efforts!

Custom Prizes

As if getting to be among the first players to duel in space with X-Wing Second Edition starfighters wasn't reason enough to participate in the Preview Tournament, the event also comes with several exclusive prizes.

Since this is an introductory event, these prizes are available to all participants—and you'll even be able to make use of them during your games!

Your participation earns you an alternate art Luke Skywalker pilot card.

With art by Mike Sass, this card vividly depicts a Luke Skywalker ready to reach out with his new-to-second-edition Force rating and aim his shots straight toward their targets!

Your participation will also earn you a double-sided Enhanced Quick Build card.

The Rebel side allows you to field your Y-wing as a Gold Squadron Veteran with Expert Handling, R3 Astromech, and Proton Bomb. The Imperial side adds to your options for the event, granting you access to a Black Squadron Ace with Outmaneuver, Shield Upgrade, and Afterburners. And because this Enhanced Quick Build card comes with the full text for each of its upgrades, you can still choose to use the physical copies of those upgrades with your other ships.

Additionally, you will be provided a set of six acrylic tokens—three focus tokens and three evade tokens.

These green acrylic tokens all appear the same on their bottoms, so when you setup your games, you'll flip them upside down, shuffle them about, and then place them on the board according to the instructions for the tournament's Dropped Shipments scenario.

Finally, after you play through the event's third and final game, you'll get an acrylic ship marker that's useful when you start flying in close quarters and need to check your movement across a ship that's already on the board.

Altogether, your participation in the X-Wing Second Edition Preview Tournament won't just get you started assembling your second edition squadron; it'll also help you kit it out with some good-looking, exclusive components that will make you the envy of your friends back home!

X-Wing players have long outfitted their ships and squadrons with all sorts of special modifications.

One Shot in a Million

X-Wing Second Edition is coming, and you can expect—before too long—to enjoy the new edition's thrilling starfighter dogfights in the comfort of your favorite local retailer. But if you're headed to Gen Con Indy 2018, you have the chance to revel in the second edtion updates more than a month before the game fully hits the shelves.

This is a one in a million shot to sample the new edition, enjoy the battles of a fast and fun tournament, and walk away with a handful of exclusive prizes. Seats are limited, so be sure to get your event ticket at the Gen Con website.

We look forward to seeing you at Gen Con. May the Force be with you!