Wednesday 28 January 2015

Hawk Wargames Newsletter #37

I should probably take my Scourge out of the box and actually give this game a go, lol.
Hawk Wargames Newsletter #37, 28/01/2015
Welcome to the first Hawk Wargames Newsletter of 2015!
1) January and February Releases
The coming months will see a whole range of releases for Dropzone Commander, from the first wave of Famous Commanders and new Command choices for every faction, to the updates version 1.1 Command Cards (for the original 4 factions). So without further ado:
Underground Hangar Scenery Pack
Underground hangars are an extremely common feature on both the Cradle Worlds and the Colonies. Their primary purpose is to protect and store military assets beneath hundreds of feet of solid rock in much the same way as the concealed submarine bases of the 20th Century. The Hangar pack includes one large resin iris entrance, and 4 small white metal radar dish sensors. This new scenery pack is available from your local gaming stores from Saturday 31st January.
RRP: £40.00/$65.00
Updated 1.1 Command Cards
After feedback on the balance of some of the Command Cards, we have decided to update these for the original four factions, to redress the balance between them. The majority of the cards remain the same, however there are a small number of cards that were either under or overpowered and these cards have been revised. The changes will be available to download from our website in due course, and all of the new card packs will be marked as 1.1. The new cards will be available from your local stores from early February and will be shipping from our online store from Monday 9th February.
RRP: £5.00/$8.00
UCM: Lieutenant-General Luciana M. Cato
Luciana Cato began her military service with the UCMF as a Fighter Command ensign aboard the Strike Carrier Richthofen. Aboard the Richthofen, Cato quickly advanced through the ranks and became notorious for her fiery temper, rebellious streak and brilliance as a fighter pilot. When badly injured in battle against the Shaltari, she chose to take up a new challenge with the UCMA. She is now in command of the battlefield in a modified variant of the Ferrum class Drone Base. 
Complete rules and background for Lieutenant-General Luciana M. Cato can be found in Reconquest: Phase 1. This model will be available in stores from Saturday 28th February and comes with 4 unique command cards to represent Lieutenant-General Luciana M. Cato's abilities on the battlefield. Photos of this painted model will be released when this unit is available to pre-order.
RRP: £26.50 / $41.00
Scourge: Eden's Dinosaur
The very existence of this individual has brought into question much of what the UCM thought they knew about Scourge biology. At the time of their invasion, most hosts were the so called 'Lizard Warriors', which were in the later stages of physical decay due to the ageing of the Scourge Parasites, and every host was long thought to have perished. However one seems to have survived and is now well beyond its 200 year apparent lifespan. 'The Dinosaur', as most Resistance fighters on Eden refer to it, has been sighted on many battlefronts and clearly fulfils a frontline command role, riding into battle in a highly modified Desolator armed with a devastating energy beam, capable of slicing through multiple tanks in a single shot.
Complete rules and background for Eden's Dinosaur can be found in Reconquest Phase 1. This model will be available in stores from Saturday 28th February and comes with 4 unique command cards to represent Eden's Dinosaur's abilities on the battlefield. Photos of this painted model will be released when this unit is available to pre-order.
RRP: £19.00 / $31.00
PHR: Marcus Barros, Grand Vizier
The name of Marcus Barros is already, justly, infamous among the UCM high command. His recorded battles have epitomised classic PHR military tactics and already serves as textbook examples for instruction to all officers, both on active duty and in training. He is known for bombarding opponents into the dust with extreme firepower levelled from a secure and superior position. Barros prefers to take to the centre of the fire line in person by piloting a Hades Type-4 Super Heavy Battle Walker, modified with several weapon systems not commonly seen on this vehicle pattern.
Complete rules and background for Marcus Barros can be found in Reconquest Phase 1. This model will be available in stores from Saturday 28th February and comes with 4 unique command cards to represent Marcus Barros's abilities on the battlefield. Photos of this painted model will be released when this unit is available to pre-order.
RRP: £26.50 / $41.00
Shaltari: Warchief Isis, the Clairvoyant
Warchief Isis has only recently entered the awareness of the UCM military high command. She had been known to the diplomatic community for several centuries, although never, it seemed, with the remotest connection to military roles. Recently, she appears to have shifted her attentions from diplomacy to war.  Warchief Isis has been afforded the honour of riding a modified Caiman Grav-Tank into battle. This variant is equipped with additional shielding and a lethal particle cannon.
Complete rules and background for Warchief Isis can be found in Reconquest Phase 1. This model will be available in stores from Saturday 28th February and comes with 4 unique command cards to represent Warchief Isis' abilities on the battlefield. Photos of this painted model will be released when this unit is available to pre-order.
RRP: £13.50 / $21.50
Resistance: Karl Foley, Prince of New Troy
Karl Foley is possibly the most famous Resistance fighter on all of Eden Prime and certainly the UCM's staunchest ally there. His actions several years ago during his legendary 'Great Gambit' raid were instrumental in bringing the Reconquest to the planet.  Although Foley has ridden to war in many vehicles, he now pilots his favourite machine, a J-19 Hellhog jumpjet. Like so many resistance vehicles, it is heavily modified with improved weapons systems and avionics.
Complete rules and background for Karl Foley can be found in Reconquest Phase 1. This model will be available in stores from Saturday 28th February and comes with 4 unique command cards to represent Karl Foley's abilities on the battlefield. Photos of this painted model will be released when this unit is available to pre-order.
RRP: £15.00 / $23.00
Resistance: Salakahn, Tyrant of Atlantia
Salakahn is a ruthless, merciless despot, currently master of the majority of Atlantia city's Resistance population. He is infamous to both the Resistance and the UCM on Eden Prime, as his attentions have resulted in the deaths and disappearances of thousands of reconnaissance and expeditionary force troops sent into the city.  He maintains his reputation as a great warrior by frequently taking to the battlefield in person. In battles he favours a bulked-out M3 Alexander super heavy battle tank which has been recently upgraded with an energy shield of PHR origin, making him extremely difficult to eliminate.
Complete rules and background for Salakahn can be found in Reconquest Phase 1. This model will be available in stores from Saturday 28th February and comes with 4 unique command cards to represent Salakahn's abilities on the battlefield.Photos of this painted model will be released when this unit is available to pre-order.
RRP: £14 / $24.00
Along with the above releases, there will be a wide range of new models coming for each race! More will be announced in the upcoming weeks, with a visual treat of images and photographs, and a schedule of release dates. The new Command choices will be on show for the first time at our Open Weekend (7th-8th February), along with painted versions of the first wave of Famous Commanders.
2) Invasion 2015 Tournament & Open Weekend
Our first tournament and open weekend of the year is fast approaching and we can't wait to show you all the projects we have been working on! The tournament is also shaping up to be our biggest yet with over 40 players from around the world coming together to fight for the title of champion!
We will have all of the releases in this newsletter available for pre-release at the event (while stocks last) as well as our show only model and a range of other deals! There is still some time to get your ticket for Invasion 2015, so if you are keen to come buy your ticket now > 

Our Open Weekend is otherwise free to attend, so do come down for that if you cannot make the whole weekend of gaming.
3) Dropzone Commander Tournaments in 2015
We are also running and attending a number of other tournaments in 2015 and we hope to see you at one of these!
Las Vegas Open, 20th - 22nd February (Las Vegas, USA)
Adepticon, 19th - 22nd March (Chicago, USA)
UK Games Expo, 29th - 31st May (Birmingham, UK)
Gen Con, 30th July - 2nd August (Indianapolis, USA)
NOVA Open, 27th - 30th August (Washington, USA)
Autumn Invasion & Open Weekend, September (London, UK)
Warfare, 14th - 15th November (Reading, UK)
4) Our Current Scheduled events for 2015
We have a range of events and shows that Hawk Wargames is attending this year. Below are a number of the events we have scheduled in already. We hope to see you at one (or more) of these:
Invasion 2015 & Open Weekend, 7th - 8th February (London, UK)
Las Vegas Open, 20th - 22nd February (Las Vegas, USA)
Hammerhead, 28th February (Newark, UK)
GAMA Trade Show, 17th-19h March (Las Vegas, USA)
Adepticon, 19th - 22nd March (Chicago, USA)
Salute, 25th April (London, UK)
Carronade, 9th May (Scotland, UK)
UK Games Expo, 29th - 31st May (Birmingham, UK)
Origins, 4th - 7th June (Columbus, USA)
Gen Con, 30th July - 2nd August (Indianapolis, USA)
NOVA Open, 27th - 30th August (Washington, USA)
Autumn Invasion & Open Weekend, September (London, UK)
SPEIL, 8th - 11th October, (Essen, Germany)
Warfare, 14th - 15th November (Reading, UK)
Dragonmeet, December (tbc) (London, UK)
Our new show only model will be released at Salute 2015, and will be with us at events we attend for the rest of the year from then onwards!
5) Hawk Talon Volunteer Scheme
We are expanding our search for more enthusiastic Dropzone Commander players to join our volunteer programme, the Hawk Talons!  By demoing the game, running tournaments and helping out at Hawk Wargames shows and events, you will help to grow the community and earn rewards that allow you to grow your collections and armies. We also give our Talons early access to new rules and units so you can see the latest release before anyone else!
Review of 2014 and Looking at 2015
Firstly, we want to thank you all for your massive support of Dropzone Commander throughout 2014! It was a big year for development of the game. Because of your support for our first game, we were able to achieve a number of things last year:
  • The creation of plastic starter armies for UCM, Scourge, PHR & Shaltari;
  • The release of the Resistance race and Reconquest: Phase 1;
  • The employment of our first full time illustrator, Patrice Rameau;
  • The additional growth of our team, and increase in international distributors and stores;
  • The planning and announcement of our second game, alongside Andy Chambers...
In 2015 we will be introducing more members of staff and better processes to manage the variety of communication channels that we have. We are aiming to run more events, and also to preview some very exciting new releases, both for Dropzone Commander, and for our next game. We are also looking to support stores and clubs more this year with a new range of products and activities (more information to follow on this). We hope that this year will bring about continued excitement for Dropzone Commander, and the additional projects we are working on for 2015!
Thank you again for your support, and we look forward to seeing you at one of the shows we are attending this year, or at one of our Open Weekends or Tournaments.
Kind Regards
The Hawk Wargames Team
P.S. A sneak peek
More to come in our next Newsletter and on our Facebook Page!

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