Hi First name / Friend,

first of all, in the previous letter I asked your opinion and many of you shared it with me, a huge thanks to you! It is really useful for me and helps me to form and think over the KS campaign.

If you missed it, you can still reply to the questionnaire, and check the content (Warrior character introduction, and the Production game mechanic) here:

Previous newsletter

Today I came just with 2 main topics, but they will be detailed ;) + the usual status:

• Character introduction - Mage
• Game mechanic - Battle system
• Current project status - next todos

Character introduction - Mage

Last time I showed you the Warrior character, now it’s time for another typical fantasy character: 

Adriel - Leader of the Mage clan

"One day Adriel felt a special power. Suddenly he felt and saw the outside world in a different way than ever before. His intuition was heavenly, he could sometimes anticipate what would happen a few seconds later. He could move objects with his thoughts. He felt his mind rising to a level above reality and could see and feel much deeper. He could control weak-willed people easily. One day he managed to make a fireball in his hand, and he could control the wind and the water with his will. If he wanted, he could surround himself with a protective shell, so no one and nothing could reach him. This special force began to blind him and he thought he was the best suited to lead the kingdom.

People with similar traits formed groups together. They became the clans.

The Mage clan was able to perform wonderful spells. Protective or offensive spells were also easy to cast. They could control weak people. They could use the forces of nature as they were willing to. Adriel was chosen by the mages as the leader of the Mage clan.

Mages are usually mere spectators of the world from outside, but if need be, they can control and manipulate their environment. They are basically friendly, but not afraid to use their powers for a purpose. Through illusions, they scramble and shape their surroundings. They can become totally unrecognizable. Their hobby is to find and collect relics from ancient times."

In the game:

To play the Mage character can be tricky, and he can bring the "midway" between the Warrior and the Engineer. He has action cards that can be defensive and offensive too. With the right action card, he can be more powerful than the Warrior character. Also, he can surprise his enemies (for example he can copy another player's action card). Primarily he tries to collect Relics from the map and unlock the Magical barriers with them. It's really a great experience playing with him.

Game mechanic: the Battle system

Okay, let’s talk about an important mechanic: how the battle works in this game. First of all, I know that some people like it, are fond of direct confrontation and fight, and some not. For example, my girlfriend is the latest. If she has a card like “steal something from another player”, she won’t use it. But I like the high direct interactions among the players and the optional battle is one of them. 

So good news, I think every player can find the character which suits her/him. The battle is optional, it really depends on the situation whether it is worth it or not. But if you are with the Shadow or the Warrior character, you will probably favor battle. If you go with the Mage, then it is very situational. He has action cards that can be very powerful in a battle, so he is able to surprise the Warrior too. If you go with the Engineer then you will probably avoid battle and every kind of interaction. He is the weakest but has an action card that can defend him.

Moreover, there can be situations when you initiate a battle even if you think you would probably lose - I explain it later, check it ;)

So let’s go into deep regarding the battle system:

• there are 2 kinds of battles: Duel and Siege. Duel is when you step on a field where another Hero is standing. Siege is when you attack another player’s Capital.
• That character wins who has more combat power (CP). In case of a draw, the attacker wins
• in 1 turn you can attack a Hero only once
• The combat power comes from:

1. the character has a basic CP (Shadow: 5; Warrior: 4; Mage: 3; Engineer: 2)
2. there is a unique field modifier: If a battle is held on that field the character receives bonus CP (for example the Engineer receives 3 bonus CP if the battle is held on a Village). This is very important and requires huge attention where you leave your character. If the Warrior is standing on a Village, an Engineer has a chance to beat him.

3. Battle cards

• you can buy battle cards on the Armory (3 gold or 1 HP)
• every battle card has a 0-3 CP (so you can bluff if you have some 0 cards)
• in case of battle, every player selects battle cards in secret, then they show them. IMPORTANT: you can use maximum number of Battle cards: actual Hit Point / 2. So if your character is injured then it will be weaker in the battle too.
• but! besides the default value of the battle card it has optionally a clan modifier too in the left upper corner. If you play with that clan then your CP is increased by that.

There are also some action cards (Warrior and Mage have them) that can increase the CP. They are very powerful because usually they can be revealed after showing the battle cards, so you can use it only if it’s really needed.

Summary: character's basic CP + field modifier + battle card(s) with clan modifier

Maybe it seems to be complicated for the first sight but in practice it's fun and quick. The winner is usually not so obvious, and sometimes you need to make difficult decisions… are you ready for it? ;)

Consequences of the battle:

• The winner can steal 1 item and 1 gold from the defeated, and also increases his glory by 1. Besides that, he can put the defeated Hero on a neighboring field - that can be tactically very important.
• The defeated Hero loses 1 HP and receives 1 battle card.
• In case of Siege: similar, but
  • the defender can use any number of battle cards (not based on the character HP)
  • the attacker always loses 1 HP
  • the attacker can steal 2+x items (very powerful!) where x is the optional HP what the attacker sacrifices

BLESSING

Every battle card has a blessing. After the battle, no matter whether you won or lost, you can use 1 (and only 1) blessing from your used battle cards. Because of this, there can be a situation when you initiate a battle even if you think you would lose most probably, just because you need the blessing.

Current project status

In a nutshell, currently, I prepare the files for the physical prototypes, and also started to work on the TTS (Tabletop simulator) version. It’s about 50% ready. But the Tabletopia is 95% ready, so in the next newsletter, I hope I can share it with you ;). 

And one more very exciting thing (or at least for me:) : Minis are part of the prototype (of course:) and I started to print them. This is the very first moment when I use a 3d printer, so I am very enthusiastic about it.

Okay, this is for today. If you want more info about the game check the official webpage here: https://legacyofthracksboardgame.com/ or just write to me (reply to this letter) or simply follow us on FB ;) or on Instagram

Thank you, and keep in touch. If you have any question just reply to this letter.

Bests,

Balázs