WizKids Announces Wartime, a Realtime Wargame
There’s a new game coming from WizKids, one where players must face each other–and the clock.
Coming September from WizKids: Wartime, a literal real time strategy boardgame. It’s an interesting premise–you and your opponent are commanders of a unit driven wargame, only each piece activates in real time thanks to the clever use of hourglass timers. Well, sand timers, they definitely don’t go up to an hour.
But your units will activate and then be out of action until a timer is flipped on their behalf. Then you’ll have limited time to plan your moves and carry them out. It seems like a good way to amp up the pace of the game, though I am curious as to how the rest of it plays out. But either way, the use of time should make for a unique resource management element to the game.
via WizKids
Wartime – $59.99
Valyance and Firebrand have gone to war! Units clash in the skirmishes, but the fight is gritty: you have little time to think and plan as sand timers dictate the activation of your units.
When a unit moves, attacks, cast spells, or uses a special ability, a sand timer is flipped. The unit cannot be used again until the sand timer is drained and then that sand timer, or another sand timer, can be used to activate the unit again.
Manage your sand timers, as well as your unit actions, wisely. Sand timers come in different times – 30 seconds, 60 seconds, 90 seconds. Scenarios use other timers in time-sensitive missions.
Scenario-based play, with branching missions depending on the outcome of the previous mission.
Configure your own units to fight in player designed missions or mix up the unit configurations when playing the game’s missions.
Contents:
- 12 Sand Timers
- 40 Unit Tokens Per Side
- Terrain Hexes
- Board
- 20 Stands
- 50 Cards
I line the idea that it’s always your turn–that might help emulate the frenetic energy of an actual battle. The game itself is due out in September, so check back then for more news.
Finally, a game where Pocket Sand might be a legitimate strategy.
