Open Day Recap – DreadBall

With COVID still causing issues here in the UK, it meant we couldn't hold our traditional day of gaming and chat at HQ over the weekend. However, we weren't going to let a pandemic stop all the fun! So, we hosted our second Virtual Open Day. This gave us a chance to invite Mantic fans from around the globe to spend the day chatting and give them some sneak peeks about what's coming up in 2021.

You can watch the whole thing above. However, just in case you can't get away with watching six hours of live streaming, we'll be running through the highlights on the blog all this week... and we might even sneak in some extras too!

DREADBALL!

We're kicking things (or should that be launching the ball) with DreadBall. We realise it's been a while since we've had any new DB releases, so in 2021 we're going all out with a brand-new supplement and miniatures. This will all be bundled together as the Galactic Tour: Magnetar Circuit.

Inside this collection of DreadBall awesome sauce, you'll find a new supplement, cards, tokens, three new support assistants and an MVP/ref. We'll dive into each of these in more detail below.

SUPPLEMENT

If you've been following Mantic for a while, you'll know that we regularly update rules for Kings of War with the Clash of Kings supplement, or Deadzone with Command Protocols. The supplements contain new ways to play, rules tweaks and additional characters. Well, that's exactly what we're planning to do with DreadBall.

The Magnetar Circuit supplement will include:

• Rules for three new support assistants
• Four new themed pitches on different planets: Cavlax VI (swamp pitch), New Atlantea (underwater pitch), Ovostar-2 (sky pitch) and Memphis Max (casino)
• Tokens for each pitch
• Historic matches on each of the four pitches
• Errata for existing teams

The errata for the existing teams is one of the most exciting elements. Since launch the DreadBall RC and Mantic have been keeping a close eye on the performance of teams. Any that we felt were a little bit below the curve have been given a small tweak to help them perform better on the pitch. The lists in the supplement will be considered as the tournament legal teams once released.

NEW MINIATURES

Another great feature of the Magnetar Circuit is that it's given us a perfect excuse for new miniatures! As part of the release, we definitely didn't want to introduce any more teams and we also wanted something that all DreadBall coaches would find useful. So, say hello to three new Support Assistants, each with their own background and new rules.

FLURPLE - THE HYDRATOR

Inspired by the legendary Schnörkel, Flurple's only dream was to join a DreadBall team. Unfortunately he was simply too clumsy to play and, instead, decided to become a support assistant. Rules-wise, Flurple is able to add additional successes to a Dash test.

BRACER - THE MECHANIC

The sister of Tracer, Bracer is one of the best mechanics on the DreadBall circuit. The complex DreadBall gloves and hi-tech, impact resistant armour of the players regular malfunction but Bracer is always on-hand to provide a quick fix. Rules-wise, Bracer adds additional successes to your Armour tests.

HEAD COACH - THE FIXER

A shady character whose past is shrouded in a cloak of mystery - or more accurately, a massive trenchcoat. No one knows quite where Head Coach came from and often they don't even know what he's saying, as he's seemingly able to talk with two voices at once (and argue with himself). In the game, Head Coach is able to give additional successes to a Distract test.

THOTH - NEW REF AND MVP

The final miniature is Thoth - a new ref or MVP. When playing on the Memphis Max pitch, Thoth is a ref that rules with a keen eye and quick turn of speed. But when they're not looking for Sucker Punches and Stomps, Thoth is available as an MVP for your team.

We're really excited to be getting back to the DreadBall pitch! The Magnetar Circuit is currently due for release next March and we'll have more details in the run-up to launch.

Tune in tomorrow for another Open Day recap.