Just like HeroQuest did a few years ago via a crowdfunding campaign, Heroscape is coming back!
There are all kinds of details and teasers in this thread, but the actual campaign itself is here. The campaign page is surprisingly light on gameplay examples, but that should come in the next week or two (you can expect it to be similar to previously existing Heroscape sets, which you can find gameplay videos of on youtube).
I am not a beneficiary of the campaign in any way (aside from wanting to be able to buy new Heroscape) but I love this game. Let me tell you why:
The gameplay is elegant and approachable but also exciting with lots of strategic depth and replayability.
It is a game that parents can play with their kids (or siblings with each other) as well as adults can enjoy together.
You can teach the whole game in ~10 minutes, give or take, and then have a fun game.
It's approachable enough that non-gamers get interested in it and enjoy playing it. It has great table appeal which makes it really fun to interact with and look at.
The hex tiles can really bring out your inner architect/LEGO fanatic. They stack on top of each other, making the maps 3-dimensional. They are one of the major factors that set the game apart. Other games might have neat or simple gameplay, but the maps make for so much variety and novelty. You can put together a really cool map in the time that a traditional wargamer is still gluing pieces of their battlefield together (nevermind priming etc.)
The simple interplay of the basic game rules + the terrain effects (height advantage, line of sight, special terrain rules) + unique special powers of each figure give the game strategic depth. It is one of those "easy to learn, hard to master" games that rewards you the more you play and study up on strategy.
The cost of the set is pretty high, but I think it is appropriate to the value. I did some analysis of the contents compared to previous sets...
Rise of the Valkyrie gave us 16 army cards for 30 figures as well as a boatload of terrain for an MSRP of $40 in 2004. The $$-per-ounce-of-plastic increased with each subsequent master set.
The terrain for this set is comparable to Rise of the Valkyrie + a Ticalla Jungle (which retailed for $20 when it came out in 2008) + Fortress of the Archkyrie (which retailed for $30 when it came out in 2006), so that gets us to $90, 16 cards, and 30 figures. So let's get the rest of the way to 71 unique figures...
we'll have to add
- Heroes of Bleakwoode for $13 + 5 figures
- Heroes of Barrenspur for $13 + 4 figures (1 large + 1 Huge)
- Orm's Return for $20 + 5 large figures (mix of large and huge)
- Heroes of Nostralund for $13 + 5 figures
- Heroes of Trollsford for $13 + 5 figures
- Gladiators and Agents for $13 + 6 figures
- Ninjas and Samurai for $13 + 6 figures
- Heroes of Durgeth for $13 + 5 figures
so that gets us to $214 for comparable terrain and 71 unique figures... in 2004-2006. $214 -> $250 is a 16% increase in cost. I'm not aware of anything that has had a cost increase as small as 16% since 2006. Have you looked at gas prices lately? Do you remember what they were in 2006? The price of plastic has gone way up (as has the price of labor, which is why these are unpainted).
Finally, shipping (a $40 value?) is free.
A related point is that this is also on the normal spectrum of prices for unpainted mini games of this size on kickstarter; a few go for less, many go for the same or more. And they usually don't have free shipping.
Heroscape is an asymmetrical wargame that pits warlords known as Valkyrie against one another for control of the planet Valhalla. The game is highly asymmetrical, with fictional factions drawn from all across space and time. But the franchise is also known for its terrain — chunky, stackable plastic platforms that allow for dramatic landscapes. Devoted fans hoard the tiles in huge quantities, wheeling them out to create sprawling landscapes for their home games...
This new collector’s edition is more than twice the size of the original 2004 launch... The terrain will also include a remake of the highly sought-after jungle terrain pieces, which at time of publication are going for nearly $250 on eBay.
...
New factions include the Dryan Lifeborne Order, a powerful group of magic-users capable of fielding only a limited number of very expensive units. There’s also the Nemesis War Brood, a group of insectile fighters that graft armor and other technologies directly to their exoskeletons. Finally, Avalon Hill is adding the Clockwork Combine, a group of militant woodland creatures. Think squirrels, skunks, and possums inserting via aerial recon vehicles, with even more nimble jump troops that forward-deploy onto the battlefield.
...
“What the team was doing in 2004 was they were sort of scraping entertainment trends, different genres that were coming up, and they would build different units based on different genres that were surfacing in pop culture at the time,” Nadeau said. “It created a very interesting brand that is insanely scalable. You can basically introduce any genre, any IP, any licensed partner, anything into the battle on Valhalla and it makes sense in the story. The opportunities going forward are almost endless.”