Dreadfleet Launches God Bless all who sail in her!
September 16, 2011 by brennon
So the wait is over, and GW have Just announced DREADFLEET a... wait for it... pirate game?!?! Ok to be fair its not really such a surprise but sometimes it's nice to just fein surprise especially at 12:45am.
Heres what they have to say:
Dreadfleet is a boxed game for two (or more) players that includes everything you need to make war on the turbulent seas of the Warhammer world. At your command are two fleets of ships - the Dreadfleet led by the Vampire Count Noctilus, aboard his gargantuan sea-hulk the Bloody Reaver; and the Grand Alliance commanded by the Pirate Captain Jaego Roth, who recently stole the Heldenhammer - the pride of the Imperial Fleet, and one of the largest galleons to ever sail the high seas.
OK... So what does it look like...
So while i try to get my head around the BIG question of ... WHY?
You guys can throw some comments below on your thoughts, and whether you think it's gonna be a fun game, which is all that really matters at the end of the day.
Well?
A company that's lost its way... or one whose heart is still in the right place?
Your faced with Warhammer Fantasy struggling the root cause of which could be any number of things - Lord of the Rings hurt it, The armies are so big it's just too expensive to start up, it's rules are awkward and antiquated, perhaps fantasy is just not in vogue - its probably a combination of a lot of factors.
Would you release a boxed game that's under the 'Fantasy Banner' that's got unrelated rules, unrelated models at a completely different scale, and set its distribution to be limited edition - so if it did become popular it wouldn't be available mmmmm
If it were me, I would have released Warhammer Quest and printed stat cards for every major beastie in the Warhammer range, and encouraged people to buy whatever models they liked knowing full well they don't need to collect the army because they can meet said beastie down a dungeon on a friday night.
Same scale, same models great stories and fun with mates = EPIC WIN!
But it's not up to me...
But perhaps this has nothing to do with fantasy, perhaps this is the design studio saying , 'let's do this... because we can!' and to be fair, you can't complain or fault that.
Maybe they just wanted to create somthing fun, and have it limited so people would value the product and not treat it like a commodity.
This is highly unlikely to set the Fantasy brand on fire, but if its fun some lucky gamers are going to enjoy this box of piratey goodness for years to come, while others will wish they had the opportunity.
If it was to help fantasy well that's most likely a FAIL
If the talented buggers in the design studio did this because they just bloody could... well that's gonna chalk up as an EPIC WIN in my book!
But then I always had a soft spot for pirates and erm... Megadeth 😉
Do you want a second opinion?
Then check out the blog of our pal @quirkworthy alias the mighty Jake Thornton!
He's posted his thoughts on Dreadfleet.
Take me to the Quirkworthy Blog!
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If it is fun, then the asking price is not too horrific considering the amount of gear in the box.
I don’t believe I heard that. £70? Good value? The ships are *TINY* you’re talking something smaller than 2d6 put together! As in HALF the length of my pinkie finger!
Value isn’t a word I’d use. It’s like an estate agent saying a room 8′ x 8′ is a ‘double bedroom’.
Beautiful? yes. Lovely? Yes, but a real announcement would be cutting both starter boxes to £50. I’d be over GW like a shot and have bought both.
GW put a size comparison in the blog; the ships are around twice the height of an average empire soldier/space marine dreadnaught height. they’re a decent size.
Half the lengthnof your pinkie finger?? I think you read wrong, mate…
Models look nice, that’s a good start. But then again GW models always look good so no change there. But is that enough to get me to buy this? No. Like I was just saying to a friend of mine it is going to take something extremely special for me to look at this and say ”must have”. It’s not the same as Space Hulk which had a pre-existing game and therefore we knew it was going to be something to get. This has one prequel, and that is a game that was not supported by GW in the long… Read more »
Fantasy Flight tend to support their boardgames with expansions too. (At least the successful ones!)
This is another Limited Edition, which makes sit up as a gamer and want one, but looking at it from my lofty industry seat, I can’t help but wonder what was the point?
But I’ll write about that shortly…
Limited Edition admittedly does have be usually sitting up and opening my ears to anything they have to say, its what got me to swing for Space Hulk and pick that up. But your right, there really seems little reason, rhyme or even sense to this release…
As has been pointed out by @cazboab there were plenty of other games they could have really made something out of…especially Blood Bowl.
Lets not kid ourselves here this is a cynical short term sales ploy to try and boost what have been flagging sales. Despite what the GW say things haven’t been going all that well for them of late and they’re hoping to emulate the one off shot in the arm the limited run of Space Hulk gave them. They don’t care about supporting WFB or anything else this is a purely short term cash fix and that means for us consumers its a short term product with no life in it. Its dead in the water before the ship launches… Read more »
When I learned it is going to be a limited print run, that’ exactely what I thought; deadborn – you put it very nicely. With the set price, I’d want to look at it and see years of evolving adventure (even if with just a new model here and there). As it is, it’s an overpriced boardgame. Interesting, how they’e pulled the original specialist line because it was too self-contained; you could get a BB team and stop there, a Mordheim gang, … then they publish Dreadfleet that obviously falls into the Specialist category and limit the profits they’ll receive… Read more »
I’m not defending G-dub in anyway shape or form here, but I buy alot of board games. If you compare this, to say, the re-release of Titan a few years ago, which had no minis or expansions, the price tag is actually on par with other inflation. Titan was/is a great game that I get alot of enjoyment out of. My first thought when I saw Dreadfleet was the same as many of you, a limited run game that we might get an extra scenario or two worth of support for in White Dwarf. I’ve thought about this for a… Read more »
@ collier79 (don’t know why I can’t reply under your post …); I agree with you that when you look at the whole thing from a boardgame perspective, the price is comperable. It might have been my mistake to want this as a miniatures game, where it’s a standard to see more or less supported lines. The ammount of game pieces in the box is good for a boardgame, but from a miniature game perspective it’s a lot of filler; islands, measuring rod, sheep wheels, … stuff I could happily do without, if they’d use the plastic (resin?) on more… Read more »
Can’t believe I wrote sheep wheels … reminds me of that Monty sketch …
@lucas I understand your point, and honestly, when I first saw pics of the game, I honestly thought GW had picked up rights to that pirate card game with the ships you assembled from cards and they were releasing a deluxe version. I’m with you though, this game offers nothing new in the way of innovation as far as presentation of board and mini’s, in fact, it looks to be about the same scale as the pirates card game. I’m afraid that the selling point for me will have to be game play and rules. Until I know more, this… Read more »
@Lucas
“I wrote sheep wheels”
It’s what you need to spin a good old Salty Sea Dog’s yarn! 😉
@Collier79, I buy a lot of board games but I just don’t see this in the same bracket because that’s not what this is. Its a wargame in a box and as such it fails on so many levels as a wargame release that I just can’t contemplate purchasing it. Its not the price, its not even necessarily what’s in the box, its the fact that it doesn’t let you do what I’d normally do with a wargame and that’s choose a faction and the forces I want and buy into a system that I’ll be able to grow over… Read more »
Looks really nice. Might actually venture into GW Glasgow in the morning for a nosey, see if I can check it out and read the rules. Not as instantly desirable as Space Hulk deluxe was but if is similarly limited in numbers then I suppose I’ll have to invest in a copy, just so I don’t end up fruitlessly searching eBay in 10years time when Thin Warren is doing a piece about classic games for Discovery Home and Leisure and Beasts of War and reminds me I missed out on a great game.
Not much point popping in if they don’t have a demo copy for you to look at as it’s not out until the 1st of October
ive already stuck my knife into this elsewhere on BoW. Its looks great and hopefully its also fun. I wish them luck but @brennon makes many good points.
I think i shouldnt comment further as rant may happen…
Basic economics: you make more money by selling many products at a lower cost than you do sell deliberately limited quantities of a more expensive product.
Things we’d probably have put up with(and cleared your stocks in hours) as a limited release:
Necromunda
Bloodbowl
Gorkamorka
not this.
They really should put some backing behind bloodbowl, it’s still really popular despite GWs neglect. If they made a cheap box with a rulebook, pitch and sprue of equipment (gloves, balls, helmets and pads) you would be able to bodge together teams from the entire warhammer range while you waited for a specific races team to be released.
Im not a big fan of Blood bowl but it makes a lot of sense to redo that as its well loved and had a recent game (not so well loved by some). Man o war tweaked would make sense (no idea if that is what this new stuff is). Necromunda or Mordheim- the various board games, epic
the list goes ever on
Such as reducing the battleforces by £5 (they’ve proved they can sell at that rate) and then encouraging a discount?
If a reseller can price a Chimera at £16 and make a profit, why aren’t GW selling them for same or less? Heck, sell me four chimera for £60 and I’ll be tank happy all day!
On the upside, it’s prompted me to look at Dystopian wars if only to buy the rulebook and have a gander.
Oh. Thought it was out in the morning based on their new last minute announce then release policy. Better coming out in Oct, can stick it card now and actually pay it off next month when it arrives.
Looking at the pics the “Navigation Rod” looks interesting, a segmented Ruler thing for movement and turning as it doesn’t look like the board has a grid on it. Really would like a look at PDF of the rules too.
Looks like some nice models although I worry they might be made of bubbly-melticompound (Plastic Resin). Also, in usual GW methodology, the boxed set will be priced in an ok bracket but all the add ons would probably bankrupt the IMF.
It might also just be a rehash of man-O-War which was a good game but now looks a bit dated against slicker newcomers.
I see no point in it whatsoever. The price is not right the models themselves cannot support the 70 pounds price tag and the whole concept is…. lets say not sound, he good pirates go to hunt down the evil pirates… yeah whatever. If GW tries to hit another spacehulk thunder they missed all the spots, Spacehulk succeeded because it is one of their most renowned boardgames and a gateway that many of their now old veteran customers entered the “GW hobby” its mechanics were known and quite solid and everybody knew what to expect from it almost by hart,… Read more »
This would have got more love from the bitter old timers if they’d called it “Man o’ War”, for sure.
im not old…im mature
Like a fine cheese eh @trebormills 😉
@warzan
a fine wine
disappointed you missed the play on words, hopefully youll get it this time 😉
Men grow character, Women grow old ^^.
When you win a game that would make you Victor Mature
Why do I feel a sudden urge to grab my coat?
I would have gone for this actually, but once it was stamped “Limited Edition” – it put me right off.
With your username why am I not surprised 😉
Will GW wonder about the day they almost caught him?
I’m actually glad to see GW branch out some and make something at least partially new (can’t quite call this man-o-war 2, but it has some influences). It kind of misses the mark as an introductory product for fantasy by being in a different scale and limited edition. I could see it getting people into the warhammer background since those models have a lot of personality, but how many people will get to make that leap with the price, limited quantity, and it being marketed only toward existing customers? I do want gw to make more board games like this… Read more »
the real question is, will this get into the spacehulk situation where in a couple months time, you can sell the spare set you bought at release for enough to cover the cost of both sets?
By the reaction on message boards the interweb and all my friends… nope!!! 😀
I enjoyed Man O’ War back in the day and and if this is anything like it I will seriously consider getting it. It does seem like a really good deal even for the £70 price tag considering all the nice stuff you get included anyway.
One question though.. What the hell were Clan Moulder smoking though when they came up with that thing?! It looks like a blob fish. lol
Just buy a new Uncharted Seas fleet or two get the rules and bingo you’ll have a fantasy based Naval game with a future that you can bet will be supported unlike the latest GW cynical cash cow.
For $190 Aus Fark no…. sorry it looks beautiful but thats just to much for a 1 off system that wont have support, will consider my options… maybe if the pay gods are kind to me, but i think there are plenty of other sea games that are better value for money 🙂
I see no ships. Didn’t really understand when the news broke and still don’t. From what I read now I still don’t really see the point. Looks okay but not looking that good value for money imho will spend less than 70 squid to get up and running for Freebooters, and can use the minis for other systems too. Also could get future crews and expansions. I don’t see that there is a lot of potential for variation in gameplay. Would be interested to hear what others think about it as I may well be wrong. Just looking at two… Read more »
Forgot to add a message from my cynical alter ego. Okay, my even more cynical alter ego
Interested that the release is this weekend with the Warpath announcements
Coincidence? Conspiracy? or am I simply cerebally constipated?
This message was brought to you by the letter C
Potentially the replay is for the fact that you can involve a group of friends put on a terrible pirate accent and drink sum rum then ask it all away. I am a busy parent of two and I love all in one games (my constant regret is loving my Eldar army but hating 40K). I loved Space Hulk and thought it was great value for money have played a tonne of games as it is easy to set up and take down. I can take it or leave it but for my $0.02(NZD) it is overall worth it.
No thanks. Doesn’t appeal to me like Space Hulk did (‘cos I’d played the original way back when). If I wanted to play fantasy naval battles then Uncharted Seas or Dystopian Wars are a better option. The models in this are nice enough, but I couldn’t use them for anything else. Also, at Aus$190 (about £125) it’s simply too expensive.
Exactly, Space, Warhammer Quest both have a huge place in my heart and for shear nostalgia value would have had me handing oodles of cash over. They’ve lost it for me. The company is now run by people who just don’t get the hobby and never will. Watching the GW right now is like watching an embarrassing uncle try to dance at a wedding!!! Its amusing for a while but gets really uncomfortable if you watch for too long…
*Space Hulk* Jesus I’ve got to stop writing on message boards when drunk or hung over…
Dear lord, that is one of the best posts I’ve read in a long while.
i have the old man of war game. They had plenty of rules and was supported by white dwarf today i would prefer to see these ship at 28mm scale or be a combo with warmaster.at least you could use you’re existing model to add to the game.
No comment, I’ll pass.
£70 for a game you’ll not be able to play in the store a fortnight after its released? no thanks. i want specialist games, but i want them supported by the company and i want them for approved play in the store.
looks pretty, but meh.
I was all over Space Hulk when it came out, even though I thought the Limited Edition was a bad idea.
This game? I was at least curious before, although the limited release was a definite downer for me. Now that I’ve seen it, would I buy it? Nah. The minis are too “GW”-ey and I’d rather buy Uncharted Seas and stick with a game that’s going to get more support.
The ships look like kids toys and that’s where the GW have been taking there product for years. I watched two kids in a local store stick two valkyries and then proceed to run around the store with them making flying noises… now sure we all might have done that in our own homes… but I looked on and watched and the store manager looked at me and said… ‘that’s the future of GW right there that is’ not too sure if he was joking around but I think there was a tinge of cynicism in his voice.
Surely better that than the close to tears expression of a child having saved and saved coppers and pennies only to find the price has bumped by a tenner?
For me the big question is why? This trap called limited edition never worked for me, and again, i was hoping for something else entirely, not a boardgame with minis and a fluff and history of warhammer that I cannot use with my warhammer game Nice to see that atleast thetiming was right, thebsame weekend for Warpath, uh? Still I would bet my money in something else than this pirate boardgame. Pegasus has it own nice game with ships and stuff, maybe I will give a try with a different game of a different… This thing, well IMHO would be… Read more »
“Epic Fail”?
They’re doing a revised version of Epic, too?
Now a re-release of titanicus would have been most welcome. 6 warlord titans, plastic terrain on a 4×4 board…. oh yes.
Sorry to be a negative-nancy, but it’s as unimpressive as I expected. Maybe I just shouldnt have high-expectations – but like 2009’s “mystery game” thing, the speculation was more exciting than what actually came out. For this, I was reading speculation on it being warmaster scale with crew models and it being a boarding-action game – which would of actually been pretty cool, but another fleet game like this seems redundant when Uncharted Seas exists – which has IMO better models anyway (not overcrowded with details piled on top of details piled on top of details ect), actual support and… Read more »
Have just watched the full Youtube trailer with an intro from Phil Kelly. (Posted in the Trailer thread fwiw) The mat looks good. Some of the individual ships are interesting. I lespecially ike the look of the Chaos Dwarf steampunky mechanical Nautilus However therein lies the rub for me. It looks out of place among sailing ships and the inclusion a vessel (singular) from all the races looks contrived, fluffwise, and incoherent on the table. I know that won’t bother most people but I would rather two fleets, Empire and VC for example. This would have allowed for further fleets… Read more »
The game looks good if a bit pricey. But that’s to expected from GW. Pretty much all that have been said about the limited release is true and don’t make much sense marketing wise. It’ll probably sell out in the end, but the game is lacking the hype of Space Hulk. And I have to say that in the end, I’m just not interrested in the concept. No matter how good the game will be. Let’s hope that the next fantasy related “surprise game” will Mordheim or Warhammer Quest.