Warlord Games Working On Doctor Who Miniatures Game
August 21, 2015 by brennon
Warlord Games have secured the rights to a big intellectual property. They are going to be working with the BBC on a Doctor Who Miniatures Game...
From Warlord...
"Warlord Games is absolutely delighted to have secured the licence to produce a miniatures game based on the BBC's enormously popular TV series, Doctor Who (back on BBC One on September 19th!). So delighted we might just have a celebratory jelly baby.
As lifelong Doctor Who fans ourselves, we are extremely pleased to have the chance to bring this iconic series to the tabletop with a game system you all know and love as well as the official range of miniatures to complement it.
The licence covers not just the latest series of Doctor Who but encompasses all of the Doctors, their companions and their foes. So, expect to see Sea Devils as much as Weeping Angels, Leela as much as Martha Jones, and a long, brightly coloured scarf as much as a fez (fezzes are cool, by the way...)."
It will be interesting to see where this goes as I wouldn't have automatically thought about a miniatures game working for Doctor Who. Mentioning it has a game system we all known and love sounds like we're going to get something Bolt Action themed in terms of mechanics.
I wonder if they're going to look at a board game type deal to begin with?
What are your thoughts?
"I wonder if they're going to look at a board game type deal to begin with?"
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this is literally my two favourite things coming together, dont think I could be more excited
Just glad its not Prodos lol!
I don’t care about rules. I want miniatures.
Tardis
Dalek
Tom Baker
K9
In that order.
You can already buy them though.
Tom Baker rules!
I didn’t mean rules for Tom Baker…
You mean like Queensbury Rules?
…sort of, but with a quick kick in the stones allowed!
That’s disappointing, imagine the potential, “on the roll of a 4 the Doctor offers a Dalek a jelly baby”
Tom Baker! Daleks! I’m stuffing my money in my CD-ROM drive but nothing’s happening.
@nogginthenog, i couldn’t agree more. I am really excited to see where this goes.
If it’s a battle game? Nope. If it’s an RPG type game with investigation and outsmarting enemies then yes. But it’s Warlord so I’m guessing it’s just a reskin wargame with DW miniatures. Meh.
I gave you a +1.
I really do love Dr. Who but I don’t like the idea of rehashing once again Warlord’s Bolt Action rules for another game. I think Dr. Who deserves it’s own stand alone rules that make it distinct from the rest of the pack. This of course is assuming that the rule set they mention above they will base it on is Bolt Action.
I love a bit of Doctor Who, but I just can’t see this working as a wargame.
Me too. GW use to make a rpg and that was pretty good, but how would it work as a ‘skirmish’? Daleks would kick everythings ass!
Indeed. Doctor is not really guy who would handle things with force. He prefers to outsmart is foes and use his Sonic Skrewdriver. Only way I can see this working is if it has races of whoverse fighting each other instead of Doctor,
“how would it work as a ‘skirmish’?”
Maybe someone who has played this will know – http://www.crooked-dice.co.uk/wp/rules/dwmg/
I miss the times where the Dr used his cunning and wit to get out of situations without reaching for his sonic screwdriver (so over used in NuWho) lol
I think the Dr character would be seen as a ‘general’ type with a scientific twist able to create things with minimal supplies (A-Team style). But I can see where you are coming from and it will be interesting to see where they take the game and style of the game – Skirmish? or large scale battles? – what size are they going to be 25mm or 15mm? I just hope they don’t mess it up.
Jon Pertwee often induldged in a bit of hand-to-hand. Which I then re-enacted with my grans heavy pillows!
I can see the various Doctors being specialists that aid certain factions (IE: Most, including some villain factions in the right circumstances)
Bu as a skirmish game they can do some cool stuff
Sontarans Vs the Rutan host (with some of the rutans taking the form of other factions, gotta love shape sifters)
Zygon infiltration scenarios
and of course all out combat with daleks, cybermen, Sontarans and unit, plus possibly Draconians.
I wouldn’t think its going to happen but there was The Time War which happened before the tv series in the canon (i think). Plus a quick look at Wikipedia says “the Daleks wielded “the full might of the Deathsmiths of Goth”!!! 🙂
…the sisters of mercy?
p.s., go easy on the dry ice!
This has to be the least exciting license possible. Not because I don’t love doctor Who, I have loved it since I was a child; but because the solutions the doctor creates to a problem are unique, not repetitive. The doctor doesn’t fight, not combatively, so a war game is out; unless it’s a torch wood style game. If it’s scenario based, there won’t be much innovation for the player – unless you have a GM and multiple ways to solve the issue. I could see a doctor who game resembling The Hitman video games, where there’s 14 different ways to finish a level (in the doctor game you could do dialogue options, technical options, puzzle options etc.). And perhaps dialogue is key – what is the doctor if he cannot speak?
I will give warlord the benefit of the doubt that they have someone who can think of a way to engage the material on a higher level than having the doctor run around a battlefield “stunning” people with his sonic screwdriver – but unlike some other really exciting non-war game miniatures games; I just don’t see them engaging the material well in a miniature format.
Hopefully I am proved wrong.
My thoughts exactly. I’d prefer narrative gameplay with progressive goals, akin to Mansions of Madness perhaps?
Amen brother @jaerin that is what I’d like to see.
Wellp.. so much for not buying more armies for a while..
I think this is awesome! I look forward to what they come up with. I want the miniatures for sure.
As for a war game … It can certainly work. Not everything has to revolve around the doctor and perhaps the doctor(s) will be a hero in the game. Battles and wars are very common in the who verse. You have humans (of course), Daleks, Cybermen, Time Lords, Sontarans, etc that are all at war with someone at some point in the Doctor Who cannon. Making a skirmish game out of this won’t be that hard. The Dr Who universe has more than the Doctor running around solving problems with his sonic screwdriver.
If Warlord does this right this could very easily appeal to fans, collectors, and war gamers.
I hadn’t thought of it that way…
The Time Wars would be the perfect setting for a wargame, rather cunning too as no matter what terrain you have it would fit, sci-fi, fantasy or historical. In fact what if you could use any of the existing warlord armies to bolster your who faction? That would be pretty sweet, cybermen + cyberdyne = win in my books 😉
That would be sweet. I’d like to see the TIme war against the Vampires, “The Enemy” and my personal favourite, The Eternal War (the one against the very lovecraftian Yssgaroth)
That is an awesome idea!
I don’t have high hopes for any amazing miniatures coming from Warlord. I can’t help thinking Knight Models would do a better job with this IP.
I would like a mini of the Face of Boe,
Not the first time Dr Who has been made into a miniatures wargame.
Harlequin had the Dr Who license back in the 90s, and produced a goodly range of old school style minis, also a batte game called “invasion earth” based on the episode from one of the first seasons of the original series featuring daleks vs unit human troops.
Nerdgasm. I may still hide behind the sofa when the Daleks appear though.
I just did the happy dance. Good (wibbly-wobbly-etc.-and-so-on) times ahead!
My guess is it’s going to be based on Pike & Shotte rules.
Great news!
What about crooked dice, black tree and Heresy? Will the get the cease and desist orders?
I really hope not, Andy produces some fantastically characterful ‘Professor’ and ‘civilian’ sculpts. Dr Payne and Ecclescake not withstanding.
Imagine a world where minis companies compete on quality of their minis, rather than in the courts.
I’ve a good few Crooked Dice minis and I hope they match the Warlord because I’ve a need for a lot of folk in big scarves and enemies for them to fight!
I hope not but Black Tree have been doing Dr Who minis for years – I got a few of them somewhere along with a GW Citadel Sea Devil
Well BTD license was up years ago, they’re only able to sell “their remaining stock”. Although they have continued to produce Dr Who minis and their quality has drastically declined, they’re in dire need of mold repairs but can’t because they aren’t allowed.
So I’m very glad Warlord have the license to produce new DrWho miniatures.
CD and Heresy will still probably make “NotWho” miniatures.
Can do UNIT v Daleks , Cybermen , Sontarans and Rutans plus Draconians and the Earth Empire from the 26th C . Gonna have to be lists of units to use . Will be skrimish game may be based on Bolt Action ? Could be easily adaptable . I would love Sontaran Stormtroopers fighting Daleks as their tech level could be compatable .Or set in 26th c and a galactic war setting between Earth and Draconia and Dalek Empire . Or msy be use the Terminator game ruled from Alfaro ?
I will wait and see what they make of it. It will be a challenge no doubt. My concern however is not about Warlord games doing this. My concern now is they are spreading their genre interests maybe a little too much? All the historic ranges are well done and the rules seem to flow adapted from one age to the next. But they also have Beyond the gates, Judge Dredd, and Terminator to look after. Will the Doctor be a bridge too far? I guess we will just have to wait for next weeks instalment.. 😉
They have more then proven themselves with historical games, and are showing pretty decent in Sci-Fi. That combination there proves they can do Doctor Who.
Now you are right that the number of games they have might be a bit spread out, but I love doctor who, and have been holding off on getting into Hail Caesar and Black Powder.
Doctor Who is and excuse to get into those as well….. Time Travel!!!!! ;p
I’d love armies of Imperial Daleks, Omega/Gel guards (might be too obscure but they are my faves), and Doctors 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Glad they will be able to do classic stuff.
I would love to see them do the Fendahleen from ‘The Image of the Fendahl’ or a large Krynoid from ‘Seeds of Doom’……..so many possibilities – even ‘The Dominators’ with their Quarks would be amazing 😀
I’d love to see krynoids expanded into a playable army (different plant-forms ect) they’d be fun to make a gaming table from too Fendahleen were awesome I agree, as they are dr who’s own version of Chthonions.
Getting excited by the prospect of this as the Dr Who Universe is vast. I would love to see a proper mini of the Emperor Dalek from ‘Evil of the Daleks’. I guess we have to wait and see what they first produce and game type they are aim for lol
No Tom Baker – what kind of person are you!
which Tom Baker era??? lol Early, Mid or final 😛 or just all three
An outcast/deviant fan I guess! I can live with that though.
with luck we will be spoiled for choice on what enemy’s to pick.
My concern is
player a I have a 300 point army , it has the dr and a tardis and 6 unit troopers
player b , Oh I wanted to be the Dr…..
fight ensues , as your not supposed to identify with the baddies , they are there to be beaten..
Give me The Master and a bunch of Autons I will be very happy lol……who wants to play the good guys all the time 😛
I’ll be curious to see how Warlord’s version matches up with Crooked Dice’s Doctor Who Miniatures Game (DWMG).
mind you you could use the minis to play DWMG which will be good 😀
At long last!!!!! At one point I thought Mantic were going for the IP………But this is going to be amazing……….Love Classic Who!!!! cant wait to see the sculpts and then dive in an recreate classic adventures 😀
So the company that makes awesome 28mm historical games is making a time travel miniatures game……
Guess its time to buy into Hail Caesar ;p
This is so awesome
I think I’d prefer a narrative based system for anything involving the Dr.
But I also like the idea of UNIT vs monsters etc.
Daleks, Cybermen, Zygons…Wardoctor, Pertwee Doctor using his martial arts and Galifrey peeps, i can see this work.
But Who cares about Tom Baker when you have Peter Davidson (that pun)
I have more than enough DW miniatures but won’t pass up the chance to get more (especially for NuWho which is what I’m short of). I will also buy the rules out of interest and to support a licensed product however they’re going to have to be something really special in order to take over from the current DWMG which captures the feel of the show perfectly, check this out for an example:
http://cruciumgiger.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/doctor-who-and-valiant-endeavour.html
I still play the doctor who harlequin miniatures game.
All my mini’s are painted,including all the new doctors from crooked dice,
Hope it’s like bolt action,got army’s of daleks,cybermen,sontarons ready to go.
Over 500 min’s ready to go,can’t wait for this.
Oh my giddy aunt,as the 2nd doctor would say.
I don’t see why this can’t work as a wargame. There’s the example of the Hobbit / Lord of the Rings of how you can make a narrative skirmish wargame out of a setting with unequal opponents and which includes non-combat heroes.
There are also lots of examples of games these days (and even more historical rules sets) which include different victory conditions for the two (or more) sides.
Warlord have skirmish games in house already – not just Bolt Action and the Black Powder variants.
I haven’t seen a lot of the recent Dr Who series (don’t kill me!) but I gather that they are more action adventure oriented than some of the older series. Less exploration and solving weird mysteries and more surviving perilous situations (not necesarily more combat/death than there used to be, but more ‘action’). If that assessment is true, that would suggest that it would lend rather better to a miniatures wargame.