Have you ever wondered or perhaps wished miniature war game be truly coop or solo playable as a real story-driven campaign game? Have you ever wished adventure, campaign board game to have the tactical depth of war game? If you are one of those person, then we may have the game on its way for us.
Recently, I came across a game called Eldfall Chronicles: Nothern Wind, which is currently on kickstarter campaign with well over its funding goal.
So today, I’d like to share information what I have gathered about the game so far, and why it excites me. The disclaimer here is that I have not played the current game’s prototype, and only played a single solo game on tabletop simulator for its original game.
So this first impression is essentially solely based on research skill, and the game has tons of content and info that are still hard to gather so there maybe some missing info, or hopefully minimum but there could be some misinterpretation on my end.
Let’s get started.
What’s Eldfall Chronicles?
The original game, Edlfall Chronicles is a skirmish game, developed by a indie company called Freecompany. The company is based in Slovenia.
The team’s very first kickstarter campaign held back in May 2021 though successful was barely funded with just above their target, raising $70k euro with almost 600 backers. Although it is a respectable number for the company without any reputation, I honestly think the number is under-representation of the actual game from what I have gathered. It maybe due to other big name campaign was going on at the time. Perhaps, the first edition Eldfall Chronicles was not a campaign board game, which is the top funded gaming genre on kickstarter. Regardless of the actual reason, I am grateful the game was funded; hence, I get to know about the game now.
The actual product was started to deliver earlier this year, and now the team is running its second kickstarter campaign, Eldfall Chronicles: Northern Wind.
Nothern wind is described as a cooperative narrative campaign driven by lore, immersive storytelling, and a unique tactical depth.
Each player assumes the role of a hero who survived a brutal ambush in the treacherous northern mountains, burdened with the fate of the Empire.
Guided by the Quest Map, the heroes embark on a race against time, aiming to reach the summit of Mt. Byodo before the Blood Moon rises and breaks the seal holding back the demonic Oni… and something worse.
Basically, the original, referred to as the first edition Eldfall Chronicles is a War or skirmish game like Warhammer. Northern Wind uses majority of the game system rule with very few adjustment to retain the core game mechanics of the first edition while providing enough amount of simplification to better fit as the narrative campaign board game.
While the first edition supports solo play with AI, which by itself is an interesting, Northern Wind is specifically built as a solo/coop full blown narrative campaign game.
The game will offer branching story lines with multiple endings. Each storyline is reportedly to last approximately 20-30 hours with total 3 main storylines. Some of the expansions will add even more content to this, and making total playable content estimated to be over 100+ hours. Hence, Northern Wind falls well under the category of the massive, campaign adventure board game genre like Gloomhaven, Oathsworn, Tanares Adventures, or Aeon Trespass series.
Eldfall Chronicles have a highly detailed, meticulously crafted world setting and lores. In Nothern Wind, the game takes a setting in one of the four main factions, The Empire of Soga, which is Japanese themed faction.
Two games are cross compatible, which means Northern Wind can use original skirmish pieces and those miniatures, called models in this game, will get Northern Wind version of model profiles, which is essentially character cards. Similarly, Northern Wind characters will recieve model profiles that are compatible with Skirmish game.
Having said that, today I will be focusing on Nothern Wind, which is solo or coop narrative campaign board game version. Let’s take a look at some of key element of the game.
Combat system
Combat system is the main distinguishing feature of Eldfall Chronicles: Northern Wind from any other tabletop, adventure board games that I’ve seen or played to this.
This game categories itself as a dungeon crawler. You or your team control 4 characters and combat against multiple villains on a battle field using miniatures.
The actual combat system is carried over from the original Eldfall Chronicles, so it’s a war game system. For those of us who have never played War game, the rule here is basically lots of dice roll with many tactical options and decision to make.
War game is a genre of game I view as a chess with luck element. They are designed to play against another player, and often organized, tournament style play in mind. Those who play trading card game, analogy here would be Eldfall Chronicles combat rule system is like Magic the Gathering or similar while other adventure board game relative to this maybe viewed more as Hearthstone like game. The depth and balance of game system is different due to nature of how the game is intended to be played.
Let’s take a more closer look at a few elements of the game as actual examples to illustrate the depth of the combat this game could offer.
Character cards
Looking at the one of character’s stat card, called model profiles in this game, it’s immediately apparent that there are significantly more numbers of stats and ability texts one character has in comparison to many other board games of similar category.
First, each character has core stats like stamina, health point, speed and armor. In some board games, I would not be surprised these are the only stats a hero character has with one additional attack or offense value, perhaps from their weapon.
In Nothern Wind, there are 7 additional stats.
Just as an example, offense, defense and accuracy are all attack roll modifiers but for different situations like active vs. reactive melee, and ranged attack. If it’s a spell attack, the intellect will be used.
Agility is used as “dodge” action roll. Toughness maybe used to fight against condition like bleeding while morale maybe used in a setting of panicked.
Abilities
Then each model has traits, skills and/or combat arts. These are what gives each model their unique character. Just to take as an example, Rogue class Tharos has stealth skill. This makes him less susceptible to enemy’s reaction, which is thematically coherent character’s ability. As the game progresses some of these ability will be upgraded or perhaps one maybe able to choose and add new one to customize your own hero.
Attack/reaction
Being able to play outside of your own character’s turn add significant tactical element as well as keeping one more entertained, immersed in the game especially if you are playing the game with others. Imagine or perhaps you already know p laying a 4 character campaign with 4 player and you have no way to do anything outside of your own turn, how it feels.
Some board games have so called “reaction” but those maybe automatic triggered attack when certain condition is met, which is just a simple yes or no dichotomy. However, in Eldfall Chronicle this really sets a part.
When a character takes its turn, its main action phase is called tactical phase. During this phase, the active turn character gets to do a movement step followed by action step with latter presumably being most frequently as a form of attack.
However, in this game, before the attack resolves opponent AI will react and make its own action whether they attempt to dodge your attack, or attack back to not just negate your damage but deal you a damage.
Similarly, when enemy attacks my hero, I can make a decision to react. In fact, based on the game rule, it’s not even limited for me to wait until they attack. I can actually attack while the enemy is moving in attempt to stop them. Perhaps, I can attack with multiple characters to a single enemy as a reaction even with those characters, which are not target of the enemy character. You can see how interactive, tactical the game would be from even this single feature of the game rule.
Field element
Although the core rule carries over from the PvP, skirmish game, there are a few modifications to the original skirmish game rule so this feels more like a real dungeon crawler board game.
Field elements are great example. Normally, in skirmish game, we have to use ruler and actual distance of movement is measured by inches. I don’t think most board gamers be thrilled to use rulers here. So here the game uses section.
It is important to note that sections are not single grid in typical board game. They are much wider area. Characters have a line of sight based on miniature orientation as well so even on the same section, the actual position with relative orientation of each characters matter.
Also being War game based, unlike many other board games I’ve played, but similar to game like tabletop RPG like D&D 5e, there is vertical dimension in the game. So character may need to use climb movement, may suffer from fall damage and so on. Another example here is they even have a rule that color of the edge of tile represent whether there is a line of site or not.
The game will also have scenery pieces that are interactive during the game. We can expect many terrain related unique quest element based on the simple fact developer decided to use modular tile system.
Luck element
In adventure board games, luck element is a necessary part of the game’s core design to keep these games unpredictable and create “epic” moment feel.
Eldfall Chronicles uses D20 roll and it’s ubiquitous. More so than the other tabletop board games. Just to take an example, melee attack with strike value of 2. I would be rolling 2 D20 dices using offense stat as threshold for determining the success or fail of the role.
If one or both are success, then I would need to do damage roll using D20 for each of the success attack rolls. During this roll, I would be using target’s armor stat, D20 roll result and power of my model’s hit.
Oh by the way, if the target is dodging, there will be another D20 roll with its agility as the threshold.
Some may consider D20 is too swingy, but I think it really comes down to the final implementation and balance as D20 is only a tool potentially allowing 5% incremental change in luck, but if a game were to only use 10 for the threshold on every roll, it suddenly becomes a 50:50 chance, coin flip.
From this regards, we’ve already seen the game having various stats that will be used for different situation as a dice roll modifier. This allows the developers to be able to individually modify appropriate stats by the means such as character’s ability, items and equipments.
I’ve only played one brief online skirmish quest so far myself. However, looking at hero’s health point, I believe the game is balanced so damage is harder to get through in this game than some of other games where characters have 50 or 100 health points. In another word, I would expect there will be more missed rolls than the other game.
This is all thematic part of the game’s design. So here we must think something like each character attack are potentially deadly, so all try to dodge the damage. Perhaps, this is a bit more realistic in sense that even legendary Samurai, if he gets slashed once or twice, usually he dies. So key is dodging the fatal slash.
Anyways, once you understand and adjust your expectation, the key really is balance. Obviously if your hero is the only one missing to inflict damage while every attack from enemy deals damage to your heroes, then that’s not fair and fun. However, if both are having similar situation, and in the end your hero is standing with 1 single health point and the reaction attacking back enemy to take it down? I think those are the moment we feel “epic” in a game.
Monster AI
Since this is a coop or solo play game, the game needs AI. Every villains have their own model profile and AI card. In fact, the developer has already confirmed there is more than one variants on both.
With variation in ability, I am fairly confident each villain will have a unique feel. Adding well designed monster AI can certainly take that to the next level. The developer has also confirmed for bosses, there will be staged AI, so it should provide thematic power escalation of the bosses.
Instance
Since monster AIs are not deck based, it is a predictable element in the game. So to introduce, unpredictable element, in Northern Wind, developers have decided to use instant card deck. These cards are drawn and add unpredictable element during each enemy turn.
Journey phase
Outside of the combat, there will be a true adventure type phase of game play.
Between quests, players could draw event cards and make decision. We should not be mistaken here as their relative look of similar to the Gloom Haven’s quest card. The actual decision could take us to journal rather than just back of the card. So there should be far more content on these decisions.
Some of the potential decision results mentioned by developer include
- Initiation of instant battle
- Riddle challenge
- D20 check
Level up/progression system
The game won’t be a real campaign game if there is no sense of character progression.
Here, unsurprisingly characters have their levels. When they level up, their model profile will level up as well. Interesting element here is the experience points in this game is called valor. So bad deeds can potentially lose the valor. One such example given by developer is a stealing something.
There are individual item and equipment that can customize heroes with gorgeous arts.
Miniatures
Unicool resin, which I’ve never heard of it before, but it is claimed as more durable resin.
From the miniature layman perspective like myself, general opinion sounds that resins can produce higher detail miniatures while they are more fragile when compared to the PVC. This also translates into manufacturing process, hence eventually to the higher production cost.
I do not have any of the actual Eldfall Chronicles product in my hand, but there are several confirmation that the quality of Eldfall minis are premium in their quality.
I see couple comments on BGG applauding the miniature quality. From the content creator side, King of Average confirms the Unicool is indeed very high quality production. All of their mini look dynamic and highly detailed sculpt and being able to produce that in physical form would indeed sounds amazing.
It is important to note that these minis do not come pre-assembled unless you pay extra. However, there is a disclaimer that company may not guarantee the pre-assembled product if it gets damaged during the delivery process. With that said, developers state most minis will require only 2-5 pieces for assembly using glues.
First impression
Now here is my current feel about the game from what I know so far.
Pros: Ultimate versatility in the core game design.
Given the game has been originally developed as a competitive, organized play in mind skirmish, war game, its combat system is as versatile as one can get. I cannot think of any specific situation this game’s core system not able to handle. Any limitation to the gameplay should be coming from the designer’s choice rather the limitation of the game system.
In other words, the game have full potential for future expansions while keeping unique and fresh experience for years and decades. As a TCG gamer, this system looks analogous to the games like a Magic the Gathering, Flesh and Blood. The core rule is designed to support unlimited amount of future expansions in mind.
Cons: Steep learning curve
For those of us who have not played another War game, a major byproduct of such versatile game system is steep learning curve.
The learning curve for this game could potentially be a step above the other relatively steep learning curve massive campaign board games like Aeon: Trespass Odyssey or Tanares Adventures.
While this is true, I see the development team is putting continuous effort to lower the learning curve.
Some examples include simplification of line of sight rule, changing movement so there is no measure requirement. The team has also confirmed there will be tutorial quests. They have also said consider working on quick starter guide.
They’ve also said they will be looking into card representation of all other elements of the game such as ability, spell etc.
Pros: Top quality miniature
Again, I do now own or have seen actual physical product myself, but from what I have gathered, these miniature quality should be a notch above even the highest quality PVC minis that most of us are familiar with from the other massive campaign board games.
I would not be surprised, these would match the quality of Games Workshop or game like Kingdom Death Monsters i.e. ones often referred to as the best miniature qualities.
Cons: Quality over quantity
The downside of high quality mini is cost per mini being significantly more expensive. As the game continues to add new stretch goals each day, I don’t know how many minis we will get at the end but significantly lower than some of dungeon crawler board games.
For example, Tanares adventures Ultimate edition comes with 101 miniatures for $189 without stretch goal from currently ongoing campaign. While core pledge of Eldfall Nothern wind costing $120 without stretch goal comes with 12 miniatures. So if someone is purely after quantity of miniatures, this game may not be for you.
However, if you are new to this genre, I would like to share my personal opinion here. Initially lots of mini may feel great deal, but they take up a space. If each are used for just once or twice, their actual play value is very small when compared to a single mini that you use over and over. If this becomes your hobby, you will naturally start to grow miniature collections, so I would personally favor quality over quantity. Its like no-one really cares about common rarity card in TCG especially once they get a playset.
Summary
In summary, the Freecompany members are truly passionate gamers themselves. I sense they are treating Eldfall Chronicle series as if its the only platform for all their games in the future.
They have already proven this by making Northern Wind, dungeon crawler system retroactively applying to all the first edition minis by creating dungeon crawler version of model profiles for them. Similarly, Nothern Wind models will get skirmish model profiles. They have also shown and confirmed to continue producing at least mini narrative quests, and perhaps someday other bigger narrative campaign in the future supporting the both game systems.
Free company has released relatively small number of miniatures to this date, which I personally admire. This seems to indicate they are actually taking time to release quality product over quantity. This makes me believe their vision is long term rather than the short term.
Eldfall Chronicles is a platform rather than one or two individual games. I am confident we will continue to see the series expand, and very hopeful the team will keep the items we purchase today will stay relevant in the future. Perhaps, those may see more value out of them when a new game mode like boss battle mode is released.
I’d recommend this to anyone who is looking for highly tactical combat system board game that can be their go to game with expected continued future support and expansion. If for nothing else, Northern Wind kickstarter campaign is one of the most exciting one to follow at the moment with each stretch goals and daily unlocks being always exciting. Lastly, it’s important to note that development team seems to be receptive to players/potential future players opinion so I feel the game will continue to improve as the community grows.
Reference
- Eldfall Chronicles: Northern Wind Kickstarter Campaign
- Eldfall Chronicles official site
There are lots of lores, which are interesting read. - Eldfall Chronicles – Original Kickstarter Campaign
Almost an hour and half interview with Free Company’s top 2, just before Northern Wind campaign. One of the most informative interview about the game I found so far.
Eldfall Chronicles™ is a registered trademark of Freecompany. Eldfall Chronicles™ and all associated images are copyright © Freecompany. All rights reserved
Excellent write-up. Eldfall Chronicles is quickly becoming a favorite of mine and Northern Wind looks fantastic!