From Erik Arneson,
Your Guide to Board / Card Games.
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BattleLore puts players in control of armies that mesh history and fantasy on a battlefield in medieval Europe, using a card-based system similar to that of Memoir '44 (my pick as the #4 game of 2004). The BattleLore characters include wizards, clerics, warriors, Iron Dwarves and monstrous creatures.

Like Memoir '44, BattleLore was designed by Richard Borg. The basic game system was used in Borg's Commands and Colors: Ancients (2006, GMT Games) and Battle Cry (2000, Avalon Hill).

According to a press release from game publisher Days of Wonder, "Gameplay takes place on a large-scale hex board filled with armies, legendary races and monstrous creatures that fight over varied terrain and landmarks to capture the enemy's banners in a series of unique adventures."

BattleLore Basics

• For 2 players or 2 teams
• Ages 10 and up
• Approximately 60 minutes per game
• Designed by Richard Borg (Memoir '44, Warriors)
• Published by Days of Wonder (Memoir '44, Ticket to Ride, Cleopatra and the Society of Architects)

BattleLore Components

• More than 210 highly detailed plastic miniatures, including 58 banner bearers
• An extensive Player's Guide, with separate Adventures Booklet
• A double-sided battlemap
• 46 Terrain and Landmark tiles
• 60 Command cards
• 60 Lore cards
• 48 Summary cards
• 2 War Council sheets
• 24 Lore Master Tokens
• 12 Battle dice

The BattleLore game box will be the same size horizontally and vertically as other Days of Wonder games, such as Ticket to Ride and Shadows Over Camelot. However, the BattleLore box will be significantly deeper in order to fit all the pieces, about 4.5 inches deep.

Availability

BattleLore is expected to be available in late November 2006 in both North America and Europe in English, French and German.

Cost

The suggested retail price is $70 and €70.

BattleLore Online

The game includes a Days of Wonder "online access number," which gives players free access to the BattleLore Online Adventures Editor at the Days of Wonder web site.

Game information will be posted weekly at the BattleLore Chronicles blog at BattleLore.com.

BattleLore Expansions

"The coming years will hold many surprises for both resellers and game enthusiasts worldwide," according to Days of Wonder CEO Eric Hautemont. According to a report on BoardGameNews.com, boxed expansions are planned for March 2007 and October 2007. In addition, smaller expansions will be available every month beginning in March 2007.

Promotional Figures

A promotional miniature, the Hill Giant, packed in a blister complete with figure, banner and lair, will be available through local game stores and the Days of Wonder web site to any customer who pre-orders the game ahead of its actual release.

A second promotional miniature, the Earth Elemental, will be available through a variety of sources including conventions and demo events leading to the game's release.

Sneak Peek

The BattleLore Primer, a booklet describing the BattleLore game system, will be available for free in early October.

This is the "Bigfoot" Game

BattleLore is the game which Days of Wonder first announced using a promotional card in the game Cleopatra and the Society of Architects.

More from the Publisher

Drawing on the strengths of its own best-selling and critically acclaimed Memoir '44, BattleLore takes the time-tested, card-driven mechanics to a whole new level and offers gamers and role-players a unique twist on epic fantasy.

Powerful Lore Masters, such as Wizards, Clerics, Warriors and Rogues gathered in customizable War Councils; Mercenary bands chosen from among mythical races such as the Iron Dwarves of Northern England; and Monstrous Creatures all complement the dizzying array of possibilities and tough choices that will face players as they venture in the World of BattleLore.

Building on years of experience producing the industry's most appealing board games, Days of Wonder raises the bar several notches higher with this new release. BattleLore's over two hundred miniatures use a new patent-pending Banner Bearer mechanic to provide both a visually stunning new look to a players' armies and to display all the unit-specific information that was traditionally compiled in unwieldy army booklets, reference sheets, or hard-to-read wheelbases.

"Not just another game, or the latest game system fad, BattleLore is a foundation game for us -- something we first envisioned long before we even started the company and that hearkens back to the days we first discovered (the 1971 miniatures game) Chainmail," Hautemont said. "As a project, BattleLore has been years in the making, yet what we are delivering this fall only lays the groundwork for the future."