Masters of the Universe: The Board Game - Clash For Eternia

Daily Secret Reveal – Fist of Fury
about 3 years ago – Thu, Sep 23, 2021 at 10:19:17 PM

By the Power of Grayskull!

The Jaw-Bridge of Castle Grayskull opens again, revealing the secret reward for today!

We have unlocked the Kickstarter Exclusive Fisto, including his model, HP token, and cards for all backers!

Scaping that beautiful beard must not be easy, wielding his imposing metal fist, but somehow Fisto manages to pull off one of the manliest manes of all Eternia. Grooming habits aside, Fisto is ready to fight the Evil Warriors at a moment’s notice! Offensively, he is one of the strongest hand-to-hand fighters in all Eternia. With brute strength and the ability to combo together Attack Boosts, Fisto will pummel his way through his foes to carry you to victory!

Shall we glimpse at what secret Castle Grayskull holds in store for us tomorrow?

You have the Power!

Week In Review 2 & Painting He-Man
about 3 years ago – Thu, Sep 23, 2021 at 09:47:30 PM

By the Power of Grayskull!

Tomorrow is the second Friday of the campaign, and it's time to take a look at what we revealed on the second week and glimpse at what's ahead of us! Join Helena, Guilherme Goulart and Kenneth Tan, along with designers Michael Shinall and Leo Almeida for a chat and some sneak peeks!

Join us on Youtube or Facebook!

In addition, we have a very cool video to share today. Angel Giraldez, responsible for many of the amazing painted models we have been sharing in the updates and campaign page, prepared a video showing how to paint the powerful He-Man. Make sure to check it out if you're looking to pick up some tips on how to paint the iconic Heroic Warrior when your game arrives or just to witness his amazing work in action!

You have the Power!

Daily Secret Reveal – Power containment
about 3 years ago – Thu, Sep 23, 2021 at 08:15:07 PM

By the Power of Grayskull!

The Jaw-Bridge of Castle Grayskull opens again, revealing the secret reward for today!

We have unlocked the Power containers for all backers!

This is a general quality-of-life improvement for those who wish to keep things organized, as these clear plastic containers not only allow you to store your Power Tokens with ease, but also provide orderly and convenient access to them during the game. Please note that these aren't the final design yet.

Earlier today we unveiled a new Kickstarter Exclusive Optional Buy, the Battlefield Playmat - check it out below if you haven't done so yet!

In addition, some of you asked us about the rules of the various terrain types featured in Clash for Eternia, and we'd like to expand on them:

The various terrain features across Eternia shape and warp the battlefield, creating the dynamic elements that both Heroes and Villains must overcome. When it comes to each individual game of Clash for Eternia, there are two primary elements that impact the game above all others: Character selection, and Scenario selection. Character selection is of course important, but the tactical player will adapt their Character, and what Skills they unlock, to cater to the Scenario and the game board itself. Terrain is going to have the biggest impact on this, so let's go over each piece and talk about it. Mr. Michael Shinall, you have the floor.

•  Ruins: Ruins are perhaps the most impactful terrain you will come across, as they essentially function as your "buildings". They divide up the map, block line of sight unless you're inside, and typically house the various Objectives you're going to need to collect. Each also only has a number of entrances which, unlike Rocks or Forests, mean that traversing maps that feature them heavily is going to be more of a challenge. These also allow for various "choke-points" and such to appear, creating mini-battlegrounds within the map itself. The "Buried Secrets" scenario comes to mind with Ruins, as not only will the opposing sides venture in to claim objectives, but also have to worry about cave-ins and other troubles while doing so.
•  Forests: Providing extra Armor for those within, Forests are the natural enemy of Characters with Ranged Attacks. For the Melee-focused, darting in and out of Forests is a good way to keep yourself safe while closing the gap on ranged threats. 
•  Rocks: Much the opposite of Forests, Rocks (aka, the high-ground) will cater mainly to ranged fighters, granting additional Attack Dice while on them. Of course, while this is a decent benefit, Rocks primarily exist to create issues for traversing across the map. An example of this would be in the Queenly Escort scenario, which has the Controller attempting to get Queen Marlena off the map and to safety. One such path would take her through Forests, granting her more protection but at the cost of a longer route, or you can elect to venture through the area covered in Rocks, the shorter path, but also much more limited in how it can be traversed, meaning the Evil Warriors can set up more vantage points and things could quickly spiral back for the Heroic Warriors.
•  Deadly Plants: These are just a pain for everyone, as they indiscriminately attack whomever gets too close. Of course, this can be taken advantage of by Characters that have various Push/Pull effects. A basic example is He-Man opting to take his Mighty Throw Skill on a map heavily featuring plants in a specific effort to... Well, throw his foes adjacent to them. Another fun "cinematic" would be Evil-Lyn using her Mind Control Skill for much the same effect, causing her foes to wander helplessly into their waiting maw. Some scenarios even prominently feature these plants, such as the "Dangerous Gardening" Scenario which will see the opposing sides actually trying to collect these plants, which as you can imagine are none too pleased at that idea.
•  Boulders: Throwing rocks at your enemies (IN A BOARD GAME) is always great fun, and nothing "feels" more satisfying than your Character lifting a massive rock and hurling it at an enemy, then having that enemy take a decent chunk of damage and become Dazed. Boulders also act a bit to "level the playing field" for some of the melee-focused Characters vs. ranged ones. In most cases (not limited to games) having ranged options vs. a foe who only utilizes melee gives you an advantage. Now, if that foe suddenly hefts a rock twice as big as you and hurls it right at you, that advantage goes away. Of course, Boulders are also a limited resource as they are destroyed when used, but this is taken advantage of in certain Scenarios as well. One such example would be the "Quarry" Scenario, which has the map drastically cut off by Rocks and Boulders. The players will need to begin hurling these things out of the way to get to where they need to go, all the while the Controller's forces are closing in.
•  Lake: Being the largest terrain piece, the map cuts off entire sections of the map. Various Scenarios use it for other effects as well, but one I think people will be exciting with is a certain scenario that uses it as a "Slime Pit", with Characters battling it out to avoid getting "dunked".
•  Water Tokens: Water tokens aren't actually a standard Terrain Piece, but are instead utilized by specific Characters (Mer-Man) for various effects. While they do have their own rules, their primary usage is to interact with these Character's specific Skills. In Mer-Man's case, he gains various Attack and Defense buffs based on the number of Water tokens around him, and can utilize them to perform tricks such as moving his Allies around, encasing his enemies in ice, or even creating massive whirlpools to pull everyone in and deal significant damage!

Shall we glimpse at what secret Castle Grayskull holds in store for us tomorrow?

You have the Power!

Level the Playing Field!
about 3 years ago – Thu, Sep 23, 2021 at 07:07:16 PM

By the Power of Grayskull!

We continue on our journey to unlock Scare Glow:

And while we're at it, today we bring you a new Optional Buy: 

For $35, you can have the best gaming surface to play on with this Kickstarter Exclusive Neoprene Playmat! Spanning 88 x 47cm, replicating the game board that comes with the game, this lush playmat is made with high-quality neoprene that helps keep components, terrain tiles, and models in place and makes them easier to pick up. The playmat measures 3mm thick and features bordered stitching for extra durability.

The neoprene playmat is made to seamlessly integrate all hexagonal overlays and spaces from the standard game—maintaining one consistent scale—and features two battle maps in one. With the base battlemap on one side and the Castle Grayskull battle map on the other, this playmat also incorporates the tracker board, housing space for Hitpoints, Activation order, and Escalation tracking as well! 

To add the Neoprene playmat to your arsenal, make sure to manage your pledge and include this Optional Buy for $35.

You have the Power!

The Core Box Evil Warriors
about 3 years ago – Thu, Sep 23, 2021 at 07:06:05 PM

By the Power of Grayskull!

Last time on Update #30, we had an in-depth look into the characters and abilities of the Core Box Heroic Warriors. Today, let the villains take the spotlight!

First up is the overlord of evil himself, Skeletor!

GAMEPLAY

Skeletor is a team player, as long as that team is "Team Skeletor". While he has a full mastery of potent damaging effects, most of his utility comes from boosting his Allies (since, you know, everyone around him are just fools). "Offensive-Support" is a good term to describe Skeletor's play-style; you have ranged capabilities such as Life Siphon, which can heal not only Skeletor but nearby Allies as well, and his "Master of Evil" Player Skill, which allows you or an Ally to gain a free Bonus Action. Of course, you can neglect all of that and just summon Panthor upon reaching your final Skill, turning Skeletor into a dread-force on the battlefield capable of Dazing and disrupting enemies.

With 3 interchangeable visions in his tri-optic visor, you'll need to keep an eye out for Tri-Klops!

GAMEPLAY

Tri-Klops is pretty straight-forward when it comes to gameplay: He is for the player who likes dealing damage. Of course, the method in which he does this can vary greatly. Sure, the eye-beams are the trademark of the character, but people often forget Tri-Klops is also a master swordsman. When it comes to playing as him, you're going to have two distinct "build-paths" you can follow: one focusing on enhancing his Eye Beam, the other representing his Melee Swordsmaster capabilities. Of course, as you level, you can also take a more balanced approach and mix these skills, rather than focusing entirely on one or the other.

As powerful as he is savage, Beast Man is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to all-out combat.

GAMEPLAY

Beast Man is for the feral pack-leader who wants to wreck their foes and control a horde of monsters while doing so. While initially Beast Man's skills focus on summoning and controlling the Elite Minion Shadow Beasts, he also has the option of going straight "berserker" play-style, gaining various benefits based on self-damage and gaining enhancements based on his missing HP (doesn't hurt that he also carries the most HP of all the Evil Warriors as well!). With each of his final Skills, you'll gain the choice between becoming a full "Minion Master" style character, utilizing Shadow Beasts to their maximum, or go full rampage and gain the ability to take damage instead of spending power (which in turn combos with his numerous "if I'm wounded, gain X" benefits).

Her nefarious magic and dark arts will turn your head in battle, watch out for Evil-Lyn!

GAMEPLAY

Evil-Lyn brings some of the most disruptive effects to the battlefields of Eternia. A potent sorceress, she gains additional bonus Power each time she activates, using it to fuel all her devastating Skills. While she can definitely dish out the raw damage, her biggest advantages come from the chaos she can cause. Even her lower-level Skills, such as Mind Control, can utterly destroy even the best laid plans of your opponent, and that's not even to speak of when she gets her full roster of Skills, which can include Illusions to keep her and her allies from being attacked, to Shadow Mimicry, allowing her to copy the Skills of other nearby Characters (friendly or enemy).

Trap Jaw will dominate the battlefield with his jaws of steel and various attachments! 

GAMEPLAY

For the villain who likes versatility we bring you Trap-Jaw. Unique among the core box Characters each of Trap-Jaw's skills can be flipped during the game to their alternate side, meaning unlike everyone else, Trap-Jaw never has to choose what he wants to do, he can just do it all! This does come at the cost of some Power, but the raw versatility is worth it. With effects ranging from pulling enemies into melee (setting up devastating claw-combos!) to Freeze Rays and Flamethrowers Trap-Jaw has the tools to handle any task before him!

Master of the seas, Ruler of the Undersea Realms, Mer-Man is unbeatable when in his element. 

GAMEPLAY

Mer-Man brings a unique terrain element to the battlefield in the form of Water tokens. While these tokens do provide a nuisance on their own, they become a serious problem in the hands of Mer-Man. Initially, he will utilize his Water Sword to gain some minor combat bonuses for either being on, or attacking enemies on, Water tokens. As he gains Skills however his options begin to expand- giving him options to gain further water-based combat buffs (Aqua Armor, Encase in Ice) or begin spending Water Tokens for launching new attacks on unsuspecting prey (Whirlpool) or moving himself and his Allies swiftly across the battlefield (Aqua Rush).

Unfeeling and uncaring, Hover Robots are built in droves and are the main force of Sleletor's army.

GAMEPLAY

Beep. Boop. Clank. Clank. Hover Robots, being Minions, aren't the most durable or hardest to defeat foes, but there are always more! As Minions, they can't gain Power, but they do have mighty Crushing Claws, allowing them to sap Power from those they Wound (which in turn feeds the Controller). Plus, they just look adorable - how could you even consider attacking these guys?

Translation for our Robo-Backers:

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Controlled by Beast Man, these towering beasts do his bidding loyally, tearing up anything in their paths.

GAMEPLAY

Typically utilized by Beast Man, Shadow Beasts are a real threat for any "heroes" on the battlefield. They aren't exactly complicated in how they are utilized: They have a staggeringly high Armor of 2, and roll 3 dice, converting any Crits into 2 additional Successes (instead of generating Power, as Minions can't gain it). This means that, under the right circumstances, each Shadow Beast attack can potentially deal upwards of six Wounds, enough to outright KO some Characters! Ouch!

You have the Power!