Pledge Manager is Live
10 months ago – Sun, Jul 09, 2023 at 10:16:56 AM

As many of you have seen the pledge manager is now live!

If you haven't yet filled in the Pledge Manager, you should have received an email from Backerkit. If you can't find this, you can follow this link HERE 

I thought I'd post a mini update to cover some of the questions asked so far.

How do I select the Czech language version?

If you are shipping to Czechia you will be automatically selected for the Czech language version of the game.  If you wish to receive an English version instead please send a message via Kickstarter and I will change this for you.

If you wish to receive the Czech version outside of Czechia, please message me via Kickstarter.

Does the Deluxe Upgrade box replace the main game box?

No, the Deluxe Upgrade box is a smaller tuck-box that will ship along-side the main game.

Why is my shipping more that I expected?

I've worked really hard with my fulfilment partners to make sure all shipping charges were accurate in the campaign which means we've managed to stick very close to these for the most part.

Any added cost is likely to be VAT applicable in your region. Kickstarter being a Global platform means things like VAT and Shipping can vary wildly for backers which is why a Pledge Manager is very useful for managing all this variation. Charging VAT in a lot of regions is a legal requirement, but also protects backers from getting hefty and unexpected duty/customs charges upon delivery (I'm looking at you Royal Mail!).

How long will the Pledge Manager be open for?

The PM will be open until September at least, this might be extended if possible.

If you have any other questions, feel free to comment on this post and I will do my best to answer. 

That's it for now! See you all in the next update.

Cheers,

Richard

Crown of Ash - July Update
11 months ago – Sat, Jul 01, 2023 at 08:56:16 AM

It's July! Halfway through the year already and there's lots to share again this month.

After a fantastic few days at UKGE, we got hard to work getting the game files ready to send over to our localisation partners for translation and preparing files for mass production. But there are a few cool updates to share.

This update will cover:

Pledge Manager, Rulebook, Player Powers, Updated Components, UKGE, Files for Print

We're at the final stages of opening the Pledge Manager. Some of you may have already received access as we do the testing before the full launch. But if not expect an email from BackerKit about access to the Pledge Manager very soon!

Rulebook version 5.0 is now available. This will be the final layout for the rulebook and only minor changes will be made going forward.

We would love your help! If you spot anything that needs clarification or spot any spelling or grammatical errors, pease let us know.

VIEW RULEBOOK HERE 

After a bunch of playtesting we have finally nailed down the player powers. Each player has 2 powers they are able to utilise 

Mors

COMMAND - Can relocate a minion placed on the board to another location allowing them to open up or block access to worker spaces. This makes Mors a very versatile character but also allows them to be played aggressively or defensively depending on the locations opened/closed.

OVERTURN - Can re-roll a dice roll.  

Fortis

REINFORCE - Fortis can add or exchange a defending fighter on the board with one from another location on the board or from their hand.  This allows Fortis to be really flexible with it's troops and is the only character that can add or remove Fighters from the Citadel.

FORTIFY - Fortis can double the bonus for matching Fighters together in combat from 1 to 2. Allowing players to hunker down in defensive positions to deter attack.

Nox 

FENCE - Nox can exchange up to 3 basic resources with other basic resources from the supply. This is the simplest power to use and great for new players, but is also incredible powerful.

EXHUME - Nox can raise a fighter at the beginning of their turn. This means that Nox is the only character that can raise more than one fighter per turn if they have the resources. But also allows them to immediately use that fighter that turn.

Visio

UNVEIL - Visio can reveal the attacking fighters before players pick their combat cards. This makes attacking Visio a much harder affair.

FOREWARN - Before player reveal their cards in combat, Visio can attempt to guess the other player's combat card. If correct it is reduced to a attack value 1. This makes using your strongest combat cards against Visio a big risk meaning your poker face had better be strong!

Thank you to everyone who made suggestions for powers, we tried a bunch and they were very helpful in sparking new ideas for powers. We will be creating a thread on the BGG page where players can submit alternative powers players can try out.

We've made a few changes to a couple of things, the first being that the deluxe pledge with now come in a lovely new box.

EDIT FOR CLARITY (This isn't a replacement for the main game box. The Deluxe and Rising fighters boxes will be smaller 'tuck boxes' to house the additional components in shipping. While many backers will keep these on their shelves, consider them as disposable packaging.)

Next the targeted action card for solo play which makes the game much more challenging has had a makeover from the announcement in the campaign.

Thank you to everyone that stopped by and played the game or said Hi, it was fantastic to meet so many backers in person!

We've been working really hard getting the print files ready for the manufacturer. This will be taking up a lot of the time over the next few months. Here's a look at the print files we'll be sending over.

Is this interesting? Let me know if you like to see this level of detail in these updates.

That's it for another month! I'm hoping to start testing components with my manufacturer over the next couple of months so I hope to have some more physical tactile components to show soon.

Anything else you would like to see in next months update? Let me know in the comments below.

Thank you!

Richard

Crown of Ash - June Update
12 months ago – Wed, May 31, 2023 at 06:53:38 AM

It's been over a month since the campaign finished and a lot has been going on, with some really exciting news so it'll be worth checking out this update.  

Going forward, the plan will be to post an update at the beginning of each month, regardless of how much there is to say. Hopefully this feels like a good balance between being informed without feeling like you are being bombarded.

I'm planning some nice extra content for those months where there won't be much to mention (; when the games are in transit etc) So I'll try my best to make each one worth your while.

The PM is not quite ready yet, but we're close. The aim is to be live for the next update and it will be live for 2/3 months while our publisher partners work on translating the game.

We'll be using BackerKit for the PM and you'll be able to upgrade your pledge easily.

Which brings me onto an exciting bit of news.

All backers of the Deluxe and All-In pledge will be getting 28 wooden control tokens at no extra cost. This was a stretch goal suggestion made during the campaign that I loved, but wasn't 100% sure I could make work.

But I'm happy to say my manufacturer and I worked it out and I think it ill be a great addition to the deluxe components of the game.

All the iconography has been updated to reflect the new resources. As you can probably see some additional work needs to be done to ensure visibility on the Combat Cards, I hope to share the updated design in the next update.

The resources have been unified since the design shown in the campaign and I have been doing 3D print tests to find the ideal size for the game.

 These are just for size exploration, the final version will of course be screen printed wooded pieces.

And finally, we will be attending UKGE this weekend so if you are attending come by and say Hi!

That's it for the the month of May. I had hoped to share the latest rulebook and player powers but I'm still tweaking it, so I expect it to be in the next update.

Anything you would like covered in the next update, let me know in a comment below.

Happy gaming!

Richard

Card Noir

The campaign is over. Thank you!
about 1 year ago – Thu, Apr 20, 2023 at 01:48:13 PM

We've done it!

Going into this campaign, I would have been very happy to have  just hit our goal, even if it took all month. So, to be over 600% funded is unbelievable.

It's all down to the support of this amazing community; coming together and making it possible to fund games, that otherwise, could never exist.

For that, I can't thank you enough!

What now?

The next steps, are for me to work hard and get this game onto your tables in a timely manner. 

I'm aiming to do an update at the start of each month to inform backers of the progress and share as much as I can. Even if there is nothing to report. Simply because it gives backers confidence and lets you know exactly where your pledge is at.

I'm aiming to have the Pledge Manager up and running at the start of June.  

From here you will be able to upgrade your pledge and add additional copies (to the same address) and most importantly let me know where to send your game.

Any issues, please contact me on via Kickstarter Message, or via the Card Noir social channels and I will aim to assist you as soon as possible.

Lastly

For anyone attending UKGE this year, I'd love to meet you. Be sure to stop by Stand 2-478 and say hello! 

It's been a fantastic campaign so again all I can say is...

Stretch Goals Unlocked - Final Hours
about 1 year ago – Wed, Apr 19, 2023 at 08:03:56 AM

We've done it! the final stretch goal has been unlocked! Now every Deluxe or All-in pledge will include 24 x beautiful wooden coins for each player to horde away

Gold Is an incredibly valuable resource in the game, so it only makes sense that it matches the other resources in the game in quality.

I've had a few people ask if this can be an add-on in the pledge manager. The answer is, maybe!

Separating these out from the other deluxe components increases the fulfilment complexity and cost. To make this an option I'll need to know there is sufficient demand. So please comment on this update and let me know this is something you are interested in.

So very excited to have this unlocked tons of stretch goals along the way to make this truly the best version it can be. A massive than you to all of the amazing backers that got us there.

It's the home stretch of the campaign, but still I'm being blown away by the support!

Crown of Ash was just selected as Zee Garcia's project of the week on Crowdsurfing. Having watched Tom and Zee on the Dice Tower ever for the best part of a decade this is a bit of a dream.

As we approach the final 24 hours of the campaign it's a little bittersweet for me. I'm a little sad for it to be over, but very much looking forward to have a chance to reflect on this incredible journey and start the next stage to get the game on to your tables.

Thank you to all that have backed so far for making this possible.

Richard