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Shadowrun: Crossfire Prime Runner Now Available!

The long wait is finally over…Shadowrun: Crossfire Prime Runner is now available on store shelves! But don’t worry if you previously purchased Crossfire and just want the updated materials, we’ve got a Refit Kit to fit that bill.

Here’s the full details on both.


Shadowrun: Crossfire: Prime Runner Edition ($59.99)
The shadows of the Sixth World have every kind of danger you can imagine. Ultra-violent gangers, flesh-eating ghouls, mages that summon spirits from toxic waste, backstabbing corporate raiders, hard-nosed police officers, and even dragons. You don’t have much—mainly your guts, your wits, and your friends. But maybe that’s enough. Between you and your teammates, you can sling spells, hack the Matrix, talk a tiger out of his stripes, and bring down a charging ork from a hundred yards away. Will that be enough to face down the worst the mean streets can throw at you? You’re about to find out.

Shadowrun: Crossfire is a deck-building game set in one of the most popular game settings of all time. Crossing cyberpunk with fantasy and plunging players into a world dominated by ruthless megacorporations. Crossfire gives players the chance to dive into the world’s shadows and see if they can survive. The Prime Runner Edition adds new upgrades to make the game even better—with more missions, improved rules, and new character screens, this is the best version of Crossfire ever!

Featuring fast, cooperative game play and stacks of dangerous obstacles and opponents to overcome. Shadowrun: Crossfire will launch you into nonstop action. You’ll even have the chance to get stronger the more you play, tackling harder and harder obstacles as you become more dangerous. Leap into the shadows for deck-building adventure like you’ve never experienced!


Shadowrun: Crossfire: Prime Runner Refit Kit ($24.99)
If you have a Shadowrun: Crossfire set, you might have seen the update to the game called the Shadowrun: Crossfire: Prime Runner Edition, and maybe you’re thinking that it would be good to be able to get something that has only the changed materials—the updated rules, the changed cards, the new missions—so that you’d have all the benefits of the latest edition without having to buy everything again.

You’re right—it would be good! So here it is! The Prime Runner Refit Kit brings all the changes of the Prime Runner Edition to your Crossfire game, including updated rules, adjusted character stats, newly designed character screens, more missions, and a full range of upgrade stickers, including the set from the High Caliber Ops expansion. With this kit, your game will be ready to roll with any Crossfire game out there!

Note: The Prime Runner Refit Kit is for use only with the first edition of Shadowrun Crossfire. If you don’t have Shadowrun: Crossfire or if you have the Crossfire: Prime Runner Edition, you do not need this Refit Kit!

DOWNLOADS
The full rulebooks for both the Prime Runner Edition and Refit Kit, along with the previously available-for-download Missions, have all been fully updated at the bottom of the Shadowrun: Crossfire page.

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Catalyst Game Labs at Gen Con 2018

Catalyst Game Labs will be out in full force at Gen Con 2018, offering attendees never-before-seen new releases and one-of-a-kind experiences at Booth 1611 in Hall B. The Catalyst Demo Team will also be on hand to host non-stop action, including demos of Dragonfireand tons of BattleTech action.

If you want to know more about Catalyst’s plans for the coming year, and participate in a Q&A with company leadership, be sure to stop by the “What’s Up with BattleTech, Shadowrun, and Dragonfire” session, Thursday at 8 p.m. at Lucas Oil Meeting Room 7.

Before we dive into all the new games, expansions, and sourcebooks making their world debut at Gen Con, here are two things you can’t miss!

All-New Dragonfire Expansions!

Fans have been clamoring for more expansions to the smash-hit Dungeons & Dragonsdeckbuilding game Dragonfire, and now we’re delivering! Check out the first-ever Campaign Box for the game, as well as three new adventures and an all-new character pack to provide players with exciting new options for their campaigns.

BattleTech Boxed Sets are Back!

Two of the most hotly-anticipated BattleTechproducts in years will debut on the Gen Con floor: the BattleTech Beginner Box and the BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat boxed sets! They’ve been redesigned from the ground up with entirely new content including gorgeous highly-detailed miniatures.

 

AT THE BOOTH

Dragonfire:
• Demos available throughout the convention.
• Two Githyanki promo screens will be available at the booth, in limited quantities.

Catalyst Games:
• Throughout the convention, a variety of other games will be demoed: Master of Orion: Conquest, Shadowrun: Zero Day, Kittens in a Blender, I Would Fight The Dragon, and more.

BattleTech:
• Mega-sized Demo of the A Game of Armored Combat boxed set with 8″+ tall figures played on a 10’x10′ battle map — see below for a few examples!

 

 

THE GAMING HALL

The Catalyst Demo Team wants to introduce you to some of Catalyst Game Labs’ exciting, fun-filled products in the Miniatures and Casual Games Area. Here’s the schedule for the convention–note that some events require tickets or preregistration; consultthe Gen Con events websitefor more information on availability. All events end at 4 p.m. on Sunday.

DRAGONFIRE

  • Demos – All days, 10 a.m. to Midnight, every two hours. (Intermediate level)
  • Gen Con Exclusive Events – All days, Noon to 2 p.m.

BATTLETECH

  • BattleTech Bootcamp – All days, 10 a.m to 8 p.m., on the hour (Introductory level)
  • Alpha Strike Academy – All days, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., on the hour (Introductory level)
  • BattleTech Grinder – All days, 10 a.m. to Midnight. (Intermediate level)
  • Solaris Melee Challenge – Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to Midnight; Finals: Saturday at 10 a.m. (Intermediate level)
  • BattleTech Open – Friday, 10 a.m. (Advanced level)
  • Throwback Thursday – Thursday, 10 a.m. for classic BattleTech, 6 p.m. for Alpha Strike (Advanced level)
  • Bloodname Tournament – Clan Grand Melee, Thursday at 6 p.m.; Tournament, Friday at 6 p.m. (Advanced level)
  • Featured Event – Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Advanced level)
  • Alpha Strike Turning Points – Saturday, 10 a.m. to Midnight (Advanced level)
  • Alpha Strike Battle of the Superheavies – Friday, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Advanced level)
  • Alpha Strike Wolf’s Dragoons Cadet Program – Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Advanced level)
  • Masters and Minions – Saturday, 8 p.m.

PAINT AND TAKE

  • All days, 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the painting area. (No 3 p.m. session on Sunday.)

GAME DESIGNS AND ART PORTFOLIO REVIEWS

Randall N. Bills, Catalyst’s Managing Developer, will be in-booth and reviewing game designs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Brent Evans, the Catalyst Art Director, will be in-booth specifically for review of art portfolios each day from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

ALL-NEW PRODUCTS

The following brand-new games, expansions, and books are scheduled for pre-release at Gen Con 2018!

DRAGONFIRE

Campaign Box: Moonshae Storms ($29.99)

The Moonshae Storms campaign builds off An Ancient Evil Arises from the base game, as your continuing quest takes you to new lands. A brewing conflict threatens to drown the Moonshae Isles, as lycanthropes and their fomorians allies seek to change the balance of power. Will you tip the tide?

Moonshae Stormsis the first DragonfireCampaign Box. Face encounters from the all-new Mountain environment, and get fully equipped with new Market cards and Magic items! Also included are eight new Character screens, introducing the Barbarian Character class, as well as alternate human races—the Ffolk and Northlanders!

Character Pack: Heroes of the Wild ($24.99)

Character Pack: Heroes of the Wildcontains thirty-two new Character screens for Dungeons & Dragons© Dragonfire™, including the Barbarian, and introducing the Sorcerer Class. Additional distinctive races are also featured, such as the Lizardfolk, Tabaxi, Kenku, and Aasimar. Other cards bring new mixes of class and race together to fill out your adventuring party the way you see fit. This pack also includes a bevy of new Market cards, as well as Subclass Features, from Forge Domain to Cavalier, War Magic to Assassin, and more!

 

Adventures: Corruption in Calimshan ($19.99)

The exotic cities and arid deserts of Calimshan hide wonders untold…and terrors unknown! Conquer new encounters, including the all-new Desert environment. In the shifting sands, claim new Magic Items and Market cards, along with Crafting Poisons, in the next chapter of the Dragonfire Adventures!

 

 

 

Adventures: Ravaging the Sword Coast ($19.99)

Your relentless enemy, the hobgoblin warlord Torog-Kaitan, has increased in power, and his new army is wreaking havoc up and down the Sword Coast! Challenge two new Encounter Decks, earn new Magic Items, and gain powerful new Market cards in the next chapter of Dragonfire Adventures!

 

 

 

 

Adventures: Sword Mountains Crypt ($19.99)

In the depths of the Sword Mountains lies a crypt of a mighty Orc Warlord that once raided Waterdeep! Conquer new encounters, including the first Difficulty 4, a Demilich! In the tainted depths, claim new Magic Items and Market cards, in the next chapter of Dragonfire Adventures!

BATTLETECH

BattleTech Beginner Box ($19.99)

The commline abuzz with pre-battle orders.
The pounding rhythm of a metal titan on the prowl.
The shifting glow of your BattleMechs’ controls spread before you.
Then the abrupt tone-lock of incoming fire wails in your cockpit as missiles, autocannon shells, and lasers fall like Thor’s hammer against your armor. Seize your ‘Mechs controls, draw its weapons into line, and unleash a hellish response!

BattleTechis the world’s greatest armored combat game, filled with a myriad of epic stories and gaming experiences to satiate any player: miniatures to RPG play, hobby painting to fiction, and beyond. The BattleTech Beginner Box is the first step on the fantastic journey and includes everything you need to get started: two high-quality miniatures, quick-start rules, a mapsheet, cards to represent your MechWarrior’s unique skills, dice, and more.

Do you have what it takes to plant the banner of victory and become a legend? Leap into the action and find out!

BattleTech: A Game Of Armored Combat ($59.99)

It is the dawn of the thirty-first century. You are a MechWarrior: master of a multi-ton, towering avatar of destruction that is the culmination of more than 3,000 years of battlefield technology development. A precious heirloom passed from parent to child across centuries, an unassailable mark of your station. Whether a soldier-of-fortune or a true-blue patriot, you drop into hot zones across a thousand worlds to expand the star-spanning empire of one of the noble Great Houses.

BattleTechis the world’s greatest armored combat game. Inside this box you’ll discover epic clashes, dynamic characters, and a myriad of gaming experiences for any type of player: miniatures to RPG play, hobby painting to fiction, and beyond.

A Game of Armored Combat includes everything you need to start tossing dice and moving miniatures on your gaming table. Do you have what it takes to plan the banner of victory and become a legend? Leap into the action and find out!

BattleTech: Shattered Fortress ($29.99)

In 3146, the Republic of the Sphere hangs by a tenuous thread. The last fragments of Devlin Stone’s dream to shepherd humankind toward a more prosperous future hide behind the impenetrable defenses of Fortress Republic. As the interstellar communications blackout rages, the ambitious Great Houses vie for military dominance, and the bloodthirsty Clans strive to find a weakness in the Fortress’s armor on their path to conquering Terra and claiming the coveted title of ilClan. When the Wall comes down, will the Inner Sphere plunge even further into the abyss of interstellar war, or will this herald the dawning of a new age?

Shattered Fortresschronicles the twilight of BattleTech’s Dark Age, as nations are thrown into turmoil and predators circle the broken remnants of the Republic of the Sphere. This volume provides a year-by-year look at pivotal turning points in the history of the Inner Sphere, offers a peek behind the curtain of Fortress Republic, and reveals the fateful decisions that will ultimately decide the future of mankind.

BattleTech: A Splinter of Hope/The Anvil, Novella Omnibus ($7.99)

Jump into your BattleMech cockpit, fire up your fusion engine, and charge into the fray with two all-new BattleTechnovellas from Philip A. Lee and BattleTech veteran Blaine Lee Pardoe.

A Splinter of Hope: Violent expansion of the Capellan Confederation and the Draconis Combine has cost recently crowned First Prince Julian Davion both his mentor and countless Federated Suns worlds. To rally his people, he funnels the fires of justice into an ambitious yet risky campaign to retake a vital system: New Syrtis, the occupied capital of the Capellan March. However, the Capellan people have fought dearly for their prize and will do anything in their power to hold onto it. Will Julian’s gamble preserve the future of the Federated Suns, or is the invasion doomed before it even begins?

The Anvil: Khan Malvina Hazen of Clan Jade Falcon is known throughout the Inner Sphere as a merciless, bloodthirsty tyrant. The next target for her scorched-earth, take-no-prisoners tactics is the Lyran Commonwealth world of Coventry: a persistent stain on the Jade Falcons’ history. But not all Falcons follow Malvina’s lead. Ordered to take Coventry at any cost, Galaxy Commander Stephanie Chistu wishes to see her Clan victorious, but no victory is worth the Jade Falcons losing their very soul. To stand up to tyranny and find an honorable path forward for her Clan, she must balance the razor’s edge between duty and honor—or die trying.

SHADOWRUN

Shadowrun: Kill Code ($49.99)

The Matrix is unknowable because it is infinite. There is always one more corner behind which things can hide, one more hole where secrets can be buried. Your job isn’t to know everything about the Matrix—it’s to know more than the people you are hunting. Or who are hunting you.

Kill Codewill help give Sixth World hackers the edge they need to stay alive and get ahead. From a guide to Matrix basics and operations to more ways to build ace deckers to dozens of new options for technomancers, the book can help everyone who tries to make their living on the Matrix, providing something to give them an edge when riding the Matrix’s datastreams. They’ll also learn about who their opposition might be—and how they might be attacked. The Matrix is full of kill codes waiting to be executed. Just as with the Sixth World’s many firearms, your job is to make sure they’re pointed in the right direction when they go off.

Kill Codeis an advanced Matrix sourcebook for use with Shadowrun, Fifth Edition.

Shadowrun: Street Lethal ($49.99)

Street fighting is only chaotic for amateurs. When you’re a pro, when you know what you’re doing, you’re precise. You know what your opponents might do, and you know ten different ways to respond. The options give you strength. They give you power. They make you dangerous enough that the smart ones on the street will know at a glance that they shouldn’t test you. The dumb ones will suffer.

Street Lethalcontains the data, tools, and options players need to maximize their characters’ combat skills. With briefings on the security techniques of major corporations, information on major mercenary groups and their operations, and a whole truckload of firearms options, this book has all runners need to make sure they’re the ones left standing at the end of a fight.

Street Lethalis for use with Shadowrun, Fifth Edition, though much of the information on corporate security and other opponents could also be used in Shadowrun: Anarchy.

Shadowrun: Crossfire: Prime Runner Edition ($59.99)

The shadows of the Sixth World have every kind of danger you can imagine. Ultra-violent gangers, flesh-eating ghouls, mages that summon spirits from toxic waste, backstabbing corporate raiders, hard-nosed police officers, and even dragons. You don’t have much—mainly your guts, your wits, and your friends. But maybe that’s enough. Between you and your teammates, you can sling spells, hack the Matrix, talk a tiger out of his stripes, and bring down a charging ork from a hundred yards away. Will that be enough to face down the worst the mean streets can throw at you? You’re about to find out.

Shadowrun: Crossfireis a deck-building game set in one of the most popular game settings of all time. Crossing cyberpunk with fantasy and plunging players into a world dominated by ruthless megacorporations. Crossfiregives players the chance to dive into the world’s shadows and see if they can survive. The Prime Runner Editionadds new upgrades to make the game even better—with more missions, improved rules, and new character screens, this is the best version of Crossfireever!

Featuring fast, cooperative game play and stacks of dangerous obstacles and opponents to overcome. Shadowrun: Crossfirewill launch you into nonstop action. You’ll even have the chance to get stronger the more you play, tackling harder and harder obstacles as you become more dangerous. Leap into the shadows for deck-building adventure like you’ve never experienced!

Shadowrun: Crossfire: Prime Runner Refit Kit ($24.99)

If you have a Shadowrun: Crossfireset, you might have seen the update to the game called the Shadowrun: Crossfire: Prime Runner Edition, and maybe you’re thinking that it would be good to be able to get something that has only the changed materials—the updated rules, the changed cards, the new missions—so that you’d have all the benefits of the latest edition without having to buy everything again.

You’re right—it would be good! So here it is! The Prime Runner Refit Kitbrings all the changes of the Prime Runner Editionto your Crossfiregame, including updated rules, adjusted character stats, newly designed character screens, more missions, and a full range of upgrade stickers, including the set from the High Caliber Opsexpansion. With this kit, your game will be ready to roll with any Crossfire game out there!

Note: The Prime Runner Refit Kitis for use only with the first edition of Shadowrun Crossfire. If you don’t have Shadowrun: Crossfireor if you have the Crossfire: Prime Runner Edition, you do not need this Refit Kit!

TABLETOP

The Duke: Lord’s Legacy ($39.99)

“…this is one of the best abstract strategy games I have ever played.” Tom Vasel, The Dice Tower.
“The most innovative little board game since Chess.” —Michael Stackpole, New York Times best selling author.

In The Duke, players move their troop tiles around the board and flip them over after each move. Each tile’s side shows a different movement pattern. If you end your movement in a square occupied by an opponent’s tile, you capture it. Capture your opponent’s Duke to win!

The Lord’s Legacyedition of this award-winning game includes the complete eight-tile Arthurian Legends expansion, as well as five brand new tiles!

Master of Orion: To The Stars, Fiction Anthology ($7.99)

The Master of Oriongame lets players take their place as one of thirteen different races of the galaxy, each seeking to carve out their own empire from the stars. Now, Catalyst Game Labs and Wargaming.net are pleased to present the first anthology set in the Master of Orion universe.

Ranging from one end of the galaxy to the other, these original stories explore the galactic politics, alien planets, and outlaw bases of the Master of Orion universe. A Sakkra ship duels with a mysterious Meklar vessel near the Race Track, the most dangerous area in space. The leader of a Gnolam merchant empire family discovers that danger can come from any direction—even right next to him. A cargo ship crew stranded by pirates must accept an offer of help from an unlikely source. And a special operations team sets a trap to capture the wily creature that has led them on a chase halfway across the galaxy.

Featuring sixteen stories by Michael A. Stackpole, Jody Lynn Nye, Aaron Rosenberg, Jean Rabe, Robert E. Vardeman, Jane Lindskold, and many others, To the Starsexplores the races, planets, and secrets of the Master of Orion universe like never before. So ready your fleet, take stock of your planets, and prepare to embark on adventures that will take you to the stars and beyond!

RESTOCKS

The following game re-stocks are scheduled for availability at Gen Con 2018!

 

Dragonfire: Character Pack: Heroes of the Sword Coast ($24.99)

Character Pack: Heroes of the Sword Coastcontains thirty-two additional Character screens, introducing the Druid, Bard, Ranger and Warlock Classes into Dungeons & Dragons© Dragonfire™. Additional races are also featured, including Rock Gnome, Tiefling, Lightfoot Halfling, and Gold Dwarf. Other screens bring Classes, genders, and races together in a broad variety to fill out a sweeping range of adventuring parties. Finally, the pack includes dozens of sticker sheets, as well as twenty-seven new Market cards.

 

 

Dragonfire: Adventures: Shadows Over Dragonspear Castle ($19.99)

Evil awaits in the catacombs surrounding Dragonspear Castle. Challenge two new Encounter Decks, and discover new Magic Items and Market cads in the first chapter of the Dragonfire Adventures!

 

 

 

Dragonfire: Adventures: Chaos in the Trollclaws ($19.99)

Chaos brews in the Trollclaws as gnolls, orcs, and goblins clash in conflicts that endanger the countryside. Face new Encounters and claim new Magic Items and Market cards in the second chapter of the Dragonfire Adventures!

 

 

Dragonfire: Treasure Hoard: Wondrous Treasures ($19.99)

Wondrous Treasurescontains fifty-two Magic Items cards to expand your Dungeons & Dragons© Dragonfire™experience. From armor to weapons, figurines of power to staffs: a host of great new game play fun can be yours. Unlock the keys to adding these to your deck as you complete more adventures and build the legend of your character!

BattleTech: Total Warfare ($39.99)

It is the 31st century, a time of endless wars that rage across human-occupied space. As star empires clash, these epic wars are won and lost by BattleMechs, 30-foot-tall humanoid metal titans bristling with lasers, autocannons and dozens of other lethal weapons; enough firepower to level entire city blocks. Your elite force of MechWarriors drives these juggernauts into battle, proudly holding your faction’s flag high, intent on expanding the power and glory of your realm. At their beck and call are the support units of armored vehicles, power armored infantry, aerospace fighters and more, wielded by a MechWarrior’s skillful command to aid him in ultimate victory. Will they become legends, or forgotten casualties? Only your skill and luck will determine their fate!

The product of more than twenty years of gaming experience, Total Warfarepresents the rules of the BattleTech game system as never before. For the first time, all the rules for various units that have a direct impact on the deadly battlefields of the thirty-first century appear in a unified rules set: from BattleMechs to ProtoMechs, Combat Vehicles to Support Vehicles, infantry to aerospace fighters and DropShips. Interwoven and meticulously updated, Total Warfare provides the most detailed and comprehensive rules set published to date for BattleTech–the perfect companion for standard tournament play.

Total Warfareis the single-source rulebook for people who play BattleTech. It is not intended to teach new players the game, but rather to serve as a reference work for people who know the game, while introducing more technologies and expansive rules than appear in the basic box set. The introductory game in the BattleTech line is the BattleTech Introductory Box Set. New players should pick up that product before diving into this one. Construction rules for the various units presented in Total Warfare can be found in BattleTech TechManual.

Note: To celebrate the release of the BattleTech Beginner Boxand BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combatboxed sets, the release of Harebrained Schemes’ BATTLETECH, as well as Piranha Games hotly-anticipated MechWarrior 5, new printings of the core BattleTechrulebooks are coming, with the first, Total Warfare, now available! As each are reprinted, they’ll feature fully-updated errata and receive a vintage cover to celebrate the wonderful history of the BattleTechuniverse!

BattleTech: Legacy, Anthology ($11.95)

A Draconis Combine warrior struggles with immoral orders in the First Succession War. A House Davion MechWarrior participates in a risky heist as part of Operation Guerrero. A history buff battles the Word of Blake during the Liberation of Terra. What do these MechWarriors have in common? Each one pilots the same BattleMech, a survivor that has been repaired and rebuilt countless times throughout its long and bloody 300-year lifespan.

The seventy-ton GHR-5H Grasshopper can outmaneuver and outlast some of the most fearsome enemy ’Mechs, making it an invaluable asset to battlefield commanders. Even an incapacitated Grasshopper will be rebuilt to fight another day, with a new pilot at its controls, because MechWarriors can be replaced, but ’Mechs cannot.

In BattleTech: Legacy, thirteen all-new stories chronicle the fortunes and tragedies of a single ’Mech across several tumultuous points in its wide-ranging combat history. Veteran BattleTech authors Kevin Killiany and Craig A. Reed, Jr. bookend this exciting collection, while other familiar names and new blood explore important moments in this ’Mech’s history of constant, unmitigated warfare that leaves no corner of the Inner Sphere untouched.

BattleTech: The Nellus Academy Incident, Novel ($11.95)

The battlefields of the 31st century are ruled by the BattleMech; twelve-meter-tall, 100-ton bipedal engines of pure destruction. Piloted by MechWarriors, commanded by neo-feudal officers, owned by national governments and band of mercenaries, these ’Mechs make every other ground combat vehicle obsolete.
This is the warfare of fusion-powered giants.
This isBattleTech.

Allegra Greene is no stranger to the military; her father is a general, after all. But when she enters the Nellus Military Academy, she finds far more than she expected. She finds a group of friends that will keep her going, challenging training, and instructors that push her to the edge and beyond.

Unfortunately, that’s not all she finds, and soon the endemic politics and warfare of the Inner Sphere reach the Nellus Academy. When their spaceship is hijacked and crash-lands on a remote moon, Allegra and her friends find themselves in a life-or-death struggle just to survive!

Shadowrun GM Screen, with new art ($19.99)

Every shadowrunner knows the value of good information. The right fact, the perfect piece of data, can be the difference between success and failure on a run, between life and death. And in the right hands, information can be more than valuable-it can be powerful.

The Shadowrun Gamemaster Screenprovides a collection of useful tables from Shadowrun, Fifth Editionfor ease of reference in game play. With range tables, action lists, combat modifiers, social modifiers, and more, this is a critical game aid to make your Shadowrungames faster and more fun. And to provide that all-important secrecy so that the players don’t know what you’re up to. This screen is for use with Shadowrun, Fifth Edition.

Shadowrun: Sprawl Stories, Vol. 1, Anthology ($11.95)

The Sixth World is a dangerous place, and nowhere is that more obvious than in Seattle, the so-called Emerald City. Surrounding its neon-drenched heart is kilometer after kilometer of Sprawl, where millions of people scratch out a living among hazardous, slowly decaying neighborhoods and even more dangerous neighbors.

Sprawl Storiescontains four Shadowrunnovellas that explore Seattle through the eyes of the people who live there every day. A burned-out mage detective tackles a missing person case that threatens to spiral beyond his control. A reporter goes on the ride-along of her life with a high-octane DocWagon team, and uncovers a conspiracy on live trideo. A young ex-wageslave is caught between powerful forces while investigating his uncle’s death. And a shaman must deal with a serious injury that threatens his very way of life—but not before taking vengeance on those who double-crossed him.

So take a walk on the true wild side of the Seattle Sprawl. If you’re good—and lucky—you might even come back out in one piece…

MISCELLANEOUS

If you think that list of books/games is awesome, we’ve got even more stuff for you to check out, including new t-shirts, enamel pins, dice and more!

The following additional items are planned to be available in the Catalyst area:

  • All-new energy drinks to keep you sharp during long gaming sessions!
  • Shadowrun Q-workshop dice
  • BattleTech Q-workshop dice
  • BattleTech acrylic and aluminum dice
  • BattleTech and Shadowrun patches
  • Old and new BattleTech and Shadowrun T-shirts
  • Old and new BattleTech and Shadowrun lapel pins and keychains (right)
  • Two BattleTechminiatures, the Waspand the Valkyrie, in verylimited quantities only at the Catalyst booth!

 

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“Shadowrun: Sprawl Ops” Goes Live on Kickstarter

Innovative worker-placement game features push-your-luck dice rolling mayhem in the Sixth World

(SEATTLE – May 23, 2018) The magic and high technology of the Sixth World are now open to tabletop gamers with today’s launch of “Shadowrun: Sprawl Ops” exclusively on Kickstarter through June 19.

The innovative gameplay of “Shadowrun: Sprawl Ops” combines worker-placement mechanics with push-your-luck dice rolling for three to four players, evoking the mayhem and split-second decisions of the internationally-loved Shadowrun setting.


Shadowrun: Sprawl Ops” was created by game designer and Shadowrun author Dylan Birtolo; Lynnvander Studios, creator of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Board Game”; and Catalyst Game Labs, makers of the Shadowrun role-playing game.

“I’ve been a fan of Shadowrun for as long as I can remember and creating a board game for such a compelling universe is a dream come true,” said Birtolo. “I’m excited to help introduce this world to new fans and give them a taste of this one-of-a-kind cyberpunk universe.”

Full details of the rules and mechanics, along with gameplay videos, are available on the Kickstarter page. Backer rewards for various levels of support include a 5-6 player expansion pack and a cooperative play expansion pack. Stretch goals include additional gameplay cards, dice, and a foil game board, with more to come.

The designers of “Shadowrun: Sprawl Ops” will be live tonight, Wednesday, May 23 at 7 p.m. EST, on the official Kickstarter page to introduce the campaign and provide details for prospective backers.

Catalyst Game Labs is dedicated to producing high-quality games and fiction that mesh sophisticated game mechanics with dynamic universes—all presented in a form that allows beginning players and long-time veterans to easily jump into our games. Catalyst Game Labs is an imprint of InMediaRes Productions, LLC, which specializes in electronic publishing of professional fiction.

Lynnvander Studios Inc. is a Canadian based company enhancing existing and developing new creative properties for clients worldwide. Founded in July of 2005 by Thomas M. Gofton, Lynnvander is responsible for the inception of several media initiatives in film and board game design. Lynnvander has created and produced the award-winning fantasy series “Mind’s Eye” as well as the acclaimed Shadowrun parody film “The Gamers: Natural One” and the epic sequel to The Gamers: Dorkness Rising “The Gamers: Hands of Fate”.

Lynnvander is also responsible for projects in board game design including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Galaxy Quest, The Legacy Line, Cowboy Bebop: Board Game Boogie, Dragon Ball Z: The Board Game Saga, Star Trek Attack Wing: The Alliance System, Terminator Genisys: Rise of the Resistance and many more. They are currently designing games for some of the most awesome IPs in the world, including Mega Man, Shadowrun, Reanimator, Red Sonja and Captain Canuck.

Dylan Birtolo is a game designer, writer, and professional sword-swinger. He’s one of the designers for Dragonfire and the developer for both Shadowrun Sprawl Ops and Henchman the Game. On the writing side, he’s written everything from novels to short stories for game worlds such as Shadowrun, BattleTech, Exalted, Legend of the Five Rings, and Pathfinder. He trains with the Seattle Knights, an acting troop that focuses on stage combat, and has performed in live shows, videos, and movies.

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Zero Day: Playing in the Sixth World


Shadowrun: Zero Day will be on sale at Gen Con, in Catalyst Game Labs’ booth 1611.

[This article first appeared in GTM 206; with their permission, we’re posting it here.]

I love great games. Obviously. I’ve been playing hobby games since I was eleven and first tossed D&D dice (thirty-four years ago—oh, my head); and working professionally in the industry for more than twenty years now. So a great game for me is one that is fantastic and cherished and re-played many times.

Just as enjoyable are brilliant universes/settings that captivate and never let go. Dune, Star Wars, BattleTech, Firefly—to name a few of my all-time favorite. And, of course, Shadowrun.

Twenty-eight years later, I still remember walking into Game Depot in Tempe, Arizona and seeing that brilliant First Edition cover by Larry Elmore as a poster on the wall and stopping dead with a “What is that?!”

Our gaming group grabbed four copies of the tabletop RPG the instant it was released, and while I’ve not always played it as much as other games, the dark dystopian universe of the Sixth World has always captivated and fascinated me to no end.

And of course, one of my all-time favorite things to do is mix those up. After all, IMO, the best universes lend themselves to iterations of experiences across a wide range of mediums. Books, movies, comics, video games, tabletop games: it’s always about that new and enjoyable way to experience a universe we love with friends. The Battlestar: Galactica game itself is absolutely amazing, and would’ve been great almost regardless of the skin. But pairing it with such a great and gritty TV series elevated the enjoyment all the more.


While Shadowrun remains a tabletop roleplaying game experience at its heart, Catalyst Game Labs has pushed that envelope into other avenues. First with the critically-acclaimed Shadowrun: Crossfire deckbuilding game, and then with our fast and fun push-your-luck dice game Encounters: Shadowrun. Next up, we’ve got a two-player, dueling hacker card game in Shadowrun: Zero Day.

There’s as many ways to reach a final game design as there are, well, games…and I’ve been a party to so many of those different avenues. However, while I love taking a rough game and developing it into a final version, one of my favorite experiences as a games publisher is to discover a diamond that’s sitting there, all polished and ready to go. The best example I have of that from personal experience is The Duke. While we added a few tiles at the end—as part of our Kickstarter campaign—beyond changing one tile’s name, we didn’t change a single thing about the game design. It was just that good!

Shadowrun: Zero Day is a close second. We’ve made a few subtle tweaks—working with the game designer, Brian Suhre—but by and large, the game we played last year at the Origins Game Fair is the game you’ll be breaking out to enjoy.

In the real-world, a zero day vulnerability refers to a security hole in a just-released software that is unknown to the vendor. This hole is exploited by hackers, which brings it to the awareness of the vendor, who fixes it as quickly as they can. This exploitation of an unknown weakness is called a zero day attack.

In Shadowrun: Zero Day, two players duel as they each launch a zero day attack against the various Megacorporations of the Sixth World. The goal is to determine who has the brains, guts, and gear to obtain the most paydata in trade secrets, credentials, passwords, nuyen and so on, before the besieged corps can shut the vulnerabilities down.

Set-up is quick, with each player grabbing their twenty data cubes and their draw decks of twelve Tool cards—three Decryption, three Sneak, three Exploit and three Guard—while building a communal deck of twelve Countermeasure cards. Each player will also place four different face-up Megacorporation Cards, as well as the deck of eight Data cards and twenty-one corresponding Data tokens, which are placed face down. Players then lay out three face-up Countermeasure cards, randomly drawing and placing one Data token on each Countermeasure, as well as revealing face-up three Data cards. Each player then draws four cards from their draw decks and the game is ready to begin.

Play proceeds with one person taking a turn, followed by the opponent. The game ends immediately if three Megacorporation cards have been fully scored, or if you need to fill a Countermeasure spot and you cannot (because the Countermeasure deck is empty). Players then add up their points to determine the winner!

On each player’s turn, they play a Tool card from their hand. Only one type of Tool card can be played at a time, but the player can play as many of that card type as they have in their hand. After they’ve played their cards, if the player has three or fewer left, they draw two cards from their draw deck, and their turn is done.

Playing a Tool card lets a player place a data cube on any matching Countermeasure card (the colors will match up). Once the total cubes placed by both players equal the card’s target number, the player with the most cubes wins the Countermeasure and the Data token on the card and places both in their score pile (both players put any of their Data cubes on the card back into their reserves). If the opponent had at least one Data cube on the defeated Countermeasure, that player may select a Data card to place into their score pile. Once a Countermeasure has been defeated, a new one is revealed to replace it.

For the Megacorporation cards, there are two ways to score. First, if a Tool from a player’s hand is played and there are no Countermeasures corresponding to that Tool, that player automatically places their Data cube(s) on the Megacorporation of their choice. The second option for scoring is when a player defeats a Countermeasure, any of their Data cubes placed that exceed the target number on the Countermeasure are placed on the Megacorporation card of their choice.

As with a Countermeasure, when the total number of Data cubes from both players matches the target number of the Megacorporation, it is scored. The player with the most cubes takes the card and puts it into their score pile, while their Data cubes are returned to their reserve. If the opponent had at least one Data cube on that Megacorporation card, any of their cubes are then placed into their score pile.

Shadowrun: Zero Day is a fun and quick game that let’s you dip your toes into the brilliant Sixth World in an engaging way that’ll have you exploiting zero day vulnerabilities over-and-over again.

Randall N. Bills has lead the development and publication of hundreds of novels, sourcebooks, rulebooks, box sets, game aides and more. He’s currently the Managing Developer for Catalyst Game Labs, overseeing the strategic development of the perennial BattleTech and Shadowrun properties, while managing the rollout of Catalyst Game Labs’ new line of table top games.

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