Production Update, Rulebook Preview
about 5 years ago – Thu, Mar 07, 2019 at 05:23:06 PM

It's been a while...

Howdy to all our wonderful backers! It's been a while since you heard from us here at ROBA HQ, because we wanted to wait until we had concrete news to share with you. 

Production Update

The production of ROBA has been proceeding at a steady pace. Since you last heard from us we've been working hard, first on an exhaustive procurement process to make sure we picked the right manufacturer and then on pre-production, preparing our files for print according to that manufacturer's specifications. As of this week, we have proceeded to the next stage, and proofing copies from the factory will soon be making their way to us for final confirmation before we print, package and ultimately ship your copies of the game!

Rulebook Preview

In the meantime, we'd like to share with you a copy of the game's final rulebook layout (it's a bit different to the last time you saw it during the open Beta). The rulebook has been laid out from scratch, incorporating much of the feedback we received during the beta period in order to make it clearer and more concise. I'm happy to say that this is the best version of the rulebook yet. You can see it for yourself by downloading it right here!

What Happens Next?

As soon as we have the proofing copies in our hands we will post our next update complete with photos. Assuming there are no issues with those copies, we will then proceed with mass production.

In the meantime, we're planning a number of pre-release events at several conventions on both sides of the Atlantic. We'll be announcing those as details become concrete.

See you soon!

Backerkit Closure
over 5 years ago – Wed, Nov 21, 2018 at 06:37:36 PM

Hi All,

Just a quick update to let you know that we will be charging cards for the backerkit on Friday, 23rd November.

If there is an issue processing your payment you will receive an automated email from Backerkit.

We'll have exciting news for you soon, so be sure to keep an eye out for future emails!

See you in the Arena!

Backerkit Closes in 48 Hours
over 5 years ago – Tue, Oct 30, 2018 at 09:24:10 AM

Backerkit Closure Immanent

Action Required - Backerkit Closing Date
over 5 years ago – Mon, Oct 08, 2018 at 09:50:31 AM

Backerkit Ends October 31st

By now, you will have received your Backerkit survey via email. This is not some boring waste-of-time research survey, but a vital part of our fulfillment process! Please be sure to follow it and complete the form on the other side - we need this information to ensure that you receive your copy of ROBA along with any add-ons you may wish to add to your pledge. Backerkit is where we collect your all important shipping information and process any shipping charges. Please be sure to complete your Backerkit form before the end of October.

Backerkit functions like any online store front, allowing you to select additional add-ons or just get what you pledged for. If you pledged €37 for the expansion during the Kickstarter campaign,make sure you click to add a copy of the expansion to your order, as it will not be included automatically. Please note that for many customers, the shipping cost of €12 is the same as the cost of the expansion - you're not being chargedfor the same thing twice!

If you can't find your backerkit email, you can also retrieve your survey by clicking THIS LINK.

Backerkit info, progress update, retail pledges, hero preview
over 5 years ago – Tue, Sep 18, 2018 at 01:36:08 AM

Backerkit

Our Backerkit has been submitted for approval, a process that can take up to 48 hours. Once we receive approval, 5% of our backers will be randomly selected to be a part of our smoke test, and will receive their pledge survey early. 24 hours after the smoke test, the Backerkit survey will be emailed to all of our Kickstarter backers.

Using the Backerkit you'll be able to use this to finalize your pledge. You'll be able to customize what rewards you want and add on anything you missed during the campaign. It's also where we'll confirm your shipping details. It's vital that you take the time to fill it in - otherwise we won't be able to ship you your rewards!

The backerkit will remain open for 30 days. During this time we will also be accepting late pledges, so if you've got any friends who missed out on the Kickstarter campaign, be sure to let them know!

What we're up to

We've been hard at work double checking all the details to make sure we're ready to ship you an excellent product. We're wrapping up the revisions we spoke about in the last update, and soon we'll be ready to issue the updated Print and Play PDF.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the development process is art direction - and we've been working with the talented Evan Surya Nugraha to bring Balefire Corvus, the winner of our alt-art promo poll to life. We're pretty pleased with how he's turning out...

Retail Pledges

If you are one of our retail backers, you will have received a message via Kickstarter asking you to confirm your store address in advance of the backerkit opening. Please contact us with this information at your earliest convenience.

Hero Preview - Viola, Scholar of the Blade

Introduction

Viola is a challenging, but powerful Warrior hero who specializes heavily in taking down enemy Heroes, at the expense of her ability to threaten conduits. Viola is an agile fighter who relies on mobility, speed and guile to overcome her opponents.

Viola's basic Hero card is an exception among Warriors in the ROBA core set: her Attack is only 2! This is a huge consideration when it comes to deck construction because of the all important need to be able to threaten your opponent's conduits in the early game. The payoff for imposing this restriction on yourself is that Viola posses an unmatched ability to threaten enemy Heroes, especially in the early game. Once levelled up, Viola becomes a highly mobile assassin, capable of threatening Heroes in multiple locations in a single turn.

Viola's attack bonus is not just limited to Mortal heroes, making her a great late game threat against your opponent's Deity - especially once you lift the restriction against team attacking by levelling her up.

The Skill Deck

Viola's basic skills offer great rewards, but come with their own risks. If you've got the read on your opponent, her skill cards are some of the most powerful in the ROBA core set - but if they've got the read on you, they'll be able to punish you for taking risks at the wrong time.

Daredevil offers a clash-speed recover, consistently one of the most powerful tempo swings ROBA has to offer, but it presents its own dangers. Doubling the Attack value of any card clashed by the defender, it can potentially offer a totally free recovery (if they've played defensively), or it can leave your attacker smeared against the wall if they've decided they want to take you with them. Daredevil is especially useful for circumventing blockers in the late game, and has a natural synergy with Viola's levelled up Hero card.

Riposte is the other half of Daredevil's bluffing game. This is a card that punishes your opponent when they attempt to counterpunch your attacking Hero. Drop this when they're expecting to see Daredevil and you're guaranteed to make a highly efficient damage trade.

Cheap Trick is scary: a 5 Attack clash is nasty business on offense or defense. Catch your opponent out with this and they're in a world of hurt, but if they see it coming, its value diminishes rapidly.

Viola's Ultimate skill is Stormblade. Unlike her other cards, there are no fancy tricks to this one. Stormblade's killing power is unmatched in the ROBA Core Set, offering a mighty total of +7 Attack when clashed by a Divine or Levelled Up Hero. Combined with Viola's own base of 5 Attack when attacking enemy Heroes, stormblade is powerful enough to punch through almost every defense the other Heroes have to offer, and is a great finishing move to close out the game in style.