Forge Your Fantasy Kingdom in the New Oathmark: Second Edition

Osprey Games are releasing an updated and expanded edition of Joseph A. McCullough’s popular kingdom builder mass fantasy battle wargame Oathmark: Battles of the Lost Age.

Oathmark: Second Edition is hitting the shelves in late August and will be available in both Hardcover and digital formats, both of which are currently on pre-order on Osprey’s webstore.

In Oathmark you create your own fantasy kingdom, populated with elves, dwarves, goblins, and other fantasy creatures, and chart its rise and fall through a series of battles against neighbouring kingdoms using miniature armies on your tabletop. At its heart it is a traditional mass battle fantasy wargame, but those battles are just part of an ongoing campaign where you are continually developing your kingdom, adding new territory and army options, and watching your kingdoms story unfold.

Command the fantasy army you’ve always wanted in Oathmarl: Second Edition, whether a company of stalwart dwarves or a mixed force with proud elves, noble men, and wild goblins standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the battle line.

Fight through an integrated campaign system and develop your realms from battle to battle, adding enw territories, recruiting new troop types, and growing to eclipse your rivals…

…or lose what you fought so hard to gain and fall as so many would-be emperors before you.

The game has not changed too much from the first edition, but a number of things have been added or expanded upon. Undead armies are now included in the main rules for the first time, as are rules for chariots and Legendary Heroes. Some of the fantasy races have been given some special rules to help highlight their differences…. for instance Elves are the “Eldest” and Dwarves are “Child of Stone”.

Figures with ‘Eldest’ gain +2 Defence against attacks generated by spells, wheras “Child of Stone” means the figure is immune to the Horrific and Stone Gaze attribrutes, as well as gaining +2 against Fire Breath attacks.

Magic has been tweaked, with spellcasters becoming a bit better than in the first edition. Spells can now be attempted to cast with a simple action and spellcasters know more spells. Magic items have also been expanded and made cheaper.

The scenarios have all be updated, with the originals undergoing a thorough review, and expanded from 5 to 8 for the new edition.

I really like the system the game has to create your kingdom, and that you can put put as much (or as little) in to the creation of your kingdom - family trees, history, heraldry, politics, etc. All of this certainly appeals to the Storyteller in me.

Oathmark is about telling the story of your kingdom. Rules wise, this is mostly handled through the results of its wars and battles, but you can take that one step further. Try creating the story of your kingdom. This can be as complex as a long piece of fiction or as simple as the annals of the kingdom, briefly listing the major events in a given year, Take a look at the Anglo-Saxion Chronicles for a great example of this from history.

Images courtesy of Osprey Games