25. Future of Oathmark

Oathmark is a relatively new game (published in April of 2020), so it has a (hopefully) long future ahead with a lot of new stuff coming. In this post, I want to take look in that future. Lets make the sequence according to the certainty, beginning with the already announced things and ending with the wishes...

Bane of Kings, the next supplement book, will be published in June of 2021. It will focus on the effects of time on the kingdom. What does that mean? Plagues, new alliances, deaths of leaders and rise of new ones. Sure, but what does that really mean? I dont know, but Im very curious about it (already pre-ordered it)! There will be some other new rules: formations (for example: phalanx, shield wall, skirmish line). I think, this will be a very good addition to the basic rules, it can add a new tactical layer to the game, without becoming too complicated. And new military expeditions (wit new scenarios), as already usual by the Oathmark supplements. I also read some rumors (dont ask where, I cant remember), that maybe all races will become chariots (I hear some dwarfs cheering!)...

There was an interview with Nick Eyre (founder of Northstar, who is making the official Frostgrave and Oathmark miniatures), where he talked about the future plans, let me quote it: "Nick Eyre: The Oathmark range is ongoing. We have finished the plastic Human Cavalry and the Dwarf Light Infantry box sets, they are in the queue to be moulded in plastic. Michael Anderson is putting the final touches to the skeleton infantry box set, and that is off to the plastic manufacturer next week. That set is actually going to leap-frog the Cavalry and Dwarves so they can be released at the same time as the Undead supplement in November. Next in line are the Revenants, another Undead type, then Elf Cavalry then the Orc Infantry. Loads and loads to come." So there are a lot of new boxed sets coming! Im a bit disappointed, that the orcs are planned a little later, but all in all very happy, that so much stuff is on the way!

These seems to be confirmed by fresh news on Wargameterrain: "We will have a regular release schedule for plastic Oathmark figures this year, including: Human Cavalry, Dwarf Light Infantry, Revenants, Orcs and Goblin Lt Infantry."

We are getting to misty parts... But there is still one clue: the book art. If you look closely at the book, you can notice, that the box arts are also included in it: double sided prints, with more, differently armed figures. But there are also such pictures, what we haven't seen on plastic boxes. Yet... I think, that its pretty likely, that we will later! Here is a list of the double sided, box-art-like pictures from the books, with my tip on the possible sets:

Oathmark:

• 22-23 / Dwarf Infantry / available
• 32-33 / Elf Infantry / available
• 38-39 / Human Infantry / available
• 54-55 / Goblin Infantry / available
• 108-109 / Human Cavalry (Cavalry + Mounter Ranger) / speculation
• 120-121 / Elf Light Infantry / available
• 136-137 / Orc Infantry / speculation
• 144-145 / Goblin Wolf Riders / available
• 159-160 / Dwarf Heavy Infantry / available
• 170-171 / Dwarf Light Infantry (Militia + Border Guard) / speculation
• 184-185 / Goblin Light Infantry (Slave + Slave Slinger) / speculation

Battlesworn:

• 12-14 / Elf Heavy Infantry (Linebreaker + Warrior) / speculation
• 28-29 / Human Light Infantry (Ranger + Militia) / speculation
• 62-63 and 72-73 reused from Oathmark

Oathbreakers has surprisingly nothing, not even the box art of the already available Skeleton Infantry...

Lets assume, that all of my tips will prove to be true, what will be still missing? Here is a list of the units (so no characters, no monsters, no artillery) from the books, which would be still needed:

• Human heavy cavalry: will be included in the Human Cavalry box (although I dont see any heavy cavalry on the possible box art), or will it became a separate set? If a separate set, will it be the same size as the former ones, or its time for smaller boxes (because 15 Human Heavy Cavalry is a really huge and expensive force)? Or maybe some metal/resin casts with separate horses and riders, maybe separate hands+weapons to combine?
• Elf Mounted Ranger: I assume, that the Elf Cavalry set (mentioned by Nick Eyre) will include them.
• Elf dogs: there was an Elf Hunt Master miniature, but only as a special offer, and without dogs. There could be a separate box for this, but honestly, I dont think that its really needed... Northstar has some metal dog/wolf miniatures, so if the Elf Hunt Master would be released as a normal miniature, anybody could make a unit with combining them.
• Orc Warrior and Linebreaker: this has to be a new plastic boxed set, there is no way around it!
• Engineers for every race: I dont think, that it will ever be separate engineer boxes. Only a few from them are needed, and the different races mean different sprues... Or a combined sprue? Because there would be no need for so many weapon options, means, there would be more place for bodies. For example 2 bodies from every race (including orcs and goblins) and some weapons? Sounds good, but not very likely...
• Ghoul: Well, I dont see any feasible combination with other unit types here, and a separate set, just for Ghouls is unlikely. Maybe a smaller box, if there ever be smaller boxes. In my opinion, the most likely here, is a cooperation with Mantic, as by the Frostgrave Undead Encounters set.
• Revenant cavalry: If a separate set, it has the same issues, as the Human Heavy Cavalry. But what if they combine it with the Revenant Chariot? I think, thats the way to go!
• Revenant Chariot: see above.
• Gargoyles: I almost forgot about the only human sized, unaligned (and flying) unit. I feel here the same situation as by the Ghouls, with the same solution: Mantic has some affordable plastic Gargoyles.

I think we are trough with the missing units. Regarding monsters and artillery, I wouldn't make any prophecies, because there is only one official monster, and zero official artillery available. Thats to few to draw any lesson from it. And the characters? Northstar has a lot of metal miniatures, the tooling for metal casts is relatively easy to make, so there is everything possible!
(Facebook rumor: apparently there will be plastic ogres from Northstar... )

Its Christmas time (I write this on 12.23.), so Mr. McCullough, Mr. Eyre, here is my wishlist:

• Siege rules (I wrote a post about it, but planning another one, because I started to write my home-brew siege rules)
• Primitive black powder weapons (Im planning a post about it)
• Faction of Nature with fauns, dryads, centaurs, unicorns, giant eagles, treants (because it would fit the folklore of the Marches, I already made some house rules for some of them, and more is on the way)
• Faction of Demons (Im not in love with them, but a lot of players could be attracted to Oathmark with it, and I think that Oathmark could be real successor of WHFB, but only if every former player finds a place for his army...)
• Faction of Lizardmen (the same as with the demons)
• Faction of Ratmen (Guess why!)
• Affordable and poseable Troll miniatures (beacuse I didnt found anything yet)
• Elemental mages and elementals (as unaligned troops) with spells and miniatures of course (there is already a Water Elemental in Battlesworn)