Alderac Entertainment
The December newsletter from AEG mentions the new Nightfall expansion Nightfall: Eastern Skies and the new starter pack for Legend of the Five Rings, but both without much detail to it. But we learn more about the coming Smash Up expansion Smash Up: Awesome Level 9000; the four new factions will really mix up the game and put the whole thing even more over the top. Ghosts and Steampunks we could see coming. Killer Plants are a bit further out, but not entirely surprising. But we certainly didn’t expect the Bear Cavalry. The Bear Cavalry is more unexpected than the Spanish Inquisition, which is not a faction. Yet. We can hope.
Catan
A new expansion for the Settlers of Catan is coming early next year – at least to Germany, other parts of the world may get it later – and this one really makes me want to get my Catan set out again as it emphasizes the one thing I loved most about Seafarers and, basically, about Catan as a whole: exploration. Seafarers of Catan had a couple of scenarios where only part of the board is build at the start, and when you start going to sea you discover more of the world. The new expansion, Entdecker und Piraten (Explorers and Pirates), will have exactly that, but there will be more: tiles you discover can have missions to complete, presumably for points, and your ships will move around and carry goods and settlers to new lands. This could be absolutely great. And we didn’t even hear about the pirates yet.
Fantasy Flight Games
Descent: Lair of the Wyrm is just a few more days from release and FFG is showing off two more preview posts: one to present another hero and his class and another looking at new monsters and the new Punisher overlord class. And you can also check out the rulebook now.
Here’s a new project from FFG as well: Masques. The card game by Charles Chevallier, Catherine Dumas and Pascal Pelemans was first released in 2010 under the name Intrigo, but besides the name nothing seems to have changed between the two editions: you’re still the head of a Venetian family competing for influence at a ball in the Doge’s palace. Playing family member cards, you can gain influence with the five guilds that will ultimately make you win, or you can send your nephews and nieces to collect money and then hire the services of courtesans, thieves and assassins.
This week’s photo shows the Margravial Opera House of Bayreuth, Germany. It’s a very recent addition to the World Heritage List, only added in June 2012. It’s the only baroque opera house of its size that is still maintained in its original state – and it’s a shame there are no CC-licensed photos of the interior on Flickr. If anyone happens to be in the area … . This photo was taken by Sanjar Khaksari and shared with a CC-BY license. Thank you, Sanjar!