Dark Age
Dark Age
Dark Age is a, fully scaleable, skirmish level wargame played in the 28-33mm scale. The Soon to be released Dark Age: Apocalypse is two books that contain everything you will need to play Dark Age. Dark Age: Apocalypse-Core Rules gives you the Basic rules to play the game, in addition Campaign Rules, Scenarios, Terrain Interaction and Weather Effects to liven up your game. Dark Age: Apocalypse-Forcelists contains 13 playable Forcelists, complete with fantastic artwork and intriguing storylines
Dark Age Games is committed in it's intention to make this game the benchmark for overall quality in the industry. With art from the inimitable Brom and Dark Age's own in-house artists, premium quality miniatures from the world's top sculptors such as Edgar Ramos, Werner Klocke, Kevin White, Steve Buddle and Gael Goumon painted by some of the best painters money can buy: Alexi Z, Arjay, Wappellious and more. A robust and well-tested game engine rounds off the package, developed and expanded over years of hard work and dedication.
All miniatures are pewter and range in size from 5mm to over 60mm, with the average human male coming in at around 32mm. Miniatures are shipped in clamshells with larger boxsets also available.
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Introducing THE BROOD
In the mysterious swampland known as the Blackmire, scientists from a United Worlds corporation worked in secret on terrible living weapons. When the UW economy collapsed only the most successful samples were loaded from transport off world. The rest were unceremoniously dumped into the swamp. Most died; one did not.
The creature that was to become the Brood Mere had been designed to be capable of locating and communicating with soldiers across a battlefield. Now she sought out two of the other prototypes, nicknamed Helexa and Mean Jellybean, with whom she had developed a close bond. The evacuation was confused and chaotic, and the young Mere was able to free her two companions before they were sent off-planet. Vanishing into the swamp the three lay low and waited for the humans to leave.
Once the facility was cleared they moved back in. Huge data banks had been left behind and the Mere studied them with interest, avidly learning as much human knowledge as she could. Meanwhile outside the fertile swamp-waters seethed with dumped bio-matter. New creatures sprang into life, then died and sank into the primordial stew, only to be recycled into new life forms. The telepathic Mere felt the pain of every birth, and the loss of each death. Driven mad she fled into the marsh, merging herself with the great spawning pool and taking control of it.
From that point on she was able to use the pool as a womb, creating children to her own specifications. The Brood were born. Whilst other races must master technology the Brood can simply evolve new creatures, perfectly suited to the task in hand. Thus were formed the tiny puds and the massive numbskulls, the vicious sawblades and the fast moving gazelles. Helexa and Mean Jellybean have remained with her through the centuries, training and preparing each new child for war. For the Mere teaches them all the same doctrine; to prepare for the return of the human “creator gods” who abandoned them long ago, then to sweep from the swamps and destroy them.
For half a millennium they have waited, until Saint John led his southern crusade over the Forked-Tongue River and into a green hell.
Regeneration Even when terrible wounds have been suffered Brood flesh repairs itself. Their powers of healing have proved a nasty surprise for many enemy commanders when they found wounded Brood recovering before their very eyes.
Bio-Gens The Mere has equipped some of her children with the ability to carry tiny symbiotic life forms into battle with them. The Brood player chooses these creatures ahead of the battle, and they provide their host with powerful additional abilities.
Acid Blood When their enemies first encountered the Brood they found them to be full of nasty surprises. Some of the more powerful of the Mere’s children have powerfully acidic blood flowing in their veins, and wounding them in close combat can reward the attacker with a spray of corrosive gore.
Puds In spite of their tiny size the ravenous puds have become a firm favourite with Brood commanders. Hurled into battle as living ammunition they display the ferocity and aggression of a creature ten times their size.
Introducing the Dragyri
Millennia before humans discovered Samaria other space-faring colonists settled upon this unforgiving world. Miners from the Alteghran Empire explored the deep caves and catacombs, extracting the strange crystals that grew there. When an asteroid struck the planet those Alteghrans who survived found themselves trapped on a planet turned stormy and hostile. Seeking shelter they retreated deep underground. There they have remained – until recently.
The Dragyri, as they are now known, are two distinct species that have come to see themselves as two classes within a single race. The larger of these two, the Trueborn, are masters of close combat, who's lives are governed by a strict code of honor. The smaller Slaves meanwhile devote themselves to performing the mundane tasks of Dragyri society. Crystal is still mined in large quantities as it is the mark of wealth among the Trueborn, being used to adorn armor and forge weapons. Furthermore it enhances their powers of Focus, allowing them to unleash spectacular elemental effects through deep concentration.
Following the reconstruction of their civilization in the caves the Dragyri were ruled by The Great Arbiter, a figure who's skill in combat and power of Focus have never been matched. Upon his death the War of Ascension tore the Dragyri apart, leaving a sundered society. Today the clans are ruled by powerful Spirit Lords, each of which is subservient only to the Arbiter of their Caste. As their society has recovered from the costly civil war they have begun to explore above ground once more, only to discover it is now inhabited by a race they call Those-Without-Honor.
Another war threatens, whilst in the deepest caves the shadows grow ever darker.
Honor Before Combat: Nothing is more important to a Trueborn warrior than honor. Only the most powerful of individuals are considered worthy of facing a Trueborn in battle. As a result a retinue of slaves travel everywhere with their masters, at least three to every Trueborn. Their task is to weed out the weaker enemies – as anyone incapable of defeating a slave is certainly not deserving of a Trueborn's attention.
Focus: Through deep concentration many Dragyri are capable of generating minor elemental effects. The potency of these is amplified by the crystals allowing some, often Soul Wardens and Spirit Lords, to unleash intense displays of power. Most spectacular of these are the living Elementals, massive avatars of the Caste's chosen element.
Castes: Each Dragyri clan devotes itself to an element, forming a Caste which is ruled by an Arbiter. At present the Ice Caste are available to play in the world of Dark Age, with the Air Caste joining them this summer.
The Ice Caste: Powerful and stoic the Dragyri of the Ice Caste are led by the formidable Luck'kit-kaii, the Arbiter of Fate. The first aliens to be encountered by the Forsaken, the Ice Caste are now embroiled in a bloody war against Saint Mark's Western Crusade as the man they have named “Bringer of Vendetta” pushes his troops into their lands. Meanwhile on the far side of their mountain strongholds an older enemy presents what may be an even greater threat. You'll find more about the brave warriors of the Ice Caste in Genesis, which also includes the troops of Saint Mark and the full rules needed to play them.
The Air Caste: Fast moving raiders and traders the Air Caste have suffered a long history of poverty. Now, following the rise to power of the first female Arbiter - Yovanka, they move ever more towards seizing opportunities and defying Dragyri conventions. They seek to carve a new future for themselves, but such a path holds many dangers and the Air Caste will need all of their guile if they are to survive. You'll find out more about the Air Caste in SC10, the first chapter in the uniquely evolving story of Samaria – coming this summer.
Introducing the Forsaken
When the massive financial engines of the United Worlds collapsed the fringe planets were abandoned almost immediately. The world which would become known as Samaria had never even been officially colonized. Instead it was used as a site for many illegal experiments and working practices or the testing of those discoveries that the mega-corporations wished to keep hidden from their competitors. When the time came it was abandoned without a thought. Only the most important individuals were evacuated before the supplies from off-world were cut off. Of the people left behind those with the greatest will to endure lived, whilst most others died within months. From the survivors arose a new society, one that called itself The Forsaken.
First they lived as scavengers in the ruins, but as time passed agriculture developed, technologies were rediscovered and trade routes opened. A new nation grew out of the wreckage. The most striking rediscovery however was yet to come. Less than fifty years ago the Forsaken embraced religion. Not since they abandonment had things shifted so profoundly, or so quickly. The full impact of this change was not yet revealed however. As society progressed towards becoming a theocracy one man came to a realization that would alter the course of his people's history. Commander Andrew Mark, stationed in an isolated garrison far from the hub of political power, declared himself to be Saint Mark – returned to protect the growing Forsaken nation. This cynical maneuver not only cemented his power in the region, but also led other leaders, generals and warlords to follow his example.
Soon so many Saints existed, and so great was their influence, that they began to shake the power of the Forsaken's political leaders. Rather than let slip the reigns altogether these leaders banded together, forming the Council of the Prevailers. To rid themselves altogether of the troublesome Saints they declared the Great Crusades, sending each one into the dangerous wilderness areas of the planet in search of new discoveries. Secretly they hoped that the Saints would find simply their own destruction. They had no idea just how great the dangers beyond their borders were.
Saint Mark: The first of the saints, Mark is an ambitious, cunning and charismatic individual. His elite Reavers and Shades are masters of subtlety, and when necessary these assassins can be backed up by the immensely powerful Junkers.
Saint Mary: Captured and tortured by the Skarrd, Mary escaped to swear vengeance. A fierce protector of all who are in need Mary and her troops guard the northern border. In this remote region she is often denied much needed troops and so makes do by recruiting whoever is available, from barbaric former criminals such as the Flense to Outcast warriors like Blades.
Saint John: Perhaps the most powerful of the Saints, John rules over a large swath of the south. This heroic solider scorns the unnecessary sacrifice of his troops and so from the Bangers, which cut through swaths of the enemy, to the powerful Faithful, his is an army designed for durability. None, however, are as mighty as John and when this hero leads his army to battle they know they cannot fail.
Saint Johann: Outlawed for his use of the illegal science of grafting Saint Johann has none-the-less made himself very powerful through the addition of inorganic machinery to his troops. When he goes to war screaming packs of harpies and strange looking drillheads enter the battlefield alongside the more familiar staples of the Forsaken army. Although he has since joined forces with the Baniss tribes to form the powerful alliance known as the Skarrd, the Followers of the Heretic forcelist provides you with the opportunity to bring this fearsome figure in Samaria’s history to the front lines.
Outcasts: Beyond the fortified cities around New Ashkelon, smaller settlements are scattered across the wastelands. Known as Outcasts, they eke out their existence in a variety of pursuits, whether it be subsistence farming, tracking their herds as nomads, or mining for scarce resources. The people of these societies are natural warriors, more than capable of defending themselves. However in recent years, some of these groups have become allies of the Forsaken, exchanging part of their independence for greater protection. Now backed up by the armies of the Saints they form the first line of defence between New Ashkelon and its enemies.
Squad Leaders: As a fully functioning army a Forsaken player may use leaders for their squads, experienced individuals who's knowledge and capabilities can prove the difference between life and death.
Introducing the Skarrd
When the rediscovery of religion swept Samaria like wildfire, those who failed to embrace the new theocracy soon found themselves pushed out. Forced together into a ragged mass of heretics and unbelievers they quickly realised they faced a lifetime of persecution. Unwilling to accept this, and lacking the strength to oppose the budding church, they fled north into the desert known as the Great Expanse. Long ago, in the days of the United Worlds, this area was home to many laboratories where chemicals were designed for military use. The refugees were unlucky to stumble upon one of them and unleash the mutagens still stored inside. This single event was their undoing – and their remaking. The mutations which came about as a result have made them powerful, but also inhumanly mad and savage. Driven on by a thirst for vengeance these tribal cannibals have spread along the Northern Border of the Forsaken lands.
In the year SC 5 the Forsaken Saint Johann was banished for the crime of heresy. Ignoring the orders of the Prevailers he had continued to practise the illegal science of grafting until he was forced to flee for his life into the desert. There he and his followers encountered the tribes of former refugees, now calling themselves the Baniss. It was a perfect opportunity for both to join forces against a common foe. They renamed themselves the Skarrd and turned their fury upon the Forsaken.
Psychogenics Exposure to mutagenic chemicals has had a warping effect on the minds of the Skarrd, causing some – the Fathers and Bone Doctors – to display powerful mental effects. If the player has one of these units in their army they may add their choice from a series of powerful effects, which can disrupt their enemy’s plans or even kill their troops outright.
Grafting The Fallen Saint, Johann the Heretic, brought the science of grafting to the Baniss tribes. This practice, heretical in the eyes of the Forsaken, involves the combining of machinery with living flesh. By including a Grafter in your Skarrd force you will have the option to take many other powerful units, from the fearsome Harpies to the unnatural Drillheads and the terrifying Abomination.
The Toxic Cult Led into battle by the terrifying Father Curwen, the Toxic Cult are the perverse worshippers of all things poisonous. The nomadic tribes often call upon the aid of these strange individuals, making for a fearsome combination. By adding members of this Cult to your Skarrd army you will gain units that are not only immune to poison but adept at its use as well.