With the marketplace crowded with more and more collectible card games, Precedence has announced two new product initiatives, both of which are clearly inspired by CCGs but have no cards.  Precedence was one of the many game companies to enter the CCG arena in the wake of Magic, and they have produced some notable games including the science fiction-inspired Babylon 5 CCG and The Wheel of Time CCG, which was based on the Robert Jordan fantasy novels.  Now Precedence is attempting to diversify its output and catch some of the new trends in adventure gaming.  In conjunction with Wisconsin-based Tyranny Games, Precedence is developing Sack Armies, a game of military conquest played with collectible hex shaped tokens.  Sack Armies will debut in June, followed by Star Legions in July.  Star Legions is a collectible miniatures game (CMG), a new entry in the genre created by Mage Knight (see 'December Product of the Month'), distinguished by a science fiction setting.

 

In Sack Armies players assemble armies from a pool of unit, battlefield, magic, and maneuver tokens and place them in a sack.  Players first establish the 'Battleground' by using a chosen mix of special 'Battlefield' tokens with unique terrain effects.  Then the armies clash as players randomly pull tokens out of the sacks to determine the outcome of the struggle.  The first Sack Armies product, which is entitled Sack Armies: Expeditionary Force will feature one hundred and twenty colorfully illustrated tokens randomly sorted into individual Starter and Booster packs.  Each Starter Sack Pack will include rules, a custom sack, and 42 tokens, all you need to start the game for a reasonable srp of $13.99.  Booster packs will include 18 tokens and retail for $4.95.

 

The second major Precedence release of the summer, Star Legions is the first science fiction collectible miniatures game.  Here Precedence is following the example of the white hot Mage Knight game from Wizkids.  The limited edition Premiere Release of the Star Legions game will feature starter boxes of 10 random, pre-assembled, pre-painted figures for a suggested retail price of $18.  Booster boxes of five random figures will be priced at $6.95.

 

As Precedence CEO Paul Brown III noted, 'The design revolution that started with cards will continue to evolve, transforming the worlds of fantasy wargames, miniature games, and more.'  Precedence's two new releases extend the influence and format of CCGs into new territory.  Will consumers find illustrated tokens as satisfying and useful as printed cards?  The answer will go a long way toward determining the success of Sack Armies.  Star Legions' pre-assembled, pre-painted miniatures are quite obviously a sci-fi version of Mage Knight, but without Wizkids' patented 'power dials' on the figures themselves will Precedence be able to approach the ease of game play that has helped to make Mage Knight such a success?  To be determined.