Final Artwork Preview- Spearpoint 1943

I've posted a final artwork preview on the Frontline General: Spearpoint 1943 gallery on Boardgamegeek.com. Here is a link to the announcement thread posted yesterday on BGG:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/486052/final-artwork-preview-frontline-general-spearpoi

I've also posted a few examples from the artwork preview below.

Please browse to the game's gallery to check out all of the images uploaded (29 total).

Spearpoint 1943 progress update

To follow up on my last blog post, a few updates are in order regarding Frontline General: Spearpoint 1943. It's always a good thing when you're waiting on others to get back to you rather than being the one on the hook for files, information, and *gasp* payments. Today I find myself pretty-well caught up, which is highly unusual.

• We are definitely running a contest with the help of Boardgamegeek.com starting February 1st 2010 and will be giving away 20 preorders of Spearpoint 1943 as prize support. I sent all of the contest materials to Chad at Boardgamegeek yesterday so their programmers can get a jump on setting the contest up.
  
  
• Frontline General News Issue 14 is written, but not yet formatted. This issue includes a feature article that takes readers through the entire game and previews a lot of final art.
  
  
• This past weekend I filmed a full game of Spearpoint 1943 with the help of my friend Brandon. I'm beginning to edit this video and will post it on our site along with FG News 14 as a supplement to the newsletter. I won't reveal who won the game, but let's just say that person's defeat was decisive.
  
  
• I've placed the order for 15 Print-on-Demand (POD) copies of Spearpoint 1943 to prepare for a tournament in February at Williamsburg Muster. Many of the POD copies will then go to PODcasters (PUN intended) for pre-release reviews. I've been in touch with several podcasters who have committed to doing a pre-release review of the game.
  
  
• I've ordered a new retractable banner stand for upcoming 2010 conventions in order to make my setup a bit more portable. I had been using homemade PVC stands to hoist our 3-4 banners, but they required transport by truck.
  
  
• Before February 1st I'll be posting artwork and DRAFT Rules to the game's BGG entry in prep for the contest. I'm trying to time this upload with my release of FG News 14.
  
  
• I'm pushing forward with production plans. I'm still waiting on the printer to review the artwork files and tell me everything is okay.
  
  
• I've written two more Scenarios for this game, which I'm now calling "Situations" just to be different. Scenarios seems like an over-used name in the world of wargames.
  
  
• Collins Epic Wargames is now officially an LLC!

Final Artwork Complete - Spearpoint 1943 + Updates

It's been a while between posts, but I have been incredibly busy with game design. I can finally breathe a little...

This weekend, I completed final card artwork on all of the cards for Frontline General: Spearpoint 1943, my new WWII squad-level combined arms card game, which is available for preorder direct at $24 + shipping. The artwork is for 175 cards total (86 of them unique) and includes 50 German Unit Cards, 50 US Unit Cards, 50 Command Cards, and 25 Damage Cards.

I printed an update to my prototype on photo paper last night as I listened to some music in the Drum & Base genre (I find it helpful to listen to repetitive beats when I'm doing repetitive work like trimming out or sleeving cards). I had previously finished and printed the 100 Unit Cards and only needed to print the Damage and Command Cards, so it took less time than I expected and my Dahle rotary trimmer made quick work of the new cards. Once I finished sleeving the final Command Card, after months of extensive work on the game and testing, I finally had a sense of completion.

What's next for Spearpoint 1943?

• I'm currently preparing a small 15-copy Print-On-Demand run through superiorpod.com which will be ordered this week to support a pre-release tournament at the upcoming Williamsburg Muster Convention in Williamsburg, VA. I'll then send some of the POD copies off to reviewers and podcasters to generate some pre-release reviews and some buzz about the game and with luck, more preorders. Other POD copies will go to some external playtesters who are ready and waiting to do final testing.
  
  
• I'll be previewing the artwork and game rules in the upcoming Issue 14 of Frontline General News. 5 pages of the article are already written but a few more are required. The extensive preview will cover the game in-depth, and will be supplemented by Design Notes and a video walkthrough of gameplay.
  
  
• I'm having our printer look at all of the card artwork files to let me know what I did wrong before production.
  
  
• I'm considering running a contest through http://www.boardgamegeek.com/ to generate more pre-release exposure for the game.
  
  
• I'm working with Mark Mahaffey to finish the box back artwork in the coming weeks.
  
  
• Scenario development and testing continues. I've written 4 of the 8 scenarios that will be freely available for download from our website upon release. The game doesn't depend on scenarios- in fact- standard games will probably be more commonly played- but scenarios really enhance the game for those seeking objective-based games with a little more story. Issue 14 of FG News will go into this more deeply, comparing the various ways to play.
  
  
• I'm re-vamping our brochures, banner ads, magazine ads, and convention marketing material / signage based on the completed artwork.