ARTICLES, DEMOS, & SHATTERED STRETCH GOALS!
over 6 years ago – Wed, Nov 27, 2019 at 02:22:10 PM

UNLOCKED STRETCH GOALS!

Necromolds and our Series 1 launch continues to grow thanks to you and our community!  Last night we unlocked Caster Ring #11, the SNAILS OF WAR, and we're fast approaching #12!  These unlocked Series 1 rings are included as a complete collection in our "All-in" pledge level.  That means we're nearly at 10 toxic glitter rings PLUS the two core Caster Rings in the Battle Box!

NEWS

Yesterday I was invited out to Leder Games (Publishers of ROOT and VAST)  over lunch to demo Necromolds to their crew (some of which are All-In backers!).  You can check out a few pics from yesterday's games on our FB or Twitter.

And finally, this morning we were featured in a Gizmodo board games article! Check it out!

Thad just completed one of the Monster Pack 4 illustrations, and I cannot wait to share it - so let's unlock Ring #12 so I can send an update.  Sitting on this killer illustration is like trying to hold back a burning secret!

- Clint

ANOTHER STRETCH GOAL DOWN! FEAR THE TRIBALL!
over 6 years ago – Mon, Nov 25, 2019 at 06:50:27 PM

We've unlocked another stretch goal!  

See all possible victories with the Triball Caster Ring! Unlocked thanks to YOU!!! We're another step closer to solo-mode, Basalt's Spell Chest, and Basalt's Fortress!  I'll update the KS page as soon as I get home tomorrow morning.  In the meantime, below is the Terrible Triball!

Less than 1.5K to go until the next Caster Ring unlock!

MORE TO FIGHT FOR! NEW STRETCH GOALS!
over 6 years ago – Mon, Nov 25, 2019 at 08:31:54 AM

Although we have three more caster rings, two more monsters, and a solo mode to unlock, I wanted to share with you the next batch of Necromolds' stretch goals (!) that I'm most excited about.  These goals were designed to add more to the game without delaying our production time or scope.

105K - Double the Caster Rings!

That's right.  We're going to double the final Series 1 Caster Ring count from 10 to 20!  Our team already has several of these new ring illustrations completed.  Why more rings? Each monster pack comes with a mystery caster ring and by adding more rings we reduce the chance of players getting duplicates.

What does this mean for the "All-In" Glitter Ring set?  Doubling the rings was never in the initial scope of the Kickstarter or its pledge levels, but I think it will be a huge benefit for all backers and all future Necromold fans. I'm going to offer the expanded set of 10 rings to "all-in" backers at cost!  I'm a collector at heart and understand that many will really want-it-all.  And don't fret!  There is a new FREE stretch goal for you down the list...

110K - Digital Print-and-Play Expansion

Secret orders and hidden flanks are two of my favorite elements in wargaming.  I've figured out a really cool way to add these to Necromolds - which will change up the way you play and the flow of the battle.  By unlocking this pledge level, I'll be able to playtest and develop this expansion early and offer it to ALL BACKERS as a digital print-and-play for FREE.  The expansion involves "gm screens" that you build your army behind, keeping back a secret squad of units to be deployed later during the battle.  Before the battle begins, both players choose - in secret - the spawning location and play-round that the deployment will happen!

115K - Basalt's Spell Book Chest

Many have asked for it and I think it's a fantastic idea!  We will offer all backers a storage solution for all of their Series 1 Spell Books!  This box will be fully illustrated and feature a magnetic lid!  We've already discussed the idea with our manufacturer who is working through the final costs now.  This product will be offered as an add-on to all backers at a discounted price!

Finally...

125K - Basalt's Fortress Volume Tool

This is a product that I've wanted to create for quite some time - and if we can unlock this stretch goal we'll be able to manufacture it for the launch of Series 1.  This is a tool used when purchasing 3rd party clay in bulk and using it to play Necromolds.  It's an easy and fast way to make sure both players are using the same amount of clay.  It also offers the potential for more future game modes - like defend the castle!

These three images are prototype tests created last month!  As you can see, we have already started work on modeling and prototyping the castle, so there will be no pre-production delay caused by adding this wicked product to our launch!  This will be offered to all backers at a discounted cost!

That's all I have for now.  Thank you all again for the strong support!  I'll keep working my hardest to carry Necromolds as far as possible over the next 20+ days.

-Clint

STRETCH GOAL GRAVEYARD!
over 6 years ago – Sun, Nov 24, 2019 at 05:22:37 PM

The shortest summary of Day 2 in our campaign: Stretch Goal Graveyard!

Seriously, we're smashing through these stretch goals like they're Mud Mumps against an Insectomite!  In our second day we unlocked ALL of the physical upgrades to the game that will be included in all backer and retail copies.  Even those who learn about Necromolds after its release will have you all to thank for its up in production value!

Which brings me to our final stretch goals.  From here on out we're unlocking rings, a potential monster pack 4, AND a print-and-play solo mode.  The solo-mode is something that I've wanted to and have planned on exploring, and by hitting that stretch goal I'll be able to make it a priority once we've sent our files to the manufacturer.

Why will hitting that stretch goal allow me time to further explore solo-mode?  Because although the game has fully funded on Kickstarter and will be made (!!!), I'm still personally investing my own money to cover some of the larger upfront tooling costs for launching Necromolds.  Finishing our current stretch goals will not only mean we've made Series 1 that much more rad, but it means I'll be able to personally invest instead in attending conventions, exploring more game modes, and beginning plans for Series 2 much earlier than anticipated!

I have three final stretch goals for Series 1 that I think you'll all be excited about - and if we can close in on our current list, I'll get them added to the campaign page!  These are goals that will not delay or derail manufacturing.  I've been working very closely with Panda to ensure our ambitions don't undermine us!

Now let's unlock those Caster Rings and basically double the "All-In" pledge tier ring collection!

FULLY FUNDED AND THEN SOME!
over 6 years ago – Sat, Nov 23, 2019 at 10:22:15 PM

These last 24 hours have been a whirlwind - and it's all because of you.  Necromolds is a game that could only be created with a base of fans like you all, paired with a fundraising platform like this.  Early on in the project, there were two different paths to getting Necromolds off the ground:

The first path was easier.  It was to package Necromolds as a rough prototype and pitch it into the void of large corporate invention submission forms.  There were a few toy companies out there that I thought would be a good fit for Necromolds, but the process for submission was intimidating in that it didn't protect my idea at all.  My greatest fear was pitching the idea, having it rejected, and then seeing it on the shelf at Target a year later under a different name.

The second path was more difficult.  It was to dedicate myself to the project for as long as it kept me satisfied.  It would involve huge upfront investments of time and money, plus learning new technical skills like CAD for injection molding and 3D printing.  Finally, it would involve building up a community of fans by trying to share the magic I saw within Necromolds - and in the end, asking them to help me financially make it into a real product.

Encouraged by several friends as well as Necromolds' lead artist Thad - I chose the second path.  It was every bit as rigorous as I imagined, and looking back it is a bit overwhelming to recount all of the small steps it took to get here.  I guess its a bit like climbing an unending ladder - if you focus on the next rung, everything will be okay.  Look too far up or too far down, and your mind will lose its balance.

I remember when I pulled the first prototype monster mold off a friend's 3D printer and brought it home to test.  The moment I created the monster and smashed it with my fist, I felt there was magic in the idea.  Every few months from that starting point - or at times when the project felt overwhelming - I'd take a step back and crush a monster to see if that magic was still there... and it always was.

Fast forward to hours before the Kickstarter launch.  I agonized over the high funding goal required to get Necromolds started.  I questioned if it was even possible with the size of our community.  I wondered how I'd address our fans toward the end of the campaign when it was obvious we wouldn't fund - and how far into 2020 it'd be before the relaunch.

Within 12 hours, you all made each one of those worries disappear and my brain is still recovering from whiplash because of it.  I really cannot thank you all enough for your support both financially and also in sharing the project with others.

In my vision, Necromolds was never going to be a one-off project.  It was going to be a franchise that we began building together here on Kickstarter.  The enthusiasm you've all shown leave me with little doubt that we'll be making more Necromold Spell Books and games in the years to come.

With all that said, let's smash through those stretch goals and see how far we can get this thing in 24 days!

- Clint Bohaty, Creator of Necromolds