From Alderac This Summer

Alderac Entertainment Group gave ICv2 information on two new products at the GAMA Trade Show scheduled for release this summer: Custom Heroes and Smash Up: Big in Japan. The company also revealed details for new organized play kits for Mystic Vale and Smash Up.

Custom Heroes will be the second game to use Alderac’s Card Crafting game mechanic, based on the game known as Daifugo in Japan or President or A**hole in the U.S. In this game, players must play matching sets of equal value cards that outrank the last play. The twist here is that players can change the cards when they play them by adding new abilities, weapons, or “buddies” to their cards. Since cards that have been changed remain so for the rest of the game, the deck will evolve during play.

Custom Heroes was designed by John D. Clair, the creator of Mystic Vale. The component list has not been finalized. MSRP will be in the range of $29.99 to $34.99. Custom Heroes will release in August.

In September or October, the next expansion for the long-running card game Smash Up will release. Paul Peterson’s Smash Up: Big in Japan offers four new factions inspired by Japanese movies and comics: Kaiju, Blitz Troopers, Magical Girls, and Itty Critters. MSRP is $24.99. Alderac teased that there is an unrevealed mechanic that ties into “big.”

Alderac also plans to support two of its games with new Event Kits for retailers who host events in store:

The Spirits of the Vale Event Kit challenges players to complete a series of “achievements” while playing Mystic Vale (see “ 'Mystic Vale' Card Game ”). Players who complete their achievement tree will then earn an exclusive promo pack which includes 40 wooden spirit tokens and 12 promo cards. Each Event Kit comes with two retail copies of the game and eight promo packs. The MSRP for each kit is $110.00.

To promote Smash Up, Alderac is also offering the All Stars Event Kit. This kit includes a number of cards from earlier factions re-imagined as an all-star basketball team in outer space and featuring all-new artwork. The kit also includes new bases, a table-sized playmat, and wooden tokens.

Alderac’s Andrew Narzynski explained the intent of this year’s OP kits to ICv2. “Both of these kits, the way that they’re structured is that if the retailer wants to, they can order multiples, or they can sell off extras. They’re meant so that they can be split up, so retailers have more flexibility. You don’t have to run the event. The really cool thing that we’re doing for Smash Up specifically… the Sheep Deck promotion… it goes directly to the customers. What we’re going to do with the Smash Up Event Kit… is any store that tells us that they’re running this event, we’re going to send a list of the stores participating out to that entire mailing list [that got a Sheep Deck]. We’re sending customers your way.”

Check out the gallery for images of the Alderac booth at the GAMA Trade Show.

“Big in Japan” is the theme for many of Alderac’s releases this year, including its new product line (see “Cooperative Fantasy ‘Unicornus Knights’”).