You might think running a tabletop game site is aiming at a pretty specific demographic. Gatekeeping BS aside, that’s not entirely wrong. But even at that, TheRatHole.ca covers a huge amount of ground for being a small site. Regular readers will know that before the pandemic we were putting out content seven days a week some weeks. The original Necromolds campaign one of those things that looked too cool not to feature here, and this reprint campaign look even cooler.
Seriously though, watch their campaign video (conveniently embedded at top of this Spotlight) and tell me it doesn’t look cool. If you’re of a certain age, it screams nostalgia for games and toys of days gone by. If you’re a gamer, it makes you wonder if it works. If you’re not really either of those things, why are even you here? (Also, welcome. I hope you stick around.)
How the game works, is that both players have 3oz of soft clay to create an army. Less powerful creatures take less clay, more powerful creatures use more clay. Put the clay into a mould, close it, remove the excess clay and you have your creature. Repeat with the rest of your clay. From there, it’s a pretty typical war game, but the rules have been designed with tiered complexity letting players of all ages play and have fun. The one thing that makes Necromolds stand out the most is that when a creature is killed they aren’t removed from the play area. Instead, that creature is smashed down with an oversized “Caster Ring” and the resulting wax-seal-looking splat of clay is left where it died. There is something extra satisfying in not only winning a battle but literally crushing your opponent when you do so.
The new campaign isn’t just a reprint of the base game, but also the first official expansion that includes new rules, new monsters, powerful artifacts, and 3D terrain models by Tinkerhouse.
I didn’t realize this when I first saw Necromolds, or even when I started this Spotlight, nor did I remember it when I met him at GenCon this summer, but designer Clint Bohaty also designed Hounded which is a seriously great two-player game.
The pledge levels start at $25 USD for a single Monster Pack with two spell book moulds, a random caster ring, and 3oz of clay. (these are meant to supplement the game, like a booster pack.) $40 Gets the Call To Arms expansion set. $60 gets the full Battle Box Starter Set. $100 gets you all the new stuff or $275 gets you absolutely everything.
This looks like a blast. I got to take a very quick hands on demo at Gen Con and I really hope to review it in the future. It’s a great way to get younger kids into the gaming hobby, but with enough to it for adults to play and enjoy it just as much as the kids.
You can back Necromolds on Kickstarter until October 5, 2022.
You can find Necromolds LLC online at www.necromolds.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/necromolds.