For 2011, items will continue to develop into an important part of the DDM skirmish game, just as they are staples of the RPG. The current rules constrain how we can design and distribute items, and I’ve long felt that, at least for organized play, we need to look at alternative implementations of the item rules. To this end, I’d like to preview, and beta test, this new item rule that could be used for the upcoming constructed season. Here is a snippet from one version under consideration.

Welcome to the Beholder Collector’s Set ‘Rules’ released by the DDM Guild. To mark this memorable event, the Guild has issued new stats for each figure included in the set. Astute players will note that some of these figures are recasts of earlier beholder miniatures. Those of you who have an eye for the letter of the rules will also point out that, as such, should probably use pre-existing stat cards for play.

After much analysis, we are happy to anounce the return to play of our three previously banned figures albeit in modified form. These figures used to be “must includes” in the old metagame, but, if we’ve done our homework right, have now dropped to the status of “need to consider” when building your own warband

While we design large sets, like Lords of Madness, it seems we are usually so busy that we never actually relate what goes into the process of design. Usually, we have a theme in mind for a given miniature. Sometime, its really obvious what this is, and sometimes less so. With the release of four figures for Heroscape that were originally sculpted for DDM (see arrows in the image below), it provides an opportunity for us to spend a little time relating how this thought process goes on. At the same time, there is a fair bit of sadness.