DreadBall Xtreme vs. Guild Ball

Do you like miniature sports games? Do you pay homage to the Kickstarter-gods?

If so, it appears that the stars aligned to put fans of miniature sports game in a particularly excruciating dilemma over the coming weekend (and the weeks thereafter).

Not one, but two anticipated Kickstarters for miniature sports games are poised to launch in the next day or two: DreadBall Xtreme and Guild Ball!

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#1 – DreadBall Xtreme

About a 18 months ago, I took the plunge and backed Mantic Games’ DreadBall Kickstarter… with a sizable bit of money. It’s been a roller-coaster-experience ever since, but I can honesty say that DreadBall was clearly the game I played most and enjoyed most throughout 2013.

It may be a bit rough around the edges at times, but DreadBall is still a hell of a game.

Now, Mantic Game is getting ready to launch a follow-up Kickstarter for DreadBall, DreadBall Xtreme. Teasers have been out for a while and there are good reasons to dip into it again (even though I wish Mantic would’ve waited another year or two).

• I already have sizable collection of DreadBall miniatures (including the fantastic Veer-Myn team done for me by Mini Brush Studio). I could use them right away with the “new” DreadBall game. Also, two (similar) games to play with the same miniatures (both old and new) is hard to pass up.

• Mantic Games have been spot-on in delivering their Kickstarter-pledges (though I still have no resin Zzor I won at some distant point in the past).

• I greatly enjoy the tongue-in-cheek, not too serious Mantic miniatures and background. Blood Bowl always was a bit more goofy than the (formerly far more goofy) Warhammer it came from, and DreadBall hits the same spot for me. It’s a fun break from the mostly grimdark gaming I do otherwise.

• There is a lively DreadBall gaming-scene and tournament scene all around me (even though I still haven’t found an “official tournament” where I could play my “official 2014 tournament miniature“)

Of course, Kickstarter a variant the same game all over again has it’s drawbacks. I still have more DreadBall miniatures unpainted than painted, I’ve barely even dipped into Season 3 of DreadBall and, it seems, I am one of the few people who doesn’t like the new “mouse-pad-mat” material that Mantic Games used for DreadBall Ultimate and Deadzone (so yeah, Deadzone would’ve been far better with ‘Dust-Tactics-style’ cardboard field… there I said it).

Either way, there’s a countdown ticking for DreadBall Xtreme, and the Kickstarter-campaign will launch February 21st, 13:30 GMT.

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#2 – Guild Ball

Guild Ball on the other hand is the big unknown, the challenger and the newcomer.

Designed by Mat Hart & Richard Loxam, Guild Ball made a massive splash on Facebook (Twitter, etc..) recently with fantastic artwork and game-play previews. I like what I am seeing.

• The promise of a truly new game to sink my teeth into. With action-paths for players (which remind me a bit of Arena Rex), along with things like “Combo Play” and a “Momentum System” to track the ebb and flow of a game, Guild Ball offers a unique game-experience.

• Miniatures and artwork look stunning, if a touch more serious than DreadBall.

• Guild Ball plays on a 3′ by 3′ table, not a board, a “sports-skirmish-game” if you like, which appeals to the miniature wargamer in me (though I do love my board games dearly).

• Guild Ball has, for better or worse, the newcomer-bonus of genuinely launching a new enterprise on Kickstarter (touchy subject, but there it is).

Of course, Guild Ball comes with all the risk of a newcomer too. Will they be able to deliver on time? Will the game truly be fun? Will I find enough people to play Guild Ball with?

Also, going toe-to-toe with Mantic’s well-oiled marketing-and-kickstarter-machine will most likely hurt Guild Ball more than vice versa (though I could be wrong there).

The Guild Ball Kickstarter will launch on February 20th, just a day ahead of DreadBall Xtreme.

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#3 – Thoughts?

Curiously, both DreadBall Xtreme and Guild Ball offer not only a miniature sports game, but a miniature sports game that takes a step away from a “classic” board game approach.

DreadBall Xtreme still has a hex-based pitch like DreadBall, but adds elements like terrain.

Guild Ball goes a step further and plays on a 3′ by 3′ table right away, making it basically a skirmish game (albeit a skirmish game about scoring goals, not (only) about killing people).

It’s a bit unfortunate that these games – both deserving and interesting – will collide on Kickstarter over the weekend.

Which one would you pick? DreadBall Xtreme? Guild Ball? Both? Neither?

Let me know what you think!

Z.