Aetherstream: Leviathan Kickstarter

Der neue Kickstarter von FASA läuft.

Aetherstream is FASA’s science fiction universe where five primary factions and their allies fight for dominance. Interceptor is for starfighter combat and skirmish actions involving light forces. Leviathan is for capital ship combat with the fate of whole star systems hanging in the balance.

For capital ships, power is king. No ship ever has enough. Power allocation between ship systems such as Maneuver, Weapons, Shields and Point Defense is key to the game. Spend too much power to line up the perfect shot and you may not have enough left to energize your weapons, much less your shields against any incoming fire. Using concepts from FASA’s earlier games, including the Star Trek Starship Combat Simulator and lessons learned designing the Virtual World Entertainment cockpit simulators, Levithan uses a quick token-based system of power allocation as it is needed through the course of a round. This helps make for quick game play and tactical decision making.

Combat is similar to the system used in Interceptor; dice pools are created from ship’s stats and circumstances to roll for success, both for attack and defense. Damage flies but these ships are built to take a beating.

Fighters are still part of the combat mix.  While their weapons are useless against a capital ship’s shields, fighters can fly through them to deliver devastating attacks assuming they survive the combat run. But a small capital ship will still think twice about taking on a squadron of fighters.

The Ships

The Leviathan ships are injection molded plastic.  The are ready to play right out of the box.  The stand base is designed to align with our starfield hex grids and have reference marks to help determine arcs of fire and which hex is targeted.  A unique feature is that the bases are removable and are held securely in place with small but powerful magnets.  This makes storage easy and allows the model to be removed from the base during play for those situations where congestion on the hex grid makes moving ships a challenge.

But, most importantly, we think the ships look great.  From the wedge and fins of the Terran Commonwealth to the Callistonian Empire spindles, each ship is unique and are a great addition to anyone’s collection.  They range in size from the two hex cutters to the massive 8 hex Leviathan.

All ships will be produced in their faction colors and come unpainted.  The bases will be clear.  Both will be fully assembled and ready to play right out of the box.  The Javelin Scout measures roughly three inches long and the Leviathan Class measures roughly 13 inches long.

Click on the ship name to see our on-line shop product page for more images and information and then follow the link right back here to our Campaign page.

The Terran Commonwealth Order of Battle

62101 Javelin Scout

„The Javelin-class scout serves primarily as a support and picket ship. It can seek out trouble, provide targeting data, and escape to report back to command.“ The Javelin measures 3 3/4 inches long.

62102 Yak Transport

„Yak-class transports are most found as a fleet auxiliary carrying finished munitions, expendable stores, raw materials for nanoforges, and other specialized transport pods. The Yak class depends on the rest of the fleet for defense.“ The Yak measures 4 1/8 inches long.

62103 Spiculum Destroyer

„The Spiculum-class destroyer is one of the lightest ships to carry a spinal mount weapon. With its maneuverability and Nova Beam, this small ship can dominate the action, making the Spiculum class a force to be reckoned with, even against encounters against much larger ships.“ the Spiculum measures 4 3/4 inches long.

62104 Ranger Corvette

„The ship that tamed the fringe. Ranger–class corvettes were designed for independent system patrol, but serve well as scouts or screens in battle groups. The Ranger class is a vital part of fleet deployment and tactics.“ The Ranger measures 4 3/4 inches long.

62105 Hornet Light Carrier

„The Hornet-class carrier houses a squadron of fighters. As a light carrier, it can serve on independent detachments, system support, or provide additional fighters in battle group support.“ The Hornet measures 4 3/4 inches long.

62106 Quiver Carrier

„A Quiver–class carrier carries two full fighter squadrons and relies on those fighters for both offense and defense. With weak firepower and modest maneuverability, the Quiver class is primarily used for battle group and fleet support.“ The Quiver measures 6 inches long.

62107 Mauler Gunship

„The Mauler–class gunship is a powerful ship with good maneuverability and excellent firepower. Mounting the Commonwealth’s LSMD spinal mount, the Mauler class is a threat to any ship, outpost, or colony in a system and often serves as the lead ship in a battle group.“ The Mauler measures 7 3/8 inches long.

62108 Leviathan Battleship

„The Leviathan-class battleship has sparked a new arms race. The Leviathan class packs incredible firepower in the form of seven massive turrets and a supersized LSMD spinal mount, backed up by reactors capable of powering a core world. Carrying four additional capital ships in specialized docking clamps and two fighter wings, a Leviathan class is its own battle group capable of dominating any system.“ The Leviathan measures 12 3/4 inches long.

Here is the Terran Commonwealth fleet with a Bolt for size comparison.  A two hex ship is roughly two hexes long.  The Leviathan lurking in the background is eight hexes long.  Pictured here are prototype ships on temporary bases.

The Callistonian Empire Order of Battle

62201 Dire Wolf Cutter

„The Dire Wolf-class cutter is a workhorse. Equipped with an aether drive, these nimble ships act as scouts, couriers, and as the eyes of squadrons and battle groups.“ The Dire Wolf measures 3 inches long.

62202 Wild Host Raider

„The Wild Host–class raider combines excellent maneuverability and firepower to threaten any unescorted merchant convoy or lightly defended system.“ The Wild Host measures 4 1/2 inches long.

62203 Scorpion Support Carrier

„The Scorpion-class support carrier transports a full squadron of twelve fighters and packs enough firepower to clean up what’s left after a fighter attack. This class is capable of independent actions as well as convoy escort and battle group support.“ The Scorpion measures 4 5/8 inches long.

62204 Four Winds Carrier

„The Four Winds-class carrier is maneuverable, armed with plasma batteries for fighter defense, and carries a full squadron of twelve fighters. Perfect for detached duty where the ship can add to the firepower of the fighter squadron in any mission.“ The Four Winds measures 6 inches long.

62205 Wyvern Battle Carrier

„The Wyvern-class battle carrier carries two fighter squadrons. A Wyvern class can act independently with firepower and maneuverability to support its fighter squadrons, or as part of a battle group.“ The Wyvern measures 6 inches long.

62206 Firestorm Cruiser

„The Firestorm–class cruiser is a well-rounded attack ship. Combining potent batteries and barrages, opponents should be wary of a Firestorm class in any engagement.“ The Firestorm measures 6 1/4 inches long.

62207 Ogre Battleship

„The Ogre-class battleship carries an impressive array of firepower, which is highlighted by its Hellfire Cannon spinal mount. As one of the most powerful ships in the Imperial fleet, the Ogre class is often in the vanguard of any major engagement.“ The Ogre measures 8 inches long.

62208 Hydra Super Carrier

„The Hydra-class supercarrier is the premier Imperial ship. Housing three full fighter wings, or twelve squadrons, a single Hydra class can project power throughout an entire system. Also capable of launching several potent missile barrages simultaneously, it is a formidable ship in any situation.“ The Hydra measures 10 3/4 inches long.

Here is the Callistonian Empire fleet.  These are prototype models on temporary bases.

What you need to play

The easiest way to get into Leviathan is through the Academy Set.  This boxed set includes the following:

• Leviathan Rulebook
• 2 24″ x 36″ hex grid map sheets
• 10 Terran Commonwealth Captain’s cards
• 10 Callistonian Empire Captain’s cards
• 9 Terran Commonwealth Fighter Squadron Cards
• 9 Callistonian Empire Fighter Squadron Cards
• 16 firing arc and shield arc reference cards
• 35 chipboard tokens for status effects and squadron markers
• 2 A4 reference cards with all of the dice pool calculations and tables for play included
• 10 Terran Commonwealth gold d10 dice
• 10 Callistonian Empire purple d10 dice
• 40 Power allocation plastic tokens
• 20 Captain’s Reserve power allocation plastic tokens
• 2 dry erase markers
• 1 Terran Commonwealth Javelin Class Scout model with stand and Ship Card
• 1 Terran Commonwealth Spiculum Class Destroyer model with stand and Ship Card
• 1 Callistonian Empire Dire Wolf Class Cutter model with stand and Ship Card
• 1 Callistonian Empire Wild Host Raider model with stand and Ship Card

Everything is ready to play, right out of the box.

For those who want to pick and choose, the Leviathan Rulebook and Academy Card deck are available separately.  All 16 ships are also available in individual boxes and each box includes the ship model, base, ship card, power tokens and blank captain card needed to play.  Smaller ships come two per box, with the larger one per box.  The Starfield Battle Mat is available for those looking for a great hex grid to play on.

Gameplay

Leviathan is designed to play quickly but still reflect the complexity and trade-offs in fighting capital ships.  Managing power allocation is the key to successful play.  Players allocate power as their ship moves and fights, but must think ahead to reserve power for opportunity attacks and defense.  There never seems to be enough to do everything a captain wants.

Check out our how to play videos here:

Look for new and improved videos once we get our hands on the production components.

Reward Tiers

Leviathan reward tiers start with a PDF of the Leviathan Rulebook and progress from the Academy Set through the Grand Fleet Tier.  Each step up includes additional ships from both the Terran Commonwealth and Callistonian Empire ship mixes.  No tier repeats or doubles up any ship. Remember that the smaller two-hex ships come two per box.  For those who want one of everything, this ultimate reward tier includes the Starfield Battle Mat and two Squadron Carry Cases each configured for the Commonwealth and Empire fleets.  Custom cutouts fit each ship with their base perfectly.

Of course, for those who want to pick and choose, the A la Carte reward tier, allows just that.  You can pick and choose from the full list of Leviathan and Interceptor products to build your own reward.

All rewards that include a print version of an item will also include the PDF version as a Kickstarter bonus.  This includes rule books (including those in boxes sets) and potential stretch goal posters.

All reward tiers allow for add-ons from the full product list for those who want multiples of any particular product.  Here is the complete list of add-ons with their Leviathan Kickstarter Campaign prices:

• The Game
  • 62001 $22.00  Leviathan Rulebook
  • 62002 $90.00  Academy Set
  • 62003 $9.00    Academy Set Card Deck
  • 62004 $18.00   Power Token Pack
• The Ships
  • 62101  $40.00   Javelin (two per box)
  • 62102  $40.00   Yak (two per box)
  • 62103  $45.00   Spiculum (two per box)
  • 62104  $45.00   Ranger (two per box)
  • 62105  $40.00   Hornet (two per box)
  • 62106  $45.00   Quiver
  • 62107  $54.00   Mauler
  • 62108  $90.00 Leviathan
  • 62201  $40.00   Dire Wolf (two per box)
  • 62202  $45.00   Wild Host (two per box)
  • 62203  $40.00   Scorpion (two per box)
  • 62204  $45.00   Four Winds
  • 62205  $45.00   Wyvern
  • 62206  $45.00   Firestorm
  • 62207  $54.00   Ogre
  • 62208  $76.00   Hydra
• The Extras
  • 62900  $75.00 Carry Case – Terran Commonwealth Configuration
  • 62901  $75.00 Carry Case – Callistonian Empire Configuration
  • 62910  $10.00   Leviathan Start Marker
  • 61550  $72.00  Starfield Battle Mat
• Interceptor
  • 61000  $95.00 Interceptor
  • 61001  $24.00  Interceptor Rulebook
  • 61002  $24.00 Interceptor Campaign Supplement
  • 61101  $38.00  Terran Commonwealth Squadron Set
  • 61102  $38.00  Callistonian Empire Squadron Set
  • 61103  $38.00  Babylonian Union Squadron Set
  • 61104  $38.00  Free Trade Directorate Squadron Set
  • 61105  $38.00  Allied Worlds Squadron Set
  • 61501  $11.00   Terran Commonwealth Dice Set
  • 61502  $11.00   Callistonian Empire Dice Set
  • 61503  $11.00   Babylonian Union Dice Set
  • 61504  $11.00   Free Trade Directorate Dice Set
  • 61505  $11.00   Allied Worlds Dice Set
  • 61550  $72.00  Starfield Battle Mat
  • 61900  $95.00 Interceptor Carry Case

Stretch Goals

Here at FASA Games we like to include everything we are planning on producing as part of the reward tiers or as add-ons from the beginning of the campaign.  We have our development and production schedules planned to make sure every product listed in the reward tiers will be completed at the same time so that we can fulfill your pledges as quickly as we can.  This allows us to come back with a new campaign with expansion products.

Stretch Goal #1 Achieved

All backers with a physical pledge will now receive the nifty Start Marker below.  Next up, the Combat Poster at $50,000.

Leviathan, when we reach $25,000.00, each backer who has pledged for a physical product will receive a Start Marker. This nifty teardrop shaped coin replaces the chipboard token included in the Academy Set to mark a moving ship’s starting location.

Progress

With the launch of our campaign, we are well on our way towards completing the work necessary to deliver everything listed here.  All of the ship models are complete and in the final stages of injection mold fine tuning.  All of the print materials from Ship Cards, Captain Cards, chip board tokens and maps are complete and in various stages of proofing.  The Academy Set box is nearly complete as is the Leviathan Rulebook itself.  Adventure gaming’s premier convention, Gen Con runs during our campaign and we expect to have pre-production samples of the first six ships with their record cards and tokens available in limited quantities.  Depending on shipping schedules we may have a few more surprises to show during the show.  Check for campaign updates and here to see the latest.

All this means that we are confident in meeting our delivery schedule with the very high possibility of delivering much earlier.

Future Plans

We have great expansion plans for Leviathan.  Babylonian Union, Free Trade Directorate and Allied Worlds fleets will flesh out the ships of the remaining Aetherstream factions.  A Campaign Supplement will show how to keep track of campaigns of linked scenarios as well as give the rules for advancing a Captain’s experience and increasing his skills.

International Shipping

All goods will be or have been manufactured in China, they will be shipped to backers from our domestic fulfillment partner and our international partner in Liverpool, UK. EU backers will have VAT costs for any specific pledge and/or add-ons added to our standard international shipping rates. We hope that prepayment of the VAT will eliminate the chance for extra costs, fees, or handling charges upon delivery. We changed our process in our previous Kickstarter campaign with the result that backer pledge orders went out quickly with much less lag between US shipping and International shipping.  We will continue to do all we can to get your product to you as quickly as possible.

Late Pledges

Kickstarter has introduced Late Pledges.  These are pledges that will now be accepted after the successful completion of our campaign.  This is the way for any late comers to participate.  We will allow Late Pledges until we have the delivery date for our production order from our manufacturing partners and we must start the work involved in confirming, picking, packing, and shipping out everyone’s pledge order.  Look for updates on the timing of everything.

The only downside is that Late Pledges will pay full MSRP for all goods instead of the discounted Kickstarter price.  Most Leviathan products are discounted by 10% and Interceptor products by 5%.  The Early Bird Specials are discounted by 20%.  Please pledge early to take advantage of the best savings.

Die Kampagne ist finanziert und läuft noch 29 Tage.

Quelle: Aetherstream: Leviathan