I've gotta say, I've become quite a fan of the TCG system after playing a fair bit of WoW's one with a Priest and Warlock deck. Expense was always the issue of course, especially if you don't have many people to trade duplicates with.
That is all the more reason why I was jumping up and down with giddy joy about the new Warhammer TCG - Warhammer Invasion. It's tactical, the art is beautiful, it's set in our favourite universe and the box is the self contained game. Even the extra packs you can buy are standardized sets. The cards in them are all the same, therefore it's economically better as well. This was all too much for my little nerdy brain to handle...

Once I came to, and got back up from the floor, brushed myself down and tried to BUY the game I was in for a shock. The actual getting hold of it part is...not easy.

The official site here - http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite.asp?eidm=85
has a shop, but it's American. I'm not. I want to avoid massive P&P. Oh that and I just checked the internal section of their shop here - http://store.fantasyflightgames.com/produc...s.cfm?SKU=WHC01
and it says "out of stock".

This is what I'm encountering everywhere.

Checking Amazon via this search field - http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?u...hammer+invasion
shows only the expansions...not the actual game.

Then there's the little sites that claim to sell it online but A. when I check they will probably be out of stock and B. I don't trust buying from them so A is moot.

Then there's my local Forbidden Planet Megastore. They'll have it! Right?...Right?
hooboy...
I'd been checking in there on and off asking when they'll have it and they said they don't have it yet, even though they too were selling the expansion sets...you know? Those sets for the actual game no one can seemingly buy? Yeah that's the one. Gotta have them expansions/boosters!

I think the cake was well and truly "taken" when I left it a a few short days and went back in only to be told "they've sold out." Somehow in less than a week they apparently got some in and then had none left. This remains the case on last check.

My point being, is this going to be a badly supported game by FF? I mean, I have really high hopes for this thing and I'm trying to give my support and play it. Who wouldn't want to own a Grimgor Ironhide card? Even if he is a two dimensional killing machine made un-orcy thanks to Gav Thorpe. Who wouldn't? :P

So, does anyone actually own the thing? If so, how is it working out for you?

I had no problem buying a copy. I used Game's Lore in the UK, to get both the starter set when I started and the battlepacks as well. Great service, I'd recommend them. A nice discount too. I don't think it's badly supported by any stretch, I think you have just been looking in the wrong places.

The game itself is fantastic. There's a real simplicity to the rules, but there is a lot of scope within that. It's more complex than Magic, as you have three zones of your capitol that can be attacked. The winner is the first person to burn down two of their opponent's zones by putting 8 points of damage on them. This goes hand in hand with the warhammer icons on each card. Depending on where a unit is deployed, these warhammers count for different things. In the battlefield, they are the attacking power of the unit. In the Quest Zone, they represent extra cards you can draw. In the Kingdom zone, they give you extra resources, which are used to bring cards into play. So for example a Bloodthirster has 5 warhammers. If attacking from your battlefield, it would do 5 damage. If in your quest zone, it would allow you to draw 5 extra cards per turn. If in your kingdom zone, it would allow you to draw 5 extra resources per turn. So the game is a wonderful balancing act, where you not only need to bring out the right cards at the right time, but put them in the right places.

The greenskins are generally played as your prototypical weenie rush deck, though there are Orcs, Chaos, Dwarfs and Empire to try. Also Skaven are available in the battle packs, and Dark and High Elves are gradually being introduced, though they will get their own starter set soon.

It's a world away from the arms race of MTG and a really elegant game that looks to be very well supported by a good company. I'd say it's definately worth your time if you can find some opponents.

Well that's some reassuring news Draig. Thanks for the link too.

Yeah I heard about the way they've encouraged you to be fluffy, to keep more of your faction's cards in deck as they cost less resources for what's on the table, or something like that. Yeah all sounds really good. I do have an opponent too. We were going to go halves on the box, with him taking the two order sides and me the two destruction ones. He plays Dwarfs IRL, so woot.

I will say though, Forbidden Planet is the country's major high street supplier of all card games and comics plus other cool stuff, so it should have been available. It concerns me a little when I can't buy it from the high street from any other outlets here in Southampton. it won't stop me trying to get it though. I'll take a look at that website!

I find FP poor for CCG supplies. They stock Magic and Pokemon and that's about it. My local superstore in Bristol has a really poor selection of basic things like sleeves and pockets so I'm not surprised really. It is a little annoying it's not available on the highstreet readily, but the net is so handy for things it's no huge deal.

You have to try and find the smaller retailers I find when it comes to brand new ccg's. For example there is a new store in Brighton called Wargames Heaven which sells all sorts of new ccg's and unique things. Generaly in the smaller or non-chain stores aswell, if you ask them about something they will look it up for you and may even order it for you.

As for the game itself, I've not played it using actual cards yet, but having read over the rules and given it a test on an online ccg thingiebob I really enjoyed the structure of it. Unique and fresh and at the end of the day, good.

I managed to get lucky and see a copy of Warhammer Invasion in my local Forbidden Planet. I was there at the right moment to take it out of her hand as she removed it from the delivery box :D

I had a really quick game of Greenskins versus Dwarfs and I can say that it really made my head twist this way and that tactically in a way that WoW TCG never ever ever did.
My brain isn't used to having to think -that- hard in a card game.

I spose that's probably a good thing. lol, once I'm used to it.

It seems very tactical. You can really blow it if you don't know what you're doing.

FAQ is up on the FF Games website. Worth a look if you're playing.

Hah! I knew I was right about FF support being rubbish on this!
I was speaking to a Forbidden Planet staffer today and he told me that the supplements are one a month. They've been and gone and will never be back because that's how they're being released...They are sending out 1 run only per pack.

That's the same system every CCG uses. An expansion comes out. It sells out, or not, and then a new one is released in its place. Otherwise in a years time there would be 12 battlepacks on the shelves. In three years time 36. I'd actually argue the reverse. With one battle pack a month coming out, this is a very high pace release schedule. There is a bit of a distribution delay, we get the packs in the UK up to a month late, but you can't argue with a new one every month.

The only slight issue with one a month and no rerelease, is money, as in being unable to afford them all. there is always the chance they will do a second run on popular packs, plus you can try and pick them up from stores that have bot sold all their stock, but I must admit I'm torn over this way of doing things. It's good as it keeps things fresh, but it's bad because you will always come accross the chance of missing something you wanted because you could not afford it at the time.

Good point V. The main thing from what I've seen with the xpacs, is that you're not going to be unable to compete if you don't 'keep pace' with the new ones. That's an aspect I really like.