Voltron: Defender of the Universe

Remember when Saturday morning was the time for awesome cartoons? Yes, Saturday morning was sweet—and not just because of all that extra sugar you poured on your already-sugary breakfast cereal. It was because five mecha-lions piloted by a super force of space explorers showed up each week to form Voltron, Defender of the Universe! Now the intergalactic champion protector will make his way into Monsterpocalypse with the Voltron: Defender of the Universe battle miniatures game.

Before its summer release, we’ll periodically take some peeks into what’s inside the two-player Voltron box. We’ll start with one side of the double-sided battle map.

Because Voltron’s battles take place in space, the buildings you’d normally find in a Monsterpocalypse game weren’t appropriate. Instead we created a cosmic starscape full of hazards and benefits that could only be found in space. Of course, if you want to see Voltron and Lo-Tron battling it out over an urban landscape, you can always bring them in to your regular Monsterpocalypse games.

Solar Conflict

The Solar Conflict map pits the Voltron Force and the Galaxy Alliance against Prince Lotor and the Drule Empire right in the midst of a powerful super nova.

Power crystals found throughout the map will give you the opportunity to power up. A successful power up roll will net you a power die for each power crystal space occupied by any of your units or morphers. As the battle rages on you’ll vie for control of the solar amplifier that doubles the power dice gained from a power up roll.

There may be no buildings floating in space, but that doesn’t mean it’s empty! Certain spaces on the map cause extra damage when you throw, smash, body slam, or toss your opponent into them. Active asteroid fields cause 1 damage, while the super nova in the center of the map causes 2 damage. And if a figure ends its activation in an active asteroid field or the super nova, it will take even more damage!

Accessing the fueling station will give your force an edge with a speed boost for all your figures. Although the battle map is a bit smaller than the normal Monsterpocalypse map, the extra speed will go a long way—especially when navigating through those movement-hindering asteroid fields.

Playtest Notes

Playtesting on the Solar Conflict map was super fun. The 13 x 13 gridded battle map meant the action began really quickly, allowing us to get in the testing we needed and still have time for trash talking. (Who am I kidding? We always make time for that!)

While developing the figure interactions with the battle map, we explored many different ideas, including both old and new map elements. In the end, we found a nice balance that would couple some of the classic Monsterpocalypse feel with the experience of a Voltron space battle. We ended up with an awesomely fun map that’s sure to be a top choice for your game table.

Stay Tuned

Next time we’ll take a look at the other side of the map, Cosmic Influx. 

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Series 5 Buildings

Monsterpocalypse: Big in Japan unit boosters will include one of eight new buildings to add to your cities. Three of these new buildings will be based on recognized monuments from Tokyo: the Tokyo Triumph, Tokyo City Center, and the Pacific Eye.

The Tokyo Triumph

The power denying Invaders agenda will appreciate the Tokyo Triumph being a Media Hub. Monsters unfortunate enough to get smashed, tossed, thrown, body slammed, or beat back into this new monument will not appreciate its Spire and Live Wire. The Triumph also has a green ability that will enhance your units’ tactical maneuvering.

Tokyo City Center

While secured, the highly protected and Defense 5 Tokyo City Center will grant players restitution for their losses with City Hall.

City Hall—If you are securing this building, whenever either player gains 1 or more P-Dice for destroying a unit and the other player has 5 or fewer P-Dice, the other player gains +1 P-Die.

The Pacific Eye

Remember those great cinematic scenes where some catastrophic event breaks a ferris wheel free and sends it rolling down the pier? Well now you can be that catastrophic event and relive those great moments! With a higher defense than any other building in Monsterpocalypse: Big in Japan, one of Tokyo’s greatest Attractions, the Pacific Eye won’t be brawled for its 1 energy. It’s the Roller ability that will entice monsters to give the Pacific Eye a whacking.

Roller—If a monster hits this building with a brawl attack, move the building a number of spaces equal to the number of strikes rolled on the A-Dice for that attack and then destroy it. This movement must be in a straight line in a direction chosen by the attacker. Crush or destroy any units or buildings the building moves through. If the building comes in contact with a figure it cannot destroy, the building stops and the figure takes 1 damage. Leave this building’s hazard or rubble tile on the foundation where it was originally placed.

More Non-Limited Buildings

Five of the new buildings in Monsterpocalypse: Big in Japan will not be limited to only one per city. The combinations of abilities you can get from these buildings will help you explore various strategies with your forces.

Defense Contractor: High Security and green Energy Drain makes this building a great addition to your blasting force’s city.

Radio Telescope: With its green Radar, this building nicely combos with the Defense Contractor. It also has a useful action to keep your monster mobile.

Sewage Plant: The Telekinesis action moves units away from the putrid smells radiating from this building.

Oil Company HQ: With its green Amplify, this Superstructure will greatly boost your power dice generation, though not without a cost. It also has the green Unstable ability, making your units a danger to themselves.

Telecom Company: This Media Hub has three green abilities. Logistics will give you that extra boost to combined attacks but is toned down a bit with the Self Destruct blast trigger.

Up Next

Next week we’ll dig into another Monsterpocalypse: Big in Japan faction. There are only two left, so which will it be? Come back to MonsterInsider.net to find out.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Savage Swarm: Destructive Infestation

Monsterpocalypse: Big in Japan includes more big bugs from the Savage Swarm. This week’s preview will showcase the savage insects’ swarmy and destructive abilities.

Radioactive Origins

Leading paranormal entomology researcher Dr. Alex Woo has recently uncovered what he believes to be the genesis of the oversized onslaught of insects publicly known as the Savage Swarm. DNA analysis of the remains of one of the swarm’s fallen diptera suggest the cause of the super-powered insects’ abnormal growth and mutations is biotech radiation exposure. This find led the doctor and his research team to Tokyo, where a business-sector skyscraper has been quarantined for close to the same length of time that has elapsed since the first Savage Swarm attack.

With the help of international authorities, the research team was granted access to the quarantined building. Inside, the radiation readings were identical to that of Dr. Woo’s DNA analysis and grew stronger once a hidden underground floor of the building was accessed. The hidden floor contained a large laboratory with an extremely high ceiling. This voluminous room was empty, save for one file folder and a metal container with a thick and vibrantly green liquid spilled next to it. On the bottom of the container were etched the initials “S. I.” The label on the file folder put fear in Dr. Woo’s eyes with the words “Project Swarm: Alien Tech Beta.”

According to the file, the subjects of Project Swarm were meant to be controlled by an alien mind-harnessing technology. With the continued destruction wrought by the Savage Swarm, this part of the project clearly has failed.

Stinging Power

The first page in the Project Swarm file was a development report beginning with a bioengineered hymenoptera apocrita, more commonly known as a wasp. The report included these notes:

The subject has taken fairly well to the process thus far. No signs of molecular degeneration. All enhanced siphoning stinger tests proved successful. With the destruction of three weapon-mastery nanochips, more time is required for ganglion redirection.

The first Savage Swarm monster with Flight, Dynastavus, can quickly Charge enemies with her Power Draining stinger. In her ultra form, Dynastavus can Hit & Run while an allied unit makes a Synchronized Move.

Brawny Beetle

Dr. Woo continued to thumb through the Project Swarm file until he reached the last page, which detailed the mutation process of a beetle:

Once the mind-harnessing procedure is perfected, the Coleoptera will most definitely be the unstoppable force it was conceived to become. Even before biomorphic enlargement, it has displayed speed and strength beyond expectations. In the most recent controlled hyper-rampage test, the test subject completely destroyed multiple cinder blocks and doubled its radiated energy levels.

The destructive Xixorax can to wipe out enemy power bases with a Super Rampage then Sprint into a better position (in its alpha form). Ultra Xixorax uses its great speed to Charge in with a powerful brawl Beat Back.

In a Pinch

After he closed the file, Dr. Woo noticed the radiation levels on his meter drastically increase. He heard and then felt a loud rumble, and then a frightening insect with huge pincers burrowed up through the floor. The research team ran for the elevator as the radioactive monstrosity burst through and then continued burrowing up through the ceiling. The researchers made it out of the building to see one of the Shadow Sun’s great Zors surrounded by a threatening number of the Savage Swarm. The pincher bug flanked the Zor as a throng of strangely colored, oversized ants slowly advanced, led by one with a stripe down its back. The stripe on the leader ant began to flicker, and the others quickly ganged up on the biomorphed ninja. Although the Zor made short work of the attacking insects, the rumbling of the ground and the powerful buzzing sound in the air meant the encounter was far from over.

The Vice Pinchers and Dire Ant Warriors make a great assault team. The burrowing Vice Pinchers Flank the enemy as the Dire Ant Warriors Gang up for the kill.

Up Next

Next time we’ll take a look at the new buildings in Monsterpocalypse: Big in Japan. The Tokyo City Center, the Tokyo Triumph, and the Pacific Eye monuments will be highlighted along with five other buildings. What are the other buildings, you ask? Come back to MonsterInsider.net to find out.      

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Tritons: Teeth, Claws, and Laser Beams!

Monsterpocalypse: Big in Japan adds more Triton monsters and units from the depths of the sea to the game. This week’s preview highlights some of the awesome abilities these new additions bring to the Invaders agenda.

News from the Beach

As a lone reporter in a news helicopter flew along the coast, reporting on the day’s beach activities, he spotted a large creature surfacing a few miles out into the ocean. The reporter headed toward the creature to get live close-up footage. Before the video feed from the news helicopter was broken, images of a slew of Triton invaders made their way to the television screens of the coastal city’s populace.

Crustacean Cruncher

The first of the Tritons spotted was a gigantic lobster-like monster. In the video, the menacing lobster monster changed from a pinkish tint to a glimmering yellow and then leaped from the ocean waters toward the shore. The yellow glimmer dissipated as the monster landed, and the giant crustacean demolished a posh beachside apartment building with its far-reaching claws. Burrowing up through the road nearby was a steel shell crab. The claws of the giant lobster scooped up the slow-crawling crab and moved it forward.

In both its alpha and ultra form, the new Monsterpocalypse: Big in Japan Triton monster Crustaceor has the claws to Reach out and Crunch someone. His massive claws are used not only to Power Strike the enemy but also to Hoist units into place.

Triton Tech

As the remaining invaders neared the shore, a tremendous wave pushed against the formation of attack crafts, crushing many of them. Then from out of the sea arose the Elemental Champion Aquosia. Hope for the innocent was brief, however, as a group of Triton submarines emerged from the water, firing energy-sapping bolts at the aquatic protector. Aquosia staggered, and the Triton subs showed their ability to traverse land as they reached the surface, revealing a propulsion system similar to that of the Nautilus Blaster that has already played a part in many coastal invasions.

The durable Maco Hunter Sub uses its boosted laser blasts to Disrupt enemy monsters.

This Was No Boat Accident

Coming up from the rear of the invading force was a supersized hammerhead shark, heading straight toward the stunned Aquosia. It moved swiftly past all the Triton attack crafts and, without slowing, shot beams of light from its eyes to blast an abandoned barge in its path. The advancing shark grappled the elemental champion, then pulsed with a crimson glow. Aquosia’s calming luminosity slowly faded as the giant hammerhead consumed her life energy. With strength even beyond its size, the Triton monster heaved Aquosia far over its head.

Before or after going hyper, the Armored Leviathron Power Drains enemy monsters with its power attacks and its Pathfinder ability clears out enemy units. In its ultra form, allied units Hasten to keep up with the fast-moving Triton monster.

Slithering Assaulters

Aquosia splashed down amid a group of oversized eels swimming close to the ocean’s surface. Radiating with electricity, these eels increased the damage to the mighty goddess of the waters. Just before the video ended, several more of these eels swam past the fallen Aquosia at speeds equal to the Tritons’ fastest sea crafts.

Hazardous and Unstable Psi-Eels usually keep a good distance from each other and the rest of their force.

Up Next

We’ll keep the faction previews moving right along. Three factions remain to preview. Which will be next? You know the drill—come back to MonstrerInsider.com to find out!

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Neutral Units: Unsung Heroes

As cities are met with the destructive encounters of the gigantic opposing forces of the Monsterpocalypse, many civilians are caught in the crossfire. Most of these unfortunate souls do what is only natural in the face of such horror—run! But there are some who find the strength within to become the heroes their cities desperately need. Here are a few stories of these unsung heroes.

A Hard Day’s Night

Shirley Johnson drives trucks for a living. Her motto has always been that hard work puts the best food on the table. She took the hazmat truck assignment for the extra pay. She did not realize exactly how hazardous the assignment would turn out to be, nor did she imagine that taking it on would put her in the position to become a hero.

Shirley’s drive through the forest road just outside the city was cut short by what looked to be a huge crab crawling from out of the trees ahead. Then, in her rearview mirror, she saw a strange-looking giant fish-monster coming her way. Scared, totally weirded out, and knowing she couldn’t go forward or turn around, Shirley chose to shut off her engine, raise the volume of her radio, and close her eyes. “It’s been a harrrd day’s night . . .”

Her escape from this unreal reality was broken by a loud shriek. She looked out the side window and saw a flying, orange-glowing, dinosaur-like creature equal in size to the strange fish. The great dinosaur flew straight at the giant fish to strike it with its claws, then immediately grappled it in a swift motion. The dinosaur hurled the fish right over Shirley’s truck and onto the huge crab creature in front of her.

As the fish made it back up onto its legs, the strange bulb protruding from its head began to glow. Seemingly in sync with the fish’s glowing bulb, more crusty crabs began to gather, along with alien-style machines shooting laser beams at the flying dinosaur.

Shirley thought of her kids at her sister’s house in the city and restarted her truck. Flooring the gas pedal, she headed straight toward the giant sea creatures. Halfway to impact, with the radio still blasting, “. . . will make me fe-eel all right,” Shirley leapt from the truck. Just as she completed her tumble, she looked up to see the explosion.

The laser-blasting machines were destroyed, the crabs were blown to their backs, and the giant fish was taken down. Shirley heard another shriek and looked to see the winged dinosaur-creature fly away. She then noticed a strong and distinct smell. “I guess it’s fried fish and crab cakes on the table tonight,” she murmured.

The Hazmat Truck is the most destructive of the three neutral units in the Monsterpocalypse: Big in Japan set. With its Explosion and Radial Attack brawl triggers, you can run a Hazmat Truck right into a group of enemy units to take them out. Of course, Self Destruct means the Hazmat Truck will be taken out as well, but since the neutral units have no agenda, no extra action dice beyond the unit’s cost are required to spawn another one.

After School Special

Classes came to an abrupt end as fire alarms went off in buildings all across the campus. Despite the clamoring bells, the students spilling out of classrooms and lecture halls moved at a normal class-ending pace until the sound of a giant robot smashing into the pavement outside drowned out the alarms. Mass hysteria ensued.

Oblivious to the tumult, a preoccupied Dr. Gregory Platt collected his teaching materials. As he exited the classroom, he looked back at an extremely long, unfinished equation on the whiteboard and mumbled something only a physicist could interpret. He slowly walked through the university halls, stroking his beard in deep thought. All the while, students and teachers ran frantically about, knowing the Monsterpocalypse was now invading their city.

Dr. Platt stepped out of the front doors of the physics building and saw the fallen robot, which he recognized as the G.U.A.R.D. protector Defender X. He gave it a quick once-over and continued to walk absently toward his car. He then noticed an impressive G.U.A.R.D. vehicle beginning to glow next to a power generator. This stopped him in his tracks. “Very interesting,” he said aloud. Briefly looking up, then counting on his fingers, he began to walk again, but in a new direction—toward an abandoned tanker truck.

Without any sense of urgency, Dr. Platt made his way to the tanker, still mumbling. Bystanders looked on in awe as Defender X started to get back up. The giant mech protector began to glow dimly as the glow of the G.U.A.R.D. vehicle faded. Not at all surprised at this, the professor continued his conversation with himself as he climbed into the tanker truck.

Shouts of alarm added to the tumult as the subterran monster that caused the great robot’s fall ran full-force through the city. As the behemoth of flesh and drills advanced relentlessly toward the weakened Defender X, Dr. Platt calmly crashed the tanker truck straight through a fence to park next to another power generator. He exited the cab, then the truck began to pulsate with power. Defender X glowed even more intensely.

The glowing seemed to empower the robot greatly: glowing brightly, the massive guardian took full- speed flight, then shot out its mechanical fists right at the fiendish drill monster’s chest. With a loud boom, the powerful impact sent the monster flying back into an unmanned construction site. The monster would not get up from this fall.

Cheers began to ring through the streets as the still-mumbling Dr. Platt reached his car. He tossed his briefcase onto the passenger seat and suddenly paused as if startled. ”Eureka!” he exclaimed with great excitement. “I think I’ve got it!” Then, as if awakening from a dream, he noticed the jubilant crowds around him, the glowing Defender X, and the huge chunk of asphalt embedded in the hood of his car.

Looking for an enhancement on your power base? Park one of these Tanker Trucks on a power zone to get that power up boost your force needs. Along with Amplify, the Tanker Truck has the Hazardous ability, making it a nice unit to pull out of your reserves whenever you want to set up a more damaging power attack against the enemy monster.

Disaster Control

The Brooks brothers had been a part of their community’s volunteer fire department for over a year. William, the eldest and wealthiest of the three, even purchased a fleet of new emergency response vehicles for the city’s fire department. Having dreamed as a child of taking the wheel of a shiny red ladder truck, William also made sure a fire engine was in his driveway. This made it easy for him and his brothers, Robert and Daniel, to get to emergency scenes quickly. And the greatest emergency they would ever know would test their response time as well as their resolve.

The brothers’ bantering over the half-time report of the local college football game was cut short by an emergency call. With the home team down by a field goal, William shut off the television, and the three quickly got equipped and on the road.

As William drove, chilling reports came over the radio of giant creatures from underground, super-sized insects, sea monsters walking on land, and a very mean ape wielding a train as a weapon. The monsters all seemed to be at odds with one another, but that didn’t mean the innocent bystanders of the city were safe from their attacks. The reports were broken by a new, clear voice saying, ”This is UCI Control calling all emergency response vehicles. You are needed in the university district. Make your way to the stadium. Our robotic protection vehicles are dealing with the rampaging monsters, but we could use your help keeping customers . . . er, civilians safe. We have secured the stadium and created a garrison. Over and out.” Only blocks away, William kept up the fire truck’s speed as he squinted his eyes and focused on navigating through the small fires and rubble all over the roads.

When they arrived at the stadium, William parked the engine and a ready team of firefighters ran to get its attack hose started to tend to fires in the surrounding buildings.

A familiar voice sounded from a nearby UCI RPV, “All air units, this is UCI Control. Mechathugrosh is online. Prepare for screening maneuvers.” The building-sized Mechathugrosh rocketed through the air over the stadium, trailed by many smaller RPVs. William looked around at the many firefighters, police officers, and other emergency response workers assisting civilians, and although the stadium’s scoreboard read otherwise, he knew this was a win for the home team.

Fire Engines can easily get to hazards to use their Extinguish action with the help of All Terrain. That utility alone will be enough for players to want one or two in their force, but being the only unit in the game with Deflector Shield (Buildings adjacent to this figure gain +1 DEF from enemy attacks.), you may want a full five Fire Engines to help protect your secured buildings.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites