Mold 'em! Fight 'em! Smash 'em! The sold-out miniature wargame returns with new monsters, new terrain, and an all-new expansion! Don't miss this final chance to support Necromolds and receive pledge exclusives along with localized customs-friendly shipping in supported regions!
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Hi Necromolds backers and supporters!
If you've been keeping up-to-date with our Official Kickstarter Updates, you'll know that I've been working to put together an updated fulfillment timeline. I've finally received an update from the manufacturing team on when they expect everything to be ready for ocean freight.
The team estimates that they'll be completed with manufacturing and assembly by December 8th. That means that US fulfillment is estimated to begin in late January 2024.
Backers located outside of the US are also estimated to have their orders fulfilled sometime in January. During our first Kickstarter campaign, ocean freight to the UK and EU went faster than freight to the US, meaning those backers received their orders earlier.
Please keep in mind that these dates are still estimates and could change. As always, I'll keep you up to date if anything changes.
Now that we have an updated fulfillment estimate of late January 2024, please make any final changes to your retail pledges in BackerKit.
RETAIL PLEDGE BACKERKIT DEADLINE: November 15th, 2023
Link to BackerKit pledge survey: https://necromolds-call-to-arms-expansion.backerkit.com/
Retailer pledges will be locked on November 16th, 2023. That will give me time to calculate and invoice your shipping costs in early December.
If you have any questions, please message me directly on Kickstarter.
Once we complete manufacturing and begin freight, you will receive an email from BackerKit asking you to confirm your shipping address and process your final shipping payment. If your address or payment on file has changed, you'll also be able to update them at that time.
Since returning from the Golden Week holiday, the manufacturing team has been quite busy! If you're in our Necromolds Discord group, you'll have seen some photos of the revised plastic trays and other in-progress pics.
The next big milestone is for the factory to ship me the Master Print Copies (MPC). These are full retail copies of all our manufactured products hot off the assembly line!
If you'd like a preview of what to expect, here are the MPCs from the first Kickstarter.
When I receive the MPCs next month, I'll post another big update with plenty of pics and details! I can't wait!
Like you, I was really hoping that we'd be able to start fulfillment in mid-December prior to the holidays. It was a goal my production manager shared, and one we discussed during our meeting at Gen Con. Although we won't begin fulfillment until January, I'll continue to communicate with the team and make sure I'm doing everything I can to allow for the campaign to progress as quickly as possible.
If you have any questions, please feel free to message me here on Kickstarter or our other social channels.
Thanks again for keeping up to date on the latest Necromolds news and have a spooky October!
- Clint
★★★This update is optional and requires no actions for you to take!★★★
Hi Necromolds backers and supporters!
This is a follow-up to the short update I published last month. As we all wait on the updated timeline from the manufacturing team, I want to share with you everything else we've accomplished in August and September.
Since sending the factory all of our digital files in the early summer, my main focus has been to swiftly provide the manufacturing team with any feedback or file revisions they request. The farther we've gotten into the production process, the less frequent those requests have been.
For example, two weeks ago the team requested a visual spec sheet breaking down all of our products and their components. Since we have quite a few products, the document will help prevent any potential confusion during the assembly process. After taking photos of every package and component, I built and delivered the document to the team.
The last couple of months have been filled with small but necessary tasks like this to keep the production process moving forward. I will continue to work with the manufacturing team to make sure they can complete manufacturing as soon as possible. As I learn more about the progress they've made, I'll be sure to share it with you all.
Important Note: After the last Kickstarter update, I requested a revised timeline from the manufacturing team. My manufacturing manager expects an update next week, once the team returns from the national Golden Week holiday (October 1st through October 7th).
The revised manufacturing timeline will determine if it's still possible to fulfill before the end of this year, or if it will be early next year. Fulfillment prior to the holidays is something my manufacturing manager and I have been pushing for. Ocean freight to the warehouse typically takes 30 days. Fulfillment from the warehouse to backers typically takes 1 week. That only leaves us with 45 days for manufacturing and assembly to complete. I'd bet on early next year, but I'll continue to do everything I can to expedite the process.
Shipping and Fulfillment
Once we complete manufacturing and begin freight, you will receive an email from BackerKit asking you to confirm your shipping address and process your shipping payment. If your address has changed, you'll also be able to update it at that time.
Retailers
Retailer backers will be asked to finalize their orders after we complete manufacturing.
In early August, I packed my car full of Necromolds stuff and drove over to Indiana to attend Gen Con 2023 as an exhibitor. There, I was joined by Zane Messina, Necromolds' Master of Lore, to help run our booth.
Together we demoed the core game, showed off the Call to Arms expansion PPCs, and sold some rad MOLD 'EM FIGHT 'EM SMASH 'EM battle tees! Although this year's Gen Con was attended by over 70,000 visitors, I somehow managed to keep my voice the whole way through!
Not having copies of the game to sell didn't stop the convention from being an extremely memorable and rewarding experience. Here are two of my highlights:
Meeting Kickstarter Backers and Necromolds Fans
I want to give a huge shout-out to all of our Necromolds fans and Kickstarter backers who stopped by the booth to say hi. It's not often that I get the chance to thank those who've helped make this all happen in person. Being able to show off the PPCs and give you a sneak peek at the lore book was a treat!
Introducing Necromolds to New People
Going to conventions is always a great reminder of how unknown Necromolds still is! I've been working on it every day since 2017, so it's easy for me to forget that there are people out there who've never heard of Necromolds yet. Hopefully, we can change that once we all have our copies in hand! :P
I absolutely love sharing Necromolds with new people! There's nothing more satisfying than seeing the eyes of kids and adults light us as I walk them through my favorite parts of the game.
I only wish I had an opportunity to take more pictures during the convention.
Thank you again to everyone who made the time to visit the booth this year! In the future, I'm really looking forward to scheduled games, organized play, and maybe even a tournament!
Gen Con was also an opportunity for me to meet with my production partners at Panda Games Manufacturing. We've been working together since the first Kickstarter campaign in 2019, but this was the first time I've met them in person.
Together, we reviewed the PPCs and my feedback. We also discussed ways the production team could keep things moving forward—like starting manufacturing on the approved components while they worked on addressing my feedback.
What type of feedback did I have on the PPCs?
As you can see in our Kickstarter Update featuring the PPCs, overall everything looked really great! All of my feedback was pretty nuanced, with most of it involving color and print adjustments.
For some components, like the deluxe distance tool, the team provided multiple samples for me to choose from. These samples were different in their plastic colors and/or flexibility.
All of the feedback was delivered in early August, shortly after Gen Con.
On September 18th, I received a package from the factory with revised components based on my August PPC feedback—along with the team's first pass at the plastic storage trays.
The revised components looked great, and beyond some final direction for the team, were approved.
This package also included the Spell Clay samples, which were missing in the original PPC.
At this point, the trays are the only outstanding component left to be finalized prior to assembly. I've been reassured by the team that the tray design and manufacturing process is fast and easy, and will not cause delays in our timeline.
The storage trays are always the last component that the production team designs, as they require all of the other components to be finalized. That way everything fits just right!
The first printing of the Monster Packs used two separate plastic pieces for storing the components in the packaging (shown in the image below). Although the trays are recyclable, I felt like we could reduce the amount of plastic required in this print run by revising the design.
Although the team was able to design a single tray that fit all of the components (not shown), the design they created didn't do a great job showcasing the spellbooks in the packaging window. Knowing that the design required was pretty specific due to space limitations, I took the time to create a 3D mock-up for them to use as a reference.
The Call to Arms tray holds all of the game components AND has room for all of the Series 1X spellbooks. Plus, there's additional room to store caster rings or future spellbooks.
Besides the additional Spell Clay that's included in the monster packs, you should be able to store all of your game components and spellbooks between the Battle Box and the Call to Arms box. Of course, you can always ditch the tray for some additional space.
I've already provided detailed feedback and direction to the team on both of the trays. The revised plastic trays should be completed sometime next week (when the factory returns from the Golden Week holiday).
With manufacturing underway, I've been working with our translators to finalize the digital translations of Necromolds into French, German, and Japanese.
The digital translations include:
With these translated components, our international players will have everything they need to enjoy and share the game with non-English family and friends. These translations will all be made available as free PDFs on our website.
It's been a busy couple of months, but it feels good to know that everything is being manufactured! I'll continue to check in with the manufacturing team and provide progress updates to you as I learn them. Until manufacturing is complete, my future updates will be pretty short and focused on the manufacturing progress and timeline.
Thanks again for keeping up to date on the latest Necromolds news! As always, feel free to message me with any questions.
- Clint
★★★This update is an optional read and requires no actions for you to take!★★★
Hi Necromolds backers and supporters!
It's hard to believe that it has already been 1 year since we kicked off this campaign! I'm currently drafting a larger next update, but because it's been over a month since my last big official Kickstarter Update (excluding the micro-updates I leave in the comments), I wanted to send out this updated progress report:
As you might notice in the progress report above, I've removed most of our "complete" milestones and added all of the milestones that stand between us and fulfillment.
The biggest news is that mass production has officially started!
A lot has happened over the last month: Gen Con, PPC feedback, digital translation progress, and more! All of this will be detailed in my next update, so stay tuned.
I hope you all have a great week and I look forward to sharing more soon!
- Clint
Hi Necromolds backers, supporters, and mold minions!
If you read my last Kickstarter update, you know that earlier this week I received an exciting shipment from our manufacturing partner, Panda Games Manufacturing.
Before we figuratively unbox that shipment together in this update, let's talk about the delivery timeline.
Last year when I launched the campaign, I thought we'd be fulfilling it in late September/early October. That estimate was built after talking with our manufacturing, freight, and shipping partners, as well as considering the project's remaining art and design needs.
In case you missed it from my earlier updates, the delivery date will be later than originally estimated. Some of the final art/design steps took longer than I had anticipated—but as you'll see in the images below, the project as a whole has benefited from that required time. In hindsight and now with more experience, I understand that the more complex mechanics introduced by the expansion required extra time at all stages of finalization.
It's a bit of insight and experience that I'll carry forward into future projects.
So what is the revised delivery date?
Once we begin mass manufacturing, I'm going to work with our partners to review and update our timeline for fulfillment and delivery. The reason for waiting until mass manufacturing has started is that it eliminates a lot of unknowns, which makes the revised estimate reliable enough to share.
I understand how frustrating it can be to have delivery dates delayed. Along with all of you, I want my hands on the final copies as soon as possible! That way I can play it with my friends and share it with others at conventions and game stores.
I'll update you on the timeline as soon as I can. Thank you for giving the project the time it needs to be done right!
★★★The rest of this update is an optional read and requires no actions for you to take!★★★
Earlier this week, I did a live unboxing of the shipment I received from the factory. If you'd like to experience the excitement of opening up a PPC—and hear me talk about Necromolds for nearly 2 hours(!)—check out the video below:
Within Youtube, I've added chapter markers in the description for easier navigation!
After unboxing everything live, I grabbed my camera and captured photos of nearly everything included in the shipment. These are just taken on my work table using natural light. Once I receive the final copies, I'll do a full professional photoshoot with studio lights!
Although it's hard to see in the photo, the Call to Arms box also has a product window. That window will showcase a banner, some artifacts, and the Blood Mump spellbook in the final manufactured copy.
Chaos in vibrant colors. The Necromolds packaging turned out fantastic. There really isn't much to say that the photos don't say themselves. Thad Stalmack II's cover illustrations for Necromolds really pop!
Those who backed at the "I WANT EVERYTHING" and "GIVE ME THE NEW STUFF" pledge levels will be receiving an exclusive collector's sleeve with their copy of Necromolds: Call to Arms. Harold Richer's whimsical illustrations complement the rest of Necromolds' artwork so well!
You can find full pictures of Harold's sleeve illustrations in this earlier KS update.
To give the collector's sleeve a more exclusive feel, I decided to upgrade it with gold foil. Did that end up costing more? Yes... but just look at how it shimmers when it catches the light!
Things like this happen when you let a Necromolds collector be in charge of a collector's sleeve!
Inside each monster pack are two Necromolds spellbooks, four shared play cards, a random Caster Ring, and a container of Spell Clay. The PPC shipment included the empty packages for all six monster packs. The monster pack package design is a huge upgrade over the first print retail packaging!
These booklets are printed in full color at 7.5 inches square. The size is perfect for flipping through at the table and can easily be stored in the game box!
As I've mentioned in previous updates, the lore book is something I'm going to keep secret and let you experience firsthand. That said, here is a little bit of info about the lore book:
The Rise of the Necromolds: Written by Zane Messina and illustrated by Thad Stallmack II, this full-color, 44-page book is included inside every Battle Box. It tells the history of the Necromolds, profiles each known Necromold golem, dives into all of the necrocasters and their domains, and more!
In the Call to Arms expansion, you choose and battle as one of six powerful necrocasters! Here they are in their full glory! In the unboxing video, I talk about each and show off their back illustrations.
There isn't too much new to say about these cards. As you can see, they turned out great!
I sleeved all of my cards. If you plan to sleeve your cards as well, here are links to the sleeves I purchased:
Their reviews were good and my first impression is positive!
Using the assembly steps in the Call to Arms rulebook, I constructed the included graveyard terrain set. As you can see in the photos, the terrain not only adds to the gameplay but really makes Necromolds' presence at the table over the top!
Note: Although the terrain pieces shown were created using the final punchboard material, they were not die-cut using the final mass-manufacturing tooling. Because of that, you might see some rough edges on the terrain in these photos. These edges will be nice and crisp in the final manufactured version.
The 3D Graveyard terrain set was created in collaboration with Tinkerhouse Games, whose latest crowdfunding campaign for the Vault of Mini Things just opened its late pledge! Full of terrain, maps, tiles, creatures, and more, you'll definitely want to check it out!
From the original 3D prints to resin prints to the final injection molds, I love seeing how our spellbooks go from idea to final toy! In each step of the process, the Necromold monsters look better and better!
If you want to watch me mold some monsters using the new spellbooks, watch the PPC unboxing video. In the video, I also show each monster close-up after molding it!
Magmass, Kracklings, Gorgoden, Tormurack, and the Blood Mump have never looked better. The vividness of the Spell Clay actually gave my camera some trouble capturing all their details!
In the picture above, you can see all of the current Necromolds dice. From left to right: command die, champion die, standard combat die, and weak combat die. All of the dice are engraved and inked—made to the highest quality possible.
Thanks to the campaign funding within 48 hours, almost all of our backers will receive one or more of these Kickstarter-exclusive spectral hero Caster Rings! Was this ring variant something I really designed for myself? Of course! I spent a lot of time testing color combinations to find the perfect variant ring for this campaign—so it was exciting to see how great they turned out!
For those who missed the campaign: Post-fulfillment, the leftover Kickstarter exclusives will be bundled on the website or available at conventions (while supplies last).
Can you figure out which monster just got smashed?
Since the Spectral Hero Caster Rings will be randomized, this seems like a good place to plug our Discord community, where we've got a Caster Ring Trade Channel!
Included in the PPC shipment were all of the final injection molded banners, artifacts, and wounds. Like with the Spell Clay, the photos really don't do them justice. They are just so vibrant!
All of these expansion accessories are made from semi-flexible plastic that still allows all of the fine details to show through. Again, I do a pretty good job of showing these off in the unboxing video.
Those who backed at the "I WANT EVERYTHING" and "GIVE ME THE NEW STUFF" pledge levels will be receiving the exclusive glow-in-the-dark artifacts along with all of the standard artifacts.
If anything screams "80s/90s toys," it is these artifacts!
The all-new slime green deluxe distance tool comes with a purple wrist lanyard! The deluxe distance tool is used for measuring in-game movement and ranged attacks. It can also be used for sculpting your clay miniatures with its three built-in sculpting tools!
It's made from semi-flexible plastic. If you're one of our first Kickstarter supporters who received the toxic glitter rings—the slime distance tool is very similar. And it really pops under blacklight!
Of course, you can't mold a monster without smashing it!
Review and provide feedback on the PPC: Before we can begin manufacturing and I can build out an updated delivery timeline, I need to finish reviewing and providing feedback on the PPC to the factory. That way they can make any necessary adjustments before starting mass manufacturing.
In my initial review, I haven't found any major issues.
What to see all of the prototypes from this update in person? If you're attending Gen Con in Indianapolis from August 3rd through August 6th, you can!
I'll be at the official Necromolds booth (164) for the entire convention—demoing the game and showing off all of our latest prototypes.
If you stop by the booth, make sure to say hello and let me know that you're a backer!
The next official Kickstarter update will be when we begin mass manufacturing. So far my PPC feedback is pretty minimal. Next week at Gen Con, I'll be meeting with my manufacturing manager in person to go over my feedback and finalize the manufacturing details.
In the meantime, watch for my micro-updates in the comments section of the campaign page for the latest news.
From the campaign itself to the prototypes I just received, this project has surpassed my original expectations in so many wonderful ways. Although not always easy, and oftentimes quite strenuous, it is so rewarding to see everything finally coming together.
As I've been reviewing the prototypes, I can't help but feel like a kid again—awestruck by how awesome Necromolds looks. Once you receive your copies, I hope you (and your kids) are filled with the same awestruck wonder I am!
- Clint
P.S. Please let me know what you think of everything in the comments!
