And that’s a wrap!
This week, Trench Crusade’s first-ever global campaign, Operation Leviathan, came to its exciting conclusion as the forces of the Faithful pushed the Fallen back from the Carcass Front.
Each week thanks to the Trench Wire we’ve been able to monitor the campaign’s progress, which was the result of over 8,000 submitted games of Trench Crusade played all over the world. To give you a sense of what that looks like, imagine just over 91,000 miniatures laying on their sides representing the casualties from those matches.
I know, easy, right? Let’s just say it’s a lot.
While the Faithful marched triumphant, it was hardly a rout. Both the UK (Northern Sector) and the online community (the Aerial Raiding Columns) managed a Minor Fallen victory, while Gabriel’s Sword Straits (Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific) saw the Faithful onslaught brought to a standstill. Only one Sector managed a Major Fallen Victory, though, and it was the United States. Make of that what you will.
At the outset, Factory Fortress promised that the outcome of the campaign would have real consequences for the world and its players, and sure enough while there were significant lore implications the Faithful reaped an addition fruit of victory: a new warband Patron in Scaled Saint Bartolomeo.
And then there were these…
The Roll of Honour
As an additional reward for the many who helped make this event a success, Factory Fortress commissioned a series of awards to be given out by Observers. As gamers, we’re long accustomed to recognition for competitive excellence, and here was no exception.
Commendation Medal 510: “This player is the current champion of our community, with a 20-game winning streak, at the moment. May his tank-splitter sword strike true, and his tactical mind continue to outplay us all.”
But the success of this event hinged on a lot more than just tabletop tactical nous, and I loved to see that the Observers bestowed this award for a wide range of contributions. For instance, some were awarded to those who helped make the events themselves a success:
Commendation Medal 133: “…instrumental in keeping morale and local war supplies both at high levels throughout the entire operation.”
Commendation Medal 160: “…showed great ingenuity and craftiness, creating the very battlefields that the battles of Vengeance of Copertino were fought upon.”
Commendation Medal 192: “…for making the Strike at Syrian Gates possible by providing the space, most of the tables, and a great dose of enthusiasm throughout the day.”
Others to those who have helped build up a Trench Crusade community in their area:
Strange Days Comics and Games has promoted Trench Crusade since its opening day, and deserves recognition for the amazing support of the community. Stop by if you’re ever in Port Townsend, Washington!
Commendation Medal 292: “…for his energetic involvement, as he presented the game at the convention for two days.”
Commendation Medal 200: “…has been a part of the bedrock of the community, exploring and supporting the game before any other. Without him, the game would not have the foundation in the Treasure Valley that it does today.”
Commendation Medal 266: “…has done much to swell the ranks of both the Faithful and Fallen by the sheer magnanimity of his spirit and sportsmanship.”
And of course, sometimes all it took to stand out was memorably spitting in the eye of adversity:
Commendation Medal 143: “…took abysmal casualties throughout the Operation, earning the commendation medal of Heroic Sacrifice, posthumously awarded by the Duke himself.”
Commendation Medal 509: “After losing 10+ matches in a row, he has surprised us by winning against one of the most experienced members of the community. We are proud of you and your determination to prove yourself.”
Commendation Medal 147: “…was the only one brave enough to engage TANK GOD in close combat.”
As a former friendly, local game store owner myself, I know well the importance of both rewarding achievement as well as contribution when it comes to building a community around a game. The Wizards Play Network featured my little store three times in retailer-facing articles about how to create exciting, dynamic prerelease events for Magic: the Gathering, and this is a crucial part of building for success1.
In the days and weeks ahead, Factory Fortress will surely be reviewing the information and lessons they’ve gathered from the past few weeks with an eye on what worked and what might need improvement for the next go-round. But almost certainly this won’t be the last global event we see between the Faithful and the Fallen.
Miniature of the Week
This week’s build is a Heretic Raider from Carcass Front.
Heretic Raiders make up the majority of the warband, sworn to serve beneath the Heretic Captain until Heaven cracks and the seas drain away. They are quick and well-armed, equipped with the pick of the plunder from a hundred raids. Heretic Raider Legionnaires are veterans of the crew, often trusted gunners and topside men, who vie to be the first to step ashore or invade a foreign deck
Ol’ Nahash here comes in two variants in the Carcass Front box, and I opted for variant A with the serrated bayonet. With all the kids sports I was ferrying them to this week build time was at a premium, so it was nice to be able to squeeze in a simpler build, yet rich in detail. The aquatic theme to these models is terrific, making them aesthetically one of my favorite factions visually.
I couldn’t quite get Nahash’s left leg to line up as nicely as I wanted with his body, but otherwise he was a very straightforward build.
ICYMI
Here’s what’s been going on this week for Trench Crusade content!
Trench Crusade Official
Aside from the announcement of victory and Roll of Honor (both covered above), there was no other official news this week. Take a breather, it’s been a wild ride!
Wargame Content Sites
Wargamer’s own Mollie Russell interviewed Tuomas Pirinen in a terrific feature, “How Trench Crusade tells some of the most exciting stories in miniature wargames”
Tabletop Battles updated its Faction Focus on the Court of the Seven Headed Serpent, taking account all of the rule updates from the October Rule Review.
Community Content
Grimdark Fantasy dropped a lore overview of the different locations central to the Carcass Front. If you wanted to get a sense of place for the campaign, this is a fine place to start!
The Last Scribe walked through “whole life of an ordinary soldier of 1914, from the day they are chosen to long after they are dead” in this nicely narrated and scored longform video.
Real Alpharius shared some progress on a Trench Crusade animation, Lost Ground, on the official Discord. “Open to feedback and collaborators for the project,” they noted as well!
scannerbarkly rang in the Faithful victory this week with a look at some of the lore repercussions.
Finally, if the Fallen’s defeat in Operation Leviathan has been keeping you up at night, The Sleepy Hollow has you covered with a long lore compilation video, “3+ Hours of Trench Crusade Lore to Fall Asleep To (No AI)”
Coming Attractions
Here’s a list of the known upcoming physical releases from Trench Crusade based on the available preorder information we have.
This section will be updated weekly in this column, with new or updated info presented in boldface.
Trench Crusade Rulebook (hardcover, 11/30)
That’s it for this week, see you again in seven days’ time!
If I sound particularly proud of this, it’s because I am. Our store was an outpost between two much larger markets, and we couldn’t compete simply on the size of our prize pool. From L5R to Magic, Attack Wing to Dungeons & Dragons, time and again we found that building a community with strong foundations was the key to a long-term success. Those days are in the rearview mirror now, but I like to call it my “MBA degree before I got my actual MBA degree.”