As we hinted earlier, we had another surprise to share with you during this campaign. All backers will get free alpha access to Nomads Unbound’s first spin-off game, Battlegrounds!
In this standalone game, players can quickly set up skirmish battles of 5v5 (or more!) miniatures or standees with a deck of dedicated cards. You can use all models from Nomads Unbound or bring any other figure or standee from your favorite game, 5E, Trench Crusade, OnePageRules, Warhammer; it doesn’t matter. The system will allow you to quickly convert any figure visually, associating abilities, weapons, and other characteristics. It’s the Nomad’s multiverse after all, so anything goes!
Talking about speed, the game features real-time battles assisted by a dedicated app compatible with PC, Mac, Android, and Apple devices. It is straightforward to use and set up, getting you into battle! You can use your phone to make everything work seamlessly, but if you want to express your showmanship fully, you can always use a big tablet or a large monitor for some extra pizzazz.
Not a fan of mixing digital with analog? No problem. While we still think you should at least give the app a try, if you are that old school, we'll still have alternate rules so you can play with dice and other tools, ensuring nobody is left behind!
You can use Battlegrounds to work as a standalone game, including objectives, terrain exploration, and loot collection. However, if you are really adventurous, you can adapt it to work as the battle engine for your favorite RPG system or setting, with little adaptation. Yeah, Nomads can do it all.
Once the campaign ends, we will share more information about the alpha rollout. We are already testing internally and things are running well, so you might be able to play it very soon.
Once again, thank you so much for supporting our campaign and our little team of mad scientists. It means a lot to us, and we want to make sure you will have a ton of fun on this journey.
FAQ
Q. Is Battlegrounds an expansion of Nomads Unbound?
A. Battlegrounds is a standalone game set in the same universe as Nomads Unbound. It starts with the same lore and concepts but is designed to be highly modular and adaptable, without requiring ownership of Nomads Unbound RPG.
Q. The Advanced Tactics Rules share the same gameplay as Battlegrounds?
A. The Advanced Tactics Rules are different and serve as a set of expanded rules for Nomads Unbound Role-Playing Game, requiring the main game to work. Battlegrounds is a separate product and doesn’t require any knowledge of the Nomads Unbound RPG ruleset.
Q. I’m not interested in Nomads Unbound, but Battlegrounds looks more like my thing. Is there a way to play it without backing the Nomads Unbound campaign?
A. At this moment, we are limiting access to Battlegrounds to the backers of Nomads Unbound to better access the feedback. We will open the game to a broader audience at a later date.
Q.What are the technical requirements for running the app?
A. The app's development is still in progress, but the goal is to be very lightweight. The main version will run from any web browser and require internet access. Still, we will also support downloadable offline versions that should run natively on multiple platforms like Windows PCs, Apple’s iOS, and Google’s Android.
Q. I don’t want to use an app to play a miniature game! That’s outrageous!
A. We understand some folks want a ‘pure’ analog version of their favorite war/skirmish game, so we are working on an alternate set of rules requiring more traditional accessories, like dice, pen, and paper. However, we highly encourage you to try the app first; you might change your mind!
Q.You mentioned we can use any type of miniature from any other game. How does that work?
A. During the setup phase, you will be able to select multiple avatars to represent any figure you want to use, and you will have the opportunity to visually match your figure’s perceived abilities and skills with the ones in the game. As a quick example, if you choose a mini of a character wearing heavy armor, a pulse rifle, and a jet pack, you just need to pick up the ability cards that match these characteristics, and you are ready to go! The core package features 50 cards with multiple abilities, skills, and equipment, with even more planned for the future. You can use miniatures from 28mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, and any other scale you desire, as long as your opponent is ok with it.
Q.Does the game only work with two players?
A. Currently, Battlegrounds supports matches of two players or solo against the computer.
Q. I’m sold! When can I start playing?
A. We are still heavily into development, but we aim to start giving access as soon as we open the Pledge Manager phase, which is currently expected for December 2025. That should also coincide with the delivery of the Nomads Unbound digital pledge. We might randomly contact a few folks before that date to see if they are interested in playtesting the build before full distribution. If you are interested, keep an eye on our communications!
(all images in this post are 3D renders for illustration purposes)