Welcome back heroes of the mortal realms. The UK Games Expo 2020 concluded over the weekend. We had the privilege to play Age of Sigmar Soulbound with one of the Cubicle 7 writers, Elaine Lithgow. Join us as we share our experiences from the action filled mini adventure hosted by the team, Lights in the Gutter.
A Digital Presence
This year, UK Games Expo sees the event going virtual with what they have called Virtually Expo. It is a wonderful change to allow everyone to enjoy the event digitally. Whether it be live chats, demonstrations, and even free downloadable content to play at home. This is great for those who cannot normally attend such events
As a sufferer of Crohns Disease, a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, this event instantly appealed to me. It allowed me to enjoy such an expo from the comfort of my own home. I could talk to the developers, learn how to play games I’m interested in, and still interact enjoy the weekend with others without worrying as much about my condition.
One of the companies present was Cubicle 7 Entertainment who hold titles such as Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and Age of Sigmar Soulbound. Over the weekend, we bought a ticket to play with one of their writers Elaine Lithgow, which the ticket was only £1! A massive bargain to play with with a member of the team and experience a short, two hour adventure with others. With have recently covered some of Elaine’s work with the Crash and Burn module. If you haven’t already, please check it out!
Playing over Discord
The medium for playing out this adventure was going to be Discord. Upon purchasing the virtual ticket, the UK Game Expo store provided the invite to the related Soulbound Discord server with easy to follow instructions and what to expect. More information followed upon getting to the Discord server including a content consent form. There were the pre-generated characters available for the adventure. However, I decided to create a Black Ark Corsair hearing of how much fun they are. Who doesn’t like ripping up the battlefield in a whirl of blades?
Having played and GMed Soulbound since release I wasn’t in the dark on what to expect from the game. However, I was more interested to see the dynamic of players in terms of experience, how they enjoy the game, and also playing with a GM part of the official team. I can say now, the entire experience was fantastic!
Firstly, the mini adventure written by Elaine was beautiful, dark, and gripping. It can be found in the Cities of Flame supplement found in the GM Screen product found on their official store. The party were tasked with investigating strange lights and shrieks from under the city of Brightspear, a city reclaimed from the Dark God of Change Tzeentch. Those who have investigated prior have not come back.
In our party we had a Stormcast Knight Venator, a winger sentinel with a divine bow; a Kurnoth Hunter, an 11ft tree with a greatbow and greatsword; an Idoneth Tidecast, a sea elf wielding ocean magic; a human war priest of Sigmar, who delivers burning judgement and healing; and my aforementioned character, the Black Ark Corsair, a whirling dervish of blades and monster hunter.
It is always tense when starting with a new group. However, our party instantly hit it off when beginning the adventure with friendly in character banter, and humorous instances such as the Kurnoth Hunter struggling with the buildings made for Duardin(Dwarves in Warhammer) and Humans. A wager was also established between my character and the winged Stormcast when a battle commenced of who could fell the most, with our associated helmet plumes on the line.
The adventure took the party from the streets, chasing after Skaven ratmen, and into the ever warping and changing under city. A successful group check found us confronted with the end scenario: a horde of ratmen, a huge rat ogre, and a Skaven Greyseer who is trying to open a portal underneath Brightspear. After an expertly executed ambush, the team cut through the ocean of vermin, quelled the magic of the Greyseer, and brought low the rat ogre. Everyone in the channel was thrilled, including the GM. Utterly amazing and thoroughly enjoyable. Oh, and my character won the bet adding the divine plume to the collection on his belt!
Throughout the adventure, all players seem to claim fun in all aspects. Interestingly, there was a full dynamic of experience at the digital table. From those who are experienced in RPGs, those who have played Soulbound since the beginning, to the less experienced and newcomers. The combination of friendly and welcoming players, a supportive and guiding GM, and easy and intuitive game mechanics really cements that Age of Sigmar Soulbound can be a game that everyone can enjoy. It really is a pick up and go title. One player even chose their pre-generated character minutes before the session and picked it up in no time with the game progressing at a great rate.
Final Thoughts
As a whole I found the experience at UK Games Expo playing Soulbound with Cubicle 7 utterly fantastic! The digitally medium that is easy to access and enjoy is very accommodating and stress free. There were a few times the connection was a little unstable. But, when there are 6 people on a video session then there is always a chance for technical issues.
The game itself was amazing! The storytelling and GM work from Elaine was gripping and highly entertaining. And playing with others from across the globe was a pure delight. All coming together to enjoy an easy and fun roleplaying title where you truly feel like the powerful heroes in the mortal realms. I hope to see more digital events like this in the future.
And that is your lot. Thank you so much to the UK Games Expo for hosting this year with a twist. And to Cubicle 7 for the opportunity to play their delightful title Age of Sigmar Soulbound. If you haven’t already, you can brush up on our coverage on their award winning title here. You can also visit their official store to start playing today. Stay tuned for more news, reviews, and guide. Until next time, smile and game!