Love tabletop RPGs, but wish they had a little more mecha in them? The solution is on its way! Classic Japanese TRPG Wares Blade is coming soon from LionWing, and a crowdfunding campaign is now underway. With your support, the company can bring this vintage title to the West in a faithful, playable format.
But who are LionWing? What is Wares Blade? And what do you get when you back the project? Read on, and find out what to expect when this game goes live.
Who Is LionWing?
LionWing Publishing is leading the charge on Wares Blade, which will join their growing catalogue of Japanese TRPGs. The publisher has many translated titles to their names, with their crowdfunding campaigns regularly reaching their goals in a matter of hours. Their previous TRPG campaign, the dark fairy tale themed Kedamono Opera, is currently pulling together its backer rewards.
Fans of anime, manga, and games of all varieties will find something their style via LionWing. Past releases include the Kamen Rider-esque Convictor Drive, the two-player Soulsborne-like Eldritch Escape: Tokyo, and the official Shin Megami Tensei TRPG. These new books often come with bonus art or scenarios. And backers at higher levels can score custom dice, gorgeous collector’s editions, and more. They’ve become the go-to publisher for high-quality Japanese tabletop games, and this latest campaign proves that yet again.
What is Wares Blade?
Even if you’re familiar with LionWing and Japanese TRPGs in general, Wares Blade might be new to you. So, what is it? In short, it’s the first major commercially-released mecha RPG. The original version was published in 1989 in Japan, and it has received dozens of updates, tie-ins, and more since then. It’s described as a good fit for fans of Vision of EscaFlowne, blending mecha action with a robust magic system.
Playing means creating a character and selecting from the book’s 40 Ryude, or magical mecha. The system is d10-based, with combat happening in quick two-second rounds. Warhammer Fantasy fans will find familiarity in magic that runs a risk of backlash. And if you like a gamble, you can increase your odds with a Luck dice pool. But be warned: luck can work for or against you! Increasing your odds could also make you a bigger target.
What do you get?
If Wares Blade sounds like something you and your friends would enjoy playing, you can get in on the ground floor via the game’s Kickstarter! At the time of writing, the campaign is funded more than seven times over, so you’re sure to get your backer rewards.
Reward tiers range from $30-150, with the lowest tier getting you a digital copy of the game. As you go up the tiers, you get more add-ons: dice and trays, collector’s edition books, scenarios, pre-made sheets, and more. At the top tier, you even get acrylic stands and a GM screen, so you’ll have everything you need to start your own campaign.