Vanguard Exiles, the next game by Magic: The Gathering creator Richard Garfield, will launch into early access on Steam on March 11.
The digital board game comes from Australian game developer The Tea Division, and it’s designed in association with Garfield. The title is an innovative auto battler with a redefined take on the genre. The devs say to prepare yourself for a competitive strategy gameplay experience unlike any other, offering new scenarios in each round ensuring no two turns are ever alike.
Dubbed “a board game that can’t be a board game,” Vanguard Exiles is a tabletop strategy game where the board constantly rearranges itself with each round, with players given one of countless squad combinations to control.
Set in a fantasy post-World War I diesel punk era where magic and technology fuse, your goal is simple: conquer enough territory to end the round in victory, where your strategy and decisions on the battlefield will be all that stands between you and a glorious victory…or a crushing defeat.
In Vanguard Exiles, each unit has its own identity, with its own distinctive look and a unique array of traits and abilities. To further this, each Squad has its own makeup, consisting of different combinations of units and actions. Combat happens automatically, but as mentioned earlier, this is no typical auto-battler. Strategy is key, and you’ll have to play smart, making tough tactical decisions to ensure your victory.
Vanguard Exiles offers an immense rule set of complex mechanics, all happening under the hood, aiming to teach players the nuances of gameplay rather than intimidate them. After each round, you’re even able to see what your chances of victory were. Did you play smart and get unlucky? Or play poorly but nab victory purely by chance? Every game teaches you something new, offering unprecedented room to hone your strategy against other players, who are likely refining their own personal playstyles.
The demo is currently available on Steam, offering a single-player mode to get you facing off against an AI opponent and familiarize yourself with the various units and actions available. But for those wanting the definitive gameplay experience, PvP comes to Vanguard Exiles in Early Access, launching March 11, not only giving players the option to battle it out online, but also with the addition of new Units and Actions available only in the early access build.
“Vanguard Exiles combines tabletop design with digital design into a unique and eclectic gameplay experience,” said Garfield, game designer of Vanguard Exiles, in a statement. “The variety offered by the game is exciting, and skillful play introduces all sorts of unexpected novelty. My favorite thing in game design is having an interesting space to explore – like with Magic: the Gathering and Keyforge. Like those games, Vanguard Exiles is deeply interesting, and I am delighted to share it with a broader audience.”
“I’ve been in this industry for over 25 years and worked on some major titles and franchises, yet I’ve never been as excited or confident in a project as I have with Vanguard Exiles,” said Mark Rowley from The Tea Division, in a statement. “When we soft launched early playtests to get some initial feedback, we were pleasantly surprised by how captivated people were by it. New players were immediately curious about what they did to win or lose, and wanted to play more to understand the underlying strategy.”
Rowley added, “It didn’t take long for players to massively improve their game and we have seen this with the single player demo since. We can’t wait to see what happens when players face off against each other in online matches with the release of Early Access. On that note, we have a dedicated Spectator Mode so players can analyze others’ strategies and learn just by watching.”
The Tea Division is a remote studio based in Brisbane, gathering an assortment of passionate veterans, many of whom have worked together for decades, collectively having worked on over 100 games, spanning over 20 years of console, mobile, PC, indie and AAA video game development. A dynamic and innovative game development studio, their track record for delivering efficient solutions in a timely manner remains flawless, without ever compromising quality or service.
With extensive experience in leading/development, The Tea Division can spearhead an existing project, or become an extension of the workforce to help realise their vision. Operating as a work for hire studio, there is no shortage of expertise in executing full platform ports, embedded team solutions, full project delivery, co-development and project firefighting.
Vanguard Exiles is The Tea Division’s first self-published and fully owned title; a new style of Auto-battler designed Garfield.
