As you may or may not know, I also had a prototype of ISS Vanguard over a year before the final game hit backers doorsteps. I created and managed a website for it, just like I am doing now for Rogue Angels. I haven’t been doing much with the MyISSVanguard website the past few months, but I checked and there are 650 articles posted on it (we might get there with this MyRogueAngels website – we are at 57 articles right now after just twelve days).

One thing I learned while playing with the ISS Vanguard prototype is that cardboard tokens in a bag are NOT fun. They don’t really mix around well. They don’t make a nice clinky sound when you shake the bag. Running your hand through the cardboard tokens did not bring enjoyment (to me any way).

Then I discovered Coin Capsules!

And now … inserting each token inside a hard plastic coin capsule made a phenomenal difference. They mixed around in the bag great. Shaking the bag made lots of NOISE. And running your hand around inside the bag was actually fun feeling all the tokens (inside those hard plastic coin capsules) sliding between your fingers!

Here is the article I wrote for MyISSVanguard about this new discovery of mine:
=> Transform Your Cardboard Tokens

And here is what the tokens looked like inside coin capsules (dumping out of the bag):

The nice thing about this (for Emil’s sake) is that it was the game players who decided if they wanted to upgrade their token experience. Awaken Realms didn’t need to do anything (other than specify what the size of the tokens would be).

Of course, coin capsules is not the only way to upgrade a bag of cardboard tokens. I can imagine someone on Etsy making thick plastic chips matching the four types of interact tokens.

But then again … the “stackable” 4 colored plastic components that came with the prototype for interact tokens do have their own air of deluxification!

Our Burning Suns Community is going strong! We just achieved the 115,000 Euros Stretch Goal.

The game will now come with 4 more enemy bosses! Each will be a new type of enemy and each will include it’s own illustrated standee.

Here are the stretch goals ahead of us now:

So now we are looking forward to:

• Four one-shot scenarios (with 8 extra pages)
• Six new object standees (2 new types)
• Four new boss Enemy Behavior Cards (unique to each of them)

UPDATE December 16, 2023 from Emil – the article and video are still good, but here is his quick summary to save you time reading the article (but, yeah, read both:)

Here are the amount of cards in the game (including stretch goals):

• • Enemy Behavior Card: max 40 (size: 120x80mm / 4.72×3.15 inches)
  • Damage Cards: max 40 (size 88x63mm, poker / 3.46×2.48 inches)
  • Action Cards: max 200 (size 88x63mm, poker / 3.46×2.48 inches)
  • All other cards: max 140 (size 88x63mm, poker / 3.46×2.48 inches)

Len’s added note: this should be the maximum needed:

• • 120x80mm size: 40 sleeves
  • 88x63mm/poker size: 380 sleeves

For those who wish to sleeve all the cards in the game, Emil let us know that most of the cards will be standard bridge / poker sized cards (so you have many sleeve options). The exception is the Enemy Behavior Cards which are slightly bigger (120 x 80 mm). More info about the sleeves is below the video window (where I show you the two types of cards and example sleeves for them):

(You can tell from the video that I do it all on my own – nobody here to run the camera for me … sorry about the ending, but I didn’t fit into the screen anymore :)

Here is a snapshot from the video (click to see the 1 minute clip):

Here is some background to sleeving your cards.

1. It can make it easier to shuffle
   • With a small deck, this is very handy
2. If you place a deck of cards on the table (ie, a draw deck), they may tend to slide off the stack
   • With a substantially large deck, cards sleeved with normal sleeves tended to slide/tip over (ie, sleeves made it harder to actually play with the cards)
3. They make your cards thicker (and bit taller and wider) which can affect storing them in the original game inserts.
   • However, there is one sleeve that is very thin and designed to be a tight fit on the cards. In my experience, cards sleeved with regular type sleeves that would NOT fit back into the game insert, DID fit back into the game insert if sleeved with these! The brand is called KMC Perfect. I got mine on Amazon.
     => KMC Perfect 100 standard size sleeves
     
4. You need to be sure you are getting the correct size sleeves. Read the specs on the card sleeves you are considering. It should specify the sleeve size, but often it will note what size cards will fit in the sleeves. Here is an example that specifies the Sleeve Size at the top (81x122mm), and in smaller font the size cards it will fit (79x120mm).
   
   Note: The actual width of the Enemy Behavior Card in the prototype is 80mm. These sleeves state that they will work with cards up to 79mm wide. However, if you want a tight fit, the cards WILL fit into these sleeves. If you want a looser fit sleeve, you can ask your local game store to help find them for you :)

As the Kickstarter is drawing to a close (just two more days), here are the TEN most recently posted videos about Rogue Angels.

I include a link to a ONE MINUTE video clip for each, so you can watch all of them in less than 10 minutes (because some actually are less than 1 minute). If you like what you see in a clip, just click on the supplied link to the full video and watch the whole thing!

List of Ten Most Recent Videos:

1. Board Game Officer (playthrough part 4 Scenario 5) => 1min clip (Sep 29 2023)
2. Learn to Play (How To Play review) => 1min clip (Sep 28 2023)
3. My Rogue Angels (unboxing) => 1min clip (Sep 27 2023)
4. Board Game Officer (playthrough part 3 Scenario 4) => 1min clip (Sep 27 2023)
5. Critical Fail (Kickstarter preview) => 1min clip (Sep 27 2023)
6. Gettin Jiggly Wit It (playthrough) => 1min clip (Sep 26 2023)
7. Room and Board (Kickstarter preview) => 1min clip (Sep 25 2023)
8. OwlDragon Adventures (preview) => 1min clip (Sep 25 2023)
9. Boxed Meeples (2nd look review) => 1min clip (Sep 24 2023)
10. King of Average (Kickstarter previews) => 1min clip (Sep 21 2023)

Funding has surpassed 110,000 Euros giving us the next stretch goal!

This will add SIX new maps PLUS all the setups to utilize them! We also now have three more stretch goals to aim for:

The next three will add:

• 4 more unique enemies (with illustrated standees)
• 4 one-shot scenarios (8 extra pages in the Training Manual with scenarios we can enjoy alongside the main campaign)
• 6 new object standees (2 new types of objects / 6 illustrated standees)

=> Official Update #17

Highlights:

1. 11th Stretch Goal has been reached (105K granting 12 new terrain tiles) and a good chunk of the 12th Stretch Goal (110K) has been met already as well. [Len’s note: the 12th has been surpassed already as I write these highlights]
   
   
2. Gamefound Pledge Manager will be used as the pledge manager for Rogue Angels.
   
   All the backers and their pledges will be moved to Gamefound after the campaign ends on Sunday. In the pledge manager you will be able to upgrade your pledge and add more copies. Gamefound also has a feature called “Stretch Pay” which allows you to make your payments in installments.
   IMPORTANT NOTE: As stated in the FAQ, the price for Rogue Angels in the Pledge Manger will increase from 107 Euros to 112 Euros (so you can save 5 Euros by pledging while the Kickstarter campaign is alive). Once production starts, the price will increase to 117 Euros.
3. Sigyn’s Origin:
   
   Martin has written an article about the cyborg origins and backstory for our hero character Sigyn (who is an exception the cyborg “rule”). Interesting reading on Board Game Geek:
   => Sigyn’s Origins
4. Rogue Angels Online:
   • Lance at Learn To Play Games has a video explaining how to play Rogue Angels:
     => Learn To Play Rogue Angels
   • Marcel at Herr der Spiele has a playthrough video for Mission 8 (in German):
     => Mission 8
   • Niklas at Green Hook Games did a nice interview with Emil (text, graphics and photos):
     => A Sci-Fi Story Driven Game from Sun Tsu Games
5. Looking Forward:
   • During the last few days of the Kickstarter campaign, you can do some important things! Like visit=> Rogue Angels on Board Game Geek AND add it to your collection (as pre-ordered), like it (click the heart), and subscribe to it! [Len’s note: my Board Game Geek game bar for Rogue Angels looks like this:]
     
   • Sign up for the Facebook Event (Sunday, October 1). [Len’s note: When you click the link below it should specify the time in your own time zone (I think)]
     => Facebook Live Event

I’ve liked some of Sirthecos other videos (for other games) so it was great to see that he really liked Rogue Angels!

=> 1 minute with Sirthecos

Remember … there is a link to the full video in that 1 minute clip!

Snapshot from the clip:

The Stretch Goal for reaching 105,000 Euros in backing has been quickly passed by!

This will add 12 new terrain tiles to the game!

Here are the next two Stretch Goals that hopefully we will pass flying by:

Next addition will be 6 new maps plus the setups for them in the specific missions that use them.

Then there will be 4 new enemy bosses. This will be new types of enemies and of course will include illustrated standees.

The decision was made regarding how to do the Pledge Manager after the Kickstarter campaign ends on October 1. Here is the short and sweet “pre-announcement” from Martin:

And also from Emil:

And, checking the FAQ (per Emil’s pre-announcement) we see this official info: