The Other Side

The Army sized Wargame by Wyrd Games set in the same Universe as Malifaux. It was Kickstarted as of Dec 2016

Hello from The Other Side

The Other Side is an upcoming game about allegiances doing battle across the Earth in a fight for supremacy and survival. Using 32mm miniatures, players will control squads of troops and massive titans as they attempt to defeat their foes and seize control of Earth.. Conflict is resolved through the use of a deck of cards, allowing players more control over their own destinies. The Other Side shares a world with Malifaux, but the games are not compatible.

Setting

The Other Side takes place in the same universe as Malifaux, but instead of being in the dreamscape-esque world of Malifaux it is set Earth-side. Instead of focusing on small groups of Penny Dreadful characters the story revolves around four different factions as they fight a World War.

Main Factions

King's Empire

"The world is in chaos. The Guild’s losing its grip and the Empire is resurgent. Now is the time to strike and take our nation to its proper place on the world stage."
-Margaret Belle

The British faction. They are what's left of the British Empire after the Guild stepped in and basically took power. Now that the Guild has lost power Earth-side the Empire is seeking to make a comeback. They get one big mecha called the King's Hand and a lot of their infantry are riflemen.

Their playstyle favors ranged combat, more close to a vanilla faction than the other three.

Abyssinia

"My people see the value of honoring the past and chasing the future. Soulstones let us use that which came before to move into that which will be."
-Prince Unathi

The Ethiopian faction. Apparently in the history of Malifaux there were breaches that led to Africa before the first Breach was opened and the people of Abyssinia took advantage. They are probably the most technologically advanced faction as far as the four factions are concerned. Conceptually similar to a certain Marvel idea (substitute vibranium for soulstones) but with an aesthetic more in common with Xcom and Fallout than the "Cat-man" movie.

They are the more resilient of the factions, focusing on high armored units. They also are able to throw upgrades around like they are candy.

Cult of the Burning Man

"No longer shall the vestiges of a fallen civilization hold us back. We have seen the face of freedom! The Burning Man comes to free us all. His fire shall purify the righteous and burn the unworthy!"
-Raving Madman

The Cultist faction. The main event that kickstarted their rise to power was when the Burning Man appeared. When the Burning Man set fire to London apparently a lot of people began worshiping him as a deity.

Their playstyle is based around outmaneuvering their oppents.

Gibbering Hordes

"We were driven from the land and into the ocean, and we were taken from the ocean and forced to this world. Here we shall be like the tide and the storm, and we shall claim the Earth for Meridion."
-The Stormsiren

The Cthulhu faction. Originally these creates were on Malifaux and were banished to the oceans of Malifaux. For some reason they were able to get onto Earth through Breaches. As a result they are leading an angry hunger fueled desolation of the world. While most of the race seem to be mindless animals they are apparently led by more intelligent Gibbering Hordes creatures, like the Stormsiren.

Their playstyle is more like your standard horde army. Flood the enemy with bodies and try and reinforce with eggs. Additionally they have a few kaiju to act as a monstrous creature faction.

Side Factions

Court of Two

"We can provide you with soldiers that need not eat or sleep. They know no fear. They will tear your enemies apart."
— Court of Two Representative

Neverborn that left Malifaux for Earth-side. It is believed that the Court of Two are the same shadowy figures that created the Crossroad Seven.

Guild

"Advanced weaponry. Soulstones. Spies. All for a price, my friend."
— Overheard Guild Envoy

The Guild representation on Earth. The majority of the Guild's power comes from the Malifaux soulstone trade. On Earth-side they are less powerful, more like a mercenary group than a fully fledged government power.

Tabletop

Gameplay

The Other Side is a streamlined game intended to be easy to pick up and learn while still providing an exciting, tactical experience for players. The epic battles taking place across the Earth are played out on a 4 x 6 table with scattered, light terrain. Alternating activations keep you involved in the action every step of the way, while a five turn game keeps the fighting quick and bloody. The average game lasts about two hours. The Other Side is won and lost by how well your troops complete their mission, creating an ebb and flow to the battle as objectives are fiercely contested throughout the entire game.

Glory

The Other Side takes the traditional idea of morale in wargames and turns it on its head by focusing on the inspiration that leads soldiers to greatness on the battlefield rather than the moments of panic and fear that make them break formation and flee. Every unit in the game has a stat card with two sides: its standard side and its Glory side. When certain conditions are met, units are able to flip their card over and go into Glory. While in Glory, units have better stats, better actions, and abilities that can truly turn the tide of battle in their favor! Don’t cower in fear of morale any more -- rise to greatness; rise to Glory!

Stratagems

Battles are won and lost by more than individual troops. There are lines of supply, hovering zeppelins, and magical rituals that might have a significant impact upon the outcome of a battle. These advantages are represented by Stratagems. Stratagems are used by shrewd Commanders as the battle unfolds around them, allowing them to call in reinforcements, unleash experimental weapons, or exploit the current battlefield conditions to gain an edge over their foes. All of these gambits require your Commander’s attention to unleash, however, and knowing when to take advantage of a Stratagem will be something that separates the greatest generals of the era from those that are forgotten by history.

Not to be confused with another game's stratagems. Sad thing is that The Other Side's playtest went public way before that other game's new edition launched.

Models

Magic, steampunk, monsters, and soldiers collide to make the battlefields of The Other Side action-packed. In order to get you into the action sooner, every model in The Other Side will come preassembled and ready for play! The Other Side also takes advantage of movement bases that allow small groups of models - known as Fireteams - to act independently during the game, making gameplay smooth and easy despite the number of models on the table. The models in The Other Side are 32mm scale with high levels of detail, allowing painters plenty of opportunity to paint their Champions, Squads, and Titans in whatever way they wish.

The Other Side models are preassembled PVC. Has one upside and one downside. Upside, skip the assembly step entirely and play/paint. Downside, conversions are very difficult to do.

See Also

• Malifaux - The Skirmish level game made by Wyrd.
• Through the Breach - The RPG set in the world of Malifaux by Wyrd.