Designer Journal 1: New Missions
When we started designing the Clan of Two expansion, we knew that the most requested feature would be additional missions. Our goal from the start was to double the number of maps and mercenary missions in the game (4 maps each with a story mission, plus 4 mercenary missions). Thanks to the wonders of math, the number of map/mission combinations increased from 24 in the base game to 76 with the expansion!
So, how did we choose missions for the expansion? We had a few goals in mind:
· Capture epic moments from Season 2 of the TV show
· Choose diverse locations with unique layouts
· Make missions mechanically interesting
Near Misses
There were so many exciting moments in Season 2 of The Mandalorian that it was challenging to choose just four.
A great example is the first episode: The Marshal. This episode ends with one of the coolest action scenes to ever grace the small screen: the epic fight against the Krayt Dragon. As awesome as this was, we couldn’t use it as a story mission in the game. Why? Well, the core game system relies on there being lots of enemies on the map of different types. With only 1 enemy (the Krayt Dragon), the game simply wouldn’t work.
But wait!
In addition to story missions, The Mandalorian: Adventures board game also includes mercenary missions that can be played on any map. These missions are not direct retellings of specific episodes, but some are inspired by events of the show. This presented the perfect opportunity to let players have an epic fight against a Krayt Dragon without breaking the game system.
The coolest thing about this mission is that the Krayt Dragon has its own event cards. These ensure that the Krayt Dragon acts unlike any other enemy in the game. You can be swallowed whole or even sprayed with acid bile!
From Screen to Table
Now that you have some insight into how we choose missions, let’s talk about what story missions are in the box. We landed on 4 pivotal moments on unique locales:
· Calodan – Home of the villainous Morgan Elsbeth, where our hero meets the outcast Ahsoka Tano.
· Tython – While Grogu uses the Jedi seeing stone, Moff Gideon’s forces arrive! Luckily Boba Fett and Fennec Shand are there to help.
· Morak – Infiltrate an Imperial refinery to find the coordinates to Moff Gideon (and Grogu).
· Moff Gideon’s Light Cruiser – Strike at the heart of Moff Gideon’s forces to free Grogu. Oh, and watch out for those Death Troopers.
Making Them Unique
Each location is visually distinct, but we also made sure each had unique mechanics. From jumping over the rooftops of Calodan to rolling boulders down the hillside of Tython, they all have different features. Some even use new mechanics, such as:
· Scope Tokens – While The Mandalorian and Migs Mayfeld escape the refinery on Morak, up to 2 players can provide sniper support! They can move and attack, but since they are not physically on the map, enemies ignore them.
· Star Tokens – In the base game, enemy reinforcements always appear in the same space. In some Clan of Two maps, the spawn location can move, leading to more dynamic action.
· Duels – Some missions end with a climatic duel! These use a special duel deck, which we’ll discuss in a future article.
I’m really proud of how the Clan of Two missions ended up. We went the extra mile to make sure these missions were thematic, varied, and fun. I can’t wait for you to play them and re-live your favorite moments from Season 2.
In our next article, I’ll discuss the new heroes, their play styles, and a new mechanic that makes them really stand out.
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