Most of the files are printed, for all language editions. The plastic pieces left customs and arrived yesterday at the printing house, where the games will be assembled just after the New Year
Day.
We have recieved the first mass production copy of the game and checked the quality of the final product. It is gorgeous!
Back of the game box.
End of the Pre-order
We are closing the pre-order in a few days. The games are almost ready, so we need to prepare the shipping data for our shipping partners. To do this we need the final amount of items we need to ship. So till the end of this week you have a final chance to get the game for a pre-order price, or to add add-ons to your pledges. After this you will be able to get the games in the retail. Pledge Manager will be still open for address changes etc., as we are going to close this just before the start of shipping.
No empty space inside!
Still around 80 of you didn’t filled the survey in the Backer Kit and didn’t paid for shipping. Please do this now, to receive your games in the first wave of shipping!
Digging deeper...
Christmas / New Year break
We will be back here after the Christmas / New Year break, to give you a detailed shipping plan (OK, we will be here everyday to answer your questions in comments section or message panel, but let us delude ourselves that we have a break :) ).
See you next year!
The final quality of production is great.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Jaro & PHALANX Team
We won’t win the War before Christmas
over 6 years ago
– Thu, Nov 16, 2017 at 11:36:02 PM
Salve,
We hope you this update finds you fine.
Production Update
Game boards, game boxes and cards have been printed and are ready for packaging. That goes for all language versions.
Rulebook, Scenario book, Playbook, Player aid - will be printed in next couple of weeks. That’s a massive job, we need to print over 1 million pages. All language version will be printed at the same time, no language has a priority here.
Price of Failure and Sun of Macedonexpansions: the boxes are now in final DTP and will be printed once we are done with the above task. The cards for both are ready and the minis too.
All add-ons have been produced and are lining up for your inspection at the BGG Con (see below). We had a very good reaction to the quality at Essen Spiel.
That’s it for the components produced in Poland. The Chinese seem to be experiencing a bit of a long march here but it seems it is also coming to an end.
The dice production was dragging 2 weeks behind the schedule and yet some of them did not pass our quality control so the production had to be re-started.
The minis are all ready (as you’ve seen on the pictures already) and so are the trays.
Those components will be leaving China on Nov 24. They are expected in the assembly house on Dec 15th. And this is where we experience a delay. First we were delayed by Chinese autumn celebrations, now we are a victim of the Christmas gap.
The assembly, packaging and transport to the warehouse will only be possible in the first three weeks of January. We expect the delivery to start on Jan 22nd in Europe and one month later in the USA and Rest of the World.
So, we need to face the fact Hannibal & Hamilcar will be effectively a 2018 release. However, looking at the bright side of life - that will give you plenty of time to find out if this is the game of the year. :)
Essen Spiel
Thanks to your great support shown during the campaign, we were able to bring Mark Simonitch to Essen to have his dream fulfilled. Mark always wanted to visit the fairs but it was only possible thanks to the stretch goal of the Hannibal & Hamilcar campaign.
Mark has been at our booth daily, had conversations with gamers and presented his next design: Caesar: Rome vs Gaul.
Here is a few words from Mark. He refused to put it in 500 words, he apparently doesn’t believe in power of modern communication. ;)
I'd like to thank everybody who made my trip to Essen possible. That was my first time there and it was very interesting -- the fair is huge! Got to meet a lot of nice people and the folks at Phalanx Games were wonderful host. The best part was getting to meet gamers from all over the world. It appears our hobby is healthy and growing fast in Europe.
Mark Simonitch
Hannibal & Hamilcar video presentation
Here is a video presentation of the game prototype from BGG booth made during the Essen Spiel 2017 (starting at 3:55:00).
BGG Con
As I write these words, Hannibal & Hamilcar are visiting Dallas, hosted by our US distributor Ares Games. Those who are attending BGG Con may have a look at the final minis and dice and the add-ons: the giant playing mat, the standees and card holders.
Jeremy, who joined the team during the Kickstarter campaign has volunteered to present the game to the visitors. He will be at the 503 booth on:
Thursday 10:00-3:00
Friday 10:00-3:00
Thank you and happy gaming,
Jaro & Phalanx
See you in Essen?
over 6 years ago
– Thu, Oct 19, 2017 at 12:15:58 AM
Salve Everyone,
Remember, remember 26th of October. If only Gunpowder Plot happened on another date it would make my writing of this update easier.
26th of October is the first day of the Essen Fair, to which our PHALANX arrives this year 'on the shield' ie without the product we aimed to deliver. Despite the fact, we do exhibit this year. We bring HANNIBAL & HAMILCAR, with both expansions (a prototype, but with final miniatures and dice), an another game in the Hannibal series: Caesar: Rome vs Gaul (a first prototype), and underwater cooperative war thriller UBOOT (pre-Kickstarter prototype).
You will also find us presenting a game of Hunger, a quick party game, which is not entirely in line with our historical/military focus and got published because we liked the design. Please come and find out if you also like it.
Also, for those interested, we will have on sale the following accessories to HANNIBAL & HAMILCAR: Giant playing mat, Wooden card holders, and Premium classic Generals.
Anyway, between 26th and 29th of 'the eight month' which is in fact a tenth month of the year. This is when you can find us at Booth 2-B106. Mark Simonitch will be there, everyday at noon, from Thursday to Saturday. Please drop in to say hello.
And now a quick riddle:
on what day the Gunpowder Plot really happened?
if not 'on the shield' how else a warrior may return from the battle? And why?
why October is a tenth month and which game we are presenting mentions a person indirectly responsible for that?
See you in Essen?
Jaro
PS. In a meantime in the factory…
Mid-Autumn Festival
over 6 years ago
– Thu, Sep 28, 2017 at 01:49:19 AM
Salve,
Don’t Panic!
These words, in huge and bold type were written on the company manual I was handed 25 years ago. The rest of the book was helpful but those words the best of all. Whatever happens in advertising business, which is very dynamic and demanding, don’t panic. There was yet another advice, worth its weight in gold. Don’t withhold bad news. Whatever happens, don’t withhold bad news from your Client. There were plenty of reasons for promoting this type of business behaviour.
Unfortunately, I have to bring you bad news. To put it straight: we will have 3-4 weeks delay with Hannibal & Hamilcar. That means we won’t be able to bring the game to Essen Spiel or BGG Con. This is very sad. I was devastated when I learn about this.
Why?
Our project timeline was well thought over and everything was planned for. We have even planned for the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, which takes away 8 days in the crucial production period. But we haven’t planned for one, additional test of colours of the minis. Instead of two rounds of adjustments, it took three rounds. So instead to be done with the minis before the Chinese holiday, we will be ready just after. And that means, we miss Essen and BGG Con. We are sorry for that. But above all we wanted to bring the quality rather than haste the project.
What does this mean?
This mean that the game (all language editions) will be assembled by mid-November rather than mid-October, that in turn means, that EU backers should receive their games in late November / early December, and worldwide backers in late December / early January.
Mark Simonitch in Essen
Despite the fact, the game is not ready, we are bringing Mark to Essen Spiel 2017. We will also do our best, to have one copy of the game at our booth, so you can all pop-in for a chat with Mark and to accept our sincere thanks. Mark will gladly sign any his games you want to bring. Mark will be available at our booth 2B106 everyday at noon, for an hour. You will also see him presenting another game in the series: Caesar. Rome vs Gaul!
The add-ons will be ready and available for purchase, so if you are hesitating, please come and have a look!
Essen Spiel 2017 free pick-up
This paragraph applies only to those who took Essen Spiel free pick-up option as their shipping solution.
As we have explained above, the project has encountered an obstacle, hence we are unable to deliver the games for Essen pick-up. Therefore we have to ask you to re-enter the Backerkit Pledge Manager and fill the information for normal shipping procedure.
(https://hannibal-and-hamilcar.backerkit.com/). Please fill your recent shipping address in the Pledge Manager and settle the cost associated with the shipping cost.
We realize this means an extra expense so we have two solutions at hand:
If you no longer want the game, because the Essen Spiel free pick-up option has been canceled, please let us know via private message and you will receive a full refund.
Alternatively, please visit our booth for a picture with Mark and Jaro and a small gift as our apology for the inconvenience and gratitude for your ongoing support.
Updated books
Thank you all for your feedback with regard to the game books. Here are the updated ones, plus all the charts. Please put any feedback in the comments section of this update, if you have any.
The minis at our booth will be painted. Yet another reason to pop-in! Here are some photos.
Please visit our booth 2B106 at Essen Spiel to play Hannibal & Hamilcar with these beauties!
Thank you for your support,
Jaro & Phalanx Team
Colours of the miniatures
over 6 years ago
– Sat, Sep 09, 2017 at 01:30:20 AM
Salve Everyone,
This has been a difficult choice. We couldn't decide for a long time and we had many discussion at PHALANX regarding this very small issue.
Red is for Rome and blue is for Carthage. We knew that from the start. The choice was natural and that was the case in both earlier game editions.
We have come to an agreement, that what we want in HANNIBAL & HAMILCAR is above all the effect of synergy between the story, the game and the game components. Not a 'wow' effect when you see a single miniature but a 'wow' effect when you see them in the whole context: on the General's cards and on the board.
A synonim to the word "component" is the word "element". Hence the Carthaginians will be produced in watered blue, and the Romans in clay or terracota red. This will match the colour coding used across all the design: Romans are coded in red (earth) and gold (fire) and Carthaginians in blue (water) and silver/white (air).
So the voices of criticism regarding the colours of the minis were heard and here we are. This choice has not been very obvious but we are glad we have arrived at what we have. We hope you like them as much as we do.
Also the wooden Premium Classic Generals are ready. They look fantastic.
So, the pre-production is over. Please keep the fingers crossed for the production. We will keep you updated!
