Ahoy, everyone! Emanuel Class, lead developer on Monsterpocalypse here with the Yearly Update!

We looked at the game from top to bottom and decided to make 2024 the year we remix monsters that had already had a pass in a dynamic update but still failed to find their home in their Factions and Agendas. We picked four monsters and six units that we felt needed a bit of a glow to line up with where the game is currently. The monsters we picked are all pedestrians and therefore had a lot of room to get tuned up and changed. I am excited to see players explore the new synergies these monsters and units will allow. Additionally, when looking at an update this year, we wanted these monsters to be robust and diverse in their applications. So, we took to these revamps aiming for duality and with the motto “Yes and Also….”

Monsters

Sgt. Titanica

Sgt Titanica is one of the most well-known monsters in the game. She is often a crowd favorite with a beautiful con-exclusive model as well. But she’s had some problematic interactions with her rules that we felt the game could do without. Her new updated card offers a myriad of offensive and defensive tech coupled with dynamic movement tricks and tactics. Being a 10 health Pedestrian (i.e., non-flying/non-high mobility monster), Sgt. Titanica had a lot of room in her kit to push her abilities. Now, no matter the situation, this colossal lady has a game plan.

Change Log

Alpha Changes

• –1 DEF

• Defensive Stance: Change text from

Defensive Stance – Once per attack, you can move one Action Die from your Monster Pool to your Unit Pool. If you do, your opponent rerolls up to two Super Strike rolls.

to

Defensive Stance – This model gains +1 DEF if you have five or fewer Power Dice in your Power Pool. If this monster is in hyper form, allied Faction units also gain Defensive Stance.

• Drop Motivator, add Action: On My Mark

Action: On My Mark – During your Monster Activation, this model can spend one Action Die and one Power Die to perform an On My Mark action. Choose an allied Faction unit within five spaces of this model. That unit immediately advances up to its SPD and makes an attack using the dice spent for this action.

• Brawl attack drops Precision Strike and adds Combo Strike

Combo Strike – If this attack hits, after the attack is resolved this model can immediately make a power attack. This power attack gains +3 Boost Dice and does not require any Power Dice.

• Power Attack +1 Action Dice, –1 Boost Dice

Hyper Changes

• Defensive Stance: Change text from

Defensive Stance – Once per attack, you can move one Action Die from your Monster Pool to your Unit Pool. If you do, your opponent rerolls up to two Super Strike rolls.

to

Defensive Stance – This model gains +1 DEF if you have five or fewer Power Dice in your Power Pool. If this monster is in hyper form, allied Faction units also gain Defensive Stance.

• Drop Tactical Shift, add Action: On My Mark

Action: On My Mark – During your Monster Activation, this model can spend one Action Die and one Power Die to perform an On My Mark action. Choose an allied Faction unit within five spaces of this model. That unit immediately advances up to its SPD and makes an attack using the dice spent for this action.

• Drop Lead from the Front, add Tactical Command

Tactical Command – While this model is in play, allied Faction units’ blast attacks gain the Hit & Run special rule.

• Drop Precision Strike from brawl and power attacks, add Hit & Run to power attack

Hit & Run – If this model hits a target model with this attack, immediately after the attack is resolved advance this model up to three spaces even if this model has already advanced this turn.

Krakenoctus

This sushi roll is one of the two monsters to win a fan-favorite vote for a previous March Madness. It seemed only right we honor that poll victory with a tsunami-sized glow up. One of the themes across the monsters we chose was we wanted support monsters that could also contribute to the game plan of their Factions and Agendas. Now Krakenoctus has a suite of tech at its disposal to help its army power through some of the toughest situations. This update comes just in time to support the newly complete Triton Faction.

Change Log

Alpha Changes

• Brawl adds + 1 boost

• Add – Divination

Divination – Enemy models within five spaces of this model cannot gain cover and have their DEF reduced by 1 against blast attacks made by allied models, to a minimum of 1. Affected models cannot gain Cloak.

• Brawl: Drop Onslaught, gain Steamroller

Steamroller – After this attack is resolved, you can advance this monster up to three spaces and make a ram power attack this turn.

Hyper Changes

• + 1 SPD
• Blast + 1 RNG
• Drop Slingshot, add Envelop

Envelop – Enemies adjacent to this model have their DEF reduced by 1 against attacks made by allied models, to a minimum of 1.

• Brawl loses Fling, gains Drag and Sweeping Attack

Drag – If this attack hits an enemy monster, after the attack is resolved place the enemy monster adjacent to this model. The placed model is immune to hazards regardless of other special rules when placed by Drag.

 Sweeping Attack – After this attack is resolved, you can advance this monster up to three spaces and make a swat power attack this turn.

Komkor 001

Everyone’s favorite rock-’em sock-’em robot Komkor 001 was a monster who, on paper, looked like a great support monster, but after looking through the data and talking to players, things were looking more like Komkor 000. Fortunately, with this update we were able to use some of the newest rules and tech to upgrade in helping it find a glorious new purpose. Locking in with a mountain of Faction synergy, this monster can take Zerkalo units and crank them up to 11 while also being a juggernaut to take out firing rockets, regardless of the collateral damage. If you haven’t noticed before, these monsters also bring a lot of opportunity for players who want to play as close to Faction-pure as possible a reality.

Change Log

Alpha Changes

• Drop Lead from the Front, add Action: No Quarter

Action: No Quarter – During this model’s Activation, this model can spend one Action Die to perform a No Quarter action. This model gains +1 boost on its attacks this turn.

• Drop Mastermind, add Defense Array

Defense Array – Allied units gain Force Field while within five spaces of this model. (A model with Force Field gains +1 DEF against blast attacks.)

• Add Sealed Fate

Sealed Fate – Special rules your opponent controls cannot cause dice to be rerolled.

• Drop Precision Strike and Wrath from brawl attack
• Blast Action Dice corrected to 6 from 3

• Blast: Drop Indirect Fire, add Scald

Scald – If this attack hits, the next attack that targets the same model this turn gains +2 Boost Dice.

Hyper Changes

• Drop Mastermind, add Action: No Quarter

Action: No Quarter – During this model’s Activation, this model can spend 1 Action Die to perform a No Quarter action. This model gains +1 boost on its attacks this turn.

• Drop Perfect Plan, add Dreadnought

Dreadnought – This model gains +2 DEF if it has taken damage this turn.

• Drop Prescience, add Glorious Purpose

Glorious Purpose – While this model is in play, allied Faction units gain +1 SPD and Action: No Quarter.

• Brawl drops Combo, adds Scald and Weapon Master

Scald – If this attack hits, the next attack that targets the same model this turn gains +2 Boost Dice.

Weapon Master – This attack does Super Damage.

• Blast drops Thrash, adds Weapon Master: See Above

Weapon Master – See above.

• Power Attack –1 Boost Dice

Ulgoth

The other side in the battle of sushi and ramen, Ulgoth is a monster that may have the most viral (see what I did there) fanbase in Monsterpocalypse history, spreading memes and chanting Ulgoth, Ulgoth, Ulgoth! Finally, this Lord of Cthul mutated and manifested into a far scarier version. Competing with a Faction full of incredible monsters, we wanted to help Ulgoth find a special place in its Faction, enhancing its playstyle while not stepping on any of the other monsters’ toes. This globulous pustule is now able to take a ton of punishment, flooding the board with a swarm of Cthul units. If you don’t deal with the swarm Ulgoths, Hivemind will deliver deathly accurate blows to its opponents.

Change Log

Alpha Changes

• + 1 DEF

• Drop Disruption, add Action: Mutagenesis

Action: Mutagenesis – During your Monster Activation, this model can spend one Action Die to perform a Mutagenesis action. Place a one-cost Faction unit from your unit reserves into play adjacent to an allied Faction unit within five spaces if this monster.

• Brawl attack drops Manufacture, adds Proliferate

Proliferate – If this attack hits, after the attack is resolved, choose one Faction model from your unit reserves and place it in play on or adjacent to the target. That model cannot participate in an attack this activation.

• Brawl attack and power attack –1 Action Die

Hyper

• Drop Disruption, add Reactive Shield

Reactive Shield – Attacks targeting this model with one or more Power Dice lose one Boost Die. Attacks targeting this model with five or more Power Dice lose two Boost Dice instead.

• Drop Treacherous Territory, add Kill Command

Kill Command – At the end of each of your Monster Activations, if you have eight or more allied Faction units in play, return three allied Faction units to your unit reserves and a building or enemy model suffers 1 damage point.

• Brawl drops Chain Reaction and Manufacture, adds Proliferate and Lash Out

Proliferate – If this attack hits, after the attack is resolved, choose one Faction model from your unit reserves and place it in play on or adjacent to the target. That model cannot participate in an attack this activation.

 Lash Out – Once during each of your Monster Activations, if this attack hits an enemy unit, immediately after the attack is resolved, advance this model up to two spaces, even if it has already advanced this turn. After this advance, this model can make a brawl attack with the dice in play.

UNITS

With this year’s units, we wanted to use as much design space as possible. Because of this, we made sure that each elite matters a lot and needs to be worth 2 Action Dice to make it into a list. This focus on dual design space allowed us a lot of freedom to create some deep and complex lines of play within this small selection. Remember the motto: “Yes and Also!”

Ape Gunner

Bombs away! The Ape Gunner is a unit that had no rules on its card except All Terrain. And yet…we still managed to cut something from its card. This gave us a lot of room to give this model some explosive new design space. Be wary if a mass of Ape Gunners start to stalk the battlefield—units and monsters alike won’t be safe from them!

• Drop All Terrain, add High Mobility
• Add Action: Flak Field [1]

Action: Flak Field [1] – During this model’s Activation, this model can spend one Action Die to perform a Flak Field action. Return all units adjacent to this model with DEF 1 or less to their unit reserves.

• Add Big Game Hunter

Big Game Hunter – This model gains +2 Boost Dice when participating in blast attacks targeting a monster.

Ape Gunner Elite

• Drop All Terrain, add High Mobility
• Add Action: Flack Field [2]

Action: Flak Field [2] – During this model’s Activation, this model can spend one Action Die to perform a Flak Field action. Return all units adjacent to this model with DEF 1 or less to their unit reserves.

• Add Big Game Hunter

Big Game Hunter – This model gains +2 Boost Dice when participating in blast attacks targeting a monster.

Shrieker

The Shrieker struggled to compete with other units in its Faction and across the Agenda. Now, with its recent changes, it brings a whole new suite of Faction synergy to the Legion of Mutates. One of my favorite upgrades is the inclusion of Wing Leader allowing the all-important Clickers’ crossbow blast to land its shot with Tag more reliably.

• Add + 1 DEF
• Drop Follow Through, add Transmute

Transmute – If this model hits an enemy unit with an attack, immediately after the attack is resolved, replace the enemy unit hit with a Faction unit with an equal or lower cost from your unit reserves.

Shrieker Elite

• Add +1 DEF
• Drop Follow Through, add Transmute

Transmute – If this model hits an enemy unit with an attack, immediately after the attack is resolved, replace the enemy unit hit with a Faction unit with an equal or lower cost from your unit reserves.

• Drop Commander: Shrieker, add Wing Leader

Wing Leader – While this model is in play, allied Faction units with the Flight special rule gain +1 Boost Die when participating in blast attacks.

• –1 Boost Die on blast attack

Exo-Armor

The Exo-Armor did what they were meant to do fine but had become a bit dated with other options competing across the Agenda. Rather than build it to compete across the Agenda, we focused on doing what G.U.A.R.D. does best by doubling down on its Faction synergy and weapon accuracy.

• Blast attack +1 Action, +1 Boost
•  Add Defensive Line

Defensive Line – Allied Faction units adjacent to this model gain Hunker and +1 DEF.

Exo-Armor Elite

Blast attack +1 Action, +1 Boost

• Add Defensive Line

Defensive Line – Allied Faction units adjacent to this model gain Hunker and +1 DEF.

Harvester

The Harvester is another model that was also fine in terms of power level in a vacuum, but as a 2-cost unit, it struggled to find a home in players’ lists. Now, with its recently updated arsenal, this 2-cost terror enhances Faction synergy while also contributing to the tides of battle.

• Blast +1 Range, +1 Boost Die, adds Repurpose

Repurpose – If this attack hits an enemy unit, immediately after the attack has resolved, replace the enemy unit hit with a Faction unit that does not have Repurpose from your unit reserves.

• Brawl drops Manufacture

Snatcher

With Ulgoth in this year’s update, we wanted to bring up one of the Lords of Cthul units that struggles to find a place in a list when competing against the other amazing units in the Faction. Now the icky, sticky tentacles of the Snatcher are going to slither their way back onto the tabletop with these latest updates.

• +1 SPD
•  Brawl drops Manufacture, adds Proliferate and Sever

Proliferate – If this attack hits, choose one Faction model from your unit reserves and place it in play on or adjacent to the target after the attack is resolved. That model cannot participate in an attack this activation.

 Sever – This attack does not trigger special rules on enemy models.

Snatcher Elite

• +1 SPD
• Brawl drops Manufacture, gains Proliferate and Sever

Proliferate – If this attack hits, choose one Faction model from your unit reserves and place it in play on or adjacent to the target after the attack is resolved. The placed Faction model cannot participate in an attack this activation.

Sever – This attack does not trigger special rules on enemy model.

LTA Fighter

Bringing up the caboose of this update train is the LTA Fighter This unit was, at best, “okay” and at worst “missing something” when deployed. But now, with its new upgraded tech in Flash and more accurate guns, this killer airship will fly to new heights when the full Faction synergy of the Zerkalo Bloc is brought to bear in the air.

• Blast attack adds +1 Action,  +1 Boost, and Flash

Flash  –  When this attack hits an enemy model, immediately after the attack is resolved, place this model on an objective space or a space adjacent to a building within four spaces of its current location.

LTA Fighter Elite

• Blast Attack adds +1 Action and Flash

Flash – When this attack hits an enemy model, immediately after the attack is resolved, place this model on an objective space or a space adjacent to a building within four spaces of its current location.

• Add Aegis

Aegis – This unit cannot be the target of actions your opponent controls.

Well, everyone, that brings us to the end of this year’s remix. Now go play some games and be sure to let us know what you think!