New release: Ravenmark: Mercenaries

Ian Gregory of Witching Hour Studios has dropped me a line to let me know about the release of Ravenmark: Mercenaries, a new fantasy strategy title out for iOS.

The premise:

In the events of Mercenaries, set six years after the events of the original RAVENMARK, the world of Eclisse has been scarred irrevocably by the vendetta of Estellion’s vengeful new ruler, the Scarlet Empress. Players may delve into the world’s rich lore and discover the evolved power struggle between the three warring nations: once-glorious Estellion, the fledgling Varishah, and silent but stern Esotre.

Ravenmark: Mercenaries currently lacks a formal campaign, instead offering contracts and border skirmishes against AI in addition to asynchronous multiplayer play. The developers state: “Major contracts will involve larger-scale world events that further the main plot of Mercenaries, and we intend to launch periodic expansions to this ongoing story.”

Gregory says that Ravenmark: Mercenaries is inspired by tabletop wargames like Warhammer and De Bellis Antiquitatis. The game features a We-Go system (read: simultaneous turns) with standing orders and formations. You can customize your mercenary group and load out your commander with a variety of traits that impact battles.

Here’s the trailer:

Ravenmark: Mercenaries is free by default and supported by ads and optional in-app purchases–you can remove the ads by purchasing the “Collector’s Edition” for $4.99 in-game. The game is out now for iOS; an Android port is planned for release towards the end of the year.