Martial Art: Battlefields expansion
- Released: 2019
- Cards: 24 (8 terrain, 8 weather, 8 war)
- Needs: Martial Art base game
Battlefields is a 24-card expansion for the Martial Art card game, funded on Kickstarter in August 2018 and sold from February 2019. It adds weather cards that change every battle until replaced, terrain cards you commit before a battle, and splits the Geisha into two weaker cards. You need the base game to play.
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Battlefields was the first and, as far as we can find, only released expansion for Martial Art. It went to Kickstarter on July 24, 2018 with a $9 pledge for the expansion, funded in August, and went on sale in the publisher’s shop in February 2019.
What it adds
Weather. Weather cards are shuffled into the Land deck at the start. When one comes up, it changes the battles until a new weather card replaces it, so one storm can shape several rounds. The publisher tied the idea to the typhoon that destroyed the Mongol fleet off Japan in 1274.
Terrain. Terrain cards are drawn like other cards and played face up before a battle. Each player may play one, and it stays in play for that battle. Because everyone sees your terrain before choosing a Battle card, terrain doubles as a signal or a bluff.
War cards. Eight new Battle and Support cards.
The Geisha fix. After several years of play, the publisher decided the original Geisha was too strong. Whoever drew one often won. Battlefields splits its effect into two cards, one against Battle cards and one against Support. If you play with the expansion, remove the original Geishas. The rest of the original rulings are on the Martial Art FAQ.
Components
| Card type | Count |
|---|---|
| Terrain | 8 |
| Weather | 8 |
| War cards | 8 |
How it was made
The campaign laid out a timeline that is typical of a small card-game print run and worth knowing if you are planning your own. Printer files were finished while Kickstarter released the funds, then hard-copy proofs took two to three weeks, production took 20 to 25 days, and sea freight to the US and a UK fulfillment partner took about 45 days. Our manufacturing cost guide goes through each of those steps.
Questions people ask
Do I need Martial Art to play Battlefields?
Yes. Battlefields is an expansion of 24 cards and is not playable on its own.
What changed about the Geisha in Battlefields?
The original Geisha was strong enough to decide games on its own, so Battlefields replaces it with two cards: one cancels a Battle card, the other cancels Support.
How do weather cards work?
They are shuffled into the Land deck. When one is turned up, its effect lasts for every battle until another weather card replaces it.