Tannhäuser throws you into the middle of a war that never ended. Both sides are advanced, and neither side is willing or able to give way. Their war is fought with people, machines, demonic allies, and terrifying weaponry. The battles shake the very foundations of the world, and they have now angered the Gods. Reborn into three mighty suits of armor, the Slavic Gods are unleashing their fury on the conflict.

Operation Novgorod brings to bear many new additions. Some have been featured, new game modes , null characteristics, the Legend, the Liturgy, and the Voïvode . Each of these things brings new stratagems to the game. Today we highlight a few more of the weapons and forces found in the latest addition to a world at war.

Driven by the Slavic Gods, powered by the astounding genius of Nikola Tesla, forced to wage war against foes both armored in science and the occult, the forces of the Matriarchy are formidable. Each of the three characters found in Novgorod brings a unique twist on the icy forces of the Matriarchy.

Zor'ka wears heavy armor and is the living reincarnation of one of the Gods. She draws her strength from this and unleashes devastating bolts of electricity into her foes. Mechanically, her Awakening ability gives her a turn to do untold damage, or survive almost any onslaught. Using this power gives Zor'ka one turn with a single stat at 9! Put into her combat value, she may crush almost any foe before her, and with her magnifier able to affect every figure on her path... Using the Awakening on her stamina stat gives her the power to weather a full turn of the worst an enemy force can throw at her. Standing on the objective, blocking a doorway, shielding teammates, she will stand proudly and defiant in the face of the storm. In addition, her Legendary status makes her immune to all natural 10 effects. Truly the power of the Gods flows through her.

Dubbed the Siren of Samarkand, Irina Kravchenko has a voice to make the heavens weep. Spoken of in the Kirgiz oral legends, Irina is believed to be of divine descent. On the battlefield, her liturgies flow over the sounds of combat and grant her embattled allies and herself supernatural powers. The Liturgy of Valor allows Irina or an ally within range to make a Counterattack without spending a victory point. The Liturgy of Courage increases the movement rate of Irina or her allies by one without the expenditure of a victory point. Finally the Liturgy of Faith instills the touch of the divine within and heals one wound in Irina or her allies within range, you guessed it, without spending a victory point. Each of these liturgies relate to different packs, so most foes will not have to face the awesome powers of these combined. Her special power, Martyr, gives a large boost to the forces of the Matriarchy in the event of Irina's death. In death she grants bonus victory points to her side, depending on what turn she meets her end. Even in death, she serves her country.

Irishka Voronin graduated valedictorian in electrophysiology, and is a member of the elite scientific group, Novodievitchi. On the field of battle, her R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) can repair the armor of the mighty Zor'ka one wound level or can repair a destroyed Voïvode in an adjacent square. Given the earlier power of Zor'ka, anything that extends her life is powerful indeed. Her weapon of choice is Kaali, a modified electromagnetic cannon. This weapon launches Meteops, a small clinging explosive device. Once fired, the Meteop attaches itself to the target. Any successful combat roll against the target from a Magnifier, Volta pistol, or Smiljan Coil or Module is enough to detonate the explosive. The resulting explosion deals two automatic wounds to the target, in addition to any damage sustained from the attack. Strapped to her side is her trusty Volta pistol, giving her the option of blowing up any attached Meteops. She is a mighty mechanical medic.

Voïvodes are small spider-like robots. Each is capable of hand to hand combat, and each houses a Smiljan Coil, which allows them to channel Zor'ka's magnifier and renders them immune to the Magnifier's deadly discharge. Each of these mechanical marvels moves about the board, threatening to flow forth with awesome electrical arcs capable of taking a character out in one go. Each can hold up to two additional pieces of equipment. The equipment ranges from granting the Voïvode a movement value of 9 to allowing the Voïvode to self destruct inflicting on automatic wound on an adjacent figure. Even more frightening is the ability to be repaired. Both Zor'ka and Irishka have ways to repair these devices should they be damaged or destroyed in the course of the battle. Zor'ka can transfer one wound to any Voïvode within eight spaces of her, as long as the Voïvode can then move next to her. While not subject to reinforcement rules, Voïvodes are surprisingly difficult to remove as a threat. Adding to their deadliness, they count as being equipped with a hand to hand weapon and are completely unaffected by the debilitating effects of the smoke grenade.

The Liturgy of Valor

As many of you have seen, Tannhäuser also has seen many new tokens to represent the various discoveries and promotions found in the world. From John MacNeal's boxing record to the institution of Section KAOS, many of these tokens have popped up. Featured in Novgorod, seven of these tokens are now available as official tokens. Will you swap out the longer range of the Flash Machine Gun for the hard hitting Trench Gun? Will you trade in the Kaiser's pistol for the awesome power of the Helm of Diomedes? The choice is yours with these new tokens.

For the forces facing the power of Gods, Tesla, and the fury of the Matriarchy I say this. Be prepared for a long hard fight. Even the power of the Flash Gun and the Sha-Na-Ra quail before the might of these divine warriors.

One last note, Novgorod is shipping to distributors today.