This next list is going to be all about HYPE! This list is comprised of games  or expansions I’m super excited about in 2015. All of these games are already in a playable form, some even have imminent release dates, others are reprints. Get psyched!

1. Star Wars Armada
There is absolutely no question that Fantasy Flight Games is on fire right now and Star Wars Armada is just another “holy shit I can’t believe it” product that adds to their already extensive library of awesomeness. Star Wars Armada despite just being eye poppingly awesome looking is already being described as one of the “best games ever made” by those who played it at different conventions and trade shows. That is a bold statement considering the company Armada keeps like Star Wars X-Wing and Imperial Assault.

Star Wars Armada is a miniatures game, though the word “Miniature” might not be entirely appropriate as some of the ships are quite large. Like Star Wars X-Wing it is a game of space combat using the “flight system”, though the existing flight system of X-Wing has been adapted to include a unique flight tool which is used to maneuver the large ships in Armada. It’s a dice game as was X-Wing and includes a variety of cards presumably equipment, pilots and stuff like that. While it seems to have a lot of similarities with Star Wars X-Wing, the word on the street is that it’s a very different game, which is good, because X-Wing is a dog fighting game and dog fighting Star Destroyers would not make much sense. It’s also a much longer gamer, most estimates put it at around 2.5-3 hours, so quite epic in scale and commitment. I think the biggest concern people have about Armada is the price point, its … well let’s just say it, super expensive. A single box set does not appear to be enough to really get the full flavor of the game (as was the case with X-Wing) so we can expect to spend several hundred dollars on a satisfactory collection. This might hold Armada back from being embraced whole heartedly by the community but for me personally, I mailed them my credit card to save time. Yeah… it’s like that.

2. Forbidden Stars (Warhammer 40k)
The 40k franchise has been gaining success while failing miserably simultaneously. It’s miniatures business run by Games workshop reported some of the worse loses in the companies history triggering mass layoffs recently, which included mass drop in share prices and scaring the hell out of fans as they watch a beloved franchise failing. The good news is that while the miniatures lines are doing badly, 40k board and card games are going through something of a renaissance and one upcoming game in particular is building a lot of hype, Forbidden Stars.

We already got great games like Relic, Space Hulk: Death Angel not to mention the living card game conquest which has already proven that FFG can make 40k work, but Forbidden Stars is looking to top all those by a mile as it fully commits to the 40k universe with an asymmetrical design that puts the unique factions of the Warhammer 40k universe under a microscope.

Forbidden Stars is a straight up war game using the very clever command token system we saw in games like StarCraft and Games of Thrones, as well as unique card systems and a big focus on asymmetrical gameplay giving each of the factions in the game a very unique and distinct feel, not to mention opening it up for plenty of expansions. The game was recently played at the Gama Trade Show and is being reported as “awesome” building the excitement for me

This game may prove once and for all that the problem with Warhammer 40k is that it’s an awesome franchise burdened by a shitty company (Games Workshop) that writes shitty rules for games (The Warhammer 40k miniatures game). Under the right company and the right rule systems, the 40k universe is a uniquely epic game world upon which many great games can be built and Forbidden Stars appears to be the next installment that will prove that, again. The game is slated to be released at the end of the summer 2015… exciting!

3. Fire and Axe (Reprint)
Generally reprints aren’t something I get too excited for, but the truth is that Fire and Axe is one of those very underrated games that went out of print under the radar and only a lucky few where able to get their hands on it. It’s actually a fantastic game and with the update to components treatment and art style it’s getting perhaps it will get the attention it needs to rise out of obscurity.

I had the pleasure of playing Fire and Axe a few years ago and fell in love with the game instantly, but was not ever able to secure my own copy. It’s a game that is fantastically thematic, though its worth saying that the theme is less about “Viking combat” and more about “Viking life”. You raid, you trade, you settle and compete to raise wealth (victory points and gold). Still the game has atmosphere and many unique mechanics that just fit really well into this unique Viking theme. I really loved it and was hugely disappointed that I was unable to secure a copy, now with the reprint you get bet your bottom dollar I WILL have it. This game would easily make it into my top 10 list if I owned (and was able to play it) but as is the case quite often with gamers and games, you play with who and what you have. My friends have never played this game say they are not aware of what they are missing out on, something I fully intend to remedy in the near future.

If I had made a wish list of games I hope would be reprinted Fire and Axe would have been number one on that list. See… wishes sometimes do come true!

4. Imperial Assault
Imperial Assault has already been released and it is an amazing game that blends the experience and great gameplay of Descent with the thematic and charismatic Star Wars universe. A match made in heaven, one that can only get better with expansions and expansions is exactly what we are getting. In fact, FFG’s roll-out for Imperial Assault in 2015 looks to be the most well thought out and biggest one of any game they have ever put out. There is so much coming down the pipe Imperial Assault that if your already a fan of the game, you better start thinking about taking that second job.

The list is long and distinguished and the Imperial Assault expansions that have already been announced, of which there are many, is just a small taste of what is coming. More importantly however is the fact that FFG has kept quite a few things about Imperial Assault under raps right up to the imminent release so there is no telling what treasures they have in development. Rumors abound, but one thing is true regardless of what is coming, if you’re a fan of Star Wars Imperial Assault, you are about to have an amazing gaming year. It is the year of Imperial Assault.

5. Mage Knight Expansions (Reprint)
Like Fire and Axe, Mage Knight is a game that came and went rather quickly and it’s a huge disappointment that a game sitting in the top ten on boardgame geek, in particular one as awesome as Mage Knight is out of print! I have been waiting impatiently for a reprint for far too long and having it played it only twice was just enough to wet my appetite.

The good news is however since Mage Knight is about to get an expansion in the near future, the word on the street is that Wizkids are going to be reprinting the game and rumor further has it that they may be working on a revised edition that will upgrade the components and art. Now it’s all rumor at this point (other than the expansion which was announced and is set to release). Given that the last print sold out in about 20 days (according to the Wizkids website), rumor or not, the odds of Wizkids putting out a reprint are quite good.

Mage Knight is a unique adventure game that takes things to a much higher level of complexity than something like Descent or Talisman and adds a number of layers of strategic depth that suck you into its bodaciously thematic game world. I put this game last on the list because its imminent reprint in 2015 has not been confirmed, but if Mage Knight is not reprinted this year it would be unquestionably idiotic of Wizkids to miss the opportunity, stockholders would be right to complain because it’s like printing money. Expect an reprint announcement any time!