Eldfall Chronicles: One Game, Two Ways to Play | Essen Spiel Interview
What if your skirmish warband could pull double duty? We’ve seen games that add solo or co-op modes, but Eldfall Chronicles is designed around it. This high-tactics fantasy skirmish shares 100% of its rules and models with a brand new, fully cross-compatible dungeon crawler.
At Essen Spiel, our CEO Bart sat down with the team to find out how this system works. We talked about its lethal action-reaction mechanics, its durable Unicool resin models, and how the community gets to vote on the canon story.
Our Interview with the Eldfall Chronicles Team
A High-Ceiling Skirmish Game
Bart – Head of Studio:
Eldfall has been on the market for a while. For our listeners, can you tell me what this game is about and how it stands out from other fantasy skirmish games like Warcry, Bloodfields, or Shroudfall that we’re seeing at Essen? What’s its unique selling point for attracting new players?
Eldfall Chronicles:
Our game is set in the world of Ulaya, which has four different factions. Each faction plays very differently, so we always try to make sure you can find a faction that fits your style – if it’s magic, a tank and healer focus, or an assassin-like approach.
Once you find your faction, each miniature has its own player card with a unique set of skills and stats. As you learn what your miniatures can do, you will discover synergies between them, which opens up the game and makes it even more enjoyable.
Bart:
So, the game relies on combos, then?
Eldfall Chronicles:
It’s not strictly a combo game, but you do play as a team. Everything is point-based, which is how we maintain balance. Usually, you start with three characters against three other characters. The game supports PvP, PvE, co-op, and solo play. For instance, we can play together against a monster that uses an AI card. Or, I could play as the monster against you, and you would use a player card for it. The skirmish game also offers different quests, like instances, where the goal might be to kill the monster, occupy an area, or retrieve a special item.
One System, Two Games: Skirmish and Dungeon Crawler
Bart:
Wargames rarely prioritize PvE, solo, and co-op modes. Is this a core feature you intend to fully support, or merely a supplementary addition?
Eldfall Chronicles:
We absolutely support it. As I said, everything is point-based. Our game isn’t the easiest to get into, but it has a high ceiling. We also offer tournaments and events with prizes.
As for expansion, we started four years ago with four factions, each having only four minis. Now, we offer a DLC with two extra minis per faction. We also just released a Dungeon Crawler, and everything is cross-compatible. You can use the heroes or monsters from the Dungeon Crawler in the skirmish game. Once you know how to play one, you know how to play the other. The only main difference is movement: the skirmish game uses a ruler, and the Dungeon Crawler uses tiles.
Bart:
Approximately how many models are typically used per faction during gameplay? Around five or six, or closer to ten?
Eldfall Chronicles:
We always say to start with three miniatures. This is a set of, say, 60 points. If you want to advance, you can add upgrade cards to reach 70 points, which changes the gameplay quite drastically and adds complexity. If you want more, you can go to four characters. You must understand, these characters only have one or two HP, so they are easily killed if you make a mistake. Our game is quick, tactical, and dynamic.
Bart:
What size playing area is required? Will a standard kitchen table suffice, or is a 36×36-inch space necessary?
Eldfall Chronicles:
A table this size is perfectly fine. The minis can be very mobile, so this is enough space.
The Action-Reaction System in Detail
Bart:
How much terrain is necessary for a proper game, and what types of terrain are included?
Eldfall Chronicles:
I always joke about this. The skirmish core box doesn’t include a map because we expect skirmish players to have their own. But I joke that you can just use toilet paper for terrain and play. In truth, you do need at least some cover for the minis to be played correctly.
The main feature of our game is our action-reaction system. Every miniature has two activation points. If I choose to make an action or movement with one of my minis, and it’s in your line of sight, you can choose to spend one of your two activation points to react. You can block me, dodge, attack me back, or make a slight movement.
Imagine you are a Mage with low defense out in the open. Any action you make could allow the enemy to activate all three of their characters at once and probably kill you instantly. You need to hide your squishy characters. If you use all your activation points to kill just one of my characters, my other two characters will have more freedom to act.
Durable Models and Future Plans
Bart:
Are the models made from 3D print, resin, or hard plastic?
Eldfall Chronicles:
All our minis are made from next-generation Unicool resin. They are flexible and durable while holding beautiful detail. They are made using silicone molds by our manufacturer, Unicool. If a part like a sword gets bent during shipping, you just put it in hot water or use a hairdryer to straighten it.
Bart:
Can they withstand some bending without breaking?
Eldfall Chronicles:
Yes, you can bend a sword, and it’s not going to break right away. It’s amazing. If it falls on the ground, it shouldn’t be a problem. Superglue and paints also adhere very well. We collaborate with paint companies like AK Interactive and The Army Painter, who even included one of our miniatures in a paint set because they love them so much.
Bart:
What are your plans for 2026?
Eldfall Chronicles:
We are constantly expanding our world. Every new miniature will come with its own player card and AI card. We try to make every miniature usable in all our games, as everything is cross-connected between the Skirmish and Dungeon Crawler games.
Bart:
So you are focusing on new factions for 2026?
Eldfall Chronicles:
We have four main factions, and we are adding sub-factions within them.
Bart:
Similar to Infinity‘s sectorials, are these smaller branches of a larger faction?
Eldfall Chronicles:
That’s right.
A Community-Driven World
Eldfall Chronicles:
Every faction has its own story and lore, which you can find on our web page—how the world came to be, why there is some Japanese influence, and so on. We also have an active Discord community.
Bart:
That’s exactly what I wanted to know: What’s the core connection between players and your team?
Eldfall Chronicles:
The Discord community is the best one. We also have a Facebook page, but Discord is best. If you have any rule questions, the community or our team will help you. We also involve the community; for example, in the Dungeon Crawler, we will present three different endings and let them vote. The winning ending will become the canon story, and we will proceed from there.
Bart:
How was the Essen show for you this year?
Eldfall Chronicles:
I’m very satisfied, especially because our second game is out now, and our sales are twice as big as last year.
Bart:
That’s amazing. Thank you for the interview.
Eldfall Chronicles:
Thank you.
Your Heroes, Ready for Any Arena
Eldfall Chronicles operates on a “less is more” principle. A standard game uses just 3 or 4 models. It’s a game focused on a small band of elite, named heroes. Every single model is a centerpiece.
When your entire strategy rests on just a few models, you want them to look great. You’ve hand-picked your team for some clever synergies, whether you’re heading into a PvP skirmish or a co-op dungeon crawl.
But painting 3 or 4 models to a high character level, with all the blending, highlights, and freehands, can take up as much time as painting 20 regular troops.
That’s the part we love.
Your job is to be the master tactician, designing that killer elite squad. Our job is to give them a paint job that makes them look as strong as they are on the table. We’ll get your heroes ready for any battle, in any game.
Book a commission here.
