Ember: Obsidian Protocol: Customizable Magnetic Mechs | Essen Interview
For a lot of us, the love for wargaming is tied directly to a love for giant robots. Whether you grew up with Gundam, Battletech, or Armored Core, the fantasy of commanding your own custom mech is a powerful one.
At Essen Spiel, our CEO Bart found a new game that leans heavily into that fantasy: Ember Obsidian Protocol. This game isn’t just about mechs; it’s about magnetic, fully customizable mechs. We sat down with the team to get all the details.
Our Interview with the Ember Obsidian Protocol Team
Magnetic Mechs Inspired by an Asian Aesthetic
Bart – Head of Studio:
I see large robots, but what sets your game apart from others like Battletech? Could you elaborate on its core concept?
Ember: Obsidian Protocol:
The main difference is because we have the magnetic parts. All the mechs are built by the magnetic parts. You can choose what equipment you want for the mechs, and you will build your own squad as you wish, fits to your tactical choices. So, we have more freedom on the playing styles, and our game pace is more fast.
I think our design style is also very different from the current games, because we are an Asia company. Our style is more like the Asia mechs, but for example, what you said before, the Battletech is more about European or American style designs. So there’s also a big difference.
Bart:
Your models resemble the Gundam style, wouldn’t you agree? What primarily inspires your new model designs? Are they based on a comic series, manga, or are they entirely your original creations?
Ember Obsidian Protocol:
These are all our original designs. All the designs are made by our studio ourselves. So, if you compare to Battletech, for example, we are surely looks like, for example, the Gundams or the Armored Core, but this is totally new, and all designs are made by ourselves, that’s for sure. And if you think about the design styles, I would like to say, you can see the total difference between the factions. We are trying to make that difference.
Bart:
I’ve noticed a lot of weapons here. Are they magnetized, allowing for easy model changes?
Ember Obsidian Protocol:
Yeah, for example, the backpacks, the left arm, right arm, torso, and chassis, all the parts can be changed. That’s cool.
Factions, Game Size, and Terrain
Bart:
How many factions in the game do you have right now?
Ember Obsidian Protocol:
Right now, we already released two factions in plastic and one faction in resin. And the third faction in plastic will be released next year. And the fourth faction has already made the prototype. After the third faction, it will be on the road.
Bart:
And how long is the game typically?
Ember Obsidian Protocol:
If you don’t count the list building and the deployment, usually it’s just one and a half hour to two hours. That’s the max.
Bart:
That’s fast. Okay. And how many models per side in battle?
Ember Obsidian Protocol:
It depends on your play style and the faction you choose. Usually, for example, for the RDL (Red Devil Legion) faction, their mechs are cheap and chunky, so they usually have five or six mechs on the field. But for example, for the United Network, another faction, they usually just have two or three mechs because they are more elite.
Bart:
How critical are elements like buildings and other terrain features to the gameplay?
Ember Obsidian Protocol:
Terrains are really important because the tall terrains will block the line of sight. Lower terrains will provide terrain protection. And we also have fragile terrains that they won’t block the line of sight or provide terrain protection, but they will stop your movement. So, terrain is really important.
Future Plans and How to Start
Bart:
Are the models pre-painted, or do they require painting?
Ember Obsidian Protocol:
For now, they are not painted; you need to build and paint yourself. But we are making separate colors and no-glue models from now on. And the third plastic faction will be that way.
Bart:
What are your development and release plans for 2026?
Ember Obsidian Protocol:
First of all, the most priority will be the third faction, that’s the GoF (Governor of Freedoms). And also, we will make more for the resin faction, the Planetary Dynamics, and the existing two factions: more equipment, more mechs, that’s for sure.
Bart:
Is there any European distribution in place?
Ember Obsidian Protocol:
Yeah, for now, we have a warehouse and retailer in France, and also some clubs in Deutsch (Germany) are doing the retailer. So we are aiming to make more fans in Europe.
Bart:
What’s the optimal starting point for players? Is there a recommended starter set for two players, or just individual faction boxes?
Ember Obsidian Protocol:
Well, for now, I would rather recommend the core box of each faction. So if you want to play with your friend, you may get one core box of a faction, your friend gets another one, so that’s it. But we are also making a proper two-player starter set. It will be on the market next year, that will be in total three mechs, three rulers, with some terrains and the map, dice, everything you need for the first game.
Bart:
What is the most effective way for a new player to learn more about your game? Is there a Discord server or similar platform available?
Ember Obsidian Protocol:
Yeah, we have Discord and we have a Twitter. Also, we have our official website. Everything will be on there. You can also download the rulebook there.
Bart:
Okay. Thank you for the interview. You did really great. Thank you.
Your Mech, Your Design
The heart of Ember Obsidian Protocol is customization. It’s a game where you build your mech from the chassis up. You get to decide if your squad is a long-range fire-support team or a close-combat brawling unit by physically swapping out their magnetic arms, backpacks, and torsos.
You’re the mech designer, the pilot, and the commander.
You’ve got the vision for your custom mech squad. You know the exact loadout, the pose, and the color scheme you want. But painting mechs is a challenge. It requires clean panel lines, smooth armor, realistic weathering, and object-source lighting (OSL) for all those glowing engines and energy weapons.
This is where we can help.
Your job is to be the engineer, designing the loadouts for your squad. Our job is to be your paint crew, giving them a high-quality, clean paint job that makes them look like they just stepped out of an anime hangar.
Book a commission here.
