All Trademarks and copyrights belong to their respective owners; when used without permission; no challenge to ownership is intended.

The mention of or reference to any companies or products in this site is not a challenge to the trademarks or copyrights concerned.

 

"A Call to Arms is the game of space combat in the universe of Babylon 5. Throughout the station’s turbulent history, armed fleets have enacted the harsher policies of their governments. Now you can play out these confrontations on the tabletop with entire fleets drawn from the Earth Alliance, Minbari Federation, Narn Regime, Centauri Republic, or any one of the many other races that dwell in the galaxy.

 

From skirmishes involving single cruisers hunting down raiders to the clashing of allied fleets against the forces of ancient beings aeons old, A Call to Arms is your ticket to exciting battles that take place in the depth of space."

 

This game was originally called Sky Full of Stars.

 

8/6/2008 - Matt Sprange has posted a message on the Mongoose Forums (link) announcing that playtest files are available for A Call To Arms players to read, play and then comment on.

 

7/5/2008 - Matt Sprange has confirmed on the Mongoose Forums (link) that Iron Wind Metals (link) will be producing miniatures for A Call To Arms, and that they may also bring back the Fleet Scale minis too:

"Yes, it is all true. We signed a deal with Iron Wind some time ago, after our discussions at GAMA, and everything is now about to swing into action.

Iron Wind has taken our masters and moulds, and will be producing the CTA line of miniatures just as soon as they can get everything on line. They have even taken the Fleet Action moulds and have at least the intention to bring those models back. Not everything will happen at once, and various fleets and ranges will likely be phased in over the next few weeks (there are rather a lot of models to handle all at once!).

We have spoken about new designs, and they are on the cards, but will be some time in coming - the first step is bringing out all the existing ships. This means there will not be any new hulls for Powers & Principalities - but considering what _is_ going into that book, I don't think anyone will be disappointed!

This is basically part of our strategy to allow us to concentrate on what Mongoose is good at, while still maintaining a presence in the markets we very much want to be a part of - the passing of the Wargaming Online torch to OneBookShelf/Drivethru is another example."

 

2/19/2008 - Mongoose has released new minis of the Earthforce Hyperion Heavy cruiser (a new sculpt that is supposed to be easier to base) plus variants (Command, Assault, and Missile versions) plus they are selling ball jointed flying bases (both large and small versions).

Mongoose has also mentioned that they are working on another space game they hope to release in 2009 but they don't mention any more details.

Small flying base - ball jointed

Earth Alliance Hyperion Cruiser (new sculpt)

Earth Alliance Hyperion Command Cruiser

Earth Alliance Hyperion Assault Cruiser

Earth Alliance Hyperion Missile Cruiser

 

2/12/2008 - A big announcement from Mongoose (link):

"After a very successful number of years producing miniatures for our Origins award-winning game A Call to Arms, Mongoose Publishing is announcing today that we will cease production of this range of models with effect from March 31st 2008.

The increasing costs associated with this range combined with its sheer breadth means that production of miniatures is no longer commercially viable at this time. As a result we have reduced our prices on the miniatures by 20%, which will continue until March 31st 2008, when they will be removed from our catalogue. So, if you have been thinking about that new Shadow fleet or want to bolster the defences of the ISA, now is the time!

We will still continue to support A Call to Arms through Signs & Portents and book releases."

 

Additional information on the background is in the Mongoose Blog (link)

"The reality of A Call to Arms, despite its popularity, is that a miniatures production facility cannot be run on B5 alone these days. We had hoped to bolster the capacity of the facility with Starship Troopers (it needs 2, maybe 3 miniatures games to run for the long term), but rising production costs mean we simply cannot continue to subsidise it. That is the hard nature of business - something can sell well, and still not be selling enough. If the hole is not plugged in good order, we risk losing the whole ship."

"I want to emphasise that we have not dropped the game itself. We'll continue to support it in S&P, sure, but if there is sufficient demand, we will continue with book releases as well, covering different campaigns, variants and scenarios. We will also keep running events for as long as there is interest. In addition, we will be using the rules for future games."

 

11/26/2007 - Mongoose has posted a State of Mongoose 2007 essay on their forum outlining what they have gone through in 2007 and their plans for 2008 and beyond.  Highlights for ACTA and space games and miniatures include:

"We will be releasing just one rules book for B5: A Call to Arms every year, usually around summer, with the first being Powers & Principalities. We are still working out the contents of this tome, but you can expect to see new ships (such as the Omicron light cruiser for EA Crusade fleets and the Vorlon Frigate), new fleets (we already have draft lists for the Hyach and Ipsha), as well as a wealth of new rules such as fighting in hyperspace, maybe a new rules sub-system for fielding massive fleets, and a few other bits and pieces we have had in the works for a while. . .

You can expect to see new models from Powers & Principalities begin appearing in Signs & Portents throughout the first half of the year.

Other books will be added to the range but, in keeping with our promise, none will be required to keep up with the latest rules. The first is the B5: A Call to Arms Painting Guide, written by Adrian and featuring some of his superb models. This will be an absolutely stunning book filled with gorgeous models, and lots of handy tips – whether you want to paint like Adrian or put together an entire fleet on Saturday morning so you can play in the afternoon. This treat will be appearing in March."

Plus a bit of interesting news on the future of the ACTA game engine:

"The next phase for this game is to ‘deprovincialise’ it, by introducing two new, different settings. We have already proved that the basic game system works in other genres (such as Victory at Sea), and there is plenty more we can do with space combat outside of Babylon 5. The first, provisionally entitled Emergence, charts Mankind’s first manned explorations into the Solar System, where the supernations of the Earth compete for territory and resources. It is a great deal lower tech than Babylon 5, and we are working hard to give each nation a distinctive ‘look’ with some really nice miniatures. We are aiming to make the fleet lists compatible with those in Babylon 5, allowing you to switch between the two settings at will.

We have also just started negotiations on another licensed setting for A Call to Arms, one that will feature some awesome space battles, spread across several different fleets. Even though it uses the same rules as the current CTA, this game will play very, very differently. The technology in this setting is. . . different to that in B5!

Emergence has no solid release date planned, though we are currently looking at the end of 2008 – that said, it could easily be leapfrogged by the ‘other’ setting, which I think some gamers will be prepared to kill for. . ."

In addition, since the last update, the 2nd edition rulebooks have been released and had a number of problems with their bindings and pages falling out.  Mongoose will replace any books with these problems.  More miniatures have been released (pics at Mongoose's ACTA page) including the asymmetrical Gaim fleet, Psi Corps Mothership, Drazi Claweagle Direct Assault Frigate, Vree Xonn Dreadnought, Brakiri Cidikar Heavy Carrier, Lumati Transport, and the Ipsha War Globe.

 

8/9/2007 - Mongoose has released a bunch of new minis and fleet boxes.  A full list will be posted with pics after GenCon.  You can see pics and full listings at Mongoose's ACTA Page.  The 2nd Edition of ACTA is scheduled for release on August 27th.

Highlights are new fleet boxes for pretty much every race, Psi Corps ships (Hunter Experimental Warship, Shadowcloak Escort, Nemisis Advanced Destroyer, Fighter Carrier), ISA Liandra Battle Frigate (correct size), EA Olympus Corvette (corrected size), Drazi Fireraptor Battleship, Narn Ka'Bin'Tak Super Dreadnought and G'Vrahn Fast Cruiser, Drakh Patrol Cruiser and Carrier (resculpt), Vree Xeel War Carrier, EA Firebolt Fighter, and a Jumpgate miniature.

Mongoose also sold some very interesting asymmetrical Gaim minis at their recent Open Day but they are not on their release schedule yet.

 

5/16/2007 - Mongoose is releasing several new minis in May with one more on the way in June plus A Call To Arms Second Edition Rulebook and A Call to Arms Second Edition Fleet Lists are scheduled for an August release.  Due out May 21st are minis of the Earth Alliance Myrmidon LCV, ISA Blue Star, and the Brakiri Kabrokta Assault Cruiser.  Then due out on May 28th are the Brakiri Courami Dreadnought, Hurr Gunship, and the Drazi Firehawk Advanced Cruiser.  Due in June is the mini for the Abbai Juyaca Dreadnought.

Earth Alliance Myrmidon LCV

ISA Blue Star

Brakiri Kabrokta Assault Cruiser

Brakiri Courami Dreadnought

Hurr Gunship

Drazi Firehawk Advanced Cruiser

Abbai Juyaca Dreadnought

A Call To Arms Second Edition Rulebook

 

4/4/2007 - 3 more minis are now available, the Brakiri Shakara Scout Cruiser, the ISA Nolo'Tar Ranger Frigate and the Minbari Troligan Armoured Cruiser.  Rules for these ships and many of the other recently released minis are available in Signs & Portents Wargamer - 43 which is now available free for download here.  Also in S&P-W43 are rules for Hyperspace and an A Call to Arms 2.0 preview.

Brakiri Shakara Scout Cruiser

ISA Nolo'Tar Ranger Frigate

Minbari Troligan Armoured Cruiser

Signs & Portents Wargamer - 43

 
3/19/2007 - 2 more miniatures have been released, the Raiders Delta-V2 fighters and the Technomage Pinnace (full rules for this ship will be in Signs & Portents 43 Wargamer)

Raiders Delta-V2 Fighters

Technomage Pinnace

1/24/2007 - Mongoose has announced that they are also making changes to their moldmaking process and other areas to improve the quality of their miniatures.

Fleet boxes for 3 eras of Earthforce fleets have been released, Early Years, Third Age and Crusade Era, along with a new miniature of the Earth Alliance Omega Command Destroyer and the Narn T'Rakk Frigate.

Earth Alliance Omega Command Destroyer

Jan 2007
pak'ma'ra Fleet Box Set
pak'ma'ra Porfatis System Patrol Boats
pak'ma'ra Pshul'Shi Convoy Guardian
pak'ma'ra Urik'Hal Supermerchant

Feb 2007
Earth Alliance Tantalus Assault Carrier Kit
Vorlon Transports
Vree Z'Takk Command Saucer

Vree Z'Takk Command Saucer

Narn T'Rakk Frigate

Earth Alliance Tantalus Assault Carrier

pak'ma'ra Porfatis System Patrol Boats

pak'ma'ra Pshul'Shi Convoy Guardian

pak'ma'ra Urik'Hal Supermerchant

Vorlon Transports

 

12/3/2006 - Mongoose has posted the following information on the State of Mongoose 2006 for miniatures and plans for ACTA on their message boards:

What was only ever intended as a sideline to the Babylon 5 RPG is still, to this day, our most successful miniatures game – the popularity of the system has taken us fairly by surprise, and we have courted the opinion of many gamers as to the direction to take over the next few years.

Several new things will be popping up in 2007. The first will be a new wave of ships – you will have already seen the Tiger Starfury, which is merely the first. The Technomage Pinnace is nearly complete, the T’Rakk has been remodelled and is almost ready to go, and we have oodles more on the way!

This will be building up to a new second edition of the game, tidying up all the separate rules books and supplements over the past two years. We will be releasing this as a (small) hardback rulebook, and a (rather larger) fleet book, with an expanded range of counter sheets for those who are still reluctant to pick up a paint brush. Nothing too radical will be happening to the game system itself (no, we are not moving to a D10 system. . .), but there will be all sorts of interesting bits and pieces added and tweaked, including three new fleets – the Gaim, the pak’ma’ra, and the Psi Corps (the latter of which also includes Earth’s covert divisions). A section has also been set aside for ‘other ships’, those that very much fit within Babylon 5 but are not tied to any fleet, such as the Hurr Gunship, the Lumati Transport and the Ipsha War Globe.

We have already started playing with this rules set, and it is noticeably smoother. We are just ironing out the last inconsistencies, ready for its release in summer. However, we will be previewing a lot of the new rules and tweaks in Signs & Portents, giving you the chance to comment on them, before they are made official. A Call to Arms has always been the most organic of our games, with a great deal of input from the players’ community itself – we have absolutely no intention of changing that.

Now available are the Narn T'Rakk Frigate, Earth Alliance Command Omega Destroyer, and the EA Tiger Starfurries.

 

10/6/2006 - After printing problems and other delays, the Armageddon supplement has finally been released and is in stores now.  This supplement has 4 parts:

Part One – New Rules
This supplement brings a new Priority Level to your games – Armageddon, allowing you to field the most powerful ships yet seen in the galaxy. There are also new rules for Stealth, Energy Mines and Auxiliary Craft.

Part Two – The Earth Alliance
The Earth Alliance is blessed with an abundance of ship designs. In order to get the fleet list down to more manageable levels, we have split the Earth Alliance into three time periods spread across the Babylon 5 timeline, replacing that found in Sky Full of Stars – the Early Years, the Third Age and the Crusade Era. Each is a viable fleet list with its own selection of ships.

Part Three - Armageddon
The other fleets of the game have not been forgotten either. The Crusade Era brought a rush of technologies for all races who joined the Interstellar Alliance, though not the co-operation Sheridan had hoped for. From the powerful Narn Ka’Bin’Tak to a re-jigged Victory, you will find a host of new ships to take advantage of the new Armageddon Priority Level. As a special treat, we have also included new lists for the Shadows and Vorlons that also use the new Priority Level, and full rules for using the ships of the Ancients.

Part Four – Scenarios and FAQ
Finally, we have included a selection of new scenarios for you to test your tactical mettle, in addition to the entire A Call to Arms FAQ. Garnered from questions raised by fans on our web site forums, this chapter examines various aspects of the game system and gives definitive answers!

The first waves of related miniatures are also available, the Centauri Adira-class Royal Battleship, Earth Alliance Marathon-class advanced cruiser, Earth Alliance Nemesis-class advanced destroyer, ISA White Star Gunship, ISA White Star Fighters, The Ancients Box Set, and the ISA White Star Carrier.  More minis will be released soon.

Nov 2006

Centauri Liati Advanced Cruiser 

Earth Alliance Fleet Box Set - The Early Years

Dec 2006
Earth Alliance Fleet Box Set - The Crusade Era
Earth Alliance Fleet Box Set - The Third Age
Earth Alliance Tiger Starfuries

Centauri Adira-class Royal Battleship

Earth Alliance Marathon-class advanced cruiser

ISA White Star Gunship

ISA White Star Carrier

Centauri Liati Advanced Cruiser 

Earth Alliance Tiger Starfuries

 

6/12/2006 - The July releases have been pushed back to August, and now listed for a September release is the Minbari Neroon Heavy Assault Ship.  A picture of the Nemesis has bee released along with previews of new miniatures during a presentation at Kublacon.

EA Nemesis class Destroyer

EA Nemesis Destroyer

Kublacon ACTA Presentation

Adira

Vree ship

Drazi Cruiser

Whitestar Gunship

 

5/18/2006 - Images of the rest of the June released Drakh miniatures are now available plus the schedule of releases through August was posted.

July 2006
*Babylon 5: Armageddon
*Earth Alliance Marathon Advanced Cruiser
*ISA White Star Gunship
*The Ancients Box Set

Aug 2006
*Earth Alliance Nemesis Advanced Destroyer
*ISA White Star Fighters
*Narn Ka'Bin'Tak Super Dreadnought

Drakh Fleet Box Miniatures

Drakh Fleet Box

Ancients Box set of miniatures

Ancients Box Set

Drakh Cruiser

Drakh Cruiser

Drakh Carrier

Drakh Mothership

Drakh Mothership

White Star Fighters

White Star Fighters

 

4/5/2006 - Signs & Portents 32- Wargamer is now available from Wargames Online and it includes articles first in a new series describing the Dilgar War, this month focusing on the Abbai, a sneak peek at the Drakh, basic tactics for Earth Alliance fleets, and hints on making a space-based battleboard.

The April releases listed below will be available around the 17th.  The May releases are scheduled for May 15th. 

June 2006
Drakh Carrier
Drakh Cruiser
Drakh Fleet Box Set
Drakh Light Cruiser
Drakh Mothership
Drakh Scouts

ACTA Drakh Light Raider

Drakh Light Raider

ACTA Drakh Heavy Raider

Drakh Heavy Raider

Drakh Scout

Drakh Fast Destroyer

Drakh Light Cruiser

Drakh Light Cruiser

 

3/25/2006 - Matt Sprange of Mongoose mentions the following things on the Mongoose Publishing forum:

As is the way of things, the new supplement for CTA, Armageddon, has blossomed during development. Originally intended as an update to provide ships that appear during the Crusade era (as well as bumping up the power of existing ships, such as Shadows), it has started to sprawl into a 'general update' book.

Matt then asks for input on what the players would like to see updated which results in quite a bit of discussion.

 

2/13/2006 - The Dilgar Fleet Book is now in stores and pictures are available of 4 new totally new Dilgar miniatures set for release in March.  Also Mongoose has posted the ACTA Official Tournament Pack on their website as a 692k pdf file

Dilgar Carashoch Heavy Carrier

Dilgar Garasoch Heavy Carrier

Dilgar Kahtrik Assault Ship

Dilgar Kahtrik Assault Ship

Dilgar Mankhat Dreadnought

Dilgar Mankhat Dreadnought

Dilgar Omelos Light Cruiser

Dilgar Omelos Light Cruiser

Here is their current schedule for upcoming releases:

March 2006
Abbai Lakara Cruiser
Abbai Shyarie Jammer Frigate
Dilgar Garasoch Heavy Carrier
Dilgar Kahtrik Assault Ship
Dilgar Mankhat Dreadnought
Dilgar Omelos Light Cruiser
Drazi Sky Serpent Heavy Assault Fighter

April 2006
Drakh Fleet Book
Drakh Cruiser
Drakh Fast Destroyer
Drakh Fleet Box Set
Drakh Heavy Raiders
Drakh Light Raiders

May 2006
Drakh Carrier
Drakh Light Cruiser
Drakh Mothership
Drakh Scouts

 

1/2/2006 - The A Call To Arms Starter Set is now in stores and includes information on the War of Retribution, the Narn/Centauri conflict.  

The Drakh Fleet Book and Box Set are new scheduled for an April Release. 

Gale Force Nine has also released an arc template and special action tokens officially licensed for ACTA.

GF9 Arc Template and counter

Earthforce Delphi Scout

Earthforce Apollo Bombardment Cruiser

Shadow Hunter

Wargames Online now has issues 28 and 29 of Signs & Portents available for free download which include the articles 'Argent’s Crusaders: Raiders with a Cause' – alternative rules for Raiders, including new ship variants, a new personality and, a new ship - the lethal Endgame Dreadnought.  Plus 'Storm Across the Void' a scenario where players to face chaotic solar storms and gravity fluctuations.

 

11/30/2005 - The Earth/Minbari War supplement for ACTA is now in stores, 64 pages softcover.  The Civilian ships boxed set of minis is also available.

Due now in December is the A Call To Arms Starter Set.  Instead of covering the Dilgar War as originally planned, this set will now focus on the War of Retribution, the Narn/Centauri conflict.

The Dilgar War will now be covered in the Dilgar Fleet Book due in January with miniatures of the Dilgar ships to follow soon after.  Here is the current schedule of ACTA releases:

Dec 2005
A Call to Arms Starter Set
Earth Alliance Apollo Cruiser
Minbari Federation Reinforcements Box Set

Jan 2006
Centauri Reinforcements Box Set
Dilgar Fleet Book
Dilgar Fleet Box Set
Dilgar Jashakar Scout Ship
Dilgar Mishakur Dreadnought
Dilgar Thorun Dartfighter
Dilgar Tikrit Heavy Cruiser
Narn Regime Reinforcements Box Set

Feb 2006
Dilgar Ochlavita Destroyer
Dilgar Rohrit Assault Ship
Dilgar Targrath Strike Cruiser
Dilgar Wahant Heavy Assault Ship

Mar 2006
A Call To Arms Tournament Lists
Dilgar Garasoch Heavy Carrier
Dilgar Kahtrik Assault Ship
Dilgar Mankhat Dreadnought
Dilgar Omelos Light Cruiser

Dilgar Jashakar Scout Ship

Dilgar Mishakur Dreadnought

Dilgar Thorun Dartfighter

Dilgar Tikrit Heavy Cruiser

Dilgar Ochlavita Destroyer

Dilgar Rohrit Assault Ship

Dilgar Targrath Strike Cruiser

Dilgar Wahant Heavy Assault Ship

 

11/8/2005 - Mongoose's in house magazine, Signs & Portents now has both a Miniatures and RPG editions and both are available for free from Wargaming Online.   Of interest to ACTA players is in the new issue 27 just released, there are articles on fighting the Minbari and naming Earth Alliance ships.

 

10/1/2005 - A Call To Arms products are now available for download from Wargaming Online (wargamingonline.com) in the electronic PDF format.  Wargaming Online is a new service provided by Mongoose Publishing to introduce miniatures and board gamers to the delights of electronic rulebooks via the PDF format.

 

9/27/2005 - Lots to update on ACTASky Full Of Stars is back from the printer and is on the way to distributors and should be in stores next week.  A limited number of SFOS were available at GenCon Indianapolis in August and they quickly sold out.  

A Call To Arms Revised Edition is also on the way and it updates and replaces the original boxed set.  To play the game all you need is the ACTA Revised Edition boxed set and SFOS as an option to expand the fleets and additional rules.

The Earth/Minbari War supplement is now scheduled for November.  Also for release in November is the A Call to Arms Starter Set:

The Starter Set focuses on the Dilgar Invasion, a bloody era from the Babylon 5 universe’s history and covers the basic rules of the game in an easy-to-learn format. A number of scenarios are also included, each of which recreates a battle from the Dilgar Invasion – an ideal setting for your first few games of A Call to Arms. The book includes full rules for the ships which took part in this conflict, along with counters to represent them on the tabletop so you can begin playing immediately.

Still due in September are the Abbai Matriarchy Fleet Box Set, Earth Alliance Chronos Frigate box set, and the Raiders Double-V Fighters.

Due in October:

Earth Alliance Apollo Cruiser
Earth Alliance Delphi Scout
Earth Alliance Orion Starbase
Earth Alliance Poseidon Super Carrier Box Set
Earth Alliance Reinforcements Box Set
Shadow Hunter
Vree Conglomerate Fleet Box Set

Earthforce Orion Space Station

EA Orion Starbase

Then in November:

A Call to Arms Starter Set
Civilian Ships Box Set
Dilgar Fleet Book
Dilgar Fleet Box Set
Minbari Federation Reinforcements Box Set
Space Liner
The Earth/Minbari War

Space Liner

Space Liner

 

8/4/2005 - The latest updates from Mongoose:

A Sky Full of Stars, the new hardback supplement for A Call to Arms, has just gone off to print and to celebrate we have posted the page containing rules for the Shadow Omega, probably the most powerful vessel within the Earth Alliance fleet.

A Sky Full of Stars is due for release at the end of August, though pre-release copies will be available at GenCon.

The Shadow Omega model will be available in two weeks time.

The pdf of the Shadow Omega stats is at http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/pdf/ctashadowomega.pdf 

Due in September is the Earth/Minbari War supplement which is a 128 page softcover book twenty scenarios to play through the chronology of the War, older Fleet Lists for both the Earth Alliance and the Minbari Federation matching the vessels of that time period and over a dozen new (or failed prototype) ship variants. There are several famous commanders, unique personalities and even some unique ships—like the fearsome Black Star—to test your skill with or against in the War Campaign or in friendly games.

 

6/29/2005 - Another update from Matt Sprange about the future of A Call To Arms:

"We are currently on stand by for some very good news for A Call to Arms but while we wait, I think it is time for me to let you in on what is happening after Sky Full of Stars.

First off, the now near-legendary Sky Full of Stars will be released this August. Joining it will be an all new counter pack with _every_ ship featured (and, yes, they will be numbered this time!) and a Revised CTA box set that will contain updated rules making the basic set compatible with Sky Full of Stars.

YOU WILL ONLY NEED ONE OR THE OTHER! If you have the basic set already, Sky Full of Stars will give you all the updates you need. If you haven't got the game at all yet, the revised box set will let you play the game on an even level with those who have Sky Full of Stars - all you'll be lacking are a few 'cool' bits and the extended fleet lists.

After that, A Call to Arms will be going into overdrive.

Between now and the end of the year you will see;
The rest of the Fleet Box Sets
Orion Starbase
Chronos Frigates
Earth/Minbari War supplement
Delphi Scout
Double-V Fighters
Dilgar Fleet Book
The complete Dilgar Fleet
Shadow Hunter
An introductory booklet featuring counters and scenarios set during the Dilgar War
Apollo
Cruiser

And, knowing us, we will likely slip a few more bits and pieces in. One change we are making is that all the new releases will be produced as box sets available via retailers. However, if you are after single ships, you will still be able to get them from our site.

As we move into 2006, look out for the Drakh, Gaim, Pak'ma'ra and more, each with new models and a complete fleet book. 

Upcoming releases listed on Mongoose's website are:

July 2005
Drazi Freehold Fleet Box Set
Earth Alliance Shadow Omega

August 2005
A Call to Arms Counter Sheets
Earth Alliance Orion Starbase
Sky Full of Stars
Vree Conglomerate Fleet Box Set

September 2005
Abbai Matriarchy Fleet Box Set
Earth Alliance Chronos Frigate box set
Raiders Double-V Fighters
The Earth/Minbari War

Earth Alliance Shadow Omega Miniature

 

6/4/2005 - Mongoose has posted the following information about the future of A Call To Arms and the supplement, Sky Full of Stars:

"A Call to Arms has built up a large fan-base of very dedicated gamers and we have been pondering over the past few months just how to best serve you chaps. There are plenty of things we can do, some things we shouldn't and some things that are an absolute must.

We are therefore planning to have a 're-release' of the game this August, starting with the following;

RULES UPDATE
This is a sticky one we have been puzzling over. For a start, the Sky Full of Stars does represent a quantum shift for CTA, making it a much more fully rounded game. On the other hand, however, we don't want to leave people high and dry when they have invested in the core rules. Thus, we have elected to do the following;

If you have CTA already, the Sky Full of Stars supplement is all you need to get all the new juicy stuff that expands the system.

If you have not yet bought into the game, the main box set is about to be reprinted. We are going to take this opportunity to update the rules to Sky Full of Stars standard. Basically, this means that any rules (or ships!) modified in SFoS will be so modified in the reprint of the core rules. You will still be missing the expanded fleets, additional rules, etc, from SFoS but you will be playing to the same core rules and standards as the SFoS players - you will even be able to take basic CTA fleets and fight against SFoS players with no disadvantage! You will be able to tell the revised box set apart from the original by new cover art (and a big Revised legend). Expect to see this sometime in early August.

The aim, as I said, is to get everyone playing the same game with the same set of rules.

A NOTE ON SKY FULL OF STARS
Development on this one has accelerated and we have been gathering all your comments both here and via email. The layout is looking fantastic. It is gonna be a good 'un. . .

There will be a separate counter pack released in August to cover all the new ships in SFoS.

WORLDWIDE INTERNET CAMPAIGN
Come August, we are going to be running a web-based Internet campaign for A Call to Arms. Basically, you will have the chance to pick your favourite fleet, play games down your local store or club and have the results recorded across the world on the web site. You will be battling for a recently discovered system far out on the Rim, whose implications could be shattering for the entire galaxy. There will be lots of special events and scenarios for this campaign, the Mongoose Infantry will be getting involved and there will be a tournament here at Mongoose Towers!

NEW MODELS
We have a stack load of these coming out this year - space stations (the Orion is first!), Double-V Fighters, Apollo Cruisers, Delphi Scouts and many others. And yes, the Dilgar will be following.

PLASTICS
These are very much on the cards now but will not likely surface until much later this year. First up will be EA ships, but more will follow if they prove popular with you chaps.

NEW SUPPLEMENTS
A range of short supplements will be following the Internet campaign, starting with one detailing the Earth/Minbari War. We are going to be concentrating on specific engagements and fleets with these books, while adding a great deal of 'source' material (something I feel CTA has always lacked when compared to the RPG). However, these really will be optional and none will be necessary to keep 'up to date' with the core rules.

In short, the future is looking very rosey for fans of A Call to Arms and we are determined to expand this game up to the next level, giving you new options, new models and (hopefully) new players as we increase the game's visibility."

It is later mentioned that Sky Full of Stars will be a 200 page hardcover book retailing for $35 US/ £25 

 

5/7/2005 - Listed in Mongoose's release schedule for August is the Orion Starbase miniature.  When questioned about it on their forums, Matt Sprague said:

"From the Orion Station onwards, we have news minis for B5 coming out every month (sometimes a batch!). Expect to see the Delphi, Cronos, Apollo, Double-V and, oh, oodles more!

We are also investigating a box set of EA plastics. If all goes well here, expect to see them for all the five major fleets. . ."

 

 

3/15/2005 - Supplement 3 is now back from the printers and is shipping to distributors.  It should be in stores within the next couple weeks.  In this 48 page supplement, you get articles on topics such as advanced refits and other duties, allowing you to gain rewards in campaign games that are specific to your fleet, plus advanced fleet lists for the Drazi and Vree fleets.

 

2/15/2005 - Mongoose Publishing has now made all the products in the A Call to Arms line available as a PDF download from DriveThruRPG.com.  The basic ACtA rules on PDF go for $34.97 and that 6.76MB file includes all the rules, ship information, and ship counters from the boxed set.  Also available are the ship counters as a separate product, Supplement 1 and Supplement 2.

Please note that these PDF files from DriveThruRPG.com are Watermarked PDF files to signify that you are the owner. A small message is added to the bottom of each page of the document containing your name and the order number of your purchase which will be used to identify the perpetrator in the event that they are found to be illegally distributed. 

 

2/7/2005 - Supplement 2 is back from the printers and it shipping to distributors so it should be in stores in a week or two.  It contains:

Fleet Carriers - New rules for using Fleet Carriers in the game, making ships such as the Poseidon _really_ shine.

Narn Gorith Fighter - Surprise the Republic fleet with the Narn's own space superiority fighter. . .

Severed Dreams - This scenario allows you to play out the battle for Babylon 5 when Clark sent his forces to take over the station.

A Second Look at the Nova - A small change to the Nova and why we did it.

Shaking the Stars - Continuing a Narn theme, new loadouts for Energy Mine weapons.

EarthForce Explorer Division - A background piece on those who truly extend the frontier.

Shadows and Vorlons Fleet Lists - This is what many people have been waiting for - all new and advanced fleet lists for the Shadows and Vorlons. The Younger Races once again have something to fear. . .

Captain John J. Sheridan - Fancy using the Man himself in your games? Full rules provided.

Beacon Locks - If you enjoyed the rules for fighting in hyperspace in the last Rules Supplement, you might want to try these out.

Earth Alliance Variant Missiles - Giving some punch to Earth shipping.

Skin Dancing - A new tactic for Minbari fighters and White Stars to try. . .

And a sneak peek at Rules Supplement 3 (the last before the renowned Sky Full of Stars is released this Summer) - Drazi and Vree fleet lists, along with Into the Fire, another scenario based on the TV series.

 

 

1/22/2005 - Supplement 1 is now shipping to distributors and Supplement 2 is now at the printers.

Mongoose has also announced plans for a major supplement called Sky Full of Stars due out in July:

Part One - This will only be 2-3 pages in length and will collate all the little rules tweaks to the basic box set 

Part Two - Advanced rules - some of these you have seen previewed, some will appear early in the Rules Supplements and others will be all new stuff. This will include things like Space Stations, Boarding Actions, Planetary Bombardments, Fleet Carriers, Scouts and more.

Part Three - Revised fleet lists, they will iron out some niggles and every fleet will a) have some minor changes to many ships and b) get several new variants. The new Shadow and Vorlon lists will be there, every race will get Space Stations and the League will be broken apart into individual races, though there will still be rules to ally them. 

Part Four - Scenarios, lots of them, both historical and otherwise.

Part Five - A more detailed campaign system, plus some variants.

Other Stuff - Scattered throughout the book will be painting guides, tactics and background pieces. 

Following Sky Full of Stars, we will concentrate less on hardcore rules and focus more on background and areas of conflicts, as well as exploring different things to actually _do_ in your games. So, we will have a supplement concentrating on the Earth/Minbari War, for example. We will be having a Dilgar season later this year, backed up by miniatures and a supplement . There may be the odd 'technical' based supplement with specific rules, variant ships or scenarios, but they will become the minority rather than the totality.

 

1/9/2005 - More information on Supplement 2 which is now available for pre-order:

Rules Supplement 2 presents more ways to expand your games with articles on using Fleet Carriers, the Earth Alliance Explorer Division, Beacon Locks and Skin Dancing. You will be able to play the scenario featuring the moment when Babylon 5 broke away from the Earth Alliance in Severed Dreams and we present the advanced fleet lists for the Vorlons and Shadows, making this one Rules Supplement you will not want to miss!  All this and much more packed into 48 pages!

Previews of many of these rules plus previews of the Bakriri, Drazi and Vree fleet lists have been posted on the Mongoose Publishing Forums.

Also mentioned on the forums, they have enough material for the next six rules supplements, including the following topics:

Advanced League fleet lists
Boarding Rules
Planetary Assaults
Called Shots
Scouts
Telepaths vs. Shadows

Famous Captains/Admirals

Variant ships for pretty much every fleet
Mines and minesweepers
Ranger ships
More Stellar Debris

Advanced Strategic Targets (and possibly advanced campaign rules)
The Dilgar!
More scenarios (historical and otherwise - oh, and a solo mnission too!)

 

12/1/2004 - The Victory class Destroyer can now be ordered directly from Mongoose plus it is available as part of the ISA Fleet Box (2 Victory's, 9 White Stars, and enough Nial and Starfury Fighters to fill the hangers).

A Call to Arms Supplement 2 has been listed for a March 2005 release, just after Mongoose hosts an "Into the Fire" Tournament on February 26th.  See their website for more details on the tourney including a downloadable set of Tourney Rules.

 

11/15/2004 - Mongoose has posted a pdf of replacement pages for Book One - Rules from the ACtA boxed set.    This 734kb pdf file of 12 pages can be downloaded from Mongoose's ACtA page.

 

11/6/2004 - A Call to Arms Supplement 1 is now listed on