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Mantic Games’ absolutely brilliant Halo board game adaptation Halo Flashpoint is officially releasing its ODST expansion, Feet First Into Hell, this October.
Following the arrival of Master Chief, The Banished and even Atriox, this new expansion aims to give players a brand-new experience as the highly-trained human squads make their tabletop debut.
Halo Flashpoint adds ODSTs
Available to pre-order right here, the Feet First Into Hell expansion is as ODST themed as you expect. Coming with beautiful MasterCraft miniatures of Gunnery Sergeant Buck and Captain Veronica Dare, this massive expansion adds a brand-new feel to the board game.
When the expansion releases on October 31, 2025, players will have access to the aforementioned characters as well as two ODST captains, two 2nd Lieutenants, four ODST Special Purpose Troopers, four ODST ‘Air Assault’ Bullfrog and ODST Firebreak troopers.
Speaking to VideoGamer, Mantic Games marketing manager Dan Mapleston explained the new troopers offer a completely new form of play compared to Banished or Spartan troops.
“They cost fewer points than Spartans so can deploy in greater numbers,” Mapleston explained. “They’ve got access to some very cool specialised weapons (like the M7S SMG or SOCOM), equipment like the Air Assault ‘Bullfrog’ jump packs, and have a special order that even allows them to ‘Hot Drop’ onto the board rather than respawning as usual. These can be risky, but they’re fantastic for getting your troopers close to objectives if you get it right.”
Realised with the help of Microsoft and Halo Studios, the new troops also come with a board game form of New Mombasa, the city first seen in Halo 2. Aiming to recapture both the “rain-soaked nights with flickering neon signs” and “the dry, smoggy warmth of day-time”, you’ll be able to build “towers, bridges, stairways, greenery, and public information signs” that keep the base game’s same frenetic 3D gameplay with a new, more lethal team.
When asked by VideoGamer, Mantic explained that the reaction to Halo Flashpoint has been “amazing”. The brilliant board game has been well received by fans and newcomers with players even attending events in full Spartan gear cosplay.
“Halo: Flashpoint has been out less than a year, and we’re already several print runs in just to keep up with demand – which is huge for any tabletop game,” Mapleston explained. “The Halo community have been really welcoming, spreading the word and many even visiting us at conventions to play tabletop matches while wearing full Mjolnir armour! It’s been a joy so far and we can’t wait to share with fans all the exciting things we’re working on for the future.”
The release of the new ODST expansion is far from the end as well with Mantic teasing even more exciting additions in the future.
“We’ve had Spartans, Master Chief, Elites, Brutes, Atriox, and now ODSTs – so we really do bring more of the world onto tabletop with every release,” they continued. “Now everyone’s wondering what will be next…”
As someone who isn’t an avid board game player – just reading rules can send me straight to sleep – Halo Flashpoint has been incredible. It’s amazing just how much Mantic has been able to capture the feeling of Halo multiplayer with figurines, dice and cardboard structures. If you’re a Halo fan, I’d definitely recommend it.
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