tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84195109696215503062024-03-12T19:46:26.460-07:00White's WolvesWhat started as a blog about playing 40k with Space Wolves is now more of a journal about tabletop gaming in general. Gameplay, games news, unboxings and paint guides - its all fair, well, game. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-8065045598557576112014-11-30T07:39:00.000-08:002014-11-30T07:39:06.762-08:00Mantic Open Day, November 2014 Part 2<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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The full title of the final seminar at Mantic’s Open Day,
November 2014, was ‘The Future of Mantic Games with Ronnie Renton’, leading Ronnie
to make a joke about what the future of Mantic would be without himself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One thing he did want to be clear on though was that he sees
digital products as a big part of that future. Geiger, the company that makes Mantic’s
digital products, were represented alongside Ronnie and Stewart Gibbs to
emphasise the point.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here then are some of the key points and answers to
questions from the room.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D5f2rwPtP_U/VHoTLSJzGQI/AAAAAAAAFQ8/KcLf2_nmOVA/s1600/20141129_115337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D5f2rwPtP_U/VHoTLSJzGQI/AAAAAAAAFQ8/KcLf2_nmOVA/s1600/20141129_115337.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This post is about Mantic's pipeline.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>There are no plans to do any kind of space battle game. The
reason for this is mostly that there is already a very successful game out
there with a very strong ip behind it. Ronnie did say that if he were going to
do something featuring Plague and Enforcer fleets he would probably just ask
FFG for a licence as they have a solid rule set that people know and like.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YUEctdsQQn8/VHoSomiw9uI/AAAAAAAAFP0/p8U8qGWJWKY/s1600/20141129_121901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YUEctdsQQn8/VHoSomiw9uI/AAAAAAAAFP0/p8U8qGWJWKY/s1600/20141129_121901.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>The Dungeon Saga Pledge Manager is on the way. Geiger said
they planned a short beta test next week, then the proper release, and the KoW
PM should come out straight after that. Ronnie was keen to stress all future Mantic
PM’s would go through this one system so backers would only have to log in
once. They would also remain fairly flexible so people could add stuff as they
could afford it and pay instantly by credit card. He also joked there would be
a paypal option for those that want to hide their spend from the other half. </li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3XSWhYlXUTo/VHoSY6Tw5lI/AAAAAAAAFPs/I8EW5BxW2AI/s1600/20141129_121912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3XSWhYlXUTo/VHoSY6Tw5lI/AAAAAAAAFPs/I8EW5BxW2AI/s1600/20141129_121912.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>Geiger said the Dreadball Playbook app is also still on the
way. The delay, we were told, is due to waiting for DBX and seasons 5 and 6 to
come out so they could be integrated. </li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hrjEsv29tsk/VHoSR7thDSI/AAAAAAAAFPg/PifkvnzWczE/s1600/20141129_121921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hrjEsv29tsk/VHoSR7thDSI/AAAAAAAAFPg/PifkvnzWczE/s1600/20141129_121921.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>The idea of fantasy terrain came up and Ronnie indicated
there was some tension between himself and Stewart over this. Ronnie thinks the
3” square model used in Deadzone can be transferred, Stewart is unconvinced.
Really they need to be sure they can come up with something that will scale up
from small villages to castles and the like. They also need to decide on a
timescale to develop some kind of KoW skirmish game and there is definitely no
room for it in the current KoW KS. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Geiger talked a fair bit about Dreadball league software
that will be open to testers soon. The idea is for people to be able to set up
leagues, record games, and possibly transfer results to a central server. There
would be various ways for people to log in, but the issue of people possibly inventing
matches and results to inflate their standings needs to be dealt with. </li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-isgOOz_mtfE/VHoSDdaOAgI/AAAAAAAAFOs/cGZOo7xQtrg/s1600/20141129_121955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-isgOOz_mtfE/VHoSDdaOAgI/AAAAAAAAFOs/cGZOo7xQtrg/s1600/20141129_121955.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Season 4 of Dreadball will be seen in January, then more
Deadzone in February, then season 5 of Dreadball in March. I’m guessing the
Deadzone in March will either be release to retail of stuff KS backers already
have, or possibly even the first sign of the next KS. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Ronnie has plans for a world tournament of Dreadball. He
would like to fly the highest ranked European player to the States to play the
highest ranked American in a ‘Ryker Cup’. Perhaps they play seven games but
have to have seven different teams to counter the ‘Nameless are the best’
problem.</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KLOgRAdSnGY/VHoSBNOW2jI/AAAAAAAAFOk/UrqsQYEuin8/s1600/20141129_122006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KLOgRAdSnGY/VHoSBNOW2jI/AAAAAAAAFOk/UrqsQYEuin8/s1600/20141129_122006.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>On the topic of videogames, Ronnie said again they had been
approached several times by serious parties. Games companies like that Mantic
has good games with solid ip. But the potential cost and associated risk puts
Mantic off committing to anything. This is similar to the answer Ronnie gave to
the same question at the last Open Day. He would rather they held off doing
videogames than risk the company on a poor one.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li>The topic of using Restic on big models in the current KoW
KS came up. Ronnie said they would be waiting to see what numbers of certain
models were ordered before deciding what materials to use for some things. Getting
base troops into hard plastic is something that came up again and again during
the day. </li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--QIsLPYCyAg/VHoSREPyjEI/AAAAAAAAFPc/X6X6twxUl3g/s1600/20141129_121933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--QIsLPYCyAg/VHoSREPyjEI/AAAAAAAAFPc/X6X6twxUl3g/s1600/20141129_121933.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>An app for Deadzone AI cards is done. Lots of work has gone
into the algorithm to make it shuffle like a person. So you will see some cards
get ‘stuck’ as it deals, becoming more random as time goes on.</li>
<li>Confirmation that Deadzone 1.5 features Vermyn and is next
on the slate. Will also revisit and hopefully fill holes in current lineup like
Asterians basic troops. Ideally this will get all armies ready for a vehicles-focused
Warpath KS. Mantic believes the tech is now where it needs to be to do vehicles
right.</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CgTtAuZTVuI/VHoSKc-ekqI/AAAAAAAAFPE/tK-ege2e4TU/s1600/20141129_121940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CgTtAuZTVuI/VHoSKc-ekqI/AAAAAAAAFPE/tK-ege2e4TU/s1600/20141129_121940.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>There is also a growing possibility of non-KS funded
projects. Azure Forest was held up as the example here. The only DB product
that was not KS-funded.</li>
<li>Device compatibility of apps came up briefly. There was some
support for more Windows device app support but the issue really is complexity.
Even with Android. Geiger said the variety of devices to cater for was huge.
Apple is simpler, but the hurdle there can be their approvals process. Ronnie
joked the only certainty was that if you had the same phone as him, you could
be sure Mantic apps would work on it. Good news for me as we both use Galaxy
Notes ;)</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5nBZGe_7s2U/VHoSOvlUIdI/AAAAAAAAFPQ/vgkFKJYWmYw/s1600/20141129_121930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5nBZGe_7s2U/VHoSOvlUIdI/AAAAAAAAFPQ/vgkFKJYWmYw/s1600/20141129_121930.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>There was a short discussion of the lack of hobby resources
being produced by Mantic. Ronnie said this was really due to a lack of time.
They have tried to do things like Dave’s Hobby Tips and Army Painter do the
occasional painting guide. But there is also a fairly good amount of content
being put out by the community. Personally, I like this. It feels more like
Mantic to have the community produce things like painting guides and show what can
be done with their terrain and models and the like. </li>
</ul>
<br />
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That was more or less it for the Open Day seminars. Lots to
look forward to including the next Deadzone kickstarter and maybe even a rollout
of Warpath late in 2015 as well as more Dreadball, Dungeon Saga, and Kings of
War. If you have any questions about what was said or seen at Mantic please
leave them below. Let's close with a couple of pictures of what Mantic keeps on their bookshelves. Some suprising and some not so surprising sources of inspiration there...</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-20221520774577360732014-11-30T05:28:00.001-08:002014-11-30T05:28:29.053-08:00Mantic Open Day, November 2014 Part 1<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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Wow, what a long and hectic day. Once again I made the
pilgrimage around the M25 and up the M1 to Mantic HQ for the Open Day. It’s a
long way to go, but worth it for all the cool stuff you get to see and hear</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zdRC1ih04d0/VHoTFVZzqfI/AAAAAAAAFQo/aqfCu--nCcg/s1600/20141129_115405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zdRC1ih04d0/VHoTFVZzqfI/AAAAAAAAFQo/aqfCu--nCcg/s1600/20141129_115405.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Including new boxes!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But not everyone can make that journey, of course. So,
here’s my recap of what I heard in the seminars and saw on the tables and
cabinets and a few thoughts on what’s going on and likely to happen at Mantic
in the near future.</div>
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This time round there were three seminar sessions. This is,
I think, the first time this has been done at Mantic’s current HQ building. The
seminars were also somewhat specialised in their content too, another first. I
missed the title of the first one and didn’t sit in on it either. Apologies,
but it was probably about Kings of War and I used that time to catch up with
friends and hit the shop.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The second talk was focused on Jake and his games. An
important point to make here – Jake wouldn’t actually talk much about Kings of
War or Warpath proper as these are not games he works on.He had quite a lot to day about Dungeon Saga, Deadzone, and
Dreadball though. Here are a few key points he made in response to questions
from the audience. Ronnie also sat in for a while so there are some titbits
from him too.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SBFJ4iB91B8/VHoTA095fkI/AAAAAAAAFQY/aAGEscWsaQk/s1600/20141129_115415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SBFJ4iB91B8/VHoTA095fkI/AAAAAAAAFQY/aAGEscWsaQk/s1600/20141129_115415.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of new orcs.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<ul>
<li> Jake would love to do a fantasy version of
Deadzone and a Warpath version of Dungeon saga. Its really a question of time
though, that being that Jake doesn’t have enough of it to fit in everything he would
like to do.</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gHdM6YZQW5E/VHoS3_KtA-I/AAAAAAAAFQI/7c9PpTbbm3I/s1600/20141129_115456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gHdM6YZQW5E/VHoS3_KtA-I/AAAAAAAAFQI/7c9PpTbbm3I/s1600/20141129_115456.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And other monsters.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li> <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>The idea of Dungeon Saga (DS) downtime was
discussed at some length. This would be dealing with the time between missions
in DS for players to choose what their character does. Ideas like visiting a
market to look for new gear or a temple to get a blessing were floated. Jake
wants there to be at least five things you want to do with your character but
only have time to do one. It’s a flavour of RPG mechanics without going all the
way in.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Ronnie said DS components were being shipped in one load and
they planned to send it all out in one go. This would mean two boxes for most
pledges though as the contents would be too heavy for one box. I’m afraid I
missed whether he was categorically saying everything in the KS was going to be
in this one shipment and I didn’t back it so I’m not sure if that is even
possible. But it did sound that way. Ronnie also joked about waiting to see
what thing would inevitably go wrong.<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k9g4eo7k0Tw/VHoTQ3UMUvI/AAAAAAAAFRM/SF38Npm_15c/s1600/20141129_115344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k9g4eo7k0Tw/VHoTQ3UMUvI/AAAAAAAAFRM/SF38Npm_15c/s1600/20141129_115344.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
</span></span></span><ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>There was talk of expansions and sequels to DS.
The initial campaign takes players up to defeating Mortebris who flees. On the
way out he raises a demon for players to fight.</li>
<li>The next expansion would be a prequel of sorts,
allowing players to start with a brand new level one character. The possibility
of two new characters being written was raised and then joining with two
from the original game to form parties.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Jake and Ronnie want the game to do really well at
retail. In the second seminar Ronnie said Dreadball had sold twelve thousand
copies at retail, compared to two thousand KS backers. DS had six thousand
backers so, if it performed as well, that would mean more than thirty thousand
sales. Reading between the lines, Mantic is aware of the importance of looking after retail as much as KS backers.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Jake wants to see lots of scenarios being
created by the community and the game is built to do that, what with the
companion manual being put together containing stats for all the models in
Mantic’s range. He would like to have seen more player-generated stuff for DKH.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Jake is working on a new campaign for Deadzone.
He is also aware the rules were not presented in the most accessible way in the
original rulebook. The next Deadzone release will feature the Vermyn and will
give missions that ease people into the rules. </li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>There is little chance of any expansion for Mars
Attacks! The problem is that pretty much everything in the original i.p. is already
in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the game. The Novas Virae were
practically made up while the campaign was running.</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TXLYZUf6WOw/VHoRwbnehFI/AAAAAAAAFN4/TXXvm-Q8lyk/s1600/20141129_122111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TXLYZUf6WOw/VHoRwbnehFI/AAAAAAAAFN4/TXXvm-Q8lyk/s1600/20141129_122111.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>As far as Jake is aware, there is still a plan
for annual tournament packs for Dreadball in the manner of Azure Forest. Ronnie had left the room at this point but things like this did come up in the next seminar as well.</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TFLVTs2iy8A/VHoR1Cn4VlI/AAAAAAAAFOA/c7snUWTUenU/s1600/20141129_122103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TFLVTs2iy8A/VHoR1Cn4VlI/AAAAAAAAFOA/c7snUWTUenU/s1600/20141129_122103.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Jake is also still not happy with Jacks in
Dreadball and is still working on a fix. The game is by no means broken as it
plays now. My guess would be there will be a second edition of the rules at
some point in the reasonably near future. He would really like people to try the experimental rules he floats on Quirkworthy and report back on them.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
That was pretty much it for Jake’s session. The next talk
was entitled, ‘The Future of Mantic Games with Ronnie Renton’ and I will cover
that next.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-81277025429939937792014-09-28T14:51:00.000-07:002014-09-28T14:53:46.104-07:00Mantic's Deadzone: AI EditionThere have been a couple of surprising developments in the world of tabletop gaming over the last couple of years. Firstly, how successful many new games have been on Kickstarter. Who would have thought there were thousands of gamers out there willing to front up millions of dollars to advance the production of a multitude of games and gaming accessories? Secondly, how much demand there has been for single-player versions of many of these same games. Who knew gamers wanted to play with themselves so much?<br />
<br />
Well, I always did. I'm one of those guys single-player gaming can really appeal to. I get out and play, don't get me wrong. But with a working wife and two kids to take care of, one trip a week to the local club is about as much as I can guarantee each week. So the opportunity to play many of the games I have spent hundreds of dollars on while at home and alone is very welcome.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IFex0qFEnXI/VCh__yWTOVI/AAAAAAAAFKo/RjNvIjg27Ug/s1600/20140924_211202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Deadzone, mantic, Plague, battlezones" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IFex0qFEnXI/VCh__yWTOVI/AAAAAAAAFKo/RjNvIjg27Ug/s1600/20140924_211202.jpg" height="240" title="Setting up for AI Deadzone" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She made me buy this table to 'eat' on. Hah.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This week I received my second-wave shipment of Deadzone from Mantic games. Deadzone is playable solo in two ways; with zombies which are also useable as npc's in two-player games, and with the purpose-built AI card deck. <br />
<br />
I have built up thirty zombies and even found time to paint twenty of them and will be trying them out in a game with a friend later in the week. But I also managed to get in several games alone using the AI deck and this post will be concentrating on that experience. Rules for using them come in the 'Contagion' expansion book.<br />
<br />
In the classic AI game you set up your own Strike Force and an opposing Force of matching points. The game board and cards are then set up, pretty much like in a two-player game, but with a couple of important changes.<br />
<br />
For a start the AI team gets two mission cards, both of which you can see from the start. This helps you work out what move the AI models will take as the game progresses.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-htOBXa4Kzws/VCh_1UyYW8I/AAAAAAAAFKg/bS8GjXtQQ8c/s1600/20140925_083844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Deadzone, mantic, battlezones" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-htOBXa4Kzws/VCh_1UyYW8I/AAAAAAAAFKg/bS8GjXtQQ8c/s1600/20140925_083844.jpg" height="240" title="Deadzone Solo" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They also tend to only start out where you can reach them without getting up.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When it's the AI teams turn you draw the top card from the AI deck. All the Deadzone models have been allocated to one of five classes, Command, Assault, Heavy, Support, and Line, and most of the cards will tell you to activate one of these classes, choosing the qualifying model either closest to or furthest from the enemy. Once you have figured that out, each class has a list of activities they can carry out, arranged by priority. So a Command-type model will first make sure it cannot be assaulted by an enemy model. If it is in a safe spot it will then attempt a Command action. Assault troops will prioritise closing with the enemy, Line troops shooting at them, and so on.<br />
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So, the big questions: does it work, and is it fun? Well, the answer to the first one is 'most of the time'.<br />
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Knowing which models to activate is generally straightforward and easy to do. It can get a bit murky though when you get to figuring out which action that model will prioritise though. The rules tell you AI models will essentially gravitate towards objectives and choose sure-things over maybes and when they will use cards and so on. But you can still find yourself in some complicated situations.<br />
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Having two missions often doesn't help as their objectives can be contradictory.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QVOyF4CB7L0/VCh_x2EcdlI/AAAAAAAAFKY/PgqomqmBYa8/s1600/20140925_083834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Deadzone, mantic, battlezones" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QVOyF4CB7L0/VCh_x2EcdlI/AAAAAAAAFKY/PgqomqmBYa8/s1600/20140925_083834.jpg" height="240" title="Deadzone Orx Marauders" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You guys go for killing the enemy, I'll do guarding this bit right here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In one game, for example, the AI Plague drew a survival mission and an infiltration mission. For assault models this was ok as they just raced across the board towards the enemy. For the slower moving guys though there was the difficult decision of which way to go when it was their time to move. Should they move into firing positions where they might be able to shoot the enemy but risk getting shot back? Or follow the 3d's across the board, but more slowly, thus also risking getting shot down?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9YeKgkjsK_k/VCiACCQbXLI/AAAAAAAAFKw/od4qXdiilVw/s1600/20140925_083851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Deadzone, mantic, Battlezones" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9YeKgkjsK_k/VCiACCQbXLI/AAAAAAAAFKw/od4qXdiilVw/s1600/20140925_083851.jpg" height="240" title="Deadzone Plague Faction" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only the Leader understands 'Cover'.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Using the cards also gives your AI models a distinct lack of tactical nouse. Whereas a human player would be willing to build forces in one location to provide overlapping or overwhelming fire on an objective before sending a model out to capture it, the AI will sometimes suicidally rush towards the nearest objective on the board. If they're unlucky in the activation order this can leave models all alone and easily picked off. Sometimes shooting at the enemy is the sensible option, but the rules still tell you a model runs off to sit on an objective.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dXNWjaudihs/VCiAKJsCmtI/AAAAAAAAFK4/6_B6upM2skM/s1600/20140925_155240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Deadzone, Mantic, Battlezones" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dXNWjaudihs/VCiAKJsCmtI/AAAAAAAAFK4/6_B6upM2skM/s1600/20140925_155240.jpg" height="240" title="Deadzone AI Game" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We knew you were going to charge us. We just don't care.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Knowing what the enemy will do next is also a big advantage. In the last game I played as Orx I knew I did not need to move my Commander to a safe position out of charge range of two Plaguehounds because they had the Infiltrate mission and would run straight past my model to get off the board. Instead I could do a Command action and leave him where he was behind a corner.<br />
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All that said, I think the answer to the second 'big' question is still 'yes'. Yes, that is, if you understand and accept this is not like a two-player game.<br />
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Games play out faster than two-player ones and the AI models can be dumb. They will not supply the same tactical challenge of a human opponent. Sometimes you will need to roll off to decide which action a model will take or you will find the action priorities nonsensical. Let it go. Sometimes human players do daft things to or catch you off guard.<br />
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Most of the games I played were still surprisingly close. Even though I, the human, won them all, several times the AI came within a couple of points of beating me. <br />
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With two mission cards the AI can score points very quickly. The first game I played the AI was getting a VP on each card for every turn they got through with fifty percent of their points on the boards. You also get 'bonus points' VP cards in the AI deck and can choose to start the AI with one, two or three, points from the get-go. The AI then, was getting up to five VP's just for surviving the first round.<br />
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The challenge becomes in achieving your goals as fast as possible while having to hold off the enemy from achieving two of theirs. The game knows the AI is dumb and it is weighted towards giving them fast easy VP's. Be faster.<br />
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Think of the bonus cards as a kind of handicap. Give them one if you want a fairly easy expedition, three if you want a real test of speed and tactical awareness.<br />
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A couple of tactical notes:<br />
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<ul>
<li>avoid giving your AI faction points-heavy, high command total type models. With their default action, assuming they are in a safe position and they should be if you set them up fairly, is Command. Plague Stage 1's get six points in their Command pool and will most likely just stand on the spot using them.</li>
<li>choose factions you know well for the AI. You have twice as many cards, dice, counters and models to keep track off than usual. Knowing your AI faction's special abilities and stats will help.</li>
</ul>
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And a suggestion:<br />
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<ul>
<li>prioritise one of the AI faction's missions over the other from the start. Still let them score points for both, but deciding for example whether infiltrating or capturing is more important will make their actions easier to determine and possibly make a tougher opponent. </li>
</ul>
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I like Mantic's AI system. It is not perfect but its a good start. I think it could do with a few tweaks, but we have a great community who tend to be good at that sort of thing.<br />
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I have all six Deadzone factions, but have only played games using three. I'm looking forward to using the AI deck as an opponent to help me learn the others.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-49912621250299040462014-06-09T13:06:00.000-07:002014-09-28T14:56:27.839-07:00LawhammerThats the new name I'm giving for whenever GW's lawyers get sicced on whatever target has been deemed to somehow infringe upon, impinge upon, or otherwise irritate the head honchos in Lenton.<br />
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Today's entry is a prospective one. That is, no lawsuit has been filed that I am yet aware of. But it seems a good possibility. Check out 5m 21secs of this video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/spZ-jXzEDd4" width="560"></iframe><br />
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UPDATE: the video has disappeared! Did Lawhammer strike it down?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-39869939469531847702014-05-15T02:41:00.000-07:002014-05-15T06:45:46.860-07:00Speed-painting Fortifications for DeadzoneThe next Mantic Open Day is coming up soon so I've been spurred on to get some more <a href="http://www.waylandgames.co.uk/mantic-games/deadzone/deadzone-boxed-game-/prod_26709.html">DZ terrain </a>and models painted up and ready to go.<br />
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Although most of my terrain tiles are done I had left the fortification clip-on sections alone and I decided it might be nice to paint them a different colour to the blue-grey I have used on the rest of the scenery. This is partly because its generally a good idea to paint items made of different materials in different colours or shades of the same colour and partly to provide some visual contrast to a table. From a narrative point of view, if Shensig buildings are made of repurposed freight containers, maybe the fortifications are made of sterner stuff, deployed by military units when the need arises. Such as when the Plague breaks out.<br />
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I still wanted to get it done quickly though. <br />
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So, here are a few pics of my fortifications, followed by how I did it.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oaGMInbqOcI/U3SC0u_KixI/AAAAAAAAEFU/q81xpr3tLXE/s1600/20140510_143223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mantic Deadzone Fortification Tiles Speed-painted" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oaGMInbqOcI/U3SC0u_KixI/AAAAAAAAEFU/q81xpr3tLXE/s1600/20140510_143223.jpg" height="240" title="Deadzone Fortification Tiles" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lpzTucJSKbE/U3SC3cofKQI/AAAAAAAAEFc/h8O3t7dac_M/s1600/20140510_143228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mantic Deadzone Fortification Tiles Speed-painted" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lpzTucJSKbE/U3SC3cofKQI/AAAAAAAAEFc/h8O3t7dac_M/s1600/20140510_143228.jpg" height="240" title="Deadzone Fortification Tiles Speed-painted" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MTBv15qoBxc/U3SC-O9zA5I/AAAAAAAAEFk/8ONOlodgsJc/s1600/20140510_143232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mantic Deadzone Fortification Tiles Speed-painted" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MTBv15qoBxc/U3SC-O9zA5I/AAAAAAAAEFk/8ONOlodgsJc/s1600/20140510_143232.jpg" height="240" title="Deadzone Fortification Tiles Speed-painted" width="320" /></a></div>
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1. Stick your tiles onto a sheet of cardboard or a long stick with blu-tack. Make sure the tiles are all aligned the same way up.<br />
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2. Undercoat with a spray of black paint.<br />
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3. Spray a layer of dark blue paint on top of the undercoat. Spray from the direction of the top edge of the pieces. This will allow a little of the black undercoat to remain on the bottom of raised edges and give you a built-in drop-shadow effect. You could, of course, use a different colour undercoat, it would just mean you would need to apply the base colour a bit more thoroughly to make sure none of the undercoat remains visible. I used an airbrush and <a href="http://www.waylandgames.co.uk/vallejo/model-air/model-air-blue-angel-blue/prod_3232.html">Vallejo's Model Air Blue Angels </a>but any dark blue will do, even one from a spraycan for extra speed.<br />
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4. When the dark blue is dry, use a piece of packing sponge, the kind you get in model blister packs, to sponge on a lighter blue-grey. I used Citadel's Shadow Grey. I think the closest available alternate now is their '<a href="http://www.waylandgames.co.uk/games-workshop/hobby-items/citadel-paints/citadel-base/the-fang-29/prod_16187.html">The Fang</a>'. Use a corner of the sponge to dab on the paint. Avoid the temptation to drag the sponge. Raised edges and corners are your friend as they will stop the paint completely covering the piece, giving you dark corners and a broken up pattern. This helps you get a natural look to the paint job. You are not trying to uniformly cover the tiles - thats what brushes are for. You're trying to get a patchy or blotchy look.<br />
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5. Make a thin wash of a light earth tone paint. I used Citadel's <a href="http://www.waylandgames.co.uk/games-workshop/hobby-items/citadel-paints/citadel-base/steel-legion-drab-18/prod_16176.html">Steel Legion Drab</a>. This is the key word here. It needs to look almost like dirty water. If you're not sure, add more water. Its better to go too thin, then do it again with a slightly thicker mix than mess up your tiles by painting on too much dirt. Make sure you get the wash into the cracks and crevices on your sections. When it dries you want nice dusty effect. On the flat sections you will get a 'filter' effect, where you can see the blues and greys you painted on but through a yellowy brown layer that is almost imperceptible to the conscious brain but that registers as different anyway.Make sure your tiles are standing up straight while they dry so the wash drifts downwards.<br />
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6. When the dustwash is dry, mix up a wash of a bright orange. I used an old pot of Citadel's Blazing Orange. It looks quite harsh on the palette, but it works well on the colours I painted the tiles with. I think <a href="http://www.waylandgames.co.uk/vallejo/game-color/game-color-hot-orange/prod_2502.html">Vallejo's Hot Orange</a> is probably a good substitute.This mix is going to be a little bit thicker than the dust wash, but still fairly close to coloured water. You want a consistency that flows around raised details and pools in the corners when you touch the brush to the piece, rather than something it feels like you have to paint on. I put it on the rivets on the wall pieces and around the teardrops and vent holes on the bulwarks.<br />
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7. For extra weathering, I also rubbed the side of a standard HB pencil along most of the raised edges. This gives you a nice sharp edge highlight, as well as giving the pieces a subtle metallic look. Its the simplest and easiest technique, but it can really make parts stand out nicely. <br />
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Thats it for the painting. Here's how my completed sections look when mixed in with the scenery I painted in <a href="http://whiteswolves.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/deadzone-terrain-speed-painting-guide.html">earlier </a><a href="http://whiteswolves.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/deadzone-terrain-even-speedier-painting.html">guides </a>and some of my <a href="http://www.waylandgames.co.uk/mantic-games/deadzone/plague/deadzone-plague-faction-starter/prod_23650.html">Plague </a>and <a href="http://www.waylandgames.co.uk/mantic-games/deadzone/marauders/deadzone-marauders-faction-starter/prod_23651.html">Marauders </a>mini's.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BlIUA7fqITI/U3SDZgort-I/AAAAAAAAEGI/CV5xByTqzA4/s1600/20140510_152631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mantic Deadzone Marauder Mawbeast Bomber" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BlIUA7fqITI/U3SDZgort-I/AAAAAAAAEGI/CV5xByTqzA4/s1600/20140510_152631.jpg" height="240" title="Deadzone Marauder Mawbeast Bomber" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lio6RKsJYHM/U3SDGDXGgwI/AAAAAAAAEFw/V5_c2xxi5vM/s1600/20140510_152222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mantic Deadzone Building with Foritifications" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lio6RKsJYHM/U3SDGDXGgwI/AAAAAAAAEFw/V5_c2xxi5vM/s1600/20140510_152222.jpg" height="240" title="A Deadzone Building with Foritifications" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-HIsrsLJiw/U3SDfelJ9WI/AAAAAAAAEGQ/k64xOBzRkPk/s1600/20140510_152645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mantic Deadzone Defence Laser" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-HIsrsLJiw/U3SDfelJ9WI/AAAAAAAAEGQ/k64xOBzRkPk/s1600/20140510_152645.jpg" height="240" title="Deadzone Defence Laser" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hq5c4Tr1z0A/U3SDl5ZMQCI/AAAAAAAAEGY/fuM-OND00IM/s1600/20140510_152651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Deadzone Plague Fortifications Mantic" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hq5c4Tr1z0A/U3SDl5ZMQCI/AAAAAAAAEGY/fuM-OND00IM/s1600/20140510_152651.jpg" height="240" title="Deadzone Plague take up firing positions on a partially fortified building." width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XAY0CewdEDw/U3SEGb8ylsI/AAAAAAAAEHA/h7nBGkqMVMo/s1600/20140510_152748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Deadzone Marauder Mauler Mantic" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XAY0CewdEDw/U3SEGb8ylsI/AAAAAAAAEHA/h7nBGkqMVMo/s1600/20140510_152748.jpg" height="240" title="A Marauder Mauler in front of a fortified building." width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6BUYeSulOXw/U3SEGDtdorI/AAAAAAAAEG8/BLXXa09qsWw/s1600/20140510_152735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mantic Deadzone Plague" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6BUYeSulOXw/U3SEGDtdorI/AAAAAAAAEG8/BLXXa09qsWw/s1600/20140510_152735.jpg" height="240" title="A Deadzone Plague model charges over a barricade" width="320" /></a></div>
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Thats it for post #100 :) As always, feel free to ask any questions and click on the ads if what you read was helpful. Thanks for reading.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-68684949908290990782014-01-31T07:04:00.000-08:002014-01-31T07:04:11.796-08:00Mantic Cases and Battlefoam BagHere's a quick video showing what you can fit into Mantic's two sizes of plastic cases and an overview of the Mantic branded Battlefoam bag.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/O2CHzaMJxpc" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Foam and cases are bog money these days - there are so many great models being made and people want to take care of them. I have found the Mantic cases to be a great solution.<br />
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They are not the most glamorous bits of kit. They are a lot like VHS cassette boxes. Youngsters, google it. But with a bit of foam on each side, they hold models in place and provide hard protection against impacts. Stick them in the BF bag, also very attractively priced, and you've got a great way to carry round your Deadzone and Dreadball mini's.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-7754057689540782452013-12-28T10:53:00.002-08:002014-02-05T07:54:04.852-08:00Deadzone Terrain WeatheringIf you have been following my previous guides to <a href="http://whiteswolves.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/deadzone-terrain-speed-painting-guide.html">speedy </a>and <a href="http://whiteswolves.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/deadzone-terrain-even-speedier-painting.html">even speedier</a> painting of the masses of tiles that came with the Deadzone Kickstarter packages, you should now have a tonne of nicely painted two-tone grey tiles. Are yours not so nicely painted? Well, thats ok too. Its art and art is subjective.<br />
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So, that two-tone scheme is a really fast way to get paint on your tiles, but there is no reason to stop there. In fact its a good idea to add more colours to the tiles as all that grey, even with accents, can look a bit monochrome <i>en masse</i>. <br />
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I am going to show you here some ways I have added a bit more colour and texture to my collection of terrain. One is as easy as it can be and uses something you are guaranteed to have in your house. The second requires buying a GW paint (although there may be other substitutes out there). The third uses paints you <i>probably </i>already have, and the fourth requires an airbrush and some specialist consumables.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1xOMRbR8RmA/Ur8QMs08ipI/AAAAAAAAD5g/j-YSJjNZwzo/s1600/20131228_175320%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Deadzone terrain tiles weathering painting guide" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1xOMRbR8RmA/Ur8QMs08ipI/AAAAAAAAD5g/j-YSJjNZwzo/s320/20131228_175320%5B1%5D.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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1. Pencil edging. For this, all you need is a simple graphite pencil. If you run it across the edge of your tiles and the edges of raised areas, you can give your tiles a subtle outline that will add definition and a metallic sheen. This is great when you want to fool the eye into perceiving your tiles are made of metal. Where you have salt-masked your tiles, concentrate the pencil edging on places where the darker 'base' colour shows through.<br />
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Its hard to photograph though >< In the above picture, you might just be able to pick out the thin dark line along the beveled edge of the tile. I have done it on the edge of the raised square in the tile's centre as well. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ubBMYHSylJQ/Ur8NHo4-1RI/AAAAAAAAD5E/BuHUy-f10MM/s1600/20131225_184928%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Deadzone terrain tiles weathering painting guide" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ubBMYHSylJQ/Ur8NHo4-1RI/AAAAAAAAD5E/BuHUy-f10MM/s320/20131225_184928%5B1%5D.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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2. Washes and Sponging. For my floor tiles I wanted to produce an effect that simulated the combined weight of thousands of footprints, containers and gear, and general atmospheric dust on the surfaces. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Steel Legion Drab is great for producing nondescript dust-coloured washes, particularly as a contrast to the grey colour of the tiles.<br />
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I tried not cover the entire tile in wash - I wanted some areas to look a bit closer to their 'intended' colour than others - an made sure the wash got into the recesses and corners as this is where dust and dirt would naturally accumulate. You have to be a little bit careful of pooling though. In the picture above it can look like some of the tiles have got tea stains on them. In real life its a bit more subdued than the camera makes it appear, but you want to avoid tide marks when the wash dries.<br />
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I have also sponged on some darker colours, like Scorched Brown, in a few places. I used a packing sponge, just like in the speedier guide, but I smeared rather than dabbed this time. A real industrial floor can be a patchwork of colours and spills, the trick is making yours look random. Again, its art. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L_EVwqCcrHg/Ur8O-LBBOkI/AAAAAAAAD5Q/_-Hc82tQmrA/s1600/20131225_193806%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Deadzone terrain tiles weathering painting guide" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L_EVwqCcrHg/Ur8O-LBBOkI/AAAAAAAAD5Q/_-Hc82tQmrA/s320/20131225_193806%5B1%5D.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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3. Blood for the Blood God. GW released a handful of technical paints
just before Christmas. Most of them I don't see the point of, but Blood
is a good one. You can splatter it, drag it, and pool it, and it dries
to a gloss and looks like fresh human blood. There were ways to simulate
blood before this paint of course, but this paint just looks fantastic.<br />
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In the picture above you can see the same tiles from the previous shot, with a little BftBG dabbed on. Here's another photo of tiles from the same batch with washes and Blood. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1cu-qJkXFqA/Ur8PEPndRiI/AAAAAAAAD5Y/HN6GNOBvhD0/s1600/20131225_193812%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Deadzone terrain tiles weathering painting guide" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1cu-qJkXFqA/Ur8PEPndRiI/AAAAAAAAD5Y/HN6GNOBvhD0/s320/20131225_193812%5B1%5D.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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4. Weathering powders. Weathering powders are like painting black magic. Everyone has heard of them, but few have used them. Or know how to. Its mainly beardy types that build scale models of tanks and stuff. But, I'm here to tell you, they are surprisingly easy to use, with a little care, and can produce some great effects on your terrain.<br />
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The first thing I did with them was add some to the wash I used on the floor tiles, then reapplied it. I used a mix of earth coloured powders, although I probably used too much of the darker ones in places.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GSRXbTltmio/Ur8Rp9LRVdI/AAAAAAAAD5s/S1Dzi665Ul8/s1600/20131219_141821%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Deadzone terrain tiles weathering painting guide" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GSRXbTltmio/Ur8Rp9LRVdI/AAAAAAAAD5s/S1Dzi665Ul8/s320/20131219_141821%5B1%5D.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you look closely at the gaps between the square in this tile, you can see how the powders give the wash a granular quality. Basically it makes a more muddy than dusty powder.<br />
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You can also just apply a few spots of powder to your tile and smudge them in with a sponge. This is a great way to simulate soot, scorch marks, and the general accretion of dirt you might see in a place like the Deadzone. <br />
<br />
And finally, here are three videos demonstrating how to use weathering powders with thinners and an airbrush to dirty-up your terrain facades. The front bits.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/T7F0ZsxErP8" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
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To start with, I sprinkle weathering powders onto wet thinners I have sprayed onto the tiles.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/n5jl_MH_VxY" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Then I spray some more thinners onto the powders, allowing it to form a paint-like liquid and flow into the recesses of the tile.<br />
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<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/OJ_HndEiTZU" width="560"></iframe>
The finishing touch is to cover the dried powders with a matt varnish to seal them in.<br />
<br />
I reshot the last video in the sequence for two reasons. For one, I had the camera set at the wrong resolution for the first run through, which is why parts 1 and 2 are a little blurry. For the other, I went a bit heavy on the powders on the batch in the first two videos. So I have shot a different batch in the last vidoe, one that is a bit lighter, a bit more dusty than muddy. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cVqMOHd-4dI/Ur8cSrB8CWI/AAAAAAAAD58/YcNXseRFa_w/s1600/20131219_141809%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Deadzone terrain tiles weathering painting guide" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cVqMOHd-4dI/Ur8cSrB8CWI/AAAAAAAAD58/YcNXseRFa_w/s320/20131219_141809%5B1%5D.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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I went in a bit lighter on the first batch I weathered too. I think the patchy dirt is more effective looking than the heavier mud for this type of terrain.<br />
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That then is how I am weathering my tiles and breaking up all that grey. As always, if this has been helpful, please click on the ad because it helps me buy more weathering powders :) And comments, questions, or suggestions are also equally welcome below.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-39021616801441047192013-12-27T10:33:00.002-08:002013-12-28T02:56:43.511-08:00Mantic's Next New Game<div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;">At the most recent Mantic Open Day, Ronnie mentioned the possibility of taking on other franchises for the tabletop games treatment in the manner of Mars Attacks. The success of that Kickstarter, he said, showed Mantic could handle someone else's ip respectfully and innovatively. He also said there were other properties he would <i>love </i>to take on - Aliens and Predator perhaps having been one of them, although Mantic were never actually in the conversation about any rights to make a game from those franchises.
</span><br />
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">So what properties <i>was </i>he thinking of? Here are a few I would like to see:</span></div>
<ol style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li><span style="color: #cccccc;">Game of Thrones. Games like Spartacus have shown it's possible to build intrigue into tabletop games alongside violence, but the massively popular book series also has great potential for a massed combat system - an army of white walkers versus the elite Black Watch, anyone?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #cccccc;">The Walking Dead. There already is a boardgame based on the comic book/tv show. But I can also see this as an adaptation of the Deadzone/Mars Attacks rulesets with missions to recover foodstuffs and medical supplies and so on. Players could choose from factions including original survivors, Woodbury, and the hunters. Perhaps you could even choose your band of survivors from all those characters - Rick and the Governor working together! - and fight against card controlled zombies. The options for a Kickstarter exclusive are clear - if the game is based on the comic, you can get TV versions, and vice versa.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #cccccc;">Netrunner/Magic/any other ccg. With Mars Attacks, Mantic took a series of collectible cards and made a game out of them. Netrunner and Magic are already games of course, but they don't have collectible miniatures - yet. Personally I'd love to see an adaptation of Netrunner's covert ops and skullduggery into a miniatures game. Mantic love putting cards in their games so it's not such a long stretch.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #cccccc;">Star Trek, Star Wars, and/or Stargate. Three sci-fi franchises with legions of fans both within and without the tabletop gaming community. The success of X-Wing and Wing Commander shows the two bigger franchises have support, but this may well mean the rights to them are all tied up. As far as I know though, there is not a Stargate game on the market. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #cccccc;">Planet of the Apes. The rights to this could be pretty hot with a new raft of movies being made. But I'd still love the opportunity to tell my opponent to take his stinkin' paws off me. The damn, dirty ape!</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;">So thats my top five(ish) ip's for Mantic to take on. What would you like to see them develop?</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-20657743219327780082013-12-12T02:19:00.000-08:002014-02-05T07:53:14.357-08:00Deadzone Terrain - Even Speedier Painting GuideA few days ago I put up a tutorial/report on <a href="http://whiteswolves.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/deadzone-terrain-speed-painting-guide.htmlhttp://whiteswolves.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/deadzone-terrain-speed-painting-guide.html">how to quickly paint Deadzone terrain</a> using a couple of spray cans and a salt masking. While a lot of people seemed to like the guide, a lot were perhaps also put off by the use of an airbrush and even the salt.<br />
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So, let me present an even easier way to paint your terrain, using no airbrush and no salt. The effects you get aren't quite as great looking, in my opinion, and take a little practice to master, but are fast and simple to produce.<br />
<br />
Start off with the first few steps as shown in the previous guide:<br />
<ol>
<li> separate your tiles into vertical and horizontal piles (that is, walls in one pile, floors in the other).</li>
<li>blu-tack your tiles to a strong sheet of carboard or other firm, flat, and portable surface.</li>
<li>prime them - this time it doesn't really matter what colour, but I still recommend black. </li>
</ol>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-raQ_JQXxR9k/UqmNHJWkvBI/AAAAAAAAD4w/gcQ2seQZ6eA/s1600/20131205_143552%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Deadzone terrain tiles weathering painting guide" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-raQ_JQXxR9k/UqmNHJWkvBI/AAAAAAAAD4w/gcQ2seQZ6eA/s320/20131205_143552%5B1%5D.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It still looks like this.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now, the first departure from the first guide's technique - go straight to painting on your main colour layer. In my case I am still using Vallejo's Model Air Pale Grey Blue and airbrushing it on, but you can use whatever colour you want. Use a lightish colour though like Army Painter's <a href="http://www.waylandgames.co.uk/army-painter/sprays/wolf-grey-colour-primer-spray/prod_12124.html">Wolf Grey </a>(in theory you could just go straight to this step and skip the black primer!). Slightly patchy or uneven paint is still ok but you're still going to want to try to spray your wall sections from the 'top' to try to keep some of the black primer on the undersides of raised edges.<br />
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You will need a dark grey paint for the next bit. I made mine using pure black with just a hint of grey to break it up a bit, but you could just use something like Games Workshop's <a href="http://www.waylandgames.co.uk/games-workshop/hobby-items/citadel-paints/citadel-base/mechanicus-standard-grey-25/prod_16183.html">Mechanicus Standard Grey</a>.<br />
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Now you take a piece of clampack foam - thats the dark grey sponge that comes in many 28mm miniatures, such as Dreadball MVP's - and use it to dab the dark grey paint onto your tiles.<br />
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<ul>
<li>Don't load the sponge with lots of paint. Think of it as being a bit like drybrushing - too much paint will spoil the effect. </li>
<li>Concentrate on hitting edges and corners. </li>
<li>Don't smear the paint on, you will just get a sooty look. Dab it on. </li>
<li>Mix up the angles you do it at to avoid getting repetitive patterns.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uGS6kSeFuno/UqmLX3PC5_I/AAAAAAAAD4k/Q4Dfbd3bzyM/s1600/20131211_201503%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Deadzone terrain tiles weathering painting guide" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uGS6kSeFuno/UqmLX3PC5_I/AAAAAAAAD4k/Q4Dfbd3bzyM/s320/20131211_201503%5B1%5D.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">et voila</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It might take a few goes to get the hang of it and understand how your sponge puts paint down. But thats the same with any technique. The good thing is a little experimentation here cannot hurt - the more worn, and messed around with your tiles are, the better they will look on the table.<br />
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In my previous guide I used salt masking twice; once for the paint chipping effect, and once for applying an accent colour. You can also sponge on the accent. I highly recommend you do this on at least some of your panels or you might end up with a slightly monochrome board.<br />
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To do this, I masked off the area I want to colour. Then I dabbed on my accent, Golden Yellow, before reapplying my dark grey around the edges to bring back that chipped look.Dabbing on a little bit of the Pale Blue Grey would also help with that worn look.<br />
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Compared side by side, you can see how the two techniques come out. The dabbed on chips tend to make the tiles look more smoky while the chipped paint seems cleaner. Both are fine to put out on the table though.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EpAWda5GerE/UqmLNaMY7zI/AAAAAAAAD4c/urb5WfykGQw/s1600/20131212_100057%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Deadzone terrain tiles weathering painting guide" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EpAWda5GerE/UqmLNaMY7zI/AAAAAAAAD4c/urb5WfykGQw/s320/20131212_100057%5B1%5D.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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One area the sponge technique is probably better for is small parts. Crystallized salt can come in large chunks that are difficult to apply accurately to little things like handrails and ladders. From now on I plan to sponge those parts. The trick there will be making sure the paint I dab is the same shade as on the salted tiles.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2wp5tZq7BAc/UqmLC4fhHzI/AAAAAAAAD4U/_iFx86Dmjdo/s1600/20131212_100117%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Deadzone terrain tiles weathering painting guide" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2wp5tZq7BAc/UqmLC4fhHzI/AAAAAAAAD4U/_iFx86Dmjdo/s320/20131212_100117%5B1%5D.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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So there you have it - a fast, easy, and cheap way to quickly paint worn looking tiles that does not use an airbrush or any kind of advanced technique.<br />
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Later on I plan to play around with adding more weathering effects like rust and blood to some of my tiles so let me know if there's anything in particular you would like to see or know how to do. <br />
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If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below and, if you like the guide, please click on the ad as it helps keep me in spraycans :) And check out my guide to weathering your tiles <a href="http://whiteswolves.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/deadzone-terrain-weathering.html">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-55963270978038464322013-12-08T07:44:00.003-08:002014-02-05T07:52:39.342-08:00Deadzone Terrain - Speed Painting Guide<br />
I went in fairly heavily for the Deadzone terrain. I pledged for enough mats for a complete 6x4 table, so I wanted enough building tiles, at least when combined with my existing stock of GW stuff, to cover them. Of course, now I have to paint them all...<br />
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I want to paint them quickly so I don't just end up with a bunch of unpainted sprues and parts. But I also want them to look good. Partly out of personal pride in my work, of course, but also because I want people to see that this is quality terrain - that Mantic have made a good product. So here's my guide to getting my tiles looking good quickly, as well as some optional 'effects' stuff you can do on top of the paint job to really get it looking cool.<br />
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To start with, I sorted my tiles into two piles: one for wall pieces, barricades, and vertical connectors, the other for floor tiles. I am not going to be painting the right angle connectors here. That's partly because most of them will be invisible once the tiles are clipped together, and partly because the ones you can see won't be coloured that differently to the tiles anyway. This is a speed run. But if you want to spend hours painting all the clips, go for it ;)<br />
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Next, I blu-tacked the tiles onto sheets of cardboard. Note I only have a dozen or so tiles on each sheet. This is because this was the test run to check the colours ad techniques all worked and looked good. But you save more time the more tiles you stick up each time, so I'll be doing twice as many tiles at a time in future.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNwA2ltwSWXQEgOlCALIHIp_feo_G0x6kbsp7xjI597sCg6ile5Z7UclqpXnx5I-lJvOnntDnyTMebMBlGa-4IiL4d8sdZlJGuihgSXyNTEhxLhY-ZXCQgypIF_bESSwz8Hdy_CQ0Xhh7W/s1600/20131205_143232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Deadzone terrain tiles weathering painting guide" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNwA2ltwSWXQEgOlCALIHIp_feo_G0x6kbsp7xjI597sCg6ile5Z7UclqpXnx5I-lJvOnntDnyTMebMBlGa-4IiL4d8sdZlJGuihgSXyNTEhxLhY-ZXCQgypIF_bESSwz8Hdy_CQ0Xhh7W/s320/20131205_143232.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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Its important to keep the vertical sections all aligned the same way. So the top of every wall is at the top of the card sheet, the bottom of every wall is at the sheet's bottom. It doesn't matter which way you line up the floor tiles.<br />
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Once the sheet is full, I took them out to the garden and primed them black. Most of the time I tell people it really doesn't matter what colour primer you use. But here, its important to use black. Any black - GW, Army Painter (which I use), or Halfords. But Black.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLX8vOwLyHupN8zs2v-J1m5MA5hS7A28o5cKLOtUdWPj442-PfZ2TYqj1PN5v2w42_DIbX1sF0-lOMi92ji6TywG7cDUDyBO8-s_N4PGWB0ivLwMgepPai1pGGERDg3t27p_PDxCV9uB3/s1600/20131205_143546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Deadzone terrain tiles weathering painting guide" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLX8vOwLyHupN8zs2v-J1m5MA5hS7A28o5cKLOtUdWPj442-PfZ2TYqj1PN5v2w42_DIbX1sF0-lOMi92ji6TywG7cDUDyBO8-s_N4PGWB0ivLwMgepPai1pGGERDg3t27p_PDxCV9uB3/s320/20131205_143546.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check those corners</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As you do this side of the tiles, its important to make sure both sides of the bevelled edges and all the insides of windows and viewports are well covered. Thats because later, when you come to paint the <i>other </i>side, you don't want to be blowing paint back onto this finished side. So be thorough. Get the edges and sides.<br />
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When the primer is dry, I sprayed the tiles with Humbrol Acrylic Sea Grey. This is a dark grey, almost black.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0QKdh8yinJpDmE9wBtYfwrV49tP93vvjeYLn8tpjWnl5E4MHHU50K_QjOeo5ieEgh4NfQsu_SF10YCj1UikPw8oBlf7f65MLDI4mKEj_iAO8czfUOTeNWG13_uXT8xaeWtx04kgMLazq/s1600/20131205_143934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Deadzone terrain tiles weathering painting guide" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0QKdh8yinJpDmE9wBtYfwrV49tP93vvjeYLn8tpjWnl5E4MHHU50K_QjOeo5ieEgh4NfQsu_SF10YCj1UikPw8oBlf7f65MLDI4mKEj_iAO8czfUOTeNWG13_uXT8xaeWtx04kgMLazq/s320/20131205_143934.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A slightly uneven paint job will give your tiles 'character'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A smooth finish is not vital here - you can afford to be a little patchy. This may be counter-intuitive. You're always told that you need to get smooth layers of paint on models. But this is large scale terrain and a little variation in tone and texture is normal and natural and will make your tiles look better and more realistic when you're all done. I'm not saying leave parts of the tiles blank or to skimp on the paint. Just that you don't need to plaster the plastic trying to make every square millimeter of the thing a flat matte uniform shade. <br />
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I also spray the paint down onto the tiles. I don't mean just holding the can above the tiles, but firing it from the direction that is at the 'top' of each tile. This is most easily done by holding the sheet of card with my hand at the top of the sheet, and then spraying away. What this does is put a bit less paint on the bottom of any raised surfaces on the tiles. Doing it this way you get a 'drop-shadow' effect. It means you have shaded the tile without even trying and this is why you needed to make sure all the tiles were lined up the same way and primed with black paint. Again, this effect will be helped by not blasting every tile with paint until it squeals for air.<br />
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<i>Note: this effect is probably easier to achieve with an airbrush than a spray can. But speed is more important right now.</i><br />
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So now we have a sheet or sheets of tiles, all primed, and all base-coated. Now its time to apply the main colour.<br />
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At this point I switch to the airbrush.<br />
<br />
I would guess that at least one person reading this now is thinking<i> 'airbrushes are expensive'</i> or <i>'airbrushes are for expert painters' </i>or something like that. Let me assure you, neither of those statements are correct.<br />
<br />
My airbrush is really basic. It was a cheapo ebay purchase -
£75, I think, for two (!) brushes and a compressor. For that I got a
half-decent compressor and two basic airbrushes. It literally pumps air
through the brushes and forces paint to go along too and thats it. No fancy gizmos,
no variable apertures or trigger resistances. It is one step up from
what I would recommend anyone unable to get what I did - a GW spraygun. I
think these are around £15 now and you'll need a can of compressed air
too. Either of these systems will do for this, giving you the ability to spray much finer layers than a can and much smoother, more even layers than a brush. <br />
<br />
Now its time to talk about the coolest part of the process - salt masking. Salt masking is using chunks of salt to mask areas of your model so they don't get any paint on them in the next layer. Its a fantastic technique to simulate wear and tear on painted surfaces.
There are other ways to do it
but salt-masking is the coolest. It looks like cookery but feels like magic when you do it right.<br />
<br />
You will need:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>salt, proper rocky or crystallised salt, the sort that goes in a grinder, not table salt. I use Waitrose Coarse Sea Salt Crystals.</li>
<li>hairspray. Get the cheapest stuff you can find. I use Tesco Value. </li>
</ul>
You then take one of your sheets of tiles and spray the <i>bejeezus </i>out of it with the hairspray. I highly recommend doing this in a well ventilated room and possibly with a filter mask on. You want the hairspray to be a liquid layer on your tiles. While it is still wet, sprinkle on the salt. All over is good, particularly on the edges of raised areas, corners, and the edges of the tiles. Anywhere that looks like it might get knocked about as that tile holds up a building or gets walked over. Then you let it dry.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7a1UzJZMmyJgUXTt_vRYf8y020qQKmzmIsWV5n1d0Jg3Hl9WAcxwTrBdXv7xZcewSDdnhSd4oHOGx2Y3nFAWZkyU04OyRa-7nU51J4bk5fOnj1DEfg-LGnq_WDaE6FZBB2QqU57Xs0eaO/s1600/20131205_160858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Deadzone terrain tiles weathering painting guide" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7a1UzJZMmyJgUXTt_vRYf8y020qQKmzmIsWV5n1d0Jg3Hl9WAcxwTrBdXv7xZcewSDdnhSd4oHOGx2Y3nFAWZkyU04OyRa-7nU51J4bk5fOnj1DEfg-LGnq_WDaE6FZBB2QqU57Xs0eaO/s320/20131205_160858.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready salted.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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When it is, load up your airbrush or spray gun with the main colour for the tile. I used Vallejo Model Air Pale Grey Blue as it seemed like a nice match to the Deadzone mats.<br />
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In theory Model Air paints don't need any diluting. In practice I found the Grey to be a little thick, so I did cut it with a tiny bit of Tamiya Thinners. You want a fairly even coat here, but as with the previous step, a little patchiness is quite acceptable. Take note, some of the salt will probably fall off here, so make sure you're painting on a surface you can collect it from easily afterwards. As with the base coat, spray the wall tiles from their top side to accentuate that drop shadow effect.<br />
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Once this layer has dried, you will need a pot of warm or hot water and some cotton wool. Dip the wool in the water and use it to wipe off the salt crystals from the tiles. Now check out that magic! Say to yourself, <i>'Boy, can I paint!'</i>. It doesn't matter if you scratch the paint as you go, or find slightly thicker areas where the light grey paint peels or rubs off. The more damage you do to it the better really.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO6hQ1CRKcKDA355diwy3uYUn1OSL3xz0hAKYnhr7R8dTsO6ECWQ-1983iwINWKu55nlHtO9ztnHT0IYJz0b74fLx4PE2b5ZhggmBDMaA10C7Uj2QHNWwe32jcfPqIq7m2GtmSbBH7w7Uw/s1600/20131205_193623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Deadzone terrain tiles weathering painting guide" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO6hQ1CRKcKDA355diwy3uYUn1OSL3xz0hAKYnhr7R8dTsO6ECWQ-1983iwINWKu55nlHtO9ztnHT0IYJz0b74fLx4PE2b5ZhggmBDMaA10C7Uj2QHNWwe32jcfPqIq7m2GtmSbBH7w7Uw/s320/20131205_193623.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boy, can I take photo's.</td></tr>
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So, you should now have a set of tiles that look like they've been through some wars. At this point you could just stick that stuff out on the table and enjoy playing with it. <br />
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<i>But </i>all that grey can be a bit overpowering though and make a table look a bit washed out. Don't get me wrong - a collection of salt masked tiles put together will make some impressive looking scenery people will love playing on. But for a little extra 'pop' I added some accent colour and used the salt mask technique again.<br />
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For my first batch of tiles I chose Vallejo's Game Colour Gold Yellow. At first glance this seems like a really strong colour. But you have to bear in mind the cold/hot colour model. That is, if you use lots of 'cold' colours - greys, some blues, some greens, - you can accent it with a contrasting 'hot' colour. In this case I have cold greys everywhere, so I am contrasting it with the warm yellow. Reds would also work, and probably some browns and purples as these also have red pigments in them.<br />
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I used Tamiya's masking tape to protect most of the tiles, then salt-masked the tiles as above before airbrushing on the yellow. Here's how they look when I wash off the salt.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGEUqblnh4g1daw0L2uP9QkLyGHZL20w413cBHUNmBcWU1XGacW8iCOS2xGJMCN0bFLTsnyqHShQpsmj40OSndO291vSNPj-MIfccBFX8BYaBV4AYdezYHCEzN0Hg_rxmB9jJXC_teI6v/s1600/20131207_013903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Deadzone terrain tiles weathering painting guide" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGEUqblnh4g1daw0L2uP9QkLyGHZL20w413cBHUNmBcWU1XGacW8iCOS2xGJMCN0bFLTsnyqHShQpsmj40OSndO291vSNPj-MIfccBFX8BYaBV4AYdezYHCEzN0Hg_rxmB9jJXC_teI6v/s320/20131207_013903.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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You don't need to do this accent step to every single tile. I did it to every one of the first batch just so I wouldn't need to do it again. If you did do it to every tile, well, you'd lose a bit of that individuality and leave your table looking all uniform again. I'll probably do a few more of the barricade tiles, just because it seems to make narrative sense these things would be painted to stand out a bit. But not every single wall and every single door needs to be marked out the same. <br />
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Note I only did this on the vertical tiles too. For the floors I did a quick wash with GW's Steel Legion Drab and dabbed it all over the tiles. Steel Legion is great for a generic 'dusty' look and here's how the dried tiles look.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRP3_QACOhfmq9xLZ3J2yBMUnHfzRwMQAVlFHY-ZFQRmRALCIwx0JpQQdrodxvdyYZ1hPl5tehuxHQC8U0Acdo2an7DPRdh_XwWf7kBVt7fjsrCioBihMlJR0jfgH5m-uqIc_qs8dcQz_9/s1600/20131208_151300%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Deadzone terrain tiles weathering painting guide" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRP3_QACOhfmq9xLZ3J2yBMUnHfzRwMQAVlFHY-ZFQRmRALCIwx0JpQQdrodxvdyYZ1hPl5tehuxHQC8U0Acdo2an7DPRdh_XwWf7kBVt7fjsrCioBihMlJR0jfgH5m-uqIc_qs8dcQz_9/s320/20131208_151300%5B1%5D.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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Its probably a good idea to give the tiles a coat of varnish at this point and I used Army Painter's Matt Varnish. These things are going to get a lot of wear and tear as they get put together, played on, and taken apart again.<br />
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The next step should be obvious: take the tiles off the board, turn them round, and do it all again to the other side. I might not even bother doing the floor tiles again though. One side is all you're ever likely to really see and that's done.<br />
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Take care when spraying paint on this second side though. Don't forget you have already painted the first side and you don't want paint creeping under the tile and ruining your paint job. A little stray paint won't hurt, just don't spray the tiles from extreme angles. <br />
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The most time consuming part of this whole process then is tacking the tiles onto the cardboard. Spraying the first two coats takes maybe five minutes. Spraying on hairspray and sprinkling on salt takes a bit longer, particularly as you have to wait for the hairspray to dry. Masking up areas for the accent colours is a little time consuming. But if you do a big enough sheet of tiles you only need to do it once. Get big tape. All in all, it is quite possible to paint scores of tiles, on at least one side, in an afternoon.<br />
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<i>edit:for those put off by airbrushing or salt masking go <a href="http://whiteswolves.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/deadzone-terrain-even-speedier-painting.html">here for a guide to similar technique</a> that uses neither. </i><br />
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Hopefully then, this guide has been useful to someone and I'm always open to questions or ideas for other ways to do things so feel free to leave a comment and, if you liked the guide, please click on the ad at the top right :) And check out my guide to weathering your tiles <a href="http://whiteswolves.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/deadzone-terrain-weathering.html">here</a>.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-20967673298679078952013-12-05T02:31:00.000-08:002013-12-10T15:04:25.250-08:00Deadzone Mercs and Wrath GuideMercs are the fifth, or maybe seventh, faction in Deadzone, depending on how you view production schedules. Whatever, they are a great little collection of models and come in their own confusing baggie of limbs, guns, and 'bits' for Kickstarters to pore over.<br />
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The good news is <i>most </i>of them are actually pretty straightforward to put together and are only two or three pieces. For those guys, please check out the gallery below to help you decide which arm or head goes with which body.<br />
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A few notes:<br />
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<ul>
<li> thorough clean up before gluing is highly recommended. There are one or two tabs that need to be filed down to their exact intended shape or they just won't go in right.</li>
<li>make sure you put the bladed arm on Blaine and the silenced rifle on the Pathfinder. Blaine's fist weapon looks kinda Enforcery and it will go onto the Pathfinder's body. </li>
<li>Freya's arms didn't even need glue on my model, the fit is that tight. I pushed the arms on almost vertically over her head before rotating the pegs down into the sockets.</li>
<li>take care with Oberon's toes (easy to clip off) and the Pathfinder's combat knife (easy to snap off)</li>
</ul>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dR37SubAsa4/UqBPOb3_NjI/AAAAAAAADzo/uWPjtXjypfM/s1600/20131205_091016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dR37SubAsa4/UqBPOb3_NjI/AAAAAAAADzo/uWPjtXjypfM/s320/20131205_091016.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nastanza -backpack goes with smooth pointy end up.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c8Jt3Cl92IU/UqBPOOsLSEI/AAAAAAAADzs/zQdIcXMDTf4/s1600/20131205_091039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c8Jt3Cl92IU/UqBPOOsLSEI/AAAAAAAADzs/zQdIcXMDTf4/s320/20131205_091039.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simmonds - reaching right arm.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S_cWfJoyRTA/UqBPOxjfgaI/AAAAAAAADz0/M1_9dRKjP88/s1600/20131205_091110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S_cWfJoyRTA/UqBPOxjfgaI/AAAAAAAADz0/M1_9dRKjP88/s320/20131205_091110.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freya - no glue necessary.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-62bfIIr0AsY/UqBPPfwYWJI/AAAAAAAAD0M/ZNWK3dS8Z_Q/s1600/20131205_091125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-62bfIIr0AsY/UqBPPfwYWJI/AAAAAAAAD0M/ZNWK3dS8Z_Q/s320/20131205_091125.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blaine. 'nuff said.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FhOlwtUAK_0/UqBPPaVaL7I/AAAAAAAAD0A/WpkhOFtP38Q/s1600/20131205_091145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FhOlwtUAK_0/UqBPPaVaL7I/AAAAAAAAD0A/WpkhOFtP38Q/s320/20131205_091145.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Survivor - backpack has shaped tab to ensure right way up</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1rSBzGS6130/UqBPPlRAPxI/AAAAAAAAD0I/VHWPhVmd6rY/s1600/20131205_091207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1rSBzGS6130/UqBPPlRAPxI/AAAAAAAAD0I/VHWPhVmd6rY/s320/20131205_091207.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pathfinder and Drone</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FIzReT7x9BA/UqBPQHVF_oI/AAAAAAAAD0Y/TAjEZOJy6A8/s1600/20131205_091226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FIzReT7x9BA/UqBPQHVF_oI/AAAAAAAAD0Y/TAjEZOJy6A8/s320/20131205_091226.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oberon - no glue needed, but some hot water for reshaping is.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rg58vz6KS_8/UqBPQeU00yI/AAAAAAAAD0k/qINxjz96-Ig/s1600/20131205_091239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rg58vz6KS_8/UqBPQeU00yI/AAAAAAAAD0k/qINxjz96-Ig/s320/20131205_091239.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wrath - hardest model in the bag to put together.</td></tr>
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All of which brings us to Wrath, my favourite model from the Kickstarter fluff and least favourite from the bag.<br />
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For a start, he comes in seven parts: a body, two arms, two kasaya straps, his cloak, and his sword. Then you can add that these parts all have tabs, but they aren't all the right shape. Then add onto all that Mantic's infuriating habit of putting the tabs next to the holes in the molds where the plastic goes in, so when the model comes out you have to trim it down and try to figure out what shape the tab is <i>supposed </i>to be and what is flash. Honestly, that, and putting mold lines right down the middle of faces with tiny tiny details, is the worst thing about Mantic's Deadzone minis.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jv-f23Uk2vk/UqBTrkezqSI/AAAAAAAAD1U/0JvAdceAcgU/s1600/20131204_201924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jv-f23Uk2vk/UqBTrkezqSI/AAAAAAAAD1U/0JvAdceAcgU/s320/20131204_201924.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anyway. Once you've got all those parts sorted, here's how I recommend you put them together.<br />
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1. Put the kasaya strap with a small tab at one end and a larger rectangular tab near the other on Wrath's left shoulder (the top one in the picture above). The rectangular tab goes into a socket just above his groin. You'll see on Wrath's shoulders a roughly triangular arrangement of holes - the kasya tabs go in the front and lower holes. Put the other kasaya strap on his right shoulder. I did my arms first, which made putting the straps on a lot harder.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_bU1K9_xUSs/UqBTtbI5d1I/AAAAAAAAD10/2ajUySFk6d0/s1600/20131204_202715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_bU1K9_xUSs/UqBTtbI5d1I/AAAAAAAAD10/2ajUySFk6d0/s320/20131204_202715.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
2. Put the arms on. Long rifle on the left side, bottom and rear hole, pistol on the other side.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zk9oQcV7WiM/UqBTsHGKwEI/AAAAAAAAD1c/jYTcgGvzV8g/s1600/20131204_202221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zk9oQcV7WiM/UqBTsHGKwEI/AAAAAAAAD1c/jYTcgGvzV8g/s320/20131204_202221.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That deep hole in his right shoulder is for the cape.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_XdiV_dW2MQ/UqBTt27RusI/AAAAAAAAD18/eUy-ZngBrio/s1600/20131204_203218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_XdiV_dW2MQ/UqBTt27RusI/AAAAAAAAD18/eUy-ZngBrio/s320/20131204_203218.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And there's the one for the left shoulder.</td></tr>
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3. Put the cloak on. You'll see a fairly deep and long slot on the top of each of his shoulders. This is where the cloak is designed to fit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pSXs2m4La7Y/UqBPQkXeCpI/AAAAAAAAD0g/uVU9I2-G--U/s1600/20131205_091252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pSXs2m4La7Y/UqBPQkXeCpI/AAAAAAAAD0g/uVU9I2-G--U/s320/20131205_091252.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mind you, he is crazy. Maybe it makes sense to him.</td></tr>
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4. Stick his sword on. Once again a little hot water will do wonders here if yours is as bent as mine. I couldn't tell for certain from the KS pictures where this was supposed to go, but there is a small hole in the top left surface of the cloak that appears to match a little tab on the sword's scabbard, so thats where I put mine. It looks awkward as anything, but unfortunately I think this just means its not a great sculpt.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-102UfrIqID8/UqBPQ4cUXgI/AAAAAAAAD0s/tSJ2qhFXiGw/s1600/20131205_091300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-102UfrIqID8/UqBPQ4cUXgI/AAAAAAAAD0s/tSJ2qhFXiGw/s320/20131205_091300.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He took it off a dead member of the Council of Seven, who's going to tell him it looks silly?</td></tr>
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As always, feel free to ask me any questions if you're having trouble with any of your Deadzone Mercs and, if you like the guide, please click on the ad at the top. Or if you know a better place to put that sword ;) Personally, I feel some repositioning and greenstuffing coming on.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-88221886113422652332013-12-05T01:32:00.000-08:002013-12-05T01:32:14.601-08:00Tervigon - Now with Added Slime!I have a few health issues and, when I'm feeling particularly low, I just need a big monster to build and paint to pick me up. So, here's a Tervigon from GW. I used the new<a href="http://www.waylandgames.co.uk/games-workshop/hobby-items/citadel-paints/citadel-special-effects-paints/nurgles-rot/prod_23403.html"> Nurgle's Rot</a> paint to make the burtsing birth sac look particularly vile.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
I would highly recommend anyone else building one of these things paint the sub assemblies before gluing. A combination of feathering, washes, basic edge highlighting, and, of course, the slime paint, make it really easy to put the wrong paint in an area you already finished. If I did it again, I'd paint the birth sac seperately at least, then glue it on to the finished body.<br />
<br />
I'm very happy with how this beastie came out. I really like the colour scheme and I think a whole army in these colours would be incredibly striking on a tabletop. Sadly, thanks to GW's crazy pricing, I won't be starting another 40k force in the foreseeable future which means this model is probably going to ebay :(<br />
<br />
Once I've finished the rim of the base, that is. Man, I do get bored quickly!<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-37132401846363017252013-12-02T07:51:00.002-08:002014-01-29T11:36:20.294-08:00Ripper Suits!In thirty-odd years of wargaming I've never been a fan of orcs. In
traditional fantasy they've always been bad guys. Usually they are
technologically inept, basic brutes who stumble from one fight to
another. Sometimes they're comedy relief - portrayed as being as lucky
just to point their weapons the wrong way. So I was surprised to find
myself really liking the concepts and sculpts for the Marauders during
the Deadzone Kickstarter.<br />
<br />
The models are of course out
now and I'm actually starting to think they may be my favourite faction
of them all. I can see myself collecting an army if they all look as
cool as these.<br />
<br />
My favourites within the favourites has
to be the Ripper suits. These are the ultimate one-Orx heavy weapons
team. An already hard as steel and just-above-psychotic genetic
monstrosity strapped into a powered exo-suit with every weapon available
strapped on top of that - whats not to like?<br />
<br />
The resin
kit is great. But you get two models in a bag, plus some goblins, and
all the weapon options so it can be a confusing pile of parts to sort
out. So here's a quick guide to what's what and where it all goes. <br />
<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZNbOagK17tc/Upyl_ABP4XI/AAAAAAAADwQ/Qr9bhkQD-54/s1600/20131201_213243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="deadzone ripper suits pieces" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZNbOagK17tc/Upyl_ABP4XI/AAAAAAAADwQ/Qr9bhkQD-54/s320/20131201_213243.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I've
laid out all the Ripper suit pieces here. I didn't put the goblin heads
out because its kind of obvious what they are and they slot straight
into their bodies anyway. But you should be able to see, on the left of
the picture, two arms, a two-piece weapon, a chainsaw, a las-weapon, and
a grenade launcher. Then, in the middle, are three head options, a
radar/scanner dish, and a missile launcher. Finally, on the right, two
more arms, a multi-barrelled weapon, a close-combat weapon, a small rocket launcher, and two ammo
belts.<br />
<br />
It doesn't matter which body you put which
weapon or head or arm on - they are all interchangeable. Most of the
weapons are too but the gatling gun does, I think, need to go on a left
arm. This is largely because the attached flame-thrower would look a bit silly
on the 'inside' of a limb. If we can say anything on a 10ft tall orx
with this many weapons systems attached looks silly, that is.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B4GBoEOTjF4/UpymA0sXp2I/AAAAAAAADww/yrowIwcAKIs/s1600/20131201_221303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Deadzon Ripper suits" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B4GBoEOTjF4/UpymA0sXp2I/AAAAAAAADww/yrowIwcAKIs/s320/20131201_221303.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Edit: after gluing all my models together, I finally got round to opening the packs of cards and looking at building lists. It turns out I messed up a bit here. While the weapon systems are all interchangeable on the models, in the cards there are two distinct builds for Ripper suits. One is the clos-combat oriented Mauler, the other the more shooty Rainmaker. The two piece weapon I tend to refer to as a missile launcher is actually a Ram and should be paired with a Buzzsaw - I believe you can use either of the two saw-type weapons to represent it and make a Mauler. The las-cannon, or HEW Beamer as it should be known, should be paired with the rotary cannon. This makes the Rainmaker. The addon components are all more or less still interchangeable, although the back mounted launcher should also go on the Rainmaker.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Here's
how the models look with heads, arms, and major weapons attached. The
two-part missile-launcher thingy was the only one that was a little
problematic at this point. It has a guide stud on one part to help align
the pieces when gluing. The female receptor on the weapon head was not
really drilled out deep enough on mine though. Even though I bored it out a
little, I still didn't get a good fit and so my weapon is now a little
wonky. My own fault though for not being thorough and I'll be fixing it
before painting.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YUotp2SUq34/UpymDmCg0LI/AAAAAAAADxg/CxYEXKQkhW4/s1600/20131201_222711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YUotp2SUq34/UpymDmCg0LI/AAAAAAAADxg/CxYEXKQkhW4/s320/20131201_222711.jpg" height="240" width="320" /> </a></div>
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The trickiest part of the whole kit
was the ammo belt for the gatling gun. For a start, you get two of them,
in different lengths. So you need to figure out which one to use. Now,
there are a couple of possible reasons for this. One is that each one is
intended for use when mounting the gun on a different side of the body.
The second, more likely one, is they are both for the left arm, but you
get two different left arms of differing length, so you need different
length ammo feeds. Whatever the truth of it is, if you mount the gun on
the bent left arm, like I did, you need the longer ammo belt.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sONWoaxuBqA/UpymCSDP7GI/AAAAAAAADxQ/YXq3QmcYmsg/s1600/20131201_222700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sONWoaxuBqA/UpymCSDP7GI/AAAAAAAADxQ/YXq3QmcYmsg/s320/20131201_222700.jpg" height="240" width="320" /> </a></div>
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Moving on to the extras, you get some cool stuff, but only one of each piece. I would have liked more, but then perhaps the suits wouldn't be as cool or individual if every suit had every upgrade on it.</div>
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Each suit has two holes in the top of the chest plate, about level with the orx's head - the scanner dish will fit in any of them. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xpOCShS2fyQ/UpymBHI1KJI/AAAAAAAADw4/fBLQoL_GceY/s1600/20131201_222159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xpOCShS2fyQ/UpymBHI1KJI/AAAAAAAADw4/fBLQoL_GceY/s320/20131201_222159.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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It looks like the top-mounted rocket-launcher is also intended for use on either suit. Perhaps I got a bad cast, but ti didn't feel like it fitted perfectly on either suit. It looks like there are guides and slots in the sculpt, but none of them seemed to make the part go on just right. I ended up picking the one that seemed best. </div>
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The shoulder-mounted rockets do have well-sculpted guide rails though. You should be able to see crenelations on the underside of the piece that fir into the zig-zags on either suit's left shoulder.</div>
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The small grenade launcher for the right side also has a guide hole bored into it and it fits onto a vambrace, or wrist armour. I seem to have managed to forget to take a picture of that though, so take my word for it ;)</div>
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Once all is done and dried though, you should have two very cool and mean looking Marauders, as well as a spare head, ammo belt, and chainsaw.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hiaBFtmFljU/UpyrFGAWGSI/AAAAAAAADyE/BdRHJWQ7cI8/s1600/20131202_145500%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hiaBFtmFljU/UpyrFGAWGSI/AAAAAAAADyE/BdRHJWQ7cI8/s320/20131202_145500%5B1%5D.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I had no major issues putting these models together. Mold lines were pretty minimal too. Mantic seems to have made a habit of casting the two halves of the Orx heads right down the middle in Deadzone though, and both heads did need a little bit of slightly tricky scraping here.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VnY06y_pSzM/UpyrJwiE6-I/AAAAAAAADyM/FCf8ukqUzbU/s1600/20131202_145517%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VnY06y_pSzM/UpyrJwiE6-I/AAAAAAAADyM/FCf8ukqUzbU/s320/20131202_145517%5B1%5D.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kqVG5VOHM4U/UpymD4gV4iI/AAAAAAAADxw/_kzvFp_DBns/s1600/20131201_223600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5u_-sToIOe0/UpymAhuVfNI/AAAAAAAADwo/C791BHVHPQk/s1600/20131201_222143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
The detail on the models is fantastic though. If you look closely you might be able to see the models' knuckles! And, just in case all this isn't enough to make you want a collection of Marauders too, here are some bonus pictures of Chief Radgard, a Marauder character funded through the Kickstarter and now almost completely sculpted.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u7InYal0AMs/UpysFvwEP8I/AAAAAAAADyU/vo9TWycwSDQ/s1600/20131130_121719%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u7InYal0AMs/UpysFvwEP8I/AAAAAAAADyU/vo9TWycwSDQ/s320/20131130_121719%5B1%5D.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm painting mine like he's snapped a broom in half and put the end on his head :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-2890751977090928522013-12-01T11:06:00.000-08:002013-12-01T11:06:27.663-08:00Today I have mostly been playing with the Landing Pad and Fortifications Battlezones from Mantic. The potential for these kits is absolutely fantastic. Their execution is not quite so brilliant though.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fl2lizPsx50/UpuAYI-d6fI/AAAAAAAADvA/HuxOTuHQ9bY/s1600/20131201_121917%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fl2lizPsx50/UpuAYI-d6fI/AAAAAAAADvA/HuxOTuHQ9bY/s320/20131201_121917%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a>First off, the Landing Pad. I started off building this in the square pattern shown in the Kickstarter. On my first go I used the flat connectors all over the pad to get the sturdiest construction possible. This did work. But, it was only when I came to put the support pillars on, these also having connectors on each end, that I realised the potential drawback of a belt and bracers approach.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fwBHmop9zts/UpuASOLy_SI/AAAAAAAADu4/mu6zYCMaYfA/s1600/20131201_121929%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fwBHmop9zts/UpuASOLy_SI/AAAAAAAADu4/mu6zYCMaYfA/s320/20131201_121929%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a>That is, if you connect the top surface all over and then connect the bottom surface with the pillars it can be difficult to remove them without prising. Prising is the enemy of the Mantic connectors, you really need to push them out with a pin or dowel of some sort. So I ended up gingerly removing a lot of the pillars again, before popping out the flatties on the top, and replacing the pillars.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EuV3h5Su7nE/UpuAMFM2sGI/AAAAAAAADuw/o1I8Eritb78/s1600/20131201_144754%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EuV3h5Su7nE/UpuAMFM2sGI/AAAAAAAADuw/o1I8Eritb78/s320/20131201_144754%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
As you can see, you can make a very nice looking landing pad. But, here's where it gets really cool: you still have a bunch of stuff left over on the sprues that, unlike a certain other game company's kit, is still useful. After building the square pad you will still have four square floor sections and half a dozen triangular ones too. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_I5SwD1LU1Q/UpuAHbCPI9I/AAAAAAAADuo/xixyk2kCPyM/s1600/20131201_150353%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_I5SwD1LU1Q/UpuAHbCPI9I/AAAAAAAADuo/xixyk2kCPyM/s320/20131201_150353%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
So I built an extension :) using all the floor tiles, the main body of the pad is just a foot long by 9" wide!<br />
<br />
Note that none of the pictures I have shown so far include all the parts on the main sprues or any of the accessories. you can, for example, put a skirt all around the landing pad, not just on the corners like I did. You get a laser cannon or radar dish in this kit too, which can also be put anywhere. There's a whole accessories sprue with loads of crates, and barrels, a ladder, and a cool looking elevated light that doubles as a connector for wall sections too.<br />
<br />
The main sprues come with several sections of stairs as well. These are the weakest part of the kit though, at least as far as I can tell. I'm just not sure how they are supposed to actually connect to the landing pad. There seems to be a half-hearted attempt at putting connector slots at the top, but I haven't found anything they will actually clip on to yet. They are supposed to join to each other as well, so you can have double or triple width stairs. But the sockets are too small for the pegs. So unless I've missed something, these are not so useful.<br />
<br />
Still, check out that pad! I can totally see Stormraven's landing on the larger one. Perhaps the smaller one gives us an idea of the kind of size of kit Mantic are working on too.<br />
<br />
Next up is the Fortifications zone. This is a funny one.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_AzH0mKabJI/Upt_5tm_RKI/AAAAAAAADuY/RPeK8Lpgc3s/s1600/20131201_180440%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_AzH0mKabJI/Upt_5tm_RKI/AAAAAAAADuY/RPeK8Lpgc3s/s320/20131201_180440%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I thought at first the thick pillar sections were supposed to join the fortified walls together. But they just don't. I couldn't understand how Mantic could tool something so badly that they refused to work together at all. Then I realised the pillar connectors are actually intended to connect Core Worlds walls together >< Used on those thinner tiles they work just fine and look cool. Same with the corner columns. They just won't work with the walls on the sprues they are supplied with, but go great on Core Worlds tiles. In that way, I see the Fortications as augments for the other sections. You'll get the most out of them if you mix them in with the other zones.<br />
<br />
But what happens if you do mix it all up? Well, you can do stuff like this for a start:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MpM8wpdiD2w/UpuACgzCrnI/AAAAAAAADug/pAkxW_XggP8/s1600/20131201_180435%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MpM8wpdiD2w/UpuACgzCrnI/AAAAAAAADug/pAkxW_XggP8/s320/20131201_180435%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Its perhaps not so good for Deadzone, what with it being played on a grid and all. But 40k, or Infinity?<br />
<br />
It reminds me of the Forge engine from Bungie. The ability to mix and match terrain pieces in infinite combinations is fantastic and I am so excited to see what people do with these kits.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lVfsEmt8v7s/UpuEpRFjj1I/AAAAAAAADvU/MZslFidrRxU/s1600/20131201_184844%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lVfsEmt8v7s/UpuEpRFjj1I/AAAAAAAADvU/MZslFidrRxU/s320/20131201_184844%5B1%5D.jpg" width="240" /></a>When Forge came out, a map editor for a console multiplayer, the first ever I think, it blew people away. It has been iterated on a few times since then, growing in both subtlety and complexity. The maps that have been created have likewise become more and more amazing. I really hope we see the imagination of the community go to work on Mantic's kits to produce some similarly amazing boards.<br />
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The pieces I have built and shown so far have just been experiments as I get to know the materials. I'm going to decamp from my tiny office now to the big dining room table to see if I can't build something really cool. I'm thinking a multi-level keep, with gun emplacements and holds and all sorts. Lets see what is possible :)<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-24633065139319046372013-12-01T02:50:00.000-08:002013-12-01T02:50:14.175-08:00Happiness is a Big GunIts impossible not to make the comparison - the Deadzone Defense Line is a fantastic alternative to the Agis Defense Line. It doesn't come with a quad-gun, but it does include an outlandishly large laser cannon. As well as suggesting vehicles and/or aircraft were definitely at least on the drawing board when the DZ Kickstarter was running, it makes a great piece of scenery for your tabletop.<br />
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It is not a complicated kit, but here's a quick guide to its parts and assembly.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a7hPWlLltOs/UpsSNmHWQRI/AAAAAAAADuI/0N00HpASxKw/s1600/20131201_101526%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SwpHZUjMIcY/UpsSDmbKKDI/AAAAAAAADuA/LUJhNhpFS8s/s1600/20131201_101545%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SwpHZUjMIcY/UpsSDmbKKDI/AAAAAAAADuA/LUJhNhpFS8s/s320/20131201_101545%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Five pieces, one gun. you also get a two-part radar dish, but who wants that when you can have a big gun? You will need the piece in the bottom right, the one with the female sockets, and the gun itself for the next step.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vyibm22sVCk/UpsR8fF69wI/AAAAAAAADt4/wZQpaDayT3k/s1600/20131201_101620%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vyibm22sVCk/UpsR8fF69wI/AAAAAAAADt4/wZQpaDayT3k/s320/20131201_101620%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is the correct alignment of the two pieces. If you take the piece in the bottom left from the first picture, you will now find it slides in perfectly from the other side. If you line it up right. The fit on my gun was so good I could have left it at that, but I glued it just to make sure.<br />
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The plinth or mount fits into the square base. It only goes one way due to the shape. There is a sort of male/female peg and slot arrangement between the gun and the top of the plinth. I think it was intended to slide on and, again, not necessarily require glue. The fit on mine was not perfect though so I glued it. I've included a 28mm model for scale. And thats it!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-43239076426197851632013-11-30T13:47:00.001-08:002013-11-30T13:50:27.937-08:00Sprue Peter - Here's Some I Haven't Put Together YetI got back from the Mantic Open Day about an hour ago and I am, to say the least a bit tired. So tired in fact, that I could not make sense of the massive number of sprues I found in my awesomely large Deadzone Kickstarter box. Honestly, I got so much stuff I am grateful it is coming in two shipments. I could not cope with a larger injection of plastic crack at the moment.<br />
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As well as all the starter factions and mercs and whatnot, I also pledged for a large number of playmats and battlezones. Enough to put out a full 6x4 table of the stuff. This means I have literally dozens of sprues to sort and I was having trouble figuring out what sprue belonged to which battlezone and whether or not I had the right number of each.<br />
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I have figured it all out now. So, for your entertainment and edification, and possibly to help you if you're as confused as I was, here's some pics of what you get in a Core Worlds Battlezone, a Fortifications Battlezone, and a Landing Pad Battlezone. I haven't included any pictures of the Accessories or Connectors sprues though as they are pretty obvious.<br />
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Please note all the pics are poor quality as I've been up since 6am and driven for about 8 hours today. So I may get some of the numbers mixed up but you should still be able to make out vague shapes through the gloom. <br />
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1. Core Worlds </h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deadzone Core Worlds Sprues</td></tr>
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For some reason, the<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/485317"> Kickstarter updates </a>refer to a single sprue when describing contents, but the actual delivery split each sprue they designed into two. So, you will get four of the top left sprue, and two of each of the other two (this is the one I may have got the count wrong on - I seem to have an extra set!). You also get a connector sprue and an accessory sprue.<br />
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2. Landing Pad Battlezone</h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grrr, stairs.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/522444">Apparently there was some controversy about this one. </a>It was concepted as being slightly raised, like the helicopter landing pads the military deploys when it builds a base somewhere. I don't know why, but during production it got changed to being raised fairly significantly. So, you now get three each of the top left and bottom right sprues, including the bane of Daleks everywhere - stairs, plus one each of the other two. The two smaller sprues are the Defense Line sprues. These include the massive turbo-laser/AA gun mount, so you can let them land or shoot them down. Whatever you feel like.<br />
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3. Fortifications Battlezone</h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Laser!</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/529561">I really like this one.</a> Partly because I saw some of it put together at the Open Day. You get three each of the top two sprues. At first glance they look the same. But if you look closer you can see some of the flat panels are smaller than their counterparts on the other sprue. This is because they are designed to clip on as extra armour. You also get another Defense Line so now you know if you play me at 40k there will be nowhere your fliers can hide from my Interceptors.<br />
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An Important Note</h3>
I've only been back a couple of hours and I've already seen forum posts where people complain the scenery is crap and Mantic deserve arson. Maybe they got a bad batch, I don't know. But there seems to be a lack of explanation in general of how to use the connectors. I don't know if this has been widely disseminated, but, just in case it hasn't, you need to push the connectors out from underneath. Don't try to prise them out of their sockets with your fingernails. This just puts stress on them, bends them, and stops them being reusable. I saw Ronnie pop them out and reapply them with a drawing pin and, frankly, I think they missed a beat by not adding in a branded pooping tool. I've copyrighted that idea by the way, so don't go stealing it.<br />
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Please do feel free to repost this page though or ask questions or whatever. No comments on my photography or flames of Mantic for not sending your stuff by courier/sending other people's stuff by courier/not sending you the dead birds. I've been awake far too long to be able to stand it ;)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-30297094261922138662013-10-03T07:29:00.000-07:002013-10-03T07:32:19.988-07:00Gamesday 2013 - Less is Less<div>
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<span style="color: white;">The last year has seen its share of controversy for Games Workshop. But while disagreements with fans and the hobby community at large are nothing new to the Nottingham studio, this year's Gamesday illustrated how much aggressive management decisions have damaged the company and perhaps it's relationship with even the most die-hard fans.
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<span style="color: white;">I hadn't realised this year's UK Gamesday was going to be a smaller event than recent shows have been until I spoke to a Forge World customer service rep a couple of weeks ago. I hadn't even noticed it had been moved back to the National Indoor Arena until I rang to pre-order some models. But the sales rep told me they were only selling half as many tickets as they did for sites at the National Exhibition Centre.
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<span style="color: white;">Thinking back on the madness of the last couple of years at the NEC, I thought at first the issue was perhaps one of crowd control. It's just really, really hard to safely move 8000 people around an enclosed space. Even with the great improvements to the retail area they introduced in 2012, Gamesday last year was still a draining experience. In some ways, there was too much to see and do, and it was all spread out over a really big area. Walking from a seminar to a signing to a display game and then back to the store and so on, all through a hot crowd of fellow fans, well, once a year is enough for that much effort over toy soldiers. So perhaps this year was going to be a more intimate affair, I thought as I queued up, early last Sunday morning. More time to examine the models, talk to the designers, and enjoy the displays and participation games.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">But, after visiting every part of the arena, every table and stand and seminar or signing area, and then, barely more than an hour later, sat in the stands and watched hundreds of bored looking punters trudge past on the floor below, I realised thats not why they did it at all.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">GW's corporate strategy has, for several years now, been all about doing the same or more with less. GW is all about 'efficiency' these days. Not 'the hobby', not the fans, not anything else but making a higher profit margin. Even if that means less customers overall, and certainly if that means less staff. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Charybis assault pod, new from Forgeworld</td></tr>
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<span style="color: white;">Hence there were no demo games at this years Gamesday. No store-built display tables or have-a-go scenery areas. No speed-painting or scrap demons. The studio staff were there and there was an area where you could paint a free mini using the digital paint by numbers system GW flogs these days. But you can meet the designers and the writers at several other events throughout the year and all GW stores will give you a free mini and guide you on how to paint it when you are starting the hobby.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">No, this was a bare basics event, one where the licensees literally had as much floor space and quite possibly more actual interaction with customers than GW itself.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrate!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<span style="color: white;">What GW did have was shopping. <a href="http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2013/06/legalwatch-games-workshop-vs_10.html">Alan Merrett recently testified in front of a US Court that GW's customers' favourite activity at Gamesday was 'buying things from Games Workshop'. </a>Perhaps this was why fully two thirds of the main show floor was dedicated to sales. In the picture above, the sales area is to the left. This line of red shirts clustered in a line to the right of the shot is the line of sales tills that stretched across the hall. The little collection of tables and stands beyond it is the display and studio area.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mcfBy4CrSSw/Uk17kDDaXbI/AAAAAAAADio/ruE4rz4mdIQ/s1600/20130929_104516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mcfBy4CrSSw/Uk17kDDaXbI/AAAAAAAADio/ruE4rz4mdIQ/s320/20130929_104516.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are some happy people, happily doing their favourite hobby activity.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: white;">As a metaphor for how GW feels about its business, its customers, and the hobby in general, you can't get much better than this. Sales, sales, sales. The company could just about scrape together enough staff for a massive retail operation. But beyond that - not so much. Gamesday used to be a chaotic but fun celebration of the hobby, the biggest company in the market, its fantastic IP's, and the people that make and play it. Just like the stores. This year though, its a stripped down experience. No fun, no joy, just money.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Forge World at least had a strong show. Funny how the 'niche' studio seems so much stronger than the parent organisation. Lots of new models, great displays, entertaining seminars. This part of the business truly does do more with less. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wPQa3B9Cvzo/Uk17e1xPtSI/AAAAAAAADig/kR1kNRzJj5Q/s1600/20130929_101016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wPQa3B9Cvzo/Uk17e1xPtSI/AAAAAAAADig/kR1kNRzJj5Q/s320/20130929_101016.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Forgeworld table is designed to represent the layout of Gamesday. Dark, cramped, crowded...</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="color: white;">I was disappointed by Gamesday 2013. But I have been disappointed by GW for a while now so I'm used to it. I feel worse for friends from my local club though who went this year to their first ever Gamesday and came home bruised and annoyed. They had heard the stories of Gamesdays past and were expecting to be blown away. Instead many of them came away discouraged and frankly angry at a waste of time and money. And these are people who still love GW.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least Forgeworld put a little effort into it.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: white;">There was in fact very little to differentiate this affair to the studio open days and Black Library events that are run at Warhammer World. It really comes down to Golden Demon, the longtime premier painting competition everyone wants to win. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Its a prestigious award and some truly amazing art is produced there each year. The display cabinets still had their own area, its just it was in the basement, four flights of stairs from the main hall, cramped, and badly lit. The Armies on Parade competition being squeezed into the same space didn't help, but if I were a top flight painter, busting my ass over a year to get something put together flawlessly and beautifully, only to find it displayed in a narrow badminton court hidden away at the bottom of a lift shaft.... I might start thinking the sheen of the thing was wearing a little thin.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Not a great show then but perhaps just another way for GW to alienate and disappoint its customers.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-77540203062583926402013-06-03T06:57:00.001-07:002013-06-03T06:57:25.851-07:00Forge World's Eldar Lynx PaintedTime for a few shots of the painted Lynx and a quick summary of how it played in Apocalypse at the weekend.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lDy8lP3xwf8/Uaxymj-WuPI/AAAAAAAADEY/O3CrBwN4Y8U/s1600/20130430_114144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lDy8lP3xwf8/Uaxymj-WuPI/AAAAAAAADEY/O3CrBwN4Y8U/s320/20130430_114144.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I wanted a predominantly white paint job for this Biel Tan tank. After priming, I sprayed an even coat of Astronomicon Grey all over, then preshaded the recessed areas and bases of plates and surfaces with Regal Blue and pre-highlighted with pure white on raised areas and edges. I then covered this with a further basecoat of Astronomicon Grey, then built up the white by adding Skull White into the mix in several layers. Even though my airbrush is extremely basic, it is possible, particularly on such a large model as this, to get some good gradation from dark areas to light, and some strong edge highlights.<br />
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The white worked out so well, I was then left with a bit of a dilemma - as this is Biel Tan, I need to add some green, but how to do that without covering up all the work I had donepre-shading and -highlighting? I went with the panels you can see and the vanes in green and most of the gem shapes in red.<br />
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Adding some vines helps break up the large white areas a bit more, but the tank still looks overly pale and is not super-interesting to look at. I think I need to change the colours on the weapon assemblies; my first thought it to make them black to break up the space between the two forks, but a friend suggested making them green, or even just making the tip of the pulsar green. I might have to play around with a photo editor before making up my mind.<br />
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As for fighting, well this thing was great in a 6k a side game last weekend. As my side was going second I had to keep the Lynx in reserve to make sure I got the Titan Holofield save when it came on. It went toe-to-toe with a Baneblade and won :) The Lynx costs more than the Imperial tank and has one less Structure Point, but its destroyer weapon and Holofields meant it destroyed the Baneblade with two shots, survived all the return fire <i>and </i>Blood Angels <i>and </i>their Stormraven shooting it at point-blank range with meltas from the rear. <br />
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If you're looking for Eldar Apocalypse on a budget, the Lynx is a great investment. Serious firepower and survivability make it a threat to any enemy :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-38889361581063912762013-06-03T06:42:00.000-07:002013-06-03T06:43:29.335-07:00Forge World's Eldar Lynx Build GuideOne of my local gaming clubs has a bunch of Apocalypse games planned for the summer so I picked up this Eldar Super-heavy at Salute.<br />
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It is not the heaviest of heavies. Its slightly smaller and less expensive, both in points and currency, than a Cobra. But it still packs a mean punch, with a choice of either a two-shot Destroyer cannon or an apocalyptic template D-weapon. It only has two structure points, but its Titan holo-fields give it a decent Invulnerable or Cover Save each time it moves. But what's it like tto build?<br />
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Turns out, pretty easy. Its a nice straightforward kit with a minimum of parts, most of which are easily removed from their sprues. There's lots of big flat surfaces to glue together as well, so you end up with a fairly solid little tank. Apart from the antennae, but we'll get to them later. Also note this is the Pulsar version of the Lynx. Construction for the Sonic Lance version might vary, but likely only in the shape of a couple of the components.<br />
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So it looks like there's a lot of stuff in the bag the Lynx comes in. And clearly some of the parts are likely to be warped. Boiled water does the job of straightening out things like the cannon barrel and wing tips, so no big deal. <br />
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You're probably going to start with the main fuselage. Its three large chunks of resin and they all slot together nicely. <br />
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I recommend adding the weapon power plant and the engines next, before the control flaps/jets on either side. This is because when you are applying pressure to the engine parts, waiting for the glue to dry, you will likely be tempted to brace your fingers against the side of the tank, making pulling those flaps off again if the glue there isn't perfectly dry.<br />
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When you glue the engines on though, the two long ones go in the inside
positions on each side, the shorter ones on the outside. There are tabs
at the base of the engine components to guide their alignment, though
you may need to trim them a little for a smooth fit. And yes, I did cut
my thumb open while making this kit ><<br />
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Here's the control surfaces at the left side of the tank. You can see the shorter piece goes to the front, the longer at the rear. Mine were a little warped, something I didn't notice until I had glued them on, so check yours and heat-treat if needed.<br />
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The main weapon comes in two parts. A power plant type thingy for the back end. Again, there is a tab that may need trimming. <br />
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And the main pulsar barrel at the front. Another tab to make sure it is aligned properly. <br />
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The kit also comes with four warp vanes/antennae. There are two long and two short. I suppose you could put them pretty much wherever you want and there's probably some scope for artistic interpretation there. I prefer to just stick mine on like the ones on the Forge World site though, so its the long ones in the middle and the short ones on the outside surfaces.<br />
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Make no mistake though; these vanes are tied for worst part of this whole kit. As they are resin, they are almost guaranteed to be warped when you get them and furthermore brittle and incredibly prone to snapping. I mean really prone to snap. I've definitely snapped three of them with only light pressure. Its going to make transporting this thing a pain in the bum, :( So be very very careful with them, or use spare plastic ones if you have them.<br />
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The only part of the kit that rivals the vanes in the Bad Design awards has to be the stand. For this large chunk of expensive resin you get: a standard 40mm flying base. There is a hole drilled in the base of the tank, but if you insert the stand into it the tank does not balance and just lists to one side. Maybe I got unlucky and got a Lynx with an over-drilled hole, but I doubt it. I have instead magnetised the base and the stand so its now nice and solidly attached.<br />
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Thats it for the construction. I forgot to take a picture of the secondary weapon mount, but its fairly obvious where it attaches below the cockpit. You only get the shuriken cannon option in the kit though, so, if you're playing a really strict game of Apocalypse, where WYSIWYG is observed, you might want to mod this bit before deploying.<br />
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Next: the painted model and battle report.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-48842060611463745502013-05-31T05:51:00.001-07:002013-08-12T06:37:39.876-07:00Deadzone Kickstarter - Key LinksMantic's <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game">Deadzone </a>Kickstarter is building up steam as it heads into the last weekend. This is a truly fantastic project that has grown in scale and scope along with the backer numbers and funding. From the original concept of a two-player boardgame on a paper mat, it now includes a total of six factions, each with a range of troop types, a range of modular scenery including a landing zone, a gun bunker, and ruined buildings, a custom vinyl playmat, loads of individual mercenary models, rules and models for including zombies, multi-player and large battleground rules, booster packs to increase the size of your force all the way up to army size and more, with even more stretch goals still to come.<br />
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All this is possibly too much for one front page. So, for new backers, those that are thinking of pledging and those that have been in it for a while but can't remember what update each particular bit of news was in, here's a list of the most relevant updates and youtube videos for your perusal.<br />
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There is also a bunch of cool stuff to read over on Jake Thornton's Quirkworthy blog, but I just don't have time to trawl through it just now :) <br />
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The Updates </h3>
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Terrain</h3>
<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/464852">Concept art for accesories sprue</a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null">.</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/469160">Deadzone Gaming Mat description and pictures</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/471968">Secret Weapon Board and Assault Enforcers</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/486463">Ruined Battlezones and Survivor Green</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/485317">Sprue Details - Pictures of Core Worlds Sprues</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/475465">Landing Pad Concept Art</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/472523">Building Blocks - Details of Terrain</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/489504">Antenocitis - Increased Bundle Sizes</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/479404">Fortifications Battlezone concept art</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/488267">What Does a Battlezone Build? Artist Impressions of DZ Tablescapes</a><br />
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The Figures</h4>
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/471700">Faction Focus The Enforcers</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/472123">Faction Focus The Rebs </a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/472311">Faction Focus The Rebs Part 2</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/472883">Faction Focus Marauders </a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/489220">Faction Focus Marauders 2 Rippers, Commandoes, Snipers and Mawbeasts Background and Sculpts</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/482637">Forge Fathers Background and Some Concepts</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/483800">Enforcer vs Cyphers, Asterians Background</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/476791">A Special Kind of Trooper - concept art and background for specialists</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/489798">EU Bundle Extras - Heavy Supports, Brokkrs, Nastanza</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/487084">The Pathfinder Background and 3d sculpt</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/492273">Stompy - Teraton sculpt and Zombieton concept art</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/493127">Faction Boosters, Enforcer Booster Sculpts</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/496299">Rebs Faction Booster Concept Art and Blaine Background</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/495655">Plague Faction Booster, Blaine Concept Art</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/493412">Wrath Background and Concept Art </a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/470700">The Helfather description and concept art</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/480461">Chovar Sculpt and LOS Video</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/464881">Concept art Survivor model</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/485230">Dr Simmonds Concepts and Background</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/497750">Freya the Forge Father Smuggler </a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/498070">Resin Loot Counters, Nem-rath, Limited Edition Compendium</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/498105">Kish, Plague Sphyr </a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/498221">Eddak P'mera Concept Art and Background plus Strider</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/498167">List of Stretch Goals to $1m and Sergeant Howlett Background</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/498264?ref=email&show_token=1c19e62c28e74cb2">Bjarg Starnafall in Drop Armour </a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/498361?ref=email&show_token=cec650c6b8e23911">Goblin Stuntbot and Chief Radgrad </a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/498404">Radgrad Background </a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/498443">Hobgoblin Boomer and Iron Ancestor Concept Art </a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/498455">Enforcer Peacekeepers Background </a><br />
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Extra Gameplay</h4>
<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/471626"> The Nexus Psi campaign</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/490657">DZ Compendium, Veteran Status, Zombie Rules and Models, Concepts</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/492412">Multi-mat Games and Wrath Concept Art and Background</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/494367">DZ Counters, Gameplay Vid Turn 1, Plague Zombies Components</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game/posts/496782">Solo Play </a><br />
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Videos.</h3>
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<a href="http://youtu.be/-wlJOCB5J0c">Shooting </a>- <br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/wzRszS2BaJQ">D8's</a> - <br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/ZNF-npXGapM">Enforcers Background</a> - <br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/YRy1N8vWjxw">Faction Focus The Rebs </a>- <br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/vgBHyBiz-6w">Rebs Playstyle</a> - <br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/qCn6XO1Ao6o">Faction Focus Marauders</a> - <br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/gtYPcaNl_W8">Marauders Second Video</a> - <br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/A7kS1zaGZ3Q">DZ Terrain - Ronnie's Intro</a> - <br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/NzlpZ2zgIV4">Faction Focus Plague</a> - <br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/OjZhUEEZWAg">LOS </a>- <br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/khFhAOOgGcY">Beta Gameplay Part 1</a><br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/YHe6wt_x1FY"> Terrain Connector Clips</a><br />
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Thats the lot for now. If you think there is something missing that should be on the list, leave a comment. Now go pledge! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-47818329115081727412013-05-19T12:00:00.001-07:002013-05-19T12:00:46.714-07:00Tau Riptide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been feeling quite encouraged by the hobby in the last few weeks, and, as a result, got a fair bit of painting done. The renewed enthusiasm has come from playing some cool games (Zombicide really is great with four or more players) and attending some <a href="http://whiteswolves.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/mantic-open-day-2013.html">cool </a><a href="http://whiteswolves.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/salute-2013-part-1-anvil-industries.html">events</a>. I have also had several great miniatures to put together and paint which always helps of course. Here are some pics of one I finished today. Well, I say finished. I really mean 'got it to the point where I just don't want to touch it any more'.<br />
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Its a Riptide, obviously. Mine is turquoise.<br />
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I think the Codex describes the dominant colour of Tau armour as being essentially a camoflage layer, with accents in the Sept colour. I didn't really feel like doing that though. Maybe its too long painting Eldar and Space Marines who don't tend to care too much about blending in. I just thought turquoise with a nice orangey brown would make a nice contrast. <br />
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I noticed that the paint job on the box model for the Riptide used proper metallics on the screws on its shoulders so I decided to try that too. It doesn't look bad, but, tbh, dances a bit too close to the too-far line. They stand out a little, is what I mean. I thought about putting more gold elsewhere, but decided it wasnt' absolutely necessary. And, as I hinted earlier, I had really had enough of this model.<br />
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I saw the base a good opportunity for contrast and had to scour the stands at Salute a few weeks back for suitable scenery. The weird red plant-bloomy things are resin casts. The flock is clumps of something autumnal from MiniNatur. The clumps come with glue on the bases but they are not super sticky. I can see them staying on for a while but need a bit of PVA at some point in the future.<br />
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The legs were a real pain in the butt to get right. I clipped off the positioning pins the model comes with to make it more poseable and even took a picture of the wife balancing on a stool so I could line up all the joints the way I wanted. Even then, and even though the model is <i>supposed </i>to be poseable, I could not get quite the dynamic pose I wanted. For one thing the gun on the right arm is so bulky you can't really make it do anything but point straight ahead. You could maybe get a sort of flapping action too, but thats about it. I also had problems with getting the feet to stay stuck to the slates on the base. Eventually I also had to realign the model as I felt the pose I had hid too much of the pieces on the base and by then I had superglued the ankle joints. So it looks cool enough, but its a compromise.<br />
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The real trick, when painting such a large model in so few basic colours, is knowing how much to paint with the accent colour. Too little and he looks like a giant mecha-smurf. Too much and the brown takes over, negating all the time and paint spent making him turquoise. Again, I used the box art as a guide. Whoever painted the GW show-model is a pro - why not learn from the best?<br />
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The end result is a nice looking model with enough contrast to engage the eye and draw it in. I hope.<br />
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I also magnetised all the weapon options. So as well as a choice of main gun, there are three shoulder options that are easily swappable. I'm not in favour of tailoring at all, but its nice to know you can just flick a weapon off if you feel like varying the Riptide's tactical role.<br />
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As for the paints used: the base is GW's Stegadon Scale Green, a layer of Sotek Green, and a final layer of Temple Guard blue. these were all airbrushed on top of a black base coat to get natural shading. I line- and edge-highlighted with mixes of Temple Guard and Bleach Bone. The brown parts are Vallejo's Beasty Brown, highlighted with Vomit Brown (the old GW paint). I also brushed Gryphonne Sepia and a mix of Asurmen Blue and Badab Black into the applicable recesses for shading where it was needed.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-24832920624269787372013-05-16T02:12:00.000-07:002013-05-16T02:12:05.535-07:00Chromium Chargers UnboxingI picked up <a href="http://www.manticgames.com/Shop-Home/DreadBall/Product/DreadBall-Season-2-Rulebook.html">Season 2</a> of Dreadball from Mantic at the weekend and the <a href="http://www.manticgames.com/Shop-Home/DreadBall/Teams/Product/Chromium-Chargers-Robot-Team-10-Players.html">Chromium Chargers </a>team to go with it. Here's what you get in the box:<br />
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I found during construction there was a fair bit of flash to clean up and two or three mould lines on each model. They were easy enough to tidy up though and the models, being only three pieces each, are really easy to put together.<br />
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The major drawback of the set is, of course, their gameplay gimmick. Although the team take the field as Jacks, they can transform into any role, provided you roll good dice and have the tokens to spend. You get six jacks in the box, plus two strikers and two guards, but a) this may not be enough models if you want to go heavily one way or the other, and b) the models all look pretty similar. Unless you paint them distinctively it may be hard to tell which model is which. Plus, if you do choose just swap out the jack models as needed, how are you going to number them? Basically this will put you out of a lot of tournaments unless you buy several boxes full and paint up variations for each one. Its a pickle, to be sure.<br />
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I got in a game with the robots against a Marauder team on Tuesday night and managed to squeak in a win in overtime.<br />
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It turns out the transforming is a bit of a handicap in the early game as you have to pay a token to do it, leaving you short one to spend elsewhere and having burnt one of the two you could spend on that player. More thought is needed into how to handle the hurdle of getting players out of Jack mode for future games.<br />
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The 'bots are expensive too. You only get 6 in your starting lineup, making you very prone to being shorthanded, particularly if you're against orx. I finished regular play with two dead players and two in the box. Luckily I had been holding the ball with a Striker in the opponent's end and it was simple enough to run into a scoring zone and get the win when overtime ticked round.<br />
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But perhaps losing players is part of the expected strategy for robot teams. After all, one less player on the pitch means more tokens and cards to play on the others and this might make their role-flexibility really worthwhile. Again, more thought needed to figure this one out.<br />
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Anyway, enjoy the video and feel free to ask any questions.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-78243695886131416592013-05-11T10:29:00.001-07:002013-05-12T04:47:34.691-07:00Mantic Open Day 2013<p dir=ltr>I'm writing this from a service station, halfway between Nottingham and home. Its been a long day and its a long road, but here are some pics, thoughts, and recollections from this year's (first?) Mantic Open Day.</p>
<p dir=ltr>Please note these are very quick entries, not exhaustive, and I won't be held responsible if I misquote Ronnie ;) Or fur spelling mistakes.</p>
<p dir=ltr>First, the pics.</p>
<p dir=ltr>There were lots of minis on display today. Strangely they were mostly crammed into one tiny display box - cabinet would be too generous a term - in the worst-lit part of the building. This phone's camera is pretty good though, so enjoy :)</p>
<p dir=ltr>You've got the Basileans. Male paladins with broadswords and females with smaller weapons. I'm not that impressed with the females but both sets of models are definitely really nice and a great addition to KoW.</p>
<p dir=ltr>I think you can see the werewolves and trolls in the background of a couple of the photos. Three for £15 was the price point being mentioned for the trolls. I would have liked the werewolves to be a bit hairier, but maybe greenstuff will work.</p>
<p dir=ltr>The mummies are awesome.</p>
<p dir=ltr>The reb figures for deadzone were there too. I <i>love</i> the teraton and I think they're going to be a very popular line for dz and Dreadball.</p>
<p dir=ltr>I took some pictures of the deadzone display board as all the enforcers there are new models as, if course, are the plague. Check out how big that phase 1 is! I really like the sniper and the engineer models in particular. I was told at Salute that the engineer's backpack could be detached to make the sentry gun but I'm not sure if that feature is still included.</p>
<p dir=ltr>There are a few detail sits if the dz terrain. You might be able to see the surfaces aren't smooth. There's a fine crenelation. This is a result of the pieces being prototypes from a 3d . The final product will be smooth. I actually quite like the texture, I think it makes them look more organic, but smooth works too.</p>
<p dir=ltr>Finally there's the game mat for deadzone. It is indeed very very nice. It's much thinner than I thought it would be, maybe 2mm our 3mm thick. The back is a strong rubber that will hold it to a table our desk pretty welland the top really does feel like a mousemat. It's thinner though, so no worries about areas sinking our dice bouncing wildly :) I'm pretty sure I'm canceling my Secret Weapon kickstarter pledge tonight...</p>
<p dir=ltr>So, on to the Ronnie talk. Ronnie talks very quickly and possibly makes some of it up as he's doing so, so here's a quick collection of bullet points I remember:</p>
<p dir=ltr>He acknowledged it is very hard to make inroads in fantasy or sci-fi tabletop battles against the market leader. Apparently gw have £60m in tools and this is hard to compete with. Thus Dreadball and deadzone help people start building a collection of Warpath minis and interest in the setting that can be used when warpath launches for real.</p>
<p dir=ltr>Regarding the mat, the search for a material was exhaustive. Apparently Stewart's corner of the office looks like a haberdashers there are so many samples. As to different themed mats, the problem is volume. The current deal Ronnie has with the supplier is for 5000. This is the minimum the supplier will do and the price is still high. Ronnie hopes to do a deal for, say, 5000 of the first theme, plus a thousand of this theme, a thousand of this one, and so on. Yet another good reason to up your pledge for more mats ;)</p>
<p dir=ltr>The dz kickstarter once again exceeded expectations for early success.</p>
<p dir=ltr>Forge Fathers and Asterians are all but guaranteed to be included in the kickstarter. It sounds like models are, at least, at the concept art stage, sine may even be in sculpting.</p>
<p dir=ltr>Forge fathers go toe to tie with the corporation. They aren't afraid to displace humans from worlds they want and are happy to fight for them. As a quarantined world is likely to be unoccupied for fifty years, this also represents a great opportunity to plunder. Hearthguard act as security, brocks (aka berzerkers) are the scrap dealers of ff society and will often do the final strip of a planet, even taking all its dirt for sale elsewhere!</p>
<p dir=ltr>Asterians, or elves, might rate a human world as being worth 1 or 2 elf lives.So their armies will include one fragile Asterian commander and a load of combat robots. These will be 'kick-ass fast'and hard. So their gameplay might involve the commander desperately hiding from snipers and enemy units while the robots do the fighting.</p>
<p dir=ltr>Plans are drawn up for stretch goals for quite a way down the line. It sounded like up to about 800k. If it goes over that we might see seasons approach, like with db, to allow more stuff to be sculpted and tooled for release next year. </p>
<p dir=ltr>Ronnie is very happy to include partner companies' stuff in the dz kickstarter. He loves all the stuff Antenocitis do. He acknowledged Mantic doesn't have time to Maher all those little bits themselves and is open to focusing on the stuff it does do while partnering with specialists in complimentary bits and bobs. He mentioned opening a shop if there was enough product lines to stock, so who knows what might happen there?</p>
<p dir=ltr>Jake Thornton was quite enthused about answering a question on the next Dwarf King's Hold. It sounded like he had already given it lots of thought and seemed, to me, to be describing something akin to Super Dungeon Explore. All backed by Mantic's affordable minis, meaning a dungeon master would have many varieties if monsters to throw at adventurers. No definite plans for this were confirmed, but:</p>
<p dir=ltr>Mantic had another ks planned for this year. That one slipped out and no-one seemed to pick up on it...</p>
<p dir=ltr>KoW will, in some ways, be relaunched again this summer. Trolls are up next month, then - I forget - then Basileans. The possibility of spinning KoW off into its own mini-studio was mentioned, but as a possible option, rather than one being seriously proposed.</p>
<p dir=ltr>Ronnie loves those buildings. He likened the possibilities to minecraft. I still think they are more like Halo Forge pieces though. Ronnie guaranteed they will click together and apart but seemed to feel they perhaps weren't intended to be used in dz as people seem to envisage actually using them. You can see this in demo games for dz, where you can see the facade of as building almost being more important than its 3d shape. Dz is designed for a 2x2 table so there's not actually that much room for compete buildings. But Ronnie does believe they have the potential to become a staple for all sci-fi games on the market. As do I.</p>
<p dir=ltr>There is the possibility of a collection of short stories for dz to help establish the background for the factions. This could be a stretch goal and include Jake Thornton and guy haley. Probably depends on people asking for it though.</p>
<p dir=ltr>All three money from the KoW ks went into tooling new models. Mantic also put down $10k out of the kitty to get it all done. So kickstarter does just what it should - get things happening faster than they would through the traditional sales and investment cycle.</p>
<p dir=ltr>Dreadball has sold three times more copies through retail than were sent out from the ks.</p>
<p dir=ltr>Ok, that's all I can remember for now. I'll post more later if I remember it and probably my own thoughts on the day and Mantic in the 201 in another post.</p>
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text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-WybKMqBSeVI/UY6cssGrb6I/AAAAAAAAC_s/LahAEp9ipvc/s1600/20130511_103642.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-WybKMqBSeVI/UY6cssGrb6I/AAAAAAAAC_s/LahAEp9ipvc/s640/20130511_103642.jpg' /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-q2qbVW7Azi0/UY5_68WM71I/AAAAAAAAC8w/s1600/20130511_121319.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-q2qbVW7Azi0/UY5_68WM71I/AAAAAAAAC8w/s640/20130511_121319.jpg' /> </a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-39442942597668921952013-04-27T07:41:00.001-07:002013-05-12T05:53:20.263-07:00It's not the size, it's what you do with it<p dir=ltr>The long wait is finally over: this year's <a href="http:// http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/deadzone-the-sci-fi-miniatures-board-game">Mantic Kickstarter</a> is here!</p>
<p dir=ltr>I've been waiting since the Mantic Open Day last autumn for this. Ronnie all but promised a Kickstarter for Warpath, Mantic's sci-fi property, and this is it: Deadzone.</p>
<p dir=ltr>The idea is that there is a plague, a contagion, of unknown origins, that is irritable and unstoppable. Where it strikes, all men die, or are at least converted to horrific monsters. The only method down to successfully stop the disease us absolute containment, even of while star systems. If your ship happens to be in a system when am outbreak occurs, you will find yourself stranded there, as the corporation switches off all navicomputers and halts all traffic trying to leave the area.</p>
<p dir=ltr>For some, the 'Deadzone' is an opportunity. The rebels and marauders see rich pickings to be had on the afflicted planets - the challenge is getting in and out without entanglements with plague-carriers and corporate Enforcers.</p>
<p dir=ltr>Deadzone is a boardgame, not a full on tabletop wargame. The guys I spoke to at Salute last week tools me it was expandable though. So you could initially play it at a skirmish level on a 2x2 table, but expand it to larger surfaces add you want. Handy that Secret Weapon Miniatures are doing a Kickstarter for moulded plastic gaming surfaces now too. And that Mantic are going to be distributing them...</p>
<p dir=ltr>Its not the full Warpath Kickstarter many of us were expecting then. But I think Mantic have learnt from the Kings of War and Dreadball funds and made a smart move. Both funds showed there is a lot of demand and support for what Mantic does: quality minis at low prices. But it is hard to seeing large numbers of people from the established market leader to your new system even so. Kings of War massively exceeded expectations on Kickstarter, but is still not widely played. Dreadball did more than double the business on ks - the market loves boardgames right now and its a great way to get large amounts of your miniatures into the public's hands, priming them, if you will, for a full on launch of a wargame later on.</p>
<p dir=ltr>It took Deadzone about 33 minutes to raise its initial funding goal of $50k yesterday. At time of writing it is closing in on $200k. If I were a betting man, I'd put money on it beating the KoW total comfortably. Its hard to say whether it will top Dreadball's though. Dreadball probably benefited in this case as much as it suffered from comparisons with Bloodbowl. People like GW's game and the real sports Dreadball is based on. The comparison a lot of people will probably make this time is with Necromunda. Us the market really ripe for a small scale skirmish game?</p>
<p dir=ltr>I certainly hope so. I think the strong miniatures line and scenery will help. </p>
<p dir=ltr>Deadzone is the debut of another of Ronnie's favourite things for tabletop games: scenery. Deadzone will come with several sprues of it, walls, floors, and windows that clip together. I was told at Salute that they also unclip, so different configurations are possible in different games. It Ead also pointed out though that, at the moment, noone is sure how strong those joints will be. That is, how many times can you reassemble them.</p>
<p dir=ltr>Details on rules and gameplay are also scarce at the moment. We know the game<br>
uses d8's, which suggests more refinement to encounters than standard d6 games, but that's about it.</p>
<p dir=ltr>Given that this game has been in development fora good few months now, I'm surprised at how little info Mantic did choose to put up there from the start. Is this a sign of laziness, or certainty that the magic of Kickstarter nabs punters will put down cash no matter what is shown to them up front? I hope not. I hope it is simply just another case of Mantic genuinely not expecting such massive support so early in the game.</p>
<p dir=ltr>The coming days will be important though. An initial surge of interest can quickly die away unless new material and information is given out to keep the hype going.</p>
<p dir=ltr>I've made my pledge any way and am looking forward to seeing more goodies unlocked and more background shared. </p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794645175152724443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419510969621550306.post-76352555831415522332013-04-22T07:19:00.000-07:002013-04-22T07:19:49.592-07:00Salute 2013 Part 1 - Anvil IndustriesThis past weekend saw Salute 2013 go off at the Excel Centre in lovely London. It was my third time at the event and the most fun I've had there to date. Part of that is probably due to amount of toys I came home with, the first of which I'm showcasing here.<br />
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The floor was fairly dominated by retailers this year and there was a fair amount for sale to fans of 28mm gaming. The first thing that really caught my eye was the <a href="http://www.anvilindustry.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=77_107">Anvil Industries</a> stand. I have, in the past, enjoyed the Horus Heresy novels and it has been fun seeing Forge World come out with models to match. I really like the more baroque styles of armour and weapons they have been putting out. Their prices though are something else. Now, I'm not saying Anvil are making their own version of FW's stuff. But it is extremely 'compatible'. That is, it shares enough similarities that, I reckon, you could use Anvil's 'Exo Lords' in your 40k or 30k games, but with some different twists.<br />
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It was the Black Ops squad that first attracted me. They look like knights in space (notice I didn't say 'space marines' there?) but with a Halo accent. Extra ammo pouches, more streamlined weapons, but still like dark ages suits of armour with power packs. Perfect, I decided for bulking out my Blood Angels Vanguard Veterans in time for some Apocalypse games this summer.<br />
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The only hangup was realising the Black Ops packs only come with rifles - not close combat weapons. Luckily you can buy most of Anvil's range 'a la carte' - mix and match legs, torsos etc. to get the look you want.<br />
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Now, get ready for <i>really </i>the cool part - the complete set of five miniatures cost me £14.50. For all five. I then bought some '<a href="http://www.anvilindustry.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=77_107">Silver Wing</a>' jet packs from Max Mini at £6, meaning I now have a full assault squad in cool armour for twenty quid. A similar sized set up from FW would run to £33. I added some chainswords and purity seals from my bits box to get some extra Blood Angels flavour, but this is still a massive saving.<br />
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The guys running the Anvil stand were also really friendly and helpful. Every part I chose they showed me several different styles they had for sale and I felt like I was really getting the models I wanted, rather than the ones they were trying to sell me.<br />
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There are options for 40k players then - at least if you play marines or, maybe, guard. Not so much Eldar or Tau and it would be nice to see a few more companies in the market with alternate parts for those races. Maybe the Chapterhouse/GW legal tussle is keeping companies out of that arena for now, although recent depositions and testimonies would suggest GW doesn't really have a leg to stand on when it come to some of their copyright claims. <br />
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So, now I've told you all about the alternatives to expensive Forge World resin, my next post will be about the Eldar Lynx I bought :) <br />
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