Secret Weapon Tablescapes - Kickstarter ended @ $311k

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**Azazelx**

Still a long way to go, but looks like we might get them by Christmas.

**Sining**

At least until the next snafu pops up

**RiTides**

Argh man, it is a race between this and the Games & Gears tiles I have coming... I keep flip flopping between which I think will arrive first! And both are coming much later than I had expected.

Still, good to hear the wheels are turning...

**Azazelx**

And once again WGF's tardiness feths over those who contracted them to create something.

http://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/Realm-of-Battle-Sector-Imperialis
Now, I'm not in the market for a GW battle board, nor am I likely to be. Same deal with many/most of us in this thread, but if you think that this GW release isn't going to take a gakload of potential sales away from SWM's boards, you're sadly mistaken. The GW one comes with a nice transport bag, as well.

**-Loki-**

To be fair, the GW city board looks like complete turd.

Don't get me wrong, I still love a lot of their stuff, despite the price. But that thing is pretty terrible. Skull pits, super stupid road design, typical forced 'gothic' look. Add to the the usual battle damage GW throws on its urban terrain.

If you're after a nice, generic city table that you can throw a variety of city terrain on and not have either the table or buildings look out of place, you're not going to go with GW's offering.

**SlaveToDorkness**

Luckily, I'm using my tablescape stuff for Infinity and have no use for more Grimderp terrain.

**Azazelx**

-Loki- wrote:
To be fair, the GW city board looks like complete turd.
Don't get me wrong, I still love a lot of their stuff, despite the price. But that thing is pretty terrible. Skull pits, super stupid road design, typical forced 'gothic' look. Add to the the usual battle damage GW throws on its urban terrain.
If you're after a nice, generic city table that you can throw a variety of city terrain on and not have either the table or buildings look out of place, you're not going to go with GW's offering.

As I said, I'm not in the market for a GW board, and I agree it looks like crap. My point is that a lot of 40k player people will still buy it for an urban tablescape, and those same people are not then likely to be buying a SWM board as well, because they will then have their urban board. I dunno. I half wonder if the GW board isn't at least partly a reaction to the SWM (and G&G) boards that went up on KS over a year ago. We know that GW reacts to things in the market, especially after Chapterhouse, and these KS both started quite some time ago now - time enough for GW to have started and brought their (baroque and gaudy) version to market before the competition...

Automatically Appended Next Post:

SlaveToDorkness wrote:
Luckily, I'm using my tablescape stuff for Infinity and have no use for more Grimderp terrain.

Yeah, mine will work just fine for 40k, since I don't subscribe to the skull-encrusted skulls and eagles with dick-cannon look of the game these days. I also plan to use mine for Bolt Action and any/everything thing else between 1800-2100.

**DarkTraveler777**

Azazelx wrote:
I half wonder if the GW board isn't at least partly a reaction to the SWM (and G&G) boards that went up on KS over a year ago. We know that GW reacts to things in the market, especially after Chapterhouse, and these KS both started quite some time ago now - time enough for GW to have started and brought their (baroque and gaudy) version to market before the competition...

That certainly seems possible. It could even explain why there are only two tiles offered in the new set if GW rushed the design stage and wanted to reduce tooling needs and all the other costs and concerns involved with manufacturing tiles of the size and complexity as the new hive city board.

It wasn't that long ago that GW's RoB was really the only plastic board on the market. Soon there will be at least two other competitors with (multiple) boards for sale, not to mention the increasing quality of gaming mats from companies like Table War/Frontline Gaming and Gamemat.eu, all of which could have lit a fire under GW's behind to offer something more than their initial RoB tiles.

Or maybe this is all an unfortunate coincidence and we are all jumping at shadows. We are talking about GW here, so who knows what the hell they are really up to.

**H.B.M.C.**

-Loki- wrote:
Don't get me wrong, I still love a lot of their stuff, despite the price. But that thing is pretty terrible. Skull pits, super stupid road design, typical forced 'gothic' look. Add to the the usual battle damage GW throws on its urban terrain.

Not to mention only two designs. I'll take the far more modular multi-design Tablescape stuff over GW's gaudy nonsense.

**darefsky (Flight Medic Paints)**

Coming in at $330?!? GW does think highly of themselves.......

I'll stick with what I ordered from Mr Justin thank you.

**Azazelx**

We don't know what Justin's RRP for a 6x4 will end up being. $190 at KS prices (usually far cheaper then RRP). And it's a 4x4 with half of another 4x4 chosen randomly.

Do people in the US manage to get huge products like the ROB at 30% off? That would make it available for $220 (and it comes with a bag). How much will DGS have them for?

This has the potential to take a good chunk out of Justin's lunch.

**Tannhauser42**

On the other hand, the people who are most likely to buy GW's RoB product, are also more likely to not even know about SWM's product, so it may not even be that big of an impact on SWM's sales.

**UNCLEBADTOUCH**

Being aware if both products, even if it it works out more expensive I will be falling back on a SW boards as they are a lot more flexible when it comes to fitting varying scifi settings as I don't limit myself to just 40K.

**Alpharius**

I think Secret Weapons will be alright though, as, for mant, this:

probably isn't quite the Dream Board that GW thinks it is!

**Breotan**

UNCLEBADTOUCH wrote:
Being aware if both products, even if it it works out more expensive I will be falling back on a SW boards as they are a lot more flexible when it comes to fitting varying scifi settings as I don't limit myself to just 40K.

They're more flexible simply because each SW product contains more than just two tile types.

**UNCLEBADTOUCH**

And they have less genre specific detail which is also a big plus point.

**Azazelx**

Tannhauser42 wrote:
On the other hand, the people who are most likely to buy GW's RoB product, are also more likely to not even know about SWM's product, so it may not even be that big of an impact on SWM's sales.

This might lean true for some online sales, but B&M stores who might potentially stock both are more likely to have customers buy the one that's available now, which can then have an effect later on. Of course, you can't measure lost sales due to a product being late to market, but I think it will have an effect. The SWM tiles look better, and are far more versatile, but there are a lot of 40k players out there who might have bought these who I'm sure will just buy the official one instead.

**The_Real_Chris**

Tis all for different purposes. I have the 16 unique urban tiles (8 clean, 8 damaged) for Deadzone as I want the increased detail for Skirmish which is I think where their offer shines.

For the 6x4 board I have the Games and gears as the less detailed surface is I think better for lots of toys to play on. Upset they didn't hit the 6th unique design which was their last stretch goal :( . Maybe end up selling it to fund an expansion to the tablescapes board.

**Kalamadea**

Azazelx wrote:
Tannhauser42 wrote:
On the other hand, the people who are most likely to buy GW's RoB product, are also more likely to not even know about SWM's product, so it may not even be that big of an impact on SWM's sales.

This might lean true for some online sales, but B&M stores who might potentially stock both are more likely to have customers buy the one that's available now, which can then have an effect later on. Of course, you can't measure lost sales due to a product being late to market, but I think it will have an effect. The SWM tiles look better, and are far more versatile, but there are a lot of 40k players out there who might have bought these who I'm sure will just buy the official one instead.

Funny story, when I worked at an independent FLGS we regularly had people that would only buy GW products despite having both superior AND cheaper products available. W stocked GW glue and brushes and tape measures dice and tools because regularly people bought them over the exact same but cheaper option sitting on the shelf right next to it, even when you pointed out that product X was cheaper. We had customers that refused to buy the 36" ribbon of kneadatide and bought the 8" in a blister of GW brand greenstuff for roughly the same price, despite the fact the greenstuff is LITERALLY kneadatite, even after you pointed it out to them. We'd get people that were flustered they couldn't buy GW plasticard! And yes, when the original RoB boards came out, these same people gobbled them up, at full retail price. It astounds me to this day, but it won't surprise me one bit if (when) people pass over a $200 SW board for a $330 RoB board with the "right" logo

**Laemos**

That makes me sad.

**Jehan-reznor**

Kalamadea wrote:
Azazelx wrote:
Tannhauser42 wrote:
On the other hand, the people who are most likely to buy GW's RoB product, are also more likely to not even know about SWM's product, so it may not even be that big of an impact on SWM's sales.

This might lean true for some online sales, but B&M stores who might potentially stock both are more likely to have customers buy the one that's available now, which can then have an effect later on. Of course, you can't measure lost sales due to a product being late to market, but I think it will have an effect. The SWM tiles look better, and are far more versatile, but there are a lot of 40k players out there who might have bought these who I'm sure will just buy the official one instead.

Funny story, when I worked at an independent FLGS we regularly had people that would only buy GW products despite having both superior AND cheaper products available. W stocked GW glue and brushes and tape measures dice and tools because regularly people bought them over the exact same but cheaper option sitting on the shelf right next to it, even when you pointed out that product X was cheaper. We had customers that refused to buy the 36" ribbon of kneadatide and bought the 8" in a blister of GW brand greenstuff for roughly the same price, despite the fact the greenstuff is LITERALLY kneadatite, even after you pointed it out to them. We'd get people that were flustered they couldn't buy GW plasticard! And yes, when the original RoB boards came out, these same people gobbled them up, at full retail price. It astounds me to this day, but it won't surprise me one bit if (when) people pass over a $200 SW board for a $330 RoB board with the "right" logo

I call that Brand mentality, those people who buy expensive brands even do there are cheaper alternatives, but these people derive some kind of status from buying Brand goods, GW is not even in the same league IMHO.

**Snrub**

Update #128

Jul 24 2014
Let there be boxes! (also a wall)
2 comments
12 likes

Word from WGF is that the printed boxes were delivered last night, and they'll start packing this week. I've asked for a photo, and if they're able to get me one I'll have it posted here. Progress is being made. HUZZAH!

In related news, now that I don't have to worry about production I'm turning back to the wall sets -- and detailing the Rolling Fields walls at the moment.

This is obviously a work in progress, but I wanted to give you SOME idea of what the finished product will look like. This is a resin cast of the 3D master. None of the smooth dirt sections will be visible on the finished pieces, but I asked Raffa not to sculpt the dirt in 3D as I'll be able to get a better finish this way. Rocks, twigs, etc. are next, but I'm starting with just the one endcap as a test piece.

Also, hats off to Raffa (again!) for creating a wall set with so much character! It's little things, like the fact that the two posts are slightly misaligned, and one leans, that really sell something like this for me. It's so much more believable when there are tiny "imperfections" like that <3

And now, back to it....

**misterjustin**

What Snrub said.

I'm actually still working on that wall section, while my three year old just had his mind blown because he realized that the photo on the computer was the same as what he was looking at. HA!

**RiTides**

The wall looks good, but what game are these tall walls intended for / aimed at? I could see them being used for Zone Mortalis, but for most 40k games they seem rather tall / long / straight rather than matching the type of terrain usually used.

So I'm wondering if they're perfect for something else that I just haven't thought of?

Also great to hear the boxes are finally being packed!

**Cyporiean**

They manage to be pretty close to the footprint for Brushfire's fortification walls.

**Azazelx**

I understand that these days there are also fantasy and historical games, and that some 40k games just use this old-fashioned stuff called "scenery" that can involve walls - without both players plonking down premade fortifications and bunkers as part of their armies.

**misterjustin**

Sure enough, the walls are just meant to be walls. They're modular and can be used to create firing lines, fortifications, etc. without the "Gothic" or other elements that don't match the scenery.

The idea is that your bases, terrain (including walls), and table will all share themed elements.

**RiTides**

They just seem quite tall is all! I would've loved some shorter versions.

**Valhallan42nd**

Possibly that might be a future product down the line, but if you're playing 40k, his jersey barriers make great "walls you can fire over." It's nice to have wall that actually block LoS for a change, though...

**Tibbsy**

Yeah, I love the look of those walls, but I play almost exclusively with 15mm historicals, so they're FAR too big for me!

I'd probably buy loads if they worked in that scale though!