I've been really quiet recently with the Christmas break and then working non-stop to get the AFTERLIFE stuff completed, so I thought I would post a quick update on where we are at the moment.
I completed the Unity Council Mechs and they are about to enter full production -
And in the last few days I have made good progress on the infantry models for both factions, here are some WIP parts.
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I am hoping that these figures will be available for regular retail purchase around mid February.
Grenadiers are looking awesome. Pretty sure I have 30 of them coming!
My brain has started immediately erasing all memories of any Kickstarters I pledge on once they are funded, possibly as some kind of delay disappointment defence mechanism.
Thanks very much everyone! I'm really excited to get these squads completed and on the table!
@Treadheadz - a reasonable request! I will sort some more photos soon hopefully.
@Paradigm - they will most likely be comparable in price with GW plastic guard, but cant confirm anything yet.
@plastictrees - I am working as hard as possible to avoid delay disappointment with this project!
@RiTides - I tried to get the guns to have plenty of detail but still be realistically sized - they are quite a bit less bulky than Cadian Lasguns for example, even the larger grenadier weapon with integral grenade launcher. When viewed at "actual size" in RL they look less cartoony.
@barzam - Actually not yet. I'll work on an "official colour scheme" when I have the final squads to paint up. Background wise both these forces will be deloyed across wide zones so uniform differences are perfectly plausible.
Colour schemes in AFTERLIFE will generally be realistic military camo/dull colours, with bright colours used as unit/faction markings to add visual interest.
Some Anvil news - the Fallen Dwarves and Multi pose bionic arms, which have been out of stock for a while, will be available again in a couple of days time.
Mostly though, I want to share the Republic Grenadier squad, which I completed today, they are finished except for the rubble pieces for their bases.
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Eight unique torsos including sergeant, medic and Recon plus eight unique leg poses for almost limitless posing options.
Ive gone for a more realistic approach than most sci-fi miniatures, so as well as slightly more realistic scaling, each model has plenty of extra equipment and ammunition, as well as a standard side arm.
Next up is the Unity Council Marine Squad!
I hope to expand the Greandiers with command and support weapon options, is there anything you would like to see in particular or any other feedback on the models?
Absolutely awesome work. I'll be picking some of these up at some point whether I have an immediate use for them or not. I love the running one with the knife and grenadier with the binocs.
As for what I'd be interested in in future, other than the obvious heavy and special weapons you have planned, maybe the command unit could have things like medics, comms officers and the like?
These look great. I'm spewing that I couldn't afford to go in on the KS in the end, but these certainly look great for sci-fi troops.
Are the heads separate? I know you've stated two-piece torsos and legs, but not sure on the heads, especially since separate heads allow so much more customising - both in terms of posing and swaps.
I love how they're turning out! I am glad you decided to go for more realistic proportions, too.
we could use the usual sniper teams, too. Personally though, I'd like to see a CQB team with shields and combat shotguns. Maybe a heavier Republic exo suit that still has the loader arms attached.
Bolognesus wrote:...too late to pony up the extra 30 quid for vanguard, I suppose?
Hot damn, this is going better than i'd expected
Spewing that i didn't go Vanguard either. I might have to shoot him an email as well.
Barzam wrote:I love how they're turning out! I am glad you decided to go for more realistic proportions, too.
we could use the usual sniper teams, too. Personally though, I'd like to see a CQB team with shields and combat shotguns. Maybe a heavier Republic exo suit that still has the loader arms attached.
Kanluwen wrote: I really like those Grenadiers. They look very much like the ISA from Killzone.
They remind me very heavily of UNSC ODSTs from the Halo series, but with different helmets. Loving the design though!
On another note, what is each of the barrels on the carbine? I think I remember reading on the Afterlife page that it is a carbine with an integrated grenade launcher, but is the grenade launcher the under-barrel weapon or the bullpup part of the gun? A very cool weapon all round- I'm a fan of bullpup weapons personally
Holy crap...now I really wanna get start writing for these guys!
Which reminds me, I'd probably need to read up a bit about contemporary and 'near future' military stuff, not so much fiction but actual scientific stuff.
Thanks very much for your feedback and suggestions, I'm very happy at the reception the kit is getting even unfinished.
@bolognesus - You can still increase your pledge as Ed Says, just send as email (if you already sent one, resend it, as I cant find anything).
@azazelx and Absolutionis- Regarding the issue of separate heads, I know separate heads provide more flexibility and where possible I will supply them like that. separate heads does make the kit more complicated to cast, pack, and for the gamer to assemble, and restricts what I can do with the poses.
In the the case of this kit, there are soldiers looking into scopes and one with binoculars. The heads are also sculpted with heavy cloth sealing them into the neck armour, none of this would be possible if they were separate. I do think carefully about it, I dont attach them just to make life difficult for people!
@Haigus - The rear mag and larger top barrel is the grenade launcher, the smaller barrel and front mag is the carbine with caseless ammunition clips. The weapon is based on the now cancelled "OICW" program the US military trialed.
Expanding the range - A lot depends on initial sales, and my commitment to getting the game system developed, but I will try to add snipers, engineering guys and CQB teams with shotguns/shields/breaching equipment, as that would be awesome and AFAIK no other range has much like that.
Inqscott - if you mean for the AFTERLIFE stuff, they are not available for general order yet, only the KS pledge levels which are still up for paypal purchasing (for another few days).
The proper retail release of all the new stuff will be spread out across late Febuary and early March.
@newabortion - I know and I am sorry! I hope you can understand that we are focusing on the the new stuff as I believe in the longer term the only way for us to survive and hopefully grow as a company is to produce our own miniatures and game system, moving away from relying on "bits", as there is only so much revenue to be gained from bits sales to invest in new models.
I do hope to continue to produce occasional parts for the bits/Exo-Lord range, Is there anything in particular you would need for assault marines? Im guessing Black Ops Torsos as a separate bits component?
Hey Joel, just sent you an email regarding my Afterlife pledge.
Also after having a poke around the Anvil sight I got to wondering. Are the A.R.C robots going to make an appearance in the Afterlife universe? It does say on the website that they are a planned faction for the Anvil wargame universe.
Yep the ARC were intended to be used in the game, but since I created the ARC models the background has developed quite a bit so the current models dont quite fit.
The ARC models will likely be given rules for use in AFTERLIFE but be unofficial in the background, much like the Black Ops guys,
Oh come now, don't let a developing background get in the way of awesome killer robots. Retcons man, retcons. All the greats do it. Just shoehorn those bad boys in somewhere.
Anvils Hammer wrote: Expanding the range - A lot depends on initial sales, and my commitment to getting the game system developed, but I will try to add snipers, engineering guys and CQB teams with shotguns/shields/breaching equipment, as that would be awesome and AFAIK no other range has much like that.
Engineering guys could be really cool. Glad to hear you're giving them and the CQB teams some thought.
The ARC 'bots could still have a place. Maybe they're something that pops up way later in the fiction.
If the price is right (and really, next to GW, everyone but Scibor's prices are right), I think I may have found a new Guard regiment. I'll have to get creative with special weapons, but the actual models look completely ace.
MajorStoffer wrote: If the price is right (and really, next to GW, everyone but Scibor's prices are right), I think I may have found a new Guard regiment. I'll have to get creative with special weapons, but the actual models look completely ace.
Well the kickstarter price was £9 a unit, although im positive they'll be more than this on release in feb
Anvil's going to be having a 2nd ks later in the year for the proper launch of their games system so there maybe another opportunity to pick them up at a bargin price.
Alpharius wrote: Might end up being a bit pricey to do a full 'counts as' Guard army either way...
Oh probably, but having done a Krieg army, everything else looks bargain basement in comparison. In particular, the aesthetic of the Marines reminds me of the troops from the Halo series, and I got to thinking, what about doing a UNSC style guard force? Grenadiers for stromtroopers or carapace vets, Marines for standard troops, maybe use the Elysian list and put 'em all in Valkyires; reduces the number of men needed while still being fun, and different from my other forces.
And, most importantly, they look so infinitely better than GW's Cadians, or most other 28mm sci-fi infantry. Besides, wasn't the rough guess is they'd cost comparably to Cadians when all's said and done?
I'm still looking for an alternative figure to use as 'counts as' Guard for my True Scale Alphas, so these guys are definitely on the "To Be Considered" list!
According to the latest update, it'll probably start shipping as soon as tomorrow. Awesome news! This brings the grand total of on-time kickstarters I've backed to 2.
Excited to get my 30 or so Grenadiers! I'm not sure what to do with a kickstarter that ships on time, I feel confused and bewildered.
Wish I'd gone in for more now though.
Just got some guns from Anvil as a seperate small order and they look excellent.
Yeah, those look excellent. Looking forward to my stuff arriving even more now.
Might even be the first thing I paint ahead of Infinity, Dark Lands, and Inq as I don't feel compelled to convert them.
Sorry I've been AWOL in the thread for a few days!
@Barzam/Snrub - K9 teams are a great idea.. though the dogs will be bio engineered/mechanically augmented to be really rather nasty!
We are indeed shipping AFTERLIFE KS Rewards, should take only a few more days to get all of Wave One out to backers, then I will be getting on with the Vanguard set and Trial rules, perhaps taking a few days out to paint up my own Assault Team set!
@Major Stoffer - I'm glad you like them! All the new figures will be intended for the new game, but where possible I will do my best to make them suitable for use with other game systems. Im planning a few variants for each of the infantry sets, depending on sales.
Price wise yes, I'm expecting they will be roughly equivalent to Cadians, so more expensive than the cheaper plastic kits, but cheaper than other resin kits of similar quality on the market.
Thanks for all the feedback on the models, Cheers for posting up the photo Big H.
We will of course be getting final photos of the assembled complete kits up as soon as possible!
inqscott wrote: Can those that didn't get a chance to pledge buy the afterlife stuff now please
First job is getting all the rewards shipped out, then I will be reviewing the kits and making a few minor changes for the retail release. I estimate these models will be available to purchase at regular retail toward the end of the month. I'm very glad you like them
edlowe wrote: Quite annoying that my parcels about 500 yards away at the post office and I can't pick it up till wednesday.
Wednesday you say? This is just the opportunity my team of international mail thieves has been waiting for!
Hopefully the dashing new guy doesn't turn out to be an interpol agent, if I had a maltese falcon for every time that happened...
inqscott wrote: Can those that didn't get a chance to pledge buy the afterlife stuff now please
First job is getting all the rewards shipped out, then I will be reviewing the kits and making a few minor changes for the retail release. I estimate these models will be available to purchase at regular retail toward the end of the month. I'm very glad you like them
mitch_rifle wrote: Not too sure whether i want to go for GoA or your stuff, these stuff looks so nice.
is there anywhere non-backers can look at all the stuff that's being produced whatnot
Most of that stuff is for the backers only at this point. But Big H posted some pics up the page if they are any help and I'm sure more people will be posting pics as they get there packages in the coming days.
I'm not sure, we will be creating the Vanguard pack and trial rules over the next few months. Once we have feedback from the trial rules we will start working on the full first volume. So the plan is "This year" but I cant give a more specific date at this point.
A lot of stuff will be available at regular retail before the next KS.
@Mitch_Rifle - I will be assembling a full team and getting some good photos up ASAP. The current KS products will be available for regular retail sale toward the end of the month.
If the postoffice wasnt so well lit I'd been there last night with a crowbar
Spent last night coming up with colour schemes for my forces. Im thinking modern urban camouflage for the cloth parts not sure whether to go metalics or simple colours for the armour.
There are lots of different forces fighting all over the place in the game, many different warzones and hundreds of corporations involved, all with their own colours, so basically anything goes for painting.
I will be painting my set up in a colour scheme which is "background correct" for the units and corporations involved in the first arc of the story, but I'm yet to settle on final colours.
The trick is finding something which is striking and looks good on the table, but is also realistic.
Im with Conrad on the Metals - Its highly unlikely that any armour or equipment will be predominantly metal, composite ceramic and plastic materials will be far more common.
My Republic stuff will have a bit of metal for the exposed motors and struts, but ceramic armour plating, the UC side will have virtually no metal at all.
I'm planning muted neutral colours for fatigues and plate, with bright colours for logos and corporate branding to add a point of interest/contrast.
Im assembling my Assault Team kit this afternoon, so hopefully some good photos soon.
I really look forward to seeing what you guys all come up with for colour schemes!
For the republic I think a black/red combo ala Fallout 3's Brotherhood of Steel outcasts, would look really good. It'd give them a well worn, rough n ready look. Lots of chipping, lots of scratching. That sort of thing.
For the unity council? Hmm. I'm seeing dark grey and a light blue. Maybe even a pastel blue. I get a "clean" vibe from the UC faction.
Snrub wrote: For the republic I think a black/red combo ala Fallout 3's Brotherhood of Steel outcasts, would look really good. It'd give them a well worn, rough n ready look. Lots of chipping, lots of scratching. That sort of thing.
For the unity council? Hmm. I'm seeing dark grey and a light blue. Maybe even a pastel blue. I get a "clean" vibe from the UC faction.
That is actually matching what I'm thinking pretty closely too. Although I'm also struggling to shake the ODST vibe from my head when I see the grenadiers, and would probably be painting them Black and dark grey with red unit markings as a result. Really wish I had opted in to the KS now
I really like the big Exosuit models for the Unity faction. I don't see them pictured separately, but I'm guessing they'll be sold by themsleves, right?
Can't wait to get my tractors from the KS, and might get a few of those exosuits through regular retail when they go on sale soon
Nice work all round, not a bad model in the bunch. Aesthetically, I prefer the Republic, but the Unity Council stuff also looks great. The gun-tractors are also amazingly cool.
Picked up my stuff from the post office today and it was well worth the extra couple of days wait. The casts are fantastic and very clean. The parcel was really well packed (take note mantic).
The stand out piece apart from the models was the mini booklet. I must admitt that I wasn't expecting such a cool book. I'm really looking forward to the main ks launch later in the year lluckily ive got the 2nd hit of the Vanguard pledge to look forward to. Definitely contesting for the best ks I've backed.
Got my stuff. Really happy with casting quality for sure. Wasn't sure about some of the concepts, but by and large, I've been entirely convinced by now.
some small issues though (and keep in mind, these are just really tiny issues with an overall great product!):
1) UC mechs: six right arms, three left arms. No variety on the left whatsoever (and at least one of those arms looks a bit 'static' however I try to pose it...). one or two variant left arms instead of just moar heavy weapons would have had my personal preference.
2) Same with perhaps one or two spare arms for the republic exo-mechs and three rather than four of each shoulder weapon.
(I do understand sculpting bits takes time and this might not have been feasible, don't get me wrong )
3) the outstretched arm (separate bit) on the UC marines looks... weird. why is it outstretched like that? I just don't 'get' the pose. Nothing some cutting and a bit of greenstuff won't fix, but am I just missing something?
(republic marines hit it completely out of the park for me, no reservations whatsoever, though. Again, don't get me wrong )
Still somewhat kicking myself for forgetting we didn't make the 13k free weapons tractor goal. Oh well, order coming up I guess
Bolognesus wrote: Got my stuff. Really happy with casting quality for sure. Wasn't sure about some of the concepts, but by and large, I've been entirely convinced by now.
some small issues though (and keep in mind, these are just really tiny issues with an overall great product!):
1) UC mechs: six right arms, three left arms. No variety on the left whatsoever (and at least one of those arms looks a bit 'static' however I try to pose it...). one or two variant left arms instead of just moar heavy weapons would have had my personal preference.
2) Same with perhaps one or two spare arms for the republic exo-mechs and three rather than four of each shoulder weapon.
(I do understand sculpting bits takes time and this might not have been feasible, don't get me wrong )
3) the outstretched arm (separate bit) on the UC marines looks... weird. why is it outstretched like that? I just don't 'get' the pose. Nothing some cutting and a bit of greenstuff won't fix, but am I just missing something?
(republic marines hit it completely out of the park for me, no reservations whatsoever, though. Again, don't get me wrong )
Still somewhat kicking myself for forgetting we didn't make the 13k free weapons tractor goal. Oh well, order coming up I guess
regarding 3. I thought it was a signalling pose to the squad. Maybe the one shown below?
I also forgot the tractors but Joel let me addon at the last second
Azazelx wrote: Looking great there, Joel. Sad I couldn't afford to go in on this one, but great to see it being such a success!
Quoted for truth.
Looking forward to seeing more of Joels work expending this series, and may have to get some despite me going for larger stuff in general these days. Still, I find it rather odd (On my part) that I'm drawn to the Unity Mechs, but the Republic Grenadiers for some weird reason.
@RiTides - Yes they will be photographed and sold separately. Didnt do a photo last night as we already did a "complete kit" photo a month ago.
@EdLowe - We are really glad we did the booklet, Its important for a game to have some setting and background! For the next KS we are going to try and fund a proper more extensive book, though one option is to publish everything as online PDF's, as this makes it easier to keep the rules updated and release new parts of the narrative story to everyone simultaneously and often. Lots to consider over the next few months.
@Bonlognesus
Thanks, that kind of specific feedback is really usefull and I agree with you on most points. For the retail release I will be making adjustments to the kits.
-I will add at least one extra left arm for the Mechs, perhaps with some kind of extra scanner/targeter to indicate a commander mech.
-I will think about the Republic Mechs - certainly I think we can add some extra arm poses, not sure about reducing the heavy weapon count as its useful being able to have the same weapon on every Mech I think.
- The UC sargeant pose - I agree its not a "typical" pose. Basically I wanted to capture him while he is waving his arm to give quick commands, ordering a halt or advance or some other tactical gesture. He is not meant to be making a particular gesture - One big restriction is that any separate fingers would snap off, so he needs either a closed fist or open hand.
I will add at least one more arm option for that figure in the retail release (the Republic sergeant already has two options)
@Jerram - Im afraid the Republic Mech Heads are cast in place. I know that lots of separate parts make conversions/mods easier but it also pushes production costs up and makes the models harder to prepare and assemble, so its a balancing act trying to meet the needs of different gamers/modellers.
My plan is to aim for 1-3 parts for human models and 3-5 parts for Mechs and larger figures.
As is pointed out, you could fill the exposed face with putty and it would not look too out of place.
@Snrub - Your Assault Team+ Tractors is in the pile still but should ship out today
@Conrad- If you want to play an army with units from both sides thats totally fine, this will be supported in both the background and the rules for the game.
Great to hear! Will those added parts for retail be available (somewhat; perhaps on a sprue with other arms or so) separately or only in full kits? I might just wait with assembly if there's an option to buy those more or less individually a month from now
Haha! Ive seen that before but its very good, My favourite
"I have been hit! (showing approximate size of hole)"
Ill try and include some of these in future models :p
Bolognesus - They will not be officially available for sale, but I will be able to sort out sets for any KS backers who want them. perhaps build the figures but leave the UC left arms and sergeant left arms blue tacked.. I cant guarantee the extras will be to your liking!
We've got fewer than 50 Wave one KS shipments to get out and we will make a big dent in that today!
My earlier post does come off as being kinda of self centred and greedy though. So if you ship mine out last I wouldn't be terribly upset. Especially since i did jump on the extras after the fact.
RiTides - No we are only held by by production of the infantry, your order was just tractors so went out a couple of days ago!
Last in line, justly so, are the people who bought it through the website after the KS ended! But their parcels will be going out soon as well, we are making good progress!
[Sigh] I'm really sad about missing out on this KS. I have a very limited amount of money for the hobby and KS tend to be at the bottom of my list. The last KS I backed was Deadzone, and it was worth the money.
I got my stuff yesterday. I won't be able to even start building them until I get back from Japan, but everything looked great. The casting quality, as usual, is top notch. I didn't see any defects of any kind. Really, really nice figures and I can't wait to actually start putting them together.
I just read through the fluff booklet a moment ago, and it sounds like there'll be some interesting stuff coming down the line. I fully expect to see a Spacer/Lunarian faction as well as an AI faction. There's also mention of bipedal, humanoid drones and heavy energy weaponry.
I'm kind of surprised that the lunar cities were mentioned as being established, but not what happened to them after the Cataclysm. Will they be remaining loyal to the UC or will they wind up doing their own thing?
Yeah theres plenty of cool background snippets in the mini book. Definitely lots of hooks for future factions. Regarding the lunar colonies there are multiple space elevators mentioned under different faction control plenty of opportunities for zero g space combat moonraker style.
I've got all my figs cleaned up and assembled today, just need to get a fix on the colour schemes. District 9 was on tv last ight and im rather tempted to copy some uniforms and weapon colours from it.
Im back after a week off, We should be shipping out the last KS rewards today and tommorow!
@Barzam - Cheers glad you like them! Yep certainly lots of interesting factions and missions planned.
The lunar colonies are not that large, a population in the tens of thousands rather than billions on earth, so there is no "lunar faction", rather the earth bases factions control areas of orbit and various lunar colonies, so there is scope for some missions and combat on the moon and on orbital space stations.
Ive nothing personal to share with people but "Dwartist" has made a really nice start on some UC marines, It looks like his finished figures will be leagues better than my standard of painting so looking forward to seeing the completed models.
Great looking sci-fi infantry, would go very nicely with my mantic corporation (grenadiers as rangers would be perfect). I think I'll pick some up at retail.
I have to admit, I thought your early sculpts (the space marine bitz) were terrible and didn't pay much attention to the company for ages after that (didn't even know there was a KS running). It is great to see that the sculpts are now looking much better.
I have to admit, I thought your early sculpts (the space marine bitz) were terrible and didn't pay much attention to the company for ages after that (didn't even know there was a KS running). It is great to see that the sculpts are now looking much better.
Thanks!
With Hindsight, even I think some of my early sculpts were terrible :p, but I do constantly strive to improve and I still have lots to learn. As long as people keep buying Ill keep improving and churning out new stuff!
I like, or at least, am happy with and content to sell, the entire current range.
As Bolognesus points point, almost all the original components for the Exo-Lords range have been re-done to a much higher standard since I switched primarily to digital sculpting, and even now whenever we make new master moulds I go over the older parts making small improvements.
The new AFTERLIFE stuff is what Im most proud of so far, and I have plenty more planned!
Got my Afterlife stuff on Thursday or Friday last week, and was really impressed. Haven't started putting them together yet, but the sculpts are great, and the castings are super super clean, some of the best i've ever seen.
@xowainx - Thanks very much, Im working on the game! Once Ive got the trial rules to a playable state I'll release the trial version to Vanguard backers, after further playtesting and development based on feedback the final v.1 rules will be released with another wave of figures for "Volume One"
@Inqscott - We are almost done with the KS shipment then it will take us a few weeks to recover and make new moulds, so the current target release date for regular retail is the end of February. Only a few weeks away.
Dwartist is making awesome progress on the UC Marine, and he has said he is painting up some of the mechs and tractors.
His paint work is far superior to mine so I'm really pleased he has allowed me to share his photos.
Anvils Hammer wrote: RiTides - No we are only held by by production of the infantry, your order was just tractors so went out a couple of days ago!
Last in line, justly so, are the people who bought it through the website after the KS ended! But their parcels will be going out soon as well, we are making good progress!
They forgot, or weren't able to, switch out my non-Grenadier choices for Grenadiers, which was a little disappointing.
The models look so good though that I'm considering just sitting on what I received and picking up more Grenadiers at retail.
Detail is nice and crisp, minimal mold lines, little bit of flex to the resin so you can cut it up with no fear of it shattering all over the place.
2 piece infantry is something of a relief honestly. I'm sure they'll release multi part down the road if there's demand but there's a ton of variety this way.
And they are finished, UC Ajax Mech currently being worked on. I really wish I could claim the credit for this brush work! Thanks to Dwartist for permission to share.
@Zond - Yep retail in a few weeks time I hope. Sadly the prices cant be as good as KS but shipping will be a lot quicker than 3 months!
@RiTides - Glad you like them... I didnt intend them to be "cute" but the WALL-E comparison has been made
They forgot, or weren't able to, switch out my non-Grenadier choices for Grenadiers, which was a little disappointing.
The models look so good though that I'm considering just sitting on what I received and picking up more Grenadiers at retail.
Detail is nice and crisp, minimal mold lines, little bit of flex to the resin so you can cut it up with no fear of it shattering all over the place.
2 piece infantry is something of a relief honestly. I'm sure they'll release multi part down the road if there's demand but there's a ton of variety this way.
Excited to see what's to come.
Hey I'm really sorry about this! We did our best to get everything perfect but with a logistical operation this size a few mistakes got made.
I cant find your backer number, email me your details and I will get this sorted out ASAP for you.
Glad you are happy with the quality! Proud to say we got that right
They forgot, or weren't able to, switch out my non-Grenadier choices for Grenadiers, which was a little disappointing.
The models look so good though that I'm considering just sitting on what I received and picking up more Grenadiers at retail.
Detail is nice and crisp, minimal mold lines, little bit of flex to the resin so you can cut it up with no fear of it shattering all over the place.
2 piece infantry is something of a relief honestly. I'm sure they'll release multi part down the road if there's demand but there's a ton of variety this way.
Excited to see what's to come.
Ditto, except with me it was switching everything to republic, but since I've been spending half my time since the KS thinking " I should have kept the UC mechs" and they look even better in person, I'm just gonna keep it all as is. Too bad I'm stuck in the house today, I guess I'll just have to put some models together
My pledge just arrived. And in the most hilarious way possible too. I was standing looking out the front window as the parcel man pulled up the drive way (coincidence or what?) Rather then walk up the 3 steps of our porch and place the box in front of the door he threw it. He threw my AFTERLIFE pledge at the door rather then walk up 3 steps. Oh gods I almost died with laughter. Needless to say I spewed the mouthful of tea I had everywhere.
But... back to the miniatures.
WOW
The AFTERLIFE minis are amazeballs. So crisp and clean. Haven't seen a single mould line yet. The booklet is really top notch too. Very professional stuff. Time to make another cup of tea and have a bit of a read.
Joel, you lads at Anvil have outdone yourselves. Well done mate.
Snrub wrote: My pledge just arrived. And in the most hilarious way possible too. I was standing looking out the front window as the parcel man pulled up the drive way (coincidence or what?) Rather then walk up the 3 steps of our porch and place the box in front of the door he threw it. He threw my AFTERLIFE pledge at the door rather then walk up 3 steps. Oh gods I almost died with laughter. Needless to say I spewed the mouthful of tea I had everywhere.
But... back to the miniatures.
WOW
The AFTERLIFE minis are amazeballs. So crisp and clean. Haven't seen a single mould line yet. The booklet is really top notch too. Very professional stuff. Time to make another cup of tea and have a bit of a read.
Joel, you lads at Anvil have outdone yourselves. Well done mate.
The fellow who delivers papers to my workplace in the morning likes to speed into the parking lot, spin around and throw the papers out the window. He's got remarkably good aim, considering he's going about 60kph in a circle. It's a damned shame when someone happens to be walking through the door at that time. When it's a paper, it's amusing, when it's potentially hundreds of dollars worth of stuff, I'd probably lose it.
Ditto, except with me it was switching everything to republic, but since I've been spending half my time since the KS thinking " I should have kept the UC mechs" and they look even better in person, I'm just gonna keep it all as is. Too bad I'm stuck in the house today, I guess I'll just have to put some models together
Doh! I remember there being about 3-4 swaps like this and I was personally responsible for sorting them out so I'm sorry that I messed up! If you are happy with the models as is then thats good but contact me if not.
Snrub wrote:He threw my AFTERLIFE pledge at the door rather then walk up 3 steps. Oh gods I almost died with laughter. Needless to say I spewed the mouthful of tea I had everywhere.
But... back to the miniatures.
Haha! That is unbelievable, I'm glad we used good boxes and plenty of packaging peanuts to protect it all, I hope nothing was damaged in the "delivery". In the UK they would almost always knock on the door and wait to deliver it to someone in person.
and thanks very much for your kind feedback on the miniatures and booklet!
---
I'm currently working on the first draft of the rules, sorting out basic mechanics and activation at the moment.
Hopefully I will have some previews of the next wave of figures available soon.
Yeah Joel, it's all accounted for and there was nothing damaged in the "delivery".
I had a few problems. I'm not sure if they are localised to me or not, but if it's something you can fix for the future I thought you might want to know about them.
- 2 of the gun tractors had air bubbles near the pouring gate/vent/thingyjig. Nothing that can't be packed in with GS though.
- The rear wheely thing of each set of tracks also has a rather nasty mould line on it that is quite hard to get rid of without either a specialist tool type thing or a lot of fiddling around.
- One of the Howitzer cannons also had a rather nasty air bubble on it. It obscured no detail but it was sizeable. Well at least I think it's big. I've never dealt with air bubbles before.
- The separate pistol for the UC exo-mechs would appear to be a wee bit miscast on one side. Not sure if it's an air bubble or mould misalignment.
- One of the UC exo-mech miniguns looks like the mould may have slipped or been misaligned. Along the inside of the ammo belt and ammo box there is what I thought was a mould line but it actually looks like 2 separate parts have been stuck together.
I can PM you photos if want?
Right, now with the bad out of the way let us peruse the good!
- So I've given everything a good look over. Out of 28 extremely detailed miniatures I think I had a grand total of 4 significant mould lines. So no problems there. Honestly I started looking for mould lines that weren't there. I was desperate to find some. After assembling 70+ GW Imperial Guardsman I was having a hard time accepting models without mould lines. - Barring the 3 on the Tractors There were no air bubbles on any of the assault team minis.
- Almost nil flash. A little bit between a pair of legs. Again no problem at all. - So much good, crisp detail packed onto such small models.
- The little bits of base detritus are awesome.
- I think I got an extra tractor minigun by mistake. (I got 4 miniguns, 3 of the Howitzers and Rocket launchers)
- Good range of poses. For minis that are already mostly posed they have a nice variety. What you'd want to see from a bunch of guys running around a city or inside a building shooting at folks.
I'll get some photos up when I assemble them and start painting.
All the good stuff you said - excellent! and you should have got the extra Minigun, sent 10 weapons with each 5 tractors for the KS release, will be fewer for the retail release.
The separate pistol is normal, its designed that way with an indent on one side, allowing it to sit flush on the Hip of the Mech with no extra work.
Sorry about the various bubbles/defects, we try to design the moulds so that when the occasional bubble does appear, its in an inconspicuous location hence the rear of the gun tractors.
Positioning the mould split through the rear wheel of the tractors was the best place I could find for it, though I know its not ideal.
Where was the bubble on the howitzer? If the minigun looks like two parts stuck together that is definitely a QC failure and needs replacing.
As a guide to our quality control, we check all our kits for mould lines and will discard any where the line cannot be scraped smooth with the edge of a knife. We will allow up to one or two larger bubbles (up to 2-3mm across) per kit so long as they don't obscure any detail, and occasionally a number of smaller bubbles (less than 1mm across).
Our quality guarantee is simply that if you (or any customer) are unhappy with the quality of the parts supplied we will send new parts or a refund. Email me your backer ID we can sort it out.
Generally with the AFTERLIFE models quality has been extremely good, consistently an improvement on our regular stuff.
Where there have been rare issues we have had no problem at all with small bubbles (caused by a lack of adequate vacuum and pressure) , but have had trouble with the odd larger bubble (caused by insufficient resin in the pour channel) and mould lines (caused by moulds gradually deteriorating through use.
We use all feedback on quality to improve the design of future moulds and our Quality Control process.
Dwartist, they look utterly fantastic. The green/grey/orange combo on the PCR guys looks great.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Anvils Hammer wrote: All the good stuff you said - excellent! and you should have got the extra Minigun, sent 10 weapons with each 5 tractors for the KS release, will be fewer for the retail release.
Ah excellent.
The separate pistol is normal, its designed that way with an indent on one side, allowing it to sit flush on the Hip of the Mech with no extra work.
I had actually started to wonder about that. After I did a dry run with the exo-mech I noticed it seemed to fit a little "too flush" on his hip. It worked a little too perfectly for a miscast. Good to know it was intended.
Sorry about the various bubbles/defects, we try to design the moulds so that when the occasional bubble does appear, its in an inconspicuous location hence the rear of the gun tractors.
Positioning the mould split through the rear wheel of the tractors was the best place I could find for it, though I know its not ideal.
Where was the bubble on the howitzer? If the minigun looks like two parts stuck together that is definitely a QC failure and needs replacing.
None of the air bubbles are an issue. I got some liquid greenstuff and packed them in and they look fine now.
The mould line on the tractors is a bit of a bugger. I can see it frustrating modelling newbies, but anyone with a bit of modelling experience should be able to knock it on the head without much trouble.
The bubble on the howitzer was near the resin pouring gate thingy. If 2-3mm is within parameters then this is probably within spec. I've spoilered a picture of it and the minigun.
Spoiler:
I'm not sure this picture illustrates the issue very well. It looks just like a big mould line here. The only other way I can think to describe it is that it's trying to shed a skin, like a snake or lizard would. One side is a darker grey and one side is a lighter grey, like an old and new skin. Kind of looks like you could peel bits off it.
Look honestly, I'm totally stoked with what I got. No complaints what so ever. I know you guys have an excellent QA system and if there was anything I was unhappy with I would have let you know about it.
Uh as far as rules go a beta set of rules is getting shipped out to anyone who went with the vanguard pledge. As for the final rule set you'd have to ask Joel.
@Snrub - Cheers, glad you were able to sort out the various issues. I will certainly keep a close eye on the tractors and make sure we do extra checks for any misalignment in that area.
The bubble on that howitzer is right on the boarder of what we would pass/fail. If the bubble was anywhere but a perfectly flat surface it would be an automatic QC fail.
The Minigun flash you describe is certainly unusual! my best guess is that the mould was partially filled by accident, then not all the bits were taken out prior to it being poured again with a slightly different coloured resin (same stuff, but we dye it grey "by eye" so it varies from batch to batch). So this would explain the "flake" look of the mould line.
We are always happy to replace any component which fails to meet expectations.
@poda_t
Here is the "rules teaser" update from the KS -
Afterlife Kickstarter wrote:The rules for AFTERLIFE are in the early stages of development, but we can share some of the unique concepts we are working on to ensure that the game accurately simulates the chaos of the near-future urban battlefield while providing a exciting and fast paced gaming experience.
These concepts are all subject to development and alteration/improvement during play testing. After In house testing and balancing VANGUARD backers will get the trial rules set to try out several months before the main game release.
• "Learn by playing" mechanic - A series of basic scenarios will introduce new gamers to the core rules/mechanics one by one, with the game developing in complexity over a few hours as the rules are learned. This removes the need to spend hours reading the rule book before you can pick the dice up!
• D10 mechanics Most actions are resolved with a single dice role, keeping the game fast, but the D10 allows for lots of statistical variety between units.
• Simultaneous Activation system. Player A declares an action for a single unit, player B declares a reaction, which is assumed to take place simultaneously. This ensures both players are continuously involved in the game.
• Game Scaling Mechanic - Units will deploy into the game with a simplified "Battle" profile, but upon close range contact with the enemy will switch into "Skirmish" profile, allowing models more individual autonomy. This needs some extensive play testing, but the idea is to ensure a larger game moves fast in its opening stages, but the game gets more tactically interesting as opposing sides close in on their objectives.
• Fog of War- To add realism, Units are assumed to be invisible until they are detected by a scan/LoS. Players will have options to bluff with "ghost" units and substitutions, so you don't know exactly what you are facing until its right in your sights, this means the players will have to stay on their toes and it will be difficult to predict your opponents actions and strategies simply by looking at the miniatures on the table.
• Resource Points - Army lists are not always set in stone before the game, you start with a certain number of resource points which can be used to deploy units to the battlefield, or use special tactics and options such as Artillery Strikes. You can alter the makeup of your forces during the game, and redeploy "dead" units if you have sufficient resource points left, this adds an extra level of tactical uncertainty for players. In some circumstances it will be possible to earn extra Resource Points by achieving mission objectives.
• Command Points - These can be spent each turn to perform heroic actions and special combined actions involving several units acting at the same time. Careful use of command points will be essential to victory, as you can do most damage to your enemy with a "combined arms" approach, using the strengths of different units together to achieve powerful combination attacks.
• Faction Building - Rather than limit players to choosing a certain army list and units from that factions, we hope (subject to balance in play testing) to create a "DIY Faction" list where players can create their own corporation/government/resistance movement/mafia gang, and combine most units from any of the core factions to create a unique army, or add mercenary forces from one faction to supplement another.
This gives some idea. I'm actually making quite good progress at the moment writing the first draft of the rules up. The plan is to send out initial drafts to some volunteer play testing groups in the next few weeks, then the Vanguard Rule Beta will be a finished draft, based on the play testing from that we will make final adjustments prior to the release of "volume one"
Just finished putting together my (first) 16 Grenadiers.
I LOVE these minis.
Really clean casts. Nice variety in the poses even being mostly two piece models. I'd say that binoculars torso is the only one that would get too repetitive over 3+ squads. Medic and the NCO to a lesser extent.
The base debris on the tabs is a great little bonus.
Really looking forward to painting these guys and seeing what else Anvil has in store for Afterlife.
So Joel - now you have these minis of your hand - I'll go back to the old pushing. Once you talked about being the only one out there making shoulderpads in guard size - guess now would be a great time to be that guy
please do Joel make regiment scale shoulder pads, you'd sell a bucket load of them
I didn't get in on the KS but only because of Christmas and all that associated expenditure, but I'm really looking forward to when the Afterlife minis are available to the rest of us!
I'm interested in these.. and am patiently (..maybe impatiently) awaiting the retail release of the grenadiers. One thing I'm hoping to hear about though..
I have a very specific gun setup I want to put on them but it looks like they have the gun molded onto the arm. Can someone confirm this or clarify?
Is there a parts breakdown or someone reviewing the build process on the grenadiers? I'd really like to see how everything fits together.. and if possible how they scale with other lines of heroic 28mm.
I added a small review of the gun tractor to my blog, if you should be interested in some scale pics. Must say, as always the AI stuff is just excellent.
@Manus - SHoulder pads - Noted! I will try once we get a few Afterlife bits available.
Thanks for the tractor review!
@MLaw - Im afraid as Snrub says, because of the Bullpup weapon design it would be almost impossible to remove the guns and replace them with another part.
I wanted to keep part counts to a minimum to make assembly easier for gamers, and also allow more dynamic poses which would be impossible with multi part (looking in a scope for example).
Sorry about that!
@Snrub -
I honestly have no idea, I have never paint stripped a resin model.
A quick google suggests that yes, you can use simple green to strip resin models, our stuff is pretty much the same as that used by Forgeworld.
I would suggest you strip just ONE model first to check it works ok and doesnt attack the model, then strip the remainder.
AFTERLIFE models retail release later today hopefully!
It makes sense but please consider a release of special weapons or sergeants or whatever that can have different arms whatnot. I would love some of those types of torsos but I need the guns to match the rest of my army.
i'm not sure if this is exactly the right place to be asking this (as its not Afterlife related), but are there any plans for more of the MotN Fallen Dwarves?
@MLaw - Good point. I am actually working on some support weapon guys for the UC marines, which will have separate weapons, making swaps a bit easier, I will try and figure somthing similar out for the Grenadiers at some point.
@Nicky J - Yes this is the right place. The Dwarves were unavailable for a while but are all back in stock now. I think Icesword, the sculptor, does have plans for a few more units for them, perhaps check his blog (google miniatures of the north).
@Poda_t - Thanks, though I would advise the suits are not quite big enough for use as centurions - the UC mechs are approximately the same height and bulk as a GW terminator, whereas Centurions are substantially larger than that again I think.
some of the larger mechs, when they make an appearance, may be more suited.
You're welcome and thank, looking forward to that.
@poda_t: I completely agree that the minis are cool. Must admit I don't think they are large enough for centurions, if you care about that at all - if I can remember I''' get a pic up later next to a SM - don't have a centurion.
Please tell me the dog is going to have some kind of armor on his front regions..that..may or may not look like the Helghast dogs in Killzone:Liberation.. I mean.. it's not like I have a direct interest in that or anything
Automatically Appended Next Post: Oh! Congrats on launching the line for retail!!! I unfortunately can't order now because if they ship on the 7th I will likely be out of town when they arrive..
@MLaw - Ive just had a google.. not exactly like that, but it will be equipped, its not a "normal dog" by any means. I dont want to give more away at this point.
and thanks!
and YES - AFTERLIFE Miniatures are now available for regular orders through our store!
Next up - rules development, previews of the Vanguard miniatures I've started to work on (The dog is not for the vanguard) and the gradual build to to SALUTE over the next few weeks!
@Barzam - Glad to be of service. I hope you like the finished product which will be a fair bit more sci-fi than just an average (oversized attack) dog.
Soon, no. Basically we intend another Kickstarter to launch the full version of the game, but as I have the vanguard set and trial rules to sort out, plus a whole lot of development of new miniatures, I doubt the next KS will be starting in the next 6 months, working as fast as we can though!
None of the newly available models will be sold through KS at any point now though, it will be all new stuff for other factions most likely.
Shame on me, I haven't been following your thread as closely as I should have.
Your grenadiers are excellent. I find it High-larious that you've been able to manufacture a better rendition of the Defiance Games grenadier in less time and a lot better quality.
I wish you all the best and will definitely hit you up with an order once the cashflow is more steady!
Your grenadiers are excellent. I find it High-larious that you've been able to manufacture a better rendition of the Defiance Games grenadier in less time and a lot better quality.
I totally agree.. with the exception that the rifles still feel too large. After building Infinity, Deadzone, Dreamforge, Sedition Wars, and MERCs stuff, it's hard to take guns that far out of scale seriously :/ (part of the reason I want to be able to swap them out)
Past that, I really enjoy the regular infantry guys. They have a more modern sci-fi flavor that I appreciate.
Work in Progress.. I dont normally share stuff this early in the design process but as you asked specifically..
Excellent! I pinged Kev White about some working dogs awhile back. He responded that he liked the idea, but nothing ever came of it. The only modern military dog I know of that exists in miniatures is the one put out by Eureka Miniatures as part of their SEAL Team 6 (so, smaller - truescale - see bottom pic). While I'm sure you have your own ideas for them, here are a couple of pics to help inspire you:
Aside from the MERCS stuff, I have (a lot of) all those lying around, and painted a bunch of them as well - only the really rather new Infinity stuff is substantially better in the weapon scale dept.; most of the older stuff (and to my eye, most if not all of the SW stuff) doesn't 'feel' less bulky than these guns, IRL.
I was really only referring to assault rifle sized weapons.. I'll compare mine to the others again.. but I just finished building some of these and I remember thinking the scale was very reasonable.
The new Infinity models are the only ones I own.. so I really don't know about the older ones.
Either way.. the point wasn't necessarily about the other manufacturers.. it's more of an increased awareness of how big companies have been making infantry weapons.. and that the weapons on the Afterlife infantry feel large.. my examples were just to show that there are companies out there that are not GW and aren't making silly looking weapons. Anvil guns have a tendency of being closer to the GW side though I have noticed they've been a little more conservative of late... if only marginally..
EDIT:
Also.. before anyone mistakes my post as a continuation of a bashing of some sort.. I love the look of the Afterlife infantry.. the weapons are literally my only complaint.. and if I wasn't going for a very specific weapon loadout, I would probably even just accept the current ones.. I am simply stating that lately I have had a taste for more realistic scales on infantry weapons.
They're really not that big. Not even big enough for a space dwarf to ride around in. You'd actually be better of gluing four of them in a square and then converting a mini tank from that. Which now that I think about it would be really cool.
Hey Joel? I'd just like to say that these new infantry for this Afterlife Kickstarter you just did (having only just seen them), finally moved your company into the realm where the quality of sculpt is good enough that I'd buy it.
Without meaning to sound condescending at all, I'm really glad you stuck with your sculpting and wargaming company. You've got an excellent reputation for quality casting , your sculpts have become original, and your past engagement with the community and willingness to take constructive criticism really stand out. Well done old bean. Well done indeed.
Snrub wrote: They're really not that big. Not even big enough for a space dwarf to ride around in. You'd actually be better of gluing four of them in a square and then converting a mini tank from that. Which now that I think about it would be really cool.
Great idea!
but I've just realised I could hitch them together and make some kind of mini version of the old squat land train! Maybe I will be ordering 5 after all!
Automatically Appended Next Post: Joel, can you clarify - with the gun tractors option for the mixed weaponry, it says 2 of each - does this mean you get 6 weapons and 5 tractor bases...?
I like the K-9 idea, could the dog get some hi-tech bullet proof vest suit?
And a mini camera on the head of the dog would be more interesting (locical?) as a dog would look(sniff) at the threat (the camera could look like it has several axis and an internal gyroscope to keep the camera steady).
I still say having some sort of retractable waldo arm on the dog's back would be neat.
Joel, I started putting together my UC Marines last night and, just wow. The detail on them is phenomenal. I think I would count them as being some of the best quality resin pieces I've got. The material seems ever so slightly softer than what you'd been using. The pieces seem to have a little give to them that almost makes them feel like regular plastic. Definitely worth the money and I can't wait to get more of them.
Thanks for all the feedback and contributions and sorry for my absence the last few days!
@Azazelx - Thanks for those, Pretty similar to what is planned though my dogs will be a bit more sci-fi and quite a bit larger (genetically modified for extreem size and agression), hopefully still suitable for "regular" dog units, Im afraid I dont have any plans for sunglasses..
@Mlaw - regarding weapons sizes. The Republic Grenadier weapon is based on this real life gun, which you can see is pretty huge already! - http://www.oocities.org/bairdj/OICW.jpg I have tried to go for more realistic weapon sizes for this range, while keeping them chunky enough to be easily paintable and durable, its a balance.
@Dwartist - Thanks for the photos, superb work!
@Nicky_J - Im afraid no plans to sell them separately at the moment, as snrub points out they are not really big enough to sell singles. Yes the mixed weapons set is 2 of each, so 5 tractor bases and 6 guns.
@Ketara - Thanks very much! I hope to continue to impress you
@Jehan - Yes body armour will be there, as well as various "smart" add ons. Im considering a "bomb dog" which simply sniffs out the enemy and is remote detonated. War is cruel..
@Barzam - Thanks very much! They are certainly the best pieces Ive worked on, glad the long wait was worth it! Correct - we are using a different resin for the afterlife range, which is slightly softerand captures great detail, more suited for gaming models with fewer components, and very easy to work with.
-----------------------------------
The AFTERLIFE Miniatures are now available and from this week onward should be shipping out according to our normal schedule!
I have also introduced a special offer (retrospectively applied to all pre orders) -
We have a stock of our AFTERLIFE booklet left over from the KS print run. Its 32 pages of full colour high quality artwork and graphics, stories and background material and is a great introduction to the AFTERLIFE world.
While stocks last ,we are giving away a FREE booklet with any order containing at least £50 worth of AFTERLIFE miniatures, and these orders will also benefit from our "free worldwide shipping when you spend £35" offer as usual.
I'm busily working on the miniatures for the Vanguard pack, and continuing to develop the trial rules.
I am aiming to have some new prototype miniatures and the draft rules to show off at SALUTE in London in one months time, which we are currently very busy preparing for!
To punch a little life into this thread again I thought I'd share a pic of the best use of the guntractor (and other various AI bits) More pics in y blog if you should be interested.
Awesome! I suspected these would surface at some point..
I see Tractor bases, Robed torsos and heads, large bionic arms, compact fusion plants and a few bits from other companies. Awesome conversions!
---------------
Sorry for the lack of updates here - I've been working very hard in the run up to SALUTE in a couple of weeks time!
Here is a WIP of a new Tracer Exo-Mech which Im hoping to have preview copies of at the show. Its part of the KS Vanguard Miniatures pack and will follow on to retail sale in a few months time.
I see Tractor bases, Robed torsos and heads, large bionic arms, compact fusion plants and a few bits from other companies. Awesome conversions!
Thanks and almost spot on mate Unfortunately the heads are not AI - I will however strongly urge you to make some teched-up heads in guard size - I'd buy some for sure Good to see some new stuff from you again - interesting.
Manus wrote: To punch a little life into this thread again I thought I'd share a pic of the best use of the guntractor (and other various AI bits) More pics in y blog if you should be interested.
Awesome! Here's how I'm using a few of mine: as part of objective markers for our Adepticon team. The bases are 40mm:
I actually Love how "small" they are. Cutest little robot treads on the market and perfect casts
Four days to go untill SALUTE! Its really crunch time and I will be working every available hour between now and the show getting new stuff ready!
Really loving all the conversions with the Gun tractor base units. Its fascinating to see the various things people do with what is quite a simple conversion part really.
Here is one mainly for Barzam, Snrub and Azazelx but hopefully the rest of you will approve also.
Unity Council "Stim-Hound" Attack Dogs, but could be used in virtually any wargame/setting requiring a pack of large angry dogs!
Sorry for the poor photo quality, just a quick "hot off the desk" phone snap!
Should have resin copies tommorow and a limited number of sets for sale on Saturday.
Thanks, and yes of course! There are 4 different bodies, 4 heads, 4 tails which are fully interchangable, and the separate left legs could also be swapped round in some cases, so pretty much unlimited poses!
Four days to go untill SALUTE! Its really crunch time and I will be working every available hour between now and the show getting new stuff ready!
Really loving all the conversions with the Gun tractor base units. Its fascinating to see the various things people do with what is quite a simple conversion part really.
Here is one mainly for Barzam, Snrub and Azazelx but hopefully the rest of you will approve also.
Unity Council "Stim-Hound" Attack Dogs, but could be used in virtually any wargame/setting requiring a pack of large angry dogs!
Sorry for the poor photo quality, just a quick "hot off the desk" phone snap!
Should have resin copies tommorow and a limited number of sets for sale on Saturday.
Cheers,
Joel
I'm not disappointed. That looks great! I'll definitely need a set. Will they come with a unique handler figure, or will it just be a pack of dogs?
plastictrees wrote: Any plans for 'unarmed' torsos that you can drop special weapons etc. in to?
Yes potentially. The new "light mech" support guy for the UC, which will fill the mobile special/heavy role ,will have a weapon set up which allows almost any gun to be attached.
Ive not figured out any support/man portable special weapons for the Grenadiers yet but I will consider peoples wishes to convert them easily when I do!
Barzam wrote:I'm not disappointed. That looks great! I'll definitely need a set. Will they come with a unique handler figure, or will it just be a pack of dogs?
Thanks!
The retail pack will probably include a UC Marine Handler and 8 hounds, but they will also be available as "dog only" 4 packs in our online store for people who want them for other games/ranges.
Conrad Turner wrote: That's great news Joel. I can certainly see a set of 4 of them as canine companions in "Zombiecide"
Well here is the finished squad of 4! They will go on general release in a few weeks after we have recovered from the madness of Salute and I have made some solid progress on the Vanguard pledge stuff, but we will have a limited number of sets for sale on our stand at SALUTE.
Attack dogs was a very unusual suggestion but Im really glad I listened (to Barzam I think?) and decided to do it (or in this case commission the job out to the talented Mr Steve Eserin) I am really pleased with how they have turned out!
I am hopefully we will recover the development costs as Attack dogs have a role in virtually any sci-fi game, so will appeal to many people.
They could certainly aid survivors in horror/zombie scenarios.. equally they could be feral and just as likely to eat people as zombies..
Paradigm wrote: Armoured Battle Dogs are very cool. I'm struggling to think of a use for them, but hey, I've got a few weeks...
Auto find of booby traps/ IEDs.
Reveal infiltrators.
Aid to tactical questioning.
One enemy in hand to hand loses all attacks because Fido is hanging off his throat (or other body part)
Of course it all depends if your chosen ruleset has those things....
Paradigm wrote: Armoured Battle Dogs are very cool. I'm struggling to think of a use for them, but hey, I've got a few weeks...
1) Auto find of booby traps/ IEDs.
2) Reveal infiltrators.
3) Aid to tactical questioning.
4) One enemy in hand to hand loses all attacks because Fido is hanging off his throat (or other body part)
Of course it all depends if your chosen ruleset has those things....
1, 2 and 4 above will fit in almost any game system!
Also, 3 could be a penalty to leadership/morale type tests, or maybe even a fear test?
Paradigm wrote: Armoured Battle Dogs are very cool. I'm struggling to think of a use for them, but hey, I've got a few weeks...
1) Auto find of booby traps/ IEDs.
2) Reveal infiltrators.
3) Aid to tactical questioning.
4) One enemy in hand to hand loses all attacks because Fido is hanging off his throat (or other body part)
Of course it all depends if your chosen ruleset has those things....
1, 2 and 4 above will fit in almost any game system!
Also, 3 could be a penalty to leadership/morale type tests, or maybe even a fear test?
Awesome stuff!
No 3 came to mind as certain cultures do not like dogs. In fact the worst thing that could happen is if they see a dog rolling over and wanting its tum tum rubbed. Kind of takes away some of the fear factor.
Auto find of booby traps/ IEDs.
Reveal infiltrators.
Aid to tactical questioning.
One enemy in hand to hand loses all attacks because Fido is hanging off his throat (or other body part)
Of course it all depends if your chosen ruleset has those things....
Hahaha! Tactical questioning, perhaps a " Good dog, Bad Dog" routine?
In Afterlife the dogs have two roles, firstly they will have a higher Awareness Value than human soldiers, so better for detecting hidden enemy (which is a big part of the game).
The other role, as they are far larger and more powerful than todays attack dogs, is of course simply ripping people up in melee.. Im guessing most of you were too busy looking at the dogs to notice the severed Grenadier's arm right at the front.. Go look again, and yes, its included on the sprue.
I just wanted to make a quick post. I finally got around to starting my Afterlife figures. These guys are going to look great when they're all together and painted up.
Conrad Turner wrote: That's great news Joel. I can certainly see a set of 4 of them as canine companions in "Zombiecide"
Well here is the finished squad of 4! They will go on general release in a few weeks after we have recovered from the madness of Salute and I have made some solid progress on the Vanguard pledge stuff, but we will have a limited number of sets for sale on our stand at SALUTE.
Attack dogs was a very unusual suggestion but Im really glad I listened (to Barzam I think?) and decided to do it (or in this case commission the job out to the talented Mr Steve Eserin) I am really pleased with how they have turned out!
I am hopefully we will recover the development costs as Attack dogs have a role in virtually any sci-fi game, so will appeal to many people.
They could certainly aid survivors in horror/zombie scenarios.. equally they could be feral and just as likely to eat people as zombies..
Joel
Now you just need cybernetic upgrades for some of them , especially if they are modular to begin with. Then send me some and I will send you money. I can even arrange to send the money first once I have pictures of said cyber hounds.
Thanks for feedback and images, I will look at making cybernetic enhancements for the dogs but I think just regular dogs to start with- I imagine its far cheaper to breed new dogs than it is to repair injured ones! Quite a few robots planned however of various types for various factions.
Jobs at Anvil Industry
I have put up a new Careers Page on the Anvil site if anyone wants to work for us in East London, we are currently looking for an experienced digital sculptor/designer and also one or more casting/packing/general admin assistants over the next few months.
Here is the Vanguard Pledge exclusive Bounty Hunter or "Contract Hire Operative" as he prefers to be called, Ellion Hesp, the first named AFTERLIFE character.
I will be doing a retail version of this character at some point in future also.
Snrub wrote: Oh he looks cool. I like the scarred up head.
Will his final pose be like the render or more dynamic?
Plan is to print him exactly as is, as a single piece cast. he has a slight forward lean, walking forward.
A more dynamic pose is possible but I didn't think it would suit the figures "knows he is hard as nails" attitude. Designing the figure to cast in one part does limit posing options a little but the advantage is a really high level of detail, and a model which doesnt require much assembly and is really durable for gaming with.
This guys is my first 100% digitally produced figure, so its possible I will make changes when I have the first print in my hand.
LavuranGuard wrote: Really like those dogs models - forgot to ask if you had any left at Salute (got there late anyhow) but hopefully I'll be able order some soon.
Thanks!
We did actually sell out of all the stock we had at SALUTE, but they will be available for general retail sale soon.
Here is the Unity Council Spectre Operative for inclusion in the Vanguard Set, I will also release them at regular retail as a Fire Team of 4/5 figures.
Spectre Teams are among the Unity Councils most elite special forces units. They are equipped with effective but light weight body armour and highly advanced weaponry, including a dual-purpose main which can be converted from an assault carbine to a sniper rifle in seconds, as well as fire rifle grenades.
It is rumoured (but not officially confirmed) that Spectre Operatives are extensively modified with surgery and genetic replacement therapies to make them considerably stronger and faster than a even the most highly trained regular human soldiers.
Just some Grenadier specialists and the Goliath mech to go now and the Vanguard stuff will be ready to ship out shortly after, with the retail release of these figures, along with the public rules beta, following on in a few months time.
My only (nitpick) critique of the model is the left handedness. That's really just a taste thing and since there's a grenade in the right hand, it's a plausible pose.
Other than that, this whole range is very well done and is definitely on my "to buy" list.
OTOH I'm just about sick and tired of every last frickin' model holding a weapon in exactly the way I can't imagine being comfortable with (as opposed to 90-95%)
Thanks for the feedback guys! I'm really excited to get the print of these new figures - my first 100% digital attempts.
@pedro - Just sit the drones on your table and look at them.. Thats what I do with models I have no use for :p
@Snrub - Its two pistols on top of one another with mags running the length of the barrel, the central targeting optic is linked to his visor so he can "see" through the weapon and shoot from the hip with extreme accuracy. They can also load different ammo types and select fire. Fluff wise anyway.
On the topic of Left Handedness-
Spectre Operatives are trained to be completely ambidextrous for maximum tactical flexibility, he just happens to have it in his left hand in this moment.
I am right handed so naturally figures I design tend to be that way, but the plan is to include left handed figures in the range here and there up to 5-10% or so.
Then again I will never get tired of dual-wielded pistols, however unlikely it is IRL.
Basically he needed to have manipulator arms, but I didn't want them to be huge or equipped with giant melee weapons - its just not the style of AFTEFLIFE, so small ones which are normally tucked into the body seemed sensible, The pilot can activate them if he/she needs to.
The model in its current form is 50mm tall, The Anti-Tank Rifle around 42mm long, substantially bulkier than the UC Ajax mech, I think around the upper limit of a 1-man wearable Mech armour.
Snrub wrote: Doggies and big mech. You spoil us Joel.
What's the armament on the big guy? Heavy Gatling cannon and some kind of plasma/ion rifle type thing?
Haha I am glad you approve.
The Minigun/Gatling Cannon is very similar to the one on the Gun Tractors.
The other weapon is a high velocity Anti-Tank cannon firing conventional armour piercing shells - you can see the rotary Clip holding eight rounds on the back of the image on the right hand side.
AFTERLIFE is only set a few hundred years in the future, and is a war which starts after a century long ban on the development of new weapons, so armouries and weapons are much higher tech than we have now but still mostly conventional physical metal/explosive ammunition. Where serious improvements will have been made is in the targeting and tracking - a lot of weapons fire "smart" ammunition which can adjust its flight on the way to the target for example, or automatically lead a moving target.
There are some higher tech weapons - EMP and Railgun technology will feature as well as nanite based weaponry and a few other ideas Im working on, but everything in the game, all weapons, equipment and technology, will be based loosely on actual physics and science.
If the mech has manipulator arms to keep the pilot fully enclosed, I feel like an enclosed head would have made sense, too. The sensors on his head seem a little off to me... you're wearing like 2 tons of armor, but your head is exposed . And why do you need those optics on top of your head, when your naked eyes are exposed?
So that would be my only constructive criticism about the model... I'd love for an optional "enclosed head" bit, rather than the exposed one only.
I love the Afterlife miniatures and the direction you are taking them Joel.
That mech is awesome , no doubt about it.
But , for me at any rate, these should be multipart kits. I understand your rationale behind single castings , but it just turns me off that the only way to do any customisation is to take a saw to all that lovely detail !
At first I did not like the new mech. I'm not quite sure how to describe it. It almost feels junky. But the more I look at it, the more I'm starting to like it. Little things, like the operator's legs being visible from behind are neat touches. It almost reminds me of the Vulcan Suit that Bauhaus uses in Mutant Chronicles, only bigger. The one suggestion I would offer would be to take a similar route Prodos did with the Vulcan and make the sensor pod "head" attached to a canopy that covers up the operator's head entirely. That way you can either cover the operator up and have the mech with a head, or have the operator's head exposed with no mech head.
Also, does this mean we'll be seeing some more Not-TAGs from you in the future?
Hey Thanks for the feedback everyone - I should have written more details as its still WIP.
There will absolutely be an enclosed head - Im going to change the helmet to add more armour and a full visor, and also put a blast shield of some kind in the front, Not totally decided yet.
The idea with the Optics on top is that it is a "second head", allowing the pilot to activate the full armour/protection around his real head and switch to seeing the battlefield virtually through the top optics. He can also get a "barrels eye" view through any of the guns, which overlays with his main field of vision.
@Big H - Its a difficult balance getting the number of components right - between easy of assembly and higher detail levels, and modularity /customisation.
With the Mech I have had second thoughts and figured out a way to make it in a few more parts - Im currently thinking legs and stomach, upper torso ring, head, 2x weapons.
The eventual retail pack will have two different leg poses, a couple of different heads and perhaps a few extra weapons to choose from.
@Barzam - I know I made a few design decisions with this model which wont appeal to everyone. - As I said above the head will either be enclosed as standard or will have enclosed as an option.
The operators legs are visible from the front also (fairly well armoured!) They hang between the mech legs and attach to the bottom of the Mech Thigh on a sliding joint - The pilot walks and the Mech Legs imitate his/her actions exactly. The Mech can also be controlled remotely if the Pilot is killed/injured but the Mech is still largely intact.
TAG's are the Infinity robots right? I'm going for a totally different aesthetic but yes I am planning more slightly larger human/remote piloted war machines, not all with legs though.
TAG's are the Infinity robots right? I'm going for a totally different aesthetic but yes I am planning more slightly larger human/remote piloted war machines, not all with legs though.
Yep, they're the Infinity robots. I like the sounds of that. Can't go wrong with more big mecha.
Like I said, the mech's grown on me a lot. I will likely get one when they become available.
Vermonter wrote: Any chance the Afterlife line will be sold in the US?
you can order them on the AI site, as far as I know they ship all of there product to the US....unless your wondering if a local US based distributor is going to pick up the Anvil products?
For certain larger weapons and special characters I am planning to make it an in-game ability/upgrade, perhaps just including the smart round effect in the stat line of the weapon or shooting skill of the user will be the simplest option.
Goliath Guestimate price around £10-11 each, but I wont know for sure untill I have the moulds and resin parts to figure out production costs.
@Vermonter - As Ironicsilence says we can ship it to you direct in typically 7-10 days. We are currently working on creating a retail offering designed to supply stores and when its more developed we will certainly be looking to get the AFTERLIFE range stocked in US FLGS's/
Hi Guys, just finished painting my Kickstarter Assault team miniatures and thought you may like to take a look :-)
really looking forward to receiving and painting the Vanguard!
all the casts were exceptionally crisp and easy to clean up and assemble, a real pleasure to work with.
you have a customer for life as far as the afterlife range goes :-) keep up the amazing work and really looking forward to whatever comes next.
Thanks Guys, glad you like them.
Joel - yes it was time consuming but really fun as your sculpts are amazing and really wanted to do the minis justice.
I hope you don't mind me posting this here, but, I ordered a package from you guys a couple weeks ago with a special request. I got it today and was very happy to see that you guys delivered.
Nicky J wrote: Tinky Winky, Dipsy, La La, and Dakka Dakka?
I honestly wish I could exalt that twice. Or more
New models look cool too- am I right in thinking that the Field Commander has a new gun? It appears to be lacking the built in bull-pup grenade launcher of the normal Grenadier weapons.
Completed the CAD model, posed it, and rendered by Tom Lishman, a very talented digital artist who is working on the full launch of AFTERLIFE for the next few months.
I will print this next week and have it in resin well before the end of the month!
omhygodilovethosetinymanipulatorhandsonthefrontofthemachine! Man, this one is pretty dang spiffy.I'm hoping for some extra mounting points on this sucker.
I actually think the little hands in front make the model and accent its powerful elements, the way the tiny arms on a T-Rex draw attention to the power of the legs and teeth. They certainly make it this sculpt unique, and I like their realism (who wouldn't want to be able to, say, carry a wounded sergeant to safety or type in a code while piloting that thing?).
Missed the kickstarter, unfortunately, but I'll be buying this model someday. Great stuff!
Design wise, the folded mechanical arms were the biggest risk I took with the model. I know it looks a bit "boxerish" and that not everyone will like the look, but most people seem happy with it.
I basically wanted a larger mech, but I dont think huge mechanical arms on the side (as found with a lot of other miniatures kits) are realistic - when would they ever be used. The pilot just needs the option occasionally to pick things up, open doors etc, but most of the time they are folded away.
@poda_t - Making a missile launcher to sit on the rear backpack would be quite straightforward I think, so thats a possible future upgrade along with some alternative arm weapons.
@Barzam - Yes, the head ring is a separate peice and there is a version which will be supplied with those two armour plates (on the model left and right of his helmet) folded closed, totally covering the Pilots helmet. The idea being he can "close the lid" when facing really intense incoming fire, and just view the world through the sensor array on top.
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