Zahra and Sereqet are now available in the Field of the Titans!
You’ve beaten our artists once again. Maybe we should get them some armor! You’ve definitely earned a stretch today, though, so here’s confirmation of it and a little something to keep you busy:
Giant scorpions have long been revered by the desert tribes for their hardiness, and prized by the rich for their rarity and supposed medicinal value. Riding them in the open desert has become a rite of passage for the sandborn, and driving one to a city where a buyer awaits can mean a windfall for the tribe. While they can be trained, they can never be tamed -- the difference is seldom apparent to fools, and experience comes too late to guide them in the afterlife. Thankfully for Zahra, she is no fool, though some would call her mad. The breathtaking awe inspired by the great arthropods and the luxuries traded for them struck her as an opportunity, even as a child. She chose to break from her tribe in the depth of the desert, and turn her rite of passage into a gamble for independence. She sought the most vicious scorpion of the dunes, and guided it into the arena herself.
Many of you have also been asking what else we have in store for the next couple of days -- here’s a quick roadmap. Stretch goals that currently remain are:
Dismounted Zahra.
A mounted entry in the Field of Titans for the Blood Brothers, and dismounted version in the Field of Mars.
Another Field of Jupiter entry for the Morituri.
Doric Column terrain as optional extras.
I've jumped in at the Ludus Magnus level, and I'm struggling with the temptation to up to Maximus or even Ultimus (and of those two it would probably be all the way to Ultimus to be honest as it seems to give better value than Maximus).
I could be wrong on this, but I think it seems like the creators have basically abandoned the idea of stretch goals. They have listed upcoming stuff without any stretch goal values attached, and I have a feeling that this stuff will be "unlocked" regardless of the value reached (because otherwise the 'one-of-everything' Crassus level will be pretty useless). This is OK, I don't "need" stretch goals (especially at my pledge level where there are more than enough choices already), but it does take away a little bit of the excitement of the last few days here. Thoughts?
Thanks Alpharius.
I really like that whole style of Zahra and Seqeret. I think they do a good job in terms of fantasy and realism, it isn't really too much in my eyes. Kickstarter is near the finish now, I hope we see a few other things until it's over.
We're happy to finally offer terrain as part of this campaign. These doric columns will be solid casts, measuring 125mm tall. They will be cast in the same high-quality resin as our miniatures.
I would recommend hitting up an aquarium store for columns. You can get ones about that size for ~$2 a piece. If you're in the US, go to PetCo. I know they have them there.
silent25 wrote: Columns? Really? Think they have officially run out of ideas and are struggling to fit in a few more stretch goals.
Sorry, when you can get a whole set of cake decoration columns for far less, it doesn't look good.
I agree with the cake decorations idea - that's definitely the route I'll go. But if you actually check out their KS page, you can see they have already mapped out what the next series of stretch goals will be, so I don't think "running out of ideas" is a problem.
The issue is that RRG want everything to be made from high-quality resin. They have already said that they wanted to offer columns and terrain pieces but were having a hard time finding a way to make them affordable in resin (if you think about it, those columns will use up quite a lot of the stuff to make, even though they will be a pretty simple mold to make).
silent25 wrote: Columns? Really? Think they have officially run out of ideas and are struggling to fit in a few more stretch goals.
Sorry, when you can get a whole set of cake decoration columns for far less, it doesn't look good.
I agree with the cake decorations idea - that's definitely the route I'll go. But if you actually check out their KS page, you can see they have already mapped out what the next series of stretch goals will be, so I don't think "running out of ideas" is a problem.
The issue is that RRG want everything to be made from high-quality resin. They have already said that they wanted to offer columns and terrain pieces but were having a hard time finding a way to make them affordable in resin (if you think about it, those columns will use up quite a lot of the stuff to make, even though they will be a pretty simple mold to make).
Missed that in the last update. Thanks for pointing it out. Still this feels like a waste of resources. Know they want to add terrain and such, but gamers can be resourceful and find cheap alternatives. Would like to have seen barriers or pits instead. Things that don't easily have a cheap alternative.
Agree the bit about Aquarium Terrain/cake decor. IMO theres not much you can do to columns to make them look like they're worth $10-7.5 each unless they're in fact made out of marble or something.
recruittons wrote: I would recommend hitting up an aquarium store for columns. You can get ones about that size for ~$2 a piece. If you're in the US, go to PetCo. I know they have them there.
I'm not even sure how good of a deal that is. I think it needs quite a few more of those stretch goals to make it better value than doing for example Ludus Ultimus + Ludus Magnus + add-ons.
Trodax wrote: I'm not even sure how good of a deal that is. I think it needs quite a few more of those stretch goals to make it better value than doing for example Ludus Ultimus + Ludus Magnus + add-ons.
Right now all miniatures, counting the free Lupa and free Leo for the Ultimus pledge. would run you at just about under $600 total. Not seeing any kind of deal here, unless we get quite a few more characters, preferably titans.
It's okay. Assuming you only take characters from the field of Mars, you're still ahead by 5 bucks compared to buying them individually, dice, the mini rulebook and Lupa. With two Jupiter characters you're ahead by $13 I think.
That's obviously calculated based on kickstarter discounted prices.
I went for Ultimus due to the free Leo and one titan being part of the pledge, then added for all the stuff I wanted extra. That's about $50 ahead of the curve plus a bunch of dice (I LOVE dice) and counters.
Doesn't it also include the playmat, 4 columns and a bunch of extra dice?
Granted - I'm not seeing the point yet either, but it isn't a 'horrible' value, and it could get to be a good one, soon, if more stretch goals are released and met!
Alpharius wrote: Doesn't it also include the playmat, 4 columns and a bunch of extra dice?
Granted - I'm not seeing the point yet either, but it isn't a 'horrible' value, and it could get to be a good one, soon, if more stretch goals are released and met!
If I'm not missing anything (it's quite possible I am), Ludus Ultimus + Ludus Magnus will cost you $350 and get you 16 FoM, 3 FoJ, 2 Lupas, 1 Leo, 1 other Titan, 25 favor dice and a collector set of faction dice (5 of each). Add to that the remaining 2 FoM (this includes Zahra at $150K), 2 FoJ and 4 Titans, that's another $201 so you're up to $551. If you really want the mat, the columns and the extra faction dice, that's another $80, so $631. So right now Crassus ($685) is actually a pretty lousy deal; you're missing out on $54, 5 favor dice and an extra Lupa.
Now they said that upcoming is another mounted Titan, the dismounted FoM model, and a FoJ; this will most likely be another $73, so if we get those in Crassus will be a decent deal if you really, really want everything. And if there's more than that added, then sure, it might start to look pretty good.
On another note, did you guys see the Lupa/Otho WIP's? These minis are going to be ridiculously gorgeous.
Alright, I'm getting in on this, but I can't afford the Maximus Level, so Magnus it is. Does it sound possible to play this game with 3 units on each side? I was thinking 3 Ludus Magnus and 3 Legio XIII
recruittons wrote: Alright, I'm getting in on this, but I can't afford the Maximus Level, so Magnus it is. Does it sound possible to play this game with 3 units on each side? I was thinking 3 Ludus Magnus and 3 Legio XIII
Yep, they said that 3 per is doable.
Worth noting that jupiter are worth more in game than mars, so it might not be an even match...
I don't care very much for the game, but the miniatures are beautiful. I'm in for Ludus Maximus; seems to be the most cost-efficient for me.
When this thing ships, and anyone wants my collateral (the art, the dice, etc.), you're welcome to those.
Worth noting that jupiter are worth more in game than mars, so it might not be an even match...
Two things: 3 v. 3 is the size game the RRG guys suggest starting out with to learn the rules, and Jupiter and Mars are both worth 1 point - only Titans are 2 or 3 points.
recruittons wrote: Alright, I'm getting in on this, but I can't afford the Maximus Level, so Magnus it is. Does it sound possible to play this game with 3 units on each side? I was thinking 3 Ludus Magnus and 3 Legio XIII
Yep, they said that 3 per is doable.
Worth noting that jupiter are worth more in game than mars, so it might not be an even match...
Are they? I thought the point system was going to basically be 1 point for every gladiator, then two or three for the titans.
Columns are now available as optional extras for all backers. I'm so glad that we were able to add some terrain to the Kickstarter, since obstacles play such a big role in the game. We've designed these columns to really compliment our minis.
Up next, Zahra (sans her mount) will be unlocked in The Field of Mars.
The past two days have been amazing! Thanks to all our backers, old and new.
MIKH has posted an excellent series of Lupa work-in-progress photos, do yourself a favor and check them out:
Zahra is now available on foot in the Field of Mars!
We are still finalizing the last pieces of art, but it’s clear from the amount of support that has come in over the course of writing this update that we may not have art ready as we hit the next unlocks. We’ll post the art for our last few unlocks as it is completed! Look forward to more details about our next mounted Titan, Hroka, soon.
The next model spotlight will be up tomorrow! Thanks for the overwhelming support!
Only a day and a half left on this KS campaign, and they're averaging almost $700/hour...
It's already far surpassed what I thought it would achieve, especially considering the serious doldrums that set in about a week ago. Glad those dark days are well in the rearview mirror now and very excited to see how high these guys can go.
I know its been discussed before, but if they announced a full 150-200 page glossy hardback rulebook with all sorts of background and artwork and maps, etc, I think they'd get an extra $50 out of almost every backer.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Ok, maybe 100 pages, but you know what I mean.
They've said that's not on the cards for now, as they haven't got the background solidly enough worked out yet
If they tried to add a full rulebook it would be possible, but by the time you add in the time needed to get it set up for printing, done and shipped back it would probably mean rushed content which is not what they want
After losing her brothers and father in raids by another nation, Hroka joined battle herself to honor them. Her badly outnumbered tribe rallied around her fierce fighting and drove back their foes at great cost. Though they were never married, she now considers herself the widow of the bravest warrior in that battle, after he took to heart her own drive for vengeance and saved her life in doing so. Soon after, she departed the lands of her own tribe in mourning for the family she had lost. Hroka wandered eastward along the lakes on her brave husband’s horse and bearing her eldest brother’s spear. Her solitary sojourn ended when she came upon a trading settlement and discovered the arena. Seeing the way the gladiators toyed with their opponents and counted coup against them for the cheers of the crowd and hearing tales of great games given in funerary celebration, she knew that the rest of her life would be a series of battles for glory to honor her dead.
Next up will be dismounted Hroka, at $167k and after that, Ur-Kek!
I'm not that fond of Hroka really (too straight up Native American Indian with that headdress, I dunno it just doesn't feel right with the rest of the theme; in contrast I love Vargr), but some other more regular gladiator mounted on a bigass warhorse would actually have been cool. Like an Aquila guy for example.
Oh, I misunderstood, I thought you'd missed the part mentioning the horse! That's what I did at first, just assuming that it would be some kind of supernatural monstrosity she'd be riding into battle.
Well, finally got off the fence and pledged for the basic 6... would have loked about 9 of them, but not in the cards. Definitely going to get more if I like the game, though.
Man, everything they show makes me want to buy into this more... but KD still smarts and I just don't know if I'll have the gaming funds. Several more hours to decide which wins (pretty models or self restraint)
Hroka is OK but I wish they had gone with a synthesis of Nordic and Native American cultures for Blood Brothers, rather than just putting them side by side. Ah well - can't have everything and thus far RRG have missed on VERY few things IMO.
9 hours to go, over 182K pledged... Possibility of 200K is there.
I managed to scrounge together $95 for Ludas Magnus it's not the Ultimus I wanted but it will have to do for now, I may not be sold on the gameplay yet but the miniatures are to good to pass up getting at least a few of them.
Completely agree, Alpharius - totally psyched at this massive final push, but a little mystified that it's happened without any new updates, art, or stretch goals. I really hope there's a freebie or something upon hitting 200K (seems almost inevitable at this points) - even something as simple as one of the FoM models would be great.
That said, I'm glad these guys are being disciplined about their plan and aren't falling into the KS frenzy that has kicked in with some of the more high-profile campaigns. In the midst of the Sedition Wars KS, for example, I was caught up in the excitement of all the freebies thrown in just like everyone else, but now when I look at the pile of good-but-not-great plastic, I wish SMV had used our money for higher quality rather than greater quantity. RRG seem to get that more isn't always better.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Looking at that chart always makes me smile - that -$80 day seems so, so long ago, doesn't it?
Definitely. Quite happy as it is. I doubt they're gonna announce anything in the next 3 hours or whatever but it be nice to see it break the 200k regardless. Looks like it might.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Quite comfortably.
It's definitely going to smash $200K, what a massive rush its been in the last few days here!
I agree its probably good that they're staying cool and not throwing crazy stuff in, although I've also been a bit mystified by the lack of updates from time to time in the last few days here.
There are some more WIP's on MIKH's blog page.
Threw in for the Ludus Magnus plus a set of faction dice. But torn between getting Otho or Micon as the Field of Jupiter models.
So torn, or do I just upgrade to Ludus Maximus.
TORN!!!!
Otho for me no contest, I think Micon suffers a bit from short legs and the fact that all of his attacks are push moves whilst very original is not for me.
Looks like this is all over bar the final countdown probably just as well better they commit to what they can deliver than try to shoe horn a few more stretch goals in at the very end to many KS have tripped up over that very point.
Looks ugly, slow and brutal..
*tabs out to up his pledge*
Looks like we'll break $220,000. At this point I doubt they'll throw any more concept art up but it would be nice if they threw in a 'hey, break $230k and we'll throw in a free X'.
I wanted to fund this so bad, but I just couldn't justify to myself spending $185 for 10 minis no matter how incredible the ones we've seen have looked.
Eleven, but, yeah, the very high price per model is why I didn't end up getting more. If they were in the $10-ish range, I probably would have put a lot more cash into this one...
Looking forward to getting little groups of the Blood Brothers and Ludus Maximus, probably.
Alpharius wrote: $10 for 'boutique' resin is a wishlist that might not ever be fulfilled - especially at the quality of the sculpts that we've see to date.
And can you ever imagine paying $35 for a giant scorpion with rider?
That seems like a good deal to me!
Should have been clearer: this would have assumed some change (to plastic, etc.), not just getting exactly the same thing for a lot less...
Excellent, I managed to resist long enough for the kickstarter to end! Some seriously stunning models, I will probably pick up one or two of them eventually just for the joy to paint.
So I forgot to up my pledge at the end from the $1 I was sitting at to get updates (I passed the hell out after getting home from adepticon). Anyone know if I can up it through their pledge manager?
They are looking into adding a Paypal option to the pledge manager to allow people to add more but it's not a definite however when I asked about changing pledge levels I didn't get an answer.
They are taking Paypal pledges through their website until May 2nd that's another option.
Going to contact my congressman to shut down kickstarter, I don't have self control.
Bite your tongue. Steve Rattner, formerly of the Obama administration, is already pushing for regulation on Kickstarter type crowd sourcing. Because obviously if Goldman Sachs isn't getting a bite of every investment it just is terrible!
I only pledged for Ultimus and have been set on Micon and Otho since the beginning (so much awesomeness), so this is mighty tempting to add in for Bjarrhvit at the end of the month. I was very sad to leave her out in the first place.
Be sure to mention in the notes that you are a kickstarter backer and include your kickstarter name. Thank you!"
(This option CLOSES on 2nd May 2013)
& remember you are limited to two pledge levels only (so you could have an Ultimus & Magnus or 2x Magnus but not 3xMagnus etc)
Well, that's not good. Customer is paying me his last installment of 1,000 on the 1st. Good chunk of that will go towards everything I didn't get plus extra dice.
Poll went up the other day for people to indicate what figs they are planning on getting. This isn't the Pledge Manager, only a preliminary poll to figure out casting priorities.
Fear not, we are hard at work on Arena Rex. Our forums are coming soon and with them we will be sharing some new WiP shots and production samples.
As some have guessed, this last month has been mostly spent on logistics.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the production survey, your responses were very helpful.
A funnny thing happened on the way to the Forum
Update #46 · Jun 15, 2013 · 1 comment
Hi folks,
I know it's been a little bit since we had a meaty update for you guys. Partly that is because we have been focusing pretty hard on the production process since the campaign has cleared, and partly it's because we have been holding a couple of cards to lay out for you at the launch of the of the forums.
If you've subscribed to our YouTube channel, you may have noticed the latest 360 views going up in preparation for the forum launch:
I'm registered - see you over there... occasionally!
We have actually received the masters for Proximo and Tiet-Khebi in the mail at this point. Otho is currently winging his way to us now as well. Once we get some production casts back, Nick P will post some more pictures (the masters are currently in pieces for casting).
Playtest rules will be out before the end of July. Sorry for the wait, we ended up funding over double the number of models we thought we anticipated so a lot of partially developed "expansion" models and rules have needed to be fleshed out as they are now part of the initial release. We initially thought the game would launch with only Ludus Magnus. Clearly we underestimated your enthusiasm!
In other news-
Otho master is now in hand and we are sending it off for initial production casts.
Sven's sculpt is 95% finished.
Initial metal armatures for Urien (James Van Schaik) and Vargr (Sebastian Archer) approved.
Bad/Other Nick
I think the survey for miniatures should go out...soon?
Project Update #47: Summer Playtest Update:
For backers only, Posted by Red Republic Games
It’s been quiet lately. Almost... too quiet. That’s usually how you can tell we’ve been busy.
We know you’ve been waiting patiently for more updates, and we have been working on getting them ready. Our last major update was the opening of the Forum. Now we bring you the much anticipated Arena Rex Summer Playtest.
The first iteration of the Summer Playtest has finally arrived. In this round, we are focusing on the core rules and gladiators -- we want to make sure the playing field is level before we let loose the titans and additional rules in future weeks.
Here you’ll find everything you need to get started:
Rules
Cards
Gladiators
We’ll have a formal feedback submission set up soon, but in the meantime we’d love to get your initial impressions over on the Forum!
spiralingcadaver wrote: I did a review of the game, analysis of stats, and quick little battle report on my blog, if anyone's interested.
A bit complex, but I really liked the mechanics. I can see this running really smoothly with a bit of experience.
Excellent analysis and an easy read. Thanks for putting the work in - I can't be the only one who appreciates it.
You aren't. Read it last night. Great work, thanks for doing that. Posted it to my local clubs fb page, hope you don't mind. There are a good few ar backers there.
Got my first game in last night. Super fast and exciting gameplay - moreso than I had even expected.
Otho, Urbicus, and Iason vs. Micon, Noxious, and Hermes (he's a bitch to fight against BTW). I'm sure we screwed up some of the procedural stuff, but managing reactions and fatigue were clearly the most important factors. When to do power attacks and how well to sync them with favor die took some time to flesh out as well.
Very much looking forward to trying out all the gladiators I'm interested in in the next few weeks. Thrilled to be in on the ground floor with this one.
Our pledge manager is scheduled for August. I'm going to be meeting with the programmer in a few hours actually.
Nick P
Creator Red Republic Games 6 days ago
Pledge Manager is being worked on. We held it back until after playtest rules so backers could get an idea of how the models would play if before they selected. It also gave more time for sculpts to be worked on/completed. Not all sculpts will be finished before miniatures have to be selected however. The following should be complete before Pledge Manager.
Tiet-Khebi
Frigge
Noxius
Otho
Lupa
Vargr
Gaius Pallidus
Aquila
Sven
Aemelia
Infelix
Urien
Urbicus
Micon
Wendigo
Proximo
Bad/Other Nick
and some game play stuff:
Creator Red Republic Games 1 day ago
PITS!!!!!
Pits can often involve trading model for model, but you can tilt the odds in your favor based on careful positioning or model special rules like intercept, entangle, reaction guard, taunt, etc.
It's like trading in chess, just make sure you are getting a better deal out of the trade or set it up where you have a chance of not actually trading, but getting a free kill instead.
Several Blood Brother sculpts finished recently, thought you all might like a look Roberto, Olivier, Benoit, and Sebastian knocked these out of the park. We hope you are enjoying the playtest. Our pledge manager is coming soon.
spiralingcadaver wrote: The Wendigo looks a little small for the price, but I'm really loving the Blood Brothers ludus, and all of those sculpts are pretty gorgeous.
I'd said that Vargr and Frigge are mind-blowingly good - just amazingly lifelike in proportion and movement. Sven has some excellent elements to him, but I can't help but find his musculature cartoonishly exaggerated. A little disappointed, TBH, as BB was the group I was most excited about from the start. And I've never been the slightest bit interested in Wendigo, but I don't find anything objectionable about the sculpt. Certainly sticks closely to the concept art.
One good thing: I'm quickly discovering which sculptors I prefer (Cauchies, Archer, Mikh, and Zak are all great while Van Schaik and Nkweti have produced the only misses, IMO).
@Michael Gerard- The art for altered poses and the on-foot versions of mounted models will be available before the pledge manager. They have all been through at least 1 round of drafts at this point.
They've maintained that the pledge manager would be up sometime in August. Considering they hit their target almost exactly with the playtest materials, I think you can expect it sometime this week.
This and Mierce Miniatures have really impressed me with their models post-KS. It seems if you hire better sculptors you get a better final product which is closer to the concept art... who knew
As someone else mentioned, I also really appreciate that both list their sculptors' names next to their work- that really helps in keeping track of things.
Pre Production Samples Part II
Update #49 · Aug 28, 2013 · 11 comments
We've received a few more pre-production minis for approval from the casting house. This is always really exciting for us. It's the first time we see the assembled piece in person since the original sculpts are mailed to us in bits. Here are some photos and 360 videos of Tiet-Khebi, Otho, and Proximo.
You'll also see some images of our first resin copies of the column terrain. They look incredible, especially while next to a few minis. These doric columns were modeled digitally and 3D printed. Before they were cast, the prints were lightly sandblasted to give them a little stone texture, the effect is really nifty.
We recently sent out Wendigo, Vargr, Frigge, and Infelix for preliminary casting. You can expect to see their samples (photos and videos) some time next month.
Thanks everyone for your support and interest. It's been really cool to see our minis piling up!
Just one more piece of news, our pledge manager will be online soon. We are currently in the bug hunting phase. Up to two pledge levels are supported. You will be able to change your shipping address and add funds for additional rewards via Paypal
Talk to you soon.
-RRG
Really wishing I'd gone in for Proximo too - but I'll pick it up eventually!
Really wishing I'd gone in for Proximo too - but I'll pick it up eventually!
As someone who was originally quite negative about him, I can't help but agree. Very, very strong model - whereas the concept was a little off-putting for me, the model itself is moving into the "must-get" category.
But having said that, Otho might be the single finest model I've ever seen in this scale. The amount of realistic detail and life-like sense of movement MIHK managed to fit in the sculpt is just jaw-dropping IMO. I've said it before, but I can't ****ing wait to get some of these models in hand.
I bought a load of wedding cake columns for a project a few years ago but never used them so I have plenty to spare - good forward planning on my part I like their columns but the price is to much given how cheaply you can pick up wedding cake ones which are quite detailed anyway.
It would be nice if they would put some of these models into updates - they've said they don't want the spam backers with updates but they are far from that point yet.
This is one of the few kickstarters that I did not back that I am having "non buyers remorse"... with the exception of the price tag, but I am really interested in this game.
I really don't like when companies semi-abandon the KS system for updates and use Facebook instead.
Oh well!
Ur-Kek
The final Ur-Kek sculpt in all its glory! Valentin Valentin Ammon Zak did an outstanding job interpreting the art and bringing this character to life. Many thanks
Note : The armor plating on his shoulder and shin are optional.
Can't wait to see what else Valentin Ammon Zak does for them...
Was a little nervous about the scale of certain models in relation to each other, but seeing them lined up like that puts me at ease. Very happy with everything thus far - models, rules, pace of production, etc.
Last we heard, we thought the Pledge Manager would be up in August...
Just one more piece of news, our pledge manager will be online soon. We are currently in the bug hunting phase. Up to two pledge levels are supported. You will be able to change your shipping address and add funds for additional rewards via Paypal
Clearly that didn't happen, but I'd guess...September?
Not sure. I do know they all have day jobs, so this game does not get the 24 hour attention... yet. It will be bumpy.
The people at RRG do seem to have a great vision and an eye for quality sculpts. Curious to know what their ideas and plans are for the future?
That said, I hope the rather high price per mini will not turn people away.
Just did another 4 test games again today. Each time I am remembering more and more.
As you remember the reactions you can do during a game as the non-active player, the game is a delicate balance of when to go with the slow or put the pedal to the metal.
One interesting thing I took from this game the most games do not have, is the game favors players who are defensive minded and offensive minded. Last game I played I got
"venus flytraped"
One thing the rule book is in dire need of, is examples of play following a set of rules of things that would be legal to do and things that would not be legal.
most refreshing set of rules I have played since malifaux 2 years ago.
I actually prefer projects like this to have creators with day jobs... it sucks when your whole campaign is basically paying someone's living expenses. This seems to be the case with ones like Imbrian Arts or Red Box Games...
Dreamforge is another example where, because the creator had a job, basically all of the funds went to tooling, rather than his living expenses. Of course artists need to get paid, but funds go a lot further when they can go directly into tooling and game production.
I'd like to clarify that comment, actually- in campaigns like this and Mierce Miniatures, there is a lot of sculpting to be done, and you can see that they're hiring world class artists to do it. But, they're being commissioned and only paying for that one job. I just feel like the funds go further that way.
Anyway, just a passing thought, back to watching these beautiful miniatures unfold
Got my ass handed to me in the first 2 games. Didn't kill a single gladiator.
I rolled that bad. 5 straight defense rolls without a single success.
Rolled 8 dice on a power attack to give the final blow to a gladiator.
on those 8 dice including re-rolls netted me 1 single success.
After having played every faction at least once, and have played the Morituri .the most, their cohort abilities seem to be the weakest of the bunch. Perhaps my group and I are playing them wrong in combination of their abilities and cohort abilities. As this game is simple but very difficult to master with the balance act of keeping track of abilities, knowing when to exhaust units, defensive game, offensive game, knowing how to "hook" people in.
Noxius just out right waffle stomps everyone.
I played the Blood Brother twice today.
Sven and Frigge are great tag team partners with Berserk and Intervene (if I am playing her ability correctly). Basically fighting back to back.
3 game I had, I tagged team Frigge and Sven to kill off a character early in the game with 2 attacks receiving no damage in the process. Sven attacking back to back, frigge boosting defense for Sven.
They are amazing but here I am with my playtest stuff unused At this rate I won't get a game until the painted models have drowned in dust on my shelf.
From Arena Rex on facebook (makes me want to get my hands on Leo and his identical twin Felix)
Good research seems to be the foundation for a great sculpture. MIKH sent along his study of 'panthera leo' for our Leo character. I really like seeing this type of work. The care that goes into is impresses me.
That is really impressive! I can't imagine that most miniature sculptors put that kind of care into studying the anatomy of their subject... but the results really show in the sculpts on this campaign so far.
Agreed. Other than how the beta testing has kind of stalled out (which has drained some of my interest from the campaign), the system from a creative and mechanical perspective looks like it's shaping up to be something pretty special.
spiralingcadaver wrote: Agreed. Other than how the beta testing has kind of stalled out (which has drained some of my interest from the campaign), the system from a creative and mechanical perspective looks like it's shaping up to be something pretty special.
I didn't get a chance to play test again today (too busy playing Letters from White Chapel over and over).
I want to play test the Egyptians again.
of the 5 or 6 times I have played them I have had my ass handed to me all but once.
Not sure if they just suck or they just have a steep learning curve, I have not found their Cohort abilities of an good use.
Perhaps they will change now that I have learned a few things, such as being able to attack twice (normal attack) assuming I have fatigue to spend.
Terrain is needed to split up the arena, in particular the middle. Otherwise all games become march to the middle and have a roll off for the first several activations. It felt like the several games of Warmachine I played.
As far as I am aware, never push one guy up far ahead of your cohort in hopes to disrupt your opponent.
Pledge Manager is Now Open!
Update #50 - For backers only · Sep 20, 2013 · 42 comments
Thanks to your pledges, the initial release of Arena Rex will be bigger than we ever imagined. Now it's time for you to let us know which rewards you want. The sooner you finalize your reward selection, the sooner we can begin final production. Please lock in your pledge by October 11th. The project has been steadily moving along, new and exciting sculpts are being produced every month. Part II of the playtest is also looming in the near future. We are thrilled to see the whole Kickstarter package come closer and closer to completion every day.
About the pledge manager: In order to log in, you'll have to click 'forgot password' and enter the email address linked to your Kickstarter account.
After logging in, select your pledge level from the dropdown menu (note there is another dropdown menu below it for a second pledge level, this is optional.) Your reward slots will appear as red in the cart. Please click each item (rulebooks and dice too) to be sure they will be included with your rewards, you do not want any red items in the cart when you submit.
Selections in your cart may be removed by clicking them.
When you are finished selecting rewards click Submit, this will lock your cart and let us know you have completed your pledge. You may add additional funds. If your cart value is higher than your previous pledge amount you will be prompted to send the difference via PayPal upon clicking 'Submit and Add Funds with PayPal.' IMPORTANT : if the email account associated with your PayPal account is different than the one associated with your Kickstarter account please let us know. Add a note to the PayPal transaction to let us know which Kickstarter account the funds belong to.
Thanks again for your support. We hope you know that your pledge actually did make a difference. If you have any problems please contact: info@redrepublicgames.com Check out a few of our latest developments below. Talk to you soon - RRG.
It would be nice if, once you're done, the pledge manager would say so definitively, and/or send you an e-mail 'receipt' detailing your choices, showing your address, etc.
Yeah, I thought that also. They were asked about it on facebook, they said.
"If you are unsure about whether or not your pledge has been locked-in, simply log in and try to modify your cart. If it has been locked you will not be allowed to."
Automatically Appended Next Post: Yeah, if you go into your "my pledge" bit and try clicking on one of your choices, it'll tell you that your pledge is locked.
thanks that's good to know I wasn't sure myself but I can't change it now so it's locked. I stuck with my Ludas Magnus plus 1 extra Mars in the end, think this is the first KS I haven't added extra funds to afterwards.
Yeah it kind of came down to cost as well in the end - great miniatures but expensive in resin this is by far the most expensive KS I've done on a cost per miniature basis ($16 average or something like that)
Otho
Septimus on Foot
Infelix
Iason
Viatrix
Hermes
and Lupa of course
Based on nothing more than sculpts and concept art - I wanted to stick with all from the same Ludas this will allow me to set up 3 against 3 games for now if I like I can get some more. I was tempted by some of the titans and Tiet-Khebi and Bjarrhvit but I want to keep this relatively small and I can pick them up later if need be. The other thing I had in mind was that I have a lot of KD:M armour kits coming and they could be used here as well if need be.
Had to leave out a lot of stuff I'd love to get - but maybe later, right?
Legio XIII
Aquila
Aemilia
Ban-Luca
Urien
Gaius Pallidus
Ludus Magnus
Urbicus
Viatrix
Marcus Furius
Lupa
Iason
Infelix
Hermes
Septimus (on foot)
Otho Mentulus
Micon
Septimus and Nero
Morituri
Tiet-Khebi
Mago
Zahra (on foot)
Thoth
Ur-Kek
Zahra and Sereqet
Unaligned
Leo
I decided to pass on the Blood Brothers entirely, though there were a few minis in that faction that I liked, overall it wasn't a group I felt I wanted straight away.
That list does show a 'faction choice imbalance', but hopefully that's something that will get fixed over time.
I'd have loved to pick up PROXIMO and EURYALE too, but, hobby funds are low, so they didn't make the cut either, but I'll definitely pick up those two at retail...
Miscellaneous Mago (Mars) $17.00
Noxius (Mars) $17.00
Leo (The Titans) $25.00
You can see I'm trying to get at least three fighters from three separate Ludi, plus Noxious and Mago as extras because they both look so awesome.
Not sure whether I want to keep Gaius in as an add-on or put that money toward Hroka on her horse... Or just go whole-hog and add both. I'm not rich and every dollar of disposable income gets scrutinized, so thinking about how much I've already put into this is making me gunshy about that move - but then again, everything about this game has been so great I'd hate to leave out anything.
cincydooley wrote: Piston: any recommendations on a good "starter force" of 4-5 models for Ludus Magnus ?
Viatrix has great mov. attack. def and armor as well as a good ability if you are trying to prevent a character from near death.
Urbicus probably has my favorite abilities of the faction, the ability to manipulate fatigue in this game is priceless.
Otho does not have a very impressive speed, but has average attack and pretty good armor.
His health bar does not generate much favor (only one when he dies) but his attack tree make him a vital gladiator among the L.M. he is sort of a watered down noxius in that regard. 3 success and he deals 7 damage and a push.
I wouldn't let his negative ability "Hated" scare you as his 5 attack and ability to pull of a power attack of 2 attacks is more than capable of doing a lot of damage to any gladiator a person brings.
Hermes is my second favorite Gladiator, he has probably the most intriguing and complex damage tree. Very versatile in any position. He can push, he can do damage and he can gain favor with ease. He pretty much will fit into any style of the game. Plus his 6 attack and his ability makes him a giant D!ck.
Marcus Furius is a great tag team model with his entangle ability. He is great at forcing players engaging in gladiators they don't want to, and once again, can potentially manipulate the fatigue system which I have found to be a great tactic in the game. Losing a fatigue prevents a player from performing a power attack or performing 2 attacks and allowing him to push and run very far.
There are a few other LM character but have not played them yet.
I finally got to play test the morituri a few times yesterday.
And for the first time I didn't get my ass handed to me completely.
Adding in a few rules that I missed on really helped my Cohort overall. Zahra is the center piece, IMHO of the entire faction.
Always try to slam one of their gladiators into another when possible.
Finally found the perfect strategy with their cohort abilities and using them to stack up for defense purposes. Unfortunately, their cohort abilities really take a balancing act because they can only be used in a clear turn. Rushing into a clear turn results in death. :(
For anyone who hasn't been tracking things via RRG's Facebook page, the AR forums, or the KS comments, the pledge manager needs to be finalized by October 11, which just so happens to be tomorrow.
(Personally I'm holding out until the very last minute on the now unlikely chance that they post some new rules or WIP.)
I held at $286 (Ultimus + Gaius Pallidus added on), but holy crap, was it hard. I ended up going through what seemed like every sculptor's entire body of work to finalize my choices too... Left out a few I originally wanted, like Infelix (rules are cool, but I can't stand the sculpt), Bjarrvhit (Van Gioi's done some great creatures but I couldn't find any human figures from him), and Mago (same story with Chaudon - awesome monsters, not sure on humans), and had to wait on a few like mounted Hroka and Septimus on foot due to lack of funds in the hobby budget. Ah well, there's always retail later on...
I know I've said it before, but I totally agree with you - I can't get over the quality of this project. If the Sed Wars KS had been this disciplined and focused, I think it might actually have a future... Something I think AR has in spades.
I held at $286 (Ultimus + Gaius Pallidus added on), but holy crap, was it hard. I ended up going through what seemed like every sculptor's entire body of work to finalize my choices too... Left out a few I originally wanted, like Infelix (rules are cool, but I can't stand the sculpt), Bjarrvhit (Van Gioi's done some great creatures but I couldn't find any human figures from him), and Mago (same story with Chaudon - awesome monsters, not sure on humans), and had to wait on a few like mounted Hroka and Septimus on foot due to lack of funds in the hobby budget. Ah well, there's always retail later on...
I know I've said it before, but I totally agree with you - I can't get over the quality of this project. If the Sed Wars KS had been this disciplined and focused, I think it might actually have a future... Something I think AR has in spades.
So far RRG has shown both quality and loyalty to backers.
Their 2 biggest issues are not updating the kickstarter page with updates but doing so with facebook. This is not an issue for me as I check my facebook page regularly as it is more or less an exclusive email with friends. But some people are not active nor use face book.
Biggest issue, and it is fixable is the rule book. For being their first rule book they have done a great job. Some areas need to be re-written and clarified. some expanded examples of play should be added with images. Best suggestion I could give to any game designer is too look at the battlelore rule book. The rules are about 90 pages but most of that is taken up with multiple examples and images pretty much covering every possible scenario during a game. I read the entire book with no questions.
It is a bummer that there is a delay in communication between fans and RRG, but their entire crew have full time jobs. Hopefully Arena Rex will prove to be profitable and secure to the point where they can leave their "normal" jobs and give RRG 24/7 attention and hopefully we will see Arena Rex grow and perhaps some new IP down the road.
New update this morning. Slight delay (q1 2014) which is a shame, but fine. And Gaius is looking goood.
Update #52 - For backers only
Oct 11, 2013
The good, the bad, and the shiny
Playtest Update:
Playtest part two is finally live! Thanks for all of the great feedback and suggestions in the forums and via email. We hope you’re ready to unleash the titans. You can find the new documents here.
Pledge Manager:
Thanks to everyone who has locked in their pledge in our Pledge Manager. The vast majority of our backers have selected their rewards, if you haven’t, please lock in your pledge HERE. If you have any questions just email info@redrepublicgames.com
Project Delay:
Unfortunately, we will need to delay shipping Arena Rex slightly. We haven’t run into any major problems, but slight delays have accumulated over the course of the project. With the extra wrinkles we have run across, shipping looks like it will occur in the first quarter of 2014.
We set out to create the highest quality product we could, and that hasn’t changed. We are still really excited to get that product out to you and start seeing it on tables everywhere, and we are dedicated to getting each of you all of the rewards you deserve for your support. We don't intend for this delay to be a long one, and we'll keep you informed of our progress the rest of the way. Thanks everyone for your patience, and your support.
Yeah, i'm hoping with the delay they'll extend the window for locking in your pledge. Because, I wasn't getting Gaius or Euralye before. And now....wow...
I ended up choosing all three of the Sebastian Archer sculpts based on what we'd seen up to this point. Very happy I went that route, now that we've seen Gaius Pallidus. Zahra is the only one I locked in that we haven't seen yet, but I have a lot of faith. So far, all the sculpt have been in the awesome category, with a couple very good outliers.
Holy catfish - I had absolutely zero interest in Euryale before, but seeing that WIP and how she's come together, I think I have to get her eventually.
Also, VERY glad I opted for Gaius, sight-unseen... I knew he'd be good based on the other Archer sculpts, but wow, the detail is amazing. I also think Archer does an outstanding job of transferring exactly what is great about the concept art into the actual model without copying it exactly. Underrated ability IMO.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Gomez wrote: Still considering my own pledge here... I'm at the Ultimus level, so currently I'm thinking this load-out:
Magnus Lupa - Kickstarter Exclusive (Mars) $25.00
Iason (Mars) $17.00
Urbicus (Mars) $17.00
Septimus (Mars) $17.00 Viatrix (Mars) $17.00
Otho Mentulus (Jupiter) $21.00
Micon (Jupiter) $21.00
Septimus and Nero (The Titans)
Hermes Marcus Furius
Miscellaneous Mago (Mars) $17.00 Noxius (Mars) $17.00
Leo (The Titans) $25.00
Fixed to show my final pledge. As I've said before, who sculpted what played a big role in my choices. Now hoping that RRG's Q1 projection for shipping means January, not March...
Oct 13, 2013
Viatrix!!!
Comment
Pre-Production Samples III:
Be sure to watch this video in HD if your connection allows and enjoy this preview of some early castings of Vargr, Frigge, and Wendigo. I'm shipping out Sven, Aemilia, and Gaius Pallidus in the morning; they'll be next on the turntable.
Thanks to everyone who locked-in their pledge...
...if you haven't yet, it's no sweat. Please head on over to the Pledge Manager and select your rewards soon. The Titan playtest rules were released a bit later than we hoped, life hit us hard in September. One of us had a kid and two of us had career changes. Still, we'd like to apologize and thank everyone for their patience
Anyone who, after playtesting the titan rules, decides they would like to modify their selections we are more than happy to accommodate them over the next few weeks. Just contact Walker at info@redrepublicgames.com he'll help you out.
Now to the matter at hand:
It is my great pleasure to present Patrick Masson's Viatrix sculpt. He has captured her perfectly. Bravo Patrick.
I love that sculpt - hugely glad I opted for her. And I think the abs are all right TBH. Muscle definition there can be hugely variable in real life humans. Just look at female Olympians and you'll see what I means.
I'm very glad she looks like an actual athlete and warrior too. While boobs and such are nice, I've always found it strange that most female minis for war games look more like Playmates than someone who could kick your ass. Viatrix looks like she doesn't mess around.
Gomez wrote: I love that sculpt - hugely glad I opted for her. And I think the abs are all right TBH. Muscle definition there can be hugely variable in real life humans. Just look at female Olympians and you'll see what I means.
I'm very glad she looks like an actual athlete and warrior too. While boobs and such are nice, I've always found it strange that most female minis for war games look more like Playmates than someone who could kick your ass. Viatrix looks like she doesn't mess around.
Yup the women in this are rather refreshing. Not that I am offended with giant tatas or anything. It's just monotonous. I love my girl friend's comments regarding Relic Knight minis, unfortunately don't think I can post them here.
Guys, I've started a blog following the building of my Arena (yes, I'm using the Playmobil set). Gonna try get it done in time for delivery, and I'll try update as often as I can.
Pop over and have a look, I would very much appreciate your thoughts/opinions/ideas as I go.
So, anyone have any thoughts on the new Titans rules and adjusted first wave gladiators?
I think the different levels of cards is a pretty cool way to represent how beasts'/creatures' capabilities might change under duress, but I have to confess that the rider-mount dynamic (both can attack with a single activation) seems like it might be a bit too much. For example, I know both will be exhausted when they're done, but if Septimus and Nero use power attacks on another gladiator in the same turn there's not going to be much left but a bloodstain in most circumstances.
I've only played one game with him, but I really liked how Leo works as well. He's a Favor-generating machine at first, and turns on beast-mode (ha!) when he goes to his second card. It was at least partially due to me bunching up a bit too much, but once the game wound down Pounce just wreaked havoc with my remaining fighters - not being able to react to it really hurt.
Finally, I like most of the changes to the original gladiators. Frigge's and Ban-Luca's nerfing is perfect, IMO, but I think Gaius Pallidus was taken too far. I think healing only one model in 3" radius should be either all models within the radius OR a single model regardless of range.
Yeah, not really feeling the mounted combat rules, Gomez. I'm liking the critters, but think the mount rules are nuts, and think that unless they make the riders really easy to remove, it's going to be really awkward with the rider on the mount model when the rider has dismounted (double) or is dead (phantom).
I thought that too until I found where it says that mounted gladiators count as the same base size as their mount, which brings in the rule where bigger bases makes it harder to push - for example, a 30mm based gladiator needs +1 success to push a 40mm 1 inch, and +2 successes to push a 50+mm 1 inch. If I'm reading everything correctly, that means someone like Infelix would need 3 push results to knock Septimus off Nero. Not sure how many 30mm fighters even have three pushes on their damage tree...
Back on the fence about getting Nero, the Wendigo, maybe a few others... not sure if I want to stick with my tiny 2 ludi(sp?) or go for 3 little ones or expand the 2 to each have a big beastie...
I had Euryale on my list until I decided to cut the titans now I know they are titans but she looks a little to big to me and tail looks too long if you actually uncoil it - it's a good sculpt but I don't regret not getting it - Nero on the other hand I may well have to get later.
Nothing new yet, but hints that we may get more images soon
Creator Red Republic Games about 1 hour ago
Lupa's sculpt is now complete! The next update will have a link to many many photos of the finished piece. MIKH was very thorough in his photography.
-
I'm working on shooting the 360 views of Euryale and Viatrix. They, among others will be included in the next update as well.
I wish I'd gone in on this one instead of Crocodile Games' "WarGods of Olympus" campaign. The models here are pretty mind-blowingly good, in my opinion. My only concern is if the exposed flesh means that some skilled modelling would be needed to hide joints, but they certainly look fantastic.
RiTides wrote: I wish I'd gone in on this one instead of Crocodile Games' "WarGods of Olympus" campaign. The models here are pretty mind-blowingly good, in my opinion. My only concern is if the exposed flesh means that some skilled modelling would be needed to hide joints, but they certainly look fantastic.
What makes you regret the CG one? Went in on both and have been happy with the sculpting and feedback on both. Wargods might be moving a bit slow, but given CG's past history, that was expected.
Regarding the WarGods campaign: I wasn't aware of CG's past history, so I didn't realize I should expect it to be slow. I'm getting pretty exhausted with sculptors who do awesome work, but don't know how to manage a campaign, getting 6 figures all at once and then struggling to deliver :-/
So far I've really been wow'ed by Arena Rex, and Mierce Miniatures, for example... the common denominator seems to be that while they raise a huge chunk of cash, they are not actually the sculptors- they are paying out much smaller chunks of cash for deliverables, and thus seem to have better oversight of their projects. Kingdom Death would be another example of that.
By contrast, "first party" Kickstarter campaigns where the actual sculptor is both managing and fulfilling the campaign, as well as sculpting, seem to really not be managed as well from my experience so far (Imbrian Arts, Red Box Games, WarGods of Olympus, are all campaigns I've recently experienced this on). And yes, I know two of those were originally involved in trollcast- but both have continued to have new and longer delays in their new sculpts (having switched to metal and launched a new campaign in metal, respectively).
This is just something I've observed and I've started to think that for campaigns making large amounts ($50K+) it is better to be basically paying someone to oversee the work, rather than to have the sculptor try to handle managing the campaign, fulfillment (emails, shipping, the whole nine yards), AND sculpting all on their own. Results are still coming in, of course, but I think it's pretty fair to say it's a trend that campaigns with an "overseer" handling the funds are being handled more smoothly in a lot of cases.
RiTides wrote: Regarding the WarGods campaign: I wasn't aware of CG's past history, so I didn't realize I should expect it to be slow. I'm getting pretty exhausted with sculptors who do awesome work, but don't know how to manage a campaign, getting 6 figures all at once and then struggling to deliver :-/
So far I've really been wow'ed by Arena Rex, and Mierce Miniatures, for example... the common denominator seems to be that while they raise a huge chunk of cash, they are not actually the sculptors- they are paying out much smaller chunks of cash for deliverables, and thus seem to have better oversight of their projects. Kingdom Death would be another example of that.
By contrast, "first party" Kickstarter campaigns where the actual sculptor is both managing and fulfilling the campaign, as well as sculpting, seem to really not be managed as well from my experience so far (Imbrian Arts, Red Box Games, WarGods of Olympus, are all campaigns I've recently experienced this on). And yes, I know two of those were originally involved in trollcast- but both have continued to have new and longer delays in their new sculpts (having switched to metal and launched a new campaign in metal, respectively).
This is just something I've observed and I've started to think that for campaigns making large amounts ($50K+) it is better to be basically paying someone to oversee the work, rather than to have the sculptor try to handle managing the campaign, fulfillment (emails, shipping, the whole nine yards), AND sculpting all on their own. Results are still coming in, of course, but I think it's pretty fair to say it's a trend that campaigns with an "overseer" handling the funds are being handled more smoothly in a lot of cases.
I guess I'm not see the level of failure that you are seeing with Wargods. Fitz has been very accessible through the CG Forum and posts here as well. While the figures have been slow coming out, they are shipping. I wouldn't be holding up Arena Rex as a success yet, given they too have slipped into next year for delivery. I wouldn't say the whole managed model is a sure bet, Raging Heroes, Sedition Wars, Relic Knights all follow that profile and we see how those projects finished or are doing.
Just out of curiosity, what did you end up pledging in the Wargods?
RiTides wrote: I wish I'd gone in on this one instead of Crocodile Games' "WarGods of Olympus" campaign. The models here are pretty mind-blowingly good, in my opinion. My only concern is if the exposed flesh means that some skilled modelling would be needed to hide joints, but they certainly look fantastic.
There is a guy, possibly 2 who want to sell their pledges.
Don't know why they even contributed in the first place, I have seen them in multiple kickstarters and have yet to hear anything pleasant come out of their mouths.
You may hear some people exaggerate about others say things they will always find something to complain about.
These people, especially one of them are living legends.
Majority of KS are delayed, about 84 percent, the second one is delayed he goes on a rampage asking for his money back.
I think we all know he is, I know Orlando has encountered him more than once.
Silent- I don't think any of your examples are analagous to mine. Raging Heroes does indeed do a lot of sculpting in-house, so they don't qualify as "managers". And CMON is more of a distributor / manufacturing middle man than anything else- the sculpting as again being done in-house by Studio McVey and Ninja Division for both of those examples (Sedition Wars and Relic Knights).
I think I'll take this to a Buzzsaw-esque "Kickstarter meta post" and make a separate thread for it, no need to derail here further. I'll take my comments about WarGods over to the WarGods thread in this section, as well
Hello hello all, the RRG team is preparing to spend some quality holiday time with our families this week. But first, we wanted to be sure our backers got a nice holiday update Let's begin with some new minis.
Pre-Production Samples V:
Viatrix, Ban-Luca, Aemilia, and Euryale are on display in 1080P video. The Euryale shot was particularly difficult to get as she is 120mm tall, 4x the size of our typical man-sized model. We had to completely tear down our photo-booth and setup the lights much higher than usual to accommodate this serpentine sculpt.
Lupa
Lupa has been completed! We are going to produce over 1000 copies of this exclusive mini. Good thing it turned out so spectacularly. We'll be sharing many more photos of her on our Facebook page in the days to come. For now, enjoy the turntable GIF below:
Lupa - Exclusive mini sculpted by MIKH
There are so many details to appreciate on this piece: earrings, hair, the hammer's medallions, sandals, the list goes on. MIKH has 5 more sculpts from this Kickstarter to complete. We hope they come out as well as Lupa, and in good time too. We are eager to ship this Kickstarter's rewards and expand Arena Rex... more on that later.
New 'Arena Rex' Logo
Amber Blade Jones has taken a break from character development to give some love to our logo. This new execution has a bit more panache.
New Arena Rex logo (character placement not final)
Although there are several duplicated letters in "ARENA REX" this mark's characters are all uniquely weathered and rendered in Amber's characteristic style.
Character detail
Dice
Our first batch of favor die arrived recently, while faction dice are currently in production. I'm told each logo is hand inked. Crazy. This campaign will produce over 23,000 dice.
International shipping
We know that import duty can be a pain. Some backers have suggested we investigate fulfillment services from Amazon to avoid shipping directly from the US. Unfortunately Amazon will not work for pledge fulfillment. And though our shipments will originate from within the US, we want our international backers to know we are looking into ways to minimize the import tax on their pledge rewards.
What's left to sculpt?
As I mentioned before, MIKH is currently working on 5 minis: Septimus, Septimus and Nero, Hroka, Hroka and Caho-Ta, and Leo... Now that I look at it - it's actually 7 minis when you consider the riders separate. Lately, MIKH has been in contact with us a few times a week with updates on these projects. Whenever major progress is made we will share.
Stephane Nguyen Van Gioi is working on Zahra and Sereqet (as well as the dismounted Zarha) and will move on to Bjarrhvit when the scorpion and rider are complete.
Roberto Chaudon is currently finishing up Mago.
On my desk I have original sculpts of Marcus Furius, Ur-Kek, Thoth, and Iason (waiting for the Christmas holiday to end before shipping them to the caster). These are the next minis you'll see in 360 video.
Gael Goumon has finished Hermes, the sculpt is in the mail and on the way to Austin, TX. When we get the first pre-production casts of Hermes we'll shoot some photos and include them in an update.
What's next?
Getting our kickstarter rewards produced and ready to ship is our highest priority, most of our time is spent working towards that goal. But every now and again we find the time to discuss new characters. Recently we've been working with Yasmine Putri on some additions to the world of Arena Rex. We'd like to close out this update with a preview Legio XIII's Sulla
All the pre-production samples look great (no shock, as we've seen three of them already), but I'm pleasantly surprised by Ban Luca - I had absolutely NO interest in her based on the concept art, but her sculpt looks excellent.
Lupa is also awesome. What we've seen thus far of MIKH's body of work for this game is approaching legendary status... If his work on the riders and mounts is anywhere near Lupa and Otho, I think he'll get there (just need him to pick up the pace a little bit ).
(Plus, Hermes is on the way - which means we might get another update sooner rather than later).
DICE!
And finally, a hint of the future of the game. No idea who Sulla is, but he sure looks like a BAMF.
Well damn, I did get 2 Lupa's so that my mate who missed out on the KS could get his hands on one but now I am tempted to tell him his got lost in the mail :/
Also that Ban Luca does look much more interesting than the concept art. Suddenly she has gone from 14 years old to Brienne of Tarth. I am ok with this.
It looks like production is well under way from this latest picture from facebook
a big stack of Noxius stat cards
also
Another Sulla teaser... this time with his optional helmet.
This is half of the final piece by Yasmine, note the changes to the highlighting on his cloak. In our next KS update (later this month) we'll share the complete Sulla art and tease another new character.
This is going to sound stupid, and has probably been answered before (but the thread is long and my lunchbreak is not) but are there, and if so what are the plans for a general retail release (just a ballpark figure)?
The do intend to go to retail after the KS is fulfilled.. My guess is this will happen towards the end of Q2 as there was still a bunch of sculpting being done in December
(the Sula concept art is for a post KS expansion to the range so they are prepared to move on once the KS is finished)
post KS prices were estimated to be $21 for small and $28 for large human minis
with the big monsters being $35 to $45 (although I bet this will turn out to be more)
They're talking to retailers/distributors
but I suspect initially buying may need to be via their own website (and maybe a few stores ordering direct from them) as because this stuff is high end resin I'm not certain they will be able to give the 40-60% discount distributors will demand before stocking the range
Automatically Appended Next Post: Oh also their website and forums
Shipping will be delayed further than anticipated. The project is running smoothly, if a bit slower than we hoped. Don't worry, the project will be fulfilled. We apologize for the additional delay, we know the wait can be frustrating. We want Arena Rex in your hands as much as you do. At this time we have decided to simply continue updating you on our progress rather than setting another estimated ship date.
With that in mind, below is a breakdown of where each miniature is in the production process:
Sculpting progress:
Stephane Nguyen Van Gioi's work on Zahra and Sereqet is looking quite cool. He's skillfully capturing the dynamism of Amber's art. Roberto Chaudon's Mago is also true to the concept, check out the scarification details. MIKH has been carefully refining the anatomies of his commissions. These are the last few minis that need to be finished for principal sculpting to be complete. Save for Bjarrhvit, Stephane is still developing that piece and we hope to be able to share it next month.
Zahra work-in-progress : Stephane Nguyen Van Gioi
Zahra and Sereqet work-in-progress : Stephane Nguyen Van Gioi
Mago : Roberto Chaudon
Septimus WiP : MIKH
Septimus and Nero wire : MIKH
Caho-Ta WiP : MIKH
Caho-Ta WiP : MIKH
Hroka on Caho-Ta wire : MIKH
Leo wire : MIKH
Hroka and Septimus shields WiP : MIKH
Game Card:
Our game card design has been finalized and our first production samples are arriving. These cards are on a heavy stock and coated with a dry-erase marker resistant, glossy finish.
Production Noxius game card.
Website Updated:
Arenarex.com (http://www.arenarex.com/) was due for a solid update. We've reworked the site and included new galleries that showcase everything that's been created thus far thanks to this campaign. Now, thankfully, everything is in one place. It's a great resource for new fans who are discovering Arena Rex, and those who backed us from the start.
New art:
Last month we teased Sulla, this month we will share the whole illustration (this time with his optional helmet!)
Sulla : Yasmine Putri
And finally, the latest character to join the ranks of the Morituri... Anum!
Anum : Yasmine Putri
Thanks everyone for your patience and support.
Until next time,
-RRG
Originally due to ship in December 2013, and I forget when the updated delivery date was supposed to be...
Lots of very nice art - might get into this when I see more background, actual models as I am a huge fan of the Sparticus TV series and this fits nicely.
Since a lot of the not yet sculpted stuff is already in progress (a lot with MIKH who like working on stuff in parallel), and the cards are up to the 'test prints' stage
I'm not too worried (although I think Q3 is probably most likely as you say)
RiTides wrote: Whoa. That's a lot of stuff not even sculpted yet. Looks like Q3 or Q4 this year to me...
*crossing fingers*
I'm still hoping for sometime in Q2, personally. The cards look to be done, more than half of the minis are produced or being produced as we speak, and out of the list of "Sculpt in Progress" models, the only ones we've seen nothing of are Hroka and Bjarrhvit - the rest are in some stage of completeness. Zahra looks mostly done, for example, and Zahra + Sereqet has the scorpion already finished... MIKH seems to be the one holding things back IMO - I know he stepped up to take on by far the most sculpts of any of the artists and his work has been amazing thus far... But I'd still love it if he was able to hurry up just a bit.
That said, loving the nuts and bolts of this update. The cards look top-notch, and new sculpts and WIP look good, and the teases of future characters look outstanding. Can't wait to roll a freakin' war-hyena into the arena.
Oh, there's a new image of Thoth that never made it to the update, but was posted on the AR site (that I can't figure out how to get to show up here).
They posted this in the comments a week ago, so their "monthly update" should be coming out this weekend seemingly:
Red Republic Games on Feb 21st wrote:Hi Everyone,
Forums - good point about the arenarex.com homepage, I've changed the site, now the forum has a direct link there.
International shipping - All rewards will be packed with care by us in Austin, TX. I haven't yet found a cost-effective distribution option in the EU. Still looking into this.
Though we are updating this campaign monthly I'd still like to drop by the comment thread more often. In September I became a dad, in January Other/Bad Nick did. Our schedule has been packed. Thankfully things are calming down for me at home and I'll be able to answer emails and KS messages on a more regular basis.
We are shooting for next weekend for the next update. MIKH has done some amazing work on Nero that we will be sharing.
Thanks everyone for your patience and support,
Nick P
Mar 2 2014
February Sculpting Progress
Comment
2 likes
Hi folks, We have some really great progress to show you.
Firstly, Nero. He has always been one of the centerpieces of Arena Rex for the whole team, and is coming together really well. We can’t wait to see him and Septimus joined together at last:
Secondly, another duo, one that sprang from community inspiration (no axe necessary). Zahra and Sereqet will be complete once mounted Zahra's headdress is finished.
Bjarrhvit's sculpt is complete, as well. It will be a real treat to get her in hand and see that awesome chainmail detail in resin:
Lastly, here is a layout of MIKH's current pieces, arrayed side by side. We speak daily about the sculpts and they are progressing nicely. We are continually impressed by the attention to detail MIKH brings to his pieces and can't wait to see these completed:
Hroka and Septimus will have some pieces (weapons, heads) cast and translated to their mounted versions, which should help speed the process as well.
We appreciate your continued support and patience, and we are really looking forward to shipping your rewards.
Wow, "MIKH" is really taking his time... the bull looks great, but everything else looks about like they did the last time they were shown.
Looks like Q4 delivery of the final items to me when things are not close to the finished sculpting stage yet. Are they doing staggered / split shipping?
I'd rather have MIKH take his time and produce an awesome fig rather than rush and give us a bad one. Was burned by Sedition Wars. The crappy figs and rules made me lose all interest in the game. Should pull those figs back out and do some more painting on them :(
Nero is looking great. I can't remember if I ordered him or not >_<
Wish I could get these ASAP without causing any quality issues but that won't happen. Would rather have a quality mini than a terrible mini. I own tons of average minis. A quality sculpt draws people to the gaming table.
Torn on the delivery time table.
At least it is not as shady as some other kickstarters. People working on other projects, putting it on the back burner, etc.
On the other hand really should have (I assume they may have) a firm time table for projected sculpts from their list of sculptors. Not sure if you can really blame anyone.
RRG funded twice as many minis as they were expecting.
Perhaps in hindsight it would have been better if they were able to complete 50 to 70 percent of the sculpts of what was originally expected?
Automatically Appended Next Post:
silent25 wrote: Should pull those figs back out and do some more painting on them :(
RiTides wrote: Wow, "MIKH" is really taking his time... the bull looks great, but everything else looks about like they did the last time they were shown.
Looks like Q4 delivery of the final items to me when things are not close to the finished sculpting stage yet. Are they doing staggered / split shipping?
I can't see split shipping being a possibility, especially with the 2 postal price rises since the KS ended
(and they may well want the finished minis to put pictures in the book too? the art's excellent, but some see to like minis in the book)
Would love a general or firm date. late spring, mid summer, whatever. Think they are avoiding a date so people don't jump on them which may cause the opposite reaction they were hoping for,
That said, at least I know when they come I will have high quality models that will see table time, be painted and not be a pain in the ass to prep.
In the mean time, I have lots of projects that need to be finished. Which will never really happen.
Mar 16 2014
The Ides of March
11 comments
13 likes
The ides is upon us again.
It’s been quite a year. On the first anniversary of the inauguration of Arena Rex, we have a couple of nice treats to share. First, we just got in the masters of the latest models for Arena Rex. All of them have been approved for production except for Ur-Kek, who had some casting issues on his left leg, but should be approved soon. You can see them all in our newest 360 video here:
And a few still images for those who prefer their minis in stasis.
Latest production masters.
Stephane's Parcel
Next, Sereqet and Mounted Zahra are finished, and you can see them both together at last and (very) separate below. The second photo shows the packing for their journey to Austin, and then on to the casting house from here.
The completed and parted out Zahra and Sereqet, assembled with stick tac.
Stephane's package.
Caho-Ta + Leo
Lastly, more progress from MIKH. Leo and Caho-Ta both have their volumes settled and rough details begun. The final touches on Nero came out great, including the trademark scarring from Yasmine’s original artwork.
By the horns
Thanks for sticking with us, and we’ll share more soon!
-RRG
And I'm going to agree with both Cincy and Piston on this one - I find myself strangely unenthusiastic due to the delays and 'no end in sight' nature here, and yet, I'm happy to wait because the models do look fantastic...
I can see this one running to the end of the summer if not year end as well that said we paid for premium resin miniatures so I'd rather they didn't rush them because the vast majority have been quality sculpts. I might have my SWM ruined temple boards to build an arena by then too!
I'm waiting to see Sereqet and Mounted Zahra and Bjarrhvit as a final resin casts it's difficult to pick out all the details in the "green" and the mix of materials doesn't help. I really wanted Bjarrhvit but hadn't got spare funds to add her so I hope she turns out well and I'll get her later.
I can see the lion and horse being a problem to attach to a base and keep them there, the dynamic poses are great but sometimes aren't the most practical. It does seem to be mostly MIKH work that's left but they did give him the lion's share of the work.
RiTides wrote:"MIKH" seems to be the boat anchor on this one but in the end the creators are the ones responsible, and really do seem to be in no rush.
A bad miniature produced will be a bad miniature forever.
In such a niche market bad first impressions will last forever.
Sedition Wars will/should be a warning to the overall quality of a miniature, in both sculpt and material. I've seen more people on here, facebook and BGG that have tried to pawn off their sedition wars kickstarter and say they will never buy from SM again.
I'm sure there are other example of poor quality miniature kickstarters I'm just not aware of them and do hope it doesn't seem like I am picking on them.
When all said and done, when this product is delivered the last thing people will think about is the delays. People will be in awe when they see these in person. Without a doubt RRG should have planned differently, but water under the bridge, when/if they do another KS I hope they adjust the mistakes they have made that resulted in the delays.
RiTides wrote:"MIKH" seems to be the boat anchor on this one but in the end the creators are the ones responsible, and really do seem to be in no rush.
DaveC wrote:I can see this one running to the end of the summer if not year end as well that said we paid for premium resin miniatures so I'd rather they didn't rush them because the vast majority have been quality sculpts. I might have my SWM ruined temple boards to build an arena by then too!
I'm waiting to see Sereqet and Mounted Zahra and Bjarrhvit as a final resin casts it's difficult to pick out all the details in the "green" and the mix of materials doesn't help. I really wanted Bjarrhvit but hadn't got spare funds to add her so I hope she turns out well and I'll get her later.
I can see the lion and horse being a problem to attach to a base and keep them there, the dynamic poses are great but sometimes aren't the most practical. It does seem to be mostly MIKH work that's left but they did give him the lion's share of the work.
There is 8 miniatures left (as of last month) that need to be sculpted.
I'm guessing 3 to 4 months to be finished 1 to 2 months for casting?
I'm sure there are other example of poor quality miniature kickstarters I'm just not aware of them and do hope it doesn't seem like I am picking on them.
Mantic has that niche covered. Somehow people keep buying from them.
I'm sure there are other example of poor quality miniature kickstarters I'm just not aware of them and do hope it doesn't seem like I am picking on them.
Mantic has that niche covered. Somehow people keep buying from them.
Wal-mart mentality.
It's crap but it's cheap.
Their Undead is fantastic, Orcs are ok-ish. But the rest is total crap. The Human-angel army that was released recently was jaw dropping terrible. They looked like Dollar store quality Bag-o-army men.
I'm sure there are other example of poor quality miniature kickstarters I'm just not aware of them and do hope it doesn't seem like I am picking on them.
Mantic has that niche covered. Somehow people keep buying from them.
Wal-mart mentality.
It's crap but it's cheap.
Their Undead is fantastic, Orcs are ok-ish. But the rest is total crap. The Human-angel army that was released recently was jaw dropping terrible. They looked like Dollar store quality Bag-o-army men.
I gave it a shot with the Deadzone Rebs. I was really, really disappointed.
It blows my mind that they seem to not take any gak, while McVey produced better (but still not great) minis for Sedition Wars and they've just been raked all over the coals.
There is 8 miniatures left (as of last month) that need to be sculpted.
I'm guessing 3 to 4 months to be finished 1 to 2 months for casting?
July or August delivery date?
Depends which casting house they are going with. Discussing it with one painter helping out a couple KS's, he mentions most in the US are still backed up for months. We may be seeing a fall delivery for this one :(
cincydooley wrote: I got the update, thought, hmm, and then immediately had trouble caring because I have no idea when we're actually going to get our stuff.
The regret meter is presently pretty high with this one.
QFT. Well, actually, I don't regret it, but it felt like it completely lost any momentum and have trouble caring now. I was really eager and playtested a handful of games, but then communications got really sparse and I'm not invested in the game any more. I'm looking forward to playing, but expect at this point that I'll be using the beta rules and proxying minis I don't own (i.e. more than 2 starter groups) because of how little they've tried to keep things going (unless there's been a recent push, that is- I eventually gave up on their forum...)
spiralingcadaver wrote: QFT. Well, actually, I don't regret it, but it felt like it completely lost any momentum and have trouble caring now. I was really eager and playtested a handful of games, but then communications got really sparse and I'm not invested in the game any more. I'm looking forward to playing, but expect at this point that I'll be using the beta rules and proxying minis I don't own (i.e. more than 2 starter groups) because of how little they've tried to keep things going (unless there's been a recent push, that is- I eventually gave up on their forum...)
You know what. This is how I feel about it.
I'll be super excited when it ships, but right now, with the lack of anything even remotely concrete, my give a damn is sorta busted.
RiTides wrote: Odd that they don't update more... that should be a no-brainer to do to help keep momentum / enthusiasm for the game.
They are just three dudes with day jobs trying to wrangle sculptors, proof casts, and troubleshoot delivery of an entire game line, but I agree - they needed to start posting more frequently about four months back to keep pushing the momentum they had established. If you were visiting their forums back in August/September, there was actually a decent amount of posting and discussion, but that has long since dwindled to a totally insignificant post per week or so. I know RRG have mentioned unexpected job changes, weddings, and births all happening within the timeframe of this project, but that shouldn't keep them from posting SOMETHING every week - rules interpretations, comments on forum posts, sculpting tidbits, questions for backers to give feedback on... SOMETHING to keep people interested.
I was sooooo excited about this project from the minute I hopped on the KS bandwagon, but like cincy and spiraling posted above, that excitement has essentially waned from "frothing boil" to "tepid simmer" because of the delay and lack of info. I'm sure I'll perk way up again when those gorgeous minis arrive, but it's all a little sad IMO.
RiTides wrote: Odd that they don't update more... that should be a no-brainer to do to help keep momentum / enthusiasm for the game.
I find the best updates are when there is significance and substance to them. Rather than getting pounded with the "things are coming a long nicely we will have photos in a week or 2" update.
The one area they need to improve on is forum communication with the rules. Once a week take time to address issues, where things are head, proposes to rules changes.
Greetings backers, our campaign ended almost a year ago on April 21, the birthday of Rome. Today we are happy to share some more progress and talk a little bit about our plans for fulfillment.
Caho-Ta at 99%
Here is a nearly complete Caho-Ta. The mane and tail really add to the motion of the model, and the sculpt will be baked this weekend. We can't wait to see Hroka sitting tall in the saddle!
Leo progress
Leo is still rough, but is starting to really come together as well. You can see below some more early work, and MIKH's clear attention to detail in really capturing the feel of the original art. Leo will be finished next, with Septimus and Hroka to follow.
Mago + Lupa 360s
Mago and Lupa have also moved into full production casting, and you can see the masters below. 1080P!!!
Production + Timeline
Today we are happy to announce that we can give everyone a little more insight into our timeline for Arena Rex's fulfillment. Recently, we have signed a contract with a new vendor to produce our bases and activation tokens in high-quality plastic. We expect to begin shipping when the bases and tokens arrive.
The finish and the color of these parts will match the resin miniatures very closely, and that was a key part of the agreement. Below you can see renders of the bases that have been redesigned slightly on the underside to accommodate the injection molding process.
Renders of our final production base (30mm) and token
Between the massive support for Arena Rex and the rising popularity of both resin miniatures and tabletop gaming, our vendors have been working very hard to expand their capacity from the moment the campaign ended and we were able to give them an estimate for production. In anticipation of our very large order, the casting house we are partnered with ordered new machinery and hired new staff to further increase their production capacity. This equipment took months to produce and upon delivery, did not function. This meant it would be another several months until production capacity was increased. Thankfully we are now through those several months and production is humming along.
Originally our plan was to produce our bases in tokens in resin. Unfortunately, our designs proved difficult to manufacture at scale. We spent months troubleshooting and redesigning the bases, gates, and casting processes. It became apparent that we wouldn't be able to get the quantity of consistent, quality parts we needed and still use resin for our bases and tokens. The move to plastic bases and tokens takes a lot of strain off of the resin casters in terms of both the volume of miniature casting that still remains to be done and the technical challenges of producing our bases and tokens.
It was important to us that our miniatures and their bases represented a complete product. We set out to produce excellent miniatures; we feel the base is part of that experience. Our minis had to be able to stand on their own, even in an unpainted state. The Doric feel of the Arena Rex bases was meant to evoke the statuary and architecture of the era and complement the miniatures, something we didn't want to lose by shipping with the common bases available in bulk.
The fact that we have now secured a supplier for the necessary 40,000 plastic bases and tokens is a huge win for Arena Rex both in terms of our fulfillment timeline and the quality of the product for our backers. We hope you're as excited about this new direction for the bases and tokens as we are.
For those of you who want more details on the timing, here is the breakdown:
• The first casts from the tooling will arrive in just under 4 weeks for approval .
•The final casts will arrive within two months of tooling approval.
• This lines up well with the resin casting timeline now that the bases and tokens have been accounted for.
•The bases and tokens will be opaque Pantone Cool Gray 5c, all surfaces will be lightly textured: Mold-Tech MT-11020
Any miniatures that have not finished production by the time their order is otherwise ready to ship will be handled individually, and we'll work with you to find the best solution in those cases. We will talk more about this as the remaining sculpts are completed and miniatures are produced.
I strongly suspect that most of the stuff that has been approved for casting will already have been cast so it's mainly a cast of the last few stragglers and the new plastic bases
I'd guess August/September
but with lots of backers offered split shipping as a bunch of the MIKH sculpts won't be done
(where backers probably have to pay for the second shipment)
Yeah it sounds like 3 months minimum probably 4 until the tokens and bases are done that puts it in the August/September range. They'll ship everything that's ready then and work with you to solve any that are outstandng.
I'm waiting on Septimus on foot so that's me waiting until the end then! I'm actually glad they went with plastic tokens and bases and took the effort to colour match them. Those bases are probably going to need to be weighted for some minis but the recess makes this easy and it also makes pinning easier as well.
OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote: I strongly suspect that most of the stuff that has been approved for casting will already have been cast so it's mainly a cast of the last few stragglers and the new plastic bases
I'd guess August/September
but with lots of backers offered split shipping as a bunch of the MIKH sculpts won't be done
(where backers probably have to pay for the second shipment)
I think August has no chance, personally... I'm guessing Nov/Dec. Not for full completion, but shipping the non-MIKH stuff.
The clear indication that there will be an option for split shipping at our cost was interesting.
Hopefully they'll be able to tell us just how long it will be for everything to be ready, as at this point, since I've largely forgotten about this one, I think I'll wait.
Not "absurdly" late... yet. It does feel like it'll get there, though.
I think it's a decent option for impatient gamers, and I understand that shipping twice could add a huge amount to their costs, but I think a much better compromise would have been to cover half of additional shipping costs for people who want 2 waves...
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it's beautiful 
