and the updates
Thank You!
Wow! What a fantastic Kickstarter project we've just taken part in!
Darklands: First Edition II has, of course, proved to be a rousing success, ending on £130,735 with 453 backers, and we'd like to thank each and every one of you for contributing to that success. Without your pledge Darklands: First Edition II and its associated miniatures would not be produced!
Now, of course, we must explain how you tell us what you would like for the money you have pledged. This is actually quite simple, and we've broken it down here into a few steps to keep things nice and easy.
1: Complete the survey
The first thing you should do is to complete our survey questionnaire that was sent yesterday by Kickstarter. This is important! All we require from you at this stage is your full name, full address and e-mail address.
Once we receive the results of that survey, we will register you on our website at www.mierce-miniatures.com, if you are not registered already of course; for you manage your pledge on our webstore just as if you were shopping online.
Many of you have, of course, completed the survey; whoever has done so can now manage their pledge - although, if you are unregistered, please read all of this update first!
Even if you are already registered, please take the time to fill in the survey, it helps us check that we have your information correct.
2: A Brief Overview
Here is a brief overview of what will happen once you have filled in the survey and Kickstarter have taken your money. Simply put, we give you store credit on our website called Moneyback that is equal to the amount you have pledged to the project here, and then give you access to a special "Darklands: First Edition II Category" on our webstore which lists all of the rewards and miniatures you have pledged for on this project, as well as many others from our existing range of miniatures and those from Darklands: First Edition.
3: Manage your pledge!
Go ahead and manage your pledge! This is all explained further below, of course, but first, a few notes...
If you have any questions during this time, please ask them on the comments section as backers of our first Kickstarter know generally what will happen if we are not around. You can of course message us or e-mail us, but it may take time to answer those questions (especially over a weekend as we all have families to look after).
The key thing here is, please don't panic - managing your pledge is very easy and all will become clear in the next update, "Managing your Pledge", which should be posted very soon.
We must state here and now, that if Kickstarter have not been successful in taking the money for your pledge from your registered card, then we cannot give you Moneyback in our webstore. Thus, it is VERY important that you correct any issues with your card with Kickstarter - and you only get a week to do so, until Wednesday the 30th of April so please do it as quickly as you can!
(We can take the payment manually for your pledge if the worst happens and you can't sort it out).
4: Frequently Asked Questions
Here's a little
FAQ to ensure some of the more common questions need not be asked so often.
Q: Can I purchase more on your website than I pledged for?
A: Of course. You simply use all the Moneyback you have and use your debit or credit card to purchase more miniatures.
Q: I read somewhere that you'll be giving 20% off your existing line. Is this true?
A: Yes. In the special "Darklands: First Edition" category, we will list all of our existing miniatures (BaneLegions, released miniatures and as yet unreleased miniatures from the first Kickstarter) which you can purchase at 20% off the
UK recommended retail price for a short period - until May the 31st.
Q: What about items from the Darklands: First Edition project?
A: Yes indeed - you'll be given access to the Darklands: First Edition category on our website, minus a few items, and you have until May the 31st to grab them (note, if you backed Darklands: First Edition, the category does not close for you).
Q: How long do I get to purchase more Darklands: First Edition II stuff?
A: You have until items are released to the general public or begin to ship to backers to purchase more Darklands: First Edition stuff. Thus, you have until November 2014 for most things from this project, and February 2015 for those that ship later!
Q: How will shipping work?
A: Broadly, each item from this Kickstarter has been given a "Shipment Wave", and each separate Shipment Wave in addition to the first will cost additional funds. You can wait for all of your purchases to be produced before we ship them, of course; but if you don't wish to do that, we must ask you for the shipping costs for each shipment.
Additional shipments of purchases will cost a flat rate of £3 (
UK), £7 (
EU), £10 (ROW) and these Shipment Waves are purchased on our webstore in the Darklands: First Edition category as items.
It is VERY important that you purchase these Shipment Waves to cover the amount of shipments you require. If you do not, your order will sit in limbo for all time!
Q: Can I combine shipping with other stuff?
A: Yes, we will combine packages where we can, but I'm afraid this does not mean you can avoid paying for shipping for items from this Kickstarter. We will combine some packages, but this does not reduce the extra weight in items from this project or existing items, nor reduce the amount of packing time and packaging material!
Q: What can I do if my payment has bounced?
A: Speak to your bank and find out what has happened, and correct the issue. Kickstarter will e-mail you and try to take your payment on a daily basis. However, they will only do this for a week - so please sort it out as soon as you can!
If all else fails, you could simply login to our website when the time comes and purchase what you would like from the items available, but we would politely ask you to spend as much as you have backed - that ensures that stretch goals can be fulfilled.
Q: Will unfulfilled stretch goals be fulfilled in the pledge management period?
A: No, I'm afraid not. We wish to keep these Kickstarter projects separate from that process, for the simple reason that it encourages people to pledge and join in the fun! Running and backing a Kickstarter project is fantastic socially, and we want everybody to feel a part of that.
There's always the next Kickstarter for those unfulfilled stretch goals!
Q: What's yellow and invisible?
A: No bananas.
That should be all you need until the next update, which will pop into your inbox shortly!
Once again:
Thank you very much for backing Darklands: First Edition II!
Managing your Pledge
The Mierce Miniatures website is ready for you to manage your pledge - as long as you have completed the Survey and Kickstarter have collected your money, of course!
How to Manage your Pledge
If you have completed the survey and have had your pledge collected by Kickstarter, we have now registered you on our website (if you were not registered already), applied Moneyback to your account of an equal amount to your pledge and given you access to the special "Darklands: First Edition II" categories based on the reward you have selected.
These categories are the meat of managing your pledge, for you simply log in and choose what you would like just as if you were online shopping. You use the Moneyback that is now on your account to purchase those items, of course, and you can even purchase extra items if you wish - although you will have to pay for those with your debit or credit card, of course!
If you have not completed your survey, or if your payment has still not been collected, I'm afraid we cannot give you access to the pledge management system so it is in your interest to sort them out as soon as possible. Please e-mail us at
kickstarter@mierce-miniatures.com to tell us you have done so!
Pledge Management Sequence
1) Log In
The first thing you must do, of course, is log in to our website.
Your username is the e-mail address you use with this Kickstarter project.
Your password is "KICKSTARTER". We do urge you to change your password as soon as you can once you have logged in!
Once you've logged in to our website you'll be able to manage your pledge - in other words, tell us exactly what you require for the money you have pledged. However, before you start this process, there's a few things we need to explain first.
Please read the following very carefully!
2) Change your Password
The second thing you must do is to CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD on the Mierce Miniatures website!
3) Find the Kickstarter Categories
Once you have successfully logged in, you will see a square icon on the left hand side - underneath the Templar's Forge logo - which shows a little graphic and the words "Manage your Pledge here!" in yellow. Simply click on that icon and you will be taken to our Kickstarter page, which lists the two categories pertaining to you as a backer of this Kickstarter project:
•The "Darklands: First Edition II" category lists all of the items from this Kickstarter project, neatly arranged by kindred, with essentials at the top. The items within this category will be open to you until they are shipped, so in most cases you have until November 2014 or February 2015 to choose the items you would like!
• The "Darklands: First Edition II Existing Miniatures" category lists all of our existing miniatures (including those from the Darklands: a World of War Kickstarter project and the BaneLegions range) at 20% off their recommended retail price. This discount is a "thank you" to all of our backers, but these existing miniatures at this price will ONLY be available to you until midnight (GMT) of May the 31st, 2014 - so we suggest you purchase those as quickly as possible!
•The "Darklands: First Edition" category lists all of the items from that project (minus a few things that aren't relevant any more), at that project's prices. Giving you access to these items is a "thank you" to all the backers of this project, but - for those who did not back the Darklands: First Edition project - you'll ONLY be able to get your hands on them until midnight (GMT) of May the 31st, 2014.
4) Choose the items you want!
Next, just choose the items you want from our Kickstarter project by adding them to your basket as if you were shopping normally.
5) Add more stuff!
If you wish to add more miniatures to your basket from the Kickstarter campaign that you did not pledge for, you can do so now.
6) ADD A SHIPMENT WAVE ITEM!
You MUST purchase at least ONE shipment wave item, which, if it is not the Wave 0 Shipment Wave item (if you are only purchasing from our back catalogue), MUST be the Mandatory Wave 4 Shipment Wave item.
7) Payment!
Continue through the checkout process until you get to the "Payment" page, where you will see a myriad of boxes to input your payment details. If you are only using your Moneyback - i.e., the "Order Total" amount is £0.00 - then please select "Moneyback" as your payment type, without filling in any other details. If you are pledging for more items than the Moneyback you have in your account, simply input your card details as normal; you will be charged the "Order Total" amount.
8) That's it!
You've successfully sorted out your pledge. You'll be able to see the order on your "My Orders" page at some point over the next few days.
Remember, you can add more orders right up to when the items from this Kickstarter are shipped!
Shipping Costs
Each item from this Kickstarter project has been given a "Shipment Wave", and each separate Shipment Wave in addition to the first will cost additional funds.
Additional shipments of purchases will cost a flat rate of £3 (
UK), £7 (
EU), £10 (ROW) and these Shipment Waves are purchased on our webstore in the Darklands: First Edition category as items.
It is VERY important that you purchase these Shipment Waves to cover the amount of shipments you require. If you do not, your order will sit in limbo for all time!
So, you effectively have two choices:
1 - Pay Once for Shipping and Wait: Simply purchase the "Wave 4 Shipment Item" and wait for everything you have purchased to be produced before we ship them.
2 - Pay More to Get Sooner: Purchase as many "Wave Shipping Cost" items as you need, to get your items when they are ready.
What's in the Shipment Waves?
So here's a rundown of what is shipping when:
Shipment Wave 0: May 2014 onwards, depending on how many orders there are. This shipment wave will only happen if you pay extra (the Wave 0 shipment item) to ship miniatures that are already available from our back catalogue when you manage your pledge.
Shipment Wave 1/2/3: ONLY for Darklands: First Edition (D:
FE) items. If you have purchased anything from our previous project, they will ship in those shipment waves mentioned, although we prioritise shipments in date order - so if you had not backed D:
FE, your D:
FE orders will be shipped later than those for backers of D:
FE.
Shipment Wave 4: November 2014. You MUST purchase this shipment wave item if you have purchased anything from this project, and have not purchased any other shipment wave. Uhtred on Horse, "ALL THE INITIAL UNITS", Akkaz, Cæna, Brunchaath on Gooracx, Gromi, Gomagg, Kill-Head Flint-Fang, Tykho, Marked Galagaak, Sáthach, Oghu Keepers, Skyclad Itaina, Young Magágg, Flesh-Scavengers, Armoured Trolls.
Shipment Wave 5: February 2015. Thórrir, Khallas, Parawn, Srók, Rēoc's Pack, Warriors of Dyngonwy, Forwyn Carys, In III Judas, Quintus Crito, Hrókr, Spears of Dun Durn, Umaer Drast, Geraint Nerthol on Ceffyldraig, Shadows of Carn Bran.
Website Charging you for Shipping
Our website charges you for shipping if your order is under a certain amount (these thresholds being £30 in the
UK, £80 anywhere else). We simply haven't had the time to re-code the shipping part of the basket to take into account how shipping works with Kickstarter orders, for which we apologise and beg for your forgiveness. Hopefully we will get the time to do this before the next Kickstarter...
Some of you have already come across this problem, and it applies to you guys in two ways - one, if you've pledged for less than that threshold; or two, you are making an additional order for less than that threshold after your initial Kickstarter order.
You have two options to work around this.
• First: choose your items and we'll refund the website's shipping charge if it comes to below the threshold. Obivously, you must e-mail us or message us to make sure we do that ;o)
• Second: order more than the threshold each time you make an order!
So that's that in a nutshell really. Again, it's not ideal, but it's the best we can do without re-coding a lot of the website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Moneyback?
A: Moneyback is a way of "giving" money to customers on our webstore. A normal order earns Moneyback at 1% of the total order rate (as long as you have spent money and not Moneyback), thus giving customers a reason to return and use our website! For Kickstarter purposes, it is an easy way of "giving" the amount you've pledge to your account so that you can choose the items you've pledged for without spending any money. You can also do that, of course, in the same order! Using Moneyback is explained later in this update.
Q: How much Moneyback have you given me?
Based on what Kickstarter tell us, we have added Moneyback equivalent to the amount you have pledged to your Mierce Miniatures account, adding on the Gold Reward Bonus of course. Obviously, we have only given you Moneyback if Kickstarter have collected your payment.
Q: How do I Use Moneyback?
A: It couldn't be simpler to use your Moneyback. The first page of the basket will show the Moneyback you have available, and all you have to do is type in the amount you wish to use and check the box next to it. If you don't want to use any Moneyback with an order, simply uncheck the box next to the Moneyback line and it will be removed from your basket.
Q: Can I purchase more than my Moneyback allows?
A: Obviously, if you wish to spend more than you have pledged for already then you will have to pay for them! Simply max out your Moneyback on your order and add whatever else you want to your basket. You will, of course, have to pay the difference via credit or debit card. Note that we do not, and will never, accept PayPal as a payment method. Remember, too, that if you are buying more then you will earn Moneyback (1%) for everything over and above the Moneyback you've used. So even by pledging more you'll save a bit more for any future orders!
Q: Can I combine shipping with other stuff?
A: Yes, we will combine packages where we can, but I'm afraid this does not mean you can avoid paying for shipping for items from this Kickstarter. We will combine some packages, but this does not reduce the extra weight in items from this project or existing items, nor reduce the amount of packing time and packaging material!
Q: What can I do if my payment has bounced?
A: Speak to your bank and find out what has happened, and correct the issue. Kickstarter will e-mail you and try to take your payment on a daily basis. However, they will only do this for a week - so please sort it out as soon as you can!
If all else fails, you could simply login to our website when the time comes and purchase what you would like from the items available, but we would politely ask you to spend as much as you have backed - that ensures that stretch goals can be fulfilled.
Q: Will unfulfilled stretch goals be fulfilled in the pledge management period?
A: No, I'm afraid not. We wish to keep these Kickstarter projects separate from that process, for the simple reason that it encourages people to pledge and join in the fun! Running and backing a Kickstarter project is fantastic socially, and we want everybody to feel a part of that.
There's always the next Kickstarter for those unfulfilled stretch goals!
Q: Will you add images to each item in the Kickstarter Categories?
A: Yes, absolutely - but please note, this will take time and will not occur overnight. We do expect to have them all there before the end of May, however.
Q: Can I purchase the "THE GOLD SPOT" or the "ALL THE INITIAL UNITS" rewards after the project?
A: Yes, of course, but only if you are a Gold Reward backer - the rewards available to you are listed within the "Darklands: First Edition Essentials" sub-category, at the top.
Thus, even after the project has ended, you can of course purchase some of the rewards from it as items!
Any Further Questions
If you have any further questions about how to manage your pledge, or indeed anything about Darklands or Mierce Miniatures, simply message us here or e-mail us at
kickstarter@mierce-miniatures.com.
Enjoy, and once again, thank you so much for backing our Kickstarter project!
(name to close to Itaisha 
)
