Automatically Appended Next Post: And apparently MIkH STILL isn't done with Leo or the horse. Is he actively trying to never work in the industry again? Is he doing other work instead of finishing this. Wtf?
My plan was to get the models once they hit UK retail. I had no idea that it'd be so long! I honestly only remember this game's existence because of this thread in my subscriptions folder.
New pre-production casts have arrived. Zahra and Sereqet are our first mounted pair to be completed and cast in resin, we are very excited to have these in hand. We are very much looking forward to Stéphane's future work on Arena Rex. Bjarrhvit's chainmail is especially impressive in resin. Sereqet's textures are so much more visible in this light grey media... Check out the images for yourself.
Bases
Our first bases should arrive within a week or two for approval, we'll do another update as soon as they do. If they turn out well we can give the green light for production to ramp up, if they don't we will have a week or two delay while the tools are modified.
Leo Progress
Leo is huge; his anatomy is coming together and MIKH should soon be moving on to fine detail on all surfaces. More updates as they come in.
Rules preview:
Here is a preview of an addition to the terrain section of our rulebook:
Living Hazard: Beast models may be placed in the arena as living hazards. Living hazards are not controlled by either player and do not activate unless triggered. If a model is pushed and ends up within 3” of a living hazard as the ultimate result of an attack or special rule, the living hazard will activate and attack the pushed model. The hazard will move up to its MOV stat to engage the pushed model if necessary, by the most direct path possible.
When a model is attacked by the living hazard, their opponent rolls the attack dice and selects the damage tree effects.
If a living hazard is attacked, it will respond in kind. Immediately after resolving an attack against a living hazard, treat its attacker as though it had been pushed and ended up within 3” of the hazard.
Damage applied to a living hazard is applied to its vitality bar as normal. When a favor box is struck the model who caused the damage earns the favor.
Living hazards are not affected by the taunt special rule.
Final Playtest Docs:
We have been reworking and refining our ruleset. Before printing rule books and game cards we plan to share this content with our backers one more time. As always your feedback is appreciated and very valuable to us.
Alpharius wrote: We're all just shaking out fists at the sky, shouting out MIKH in our best Star Trek 2 "Khan!" voices...
This x1000.
Every time I go to click on their new updates there's a tiny little flicker of hope that maybe this time - just maybe - MIKH will have actually accomplished a decent amount of sculpting... And then that hope is crushed into an insignificant smear when I realize he's only finished a toenail or a tooth or a tuft of hair.
The dude is amazingly talented but Sebastian Archer or Benoit Cauchies could've sculpted every single AR miniature in the time it's taken him to do just a handful.
cincydooley wrote: So apparently in a previous commission it took MIKH nearly two years to sculpt one 60mm based miniature and he requires full payment up front.
If that's true (and I have no reason to believe it isn't) it amazes me that he's able to find work.
So, you're saying we'll see Hroka on foot around the 2016 New Year?
That is pretty much the definition of mind-boggling, to be totally honest. I can't begin to fathom how he can get away with those demands in lieu of such deadline-defying performance. As good as he is, no one is worth waiting that long for. At this point I hope RRG wipes their hands of him once (if?) he actually finishes this commission and gives their post-KS work to the guys who can deliver on time.
Yeah, it's crazy. The mierce KSes have made it abundantly clear that gorgeous, top of the line sculpts can be done quickly. Sebastian Archer, Roberto Chardon, and Patrick Maason have all finished MULTIPLE models in the time it's taken MIKH to finish. Well...zero. Hell, Carrasco is a bit slower than those three, and he's finished a ton of sculpts during the time frame that MIKH has been Doing these.
Started to wish I had pledged for this kickstarter. Then I saw how long it's taking to do anything with it. Wish I had pledged for the minis; glad I didn't pledge for the wait.
I PM'ed cincydooley about it, since I'm already adding onto his pledge for a different campaign. Is that the best way to go about this? I wasn't sure because if they're shipping what is completed early, maybe it's better to ask them directly or add onto someone else's smaller pledge. That is, if the pledge manager is even still open, I don't see any info on that.
It might be worth contacting RRG and asking nicely if you can add on, but I'm relatively certain (95+%) that their pledge manager is locked in (officially, at least).
Thanks guys, let me think about that. Most campaigns I've asked about reconfiguring a pledge late have been fine with it, particularly if they're late on delivering.
Although, if by chance anyone did lock in for Mago but has had a change of heart, let me know as that may be the easiest.
Hi All,
Our base samples were delayed a week, we were hoping to have them in hand by today. We'll update as soon as we have them.
About shipping. Our casting partner is working hard to complete production on all the sculpts that have been finished so far. We do intend to begin shipping whether the last few sculpts are complete or not. Of course we want this to be as fair a process as possible. Backers will be able to modify their selections if they'd prefer not to wait. We aren't sure if we can split shipping for everyone but we are considering doubling our shipments to those who backed at a high level.
Another thing to bear in mind, shipping will be a rather laborious process due to the complexity of your orders. Expect shipping to take place over a month or more.
Thanks everyone for being so cool this year. We want this delay to be over as much as anyone does
Nick P
Sounds like split shipping is going to be a thing, with some "high level" backers maybe getting theirs comped. So, maybe the end of this summer is a possibility after all (sans most MIKH sculpts, sadly).
Both of those have been completed by James Van Schaik. His work (those two plus Infelix) is the weak link of all the sculpts IMO - not terrible, but clearly not up to the same standard as the rest.
Some screen caps...
Here is a link to the Arena Rex sculpt gallery too.
Man, I had completely forgotten about this KS, and just assumed it was shipped and done. The models look really pretty and I had been tempted to get some except for the strange scale, but now... now I feel like I dodged a bullet. Which is good, since I already have the Relic Knights slug embedded in my torso.
Oh, Ban Luca is a disappointment. Don't remember if that's one of the ones I got, but I was definitely tempted to by the illustration, not at all now that I've seen the model. Well enough crafted, but none of the illustration's character.
Well, their admitting they might need to do split shipping is some improvement. Waiting on MIKH would be suicidal for this fledgling company, they need to get all their other excellent completed sculpts released already!
We've been regularly playtesting Arena Rex during this delay and have some refinements we'd like to share with our backers before the game goes off to print. Please take one more look at our rules and play a few games if you can. We are looking for any kind of feedback you might have, whether it is about clarity, order of presentation, balance, flavor, etc.
•Arena Rex Rules V0.6 •Model Cards V0.6 •Paper Gladiators
Many apologies for the very printer unfriendly model cards. These are formatted for our card vendor. I think you'll find changes throughout these two new docs. Some minor, some not so minor. Please send feedback to info@redrepublicgames.com , we're very much looking forward to reading it.
Base Samples
I've been told they should arrive Wednesday of next week. As soon as they do I'll post an update and share the results.
Leo
Just a quick update on Leo progress. MIKH has begun detailed sculpting on the beast's face.
I shared the following with another backer in an email conversation:
Our updates are necessarily vague about shipping dates because we can't be certain exactly when our production items will be delivered.
Therefore, though I think August/September shipping is a distinct possibility, there is no telling what will happen between then and now. We try to avoid making promises we have no business making.
In answer to your question, yes there is light on the horizon.
I understand you want your rewards sooner rather than later.
Red Republic Games wrote:
In Inventory: Aquila
Infelix
Noxius
Tiet-Khebi
Vargr
Frigge
Sven
Urien
Micon
Gaius Pallidus
Wendigo
Proximo
In production, currently being cast (Aiming for Late July Delivery): Urbicus
Viatrix
Marcus Furius
Lupa
Iason
Ban-Luca
Hermes
Mago
Thoth
Otho (production complete, just needs his shield recast)
Bjarrhvit
Euryale
Troubleshooting: Ur-Kek (damaged in casting, now repaired and being run again)
Zahra (trying the whip out in pewter)
Zahra and Sereqet (trying the whip out in pewter)
Aemilia (Some areas of the sculpt were too thin, they have been repaired and the mini is being run again)
On the sculpting table: Leo
Septimus
Septimus and Nero
Hroka
Hroka and Caho-Ta
Explicit timeline estimate is nice (if late), as is seeing the sculpting/production progress laid out. I'm currently in the process of going over the new rules, but so far everything is looking pretty excellent (IMO the final card design is especially nice - very eye-catching and professional and easy to read).
If they could move forward with the items that are in inventory and in production, and send the others later, I think that would be very good for all concerned. I can't imagine the sculpts that are not yet complete can catch up to the others and be ready by Aug/Sept.
Of course, isn't just about everyone waiting for LEO?
I'm also in for Septimus and Septimus and Nero too.
[Said while shaking my fist at the sky]
MIKH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Leo is a freebie for Ludus Ultimus and Crassus pledges, which looks like about 350 backers, plus whoever included him as an add-on. So it's not everyone, but plenty of people are indeed waiting for that lion.
(And of course I went for every single MIKH sculpt, which means I'll get everything sometime in 2015 at this rate.)
There are at about 1/3 of backers who need a Leo (348/1088) assuming nobody added him separately which some no doubt did so hopefully they are trying to persuade MIKH to finish him first and quickly
"Persuade" might be the wrong tactic at this point... hindsight is 20/20, but obviously paying him in full upfront and seemingly without a contract containing a deadline with consequences was the wrong approach...
They really need to get leo finished that should cover most backers but even then he has to be cast so won't make the July date.
I only have Septimus on foot on my order that won't be done for July - at this stage I'd probably just swap him for one of the completed miniatures and get him later.
"Good news, our recently posted (here in comments) miniature progress report is changing. Next week we will receive a shipment with production casts of:
Hermes Ban-Luca Iason Viatrix Urbicus Thoth Mago Lupa Marcus Furius"
so collating with the previous info they're still waiting on
In production, currently being cast (Aiming for Late July Delivery): Thoth Otho's Shield Bjarrhvit Euryale
Troubleshooting: Ur-Kek (damaged in casting, now repaired and being run again) Zahra (trying the whip out in pewter) Zahra and Sereqet (trying the whip out in pewter) Aemilia (Some areas of the sculpt were too thin, they have been repaired and the mini is being run again)
On the sculpting table- Leo Septimus Septimus and Nero Hroka Hroka and Caho-Ta
For anyone who's actually playing the game, I posted some thoughts on V0.6 rules here. Would love to get some discussion going about some of the changes...
First shots off our base tooling have arrived. More photos and KS update tomorrow.
This is a quick photo of the 40mm base, the zoom level makes the texture look a bit more intense than it appears in person.
The much awaited base + token samples have arrived:
I'm very excited to be writing this! These are the first parts out of our injection mold tool. They are a medium gray to compliment the resin minis that will adorn them. The base's material thickness is about double that of a round lip base (warmachine style) and as a result the parts are a little heavier and a lot more rigid. They definitely have a nice quality feel to them.
Producing our full run of parts should take 45 days. I imagine it will be more like 2 months before we have these in our hands.
Zahra's whip:
Both forms of Zahra will be packaged with a metal whip. I've been handling this test part for a while and can say with confidence that it's much easier to assemble and pose than the original resin.
Play-test Rules tweaks:
We very much appreciate all the feedback we received in the last few weeks. Here is a (very) slightly modified play-test doc with updated language in orange: •Arena Rex Rules 4.1
Anyone still wanting to share their input should do so within a week. We need to send the rulebook off to print now that we are on track with the bases.
Leo progress:
MIKH has been working hard to finish this mini ASAP. We really want to be able to ship this out with the other first wave products. Once the mane is to his liking, the front legs and paws will be completed, followed by the tail and chain. After the sculpt is completed it will be baked, cut, and shipped to Austin.
Thanks for being so cool everyone. We are getting close. Time to start shopping for thousands of shipping boxes and lots of packing materials.
Yeah. I'm, ah, kinda' disappointed with Red Republic for waiting to this stage to make their custom bases. Considering it's separate of the resin process anyways, they should have begun this some time ago.
They're currently just over 5 months late. With 2 months for bases, then let's say 3 weeks collectively for organizing and shipping (which seems reasonable since there's no standard starter package, and they don't seem to have the process together enough to have already organized stuff and just add the right number of bases for everyone), we're talking 8 months late for their new "wave 1."
The original intention was apparently to have resin bases (like those that shipped with Aquilla), but those proved to difficult to get consistently flat without extra messing about,
hence the switch to hard plastic which would have necessitated finding somebody to design them (they've mentioned trying different things like a full name rather than an AR logo amongst other),
then finding a company with time and space to do the tooling and casting (a single company could be doing all 3)
so while annoying I don't think it's totally their fault
I'd be more concerned with how fast they can get the rules & cards printed and assembled
(even though I'm more in it for the minis I don't see them shipping anything without them being done)
Our production partner has estimated that we'll have our bases and tokens in late September or early October. When these plastic components arrive shipping will begin. We wait eagerly More info in the next update.
-RRG
The demo rules I played were really enjoyable, but I'm kinda' getting sick of these delays. Nice rules and sculpts aside, 10 months late is pretty serious :/
The only reason I've been mostly okay with Kingdom Death being late has been the solid communication and constant little improvements/fine tuning.
I know KS's are often late, but that doesn't excuse any specific one being so late. A quarter of a year is fine, three is rough.
spiralingcadaver wrote: The demo rules I played were really enjoyable, but I'm kinda' getting sick of these delays. Nice rules and sculpts aside, 10 months late is pretty serious :/
The only reason I've been mostly okay with Kingdom Death being late has been the solid communication and constant little improvements/fine tuning.
I know KS's are often late, but that doesn't excuse any specific one being so late. A quarter of a year is fine, three is rough.
There's also a huge diff between this one and Raging Heroes and one like KD:M.
Poots has been upfront about everything, things have been delayed to make them tangibly better (Raging heroes claims this, but we have nothing to substantiate it), and it's been consistent.
I understand the models that MIKH hasn't finished are dragging things along...but it shouldn't hinder the production of anything else. I understand that there are storage issues, etc, but I just feel like a lot of this production could have been and should be done, and they could have offered to send all of that stuff to backers while waiting for the MIKH items.
I think most backers would have understood if this would have required an additional shipping fee. I'd have paid it.
Ugh. NOT what I wanted to hear. I know I'm a more optimistic chap than some around these parts and have been clinging to the best case scenario(s) all along, but I'm now officially frustrated with this KS (not off the bandwagon, mind, but not nearly as enthusiastic as previously).
I understand that RRG isn't just delivering rewards to their backers but establishing a retail operation too and they have a vision for their game and business and don't want to compromise on anything, but 9+ months late is hard to handle. I mean, I suppose MIKH dragging his feet and the original resin bases not being perfect the first time around are out of their direct control, but it's still frustrating.
I guess the saving grace is the sculpts are awesome and the game is a lot of fun... so taking their time and making sure everything is perfect is wise for the health of the game in the long run (but annoying as hell for us early adopters).
I understand the models that MIKH hasn't finished are dragging things along...but it shouldn't hinder the production of anything else. I understand that there are storage issues, etc, but I just feel like a lot of this production could have been and should be done
I actually think they are in the midst of their production right now and are just waiting on the bases and MIKH. I think one of their in-the-comments-section updates from not too long ago showed that most of their models were in production or pre-production troubleshooting.
I love that clip, just watched the re-make again and I even love the scene with Spock doing it
I'm actually quite excited for these miniatures, but I haven't been waiting as long as everyone else, having only added on to cincydooley's pledge.
I think that (or even waiting for retail) is the safer route to go if you're unsure about a project, obviously, or how much you really want it... sometimes a longer delay on something I Really am into doesn't bother me as much. But as you guys point out, I think it really comes down to creator interaction with backers, and if the delay is due to making the product better or the like... with little communication and at least some incompetence, I can see why backers who had been waiting a long time here would start to lose patience.
I think the end product is going to be worth it, though... and if they do indeed plan to do split shipping in say October without waiting for Mikh's items, then I'll be happy
They've not been as chatty as some, but the do share whenever they have something significant to say
(and they've put out the rules and re-done bits thanks to playtest feedback which is a good use of the extra time none of us really wanted them to need)
I think the bases just show once again that injection moulding companies are busy and wargaming KS projects are pretty minor projects for them, they may say 'oh we can do it by X', but when it comes down to it it's almost always going to be longer
I'm still really keen to get these (even if MIKH only manages to finish Leo in time)
Hi Tim,
The cards are finalized.
They will go off to the printer next weekend after the holiday here in the US. This vendor has never taken more than 10 days to return an order to us.
Best,
NickP
RRG wrote:Yes , we have thousands of dice in inventory. We still need a few more Ludus Magnus dice before the faction sets are complete. When the campaign funded, we were allowed to order a maximum of 5000 dice at a time. Now that number has shrunk to 1000 dice per custom order. Still, they should be complete by the time shipping begins. If not they can be shipped separately.
RRG wrote:Regarding the rulebook: I had intended to lay it out this weekend but my house flooded, so I dealt with that instead.
I will be laying it out over the holiday weekend (this weekend is Independence Day) with a short break for BBQ.
RRG wrote:MIKH decided to restart Leo's front arms. I have new images I can share in the next update.
We are not happy about these delays.
(Insert "MIKH!!!" meme here.)
RRG wrote:Someone was mentioning contracts in the comments below. Our contracts with the base supplier do not specify dates. I don't think a manufacturer would sign a contract that penalized them for late delivery with a company as small as us. When we share projected dates regarding production of plastics we are simply forwarding the best guesses of our contact. There is no deception intended by either party.
In retrospect I ought to have abandoned producing the bases in resin sooner. That was my bad.
I'm not worried about the bases contract- but surely, they need to make a better contract with Mikh in the future (or probably, avoid using him). I can't see him getting much work in the wargaming industry after this... he's somewhat holding their project hostage and seems to have already been paid, he really needs to finish.
RiTides wrote: I'm not worried about the bases contract- but surely, they need to make a better contract with Mikh in the future (or probably, avoid using him). I can't see him getting much work in the wargaming industry after this... he's somewhat holding their project hostage and seems to have already been paid, he really needs to finish.
Hrm. His paws seem a little too limp-wristed as they are. Based on how his head is turned I think they should be facing more forward than down - like he's actually attacking something.
cincydooley wrote: This model is going to be fething awful to put on a base....
Yeesh, hadn't thought of that.
I mean, I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to balance that, and I'm having a lot of trouble. May need to get creative with the base for him......
This model would have REALLY benefited from a front contact point, say if Leo was pushing off a broken Corinthian pillar with one of his front paws, like he was using the all to pounce....
I've pretty much resigned myself to adding a clear plastic flight stand to his base to keep him up. Can't imagine what sort of gauge pin you'd need to keep him balance, and drilling for it would be a nightmare too.
I'm taking a quick break from rule book layout to share the latest on Arena Rex's progress.
Plastic Components Production Schedule
Our bases and tokens are in production. The process began 2 weeks ago.
We had one little hiccup, our initial samples were in Warm Gray 5 instead of the specified Cool Gray 5. Waiting for new samples delayed the production green-light by a couple weeks.
The earliest estimate for these part's arrival is mid-September, I would hope to have them in our hands no later than October. Shipping will commence as soon as they arrive.
Miniature Production
At least once a month, our casting partner ships over 2000 minis to us. As I write this update, I'm surrounded by inventory.
The only minis we don't have production parts "ready to ship" yet are Bjarrhvit, Ur-Kek, Zahra, Zhara and Sereqet, and Aemilia. These minis have all been approved for production and we expect to receive them before September.
Of course, this accounting does not include MIKH's incomplete sculpts.
Leo & Co.
Leo has been baked, this mini took longer than anyone expected though we are very pleased with the result. I hope you are too. Some scars have been added, as well as a few open wounds.
After his chain has been positioned, the mini will be cut and shipped to us for prototype casting. We hope he will be ready for the September/October shipments.
MIKH still has Hroka and Septimus to finish, their mounts are complete and have been baked. He plans to finish these minis this month, let's all keep our fingers crossed.
What if these minis are not ready when the bases arrive? We'll decide how to deal with incomplete orders when we begin shipping.
Wrapping Up
Closing in on the delivery of Arena Rex means we have to wrap up a lot of small projects and send them off for print.
For example, our art cards, I want to share a little more about these freebies. We decided to layout each character's art card with a relatively close cropped image. Much of our art has really interesting details that don't come across on screen. This is our opportunity to give you a closer look at the characters as well as the finer characteristics of each artist's style. Including character background on the card back was a no-brainer, but we were glad to have an opportunity to share this content here all the same.
I'd like to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who has been patient through this project's delays. It is much appreciated. We are getting close.
Until next time,
Nick P
So...yeah.
MIKH still has Hroka and Septimus to finish, their mounts are complete and have been baked. He plans to finish these minis this month, let's all keep our fingers crossed.
He plans to finish these minis this month, let's all keep our fingers crossed.
So, that one little contact point on Leo is going to make basing him, and balancing him, fairly difficult.
Is he also coming with some sort of custom scenic base to compensate for the inherent awkwardness of the pose?
Creator Red Republic Games about 16 hours ago
@alpharius, A pile of chains will be added behind Leo's foot to create more surface area for gluing and pinning.
and
Creator Red Republic Games about 16 hours ago
@Gunter - 1) No retail plans currently. All our time is going into preparing AR for release to the KS backers as quickly as possible and adding value where we can. Once the backers have their rewards, AR will be available through our webstore.
2) Genitals are visible based on sculptor preference. MIKH knew we wanted our realistic animals as realistic as possible.
A competitor for Mierce, and not based solely on miniature sculpt quality?!?
and
Creator Red Republic Games about 16 hours ago
@Timo - Columns are in stock, we had to order another 150 due to increased demand. The mat artwork has been much improved by Amber Blade Jones, they have not yet been printed. We intend to ship both products in October.
I suspect they want to colour match their production resin as you can bet many (most) people will end up not painting the minis and that way they'll have a cool statue look,
annoying that it's taking time to sort (mistake by them or the base caster I wonder?), but since MIKH isn't done sculpting and several of the minis still need quantity casting it's not actually delaying anything
I am very interested in this game, the art looks great and idea is very different from any of the games that I play. Hopefully it will be out sometime this year or next. I really want to try it out.
guardpiper wrote: I am very interested in this game, the art looks great and idea is very different from any of the games that I play. Hopefully it will be out sometime this year or next. I really want to try it out.
If you're interested in giving the rules a whirl, head over to the Arena Rex forum and download the rules and all the materials you need to play (the various iterations of the rules and paper models are what I've been using to get my fix in while I wait for official delivery). It really is a pretty great game.
Leo is in the mail and en route to the US!
We'll put together another update in the next week or so sharing photos of the finished sculpt and some other goodies.
Until then,
Nick P
which should simplify things for them as they should be able to fulfil most orders with him in hand so hitting thelast set of dates they set looks possible
but not for mine as I ordered other MIKH stuff, ooops (hopefully though there will be few enough backers needing a split shipment for them to just go a head and do it)
Leo is finally en route. The completed sculpt was mailed last week. Molds and prototype casts will begin soon. We suspect Leo will need to be upgraded to a 60mm base, what you see below is a 50mm. MIKH says the extra support will not be needed when the mini is cast in resin.
We think this mini is stunning, and hope you feel it was worth the wait:
When this mini is cast in resin it will not require additional support.
MIKH's scupting table:
Septimus and Hroka still need their riding and on-foot poses completed. MIKH is working on the pieces that will be shared between the different poses: Septimus's helmet, spear, greaves and shield + Hroka's spear, shield and possibly head. Once these parts are completed and cast MIKH will focus on completing Septimus. When that model is complete and mailed to us, Hroka will be the last mini on the sculpting table. We have more orders for Septimus + Nero and would like to begin production on those minis ASAP.
What else is going on?
Most of the art cards have been delivered, the rest are on the way. Here are just a few that are on the our shelves:
The game cards will only take 7 days to print, so we are running one last sample before sending everything off. There are some font weight tweaks we wanted to experiment with (we also need to decide what Leo's final base size will be).
Something new! If you've selected at least a few gladiators from any of our factions your pledge will include a corresponding Ludus Benefit card. We noticed players (shout out to our Austin TX playtesters) referring to the rule book more often than we'd like to reread this info. These cards should help keep the pace up.
The rule book! Everyday we are working hard to finish this up. The rules text is laid out with art interspersed throughout. Nick P has been putting the finishing touches on diagrams. Walker is writing and editing gladiator history and fictional world background. We are very pleased with how it is coming together and are looking forward to sending it off to print. In fact, as soon as this update is posted we'll be getting right back to work on the rule book.
What's up with the plastics?
As you know backers, our fatigue tokens and miniature bases are being cast in plastic (high-impact polystyrene) at the moment. We are told these parts should be delivered to us either the last week of September or the first week of October. We hope to see them within that window, and are preparing to begin shipping as soon as they arrive.
Good to see Leo finished definitely needs a 60mm base even just from a visual stand point but I can see broken legs or minis constantly tipping over with that pose. I didn't go for Leo in the end as I figured I'd just use the KD:M lion for now.
Good to see MIKH has at least made some progress on the final minis I have Septimus on foot on my order.
This has reminded me I must order some of the new Halodynes bases for these they'll be a really good fit.
Project Update #67: Address Changes and Split-Shipping Options
Posted by Red Republic Games
Greetings backers!
As we make preparations to begin shipping we’d like to make sure we have everyone’s latest info. We intend to print packing slips for each backer soon. Art cards and game cards will be pulled before shipping officially begins, which should simplify packing.
Last Call for Address Changes:
If you need to change your shipping address:
Contact info@redrepublicgames.com using the email account associated with your Kickstarter (or PayPal) account and the subject line "Change of Address". Please include your old and new address. We will be printing packing slips on the 20th of August. Please contact us before the 20th, it will be much more difficult for us to make any changes after this date.
Unfinished Miniatures:
It’s no secret that some of the miniatures for Arena Rex have taken much longer to complete than we anticipated. Unfortunately some of the delayed models are also the most popular. We’ve done the math, and because of this, there just isn’t a way for us to send them all out in a way which is both affordable for the project and equitable to all of the affected backers. We will not be able to split shipping for incomplete minis free of charge, but we do have some additional options for those whose pledges include incomplete models.
Your package may see additional delay if your selected rewards include one of the following:
Septimus
Septimus and Nero
Hroka
Hroka and Caho-Ta
Here are the options we are making available to those of you with affected pledges:
Sit tight. Your package will be shipped when all minis are complete. No need to contact us unless your address has changed.
Send them with your arena mat. If you have an arena mat included with your pledge, we can ship everything except your mat and the incomplete miniatures when the first wave begins. When the final miniatures are complete, we’ll ship them together with the mat. Please email info@redrepublicgames.com with the subject line “Mat Reward Split” if you want to split shipping in this way.
I.O.U. If you are planning on making a purchase through the web store once it goes live, Request an I.O.U. to have the incomplete models included in the shipping with an upcoming order. Please email info@redrepublicgames.com with the subject line “Delayed Reward I.O.U.” to set this up.
Change your selection. If you’d like to adjust your pledge rewards and replace the incomplete models with alternatives so we can ship your rewards sooner, email info@redrepublicgames.com with the subject line “Delayed Reward Swap”.
Split it anyway. If none of the above options work for you, we can split the shipping on a one-off basis for the cost of the additional shipping. Please email info@redrepublicgames.com with the subject line “Paid Reward Split”
We have tried to be as fair as possible with these options. We are as excited for Arena Rex to ship as you are, but we can’t be certain how long these last few minis will take to sculpt and don’t want to continue to delay shipping longer than necessary.
If you have any other questions about shipping, your address, or the rewards we have on file for you, please contact us at info@redrepublicgames.com
Thanks again everyone for your continued patience. We are getting very close!
Can't really complain about that. I just emailed them to swap Septimus for Mago so that everything can ship on time. MIKH just doesn't seem to be in any rush to get these last miniatures finished and I'm just not going to wait anymore - I've passed up the alter order option on other KS and regretted it every time. I'll just have to get Septimus retail whenever that happens.
but I've taken them up on split shipping to get the majority of my pledge ASAP
my suspicion is that MIKH underestimated the amount of work needed to learn lion and horse anatomy, and figure out how to sculpt it and thus under charged,
and is now finishing stuff up 'off the clock' between paying projects, not ideal but since I'm sure it will eventually get done and that I'll like what he'll eventually come up with I'll stick it out
I THINK I'll be going with the split shipping option, but still mulling it over. I'm really just glad it's an option, considering how much time our boy MIKH is taking (though like you, Orlando, I'm very much in the "it'll be good so I can be patient" camp).
Also: crazy hyena handler and rampaging rhino for my arena in the near future? Yes, please.
Hope everyone in the states has a great Labor Day.
We are wrapping up a lot of work and should have an update within the week.
Later,
Nick P
Closer...
Automatically Appended Next Post: ...and an Official Update too!
Update #69
Sep 5 2014
End of the tunnel
2 comments
4 likes
Backers, we are getting very close. It is likely that we'll begin shipping rewards out in October! Fingers crossed everyone.
Rulebooks
Our rulebooks have been sent off for production. We should have thousands in our hands by the end of September. Our numerous production delays over the past few months have allowed us the time to refine and add content to this book. What was originally going to be a simple rules reference is now 52 pages long, with half of the book dedicated to history and background. We are thrilled with the final product and cannot wait to share it with you.
Rulebook cover.
Game Cards
Model game cards are at the printer, we should have them within a week or so.
Arena Mat
Here we present the final artwork for the arena mat by Amber Blade Jones. She has pretty much redrawn the entire piece. There are a lot of interesting characters in the crowds, and none of them are wearing baseball caps (as was the case in the original sketch). These are at the printer, we expect them to be delivered before the end of September.
Septimus Progress
MIKH has been working on Septimus full-time. The pieces which are shared by rider and on-foot model have been sculpted and cast to save time. His helmet is incomplete in the following WiP images. Both minis will need unique plumage of course!
As always, we want to thank everyone for their patience and enthusiasm. We are so close.
Until then,
-RRG
And since they reminded me, and since it has been a while:
Backers, we are getting very close. It is likely that we'll begin shipping rewards out in October! Fingers crossed everyone.
Rulebooks
Our rulebooks have been sent off for production. We should have thousands in our hands by the end of September. Our numerous production delays over the past few months have allowed us the time to refine and add content to this book. What was originally going to be a simple rules reference is now 52 pages long, with half of the book dedicated to history and background. We are thrilled with the final product and cannot wait to share it with you.
Rulebook cover.
Game Cards
Model game cards are at the printer, we should have them within a week or so.
Arena Mat
Here we present the final artwork for the arena mat by Amber Blade Jones. She has pretty much redrawn the entire piece. There are a lot of interesting characters in the crowds, and none of them are wearing baseball caps (as was the case in the original sketch). These are at the printer, we expect them to be delivered before the end of September.
Septimus Progress
MIKH has been working on Septimus full-time. The pieces which are shared by rider and on-foot model have been sculpted and cast to save time. His helmet is incomplete in the following WiP images. Both minis will need unique plumage of course!
As always, we want to thank everyone for their patience and enthusiasm. We are so close.
Thanks for the feedback, guys. I really do appreciate it.
Alpharius wrote:I am interested...
...I check it out and...
...WOW!
So, ARENA REX showdown party at your house when the game finally ships?
Ha ha - if you find your way to northern CO I'd be more than happy to host some AR games, seeing as my only opponent thus far is my casually interested 13-year-old son...
RiTides wrote:Wow, that's fantastic, Gomez!
My one critique is just the obvious- it would be Really awesome if the perimeter could be circular
Yeah, I'm already planning a 36" circular arena - I just wanted to do a trial with some supplies I had on hand. Plus, it's really only sized for 3-5 gladiators per side max... perfect for demos and such, but if I want to play with more fighters I'll NEED a bigger arena. I've already got a few new ideas to try out for my second go-round after I finish this one.
Funnily enough Austin is lousy with crickets. Shipping still looking good for early October. Nudging MIKH for another update.
-Nick P
Here's hoping "early October" means things get moving sometime this week - though we're close enough to that deadline that you'd think they would just give us a date.
Red Republic Games wrote:
Creator Red Republic Games about 6 hours ago
Hello Backers.
Exciting news. We intend to begin shipping rewards on Saturday October 11th. On Sunday the 12th we will post a progress report at the end of the day.
Thanks for your patience, we are so looking forward to shipping out your rewards.
-RRG
Arena Rex's initial wave of shipping is underway! Currently, we have 120 packed boxes that are stamped and ready to be mailed. Though tomorrow is a postal holiday in the US so these won't be in transit until Tuesday.
Wave 1 consists of nearly 500 packages. We estimate this first round of shipping will be completed in around two weeks.
What is included in Wave 1?
Pledges which do not contain Septimus, Septimus and Nero, Hroka, or Hroka and Caho-Ta are scheduled to be shipped. Backers who took advantage of one of the split-shipping options from Update #67 will have partial orders shipped in this wave as well.
Arena mats will arrive in separate parcels shortly after this wave is complete (unless you selected the Mat Split option).
Thanks everyone for your patience.
Septimus Progress:
More photos to share from MIKH. It's very exciting to watch all the details come together. Once these minis are completed Hroka (the final incomplete character from this campaign) will hit the sculpting table.
We'll post our next update when everything from Wave 1 is out the door!
Wow, yeah, it looks great, though I'm still glad to be getting my minis sooner than later (I decided to get the minimum for 2 forces since I had just put a lot in some other KS's).
I went for "SEND ME EVERYTHING EXCEPT MIKH'S SUPER LATE STUFF" and then once MIKH is finally ready, I'll place another order in their online shop and remind them to add those minis in at the same time.
Alpharius wrote: I went for "SEND ME EVERYTHING EXCEPT MIKH'S SUPER LATE STUFF" and then once MIKH is finally ready, I'll place another order in their online shop and remind them to add those minis in at the same time.
I hope that all works out...
This is my plan too as there are a few more pieces I'd like that I couldn't afford this time around (not getting Euryale was a little heartbreaking TBH).
MIKH's stuff looks absolutely amazing, but I'd just as soon he never touch another project for this game. The amount of time he's taken on a handful of miniatures is completely insane... and the end STILL isn't even really in sight.
Alpharius wrote: I went for "SEND ME EVERYTHING EXCEPT MIKH'S SUPER LATE STUFF" and then once MIKH is finally ready, I'll place another order in their online shop and remind them to add those minis in at the same time.
I hope that all works out...
This is my plan too as there are a few more pieces I'd like that I couldn't afford this time around (not getting Euryale was a little heartbreaking TBH).
MIKH's stuff looks absolutely amazing, but I'd just as soon he never touch another project for this game. The amount of time he's taken on a handful of miniatures is completely insane... and the end STILL isn't even really in sight.
Same here Gomez - I know there's plenty I'll be wanting to get 'now' (meaning, when MIKH is finally done!) that I could afford 'then'!
Received my pledge today. I only went in for Ludus Magnus and no MIKH. Based my selections on aesthetic rather than playability.
Received:
Lupa, Aquila, Noxius, Vargr, Zahra and Gaius Pallidus
No broken pieces in transit. The Resin carried over very well from the masters and castings are quite good. Only flaws are a couple pinpricks in Noxious' butt-cape and Aquila's sword has a restic-like bend to it.
Favor dice have a good look and feel to them; cards/rules are nice, although wish the cards had rounded corners. Minor quibble for sure.
Triple9 wrote: Received my pledge today. I only went in for Ludus Magnus and no MIKH. Based my selections on aesthetic rather than playability.
Received:
Lupa, Aquila, Noxius, Vargr, Zahra and Gaius Pallidus
No broken pieces in transit. The Resin carried over very well from the masters and castings are quite good. Only flaws are a couple pinpricks in Noxious' butt-cape and Aquila's sword has a restic-like bend to it.
Favor dice have a good look and feel to them; cards/rules are nice, although wish the cards had rounded corners. Minor quibble for sure.
RRG said they neglected to get email notification for the first 200 (out of 500) domestic packages they sent, so a good chunk will be happy little surprises.
Been meaning to check that store out. The Abington one is a pretty straight shot for me.
Pictures of the minis I received. Nice clean casts and crisp detail for the most part. My photography skills don't do the quality of the faces justice. You can see the 2 minor flaws I mentioned earlier. The sword is going to be a PITA. Might see about getting that replaced.
Beautiful resin inside. Very well packed. I won't get a chance to play with the contents much this weekend, but I am super excited and pleased by what I can see so far.
and if the sword is just bent you'll easily be able to straighten it,
just boil some water, pour it into a cup and dip the sword in for a few seconds. It will become flexable and can be pressed flat easily then just let it cool (or quick cool in cold water)
I got home last night and had a package on my doorstep. Arena Rex! Everything was there except the MIKH sculpt. As reported above the figures are clean, dice are gorgeous, cards and book are made of a nice stock and are well done. I like the character prints of the figures purchased. A nice touch.
Otho Mentulus is huge. He comes on a 40mm base. The bases are beautiful and clean casted. The fatigue counters are also simple and well done.
I'm in New Jersey.
My only concern is the where the feet of the models are attached to the base flash. I'm not sure how exactly I'm going to separate the delicate and small feet from the flash without snapping them.
My only concern is the where the feet of the models are attached to the base flash. I'm not sure how exactly I'm going to separate the delicate and small feet from the flash without snapping them.
I imagine this is an especially large concern with those that are barefoot, too.
Automatically Appended Next Post: No shipment for me today. Sad :(
Same here, unfortunately. Tried not to get my hopes up, but I failed miserably... only to be met with a sadly boxless front stoop when I got home from work.
Resin seems to be quite a bit stronger than those used on the Wrath of Kings models but still fragile, you WILL need battle foam or some equivalent to transport these.
I thought these minis were suppose to come with little art prints with them too... no? I paid for a full set of them.
Automatically Appended Next Post: I'm guessing if we have 2 orders (1 via kickstarter 1 via paypa) they will come in seperate packages. I'm missing 200 bucks in miniatures all from my paypal order.
I'm going to break my key board.
Automatically Appended Next Post: the dice are so awesome I could make love to them right now.
Yeah, I'm pretty disappointed right now. I emailed them asking if mine had shipped yet, and I'm glad I did. Apparently they had my order incorrectly recorded or something, and it hasn't even shipped yet. I question whether it would have ever shipped had I not reached out to them
Pretty unhappy that I was told on August 12 that my MIKH feth up order change was confirmed and correct only to find out as others are getting their product that it, in fact, was not resolved.
A bit more info on shipping progress from facebook and the comments
1. Wave 1 shipping is going well. 300 packages of 550 have been packed and shipped.
2. Quick status update (expect these weekly): 150 additional boxes have been packed and will be shipped out in the morning. We expect the first wave to be completed within a week or two.
International shipments are being packed alongside domestic ones.
Finally shipping these rewards is exhilarating. Thanks everyone for their patience and support, it is appreciated
I'm amazed that only 550 of 1141 appear to have chosen split shipping (or didn't have a MIKH mini on their list in the first place)
A note on dealing with sprue attached to feet etc., removing it can be a pain but there are some good practices to avoid breaking:
First, cut the bar of resin connecting one leg to the other leg+sprue part. Try to aim for the middle of the bar thing. You don't want anything pushing on anything else when you make the other cuts; it is really easy to break the right ankle while snipping a pour spot from the left ankle.
Second, once the sprue you want to remove has been isolated from other parts, get ready to cut the sprue about a tenth of an inch or so from the foot/ankle. You want to hold onto the foot securely in your other hand such that movement in the sprue while cutting puts pressure on another part of the sprue and NOT any part of the model you want. 1/10th of an inch is usually enough. This is especially important though, especially if you are using flush cutters (nippers) as those tend to put a great deal of pressure on the parts while cutting, pressure that often resolves through a break in some other bit you didn't want.
(Using a razor saw works too, with adequate bracing.)
Finally, use a sharp hobby knife to slice away the extra sprue a bit at a time, then file down the rest.
This can all be a bit of a pain, but having cleaned up more resin models than... well anyone I have ever met, and broken more ankles, I can tell you the extra effort is worth it
Wehrkind wrote: A note on dealing with sprue attached to feet etc., removing it can be a pain but there are some good practices to avoid breaking:
First, cut the bar of resin connecting one leg to the other leg+sprue part. Try to aim for the middle of the bar thing. You don't want anything pushing on anything else when you make the other cuts; it is really easy to break the right ankle while snipping a pour spot from the left ankle.
Second, once the sprue you want to remove has been isolated from other parts, get ready to cut the sprue about a tenth of an inch or so from the foot/ankle. You want to hold onto the foot securely in your other hand such that movement in the sprue while cutting puts pressure on another part of the sprue and NOT any part of the model you want. 1/10th of an inch is usually enough. This is especially important though, especially if you are using flush cutters (nippers) as those tend to put a great deal of pressure on the parts while cutting, pressure that often resolves through a break in some other bit you didn't want.
(Using a razor saw works too, with adequate bracing.)
Finally, use a sharp hobby knife to slice away the extra sprue a bit at a time, then file down the rest.
This can all be a bit of a pain, but having cleaned up more resin models than... well anyone I have ever met, and broken more ankles, I can tell you the extra effort is worth it
Thanks for the tip. I wonder if flipping the cutters so the flat end is away from the foot would relieve the pressure away from the foot?
Wehrkind wrote: having cleaned up more resin models than... well anyone I have ever met, and broken more ankles, I can tell you the extra effort is worth it
Thanks for the tip. I wonder if flipping the cutters so the flat end is away from the foot would relieve the pressure away from the foot?
I haven't had much luck with that. I find usually the bits on the angled side shoot across the room if not held, so I think there's a really good bit of pressure there.
Another thing I have tried is using a saw to cut a notch between the figure and where I intend to cut, basically making a weak point that will hopefully break before the model. Mixed results on that one, but it does seem to help a bit, especially if you can get the notched area thinner than the ankle.
Okay, so I got my package today and I'm really, really impressed.
I've assembled the three large models thusfar (Euralyia, Sereqet, and Leo) and they're all fantastic. Minor gap filling to do on Leo and Euralyia, but nothing major. Sereqet went together like a dream.
I'll snap a bunch of photos this evening and post them tomorrow.
Only complaint is that I'm missing the base for Sereqet and I did not receive my faction dice.
Alpharius wrote: Did the address the "How the hell are we going to base Leo?!?" thing?
Ehhh...I'm still not super happy with how he's based....His paw fits into this little chain thing that gives you a larger contact point for the base.....but there still nothing really supporting his body....
Woot Did my Mago make it through the post intact? Wish I'd actually pledged for this one myself (although I would've spent more then!) so looking forward to seeing a cast in-person.
RiTides wrote: Woot Did my Mago make it through the post intact? Wish I'd actually pledged for this one myself (although I would've spent more then!) so looking forward to seeing a cast in-person.
He did!
Shoot me your addy again and I'll get him out either tomorrow or Saturday.
Got home today to find a nice little box waiting at my door step
Agree the miniatures are gorgeous and look forward to working on them. Unfortunately some warping on Lupa's hammer and Mentulus' shield. Mentulus also has a pronounced mold line on his left arm.
Still happy with the purchase. Now to get these guys done and on the table
So, good news: my son texted me this afternoon to let me know my AR box had arrived... Bad news: I was stuck at my school for parent-teacher conferences until 9:00.
Once I got home and took care of everything I needed to I sat down with my goodies to check out what I ordered.
I'll get into my impressions later, but first I'm going to bomb some photos (crappy iPhone variety, but they give a decent idea of the products IMO)...
The haul.
I know some people have reported missing dice, bases, and tokens, but I received the right number of each.
The dice.
Whoever said these were sexy was damn right - I'm no dice-fetishist, but these are really, really nice.
The minis.
Noxious
The whole reason I bought into this game in the first place was an early WIP of this guy, so he gets to be first.
Leo
Micon
Otho Mentulus
Urbicus
Viatrix
Marcus Furius
Hermes
Iason
Lupa
Aemilia
Aquila
Gaius Pallidus
Frigge
Sven
Vargr
---
*Totally surprised Leo made it in - was not expecting him to be proofed and cast in time for this batch.
*Overall the details and casting are ridiculously good. I've only ever worked with HIPS and metal so resin is new to me but it's obvious why it is used for stuff like this: crisp lines and extremely fine detail are all over these minis (oh, and I imagine the talent of the sculptors might play a little role in that too). There are what appear to be a few mold slips here and there (Aquila's right leg, outer edge of Noxious's shield) but nothing too difficult to fix with some filing and greenstuff.
*Iason, Frigge, and Leo are made up of a surprisingly large number of different parts IMO. Leo in particular has some cuts that seem strange to me, and unfortunately he also had the only botched bit in the whole package (his chain had some partially cast links).
*Everything looks pretty darn faithful to the production shots we've seen along the way which is great. I mean, the game itself is a ton of fun to play but the minis are what drew me in and they don't disappoint.
*The rulebook is also a pleasant surprise. First off, it's very attractive and professional, which I wasn't expecting originally when it was billed as a "mini rulebook". Second, there's a ton of new content that has been added onto the playtest versions we got earlier this year. Detailed background of each ludus, a timeline of the AR world, new scenarios... Very nice.
*The cards are awesome quality as well, though I'm not exactly sure what I'll do with the 4x6 art cards. They'll likely just end up taped to the wall in my workroom but that seems too humble an end for such nice pieces of artwork.
*While the packaging is definitely lacking some polish (everything came in mismatched plastic bags) and feels like RRG wanted to get things out the door to backers ASAP (which is understandable), the whole package for this game - cards, rules, rulebook, miniatures, dice, tokens, bases - came together really, really well.
*Ultimately I'm extremely pleased with everything I received. The year-long delay has sucked (and isn't over yet, as I'm still waiting for Hroka and Septimus/Nero), but I am very happy to have backed Arena Rex. While not perfect, when it comes to the most important parts the RRG folks pretty much nailed it IMO.
I'm fairly sure mine shipped on Wednesday I got a stamps shipping notification from someone in Austin Texas as it's in an individuals name I wasn't sure what it was until I checked the project details again. Most items from the US seem to take about 2 weeks to get to me I think customs is the hold up have to wait and see if there's a customs bill or not.
That reminds me I must order some Halodynes bases they should arrive at about the same time then.
As soon as I saw his WIP sculpt he was on the "OMG-need-it" list (which incidentally just kept on growing the more sculpts I saw).
Similar to what Alpharius alluded to, my main regret from this KS is not finding SOME way to get Euryale. Unfortunately, I was already over my limit at $280-some and just couldn't go any bigger at the time. If RRG get their store up and running soon she might make a decent Christmas present for myself though.
Alpharius wrote: Once RRG ship my pledge to me, get their store up, and once MIKH is done, I'll be ordering Proximo, Euryale and Wendigo!
Honestly, I may email them and see if they'd be willing to take my money right now for the rest of the sculpts that I didn't get. I'm really happy with my product.
Alpharius wrote: Once RRG ship my pledge to me, get their store up, and once MIKH is done, I'll be ordering Proximo, Euryale and Wendigo!
Honestly, I may email them and see if they'd be willing to take my money right now for the rest of the sculpts that I didn't get. I'm really happy with my product.
I'd actually put money on them doing this BTW. They've been extremely accommodating for their backers - hell, one guy popped up in the KS comments section a week ago asking "What's all this about a pledge manager?" and they promptly got him squared away.
Alpharius wrote: Well yes, except they haven't answered an email I sent them a week or so ago.
I understand that they're busy, but a week should be enough time to answer...
What address did you send to? I hit them up at info@redrepublicgames.com a few days ago and got a response within about 24 hours. That response came from chelsie@redrepublicgames.com, so you could maybe cut to the chase and email her directly?
So here's another image group for ya'll, with some assembled minis and a brief take on them:
Zahra and Sereqet
Sereqet looks fantastic and was a dream to put together. Really easy to assemble (the legs are only one part per set!)
Zahra was a little harder to assemble, most particularly her leg positioning. I had to heat her headdress up and then put it on her while flexible to get it to fit right, but that was super easy.
Gaius
3 pieces, easy to assemble, and might be the best looking model of the line. He's beautiful.
Aquila
Another really easy to assemble model. His sword had a slight bend. Hot water fixed easily.
Ban Luca
Another really easy to assemble, beautiful model. I haven't put her cape on yet, but I like her.
Unassembled Marcus Furius
You can see the slight bend in the spear. Fixed easily in hot water. His chain net required the hot water treatment as well when assembled, as it was sticking straight out. Super easy fix.
Ur Kek
I love this model. He's incredibly cool looking, and was perhaps the cleanest cast of the bunch.
Frigge
The detail here is much crisper than what the photo shows. I'm shooting with an iPhone 5 with no macros, so it blurred a bit. The feathers on her hair were a pretty huge pain in the ass to put on because i put the axe arm on first. I'd recommend putting them on before the axe hand to anyone that is going to be building her.
And finally my sandy arena bases complete.
Milliput with random depresses using a sculpting tool and my brush. Light glue over top. Fine grain sand on top and another round of depresses with the sculpting tool and brush.
GW Zamesi Desert base coat. Devlan Mud Watered Down Wash. PP Menoth White Base dry brush. PP Menoth White Highlight light drybrush. gakky craft paint black around the rims. Done. I tried it out with white base coloring, and didn't like it. If I was more patient, I'd potentially attempt this:
But I'm not..... yet. Can always change it later. Dunno.
Those bases look great - nicely done. I went with sand sans milliput myself, but purely to match the surface of my arena. They don't look anywhere as good as yours.
I'll also agree with your assessment of GP. He was simple to assemble, easy to clean-up, crisply cast, and looks like a ****ing boss. My only complaint is that most every other model comes to his belly-button - if he were about Micon's height, I think he'd be perfect.
Gomez wrote: Those bases look great - nicely done. I went with sand sans milliput myself, but purely to match the surface of my arena. They don't look anywhere as good as yours.
Thanks!
I may actually cast some up for folks and just charge materials cost for them, and for myself. Milliput is 'spensive, even with a Hobby Lobby coupon.
I'll also agree with your assessment of GP. He was simple to assemble, easy to clean-up, crisply cast, and looks like a ****ing boss. My only complaint is that most every other model comes to his belly-button - if he were about Micon's height, I think he'd be perfect.
Yeah, I actually have been meaning to do some scale comparisons.
Everything seems pretty okay, and I've been forgiving of Gaius because he's obviously not 100% human, but you're spot on. Bro is HUUUUGE.
they're apparently hoping to have sent all of wave 1 out by the end of the first (full?) week of November
so some point soon after that if they do decide to go that way
They've already put out some feelers to see whether backers would be miffed at them for firing up the webstore before everything (read: the rest of MIKH's stuff) had been delivered (speaking as someone waiting on those very same pieces, I have absolutely no problem with them doing that but I can understand why someone might).
I'm secretly hoping that they've already got a few new characters and sculpts ready to go whenever the store is up and running - I'd like to believe they are forward thinking enough to have already asked Seb Archer or Benoit Cauchies (or any of their other productive sculptors) to get a head-start on the next generation of characters, like Anum and Sulla and that badass-looking rhino from the rulebook. I know they might want to sit back and relax a bit upon fulfillment of their KS, but I'm still hopeful...
I'm secretly hoping that they've already got a few new characters and sculpts ready to go whenever the store is up and running - I'd like to believe they are forward thinking enough to have already asked Seb Archer or Benoit Cauchies (or any of their other productive sculptors) to get a head-start on the next generation of characters, like Anum and Sulla and that badass-looking rhino from the rulebook. I know they might want to sit back and relax a bit upon fulfillment of their KS, but I'm still hopeful...
Um yes, please!
I got an email reply from them that indicated the webstore would be opening soon, as I wanted to purchase a few of the models I didn't pledge for but couldn't.
Please check addresses in shipping emails.
Comment
2 likes
Hello backers, especially international backers,
Shipping for Wave 1 has been smooth. A few backers have received shipping notices via email and noticed their address was incorrect. They quickly contacted us and we were able to fix the labels before the packages went out the door.
If you receive an email notification please check that your address is correct (both the formatting and the content).
RiTides wrote: You sir are a scholar and a gentleman . Can't wait to see the casting results in-person, they look really good in the pics!
They're honestly much better than my pics.
There's a few bubbles here and there (I'll go over this more in my full review), but to me that falls under "normal resin expectations."
I only had one problem, and that was with Noxious. There was an internal bubble in his ankle which you couldn't see until I went to put him together and his ankle snapped. But, I mean, with Quik Set and Super Glue it was an easy fix.
I'd say overall casting quality is up there with Infamy and Wild West Exodus for me, which is just a tier below Kingdom Death, which I consider to be the cream of the crop. But to be fair, Poots is maniacally anal retentive with his QC. I bought one of the "junk" bags last holiday, and some of the stuff in there was perfect save for an easily filled bubble.
All wave 1 packages have been boxed up. Labelling should go on for the rest of the week. International labels have been taking a bit longer than we hoped. Inputting data for customs forms and double checking address formatting makes it a slow process. But we are working hard to get everything out the door ASAP.
We've been emailing with MIKH, asking about Septimus updates. When the next set of photos arrives we will post them in an official update.
I'm almost finished painting my first Arena Rex gladiator. The sculpts and casts have some really great detail, makes them a lot of fun to paint. This is one of my favorite, Otho Mentulus, so I'm taking my time on this one. They showed some early WIP pictures of the sculpt during the KS. The realistic proportions and the level of detail went a long way to convincing me to back the project.
Thanks! For the metals I'm using Scale 75's Metal n' Alchemy paints. They are some of the best (water based) metallic paints I've come across. The pigments are super fine so they flow really smoothly and you can more easily build up the color in layers for better blends. Other metallics paints tend to be pretty thick compared to regular acrylic. I also like Vallejo Model Air metallic paints. Since they're designed for the airbrush they have a lot of the same behavior. Unfortunately while their white/grey metals are very nice the yellow metal selection is a bit limited. But they are easier to find, I've seen quite a few hobby shops that carry VMA paints. For Scale 75 you're probably stuck ordering them online.
I'm also mixing my metals with regular matte acrylics to take down the shine in the shadows and keep them dark, then hitting upper surfaces and edges with the brighter metallic tones.
For the skin here's what I used (Reaper Paints):
I like the Reaper skin options, but based on the images you can hopefully find similar shades in whatever paint brand you like. For the shadows I mix Mahogany Brown with Rosy Shadow (roughly 3 to 1) and Chestnut Brown with Rosy Shadow (roughly 3 to 1). The rest are just pure colors. Of course I go from one to the next in stages, mixing slightly more of the lighter color in each time. After I'd finished the shadow-midtone I went back in with some glazes (adding Vallejo Glaze medium + water) of rosy skin and rosy skin + chestnut brown to help blend the transitions. Then I did the same thing after finishing the highlights, using rosy skin + fair skin and pure fair skin. The last step was to take a few glazes from GW (their bloodletter and then bloodletter mixed with Guilliman blue) further thinned with water and add some more color variation. So a little more red in the knees, elbow, knuckles, heels, and in some areas in the torso and a little purple to deepen some of the shadows. I want the effect to be subtle and build up gradually, so that's why I add 1 or 2 parts water for every 1 part glaze.
Even if you don't follow the whole process, that last step is a great trick for any skin. For faces mix up some glazes and then add red to the cheeks, maybe the nose. A blue glaze over skin gives a nice subtle 5 o'clock shadow. I tend to build up the color in 2-4 layers but you can still do an entire unit pretty quickly. It helps add another layer of detail to the figures and makes them stand out. Just remember to thin the GW glazes first.
Awesome, thanks for sharing your paint colors! I am going to check out those metalic paints, as I am never super happy with GW's but they have been the best I have found so far. (And I am super sick of NMM )
By the way, did you find out if it was RRG's error in sending the Otho figure, or if you had requested that one by mistake? They're quite active in the comments of the KS page now, so I am hoping they'll respond to you quickly. I was planning to use it as a counts-as model for a store league that starts up on Wednesday. That might be a long shot, assuming they'd plan to ship out to you first, but I would still like to get it resolved ASAP.
Well, it looks like my local group is actually interested in this game! In which case Mago will be my first model for it, rather than a counts-as model for something else
Have they indicated when they'll be selling models on their webstore other than "after Kickstarter orders"? It looks like they've completed shipping wave 1 (all but the bull and a few other items, right?) and so might put things up for sale for the holidays?
RiTides wrote: Well, it looks like my local group is actually interested in this game! In which case Mago will be my first model for it, rather than a counts-as model for something else
Have they indicated when they'll be selling models on their webstore other than "after Kickstarter orders"? It looks like they've completed shipping wave 1 (all but the bull and a few other items, right?) and so might put things up for sale for the holidays?
I keep asking, and was hoping it'd be a part of their most recent update, but it was not.
If I find anything out thru my emails with Chelsie I'll let you know.
I like it. Looks like black marble with gold inlay. With a statue partially sculpted on to the base. I've seen some marble statues have a similar style, there is probably a name for that, no?
Thanks all, and, yeah, I was trying to go for something more stylized, like Piston Honda was saying-- I never do anything weird with bases, so I wanted to try something new since there was just the little set of these guys.
I tossed some WIP shots into my P&M thread. Would love some feedback!
And SC, I'm absolutely envious of your productivity - I keep tabs on some of your various painting/sculpting threads and your blog and I'm amazed at how consistently you get such nice work done (your use of such strong OSL is especially nice, IMO). I go through such peaks and valleys (mostly the latter anymore) that seeing how many minis you finish is a little bit disheartening. Anyway, keep posting your work here - it's been keeping me motivated, which I appreciate!
Hmmm mines still flaoting around out there somewhere as well it left Texas on the 22nd of October passed through Chicago on the 26th and that's as far as stamps tracking goes. In the mean time my halodyne bases arrived and I've painted them up.
A huge stash of resin lovelies, neat postcards, game cards rule books and dice
First impressions are very good generally,
the art are great and I really like having them (and will frame some up for display)
The rule book is smaller than I expected and a bit of a strange size, but well laid out and seems easy to follow
The gaming cards look good although I may well end up sleeving or laminating them (I fear a spilled drink would be a lot worse for them than for a standard playing card type card)
The resin all looks good (although no doubt minor mould lines will show up in places on detailed inspection), one or two spears may need to be replaced by brass wire as they are very thin but other than that I'm really impressed
I hope to get started on building Proximo the Questing Beast, Leo the angry Lion and the giant Scorpion this weekend
I can already see i'll need to greenstuff several joins as they are in the fur of the mane, but that's easy enough, further impressions will have to wait till he's together
oh yes I like the bases, I think they will work well for folk who aren't going to paint them giving the minis a very 'statue' like feel (and much better than resin alternatives unless they had very extensive QC)
Is it the pose you were unhappy with, cincy, or the cast, etc?
I have to say, I felt that the sculptor kind of just "mailed it in" / called it done with the front legs, which were the last to be completed... and it was pretty clear that RRG had to pressure him to finish. I'm not blaming them... he should have finished well, but the final result isn't as good as I felt it would be from the WIPs.
The bull he's working on, on the other hand, looks absolutely stunning still... the question is if he can finish it off A) well, unlike the lion and B) while I'm still interested in the game, i.e. 2015
RiTides wrote: Is it the pose you were unhappy with, cincy, or the cast, etc?
I have to say, I felt that the sculptor kind of just "mailed it in" / called it done with the front legs, which were the last to be completed... and it was pretty clear that RRG had to pressure him to finish. I'm not blaming them... he should have finished well, but the final result isn't as good as I felt it would be from the WIPs.
The bull he's working on, on the other hand, looks absolutely stunning still... the question is if he can finish it off A) well, unlike the lion and B) while I'm still interested in the game, i.e. 2015
Really? While I would've posed the paws slightly differently (tilted up and out a bit), I actually think Leo is a fantastic miniature overall (though I did need to give him the most clean up with filing and greenstuff). In fact, my only real disappointment is related to scale. For example, while Gaius and Micon are obviously big dudes, Otho seems like a outsized giant, and Frigge is a whole head taller than her brother Sven and Vargr. Those kinds of things bother me waaaaaay more than any individual design choice.
Well mines officially lost the postal service have confirmed it never entered the country (it's been over 6 weeks since shipping), RRG said they'd resend after I checked with the postal service - although I see they are off sick this week which explains why I haven't heard back from them since the weekend.
I guess a few packages in every KS are going to go astray there's a few other reports in the comments of non delivery.
The update on November 12th said they had nearly all wave 1 packages shipped so they should be done at this stage.
Do you have any of the unfinished miniatures in your order and did you contact them about what to do about these miniatures if you do per update 67*? if you selected an unfinished mini and didn't tell them to split shipping (and pay the extra shipping cost) or change the order (to remove unfinished minis) none of your stuff will ship until everything is ready.
If your order has only finished miniatures contact them at info@redrepublicgames.com (be aware that they have said there is a delay in responses right now due to illness)
Other than not a huge amount of variety (ex: no range, no buffing pieces, mostly either tricks or direct damage), I think it's a really solid game with a lot of potential for growth if their expansions add some new types of guys.
Greetings all! We have some very exciting news to kick off this holiday update.
Yes.
Septimus and Nero are baked and being cut!!! The final product is stunning. We're so pleased to finally be able to share these images:
Soon these sculpts will be on their way to our casting partner for prototype. We'll try to get them into production as quick as we can.
Wave 2
As soon as we take delivery of the first Septimus and Nero production casts we'll begin shipping Wave 2. This wave consists of complete orders that were waiting for Septimus and Nero and/or Septimus. We'll also be shipping out these minis to people who paid for split shipping or selected a mat split (and did not have Hroka or Hroka and Caho Ta in their order).
We'll decide when to make our KS minis available on our webstore after Wave 2 is complete. Look for an announcement then Sulla playtest preview
As a bit of an Xmas present, we'd like to share a playtest preview of Legio XIII's latest gladiator, Sulla. We've been having a great time testing many new characters and wanted to let our backers in on the fun. If you'd like to share feedback please contact us at: info@redrepublicgames.com
rules not final
Thanks
Thanks, thanks, thanks. We really appreciate the messages from backers who've received their pledges. It means a lot to know that so many people are painting, playing, and having fun with Arena Rex.
Until next time,
-RRG
Septimus and Nero = pretty damn epic. Can't wait to get them on my workbench. Also cool to see what the next generation of characters will be like with Sulla... Some intriguing new skills for sure.
I would love to buy that bull - is the pledge manager completely closed up?
Not a huge fan of the head plume on the rider, but I'd be after this for a chaos dwarf Taurus conversion, anyway
Took a long time, but the end result is definitely a home run! Although, Infamy miniatures just gave what Mikh was going to do for them to another sculptor (they'll have Mikh do a future non-KS sculpt when he's finally free) just due to timeline.
We're very pleased to announce the release of our first post-kickstarter minis. Sulla, Stheno, and Acerbus are now available in limited quantities in our newly launched web store. Check them out at arenarex.com
Backers with the I.O.U. split shipping option, please make an "order note" on the cart page if you'd like us to hold your purchase and ship it along with wave 2 when it is ready. Please include the email address associated with your kickstarter account in the note.
For now, there are limited selections and inventory available for the following reasons:
We want to make sure the web store is running smoothly before we open up our full line.
We want to ship Wave 2 of our Kickstarter orders before offering the Kickstarter miniatures to a wider audience.
We're excited about the new minis and want to share them despite other delays.
Speaking of, MIKH is cutting the last pieces of Septimus and Nero as we speak. He simply needs to finish the joins and mail the pieces to us for prototype and production. It seems like they should be in the mail soon. We fervently hope so. Thanks to everyone for your enduring patience.
We are doing everything we can to get wave 2 started soon. It's always on our mind.
For anyone with questions about their shipping status please contact info@redrepublicgames.com. Please be descriptive in the subject line. For example, "Split shipping request" - "Order Status request" - and so on. We appreciate it and it helps us to get back to you quicker. For anyone who'd like to split their order and has not yet contacted us please refer to update #67 for your options.
Thanks again everyone for your continued support,
-RRG
Previous update
Where's that MIKH jpeg
Hi everyone, thanks for all the thoughtful comments. As some of you have guessed, we aren't likely to give a blow-by-blow of our experience working with any particular freelancer, artist, or vendor. It doesn't feel like our style, it doesn't seem productive. (Want to know what the KS experience has been like? Buy us a beer/moscow mule/mexican coke at a future Gencon.) The only important detail is also obvious: We have miniatures that are still unfinished more than a year after their deadline has passed. To say this is a disappointment is an understatement. It affects nobody more than us, and at times it keeps me up at night. Every day I send emails about Septimus and Hroka. We have had multiple 3+ hour meetings discussing how to resolve this issue. After the happiness and health of my family, it is my #1 concern. When we solve the problem, you'll be the first to know. It's a genuine relief to see that some people support us opening our webstore before Hroka packages go out. We haven't officially decided to do so, but opening our store would be helpful. We'd like to keep production of new concepts going. We are not in danger of closing our doors, rest assured. Though opening our webstore sooner rather than later would be very, very helpful. Keep the feedback coming. @Bill Marquardt - Absolutely, anyone can swap out an unfinished model to get their package shipped. just email info@redrepublicgames.com - Chelsie will sort it out. @Balgin- You'll only wait for the minis you have selected. @Maxo_Q- No new kickstarter in the works, though we do have several new minis in production. Zephiri will definitely get some love in future. @Joe- I may be missing something, does the conversion need to be more than 1 hex = 1 inch? Apologies if the question seems obtuse. Thanks again everyone for your thoughts and support. Both are appreciated. Until next time, Nick P
Jan 26 2015 on Arena Rex: Gladiator Combat in a Mythic Age
Apparently MIKH has previous form for being late or not delivering at all. It looks like Red Republic won't be working with him again.
MIKH did post this today
MIKH
10 hrs · Edited ·
Some of you may wonder about my work, especially concerning Arena Rex (Septimus and Nero wink emoticon ), and seeing my name on other projects. I will very soon clarify the projects done, those I'm still working on and those planified in the close future... And Articles on my blog will be back very soon !
Just saw here on the AR forums that RRG are projecting at least another six months before MIKH gets around to finishing Hroka...
When I saw that I immediately emailed to change my order to swap Hroka for Septimus on foot - no way am I interested in waiting ANOTHER half a year (likely even longer) for that self-important "artiste" to maybe finish that commission. At this point, I'm convinced he's just a sadist who's trolling RRG as hard as possible.
I'm really surprised they haven't just automatically asked people to do that - I mean things happen with Kickstarters, a certain sculptor can't complete the work, ask to swap in another figure or give them credit for two, etc... I'm glad they're opening the webstore after shipping Wave 2 (everything but Hroka) because holding up the entire game for one sculpt would be insane!
Just saw here on the AR forums that RRG are projecting at least another six months before MIKH gets around to finishing Hroka...
When I saw that I immediately emailed to change my order to swap Hroka for Septimus on foot - no way am I interested in waiting ANOTHER half a year (likely even longer) for that self-important "artiste" to maybe finish that commission. At this point, I'm convinced he's just a sadist who's trolling RRG as hard as possible.
Well, the concerning thing is that he's got at least one sculpt pending for Conan....
Well he's friends with the Conan team and (I think) he's in the same country as them too
far less likely theirs will be dragged out
(although Infamy who were planning to use him to sculpt their Corvus mini decided not to risk it and assigned it elsewhere so some of the industry is being wary)
Alpharius wrote: Hopefully ARENA REX gets to open their webstore soon - right after MIKH finally delivers Septimus and Nero, I hope!
I sent them an email sorta passing on the feelings of the folks here, in that we'd all be fine, as backers, if they started selling stuff to the gen-pub before the MIKH-tastrophe is resolved.
Alpharius wrote: Hopefully ARENA REX gets to open their webstore soon - right after MIKH finally delivers Septimus and Nero, I hope!
I sent them an email sorta passing on the feelings of the folks here, in that we'd all be fine, as backers, if they started selling stuff to the gen-pub before the MIKH-tastrophe is resolved.
Hopefully they read it.....
As a backer with 500 USD worth of stuff somewhere in the ether, I would not be fine with them selling stuff I still don't have, despite fronting the money. They seem to be taking responsibility for their contractors, as any decent company would. I applaud and respect that, but that doesn't mean I'm going to pretend we didn't have a deal that hasn't been fulfilled yet.
and while they could ship everything except the MIKH stuff to people like His Master's Voice now and the MIKH stuff later which would let them fully open the store
It would then antagonise at least some of those who have paid extra to split their shipping (personally I wouldn't hate them doing this, but it would feel a little bit off)
and they were clear when they offered this option they could not afford to split ship everybody for free so they won't be able to just refund that....
although I guess it might become possible if these new minis sell well enough to fund it?
Not invested in this game so maybe others feel differently, but naked charging rhino seems a waste, no?
They have a fancy mini gladiator game, and the only one with a rhino. If they don't want to go over the top with an armored up rhino, at least have him looking like he's survived a dozen battles, arrows and spears and swords sticking out of him.
RiTides wrote: I think they should just refund or replace for Hroka and get it all shipped! Then they can open the webstore no problem.
I think this is the best solution. That way anyone who still wants Hroka (whenever the **** MIKH decides to finish her) can use their refund to re-order her, but everyone else can move forward and get RRG generating some real funds/momentum/word of mouth/etc.
I have got to point out that despite not having the time to finsh his work here, he has found the time to pimp himself out on a number of other ks campaigns.
He is in fact the reason i am not backing conan or sheildwolf.
SeanDrake wrote: I have got to point out that despite not having the time to finsh his work here, he has found the time to pimp himself out on a number of other ks campaigns.
He is in fact the reason i am not backing conan or sheildwolf.
My understanding is that MIKH demands payment in full up front - so he's probably long spent any cash he earned from RRG and now needs other commissions to live on, hence why he's prioritizing other companies' miniatures... Pretty crappy way to run a business, and I imagine it'll catch up to him at some point (not that that helps RRG or their customers at all).
His Master's Voice wrote: I'd be perfectly fine with them cancelling part of the project, if they don't think they can get it in a timely fashion.
Pretty clear now, isn't it?
I'm sorry that you chose not to get split shipping, but you should have, or at the very least, switched from the models that clearly weren't close to be finished. Hopefully they'll offer a refund, or credit to their store, or whatever.
RRG needs to start selling these models if they have any interest in the game having a chance moving forward. IMO people that backed the game should want that too, if they actually have any interest in the game becoming successful.
as that may be the easiest.
