Those Isorians capture everything that was awesome about Bob Olley and makes it ten times better.
I'm sorry, but a lot of these GoA minis are just infinitely better than the last couple years worth of soulless CAD sculpts from various companies. Differing opinions are just wrong.
The Dark Sphere deal does seem the best, even ebay cannot beat £64 delivered.
@Judgedoug:Hope you are investing in the game, I trust your rules savvy as well so would like to know your thoughts once you have a few games under your belt.
When will the plastic squad boxes hit retail? I'm interested in some of the minis, but not if they are bundled up with rules, templates, and other stuff. The starter box is simply too expensive to buy just for the minis. Even the fluff nuggets embedded in the rulebook don't make the starter price seem anything but insurmountable to me.
Thraxas Of Turai wrote: The Dark Sphere deal does seem the best, even ebay cannot beat £64 delivered.
@Judgedoug:Hope you are investing in the game, I trust your rules savvy as well so would like to know your thoughts once you have a few games under your belt.
hey Thraxas, I along with three friends each preordered the starter set direct from Warlord; we have our four copies our for delivery right now (if you spend some $xxx amount you get free UPS worldwide expedited shipping, so we just combined it all together). I'm planning on assembling figs tonight and getting a game in tomorrow and/or thursday.
Seems like this last year I've been very exploratory, having picked up WMH, AoS, DZC, T:G, and now GoA (and looking to playtest Warpath mass soon as well)
@Judgedoug: Good that it has hit Stateside already, and seems like you and your friends went all in. An opinion on the sprues would be cool as well, you could move it to PM if it feels like going off topic.
@Bob: Nothing concrete yet, but January has been mentioned though I believe the releases will be staggered across 2016.
I don't think the "retro" look, for better or worse, is an accident or side effect but rather an intended design choice. I'm not a fan of it personally but they seem to be toning it down a little bit at least some of the plastics. I like the Algoryns, am ambivalent to all Concord except the Concord Drop troops (which I like), and think the Gar mechs are nice but the Boromites as well as little goblin monkey men gar outside of their suits as well are figs that I would only accept if they were free (and promptly put up on the swap shop to trade). The other stuff previewed here like the Isorians and the freemen are somewhere in between. The "retro" stink is on them but not as pervasive as the straight out the late 80's/early 90's minis catalog inspired by Doctor Who 1970's production value villains that make up the Boromite faction. I will however check out the rules to see if they're to my liking. If I really like them, I'll probably get a small Algoryn force with maybe some concord drop troops for gaks and giggles (or allies if they have that in the game rules).
Yeah, I don't have a problem with the retro vibe... I just don't like the actual designs. There's a bunch of stuff that's almost cool, and a handful of models that I really like (the jetbike and the Ghar heavy suits are fantastic) but aside from that I'd be struggling to find models I like enough to buy.
I would also be concerned about trying to play on any sort of textured table with those bases. Flat bottoms are awful on any surface that isn't flat... Same reason I avoid resin bases for anything other than display miniatures.
Have to say, though, for all that I'm not keen on the final result, it's been pretty fantastic to see them take the disappointing Kickstarter result and plow on regardless to where they are now to a fleshed out final product. It may not be a product that personally suits me... but it's still an impressive piece of work so far.
insaniak wrote: I would also be concerned about trying to play on any sort of textured table with those bases. Flat bottoms are awful on any surface that isn't flat... Same reason I avoid resin bases for anything other than display miniatures.
Well, I've got about five hundred assembled Bolt Action minis on flat bases and have nary had a problem, across dozens of different terrain setups. That's personal experience. There's of course the bajillions of gamers who've based their minis with two-pence coins (25mm round). I prefer them to the GW-style pedestal bases, personally.
I'm fully aware that people do it. Plenty of people also use resin bases. It's just a personal preference.... I don't like the way the models wobble about if the surface isn't flat, and they tend to not ballance as well on uneven slopes.
I'm actually kind of digging those unpainted Ghar outcasts. Starting to see some potential for a small force there.
Does anyone know if the Ghar walkers are it as far as plastic releases for that faction go? Will the outcasts be up for plasticization? I'm not much into metals.
@Monders: Element Games is not showing dispatch until November 13th either. Unlikely I know but are any of the stores listed here near you? Then again as Element is only in Stockport it is not far from you, maybe give them a call? (* Are you in Manchester UK? Cannot really tell with the US flag and everything?)
BobtheInquisitor wrote: I really want to know what you think of the miniatures and the background.
Well first impressions...
take note I got the first batch of preorders direct from Warlord so not only did I get the signed print, the Fartok fig, but also the mdf terrain.
The box was literally packed. Like, no gak, there's no room. I got the super limited edition that came with Sarissa MDF terrain and just with the inclusion of a sheet of MDF the box doesn't close all the way. After you get past the rulebook (and limited sarissa mdf, and limited rick priestley signed print), the quick start guide w/ assembly instructions, and quick reference sheet, the bottom of the box is jam packed with all the models, plus the sprues for templates and sprues containing the weird pin token dials... and a blister containing the two limited metal miniatures (super crisply cast), and two big bags of dice, one bag of course chock full of D10's, plus a D3, D4, D6; and one bag full of order dice. (one thing worth mentioning is that the Gates of Antares boxes include order dice, so you don't have to buy sets of order dice like you do w/ Bolt Action)
hardcover book is awesome. Full color, tons of examples, little text bits, etc. The weapon section is like Rogue Trader, with a schematic of a gun with fluff text and then stats. In fact the whole thing's layout reminds me a little bit of Rogue Trader, just, 2015 Rogue Trader. The rules are written in a nicely conversationalist tone, and there's a Hansa text block giving you advice or examples as you read. Lots of art and pics of models. Lots of army lists. I glanced at the fluff and it looks really cool.
Bob, you'll love the Concord plastics. They're truescale so won't match well with like Medge or GW melonheads, but would probably work with Dreamforge and Mantic Enforcer bits. Legs have been placed intelligently on the sprue so the mold line runs across hard edges on the leg armor. Minimumal cleanup, one or two sprue joins per piece. Good detail, same level as the last few Bolt Action plastic kits (Fallschirmjager and Grenadiers) - so pretty crisp and deep. The drones are ace. Two baby drones per sprue, and one support drone with a couple gun options. Not too many head options - for five guys you get five helmets and one open-face helmet. Six guns as well - 4 holding rifle with two hands, one holding rifle and waving hand, and one heavy squad rifle plasma lance gun thing. Important: note which left arms are with the right arm/gun! I totally didn't and my first batch of five guys was kind of a bitch to get the left arms to match up properly. Softer plastic makes for easy cleanup. Overall better than Renedra/Perry sprues but not as magically delicious as the recent Stormcast Eternals sprues.
I just realized, a squad of Concord can only have one baby drone, iirc, so they effectively give you four extra baby drones (two per sprue of five guys) I guess that's so maybe if you get a metal squad you still have extra baby drones? Hmm... well, extra sci fi things are always welcome, in my book.
I got one Ghar assembled - what a treat! The body is like... four parts, so there's tons of crisp detail all over - I can't wait to see what some of the amazing painters on the 'net do to these guys. Arms on ball joines, legs/hips on ball joints and the lower legs on kind of a swing joint - just tons of posability.
Well, I have no idea how it plays (hope to get in a game tonight or tomorrow night), and I've only really read the first dozen pages and noticing all the huge differences from Bolt Action - but just from the contents the box is worth it at $112, and I know a lot of online discounters have it for 20% or more off - in which case, yes, buy it if you are on the fence. The minis are really cool and the book is huge and beautiful and I am trying to figure out how I can leave work early today to get home and read more.
You've been riding this game's butt from day one. Jeez, at least give the game a chance before you dump all over it. What is your problem with Warlord? Why do you hate Gates of Antares? Why are you always so negative about the Ghar? And where (in the USA) have you seen the GoA starter on sale for 20% off?
As for MEdge melonheads - as far as I can tell, MEdge doesn't have them. Heroic proportions, sure, hamfists, yes. But the heads are on the smaller side from what I've seen. Their heads might look heroic proportioned relative to their MEdge bodies, but I have a feeling that Karist helmets are going to look a lot less melony on GoA bodies than Eisenkern helmets. I'll certainly be experimenting if I pick GoA up.
Nice to hear that GoA Concord troopers go well with Mantic Enforcers, though. Care to post comparison shots?
Vermonter wrote: Judgedoug,
You've been riding this game's butt from day one. Jeez, at least give the game a chance before you dump all over it. What is your problem with Warlord? Why do you hate Gates of Antares? Why are you always so negative about the Ghar?
Vermonter wrote: And where (in the USA) have you seen the GoA starter on sale for 20% off?
thewarstore had it, miniaturemarket carries Warlord, and check with NWS gaming.
Vermonter wrote: As for MEdge melonheads - as far as I can tell, MEdge doesn't have them. Heroic proportions, sure, hamfists, yes. But the heads are on the smaller side from what I've seen. Their heads might look heroic proportioned relative to their MEdge bodies, but I have a feeling that Karist helmets are going to look a lot less melony on GoA bodies than Eisenkern helmets. I'll certainly be experimenting if I pick GoA up.
Medge heads are definitely melons compared to the GoA Concord heads. These bad boys are deffo truescale.
Spoiler:
VolleyFire Painted metal Concord versus Epirians, for example:
plastic Concord versus Epirians
Keep in mind they are all on 25mm diameter bases
Vermonter wrote: Nice to hear that GoA Concord troopers go well with Mantic Enforcers, though. Care to post comparison shots?
I'll try to tonight. I'm mainly going to be focused on finishing assembling my figs and getting them primed. My assembled Enforcers are packed away right now but I have, readily available, LotR, Age of Sigmar, and Copplestone Future Wars figs that are currently on my workbench. I could do a comparison with an Enforcer on sprue though.
Thank you for the review. They are definitely going to be included in my Black Friday bonanza. The Ghar and the drones are still my favorite parts, but nice plastics that can work with Mantic or DFG minis open up a lot of possibilities.
The helmetless plastic guy reminds me a bit of Lynch's Rabban, so I think I'll stick with helmeted heads.
Got my box today. The rulebook is better than expected, lots of stuff (like 12 scenarios) to use in games. The vehicle section has artwork (like mentioned by Doug, but its more than weapons ) for LOTS of new kits. It's totally Rogue Trader 2015 - in a good way (not retro at all).
Anyone from Europe still unsure if he should buy from Warlord Games? They shipped it with DPD to Germany, it was very fast (2 days) and included tracking.
The miniatures are well done. GW-like quality: easy to remove from sprues, very few moldlines if any, cuts well, only poly glue needed, everything fits well.
The Ghar suits dont do it for me though. Their weapons look comical to say the least. I will convert the Ghar with Necron Wraith bits. So far I have built two of the suits and the legs look better than on the photos. The heads are fine, the arms, well, not for me. I liked the RT Chaos Dreads and will use the Ghar claws for conversions. Maybe as Slaanesh Mutilator arms/hands or Noise Marine Champion power fists.
But I bought the box for the Concords anyway and these are as good as expected, truescale and nicely detailed. The scale is not like GW at all. Mantic Enforcers should be higher than the Concords too. The scale is more like LOTR or historicals which is nice for a change.
The photo really, the Concord are very smooth to the front aspect, the detail is more to the side/rear.
In hand I would say they are equal in quality to the more recent Mantic HIPS kits but short of GW quality. I am impressed with the (minimal) mould line placement on these as well.
The metals I got (Fartok/ Kai Lek and Hansa) are all excellent casts.
The background is incredibly awesome. My bro and my bud who also got in on our order were discussing the background as they read it last night while I assembled figs.
Because of it, I want to buy a ton of Isorians. And now the models are ten times cooler now that I know their background.
Thanks to you both for the size comparison shots. The concord hands really do look small in that space marine shot. I think the best comparison to use when talking to a GW only gamer is to say the figs are LOTR scaled. Is that a bolt action plastic german? He looks a bit off on the scaling himself compared with the concord guy. With the crouched pose, big hands, and big head, he looks about halfway between the GOA fig and the 40k fig in terms of proportionality.
warboss wrote: Thanks to you both for the size comparison shots. The concord hands really do look small in that space marine shot. I think the best comparison to use when talking to a GW only gamer is to say the figs are LOTR scaled. Is that a bolt action plastic german? He looks a bit off on the scaling himself compared with the concord guy. With the crouched pose, big hands, and big head, he looks about halfway between the GOA fig and the 40k fig in terms of proportionality.
Now it may be because it's first thing in the morning but I'm totally not seeing a comparison with a space marine. I'm seeing a comparison to a BA german, Metal Uruk Hai, and above those one of the MEdge guys.
warboss wrote: Thanks to you both for the size comparison shots. The concord hands really do look small in that space marine shot. I think the best comparison to use when talking to a GW only gamer is to say the figs are LOTR scaled. Is that a bolt action plastic german? He looks a bit off on the scaling himself compared with the concord guy. With the crouched pose, big hands, and big head, he looks about halfway between the GOA fig and the 40k fig in terms of proportionality.
They are 100% truescale like LOTR figures but my pics is an odd angle - the Concord are a head taller than normal LOTR models. (you can see the Concord's chin starts at the Uruk's forehead even with my slightly angled pic)
I also have some metal Algoryn, and they are about 7 to 7.5 feet tall in-universe, so are a full head taller than Concord models.
Oh snap! I also have some Boromites. I'll try to take a line-up pic when I get home from work tonight with Concord plastics, metal Algoryn & Boromites, plastic Ghar, and some GW and other game figs.
While I welcome pics of Algoryn, no thread has ever been improved by posting pics of Boromites! So ugly.... If you ever need to troll me, just post pics of scale shots of Boromites with Starship Troopers.
I didn't know the Algoyrn were taller and am curious about how that size comparison will look. The algoryn (at least for now) are all metal figs, right?
warboss wrote: Thanks to you both for the size comparison shots. The concord hands really do look small in that space marine shot. I think the best comparison to use when talking to a GW only gamer is to say the figs are LOTR scaled. Is that a bolt action plastic german? He looks a bit off on the scaling himself compared with the concord guy. With the crouched pose, big hands, and big head, he looks about halfway between the GOA fig and the 40k fig in terms of proportionality.
Now it may be because it's first thing in the morning but I'm totally not seeing a comparison with a space marine. I'm seeing a comparison to a BA german, Metal Uruk Hai, and above those one of the MEdge guys.
Thraxas posted a few pics with a space marine in for scale up a bit on the same page just a few posts above Judgedoug's with the figs you mentioned.
Thraxas posted a few pics with a space marine in for scale up a bit on the same page just a few posts above Judgedoug's with the figs you mentioned.
Ah, seen. For some reason Thraxas was on my ignore list* and I wasn't catching the hidden post. Sorted now thanks.
*I'm really not sure why as I've only got 2 others on my list so I'd figure if there was a reason I'd remember it. I'll blame fudgy fingers on my phone.
I hope so Dawnbringer...I do not think that I am that abrasive a poster.
I agree with Judgedoug about the background in the rulebook, I am having a hard time putting the book down which is no mean feat given its weight.
I have put together my first squad of Concord troopers and think they look great...however those wanting a greater variety of poses will require a degree of modelling skill to achieve them. But given the amount if miniatures needed for a game repetition should not be much of an issue. The Ghar with the multiple leg poses, ball joints and heads offer far more variety.
Thraxas Of Turai wrote: I hope so Dawnbringer...I do not think that I am that abrasive a poster.
I agree with Judgedoug about the background in the rulebook, I am having a hard time putting the book down which is no mean feat given its weight.
I have put together my first squad of Concord troopers and think they look great...however those wanting a greater variety of poses will require a degree of modelling skill to achieve them. But given the amount if miniatures needed for a game repetition should not be much of an issue. The Gahar with the multiple leg poses, ball joints and heads offer far more variety.
My brother pointed out that the background shares similarities with Ian M Banks' Culture series. From the discussions last night, it seems like it's pretty hard sci fi - no FTL travel, for example, and very few alien races (everything so far are all humans or based on humans, plus the Vorl, who sound pretty badass). I honestly hope they hire someone to write a book or three because I feel like I'd be really really into some good fiction.
I agree on the Concord - you have very few options with them, just variations in "holding rifle" pose based on which arms you pair with which body. I assembled my 20 dudes as four 5-man Strike squads... honestly though four Strike squads is probably one too many. I'm tempted to redo mine as a command squad and three strike squads. The Ghar Battlesuits are definitely really fun to assemble, though.
Maybe it's the shine from the plastic material but does the Warlord figure's detail seem a bit softer than the other two? The edges don't seem as pointed or hard but that may be a conscious design choice with the rounded armor compared with the mantic enforcer.
warboss wrote: Maybe it's the shine from the plastic material but does the Warlord figure's detail seem a bit softer than the other two? The edges don't seem as pointed or hard but that may be a conscious design choice with the rounded armor compared with the mantic enforcer.
Again, the Concord armor is very rounded as a design aesthetic. Take a look at my weirdo pic again and you can see the sharp detail on the side of the rifle. The back of their armor has like ventings which are also pretty crisp. And, of course, the Ghar suits are full of tons of sharp tiny detail - their backs especially, weird spinal column robotics and crap.
Just zoom in on the sprue, you can see the leg/chest armor has a conscious "smooth angle" design aeshetic like Star Wars Stormtroopers. Compare to their backpieces and weapons and drones
My try on the Ghar. The models have a kind of Ghost in the Shell look to them and reminded me of Shirow's Tachikomas. The poseability is good. The legs are easy to glue in all kinds of angles because the glueing points in the knees allow for conversions with only a few cuts here and there and afterwards there is no need to use greenstuff to fill spaces.
I turned the upper leg parts upside down though to give them a slightly more spidery look.
@Thraxas/Judgedoug: Thanks for the additional pics and advice. Yeah, the drones look pretty crisp. It's just in that close up pic the concord (despite me liking the more realistic scale) were giving me a PVC relic knights soft edges kind of vibe.
But I wanted to see how the enforcer, concord, and space marine compared when lined up on bases that were the same height, so I broke into Judgedoug's place and rearranged his figures to get the following picture:
The enforcer seems quite a bit bigger than the Concord when you account for the base height difference.
Then I thought, why stop there? Why not try a few head swaps? And do my eyes deceive me, or do Concord heads make Enforcer heads look big?
They sure seem to. (But people who actually have the figures, feel free to post pics of head swaps that prove me wrong. I'm interested to see.)
And as you can see below, Enforcer arms Mantic almost work on Concord bodies, but GW Space Marine heads look fantastic on them!
Finally, I wanted to call everyone out, particularly judgedoug, for taking trick pictures of their Concord figures from funny angles and otherwise messing with perspective to make them look truescale.
Having seen Judgedoug's actual models in person, I can tell you that the Concord troopers are definitely heroic scale, as the following comparison photo proves:
Left: Judgedoug's digitally edited "truescale" Concord model. Right: An accurate and in no way manipulated photo of the actual, heroic scale Concord model.
Shame on you, Judgedoug, for yammering on about melonheads and hamfists, when the figures you like most are the worst offenders.
Vermonter wrote: Finally, I wanted to call everyone out, particularly judgedoug, for taking trick pictures of their Concord figures from funny angles and otherwise messing with perspective to make them look truescale.
Having seen Judgedoug's actual models in person, I can tell you that the Concord troopers are definitely heroic scale, as the following unedited photo proves:
Shame on you, Judgedoug, for yammering on about melonheads and hamfists, when the figures you like most are the worst offenders.
Shame, shame, shamey shame shame.
You caught me hamfist-handed! Speaking of which your pic is obviously a fisheye lens there because the hands definitely look truescale. Vermonter, you obviously are also in on this conspiracy. Please take a picture showing the correct hand proportions.
First I am on an ignore list and then my pictures are genetically spliced with Judgedoug's, will it never end?
Nice work Verm, especially the head swaps and making the differing bases the same height. I may well try an Enforcer head swap as it looks potentially very good.
judgedoug wrote: You caught me hamfist-handed! Speaking of which your pic is obviously a fisheye lens there because the hands definitely look truescale. Vermonter, you obviously are also in on this conspiracy. Please take a picture showing the correct hand proportions.
A fisheye lens! You insult me, sir! I spent goodness knows how much time digitally resizing the head, hands, belly, and feet of that figure! I mean, photographing it accurately!
In fact, I did attempt to hamfist the hand, which is probably clearer in the updated comparison shot. I guess I didn't exaggerate it enough?
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Thraxas Of Turai wrote: Nice work Verm, especially the head swaps and making the differing bases the same height. I may well try an Enforcer head swap as it looks potentially very good.
Thank you, as in all seriousness I did aim for the majority of my post to be useful. (For anyone wondering, I didn't resize anything except for the final image. That doesn't mean my headswaps / armswaps are as representative as a real photo, but they're as good as they can be with only someone else's photo to mess around with.)
If you do try an actual head swap, Thraxas - both ways, if possible - I'd love to see it.
judgedoug wrote: You caught me hamfist-handed! Speaking of which your pic is obviously a fisheye lens there because the hands definitely look truescale. Vermonter, you obviously are also in on this conspiracy. Please take a picture showing the correct hand proportions.
A fisheye lens! You insult me, sir! I spent goodness knows how much time digitally resizing the head, hands, belly, and feet of that figure! I mean, photographing it accurately!
In fact, I did attempt to hamfist the hand, which is probably clearer in the updated comparison shot. I guess I didn't exaggerate it enough?
Dear sir,
May I posit that your so-called "hamfist" does not meet the requirements so carefully set forth in the Official Citadel Proportions Guide of 1997:
And I beg you to reconsider that, in fact, your "hamfist" is a very lean cut, indeed.
Thraxas Of Turai wrote: First I am on an ignore list and then my pictures are genetically spliced with Judgedoug's, will it never end?
I'm not sure if either of those remarks were directed at me, but if so, I must deny culpability. I have never placed anyone on ignore, actually, and all of my photo editing was done with one of Judgedoug's photos. No gene-splicing.
Thraxas Of Turai wrote: First I am on an ignore list and then my pictures are genetically spliced with Judgedoug's, will it never end?
I'm not sure if either of those remarks were directed at me, but if so, I must deny culpability. I have never placed anyone on ignore, actually, and all of my photo editing was done with one of Judgedoug's photos. No gene-splicing.
those were Thraxis' photos, mine were with Uruk-Hai and Nazis. As in, scale shots. Not just pictures of me with Uruk-Hai and Nazis.
judgedoug wrote: And I beg you to reconsider that, in fact, your "hamfist" is a very lean cut, indeed.
I can't deny Citadel Scripture, and must concede the point. I've been looking for that 1997 Proportions Guide for ages - isn't that the one with the awesome comic in the back? The one where Kaleb Daark met Gobbledigook?
Pacific wrote: Many thanks for the scale shots and first impressions guys please keep them coming
If you ever need to troll me, just post pics of scale shots of Boromites with Starship Troopers.
I would be disappointed if at least one person hasn't done this
Kim Kardashian tried to break the internet with nude photos of herself (after becoming famous initially for a sex tape... not sure of the reasoning there) but that much ugly mini in one thread might break dakka or at least me!
Alpharius wrote: Thank you VERY much for those scale shots - I'm now even more interpreted in this!
You mean you're going to dance out your inner monologue?
Yes?
Serves me right for all the times I've made fun of other people using phones...
I'm a BIG fan of Bank's CULTURE series, so it is nice to see that shout out here, but I'm pretty sure that they do have FTL and alien species in the CULTURE series too, unless I misunderstood something here?
Alpharius wrote: I'm a BIG fan of Bank's CULTURE series, so it is nice to see that shout out here, but I'm pretty sure that they do have FTL and alien species in the CULTURE series too, unless I misunderstood something here?
Yup yupp, they were saying there's some similarities to certain aspects (having not read it, I cannot comment, only relay the impression that my friends got)
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warboss wrote: but that much ugly mini in one thread might break dakka or at least me!
I am specifically going to post scale comparison with M1A4 Powersuit Mobile Infantry and Boromite figures just because <3
You guys' impressions have made me pretty curious. I think I'd find it hard to overlook the Ghar and the Boromites, but I am curious. I'll be playing Bolt Action for the first time fairly soon, so that may tip me over into "would like to play someday" for GoA.
Mymearan wrote: You guys' impressions have made me pretty curious. I think I'd find it hard to overlook the Ghar and the Boromites, but I am curious. I'll be playing Bolt Action for the first time fairly soon, so that may tip me over into "would like to play someday" for GoA.
A word - having read the GoA rules and having played Bolt Action for two years - while they share the same order dice the gameplay is vastly different.
The background discussion has me pretty well sold. I like Banks, but i would love to see something similar with more of a focus on combat and competition.
THE SEVENTH AGE
Humanity has spread throughout space, to new worlds and distant galaxies, to places and realities undreamt of by our distant ancestors. Interplanetary civilisations have flourished and fallen six times over, collapsing and rising anew over countless centuries. Humankind’s first home – the planet Earth –was destroyed long ago during the forgotten wars of the Prime Imperia. Of humanity’s early history, the colonisation of space, and evolution into numerous and diverse species, little is now remembered. Today is the The Seventh Age: the last and greatest age of humankind.
ANTAREAN SPACE
No one knows for sure how many worlds are home to humans and the new species evolved from humans–the diverse race of homo pansapiens or pans. Countless free and independent worlds are home to their own human populations. Other worlds are part of larger inter-stellar societies. These widely scattered planets are all connected by means of a vast and intricate network of spacial wormholes. These wormholes make space travel practical, facilitating trade, communication and governance over enormous inter-galactic distances. All known wormholes intersect at one huge nexus, a colossal inter-dimensional machine that we recognise as the star Antares. In reality Antares is no ordinary star, but a construct of the archaic and long-vanished race known as the Builders. It is from this unimaginably huge machine that we derive the description Antarean Space – encompassing all the many worlds connected by the Antares wormhole network.
THE CONCORD
The largest and most powerful civilisation of the Seventh Age is The Panhuman Concord comprising almost a quarter of all the human worlds of Antarean space. The ruling elites of this society are New Humans or NuHu as they are commonly called. Hyper-intelligent, tall, and eerily androgynous, the NuHu are the undisputed masters of the Panhuman Concord. They are very few in number and spread thinly amongst the vast population of the Concord. What makes the NuHu so different from other humans is that they have co-evolved with the sentient integrated machine intelligence – or IMTel – that controls all aspects of Concord society. They are its living symbiotic component, simultaneously masters and slaves in a benign technocracy. All worlds of the Concord are encased in a nanosphere – a cloud of nanites that saturates its atmosphere and acts as a universal medium of communication and – in a more limited way – energy. By this means worlds and ultimately the whole concord is run and directed by the data-driven machine-minds of the IMTel and its NuHu Mandarin elite.
The military of the Panhuman Concord is organised and directed by a branch of the IMTel called the Concord Combined Command – otherwise known as CoCom or more commonly as C3. The Concord responds to threats against it with logical ruthlessness, organising and dispatching heavily armed forces throughout Antarean space. C3 Strike Units are recruited amongst all the varied human worlds that make up the Concord. Strike troopers are equipped with heavy-duty plasma weaponry and protected by hyper-light shielding, the most advanced weaponry in all of Antarean space. They are supported by NuHu agents, and the entire and considerable resources of the Concord IMTel.
THE ISORIAN SHARD
In ages past the world of Isori stood at the forefront of human civilisation, renowned throughout all of Antarean space for its pioneering dimensional research, its vast fleets and its unrivalled prosperity. According to Isorian legend, the planet was amongst the first of Earth’s settlements, the first to be fully terraformed, and the first to establish its own colonies independently of Earth itself. Today the worlds of the Isorian Shard are second only in number to those of the Concord. Both civilisations emerged from the ashes of the Sixth Age. Both are integrated machine societies ruled by cerebral NuHu elites. Yet the two cultures are irreconcilably opposed due to a strange quirk of fate that created a root incompatibility in their respective machine based IMTel.
With the temporary collapse of the Antarean gate network at the end of the Sixth Age, the world of Isori endured a long period of isolation. Over the following centuries the Isorians explored local space using advanced near-light speed spacecraft. They discovered and then fought an inter-stellar war against an alien race called the Tsan Kiri. The Isori eventually triumphed, but during the long war the Isorian IMTel absorbed a portion of the alien race’s silicon-based organic technology. When the Isorians re-established contact with the rest of Anatean space, their IMTel had become so distinct the two forms – or shards as individual iterations of the IMTel are called – failed to recognise each other. They had become incompatible.
The Shard’s most important NuHu rulers comprise what is called the Isorian Senatex, and its NuHu officials are the Senatexis. The Isorians share a great deal of the technology of the Concord, but some of their Tsan Kiri derived weaponry is unique to them. Like Concord Strike Units, Isorian Phase Troopers are armed with plasma weapons, but instead of hyper-light shields they employ space warping phase armour. Their ability to merge biological with technical equipment gives Isorian troops a distinct and immediately recognisable appearance.
THE ALGORYN PROSPERATE
There are millions of independent human worlds belonging to small, self-governing empires or federations. Some of these societies are relatively primitive whilst others are as technologically advanced as those of the Concord and Isorians. The Algoryn Prosperate is the largest and amongst the most advanced of these independent federations. It is unfortunate to lie upon the Antarean borders of three great rivals: the Panhuman Concord, Isorian Shard and Ghar Empire. Whilst the Concord and Isorians ultimately pose the greatest long-term threat, their operations are sporadic, whilst all three civilisations benefit from peaceful trading contact. The Ghar, however, are implacable foes: evolved from genetically engineered slave-soldiers in ages past, the Ghar believe themselves to be the sole agents of divine will in the material universe. The Algoryns and Ghar have been engaged in constant warfare for hundreds of years.
The Prosperate’s homeworld of Algorya lies at the centre of twelve substantial colonies, numerous outposts, several staging planets and a few allied worlds occupied by other panhuman species, which altogether comprise the mutual trading and defence pact called the Prosperate. The Algoryns themselves are panhumans of distinctive appearance. They lack hair upon their heads, which are instead covered with crest-like keratinous growths. Similar nodules of keratin form a thick scaly layer upon their necks, shoulders and forearms. This dense protective layer shields the Algoryns against the harsh rays of the twin suns of Algorya, which periodically bathe the planet in dangerous levels of heat and radiation. Algoryn troopers are less lavishly equipped than the Concord’s shock troops or Isorian Shard phase troopers, but their weaponry is practical and effective, honed by years of war just like the Algoryns themselves. Troopers are generally armed with mag guns, with only a few carrying heavier plasma based support weapons. Algoryn troops are protected by reflex shields mounted upon metallic plates: a useful general-purpose armour that is both sturdy and reliable.
THE BOROMITE GUILDS
The Boromites are an extreme morph amongst panhumans. At some time in the past their ancestors were bio-adapted to live and work upon asteroids with thin atmospheres, low gravity and extreme temperatures. They are able to endure hostile environments more easily than any other human, and are probably the toughest and most unusual looking of all the countless human morphs. They have thick, gnarly hides covered in horny nodules. They originated in the mining colonies of Borom where a rocky asteroid belt extends around the system’s star in lieu of other planets. Today the Boromites have spread through Antarean space and live upon many worlds within the Panhuman Concord, the Isorian Shard, and beyond. They have no permanent settled worlds of their own, but form an itinerant work force with a strong cultural identity and secretive customs based upon their Guilds. They avoid becoming absorbed into the societies they live amongst because they are almost invisible to the nanosphere of IMTel societies such as the Concord and Isorians. They remain almost entirely apart from regular society, a reclusive, insular and self-governing sub-culture wherever they happen to be.
Although they are spread throughout Antarean space, Boromites maintain strong contacts with each other via the trading networks of the Freeborn. Boromite labour gangs are but one of the many human services traded by the Vardos of the Freeborn. Occasionally, Guilds will band together to fight, most likely to secure some mineral rich planet or scavenge some lucrative wreck or abandoned facility. Boromite forces are based upon their work gangs, generally speaking extended families, which belong to competing labour Guilds. Guilds are organised for self-protection and held together by insoluble ties of honour and obligation. The leaders of these Guilds, the secret core at the heart of the extended clan, are aged and much feared matriarchs. Amongst Boromites it is the womenfolk who head up the families and whose word in law. In some respects Boromite Guilds have all the hallmarks of organised criminal gangs, and are behind many of the subversive activities throughout Antarean space. Rival Guilds sometimes get involved in turf wars. Vendettas between old rivals can last for generations, but all will close ranks in the face of a common enemy – which is pretty much everyone else as far as the Boromites are concerned. Their hardiness and determination make them highly valued mercenary fighters. Boromite gangers can be armed in almost any fashion, but they uniquely make use of weapons developed from mining tools including mass compactors and frag borers. Reflex shielding is common and the metallic nodes that support the reflex armour field are often fixed directly into the wearer’s thick hide.
THE FREEBORN
The Freeborn are great merchants and traders whose fleets maintain a free-flow of commodities and technology across the whole of Antarean space. Freeborn ships travel easily between antagonistic societies such as the Isorian Shard and Panhuman Concord, the Ghar and Algoryn, and so forth. Although the Freeborn maintain a few hidden worlds as bases and warehouses, they stand aside and apart from other human societies, recognising no masters but the lord of their own household – or Vardo. The Vardo is a vast fleet that plies its trade between a relatively small group of worlds. The ownership of these trade routes is largely hereditary and the source of every Vardo’s wealth. When routes become contested, rival Freeborn will go to war, as happened between the Oszon Mercantile League and Ky’am Freetraders. Feuds between Vardos are deeply felt family affairs and matters of honour that can last for generations. Relationships between the Vardos are complex and are often settled by intermarriage between ruling families; political arrangements made by the rival families.
The Freeborn don’t just deal in commodities and knowledge, they also deal in human services – and most specifically they hire armed troops to anyone willing to pay for them. These mercenary soldiers can be Freeborn retainers, but often they are troops purposefully recruited, trained and equipped by the Freeborn from amongst the more primitive worlds of the Determinate and the Spill. Freeborn have access to all the weapons and armour of Antarean space, but, with an eye to cost and practicality, tend to favour mag guns and reflex shielding as basic equipment. Of course, amongst the ruling family and their close relatives anything goes, from expensively re-sharded Isorian phase armour to compression carbines and all manner of alien exotica.
THE GHAR EMPIRE
The Ghar live only for battle and conquest, expending their entire energies on war and enslaving other human species they defeat. This savage race is descended from genetically adapted slave soldiers, though when or why they were created is a mystery. The Ghar themselves have little interest in such matters. They rule over a sizeable empire that borders against the Agoryn Prosperate, with whom they have been at war for many centuries. Neither the Panhuman Concord nor Isorian Shard have ever taken much interest in the Ghar, possibly because Ghar culture is relatively primitive. Ghar worlds are heavily shielded against nano-based technologies. The Ghar themselves are repulsive creatures with hunched torsos, bulging guts and what look to be spindly arms and bow legs – but they are rarely seen out of their huge, armoured battle suits. Though unattractive, their appearance belies a brutish strength and tremendous resilience to damage.
In battle Ghar warriors wear armoured suits that conceal their physical appearance and endow them with great strength and endurance. They will happily use weapons captured from the enemy or produced by slaves in their numerous armaments factories. The Ghar make nothing themselves, but mercilessly exploit their slave labourers to produce whatever they need to pursue their bloody wars. What they cannot make they trade with the few Freeborn Vardo that will deal with them. Even the most profit-minded of the Freeborn prefer to keep such dealings under wraps.
THE DETERMINATE
The Determinate is the name given to all the advanced independent system-based societies of human space that exist beyond the Panhuman Concord and Isorian Shard. These worlds are not united in any sense, and many, such as the Agoryns and Ghar, are outright enemies. Many of these planets fear they will be swallowed by the ever-expanding Panhuman Concord or Isorian Shard. Thousand of planets have been absorbed in this way: others continue to resist. It is an unceasing war against an uncaring opponent – a foe without hatred or fear –an unfeeling intelligence that recognises neither boundaries nor cultural identities. Many neighbouring worlds of the Determinate work together to fight against either Concord or Isorian forces, to protect their outlying colonies and to destroy scouting fleets.
THE SPILL
The Spill is the ancient name for the entire Antarean diaspora, the great movement through space of the human race at the dawn of the age of exploration. The Spill encompasses all worlds where humans live, whether they are currently connected to Antares or not, and regardless of whether they are advanced societies, brutish savages, or even degenerate mutants. The Spill is simply all humans everywhere – including those worlds that have been lost or which remain to be rediscovered. Exploring Antarean space to uncover new and lost human worlds creates great rivalry, and is one of the chief causes of conflicts between different civilisations.
ALIENS
Humans are not alone in Antarean space, many worlds are home to unique alien species, and there are numerous alien civilisations spread over many worlds just as there are human federations and empires. Amongst these species are the Vorl. The Vorl compete with the Concord and Isorians to explore new worlds and to build new colonies. The Vorl are prone to fighting amongst themselves, but occasionally are united under a powerful faction, which then becomes the Vorl Orde and leads a war of conquest against neighbouring human settlements. The Vorl are powerful enough to pose a threat to human ambitions, and they are one of the few alien races that it at least as technically advanced as the Concord and Isorian Shard. Some Freeborn Vardo trade with the Vorl and even hire Vorl warriors as mercenary fighters, although such dealings tend to be conducted in secret.
Got my box set last night and I have to say it's fantastic! I'm really enjoying the background in the rulebook, theres a huge ammount of cool snippets of favour text and what seems to be an evolving storyline.
Fartox is especially cool, kind of a mix of commander farsight and sparticus!
I can't wait to see some of the bigger drones and monsterous creatures hinted at. The boromite walker even reminds me a bit of starbug from red dwarf!
The renegade nuhu melds give off a nice creepy vibe, and a hint of some of the darkness of genetic manipulation and intergrated machine intelligence.
The Ghar really are growing on me, and the paint scheme for Fartok is great in that top photo. We have also seen an Isorian Nuhu and just for Warboss a female Boromite.
Thraxas Of Turai wrote: The Ghar really are growing on me, and the paint scheme for Fartok is great in that top photo. We have also seen an Isorian Nuhu and just for Warboss a female Boromite.
You know what else can grow on you? Fungi and parasites. None of them are pretty though. I do like the armored Ghar, just not the ones outside their suits.
Thraxas Of Turai wrote: The Ghar really are growing on me, and the paint scheme for Fartok is great in that top photo. We have also seen an Isorian Nuhu and just for Warboss a female Boromite.
You know what else can grow on you? Fungi and parasites. None of them are pretty though. I do like the armored Ghar, just not the ones outside their suits.
Heh!
Same here, actually.
As excited as I get about what I've heard on the rules, the minis...not so much.
I do wish that the rest of the Outcasts were fully suited like Fartok. From the army list it seems like the Ghar characters are suited up, and in even bigger suits than the infantry.
Thraxas Of Turai wrote: I do wish that the rest of the Outcasts were fully suited like Fartok. From the army list it seems like the Ghar characters are suited up, and in even bigger suits than the infantry.
Edit: Have painted up my first Concord trooper:
Spoiler:
Holy guacamole, you are one talented painter! That's a great job executed in a very short time.
The Concord are looking better and better. I much prefer your color scheme to the one in the adverts.
Speaking of which, I wouldn't say the Ghar are badly painted. It's not the quality of the paintjob, It's the color scheme that isn't doing them any favors. I'd like to see some done with a different pallete.
Have to agree with Thraxas that full suits on the Ghar would be better as well, particularly helmets. But then, I prefer the helmeted figures across the entire Antares range. (And most ranges, really.)
And as much as I respect Bob's opinion, and I suspect we have some overlapping taste in aliens - I'd really love to see him assemble and photo some of his Total Extinction Glorlon minis, hint, hint - I'm actually quite liking the Boromite brand of silliness. Again, preferably with the cool cyclopean helmets over the "Look, we're still human" faces. But those ridiculous volcanic steeds? Especially in plastic, I'd be down for some. Maybe even one or two in metal.
I really think being in bodysuits like Fartok would save the Ghar. I know I'd field them. They would still be spindly and twisted, which is important to counter the large powersuits, but they wouldnt be naked with such horrible faces. Those giant unibrows are killing them, along with the horrible eyes
Their faces look like a pair of eyes set into a bellybutton.
Still not understanding the Ghar hate. We now have two Ghar players who specifically want to play Ghar because of the outcasts. I guess it's one of those "you either love them, or your opinion is just wrong" kind of things.
I think that the worst part to me is that on the studio paintjobs it's like they "painted" the eyes by throwing a bunch of wash in the hole, and putting two black dots in the middle. It's glaringly monochromatic to me.
It's possible that with better painted faces, and a less pink paintjob, I'd like them better. I actually like the armored ones, even with lots of the skin showing, as at least the helmet covers the odd faces and better ties them to the alien geometry of the battlesuits. The bulbous eyes on the helmets is a nice theme tying the force together.
this is even more cool looking than I imagined while reading the background. NuHu are ridiculously awesome and the Isorian Senatex I think has the coolest fluff so far. I kinda wanna start Isorians just to field this model
judgedoug wrote: Still not understanding the Ghar hate. We now have two Ghar players who specifically want to play Ghar because of the outcasts. I guess it's one of those "you either love them, or your opinion is just wrong" kind of things.
There is no right or wrong answer as it is purely a preference/opinion. Folks are completely free to like stuff others don't on dakka. For instance, I see and recognize the effort and detail in that Isorian Nuhu but I'm not a fan of the look or the nomenclature (I keep thinking of the chocolate drink YooHoo...it's Fartok Part 2).
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Thraxas Of Turai wrote: I do wish that the rest of the Outcasts were fully suited like Fartok. From the army list it seems like the Ghar characters are suited up, and in even bigger suits than the infantry.
Edit: Have painted up my first Concord trooper:
Spoiler:
Looks good! That edge highlighting must have taken a while with the delicate features. Also, the female bormoite looks alit less cartoony Thing villain than the males.
warboss wrote: There is no right or wrong answer as it is purely a preference/opinion. Folks are completely free to like stuff others don't on dakka.
Nonono warboss. It's all objective and obviously my opinion is correct!
So anyone else play demos on Launch Day? There was a pretty big list of stores. I got in several demos yesterday, and even though I had skimmed the rules, I was a bit unprepared for exactly how GoA plays. My impressions, in order:
0. the big obvious thing is that it's a roll low system. 1 is usually lucky and has a bonus, 10 is extra unlucky and is an auto fail and often has extra badness associated.
1. it does not play like Bolt Action at all. that was hard to break myself, having played BA for like two years now
2. individual model movement and positioning matters quite a bit.
3. reactions are intensely interesting and make for a much more dynamic game (as anyone can react if they don't have an order dice; however, Ambush order guarantees your ambush will happen). simultaneous firefights or diving for cover when shot at, etc. pretty cool stuff.
4. being Down is much better than in BA for surviving fire; being Down is horrible horrible when you get assaulted
5. the pinning system is vastly different than BA - and I like it quite a bit more, actually. it seems a bit more realistic. failing break checks can have different results depending on the break check. units whose Resist is higher than 10 after reducing it by a weapon's Strike Value - IE, can't be normally killed - can't take pins. So Ghar battlesuits hit by Concord plasma carbines on rapid fire mode can't take pins (but, on direct fire, where it has SV2, bringing the Ghar Resist down to 10, now can be pinned)
6. simply receiving an order will remove a pin. lucky command check removes an additonal pin; unlucky actually removes no pin.
7. you have to take a command check to remove a Down at the end of the turn!
8. while most armies share similar stat lines, their available equipment and special rules make them play vastly differently. Concord and Isorians, with access to a bajillion drones and an almost requirement to play combined arms, I can see being vastly different to Algoryn.
9. I love love love the fact that most infantry weapons have multiple modes of fire.
10. I love love love that Assaulting always includes a round of point blank shooting from both sides before actual punching and kicking happens (and that grenades can be used in hand to hand!)
11. I love love love the "pushing your models a little extra" rules like Sprinting, where you can check a unit's Agility to get extra movement (and a lucky can result in even more extra movement, failing gives them a pin, and unlucky 10 is two pins - but they still get the extra movement). or Fast units can keep a Run order on them to the next turn and can move before order dice are drawn.
12. MOD - multiple order dice units - while not having used them yet - i can see will make some units incredibly tactically agile. Ghar battlesuits using all their plasma reactor options to temporarily become MOD2 and such, combined with their plasma dump venting thing, for instance.
13. that there D10 system really does allow for nice little granularity. for example, Concord strike dudes, being humans, have a Resist of 5. their armor is effective against concussion and ranged weapons. so +2 Resist, or +3 against blast weapons, but it goes down to +1 at 10" or less (so they are less survivable at super close / pointblack+handtohand). Interestingly the Ghar suits basically have grenade flechette things that explode when they assault, so the Concord are good at surviving the Point Blank part of Assault when Ghar charge in (as they are blast weapons) but then their plasma claws can pop Concord dudes no probs (as they are a random strike value - on one assault a unit of Ghar Assault hombres smacked my concord so hard that my Resist was reduced to a 2. which means 2 or less on a d10. needless to say they didn't survive)
14. oh and you cause pins in assault - whoever causes the most pins wins a close combat! so vastly different than Bolt Action, again.
15. really, the Bolt Action comparisons should stop. one is Alessio's baby, where streamlined rules and elegance are king, and this is Rick's baby, where interesting granular tactical choices appear to be king.
16. the force composition is great. due to the nature of limited choices, you basically have to theme an army in lower points games (can only take concord drop troops if you have a drop troop command element; command elements are limited and only 1 in 4 units can be limited - so at lower points you basically have to field a platoon flavor). at larger points you can have more quantity of units so can take more limited choices, or, mixing themes. rather interesting.
Thraxas Of Turai wrote: I do wish that the rest of the Outcasts were fully suited like Fartok. From the army list it seems like the Ghar characters are suited up, and in even bigger suits than the infantry.
Edit: Have painted up my first Concord trooper:
Spoiler:
Holy guacamole, you are one talented painter! That's a great job executed in a very short time.
The Concord are looking better and better. I much prefer your color scheme to the one in the adverts.
Speaking of which, I wouldn't say the Ghar are badly painted. It's not the quality of the paintjob, It's the color scheme that isn't doing them any favors. I'd like to see some done with a different pallete.
Have to agree with Thraxas that full suits on the Ghar would be better as well, particularly helmets. But then, I prefer the helmeted figures across the entire Antares range. (And most ranges, really.)
And as much as I respect Bob's opinion, and I suspect we have some overlapping taste in aliens - I'd really love to see him assemble and photo some of his Total Extinction Glorlon minis, hint, hint - I'm actually quite liking the Boromite brand of silliness. Again, preferably with the cool cyclopean helmets over the "Look, we're still human" faces. But those ridiculous volcanic steeds? Especially in plastic, I'd be down for some. Maybe even one or two in metal.
I have assembled all 6 of my glorlons. Didn't realize anyone wanted photos. Later today, I should be able to get some pictures. What minis would like like me to put next to them for scale?
The Boromite steeds could work in plastic...but only plastic. I will not yield on this point.
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judgedoug wrote: Still not understanding the Ghar hate. We now have two Ghar players who specifically want to play Ghar because of the outcasts. I guess it's one of those "you either love them, or your opinion is just wrong" kind of things.
Perhaps the difference goes back to our formative years. Tell me, have you ever seen Mac and Me? Did you have a sibling obsessed with that movie? Did you ever have to choose between that film and In Search of the Wow Wow Wizzle Wozzle Wozzie Woodle Woo?
Those films make The Point look like freakin' Akira.
warboss wrote: For instance, I see and recognize the effort and detail in that Isorian Nuhu but I'm not a fan of the look or the nomenclature. Also, the female bormoite looks alit less cartoony Thing villain than the males.
Something about the NuHu gives me a Dune vibe, not sure quite why. Maybe the decadent ruling order thing that the model implies. I presume the Freeborn are intended to evoke Herbert's Fremen?
Anyhow, I'm with warboss at the moment on the NuHu. Well done, but not grabbing me - yet. I have a feeling that NuHu appeal is wrapped up in knowing their fluff, though, so my opinion on them is currently filed under "more information needed."
As for the Boromite female, her pose makes me think of a housewife telling her children to clean their rooms, or ordering her no-good excuse for a husband to hit the road, Jack. Which I find hilarious and endearing.
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BobtheInquisitor wrote: I have assembled all 6 of my glorlons. Didn't realize anyone wanted photos. Later today, I should be able to get some pictures. What minis would like like me to put next to them for scale?
I mostly have Mantic stuff at this point, so a comparative shot with an enforcer would be great. And thanks for offering. I'm hoping the Glorlons will make it to retail someday, somehow. But that's another topic.
Vermonter, I'll post some more photos in my blog soon, but here is one with some enforcers, a space marine and a Sedition Wars Samaritan, likely the closest match I have to the Concord plastics in size and scale. The glorlons are fairly simple models, and would probably take well to the plastic treatment if some enterprising company were to buy their design, or just take inspiration from it.
You asked earlier if anyone managed to get to the official demo days. Well, I tweeted my FLGS, who responded that whilst they had received lots of lovely things from Warlord, they hadn't been made aware that they should have been demoing BtGoA this weekend. So they weren't.
Siiiiigh. I'll still swing by and pick up a copy in the week thanks to yourself and others sharing their thoughts and views!
The fluff reminds me more of Dune, Pournelle's Second Empire and Peter Hamilton's Void series, with a post human elite ruling over the many varieties of human. I look forward to reading more about it.
warboss wrote: There is no right or wrong answer as it is purely a preference/opinion. Folks are completely free to like stuff others don't on dakka.
Nonono warboss. It's all objective and obviously my opinion is correct!
So anyone else play demos on Launch Day? There was a pretty big list of stores. I got in several demos yesterday, and even though I had skimmed the rules, I was a bit unprepared for exactly how GoA plays. My impressions, in order:
/snip/
Thank you very much for posting your impressions. Sounds great. Interesting about the Bolt Action comparisons. That was the reason I was interested in GoA in the first place. Bolt Actions rules sounded great and seemed to be well loved, but the WW2 theme doesn't do anything for me in miniatures. Much prefer cardboard hex-and-counter gaming for that era.
I missed out on Launch Day. Wasn't even aware of it to be honest. But my copy should be here soon and looking forward to taking it for a spin.
warboss wrote: For instance, I see and recognize the effort and detail in that Isorian Nuhu but I'm not a fan of the look or the nomenclature. Also, the female bormoite looks alit less cartoony Thing villain than the males.
Something about the NuHu gives me a Dune vibe, not sure quite why. Maybe the decadent ruling order thing that the model implies. I presume the Freeborn are intended to evoke Herbert's Fremen?
Perhaps, but the Freeborn (slang name btw, I forget off hand their actual name) run a mercantile empire and have no particular worlds - just a bajillion trade/cargo/generation ships.
The "normal" humans of the Panhuman Concord and Isorian Senatex are all infinitely more evolved than we are, tens of thousands of years of evolution plus nanospores and nanites in the atmosphere and within their bloodstream and brain, etc, connecting all the humans together under IMTel. The NuHu are an even further evolution of these already mega evolved humans. Probably the evolutionary step closest to transhumanism. So they definitely aren't decadent. Actually the Panhuman Concord is on the rise and experiencing a golden age - there's no grimdark here - total opposite in fact, it's a pretty awesome future.
If Warlord is listening please please commission some people to write some novels and stories, the background in Antares is pretty much the most interesting thing I've seen in a miniatures game, like, ever.
Thraxas Of Turai wrote: The Concord troopers scale really well with Deadzone Rebs from Mantic, a near perfect match.
@Thraxas - Which means they'd be an excellent match for Sedition Wars miniatures as well, as those are pretty much precisely Rebs scaled. Sounds like the Concord are very 28mm, which is no bad thing. I hate to trouble you further, but could you put up a comparison shot with some Rebs and / or Sedition Wars minis? But if it's a bother, please don't worry about it.
@Bob - I had a look at your gallery; thanks for posting those Glorlon pics. Now I'm really hoping that they'll eventually make retail. I wish more companies would dive into really alien looking creatures more readily. I know it's considered a risk, since the design has to hit a nerve or you've invested in a dud, but this is sci-fi we're talking about. There are plenty of sci fi gamers who are creature fanatics, and for all the Star Trek aliens, also plenty of miniature races that are very distinctively alien looking. I know that whenever good quality hard plastic Daleks get released, it's going to cause a riot.* Frp games currently lists the Glorlons as arriving this month, but they're the only store I can find that lists Total Extinction for pre-order, so who knows?
*Is this a subtle dig at Gates of Antares that someone better jump all over fast? Maybe. The Ghar battlesuits, although technically post-human, are exactly the kind of weird, alien forms I love. So I do want them to get into true aliens at some point, but they've done me a big favor with those battlesuits so far. If only the Ghar Outcasts hadn't gone the Ork / comical route, they'd be perfection. And I seem to be one of the few here who actually likes the Boromites, particularly the Rock riders.
@ Judgedoug, I've noticed that for all your hamfisted, melonheaded support of GoA, you never mention the Boromites. Are they not to your taste? Just curious. But objectively speaking, if you don't like the Boromites, then you can't claim to like any faction or aspect of this game at all, so consider your answer carefully.
But I'm still committed to getting those Ghar battlesuits, and perhaps even buying into the starter set if the Concord fit in well enough with the stuff I already have. I probably would have already invested in it if I weren't over-budget for miniature purchases. I think the starter set could use more variety - Six Ghar battlesuits and a bunch of Concord soldier sprues doesn't have nearly the unit variety of MEdge, or Dark Vengeance. But they are well-designed miniatures.
Here's a question for anyone in the know: Are all of the Gates of Antares digitally sculpted? It seems most of them are, but are there any exceptions? I ask because I'm starting to tire of the wave of digital sculpts coming in. I think some companies do very good work - MKultra studios did great work on Mantic's Cyphers and Sentinel Games' Glorlons. But hand-sculpting, when well done (that's the key for everything, of course), invests minis with a different kind of character and life. I think both approaches have their strengths, and ideally would like to see a healthy blend of the two rather than have one completely supplant the other.
Thraxas Of Turai wrote: Sure thing, just a quick and poorly lit shot for you. Note the GW base on the Concord mini though.
Spoiler:
You certainly deliver fast. My thanks for the comparison shot. It was the final straw.
I've placed an order for the xilos horizon, so I'll soon be able to start contributing helpful opinions on the product instead of just jabbering.
Incidentally, NWS online gaming has the best price I've seen for it yet: $69.99. (Thanks for the reference, Judgedoug.) You pay a hefty shipping charge on top of that (yep, even within the USA), but even so it beats any other listing I've seen so far.
Just in case anyone else is on the edge of investing in this and needed a little discount push.
Vermonter wrote: @ Judgedoug, I've noticed that for all your hamfisted, melonheaded support of GoA, you never mention the Boromites. Are they not to your taste? Just curious. But objectively speaking, if you don't like the Boromites, then you can't claim to like any faction or aspect of this game at all, so consider your answer carefully.
I honestly don't like the Boromites at allLOVE THE BOROMITES WITH ALL OF MY HEART, but I have a couple units from earlier this year so I'm going to try to trade them to a local guy who likes Boromites for store credit or other minis I may wantCONTINUE TO LOVE THEM FOREVER
I love the way the Algoryn look, like Klingons in powered armor, so they're going to be my main dudes (already have a couple AI squads, need to get some command and support options), but my favorite background fiction is with the Isorian Senatex so once they get released I know I'm going to buy them all. I'm painting up my starter set plastics to donate to the FLGS for display and demos (well, trade for credit) BUT OBVIOUSLY I LOVE EVERYTHING EQUALLY
Vermonter, you had a look but didn't post anything? I am distraught. And Judgedoug sent me a link to that site, too. I thought I was the only one... I'll probably get it there unless the MM price is close while I am placing my Black Friday order.
Seeing that scale shot answers a lot of my questions. It looks like the GoA minis won't have any comparable bits for swapping with DFG minis. They might work with some Perry historicals...but what's the point of that?
Vermonter wrote: The Ghar battlesuits, although technically post-human, are exactly the kind of weird, alien forms I love. So I do want them to get into true aliens at some point, but they've done me a big favor with those battlesuits so far. If only the Ghar Outcasts hadn't gone the Ork / comical route, they'd be perfection.
If it helps, and one of the reasons I love them a lot, is that they are more like African child soldiers herded as meat shields into combat. The Outcasts are pretty much entirely disposable, because, they're outcasts. They're given the worst weapons (slug throwers, AK-47's basically), and can actually run out of ammunition during the game. They're rather tragic
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BobtheInquisitor wrote: Seeing that scale shot answers a lot of my questions. It looks like the GoA minis won't have any comparable bits for swapping with DFG minis. They might work with some Perry historicals...but what's the point of that?
Woops, just realized I forgot to reply to your early question. My DFG is packed in a box somewhere in my closet so I won't be able to get scale shots with Dreamforge.
HOWEVER I'm going to contribute to the scale thread this evening, I promise, with a shot of Concord + Algoryn + Boromite + Ghar Battle Suit + Lord of the Rings + GW Empire + Stormcast Eternal + Bolt Action + other random stuff (Copplestone? Hasslefree? Pig Iron?) + possibly my cat if she's being nosey
BobtheInquisitor wrote: Vermonter, you had a look but didn't post anything? I am distraught.
I had a look at your gallery - I wasn't aware that I could post comments on images outside of a thread. My apologies, I'll see what I can do.
BobtheInquisitor wrote: Seeing that scale shot answers a lot of my questions. It looks like the GoA minis won't have any comparable bits for swapping with DFG minis. They might work with some Perry historicals...but what's the point of that?
I dunno if I'd call that one quite so quickly. I remember someone doing a DFG Eisenkern rifle armswap on a Rebs human trooper that looked perfectly to scale. You can bet that the DFG helmeted heads won't match GoA; the DFG stormtrooper helmets are, in my opinion, bigger than GW's Space Marine helmets. But from that example I think there's a good chance arm swaps, at least, will look good. Whenever my set arrives, I'll give it a try and post some pics.
Oh, found the trooper on google. (Can't locate it on dakka, but credit to whomever it is due. Nice conversion.)
Now, considering the fact that Eisenkern arms, like the Concord trooper arms, are actually thicker and a tad longer than the Rebs trooper's arms . . . we may have a perfect match between Eisenkern and Concord arms?
Automatically Appended Next Post: @judgedoug - Well, it's nice to know that I could buy Gates of Antares and invest in a Boromite faction, and even though we'd both be supporting the product, we still wouldn't agree on anything.
The Isorians are a real problem, though, because I think I'm going to like them too.
@Bob - I have now commented on your photos. Many thanks for posting them.
First impressions:
* Very heavy. Most of that weight is the rulebook, which is massive. But there is plenty of plastic.
* A couple sprues had some pieces break/fall off during transport. Everything looks to be in the box, however. The box is packed.
* I do not like the reference card being the box divider. And there is only one copy of the ref card. It is the only thing that feels cheap about the starter box.
* Minis looks nice, with good but not great detail. The Ghar are more detailed than the Concord troopers.
* The pin markers are really neat, but they need some white paint on the numbers to help readability.
@Ctaylor - there's also the reference pages toward the back of the Rulebook (the final few pages - sorry, I'd give page references, but I don't have my copy to hand!)
@Vermonter - I believe I read/heard somewhere that the Antares minis are a mix of digital sculpts (for some of the armoured models/factions) and hand-sculpted models for some of the organic-looking models (Boromites )
Also with regards to seeing more alien-looking creatures.... all of the races which have Army Lists in the Antares book are described as 'Pan-human' as opposed to all-out alien... (they're all highly advanced creatures which have evolved from what-we-know-as humanity)... there have been a few hints from Warlord about potential all-out-alien models coming later - so we may see some interesting coming down the pipeline.... there are some alien races mentioned in the fluff, but I don't remember a physical description.
Loving the book so far... have played a few games, but am still finding additional rules for specific pieces of weaponry.... I'm also loving the terrain section - heaps of options, and loads of scope for all sorts of strange worlds to be created!
What do you get if you take Rogue Trader 1st edition 40k, remove the Thatcher-era and 2000Ad dystopian influences, add 30 years of game design element developments and a small dose of real-life science/technological progress, add a measure of Iain M Banks' Culture series (with a sprinkling of other contemporary sci-fi influences)?
judgedoug wrote: HOWEVER I'm going to contribute to the scale thread this evening, I promise, with a shot of Concord + Algoryn + Boromite + Ghar Battle Suit + Lord of the Rings + GW Empire + Stormcast Eternal + Bolt Action + other random stuff (Copplestone? Hasslefree? Pig Iron?) + possibly my cat if she's being nosey
Woops, I'm a jerk, and I neglected to do this. I was busy painting Concord figs. Which, btw, we all know that Citadel white spray primer sucks, but it's specifically incompatible with Gates of Antares minis on a molecular level. It fuzzed slightly. Meanwhile Val-Spar grey primer worked just fine on my Ghar. Lesson learned for like the eleventh time: throw away Citadel spray, even if it's free. Needless to say some of my concord dudes look like crap due to slightly fuzzy bumpy priming, but they're being painted up for rough in-store handling anyways. Still makes me shed a modeling tear though
So how do the factions play? I watched the faction overview video but it was more of a background rundown (not a complaint at all). I'm also curious as to how big the starter set it in terms of standard game size? And finally if you were to expand on the forces in the game, or alternatively create starter forces from the four other factions what would you buy?
The Concord in the boxed game easily make a legal 500 point force, with a good few Drones left over. The Ghar range from 360 odd points to nigh on 500 points if fully kitted out.
To expand my Concord I am going to get a command squad, drop squad and the interceptors (jetbikes) when released.
As for starter armies the Warlord site has some good starter armies. But personally I would hang fire until more plastics are released.
Thraxas Of Turai wrote: I can see why some dislike the Bormomites, I think they have the best looking equipment though. This is my favourite support weapon design ever:
I'm mixed on all of the factions so far, to be honest, and think they could've been better designed and sculpted - many of the CAD models have oddly stilted poses, for example. That's not unique to GoA - MEdge has the same issue with a number of models - but the fact that the problem isn't unique to Warlord still isn't incentive to buy their models. I haven't seen a faction yet that's worth the expense and trouble of buying and working with metal figures. The Boromites actually come closest for me, because I agree with Thraxas on their support weapon design - love it - and I like the rocky magma creatures that they ride and sick on people. I think hand sculpting the rock creatures was good for them and added character to their design. I'm not really taken with the body design of the Boromites themselves, as I have no great love for Marvel's FF or the Thing, though I do think they start looking much cooler when they've got their visors on.
I primarily invested in the GoA boxed set to get the armored Ghar, the only GoA models that have been released so far that I consider "must haves," to read the fluff*, and to have the Concord troopers to mess around with and mix / match with other lines. Scale will affect how much I can do that, as is always true, but I'm pretty sure that I'll be able to do something fun with them. If I do end up playing, I'll consider the Ghar outcasts if they do them in plastic and I start seeing some convincing alternate paintjobs on them. Otherwise, I'll sub something more menacing and icky for them. The nice thing about the Ghar battlesuits is that literally anything could be inside them, so plausibly subbing something else for the outcasts is really pretty easy. The battlesuit shape doesn't suggest anything about the form of the Ghar themselves, a big part of the reason the suits look so cool in the first place.
(I'm ok with the Concord as they are, btw. I'm not in love with their design - there's nothing in metal released for them that I have to have - but fine with it. If nothing else, they make a nice alternate, more average human scaled armored force to go up against my Enforcers.)
I know this is a commonplace thing to state, but I'm getting more and more into brand disloyalty, and since Mantic got me back into this hobby, that's a bit of a departure for me since I've pretty much stuck with them up to this point. There are plenty of great plastic models out there to cover just about any bases (especially if you mod them), and, thankfully, more plastic lines are popping up now. No, it's not limited to GoA and MEdge. Even Wild West Exodus is doing it now, and their alien faction plastics look more suitable for GoA than they do for their own Wild West post-??? game. It won't be the models that determine whether I play more GoA or MEdge, it'll be which ruleset I prefer, and then I'll use whatever MEdge, GoA, Mantic, 40k whatever models I choose to play it. Or, more likely, I won't play anything at all, and just assemble, modify, and paint minis for the fun of it. But if you're in the NH area and looking for someone to game with, let me know.
As for playing at tournaments or shops and needing official figures, that may be a problem for some, but it isn't for me, as I've never done either. The age of "you must buy into metal figures to play this game," or even of "you must buy our figures to play our game" is really over. From now on, the best looking figure lines and the material I like most wins, and the more I can modify and individualize it, the better.
So yeah, I'd definitely buy those mounted Boromites - as Bob says, if they cast them in plastic. But if I can't get the Boromite soldiers riding the creatures to look good enough (I can), then I'll swap them with something else. But I think we all know that Warlord will only be releasing those things in metal, even though nothing official has been stated, so the point is moot as I won't be buying them anyway.
Anyhow, with "disloyal" fans like me, companies like Mantic, Warlord, and Spiral Studios don't need loyal customers. In fact, studies have shown that loyal customers like Judgedoug are actually detrimental to a product line's success, while customers like me are their glorious, messianic, but nobly humble saviors.** I'll still buy plenty of their product; I just won't necessarily use it as intended.
And Judgedoug? You can bet that when I get my MEdge figures that I'll be putting some Karist melonheads on those Concord bodies. If they look great that way, I'll glue them and make it permanent. If they look terrible, don't worry; I'll still post some pictures just for you.
*Right now the fluff's potential is more interesting to me than GoA's figure designs. I'm interested to see what this not-Grimdark future reads like.
Vermonter wrote: Anyhow, with "disloyal" fans like me, companies like Mantic, Warlord, and Spiral Studios don't need loyal customers. In fact, studies have shown that loyal customers like Judgedoug are actually detrimental to a product line's success, while customers like me are their glorious, messianic, but nobly humble saviors.** I'll still buy plenty of their product; I just won't necessarily use it as intended.
And Judgedoug? You can bet that when I get my MEdge figures that I'll be putting some Karist melonheads on those Concord bodies. If they look great that way, I'll glue them and make it permanent. If they look terrible, don't worry; I'll still post some pictures just for you.
That's how I know that you love me
re: plastics and metals. What's interesting is something I've noticed as I've gotten older - it's probably the evolving grognard in me - is that I dislike multipart plastics more and more. I love their cheapness, but I spend so much of my meager hobby time assembling figs that I'd rather be painting. Like, I speedpaint everything, so that usually means I wind up spending more time gluing figures than actually putting paint on them. As neat as the plastic Concord guys are, them being like 6 parts apiece is really offputting to me. I've become much more a fan of "file mold line, dab of glue on base, done". Obviously other people love their plastic kits to have as many bits as possible, and I totally understand that point of view. And some plastics are also great - Warlord's plastic Napoleonics are ideal to me, for instance, or WGF's WSS infantry (3 pieces!). Like right now I'm kind of torn waiting for plastic Algoryn basic infantry, but then I'm like, feth it, I have two base squads in metal already, and they're "glue on head, glue on base" simple, so I can get them painted right away. (Well, at least I know I'm not a TMP style grognard, because then I'd be discussing my favorite Humbrol enamel paint to use for the facings on Front Rank infantry...) The TL;DR version being that I'm nearing the tipping point where my time is more valuable than my money: preferring to spend more money to have a metal one or two piece figure than to have to assemble 6+ piece plastics (and matching up arms etc). One of the reasons I haven't assembled my like 100 plastic Enforcers yet...
Whoops, you are right Judge forgot about the need for certain command units to unlock the unit itself.
@Zond: Warlord actually did a good set of starter army lists in a mailshot today, it is a wall of text so I will spoiler it:
Spoiler:
The Algoryn AI Command Starter Army is aimed to get you started in the Antarean universe, and comprises of the following:
- 1 x Command Squad AI Commander, 2 Troopers, Spotter drone - 114pts
- 1 x AI Squad leader, 3 Troopers, 1 Trooper micro-X-launcher - 94pts
- 1 x AI Assault Squad leader, 4 Troopers - 120pts
- 1 x AI Support Team with Mag Light Support, 2 AI Trooper Crew, Spotter drone - 58pts
- 1 x AI Support Team with X-launcher, 2 AI Trooper Crew, Spotter drone - 63pts*
* - when supplied with all munitions options
With the release of the Rulebook, this set now equates to a 449 point army (without any further options) - not quite legal as you have 2 options taken from the Support section.
In an Algoryn 500 point Scouting force you are allowed 3-4 Tactical choices 0-1 Support and 0-1 Auxiliary choice. You could easily make this force match-up to the 500 point Force Selector requirements by taking an extra AI Squad, not taking the X-launcher, and upgrading various options amongst your squads such as grenades (very nasty!)
Or how about an upgrade for this army? An Algoryn 750 point Skirmish force allows 4-7 Tactical choices 0-3 Support and 0-1 Auxiliary choice, this is easily reached by simply adding 1 further AI Squad, 1 AI Infiltration Squad, 1 further AI Support Team with Mag Light Support, and 1 Targeter Probe Shard
This would give you the following Force list:
ALGORYN STARTER ARMY
- AI Command Squad Commander, 2 Troopers, Spotter drone - 114pts
- AI Squad leader, 4 Troopers, 1 micro-X-launcher, overload ammo, reflex armour - 104pts
- AI Squad leader, 4 Troopers, 1 micro-X-launcher, overload ammo, reflex armour - 104pts
- AI Assault Squad leader, 4 Troopers - 120pts
- AI Infiltration Squad leader, 4 Troopers, Spotter Drone - 129pts
- AI Support Team with Mag Light Support, 2 AI Trooper Crew, Spotter drone - 48pts
- AI Support Team with Mag Light Support, 2 AI Trooper Crew, Spotter drone - 48pts
- AI Support Team with X-launcher, 2 AI Trooper Crew, Spotter drone - 48pts*
- Targetter Probe Shard 4 Targetter Probes - 20pts
ARMY OPTIONS
Block! 5pts
Extra Shot 10pts
Total = 750pts
Packed with a heap of core Boromite units, the Labour Guild is aimed to give you a solid core in order to get you started in the Antarean universe.
- 1 x Boromite Overseer Squad Overseer, 2 Gangers, Spotter drone - 115pts
- 1 x Boromite Gang Fighters Leader, 4 Gangers - 97pts
- 1 x Boromite Work Gang with Mass Compactors Leader, 4 Gangers - 98pts
- 1 x Boromite Lavamites Handler, 3 Lavamites - 82pts
- 1 x Boromite Support Team with X-launcher 2 crew, Spotter drone - 51pts*
* - if supplied with all munitions options
With the release of the Rulebook, this set now equates to a 443 point army (without any further options).
In an Boromite 500 point Scouting force you are allowed 3-5 Tactical choices 0-2 Support and 0-1 Auxiliary choice. You could easily make this force match-up to the 500 point Force Selector requirements by upgrading the various options amongst your squads such as grenades or leadership.
Upgrading a Boromite 750 point Skirmish force allows you to take 4-8 Tactical choices 0-4 Support and 0-1 Auxiliary choice - This is easily reached with the addition of 1 further Boromite Gang Fighters Squad, 1 Boromites Work Gang Squad, 1 further Boromite Support Team with Mag Light Support.
This would give you the following Force list:
BOROMITES STARTER ARMY
Skirmish Force - 750pts:
- Boromite Overseer Squad Overseer, 2 Gangers, Spotter drone - 120pts
- Boromite Gang Fighters Leader, 4 Gangers - 102pts
- Boromite Gang Fighters Leader, 4 Gangers - 102pts
- Work Gang with Mass Compactors Leader, 4 Gangers, Implosion Grenades, Reflex Armour - 123pts
- Work Gang with Mass Compactors Leader, 4 Gangers, Implosion Grenades, Reflex Armour - 123pts
- Boromite Lavamites Handler, 3 Lavamites - 82pts
- Boromite Support Team with X-launcher 2 crew, Spotter drone - 51pts*
- Boromite Support Team with Mag Light Support 2 crew, Spotter drone - 46pts
* - if supplied with all munitions options
Total 749pts
The Concord Strike Force contains a solid core - and is the ideal starter bundle for budding Concord commanders. It features the following;
- 1 x C3 Strike Command Squad, Leader, 2 Strike Troopers, Spotter drone - 120pts
- 1 x C3 Strike Squad Leader, 4 Strike Troopers, Spotter drone - 122pts
- 1 x C3 Strike Squad Leader, 4 Strike Troopers, Spotter drone - 122pts
- 1 x C3 Support Team with X-Launcher 2 Crewmen, Spotter drone - 55pts*
- 1 x C3D1 Plasma Light Support Drone, Spotter drone- 69pts
- 1 x C3 Targetter Probe Shard - 20pts
* - if supplied with all munitions options
With the release of the Rulebook, this set now equates to a 508 point army (without any further options) - not quite legal as you have 2 options taken from the Support section.
In a Concord 500 point Scouting force you are allowed 3-4 Tactical choices 0-1 Support and 0-1 Auxiliary choice. You could easily make this force match-up to the 500 point Force Selector requirements by not taking the X-launcher and upgrading various options amongst your squads.
Alternatively, upgrade this army to a 750 point Skirmish force. This allows 4-6 Tactical choices 0-2 Support and 0-1 Auxiliary choice, easily reached by including the X-launcher then adding 1 further strike squad
The Freeborn Starter Army contains all of the key elements to get you started in 'Beyond the Gates of Antares;'
- 1 x Freeborn Command Squad Captain, 2 Bodyguard, Spotter drone - 132pts
- 1 x Freeborn Vardanari Guard Squad Leader, 5 Vardanari Guard Troopers, Spotter drone - 142pts
- 1 x Freeborn Domari Squad Household Leader, 5 Household Troopers, Spotter drone - 107pts
- 1 x Freeborn Support Team Mag Light support, 2 Freeborn crew, Spotter drone - 44pts
- 1 x Freeborn Support Team X-launcher, 2 Freeborn crew, Spotter drone - 49pts*
* - (if supplied with all munitions options)
With the release of the Rulebook, this set now equates to a 474 point army (without any further options) - Again not quite legal as you have 2 options taken from the Support section.
In a Freeborn 500 point Scouting force you are allowed 3-5 tactical choices 0-2 support and 0-1 Auxiliary choice. You could easily make this force match-up to the 500 point Force Selector requirements by upgrading various options amongst your squads such as upgraded armour or extra drones.
Want to upgrade this army? A Freeborn 750 point Skirmish force allows 4-7 tactical choices 0-3 support and 0-1 Auxiliary choice, this is easily reached by adding 1 further Domari Household Squad, 1 Feral (Mhagris) Squad, and 1 Targeter Probe Shard
This would give you the following Force list:
FREEBORN STARTER ARMY
Skirmish Force – 750pts:
- Freeborn Command Squad Captain, 2 Bodyguard, Spotter drone - 132pts
- Freeborn Vardanari Squad Leader (at Leader 2), 5 Vardanari Guard Troopers, Spotter drone - 152pts
- Freeborn Domari Squad Leader, 5 Household Troopers - one with micro-x launcher and slingnet ammo, Spotter drone - 112pts
- Freeborn Domari Squad Leader, 5 Household Troopers - one with micro x-launcher and slingnet ammo, Spotter drone - 112pts
- Freeborn Feral Squad (Mhagris) Leader, 5 fighters - one with micro x-launcher, all with Soma Grafts - 88pts
- Freeborn Support Team Mag Light support, 2 Freeborn crew, Spotter drone - 54pts
- Freeborn Support Team X-launcher, 2 Freeborn crew, Spotter drone - 54pts*
- Freeborn Targetter Probe Shard 4 Targetter Probes - 20pts
I love all the plastics on the market. I no longer have to buy metal at all. I'm with Vermonter there. I love the advanced drones and the Ghar suits because those are things I haven't seen in plastic yet, and will give me something new to play with. armored humans? Not so new or unique. I hope GoA keeps this in mind and aims for a more stylized, diverse range.
Vermonter, what WWX aliens? Is there a link? Also, I dare you to proxy in some Medge Minnows for your Ghar outcasts.
BobtheInquisitor wrote: Also, I dare you to proxy in some Medge Minnows for your Ghar outcasts.
Interesting idea. I hadn't thought of it since the minnows are flyers, and don't shoot guns, but they are more the kind of Alien I'd like to see emerge from the smoking wreck of a Ghar battlesuit. The minnows are probably my favorite MEdge models.
I probably won't be subbing them in, though, because I really like them staying put in the Karist force as it is. Stormtrooper scientologists with disturbing shadow creature beasts, subtly tied together as a visual package by cybel energy color and the three-eye motif. Ridiculous, wonderful, genius. I haven't loved a faction this much in a long time.
What I will be doing is playing around a lot with the Karist bodies. I'm not crazy about some of the poses, and I think - I think - I can improve their proportions with some creative mix and match. But we'll see what they look like when I can see them in person. Otherwise I plan on keeping that faction intact.
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BobtheInquisitor wrote: The definitely look like they fit into the GoA setting, although more as a distant panhuman civilization rather than aliens.
Gah, more panhumanism! You just had to go and ruin it, didn't you?
Maybe someone else can answer that? I don't really follow WWX, and I don't know how these will be priced, or when exactly they're coming out. I just got wind of these Watcher plastics and became interested.
That's awesome Tharaxas thanks. I think I'm actually quite interested in picking up some metal deals once I nail down the faction playstyles. Visually though, the starter set, and probably Boromites (which have grown on me) and Algoryn would attract the most players I think. Or swap one of the most alien looking factions for the Freeborn for the folks that dislike the elite concord Space Marines types.
So I just dropped the folks at Warlord a message and they got back to me within a few hours. As it stands, there wil be a PDF of the rulebook released soon. Agloryn plastics are expected for sometime in April, roughly - they're releasing a few extra bits for Ghar (and presumably Concorde) in the meantime.
Automatically Appended Next Post: I don't know, Bob, but they mentioned somewhere that each faction will get at least one plastic kit during the next 12 months.
The 3-model Concord Jetbike (Interceptor) box is shown on the last page of the rulebook. So it will probably be amongst those next releases as all the other kits shown there are already available. No Ghar there either.
So I just dropped the folks at Warlord a message and they got back to me within a few hours. As it stands, there wil be a PDF of the rulebook released soon. Agloryn plastics are expected for sometime in April, roughly - they're releasing a few extra bits for Ghar (and presumably Concorde) in the meantime.
I'm assuming the Ghar plastic release will just be a release of the same walker sprues that are in the boxed set. There doesn't seem to be much else in the army list that would be plastic, except for the larger walkers, and I don't think they'd start with that. The ghar outcasts models are presumably metal and I'm thinking will come out soon.
I hoping the outcasts are out soon, you really need a few squads to make up numbers and add order dice to a ghar force, plus they remind me of the old metal 3rd gretchin and thats a good thing
I'm also really hoping we'll see Fartok in armour soon, probably as a metal upgrade for a plastic sprue, he's definitely the most characterful of the special characters in the book.
Has anybody seen the 'Run, Fartok! Run!' Scenario on the warlord site? Would probably make quite a cool demo game if you got the preorder box.
So I just dropped the folks at Warlord a message and they got back to me within a few hours. As it stands, there wil be a PDF of the rulebook released soon. Agloryn plastics are expected for sometime in April, roughly - they're releasing a few extra bits for Ghar (and presumably Concorde) in the meantime.
Well that puts the final nail in the coffin on "waiting on plastics" Algoryn for me then. Think I'll order more metal Algoryn this week.
Do you think the algoryn will be particularly robotechy to assemble compared with the concord and ghar? I'm glad to hear plastics are coming for them personally. I'm curious if they'll just to the "stock" model unit in plastic and then the specialty heavy guys in metal/resin or if the plan is to slowly in 2016 go all plastic.
warboss wrote: Do you think the algoryn will be particularly robotechy to assemble compared with the concord and ghar? I'm glad to hear plastics are coming for them personally. I'm curious if they'll just to the "stock" model unit in plastic and then the specialty heavy guys in metal/resin or if the plan is to slowly in 2016 go all plastic.
Nah, I just want stuff sooner than later. Plus the Algoryn I do have are two piece metals (separate head) so I'm totally happy with that.
No idea about future plans :(
So I just dropped the folks at Warlord a message and they got back to me within a few hours. As it stands, there wil be a PDF of the rulebook released soon. Agloryn plastics are expected for sometime in April, roughly - they're releasing a few extra bits for Ghar (and presumably Concorde) in the meantime.
Well that puts the final nail in the coffin on "waiting on plastics" Algoryn for me then. Think I'll order more metal Algoryn this week.
Do you think the algoryn will be particularly robotechy to assemble compared with the concord and ghar? I'm glad to hear plastics are coming for them personally. I'm curious if they'll just to the "stock" model unit in plastic and then the specialty heavy guys in metal/resin or if the plan is to slowly in 2016 go all plastic.
If Bolt Action is anything to go by, I would expect core plastic infantry in plastic for all factions (eventually), then the special characters and weaponry in metal. Unless this game explodes in terms of sales of course.
This is kinda what I did:
1. spray Citadel white - which fuzzed. be mad at Citadel spray for a few days. (if you are following these directions, use Army Painter White or Val-Spar or anything other than Citadel or Armory sprays)
2. paint visors and guns black.
3. wash all white areas with Vallejo Grey Wash + Vallejo Thinner Medium
4. wetbrush Army Painter White several big drops + Vallejo Metallic Medium few drops + Vallejo Thinner Medium few drops
4. paint shoulder/back armor with Army Painter Turquoise, several big drops, plus Vallejo Metallic Medium few drops, plus Vallejo Thinner Medium few drops (in hindsight I kinda wished I had painted maybe the kneepads and belly plate armor)
5. look at model disappointingly. paint on oil-based Army Painter Dark Tone (from can), which magically fixes everything.
6. post to Dakka
the only reason it took a few hours in the first place was because a bunch of us were hanging out and joking. Could probably speed through it all in like 60-90 minutes.
You'll notice I use Vallejo Thinner Medium in like everything. This is because I transitioned to it from water. Water dilutes paints and washes too much, breaking paint cohesion. I only thin paints and washes now with the Vallejo Thinner Medium as it keeps cohesion.
Add me to the pile of admirers, Judgedoug. I like what you did with your Concord troopers. And you did it quickly - I clearly need to be taking notes from you and Thraxas.
I'd buy either of those two vehicles (the Ghar walker and Algoryn flyer Warhamma just showed) if they were cast in resin or done in HIPS.
I was watching the videos yesterday a bit and it surprised me that the Concord and Isorians were mentioned as the "two big ones" and the rest are "a certain amount of choice". Knowing nothing about the backstory beyond what I've skimmed in this thread, I'm not sure if they mean only in the "fluff" (the most territory in the galaxy) or if they'll be the focus of the minis game (the widest range of figs). I suspect it is the former given the current lack of Isorian models.
warboss wrote: I was watching the videos yesterday a bit and it surprised me that the Concord and Isorians were mentioned as the two big factions. Knowing nothing about the backstory beyond what I've skimmed in this thread, I'm not sure if they mean only in the "fluff" (the most territory in the galaxy) or if they'll be the focus of the minis game (the widest range of figs). I suspect it is the former given the current lack of Isorian models.
Yes, together they control over half of known Antarean space (though the Vorl have more than either individual).
As it stands, the Panhuman Concord and Isorian Senatex and Vorl are the big three players. Everyone else are minor territorial factions, with the Freeborn having a major mercantile empire (though few land holdings, mainly trade vessels)
Thanks. Hopefully it'll just stay in the fluff and they'll keep a relative equality in the model options for all factions without one or two getting too far ahead.
Do you find the Ghar backstory to be a bit derivative of 40k? Their description as genetically engineered warriors wielding relative primitive weapons with little regard for their own safety from a time long past whose original masters have long since disappeared but the slaves continue to fight as that is "their way" is quite orky... and not just in a passing way. That's pretty much right out of the ork backstory minus the fungus.
I hadn't even thought of the Ghar as some long lost ancestors of Space Marines. I hadn't paid much attention to the Ghar as they're not something I like. Now that you bring it up the Ghar are a freaking fantastic "parody" of Space Marines. I have a whole new level of desire to fight the Ghar now.
Edit: The Ghar do have a regard for their own safety. At least the ones luck enough to be in the Ghar Suits are safer than most other models on the field of battle in this game!
I can definitely see that they are the "ork" faction, but there's a number of differences - they're still humans (just genetically modified humans, which, even the Concord are all genetically modified now too), and they actually are intelligent enough to have, like, government, and commerce. Plus, they are a minor faction, as anyone with lesser technology would be (like the Algoyrn)
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Consul Scipio wrote: Edit: The Ghar do have a regard for their own safety. At least the ones luck enough to be in the Ghar Suits are safer than most other models on the field of battle in this game!
Yeah, the Ghar are not dumb. All their warriors fight in the battle suits. Only the outcasts - like, basically, those fallen from political favor or criminals of some sort - are given an AK and told to rush forward on the battlefield.
Consul Scipio wrote: I hadn't even thought of the Ghar as some long lost ancestors of Space Marines. I hadn't paid much attention to the Ghar as they're not something I like. Now that you bring it up the Ghar are a freaking fantastic "parody" of Space Marines. I have a whole new level of desire to fight the Ghar now.
Edit: The Ghar do have a regard for their own safety. At least the ones luck enough to be in the Ghar Suits are safer than most other models on the field of battle in this game!
Actually, I was talking about orks. From the ork wiki entry:
The Orks are a biologically-engineered species, created more than 60 million Terran years ago as a warrior race originally called the Krork by the long-vanished reptilian alien species known as the Old Ones, whom the Orks refer to as the Brain Boyz. The Orks were created by the Brain Boyz to fight the Necrons and their C'tan masters in the great interstellar conflict called the War in Heaven that shattered the galactic civilisation of the Old Ones that existed prior to the rise of the Eldar.
Whereas the Ghar are humans genetically engineered into a warrior race long ago whose original masters (just like the Old Ones in 40k) long ago disappeared.. but they just keep fighting on with everyone because that is what they were created to do. As for safety in the Ghar suits, the first Rick Priestly fluff video posted here in the thread said their weapons are unstable (just like orks) and frequently kill their users including cooking them in their armored mech suits.
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judgedoug wrote: I can definitely see that they are the "ork" faction, but there's a number of differences - they're still humans (just genetically modified humans, which, even the Concord are all genetically modified now too), and they actually are intelligent enough to have, like, government, and commerce. Plus, they are a minor faction, as anyone with lesser technology would be (like the Algoyrn)
I did note the difference in their phlogeny ("minus the fungus") but it all seems a bit too derivative for THAT faction given the creator who was involved with the creation of much the same backstory for the orks in 40k. The rest from what I've watched are NOT derivative so my issue in that sense is only with a single faction (as opposed to Mantic which ends up copying RT40k armies' looks wholesale frequently). I just wish their bred primitive warrior race backstory was more differentiated from the bred primitive warrior race backstory the author worked on previously. Hell, even if they borrowed more from Zentraedi instead of Orks would have worked because the author wouldn't be retreading his own footsteps. From an outsider's point of view looking in, it's one of only two quibbles I have so far with the backstory (the other being that I would have preferred only one "human utopian socialist society governed by AI nannites" faction instead of two in which the difference amounts to Mac vs PC in the 1980's and 90's especially if those two factions are apparently the biggest around).
warboss wrote: I did note the difference in their phlogeny ("minus the fungus") but it all seems a bit too derivative for THAT faction given the creator who was involved with the creation of much the same backstory for the orks in 40k. The rest from what I've watched are NOT derivative so my issue in that sense is only with a single faction (as opposed to Mantic which ends up copying RT40k armies' looks wholesale frequently). I just wish their bred primitive warrior race backstory was more differentiated from the bred primitive warrior race backstory the author worked on previously. Hell, even if they borrowed more from Zentraedi instead of Orks would have worked because the author wouldn't be retreading his own footsteps. From an outsider's point of view looking in, it's one of only two quibbles I have so far with the backstory (the other being that I would have preferred only one "human utopian socialist society governed by AI nannites" faction instead of two in which the difference amounts to Mac vs PC in the 1980's and 90's especially if those two factions are apparently the biggest around).
Well, again, the big difference between orks and Zentraedi versus Ghar is that Ghar have a fully functioning society. The closest Orks got were the plethora of Rogue Trader supplements whose fluff was all but abandoned by 4th edition orks. And of course, Zentraedi have no concept of culture. Since all the GoA races are genetically engineered and modified, we're starting to lose the ork connection - if it was only them, I'd be leaning towards your view a bit more. But everyone is modified. They're definitely lower tech, but the thing is, everyone not in the PHC or IS are lower tech. We just get a glimpse of three of them (Algoryn, Ghar, Boromites).
PHC and IS were once part of the same larger empire, but Antarean gate closures and the conquering of a biological-technology race which the IMTel successfully absorbed is what caused the rift (Isorians taking the biotech - and because of that, Concord can't integrate/interface with) Seriously dude get the rulebook and read the fiction. It's really really cool and answers a lot of your questions better than my "multitasking while at work" posts here can :/
Like I said, I've been watching the warlord videos so that'll have to suffice for now in addition to your clarifications. Until I see someone anyone play the game, I don't think I'll go beyond getting a few figs personally. I've got enough stillborne/dead/dying games on my plate not limited to Robotech, Heavy Gear, and Halo Fleet Battles. You already convinced me to get the SST rulebook (and I do intend to try the rules someday with my Tau as Cap Troopers) but I doubt I'll find the same awesome deal on a GOA hardback.
As for the Orks, that's just the racist anti-melonhead hamfistist bias showing. The orks had plenty of kultur and society. They had the arts (singing and painting!), medicine (hair squigs!), a written language (glyphs!), a viable self sustaining economy with its own currency (toofs!), science and industry (stompas! big meks!), a government (might is right!), and religion (gork and mork FTW!). I'm not sure what more you could expect from any society.
I used to absolutely love the Ork background in the old 40k days. The expansion books were brilliant, still think that the background for Ork 'kulture' was some of the best that GW has ever made.
When Gav Thorpe transformed them into angry mushrooms that simply ran at an enemy until they, or that enemy, were dead it was a sad day indeed!
Warlord Games also set up an inhouse GoA campaign so the staff can start their armies together as they explore the also for them new game. Rick Priestley is gamemastering it and writes fluff to accompany the progress. The updates will be posted on their blog.
++Welcome to IMTel*++
With last week's official launch, Beyond the Gates of Antares is going from strength-to-strength. We're starting to see some fantastic colour schemes appear across the internet on various forums and communities - and battles are breaking-out across the globe as everyone gets to grips with our brand new Sci-fi game!
T.O.R SEVEN ZERO ONE
"T.O.R Qaro 701 is unlikely any common flotsam of Antarean space and, whether it represents a threat or opportunity, it cannot be ignored."
"Qarono (a much-prized crystalline ore) had made the world rich. The search for it had brought many panhumans to Qaro, all keen to grab a little of the planet for themselves - drawing in great convoys from the surrounding shards.
One such convoy brought something altogether unexpected and potentially even more lucrative. It was a transit observation report. News of the T.O.R soon spread throughout the disparate communities of Qaro. Spacecraft carried the news to neighbouring planets. Before many days had passed the discovery of the T.O.R was common knowledge as the report passed from shard to shard. Before long it seemed as if half the population of Qaro was preparing to search for the T.O.R."
So - what is all this? What on earth are we talking about?
The Warlord staff have unsurprisingly been swept-up in all of the recent excitement surrounding 'Beyond the Gates of Antares' and have jumped in at the deep end...
We're launching a staff campaign around Warlord HQ to familiarise ourselves with the rules and the universe - and we want to bring you along for the ride!
When the Freeborn convoy arrived at the world of Qaro its ships brought the usual cargoes of goods and materials, passengers on route to worlds that lay deep within the Determinate, travelers searching for work or trade, and ambassadors of the free peoples of Antarean space. For Qaro was a free world still, despite the presence of a Concord base upon its nearby moon and a Concord embassy upon its dusty soil. It was true that many Qarons resented the presence of these ‘spies’ in their midst; but few would willingly forego the wealth that flowed into their hands in return for that which was known throughout Antarean space as ‘Qarono’. Qarono had made the world rich. The search for it had brought many panhumans to Qaro, all keen to grab a little of the planet for themselves. There were many upon the Freeborn convoy who had embarked for just that reason.
This time, however, the ships of the Freeborn brought something altogether unexpected and potentially even more lucrative. It was a transit observation report. News of the T.O.R soon spread throughout the disparate communities of Qaro. Spacecraft carried the news to neighbouring planets. Before many days had passed the discovery of the T.O.R was common knowledge as the report passed from shard to shard. Before long it seemed as if half the population of Qaro was preparing to search for the T.O.R.
‘What is this tee-oh-ahh place anyway?’ Ma’bak’s stony brow furrowed into something like a mountain ridge. The other Boromites looked at him with feigned disbelief, ever ready to mock the ignorance of youth.
‘It’s T.O.R which, as everybody who knows anything at all knows, stands for Transit Observation Report,’ drawled Tek’tu with affected impatience.
‘In other words,’ stepped in Ranam keen to join the fun, ‘the ship spotted something out there in the photosphere – something – could be anything. The ship scanned it and logged it.’
‘Ah yes,’ Tek’tu picked up the baton once more, ‘but it’s not just anything is it. It’s something big.
‘Not as big as a Freeborn House!’ Bostro interrupted the big Boromite gang leader. Which might have been a mistake.
‘No not that big Bostro,’ agreed Tek’tu leniently, ‘but a big ship of some kind – a wreck most likely – maybe even some ship that’s been floating round the photosphere for centuries. We won’t know ‘til we get there will we!
‘We’re going there!’ exclaimed Ma’bak, ‘but we only just got here! How are we going to get back through the gate without a ship?’
Tek’tu smiled a knowing smile and tapped the side of a flinty nose with a pinnacle of a finger. ‘Hitched a lift on one of the Freeborn explorer ships – leaves in three hours – we got ourselves a contract!’
The volatile plasma flows of Antares carry all manner or flotsam across its surface. Sometimes the wreckage of a spacecraft drifts for decades before being sucked down or trapped in a vortex of energy and reduced to raw plasma. More commonly such objects fall into a decaying orbit and slowly descend beneath the photosphere and sink into oblivion. Salvage is often difficult, always dangerous, and sometimes extremely lucrative. Objects identified within the plasma flow are commonly called T.O.Rs – which stands for Transit Observation Report.
Observing anything within the Antarean photosphere is difficult enough, and detection ranges rarely exceed a few miles. When ships come across T.O.Rs during a standard transit from gate-to-gate their first recourse is to avoid them. A T.O.R could easily be an enemy vessel lurking within the plasma flow or drifting wreckage that could damage or even destroy a spacecraft were it to collide with it. Once the transit is complete, information about the T.O.R is exchanged and shared. A drifting T.O.R might be worth investigating or it might represent a hazard to navigation that needs to be avoided. Occasionally, just occasionally, a T.O.R presents something of a mystery. And this is exactly what has happened. T.O.R Qaro 701 is unlikely any common flotsam of Antarean space and, whether it represents a threat or opportunity, it cannot be ignored.
T.O.R SEVEN ZERO ONE – PLAYERS BRIEF
A routine transit of the Antarean surface by a Freeborn convoy has discovered a vast object floating in the Antarean photosphere. Interested parties from the nearby melting-pot world of Qaro are already boarding spacecraft to investigate what appears to be an abandoned spacecraft of vast size and unknown type.
Boromites: This is surely the motherload of all salvage – time to stake out your claim. Find the ship’s helm and she’s yours by the common law of salvage. Of course, sometimes you have to fight for what’s rightfully yours. Pretty often in fact.
Freeborn: There’s a fortune to be made hiring craft to transport explorers to the T.O.R and who knows what opportunities lie on board? Alien technology? Information about where the ship has come from? Even if there’s nothing of value you can clean up by hiring out fighters to the other explorers.
Concord: Fortunately the Concord base on Qaro’s moon is able to furnish troops for the expedition ordered by the C3 security shard. Only by gathering data from the T.O.R can the IMTel assess any value or threat level. Immediate action is required. The IMTel is never wrong.
Algoryn: Your extensive Freeborn connections have uncovered an anomalous T.O.R not far from the Prosperate’s borders. Could this be some new trick of the hated Ghar? Could the floating wreckage contain something useful to the High Council?
Ghar: After only a little painful persuasion the crew of the captured scout craft have revealed their secret – the whereabouts of a gigantic spacecraft floating in the upper energy flows that border the glorious Ghar Empire. As we speak the feeble humans gather to it like rats to a corpse. If we move quickly we shall trap them there and destroy them! It will be a great victory! The Ghar shall prevail.
Isorians: Only recently a Freeborn trader has brought information about a mysterious and massive space-wreck floating in the Antarean atmosphere. Although it lies some distance from our nearest base the shard demands we learn as much about this T.O.R as possible and deny its secrets to those who oppose the IMTel. It is well that the IMTel does not make mistakes.
We’re doing everything from scratch…and we thought we’d invite you all along for the ride! – showing you exactly how we set-about undertaking our campaign – from army selection, list-building, painting our models, building terrain, right through to playing a game or two!
So – over the coming months, you can expect a deluge of Antarean content – showing you the process of setting-up an introductory campaign within this strange and exciting new universe… experiencing it exactly as we do!
We’ll also share our learnings… any questions which have arisen… any helpful tips and tricks that we learn along the way – sharing the knowledge and our experience with you so that you can learn along with us!
There’ll be a number of regular content contributors, along with occasional content from staff from all of the departments at Warlord HQ… the campaign will see forces present from the Algoryn, Boromites, Concord, Freeborn and Ghar – and again, we’ll try to give a little insight into how each faction plays, and a few tactical tips along the way.
All of that – along with additional content from Rick to support the campaign in terms of flavour text and comments/designers notes…. there’s a veritable bucket-load of Antarean goodness coming your way!
£60 in the UK, $96 (iirc) in the US. ****Something odd going on, now showing as £50 UK********
UK wise if you add up the cost of the metal units you are getting the three plastic Strike squads for £10. Hopefully an indicator of some competitive pricing on the plastic squads.
Indeed, it is basically a 750pt army so that gives you 4-6 Tactical choices. The Strike command, drop command and strike squads all fall under the tactical choice option.
The drones/X launcher team make up the 2 support options and the targeter probe shard make up the auxiliary slot.
The other proviso is only 25% of your army can be "Limited Choice". The command squads are both limited but luckily there are 8 total units so it is a legal army.
Those are some great prices. I just can't get myself to love these minis. I like the human-looking factions the most, but they look a bit boring to me (although way better looking than the closest recent comparison, Maelstorm's Edge). An army of them looks too samey, with no iconic special units that really stand out. The rock people look a bit gross and the little guys are just plain ugly and unappealing, although their robots are the coolest.
Mymearan wrote: Those are some great prices. I just can't get myself to love these minis. I like the human-looking factions the most, but they look a bit boring to me (although way better looking than the closest recent comparison, Maelstorm's Edge). An army of them looks too samey, with no iconic special units that really stand out.
I feel this reflects the hard sci-fi nature of the game more - these are humans and near-humans in the far future. It is easier to imagine tons of different unit types in a fantasy space setting, but in the far future technology is the most important factor, not necessarily varying types of troops (just like if you look at modern combat today, technology is the main factor).
Mymearan wrote: Those are some great prices. I just can't get myself to love these minis. I like the human-looking factions the most, but they look a bit boring to me (although way better looking than the closest recent comparison, Maelstorm's Edge). An army of them looks too samey, with no iconic special units that really stand out.
I feel this reflects the hard sci-fi nature of the game more - these are humans and near-humans in the far future. It is easier to imagine tons of different unit types in a fantasy space setting, but in the far future technology is the most important factor, not necessarily varying types of troops (just like if you look at modern combat today, technology is the main factor).
This doesn't really seem like hard sci-fi to me - there are rock-men and little goblins, and do they really have plausible scientific explanations for all aspects of the universe? Hard Sci-fi to me is stuff like Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy; based on extrapolation of existing technology and with meticulous research creating a believable, science-based world.
Mymearan wrote: This doesn't really seem like hard sci-fi to me - there are rock-men and little goblins, and do they really have plausible scientific explanations for all aspects of the universe? Hard Sci-fi to me is stuff like Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy; based on extrapolation of existing technology and with meticulous research creating a believable, science-based world.
Yeah, it's pretty hard sci-fi. There's no FTL travel, these panhumans are all modified genetically from nowadays human stock, nanotechnology is where it's at. Actually, it's pretty much the hardest sci-fi miniatures game ever made afaik.
Mymearan wrote: This doesn't really seem like hard sci-fi to me - there are rock-men and little goblins, and do they really have plausible scientific explanations for all aspects of the universe? Hard Sci-fi to me is stuff like Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy; based on extrapolation of existing technology and with meticulous research creating a believable, science-based world.
Yeah, it's pretty hard sci-fi. There's no FTL travel, these panhumans are all modified genetically from nowadays human stock, nanotechnology is where it's at. Actually, it's pretty much the hardest sci-fi miniatures game ever made afaik.
I'd agree with this. The rock people and 'goblins' are evolved from humans. There is no magic, there are no jedi or space wizards etc. As far as I know, everything in the game is somehow related to a human.
edit: and then there are more hard sci-fi tropes with future socialist society, technology taking over, etc etc.
Like the new army deals. I was going to order the starter and some of the old metal army deals but unfortunately they have been removed from the store so I guess my plans are on hold until plastic releases appear.
The old metal deals only saved £6 per army, the likes of Element and Dark Sphere will beat that. That said with the prices on these deals waiting for plastic seems sensible. The old deals were also for beta testing and were largely no longer legal armies.
Mymearan wrote: This doesn't really seem like hard sci-fi to me - there are rock-men and little goblins, and do they really have plausible scientific explanations for all aspects of the universe? Hard Sci-fi to me is stuff like Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy; based on extrapolation of existing technology and with meticulous research creating a believable, science-based world.
Yeah, it's pretty hard sci-fi. There's no FTL travel, these panhumans are all modified genetically from nowadays human stock, nanotechnology is where it's at. Actually, it's pretty much the hardest sci-fi miniatures game ever made afaik.
It's essentially 40k Rogue Trader if that game were made in 2015 (which kind of makes sense if you consider the brain behind it!) If you remember that game didn't even have genetic engineering as a concept as the science wasn't generally in the public perception at that time. The equivalents this time around are worm-holes, nano tech and drones.
Remember also that the miniatures for the first few editions of 40k were similarly minimalistic/understated, it's very easy to see the creative control of the 40k forefathers over a lot of this.
Yeah, whereas Rogue Trader (and to some extent Laserburn and Combat 3000/3001) were The Far Future According To 1985 Technology, GoA is more like The Far Future According To 2015 Technology
Automatically Appended Next Post: Upcoming Gates of Antares releases...
Concord Combined Command Starter Army
Ghar Empire Starter Army
Transmat Pads
Kinectic Barriers
Kinectic Barricades
Orbital Transmat Station
Large Stanchion Building
Medium Stanchion Building
Small Stanchion Building
I have to disagree about the hardness of the sci fi. FTL wormholes, the eponymous Gates themselves, are not hard. Nanotechnology clouds are not hard. The very concept that somehow Isorians and Concord cannot reconcile their technology because of organic space magic technology is not hard. You guys are incorrectly overusing that word more than a senator texting his intern. It's fine just to call it modern sci fi, or more grounded (compared to 40k), but using the term hard sci fi is one of the errors that plagued MEdge early on, and it is an error that harms GoA's credibility as well. Iain Banks did not write hard sci fi, and the comparisons to his work flatter GoA much more than mislabeling it to appeal to the small niche of sci fi fans who crave it hard.
On another note, the scale and general aesthetic of the setting meshes well with Sedition Wars. Would the Sedition Wars terrain fulfil the needs for this game? Does the rule book have anything resembling a counts-as Strain? Or would the Strain terrain do well with Isorian designs?
shrug, reads as hard to me. I know a lot of hard sci fi enthusiasts are all about hard sci fi from the perspective of what was capable in the mid 1970's, but nanomachines are pretty hard sci fi to me, and on down, to nanospores, because I enjoy hard sci fi from today's scientific theory, not from what hard sci fi was according to scientific theory from forty years ago.
BobtheInquisitor wrote: On another note, the scale and general aesthetic of the setting meshes well with Sedition Wars. Would the Sedition Wars terrain fulfil the needs for this game? Does the rule book have anything resembling a counts-as Strain? Or would the Strain terrain do well with Isorian designs?
Not particularly. Isorians are just panhumans on the edge of transhumanism (like the PHC) that use more biotech versus nanotech. Now that I've digested all of the background and side fluff, there's really no analogs to space zombies or junk like that. There's no space wizards or space plagues or space orks or space squats or space demons.
On nanotechnology, I've read a lot of convincing criticism of the concept of grey goo nanotech, certain sci fi computing speeds/sizes, and so on. Stuff usually championed by Charles Stross and his type, tends to overlook hard limits on just how small something can be built out of matter and so on. As I am not at all an enthusiast for hard sci fi, I'm not up to date with all of it, but I'm pretty sure FTL, even with wormholes that connect different reference frames, still break causality, and might as well be a time machine. So, even by today's standards, GoA is not very hard, which is a good thing. Books like Dread Empire's Fall are about as hard as a setting with wormholes can get and still be enjoyable, for me. The harder the setting, typically the more boring or depressing it is.
And I was asking more for the look of the Strain sentry guns, which look like Gigerized Venus Firetraps, not the zombies. Basically, how is their organic technology portrayed? Gigerish? Vorlonesque? Kerriganesque?
I think the Strain sentry guns would fit in with the Isorians who do seem to have a kind of bio tech theme going on. For example their drones seem to have teeth/chitinous growths so the Strain seem a fair call.
BobtheInquisitor wrote: The very concept that somehow Isorians and Concord cannot reconcile their technology because of organic space magic technology is not hard.
BobtheInquisitor wrote: On nanotechnology, I've read a lot of convincing criticism of the concept of grey goo nanotech, certain sci fi computing speeds/sizes, and so on. Stuff usually championed by Charles Stross and his type, tends to overlook hard limits on just how small something can be built out of matter and so on. As I am not at all an enthusiast for hard sci fi, I'm not up to date with all of it, but I'm pretty sure FTL, even with wormholes that connect different reference frames, still break causality, and might as well be a time machine.
Gotcha. Well, quantum computing is right around the corner, which breaks through the physical limitations of microprocessors. The nanotech written in the GoA fiction seems pretty reasonable, however. And GoA does not have FTL drive - the highest tech ships are near light speed, which the Isorians et al have used to colonize worlds that are not near Gates. As it stands, the settings does use the "hand-wavium" of a previous, much more advanced civilization (the Builders) from x^y years ago that built Antares and the Gates. All space travel is done between the Gates within the Antares superstructure, and the Gates are wormholes that pop out at different places and times in the universe. Hence the first campaign setting and starter box, for Xilos, as it was discovered that the Xilos system has a second Gate that does not go to Antares, but to destination unknown, and it's habitable planet has a complete ancient abandoned Builders city. So everybody wants it!
shrug, reads as hard to me. I know a lot of hard sci fi enthusiasts are all about hard sci fi from the perspective of what was capable in the mid 1970's, but nanomachines are pretty hard sci fi to me, and on down, to nanospores, because I enjoy hard sci fi from today's scientific theory, not from what hard sci fi was according to scientific theory from forty years ago.
Nanotechnology in the form of advanced materials or "pre-programmed" single purpose molecular devices akin to artificial bacteria is hard sci-fi. The nanomachine cloud that was described by the pre-release lore for GoA is pretty much nonsense. Saturating the environment with nanomachines is more likely to give everyone asbestosis than anything worthwhile.
Thraxas Of Turai wrote: The old metal deals only saved £6 per army, the likes of Element and Dark Sphere will beat that. That said with the prices on these deals waiting for plastic seems sensible. The old deals were also for beta testing and were largely no longer legal armies.
Have got my first Concord squad painted up:
Looks great. I look forward to seeing what you do with the Ghar battle machines.
I think the issue with the starter armies was twofold. With them being metal there was a fair amount of "sticker shock" with the prices, especially as a gateway to the game and as a result they have removed them. The new starter armies go a long way to rectify this, to compare the starter armies to GW for the same $80 you can get a 10 man Space marine assault squad . Aesthetics aside, you have a full army vs a tiny portion of a Marine one for the same (well the assault squad are $2 more actually) price.
Secondly a lot of them were not legal armies in the new game as they were from the beta lists. So it kind of makes sense to remove them and they only offered a less than 10% saving anyway.
I missed the pre-order window on this one, so picked it up on eBay from someone in the UK. It came in today and happened to have the Sarissa terrain in it, so about as pleased as can be. Impressive amount of stuff Warlord jammed into the little box.
Quick question for those with the book. I assume the Algoryn list is included? Are the units fixed, say at 5 models, or can you add more models to the squad size? Also, is there a way to add a mag repeater to the regular AI squad? I only ask because I was lucky enough to get a couple squads during playtesting and they have since replaced that model. Thanks in advance!
The book does contain the Algoryn army list, also the following lists:
Concord
Ghar
Freeborn
Boromite
Isorian.
AI squads are a base size of 5 models, and a further 3 troopers can be added to the squad. And yes you can add a mag repeater to the squad as well (exchange any on troopers weapon for a mag gun, mag repeater or micro x-launcher for free RAW ).
Thraxas Of Turai wrote: The book does contain the Algoryn army list, also the following lists:
Concord
Ghar
Freeborn
Boromite
Isorian.
AI squads are a base size of 5 models, and a further 3 troopers can be added to the squad. And yes you can add a mag repeater to the squad as well (exchange any on troopers weapon for a mag gun, mag repeater or micro x-launcher for free RAW ).
Hope that helps.
Thanks so much for the quick response! Much appreciated.
Transmat Pads
Kinectic Barriers
Kinectic Barricades
Orbital Transmat Station
Large Stanchion Building
Medium Stanchion Building
Small Stanchion Building
Awesome!
I'll be ordering:
2x Ghar Bomber Squad - plastic
2x Ghar Outcast Squad - metal blister pack
1x Ghar Outcast command squad - metal blister pack
1x Ghar Flitters - metal blister pack
(Bolstering my Ghar from the 2x Xilos Horizon Starters I preordered to around 1000-1250 points! )
I don't know how reliable the information is but this is interesting
Gordonc - User on the Warlord Games forum
I suggest definitely building a Ghar and/or Concord force first to take advantage of the first campaign book (Jan-Feb) which will mainly focus on Concord vs Ghar. I am starting with Freeborn and Ghar and then moving to Boromite and Algoryn.
- Several vehicles due out in Dec.
- Isorians releasing in March.
Concord Combined Command Starter Army Box - mixed $80.00
Ghar Empire Starter Army Box - mixed $80.00
Transmat Pads $8.00
Kinectic Barriers $11.25
Kinectic Barricades $12.75
Orbital Transmat Station $20.00
Large Stanchion Building $24.00
Medium Stanchion Building $20.75
Small Stanchion Building $19.25
Judgedoug, would you mind doing another scale shot? If you can, please show the Ghar and Concord plastics next to UAMC plastics and Terminator Genysis Resistance plastics. I especially want to see if heads or arms are swappable across the humans, and how the Ghar would look as Skynet and/or Matrix style sentinels.
Awww shucks, I am amongst that lot , as is Judgedoug.
Must say that I am very impressed with the release schedule, lots of things coming in a very short time.
Aww gosh. WE FAMOUS.
Well I better finish painting them and post a much nicer pic somewhere then.
And get on the Ghar, cuz I'm sure they'll do that again shortly.
Concord Combined Command Starter Army Box - mixed $80.00
Ghar Empire Starter Army Box - mixed $80.00
Transmat Pads $8.00
Kinectic Barriers $11.25
Kinectic Barricades $12.75
Orbital Transmat Station $20.00
Large Stanchion Building $24.00
Medium Stanchion Building $20.75
Small Stanchion Building $19.25
Remember, much of the Algoryn, Boromite, Freeborn units exist _now_, the upcoming months for them are the "fill in this particular faction's range some more" months
Personally I cannot wait so I'm ordering a ton of Agloryn this week
Yeah, I'm more sad about the wait for Isorians, since they have nothing available. Though I was pretty disappointed with their representation in the rulebook, both the army list and background.
Their army list doesn't have a bunch of things that concord has, and in exchange I think they only have one (admittedly pretty cool) unique unit of their own.
Their general background is pretty cool, but they aren't mentioned at all in the section about the Xilos Horizon storyline, and appear to take no part in it. Boromites aren't mentioned either, but there could be some tagging along with the other factions, presumably.
Maybe we'll see some kind of campaign expansion kind of book that will flesh them out more, with a storyline that involves them more. Same for the Vorl, who are mentioned a lot but without much detail.
I suspect that "blister" means metal, and "box" means plastic.
Not necessarily, the likes of Bormomite/Algoryn etc metal squads are in boxes too. That said I think you are correct in assuming that they are metal and plastic respectively. The drop command squad is a 3 model squad (you can add a further two models) so a metal blister seems sensible as does plastic for the Interceptors.
@Judgedoug: I am in for the Algoryn too, will be nice to have some variety in squads once the plastics come out.
I have got some Ghar done, not that sure on the scheme:
I'm sure the entire Ghar outcast squad isn't in a single blister either, I'm sure they do come in a box. But in that list of things, it seemed like all the metal things said blister, and all the plastic said box. Even without that little corroboration, I think it's very likely the bikes are plastic.
No, things that are definitely plastic, are marked "plastic", as per the Ghar boxes.
Jetbikes I am 99% certain are metal, but do not quote me on that, as the only painted Jetbikes we've seen are painted 3D prints.
Remember, the initial product offering are all the models available during the beta. It is absolutely Warlord's intent to release as much stuff, and replace as much metal with, plastic, as soon as they are able to. All core Ghar battle suits are plastic - and they are new units that were previously unavailable in the Beta, and the Concord metal Strike teams have obviously just been "replaced" with the plastic Concord strike teams. This allows for several armies to be instantly playable, such as Algoryn - for people like me who can't wait, we can buy the metal figs - but also means that eventually Algoryn plastics will be available for those who want to wait. (Remember, Warlord is like 1/50th the size of GW; the fact they release so many plastic kits - nearly one per month - is pretty staggering already)
@Judgedoug: I am in for the Algoryn too, will be nice to have some variety in squads once the plastics come out.
I have got some Ghar done, not that sure on the scheme:
Spoiler:
Yeah, I can't wait personally, wanna do Algoryn now (since I am also going to do Isorians, and that means I definitely have to wait for them).
Dude that looks great! I think mine will be a neutral grey with some sort of color highlight - maybe yellow. Should contrast with the silverish white/teal that I'm painting the Concord.
judgedoug wrote: Remember, much of the Algoryn, Boromite, Freeborn units exist _now_, the upcoming months for them are the "fill in this particular faction's range some more" months
Personally I cannot wait so I'm ordering a ton of Agloryn this week
judgedoug wrote: re: plastics and metals. What's interesting is something I've noticed as I've gotten older - it's probably the evolving grognard in me - is that I dislike multipart plastics more and more. I love their cheapness, but I spend so much of my meager hobby time assembling figs that I'd rather be painting. Like, I speedpaint everything, so that usually means I wind up spending more time gluing figures than actually putting paint on them. As neat as the plastic Concord guys are, them being like 6 parts apiece is really offputting to me. I've become much more a fan of "file mold line, dab of glue on base, done". Obviously other people love their plastic kits to have as many bits as possible, and I totally understand that point of view. And some plastics are also great - Warlord's plastic Napoleonics are ideal to me, for instance, or WGF's WSS infantry (3 pieces!). Like right now I'm kind of torn waiting for plastic Algoryn basic infantry, but then I'm like, feth it, I have two base squads in metal already, and they're "glue on head, glue on base" simple, so I can get them painted right away. (Well, at least I know I'm not a TMP style grognard, because then I'd be discussing my favorite Humbrol enamel paint to use for the facings on Front Rank infantry...) The TL;DR version being that I'm nearing the tipping point where my time is more valuable than my money: preferring to spend more money to have a metal one or two piece figure than to have to assemble 6+ piece plastics (and matching up arms etc). One of the reasons I haven't assembled my like 100 plastic Enforcers yet...
So since I already have a couple of the basic AI squads in metal, and those are what'll probably be the first plastic Algoryn release, I am totes gonna buy one of each of the other available units.
(actually I just did, like a few minutes ago!)
Looks good Thraxas. I'm going to paint mine in a similar style; a more industrial, dark look. Think it suits their background much more than the clean white look (I can't imagine them going in much for ostentation!)
On no doubt. My diatribe is meant to be for single normal sized figures.
I assembled a Nurgle Maggoth Lord last night and that would have been the worst metal kit ever, but instead it was a fantastic plastic kit and very enjoyable.
I wouldn't fancy the Ghar suits in metal either, but I have built one sprue of the Concord and while I like the models, I'm not looking forward to 3 more sprues.
Warlord confirmed via email the individual and army boxes come with an order die for each unit.
No plastic jetbikes... :( I will buy one box and then decide if I'll buy more. But the amount of plastics they are going to release is astonishing indeed.
Talkwargaming has posted a painting tutorial for the Concord starter box scheme. I like the colours.
Warlord confirmed via email the individual and army boxes come with an order die for each unit.
Hmm, that's the opposite of what I heard.
Doug Craig - Do the pre-order Concord and Ghar starter armies come with dice?
Warlord Games - Hello Doug they don't, there are no order dice in the Concord or Ghar starter armies. Following on from your thoughts and feedback that you posted on FB about order dice in the box sets and not in blisters we are taking the opportunity to review this. It was an idea we trialled during Beta and something that does need to be addressed.
Doug Craig - Thanks! I really think the branding should be unified - either every box/blister has an order die, or none.
Warlord Games - They are all coming out Doug we included them during Beta however as each box goes for a reprint they will be coming out.
[the last part is due to the fact that as of right now, box units come with an order die, but blister pack units do not. I pointed out that it is bad brand merchandising to have half of a customer's purchase be ready-to-play - I argued for either every pack to come with an order die, so that every purchase is immediately playable, or that no packs come with an order die. It needs to be one way or the other. It would be like if Warmachine boxes came with unit cards but the blisters did not.]
Cool, so their facebook team says "There are no order dice in the Concord or Ghar starter armies" but their info@ people say that the starter armies "do contain dice inside them."
Great!
(same team confirmed that as the Beta boxes are replaced with the new printing - white box branding - there will be no order dice inside them either)
Yeah, they're like three or four times more massive than a Chindit or a French soldier. Actually, maybe five or six times more massive than those weedy French figs.
They're on 25's, but tall and heavy. Like, put 'em in a sock and beat someone to death with. Dang, if I hadn't just sold my Boromites I could have combined them with unpaired socks and stashed them about my house for the purposes of home defense.
Hamfists and melonhead metals work well for that as well but given your bias against them you'll just have to settle with setting up Corvus Belli caltrops all over the floor every night.
Some dudes wanted to compare Ghar to space orks earlier- Rick Ps thoughts:
The Ghar are only primitive in Antarean terms - I mean they use metal for goodness sake - held together with magnetic couplings - I mean to say! I think the Studio guys were very keen to not make them look 'orky' because they do share some characteristics in terms of inescapable brutality and single-mindedness - but the same could be said of Daleks of course - and the Ghar are quite 'Dalek-like' too in many ways. But no - there are no official colour schemes - and even if we develop them I'd like variation to be part of the backstory - so players can always choose a scheme to suit themselves.
So.. single minded warriors capable of inescapable brutality who have mastered metalworking and the science of magnetism who are less advanced than the very human looking empire(s) that are the big boys of the galaxy... and that is supposed to distinguish them from single minded orks who are also capable of extreme brutality (both within and without) who have also mastered metalworking (orks aren't particularly known for their carpentry skillz) and magnetism (tankbusta bombs, KFF, etc) who are less advanced than the imperioum? Sorry but that's about as different as apples (washington) and apples (golden delicious)... Now, please note that it doesn't mean they're identical (either visually or thematically) but the similarities and parallels between the two should be obvious. In the end, I don't really care except to correct the misconception that they're not somehow related thematically when you look beyond the superficial (they do admittedly look completely different).
If Rick Priestly wants his not-orks in Gates of the Imperi... Antares then he can have them just like Mantic can have their not-squats, not-eldar, not-skaven, and even more similar not-orks (mantic didn't even bother changing the look like Warlord did).
warboss wrote: So.. single minded warriors capable of inescapable brutality who have mastered metalworking and the science of magnetism who are less advanced than the very human looking empire(s) that are the big boys of the galaxy... and that is supposed to distinguish them from single minded orks who are also capable of extreme brutality (both within and without) who have also mastered metalworking (orks aren't particularly known for their carpentry skillz) and magnetism (tankbusta bombs, KFF, etc) who are less advanced than the imperioum? Sorry but that's about as different as apples (washington) and apples (golden delicious)... Now, please note that it doesn't mean they're identical (either visually or thematically) but the similarities and parallels between the two should be obvious. In the end, I don't really care except to correct the misconception that they're not somehow related thematically when you look beyond the superficial (they do admittedly look completely different).
If Rick Priestly wants his not-orks in Gates of the Imperi... Antares then he can have them just like Mantic can have their not-squats, not-eldar, not-skaven, and even more similar not-orks (mantic didn't even bother changing the look like Warlord did).
So to sum up they've borrowed some ideas from previous sources and then put their own spin on them and this is bad how? I mean I personally thought of them more as daleks than Orks (which are just orcs in space, and orcs gw certainly didn't invent). I'm just don't see what there is to cause such underwear bunching as seems to be going on.
It really isn't a big deal; my boxer briefs are definitely not bunched. I just find it odd (similar to the Mantic threads) when folks hear no similarily, hear no similarity, talk no similarity despite what is staring them in the face. As I said above,
If Rick Priestly wants his not-orks in Gates of the Imperi... Antares then he can have them
Ghar really aren't like orks. You can do a laundry list of orky traits and find similarities but the crucial thing is, orks have a sense of humor and fun. If Ghar were inspired by anything, it was certainly Daleks. It's hard to imagine Ghar not screaming EXTERMINATE! but I can't imagine Ghar speekin' anyfink in dis kinda lingo.
Yeah pretty much, they both were engineered to fight and nothing else and neither species can get past that. But you look any deeper and they share very little.
I must confess, I'm in love with the Ghar. Tachikoma Daleks, what else can be said?
Manchu wrote: Yeah pretty much, they both were engineered to fight and nothing else and neither species can get past that. But you look any deeper and they share very little.
Yep yep yep. Also, the "engineered to fight" spin on Orks peaked on 3rd edition during 40k's brief but intense infatuation with the Old Ones, but has been downplayed on later codices as the Necron backstory changed.
Gameplay-wise, they remind me of early Tyranids: Hulking, high-value infantry backed by horde-ish elements.
warboss wrote: So.. single minded warriors capable of inescapable brutality who have mastered metalworking and the science of magnetism who are less advanced than the very human looking empire(s) that are the big boys of the galaxy... and that is supposed to distinguish them from single minded orks who are also capable of extreme brutality (both within and without) who have also mastered metalworking (orks aren't particularly known for their carpentry skillz) and magnetism (tankbusta bombs, KFF, etc) who are less advanced than the imperioum? Sorry but that's about as different as apples (washington) and apples (golden delicious)... Now, please note that it doesn't mean they're identical (either visually or thematically) but the similarities and parallels between the two should be obvious. In the end, I don't really care except to correct the misconception that they're not somehow related thematically when you look beyond the superficial (they do admittedly look completely different).
If Rick Priestly wants his not-orks in Gates of the Imperi... Antares then he can have them just like Mantic can have their not-squats, not-eldar, not-skaven, and even more similar not-orks (mantic didn't even bother changing the look like Warlord did).
I have to be honest, reading the background for the Ghar in the rulebook not once did I think of 'Orks'.
There are elements in the there (a race that has been created for destruction, lower technological level than their adversaries) but I think that is where that ends.
I've read about that sort of concept while reading sci-fi several times, most notably in Iain M Banks Consider Phlebas, where the main protagonists are the Idiran Empire; they wear giant suits of armour, have a war culture that is directed by their military (which compensates for their lower tech level) and even have three legs - I would say that has much more of an influence than Orks, although ultimately this kind of concept is always going to draw inspiration from somewhere.
And to say that they are on a par with Mantic's (quite deliberate) copies of Orks, Skaven, Eldar etc. I think is stretching things a bit far..
Talking of Ghar, today's top tip for tight-fisted gamers...
The spare Ghar heads will make excellent drones, and there are 12 left over. Fill in the attachment hole at the back and/or paint it as a small thruster.
Assembled everything last night - nice models, go together fairly easily. Plastic cement makes repositioning the Ghar tripod legs pretty straightforward; Concord arms are tiny but involved only slightly more than the usual amount of swearing to get everything attached.
warboss wrote: So.. single minded warriors capable of inescapable brutality who have mastered metalworking and the science of magnetism who are less advanced than the very human looking empire(s) that are the big boys of the galaxy... and that is supposed to distinguish them
Honestly it doesn't have to distinguish them. This is an entirely new game with new background, story, and tech that doesn't have space orcs in it. 40k players like to look at other games and write off certain factions as 'Oh thats so ORKY' or 'those are the space marines'! but it is entirely unnecessary. (the worst time being when I painted up my Resistance for DZC and the first thing people said was "ORK", even though they're clearly influenced by Mad Max).
The Ghar WERE human at one point, just like the other races present. They don't believe in magic, they don't have gods, they don't talk like morons, they don't use ramshackle technology that is held together by teeth, they don't use horde tactics, etc.etc.etc.etc.
"For everyone preparing their battlefields we have more good news – tomorrow sees the launch of our first Antares terrain sets from Sarissa Precision. So don’t miss the newsletter!".
mugginns wrote: Honestly it doesn't have to distinguish them. This is an entirely new game with new background, story, and tech that doesn't have space orcs in it. 40k players like to look at other games and write off certain factions as 'Oh thats so ORKY' or 'those are the space marines'! but it is entirely unnecessary.
Funny considering 40k is basically Dune mashed up with Moorcock, 2000AD and pretty much any other SF the authors liked. Just remind them that their Sardaukar and their God-Emperor of Mankind are not as interesting as the originals, nor their Chaos Warlocks and Terminators...
Swastakowey wrote: As far as I can see the only thing similar between Orks and Ghar (besides being 4 letter plurals) is them being warlike and being made to be warlike.
But it's so much more fun to invent your own convenient narrative
RobertsMinis wrote: Sarissa do great stuff, will be interesting to see what tomorrow brings.
I have seen them - the barricades and barriers are awesome. The Orbital Transmat is way cooler than the pre-launch freebie. However I don't like the generic buildings that much to be honest.
Momotaro wrote: Talking of Ghar, today's top tip for tight-fisted gamers...
The spare Ghar heads will make excellent drones, and there are 12 left over. Fill in the attachment hole at the back and/or paint it as a small thruster.
Assembled everything last night - nice models, go together fairly easily. Plastic cement makes repositioning the Ghar tripod legs pretty straightforward; Concord arms are tiny but involved only slightly more than the usual amount of swearing to get everything attached.
Swastakowey wrote: As far as I can see the only thing similar between Orks and Ghar (besides being 4 letter plurals) is them being warlike and being made to be warlike.
But it's so much more fun to invent your own convenient narrative
right guys
You should tell Rick Priestly then to change his go-to points about the Ghar that he posted in his video on the warlord page then because his own convenient narrative borrowed quite liberally from rogue trader orks. He's the one who when asked to describe the ghar chose to focus on saying they're genetically engineered warriors wielding relative primitive weapons with little regard for their own safety from a time long past whose original masters have long since disappeared but the slaves continue to fight as that is "their way"... which pretty much described what he and his fellow GW employees created as the backstory for the orks 30 years earlier. Do they look different? Absolutely (unlike Mantic's Orx which I stated before). Do they lack a sense of humor? Sure.. but relative primitive brutality is what I consider the orks defining feature in 40k and not their lower class Victorian english accents and quirky sense of humor. Are there differences in the backstory? I'm sure there are once you delve deeper but my point is that when questioned the creator of GOA chose to stress the parts of the backstory that pretty much were the same his previous creation. That was his choice when asked about Ghar, not mine. I'm just repeating them.
In any case, it's a bit of a derail at this point (especially since some folks' browsers apparently replace words like "similar" and "similarity" with "exactly the same in all facets") so I won't personally belabor the point further. Feel free to get in the last convenient narrative word.
You are seriously missing the forest for the trees. Let me put it this way, if you were trying to explain Ghar to someone who knew nothing about Antares, comparing them to orks (as opposed to contrasting them to orks) would give that person the totally wrong idea.
If this isn't cool I can delete it, but NWS Online posted the Ghar and Concord starters for $47.39. Likely the best place in the USA to get a cheap starter. Pretty insane price, $1.15 per model.
mugginns wrote: If this isn't cool I can delete it, but NWS Online posted the Ghar and Concord starters for $47.39. Likely the best place in the USA to get a cheap starter. Pretty insane price, $1.15 per model.
Momotaro wrote: The spare Ghar heads will make excellent drones, and there are 12 left over. Fill in the attachment hole at the back and/or paint it as a small thruster.
Thought about this too, the spare heads in the starter set allow for three additional units with ~20 points each. Some plastic card, 25mm bases and clear poles is all you need.
Wayland does a Tale-of-four-Gamers-like series on their blog about Gates of Antares, with already several posts in. I was not sure how the Ghar Bomber weapon looked like and saw they got some preview sprues. I enjoyed reading their army building process. Several closeups of the metal range were shown, too.
Thanks for the wayland links. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks of Algoryn as Mass Effect Turians.
Do the Algoryns come with extra heads to customize the models? That's not usually the case with metal minis (it's more of a plastic thing) but figured I'd ask.
Strike Command Squad w/ shield, spotter buddy drone
two Strike Squads each w/ spotter buddy drone
one C3 Plasma Light Support Drone w/ spotter and batter buddy drone
I had
3 model Battle Squad w/ all plasma and leader upgrades
3 model Assault Squad w/ all plasma and leader upgrades
So, not my ideal Ghar army. I would rather have taken two four-model Battle squads plus a unit of Outcasts w/ Disruptor, but we were just using the contents of the starter box.
Anyways, the game continues to be awesome. Concord w/ combined arms using drones is just nasty. However, Ghar plasma amplifiers, when used at the correct time, are super powerful. I used them at the beginning of turn 3 and crushed a Strike squad almost immediately, One burned out at the end of turn 4 and some tricky maneuvering to re-establish his line allowed my Concord to win in the end due to points. However, the big thing I took away was:
Concord plasma light support drones are amazing.
amaazzzzing. I can't even begin to imagine how effective a unit with three of them will be, just tearing through everybody. the RF3 and SV3 is just so good. Combined with a battery buddy drone and spotter buddy drone makes it almost like a shielded sniper.
warboss wrote: Thanks for the wayland links. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks of Algoryn as Mass Effect Turians.
Do the Algoryns come with extra heads to customize the models? That's not usually the case with metal minis (it's more of a plastic thing) but figured I'd ask.
They come with a few extras, and i believe you can buy them separately.
Those new starters are pretty nice. I wonder if there'll be any black friday deals - if there's something like GoA rules with starter sets, I'd be all over that.
warboss wrote: I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks of Algoryn as Mass Effect Turians.
I told Doug I would never play this not-Mass Effect miniatures game. Then pics of Ghar came out ...
Mass Effect was a turn off for you? That's surprising. I would think one of the most visually unique and successful scifi RPGs of the modern video game era would be a plus in the GOA corner.
That's some cracking details on the metal forces actually, looking at the Boromite one that works out less than £2 per miniature. When was the last time you got metal for that price? And it's worth pointing out that those guys (and the Algoryn actually) are pretty chunky fellows!
I think these are still great deals, and as many Bolt Action players already have the dice (you could also use D6 instead) this is was to allow the cheapest offer possible.
Warlord actually did a good set of starter army lists in a mailshot, it is a wall of text so I will spoiler it:
Spoiler:
The Algoryn AI Command Starter Army is aimed to get you started in the Antarean universe, and comprises of the following:
- 1 x Command Squad AI Commander, 2 Troopers, Spotter drone - 114pts
- 1 x AI Squad leader, 3 Troopers, 1 Trooper micro-X-launcher - 94pts
- 1 x AI Assault Squad leader, 4 Troopers - 120pts
- 1 x AI Support Team with Mag Light Support, 2 AI Trooper Crew, Spotter drone - 58pts
- 1 x AI Support Team with X-launcher, 2 AI Trooper Crew, Spotter drone - 63pts*
* - when supplied with all munitions options
With the release of the Rulebook, this set now equates to a 449 point army (without any further options) - not quite legal as you have 2 options taken from the Support section.
In an Algoryn 500 point Scouting force you are allowed 3-4 Tactical choices 0-1 Support and 0-1 Auxiliary choice. You could easily make this force match-up to the 500 point Force Selector requirements by taking an extra AI Squad, not taking the X-launcher, and upgrading various options amongst your squads such as grenades (very nasty!)
Or how about an upgrade for this army? An Algoryn 750 point Skirmish force allows 4-7 Tactical choices 0-3 Support and 0-1 Auxiliary choice, this is easily reached by simply adding 1 further AI Squad, 1 AI Infiltration Squad, 1 further AI Support Team with Mag Light Support, and 1 Targeter Probe Shard
This would give you the following Force list:
ALGORYN STARTER ARMY
- AI Command Squad Commander, 2 Troopers, Spotter drone - 114pts
- AI Squad leader, 4 Troopers, 1 micro-X-launcher, overload ammo, reflex armour - 104pts
- AI Squad leader, 4 Troopers, 1 micro-X-launcher, overload ammo, reflex armour - 104pts
- AI Assault Squad leader, 4 Troopers - 120pts
- AI Infiltration Squad leader, 4 Troopers, Spotter Drone - 129pts
- AI Support Team with Mag Light Support, 2 AI Trooper Crew, Spotter drone - 48pts
- AI Support Team with Mag Light Support, 2 AI Trooper Crew, Spotter drone - 48pts
- AI Support Team with X-launcher, 2 AI Trooper Crew, Spotter drone - 48pts*
- Targetter Probe Shard 4 Targetter Probes - 20pts
ARMY OPTIONS
Block! 5pts
Extra Shot 10pts
Total = 750pts
Packed with a heap of core Boromite units, the Labour Guild is aimed to give you a solid core in order to get you started in the Antarean universe.
- 1 x Boromite Overseer Squad Overseer, 2 Gangers, Spotter drone - 115pts
- 1 x Boromite Gang Fighters Leader, 4 Gangers - 97pts
- 1 x Boromite Work Gang with Mass Compactors Leader, 4 Gangers - 98pts
- 1 x Boromite Lavamites Handler, 3 Lavamites - 82pts
- 1 x Boromite Support Team with X-launcher 2 crew, Spotter drone - 51pts*
* - if supplied with all munitions options
With the release of the Rulebook, this set now equates to a 443 point army (without any further options).
In an Boromite 500 point Scouting force you are allowed 3-5 Tactical choices 0-2 Support and 0-1 Auxiliary choice. You could easily make this force match-up to the 500 point Force Selector requirements by upgrading the various options amongst your squads such as grenades or leadership.
Upgrading a Boromite 750 point Skirmish force allows you to take 4-8 Tactical choices 0-4 Support and 0-1 Auxiliary choice - This is easily reached with the addition of 1 further Boromite Gang Fighters Squad, 1 Boromites Work Gang Squad, 1 further Boromite Support Team with Mag Light Support.
This would give you the following Force list:
BOROMITES STARTER ARMY
Skirmish Force - 750pts:
- Boromite Overseer Squad Overseer, 2 Gangers, Spotter drone - 120pts
- Boromite Gang Fighters Leader, 4 Gangers - 102pts
- Boromite Gang Fighters Leader, 4 Gangers - 102pts
- Work Gang with Mass Compactors Leader, 4 Gangers, Implosion Grenades, Reflex Armour - 123pts
- Work Gang with Mass Compactors Leader, 4 Gangers, Implosion Grenades, Reflex Armour - 123pts
- Boromite Lavamites Handler, 3 Lavamites - 82pts
- Boromite Support Team with X-launcher 2 crew, Spotter drone - 51pts*
- Boromite Support Team with Mag Light Support 2 crew, Spotter drone - 46pts
* - if supplied with all munitions options
Total 749pts
The Concord Strike Force contains a solid core - and is the ideal starter bundle for budding Concord commanders. It features the following;
- 1 x C3 Strike Command Squad, Leader, 2 Strike Troopers, Spotter drone - 120pts
- 1 x C3 Strike Squad Leader, 4 Strike Troopers, Spotter drone - 122pts
- 1 x C3 Strike Squad Leader, 4 Strike Troopers, Spotter drone - 122pts
- 1 x C3 Support Team with X-Launcher 2 Crewmen, Spotter drone - 55pts*
- 1 x C3D1 Plasma Light Support Drone, Spotter drone- 69pts
- 1 x C3 Targetter Probe Shard - 20pts
* - if supplied with all munitions options
With the release of the Rulebook, this set now equates to a 508 point army (without any further options) - not quite legal as you have 2 options taken from the Support section.
In a Concord 500 point Scouting force you are allowed 3-4 Tactical choices 0-1 Support and 0-1 Auxiliary choice. You could easily make this force match-up to the 500 point Force Selector requirements by not taking the X-launcher and upgrading various options amongst your squads.
Alternatively, upgrade this army to a 750 point Skirmish force. This allows 4-6 Tactical choices 0-2 Support and 0-1 Auxiliary choice, easily reached by including the X-launcher then adding 1 further strike squad
The Freeborn Starter Army contains all of the key elements to get you started in 'Beyond the Gates of Antares;'
- 1 x Freeborn Command Squad Captain, 2 Bodyguard, Spotter drone - 132pts
- 1 x Freeborn Vardanari Guard Squad Leader, 5 Vardanari Guard Troopers, Spotter drone - 142pts
- 1 x Freeborn Domari Squad Household Leader, 5 Household Troopers, Spotter drone - 107pts
- 1 x Freeborn Support Team Mag Light support, 2 Freeborn crew, Spotter drone - 44pts
- 1 x Freeborn Support Team X-launcher, 2 Freeborn crew, Spotter drone - 49pts*
* - (if supplied with all munitions options)
With the release of the Rulebook, this set now equates to a 474 point army (without any further options) - Again not quite legal as you have 2 options taken from the Support section.
In a Freeborn 500 point Scouting force you are allowed 3-5 tactical choices 0-2 support and 0-1 Auxiliary choice. You could easily make this force match-up to the 500 point Force Selector requirements by upgrading various options amongst your squads such as upgraded armour or extra drones.
Want to upgrade this army? A Freeborn 750 point Skirmish force allows 4-7 tactical choices 0-3 support and 0-1 Auxiliary choice, this is easily reached by adding 1 further Domari Household Squad, 1 Feral (Mhagris) Squad, and 1 Targeter Probe Shard
This would give you the following Force list:
FREEBORN STARTER ARMY
Skirmish Force – 750pts:
- Freeborn Command Squad Captain, 2 Bodyguard, Spotter drone - 132pts
- Freeborn Vardanari Squad Leader (at Leader 2), 5 Vardanari Guard Troopers, Spotter drone - 152pts
- Freeborn Domari Squad Leader, 5 Household Troopers - one with micro-x launcher and slingnet ammo, Spotter drone - 112pts
- Freeborn Domari Squad Leader, 5 Household Troopers - one with micro x-launcher and slingnet ammo, Spotter drone - 112pts
- Freeborn Feral Squad (Mhagris) Leader, 5 fighters - one with micro x-launcher, all with Soma Grafts - 88pts
- Freeborn Support Team Mag Light support, 2 Freeborn crew, Spotter drone - 54pts
- Freeborn Support Team X-launcher, 2 Freeborn crew, Spotter drone - 54pts*
- Freeborn Targetter Probe Shard 4 Targetter Probes - 20pts
Looking more, I had another question. In the beta rules armies, it lists Concord Strike Squad with HL armor. It also shows they have a 5 RES stat. Is the HL armor included? or do I have to add it myself after? So up to 10' they get +1 Res, so 6, or 7 RES of up to 20?
Same with the Algoryn squads. They have Reflex armor, and a 6 RES listed. So do they really have 7 always?
My Ghar and Concord, painted and based for Xilos jungle/swamp terrain.
Tonight I will hit 'em with second coat of satin spray and drop secret weapon water effects onto the bases, and work on the GWRoB 2x2 board section that will be the demo/display terrain for these guys (for my FLGS)
Nice job on the Ghar. I also like how you got one of them to look like it is moving forward. All the ones I have seen look like they are standing still, and I was wondering if it was possible to get them to look like they could actually be walking.
warboss - for paint, I got all the Concord done in under two hours. Hmm, same with the Ghar. So less than 4 hours for all the models. And then about two hours last night doing the basing for all of them.
albino - yeah, the first couple I did were just "lemme glue these legs in place". then that last three i was like "wait, there's ball and socket joints, wtf am I doing?" and was a bit more adventurous.
warboss - for paint, I got all the Concord done in under two hours. Hmm, same with the Ghar. So less than 4 hours for all the models. And then about two hours last night doing the basing for all of them.
Thanks. I assume the above doesn't include drying time. It's good that the models take well to dips and washes and I tend to use the latter (never dipped though yet).
warboss - for paint, I got all the Concord done in under two hours. Hmm, same with the Ghar. So less than 4 hours for all the models. And then about two hours last night doing the basing for all of them.
Thanks. I assume the above doesn't include drying time. It's good that the models take well to dips and washes and I tend to use the latter (never dipped though yet).
yeah, both Concord and Ghar got TAP oil-based can Dark Tone with at least 24 hours drying time after I painted em.
) for LOTS of new kits. It's totally Rogue Trader 2015 - in a good way (not retro at all).
a female Boromite.
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