Mantic Deadzone Kickstarter - Completed! - $1,216,482 final total.

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**NewTruthNeomaxim**

darkPrince010 wrote:
Riquende wrote:
2000backers + $300k stretch goal hit.

New $315k SG is the Helfather.

*snip*

I have to say, the visor alternate head option reminds me of someone...

Spoiler:

I'm shocked they didn't called him, Helfather Vul-Kan. ;-)

DIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

JoshInJapan wrote:
Xeno wrote:
I just saw this linked over on TMP and it looks like it'd be perfeft for Deadzone, aesthetics-wise.

Those a pretty nice, and with international shipping at no additional cost. I'm in for a Bioprocessing pack.

Those do look really cool... but i'm still counting on Mantic to come up with something special terrain-wise. If I can throw another $100 at Mantic, and get enough modular terrain to cover a modest gaming table, and it looks 90% awesome, or pay $75ish for one small, one-floor building that looks 100% awesome... i'm going to have to go with Mantic.

Today's terrain blowout should be very revealing.

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

scarletsquig wrote:
Compel wrote:
Well, that's me up to $350. That may be a bit of a high estimation for the amount of stuff I want at the end of the kickstarter but it'll do for now.

Hopefully one of the terrain battlezone is a badlands / desert theme to go with my main boards. But then, it's unpainted, so I'm not entirely sure how they'll be able to really define several different 'themes'.

It's likely to take the form of additional sets that expand the core worlds set, and fit with its style.

For example, they're planning a landing pad set, and have also mentioned a set with triangle pieces to allow for 45 degree corners. It's likely that the connector sprue and accessory sprue will remain the same, and the main building sprues will be the thing that gets remade as each new battlezone gets produced.

Landing pad is... interesting, and hints at a dropship or something later down the line.

One thing i've BADLY wanted from this Kickstarter is a few "bigger" pieces.... ala a Dropship, vehicles, etc... As someone getting ready for the Warpath relaunch, I think it makes for a good preview, and in my book, table-top mini games always look best when scale allows things to look really interesting. A scale drop-ship might not have mechanical value in Deadzone itself (it might just put a great terrain piece), but if it is a model/unit for Warpath, so much the better.

Whenever I say this on the KS I get grief for the size of the game not supporting vehicles, "this isn't for Warpath! Wahhhhhhhhhhhh", type response.... but from Mantic's add-ons, the bundles of mats, and hell, even saying as much... it is clear they're looking at Deadzone being a bigger game than just the 2x2 it currently is.

Edit: And there you go... the newest update essentially says 4x4 Deadzone is already coming. Vehicles please!

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

Well, I have one, desperation secret-weapon in my bag of tricks....

My birthday is December 23rd. ;-) In theory, I could always pull the, "This is my Christmas AND birthday gift, sweetheart!"

I'd rather not, with Playstation 4 on the horizon... but I might have to go there. LOL

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

Cryptek of Awesome wrote:
I'm actually a little underwhelmed by the cost of the terrain... maybe I'm just not seeing it in context.

Sorry if I missed it - does anyone know how many "battlezones" come in the basic game as of right now?

2 Battlezones at Strike-Force, which in theory is a modest/sparse 2x2 terrain load-out.

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

Compel wrote:
With the exception of small walkers (EG star wars style AT-PT's), the way I see it, if there's a vehicle on the gamefield, which I'm perfectly happy for there to be, the Vehicle would end up being the reason for the game.

EG, with the Landing Pad battlezone now in the game, an evacuation mission based on a shuttle around the pad (which would be a glorified terrain piece with a couple of guns), would be pretty awesome.

Or, perhaps one team having to escort an APC filled with retrieved tech out of an ambush and off the other side of a board.

And that kind of thing was really the creative options I was pushing for. I'm not looking to make rules for adding vehicles to an army-builder, etc.... for the game... I just like the options it could bring, the aesthetics, etc... I just like giving players the choice.

As you can guess, i'm one of the people who most vocally wanted something resembling a drop-ship, etc... in the Kickstarter. The thing is, I never called for it to be anything more than terrain, an option, etc... Rather than demonize anyone, I just genuinely asked the question as to why a few voices (as few in number as those of us who DID want the option), should be allowed to take an option out of a game, the creator's hands, etc....? Its an option.... for a game.... Its not serious business, or worth arguing about. If anything I felt like I was throwing out this casual, fun, call for prospective neat OPTIONS, and all I got met with was some incredibly rude, angry folks, who don't always extend their courtesy to others, despite acting as if i'd committed a major social faux-pau....

Mind you, many of these same individuals have posted dozens, and dozens of posts demanding that an actor with a cult-of-personality, be turned into an in-game OPTION.... which I have never felt compelled to call out, or deny them.

Eh... I'm just going to throw my arms up, and chalk this up to passionate people on all sides (myself as well), just taking a fun hobby a little too seriously. :-p

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

warboss wrote:
Which actor?

Not sure if serious. :-p

And to the above poster... You're right, and the ONLY reason i'd be ok with a sole stretch-goal being one cool, cosmetic, terrain-only, vehicle, would be as it serves double-duty as terrain-option here, AND because Mantic has flat-out said Warpath Kickstarter is coming, and that they will be doing all kinds of big vehicles, etc... for that system. So its an option here, AND a preview. :-)

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

warboss wrote:

Thanks. Is it bad that the only thing I recognize him from is voicing the second worst character in the worse set of star wars movies?

No, because outside of the UK, and the few crazies on Kickstarter, no one in the US knows the guy outside of Flash Gordon. :-p

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

pretre wrote:
Can we not recreate the KS comments thread and get back to discussing Deadzone?

What's to discuss? I will keep throwing money at this thing until the wife kills me.... That's all I know. :-p

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

Lansirill wrote:
Vehicles don't seem like they'd be out of place. They might be limited in where they could go (if you want to climb those stairs, you probably are going to need to get out and walk,) but it seems reasonable to have support vehicles. Heck, aircraft like helicopters could even make sense. Planes would be downright silly, but nobody would design a game where you have aircraft 'zooming' around infantry fighting at close range though.

Its funny... I play a LOT of Dust Warfare. For good or ill, its become my favorite game for that scale. It works beautifully, even on a smaller table, with walkers, helicopters, etc... There is definitely a healthy place for vehicles at 4x4 sizes (which, whatever those against wish, IS coming as confirmed by Ronnie Renton). At 2x2... yeah, vehicles are tricky. That isn't to say they couldn't work, but I certainly don't begrudge some in the "against" category for not necessarily even wanting to see if they could work.

But again... 4x4 Deadzone IS coming in this Kickstarter, if people want it or not.... its Mantic's choice, and they see it happening. As such, with infantry walking between one and two "squares" per turn, it almost BEGS for vehicles, lest the game end (under current rules), before some players/units have even had a chance to engage.

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

So question... Does anyone know if these products come (i'd imagine not....) pre-painted? Or, rather if they come with decals?

I'm just guessing that my efforts to paint on adverts, etc... would look abyssmal. :-p

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

DaveC wrote:
I'm guessing this is photoshoped but it gives a good idea of coverage on a 6x4 table

The image is from the latest Mantic newsletter.

Mmmmm... I wonder how many "Battle-zones" that is?

If I could use what is included in a Strike-Force pledge innately, plus a $95 add-on of four more battle-zones, to do all that, I would be very, very impressed. Either way, I have about $70 worth of the Dust modular buildings which also have 3x3 tiles, between all that, maybe I can come up with a table like that

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

Azazelx wrote:
Earth Dragon wrote:

What are the thoughts on NON-Warpath players on the inclusion of tanks.

I could see the inclusion of a lightly-armed APC or Humvee analogues (not a tank, or even an AFV) used in a scenario situation. Escort the Ark of the Covenant off the table. Rescue the squad after their Blackhawk got shot down in Mogadishu using a couple of Humvees/Trukks/Technicals/jeeps.

As for actual tanks, I don't think it's the right game for it.

No one ever asked for tanks... Its just a straw-man people keep using as a synonym for "vehicle" because it makes their point best. :-p But I digress... Back to that glorious table...

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

Compel wrote:
I worked out that board is roughly 150 panels worth.

With "floors", etc?

It seems a lot of tiles can be saved by skipping floors you don't plan on using, or back-walls for buildings along the table perimeter.

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

@Antenociti

I don't suppose we might see more of your stuff on the Deadzone Kickstarter?

Specifically, I think if you bundled your planters set, with some of your little moss/shrubbery packs, you could make a one-click solution for a really nice aesthetic piece.

Or... you know... you could piggyback off Deadzone and add your drop-ship KS plans, to this one. ;-)

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

DaveC wrote:
The Rebs look good, but if the Marauders weren't part of Strike Team I wouldn't pay for a single one of them and they went with the dancing Goblin Sniper WTF!, I like 3 out of 4 factions so that's OK the Asterian cyborg is cool and plague Teraton!

Wow... that (the Marauder item) is really disappointing to hear, considering that the Dreadball Orks are amongst my favorite models from the game. :-(

Edit: Oh GOD.... I just found the blog photos... Those Marauders... every single one.... needs to be completely resculpted. They're literally some of the WORST models I have ever seen at this scale.

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

overtyrant wrote:
Might even have to venture into the comments section to ask if such a swap would be possible...

After being reassured that the BB malarkey stopped after a couple of days I checked myself and found this to be true. So could we please stop this 'argh the comments section is an evil place that we must not venture as we may catch something'. Is getting rather old chaps.

You would be wrong in saying that. The Brian Blessed cult is still in full effect, and think they're smart by not using the name, but CONSTANTLY posting about "the man himself", begging for "hawkman" model, and encouraging the other three nutters to dress like him and over-take Mantic Open-Day.

It is not a terribly fun place to post and hold meaningful discussion if you're outside their weird/sad attempt at a "cool kids club".

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

Earth Dragon wrote:
I'm going the canon has in game use!!

NO!!!!! There is no place for vehicles or asymetrical designs in the game! It must be terrain only or I will cancel the pledges of an entire orphanage worth of backers.... :-p

See how that sounds? :-p

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

Earth Dragon wrote:
NewTruthNeomaxim wrote:
Earth Dragon wrote:
I'm going the canon has in game use!!

NO!!!!! There is no place for vehicles or asymetrical designs in the game! It must be terrain only or I will cancel the pledges of an entire orphanage worth of backers.... :-p

See how that sounds? :-p

That was uncalled for as I was against tanks and "heavy" vehicles and never threatened to cancel my pledge over it. So I really don't care how it sounds

Just playing, man. :-) I don't have a stake in what does, or doesn't end up in the game... It just all looks awesome....

... well.... barring those Orx Commandos *urp*

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

Compel wrote:
This one does not think it is too far outside the new standards...

This one is also painting his forces in Mass Effect colour schemes and is so very happy to have Blasto join the crew.

[Moderately Impressed] Now, if only we could get an Elcor. [Disappointed] Oh well, I don't suppose that will happen. [Enthusiastically] At least new factions seem to be coming up next.

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

I LOVE the Forge-Father team from Dreadball, and think they're some of the coolest dwarf miniatures i've seen, stylistically. Of all the races I hope get very direct translations to Deadzone/Warpath, they're the ones I wish for most. Fingers very much crossed.

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

scarletsquig wrote:
^ I'm kinda wondering what this means for the rest of the kickstarter now that the first 4 factions are "complete".

E.g. will future stretch goals be "free asterian mini, but only if you've bought an asterian starter as an add-on" and similar?

I'm hoping not, since it would mean a a move to a more CMoN-style kickstarter where there isn't as much value and you have to buy one mini for $10 before you get a second one for free.

If faction swap-outs were possible, that kind of thing would be a lot more palatable, since I'd ditch the Plague and Marauders and replace them with Forgefathers and Asterians in a flash.

I think you either have to offer loads of value or loads of flexibility in any given Kickstarter campaign for it to really work out.

E.g. Reaper Vampire pledge came with a ton of stuff that a lot of people won't use, but the sheer mass of minis overrided that.

Other kickstarters haven't been massively generous with freebies, but have allowed people the chance to pick their freebies, or customize what they get from their pledge levels, and that in itself has offered good value since people only end up with the minis they want.

I think there's a risk here of this offering neither, if we're set for the next $300k or so of stretch primarily being composed of "free minis for forgefather/asterian backers only" stretches.

I love Mantic games, and have for some time, but am late to their whole Kickstarters. I've heard them spoken of in hushed-tones as value-laden as hell, etc... To be honest, i'm not sure i'm seeing it thus far. YES, someone will pull up a graphic explaining how you get "X" dollars of freebies already at "Y" tier.... but I heard about famously high volumes of minis, etc... Considering my Orx stand to be turds that get chopped up for bits, I actually feel like the added freebies so far just kind of put me back at, "Ok... we're cool."

I'm still sitting on about a $400 pledge... but had the weird realization that I would enjoy this more, AND likely spent more, if this were two Kickstarters. I'm in half for terrain, and half for the game, but both being desired by me for somewhat different reasons, it just feels like several half-Kick-starts. :-p

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

Yes... to those who asked, KS'er comments are often that bad... generally when the hardest core of the fanboys claim the space as their own personal blog.

Luckily, here we're kept to a higher standard of civility where we can disagree... but have a real conversation about why.

Deadzone's comments section is particularly bad because several folks have claimed the space, and those people happen to have formed a weird solidarity. The result is a brick-wall any counter opinion has to bump against.

I disagree that the comments are the wrong place to have the debates though. People act as if raising as much money as possible is our principle goal as backers. I see how it can be confusing as our winfall CAN align with Mantics... but make no mistake... we are potential investors. I WANT to see Mantic do well, hit stretch-goals, etc... as I happen to gain... but they still have to prove their product to me as an investor, and I in turn should be able to voice concerns... be they about ugly Orx, or whatever.

Problem is, the aforementioned will not let comments be, where they might potentially help shape/improve the product, but instead turn everything into a fight, which yes... just serves to scare off others.

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

scarletsquig wrote:
^ Welcome to the forums, Vermonter - great first post.

As for wondering if it'll be good value... it will be, eventually.

I'd put a safe bet on ~100+ minis for $150 by the time this ends, or 70% overall discount (we're already at 50%).. both KoW and Dreadball finished at this sum.

Mantic are pretty heavily committed to actually using KS money purely for tooling and manufacture, it is genuinely about creating as many new minis as possible.

It's possible that their pricing was too high off the bat, though, the starting offer of 6 minis for $40 required a lot of stretch goal freebies before it started looking like a good deal, and a lot of early birds that jumped in purely on the notion of "expected value" might be getting itchy fingers at this point since we've had 2 non-freebie goals in a row now, and Mantic have said that the next 1-2 stretch goals (new faction starters) will not be freebies either.

I'm quite surprised that Mantic doesn't have Warpath 2.0 lists for all the minis in all 4 factions already live + heavily pimping the "buy an extra couple of starters and then you'll have an elite shock trooper army for Warpath too!" angle... there's a lot of missed potential for cross-promotion here since WP 2.0 is a very good game, and they should be shouting from the rooftops about it and how you can use your deadzone minis in this awesome game of theirs instead of not really mentioning much about it at all.

Hell, have "Elite Warpath army bundles" and whatnot as add-ons, people would lap it up. Feels like there's an obvious upsell route that isn't being taken, it's hinted at with the 6x4 board options available, but has never been explicitly stated.

I cannot agree with you more Squig. I was there, literally from Day 1 of this KS'er shouting from the roof-tops that they should link this to Warpath 2.0 in every way possible, without compromising it as a stand-alone game.

Lets be frank... Deadzone stands to be a wonderful game, but it is a diversion. In a year or two, like most hobbyist board-games, it will be relegated to niche product. What WILL endure, is the terrain born from it, and the Warpath game, which Ronnie has often said stands to be their HUGE game that really makes waves.

The problem is... I was met, so often, with Brian Blessed types telling me to go away, leave Warpath out of this.... blah blah blah.... And the problem, as I see it, is that this extremely loud minority yelling their vision to the high-heavens, have planted an ear-worm in Mantic.

I'll say again... your "Warpath Army" bolt-on is a BRILLIANT idea, and it would get me throwing more money into this KS rather than debating pulling back some, or at least re-jiggering my investment so I can avoid paying for those disgusting Orx. Likewise, they absolutely should play-up, on the front page that the minis will ALL come with Warpath rules, and that WP rules are available for free...

A nice selling point for Dust miniatures was always, "Buy one set of affordable models/unit, and play it as either a simple board-game for that crowd, or as a serious table-top war-game." Familiar opportunity here, being wasted because of some folks so obnoxious that it made me flee the comments, never-to-return.

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

I feel like this is awful for me to say, because I don't wanna be one of those folks... as such, I will put the blame squarely on me, and say maybe I simply found this game for the wrong reason.... BUT... the more I read people's comments who mention Warpath, the more I realize that really IS what I wanted this KS to be.

I have Dreadball for a fun, side, novelty game... so I really wish they had just skipped straight to WP2.0.

Increasingly i'm wondering if I should just go all-in for terrain, and cherry pick a bunch of models, but not at the level I previously expected to. Obviously i'm not crazy enough to do anything until we see how this all shapes up... but I just don't want all these random race merc units, etc... I wanted wider/deeper faction boxes, and options.

Meanwhile, in a chilling resemblance to CMoN Kickstarters (which i've come to loath as opportunistic cash-grabs), I see sooo many of the comments, etc... devoted to people asking for random tribute models, asking for favorite characters, races, etc... to get one-off models.... and all the while I just see the shrinking potential for the core factions, and their future viability to Mantic as multi-purpose models for several games.

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

Tyrant... I love Mantic... Heck... that is why I am willing to give them $400 for a game i'm not really sure I want. :-p That said... if I am being candid, as much as I like Jake Thornton (Dreadball is AMAZING), Deadzone is very, very similar to Dust Tactics, with a mature layer of progression/campaign system over-laid. Even the much discussed innovations in melding cover, but retaining measuring in "squares" is an advancement, yes.... but you really can experience some of the flavor of DZ right now by picking up a Dust Tactics Revised Core set.

Mind you, this isn't a bad thing. DT got me to try it out, which led me to Dust Warfare which essentially everyone agrees is the superior game. That said... everyone wins as it is a viable board-game for a more casual, pick-up-and-play, crowd, or evening... whereas it is a gateway to a much, much, more substantial product.

Deadzone will have a niche, no doubt, and i'll be right there to support it... but there is every likelihood that this will be part of a secondary line for Mantic. Its a nice, relatively self-contained experience that can give folks the flavor of "My First Miniatures War-Game", but I just cannot see it existing WITHOUT Warpath as a companion. The two games will benefit from each-other, and might even need each-other... so I don't see why Mantic shouldn't embrace this all the sooner, at welcome in both crowds more fully.

Do you really think Mantic is showing off 6x4 tables, massive terrain bundles, and already talking about 4x4 rules for DZ, for fun? ;-)

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

Oh, and incidentally, i'm not remotely calling for doom, and/or gloom. :-p

I do think this game looks wonderful, and i'll likely buy most everything for it, for however long it is supported.

I just feel like Mantic could do a few small things to be more successful without having to expend resources to do so. :-)

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh, and incidentally, i'm not remotely calling for doom, and/or gloom. :-p

I do think this game looks wonderful, and i'll likely buy most everything for it, for however long it is supported.

I just feel like Mantic could do a few small things to be more successful without having to expend resources to do so. :-)

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

THIS is how you make EVERYONE happy. I'm not sure how any contingent won't come away from this one pleased as can be. We get freebies/added value, we get new factions, we get an acknowledgement of building a collection for Deadzone AND future games... Heck... this is an amazing shot in the arm in general.

If they'll allow it, i'm definitely going to add $90 to my pledge for TWO Asterian/Forge-Father bundles (Supposedly only the first has a $10 surcharge for Wave 2 shipping, right?)

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

DaveC wrote:
NewTruthNeomaxim wrote:
THIS is how you make EVERYONE happy. I'm not sure how any contingent won't come away from this one pleased as can be. We get freebies/added value, we get new factions, we get an acknowledgement of building a collection for Deadzone AND future games... Heck... this is an amazing shot in the arm in general.

If they'll allow it, i'm definitely going to add $90 to my pledge for TWO Asterian/Forge-Father bundles (Supposedly only the first has a $10 surcharge for Wave 2 shipping, right?)

$100 for 2 sets the $10 is in addition to the bundle prices you don't subtract it from them if you qualify for free postage you just don't have to pay it.

Wasn't it said elsewhere that $10 would cover ALL Wave 2 shipping? I vaguely recall seeing it, and it being something akin to, any terrain, models, etc... shipped later only require paying the shipping extra ONCE?

**NewTruthNeomaxim**

Yep... This is the Mantic I was hoping for. Now, for $100 total added to my pledge, I get a second Enforcer starter, and two Forge Father/Asterian starters.

AMAZING.