The [Retired] Mantic games - Sci-fi N&R: Pathfinder renders (pg 54), Veer-myn renders (pg 55)

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**Alpharius**

Apologies if we have, but...

Have we seen these Pathfinder renders yet?

From (Taco) Bell of Lost Souls:

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2015/02/exclusive-pathfinders-minis-pics.html

Look what’s coming to a Deadzone near you… If you’ve been looking for some great female sci-fi minis, your prayers have been answered!

Here’s an eclusive just for BoLS readers!

Manticgames is launching their Deadzone: Infestation Kickstarter in March and sent over a taste of just some of the minis that will be in there. These Pathfinders are coming in hard plastic on sprue and will have many additional bits including heads and more.

I think you can see the quality of Mantic sculpts keeps going up and up. In particular the female figure is very well done, with the subtle changes to the bodyshape to reflect gender. Regardless of whether you are a Deadzone fan, or just want to spruce up your minis collection, these Pathfinders should fill the bill.

**GrimDork**

I like them alot. What is the thing under the rifle barrel though? Some kind of n00b t00b? But the opening on the end of it looks a bit small for 'nades.

**MasterSlowPoke**

I think it's the Tag part of the Tag Rifle. It doesn't do anything in Deadzone, at least.

**Paradigm**

Those are really nice! I can see myself getting a few of those for both Deadzone and Infinity potential!

**MLaw**

GrimDork wrote:
I like them alot. What is the thing under the rifle barrel though? Some kind of n00b t00b? But the opening on the end of it looks a bit small for 'nades.

This is probably nowhere near accurate.. but.
If they are firing high velocity rounds, I could see those being recoil compensators/stabilizers.
In my mind it's something like the ones on hunting bows

I could be waaaaaaay off base.. in fact, I'd bet on it just being an awkward underbarrel system of some kind like the aformentioned tag system.

**CptJake**

GrimDork wrote:
I like them alot. What is the thing under the rifle barrel though? Some kind of n00b t00b? But the opening on the end of it looks a bit small for 'nades.

SuperSoaker.

**ClockworkChaos**

This seems like a really odd idea to put it in March. Are they sure they really want to do that? There are a lot of other KS going at that time and no matter how unique/different this one may be from the others, it is still going to cut into their profits a fair bit. You can only have so many big name KS going on at once until they all start to hurt each other. I think they should wait till April, even April 1st would be better. Oh well, not my call but if they do it in March, not sure I am going to bother to pledge/ have any money to do so.

**Paradigm**

ClockworkChaos wrote:
This seems like a really odd idea to put it in March. Are they sure they really want to do that? There are a lot of other KS going at that time and no matter how unique/different this one may be from the others, it is still going to cut into their profits a fair bit. You can only have so many big name KS going on at once until they all start to hurt each other. I think they should wait till April, even April 1st would be better. Oh well, not my call but if they do it in March, not sure I am going to bother to pledge/ have any money to do so.

Could it perhaps be so they can get it out in time for Xmas? DZ1 was around May/end of April and launched(properly) the following Jan/Feb, so assuming similar lead times for the first wave, a March KS would get it out just in time for Christmas. That way, they have Dungeon Saga as their 'Summer Blockbuster', DBX tiding them over until then, and can put out DZ2 for Christmas. That way, people get the plastics in their hands, in time for them to go all-in on a Warpath KS early next year.

All speculation, but that could have something to do with it.

**Compel**

It might be intentional too. The latest Kings of War kickstarter seemed to be very much managed to make sure not to go huge. Mantic probably have a similar scale for this one.

**ClockworkChaos**

Paradigm wrote:
ClockworkChaos wrote:
This seems like a really odd idea to put it in March. Are they sure they really want to do that? There are a lot of other KS going at that time and no matter how unique/different this one may be from the others, it is still going to cut into their profits a fair bit. You can only have so many big name KS going on at once until they all start to hurt each other. I think they should wait till April, even April 1st would be better. Oh well, not my call but if they do it in March, not sure I am going to bother to pledge/ have any money to do so.

Could it perhaps be so they can get it out in time for Xmas? DZ1 was around May/end of April and launched(properly) the following Jan/Feb, so assuming similar lead times for the first wave, a March KS would get it out just in time for Christmas. That way, they have Dungeon Saga as their 'Summer Blockbuster', DBX tiding them over until then, and can put out DZ2 for Christmas. That way, people get the plastics in their hands, in time for them to go all-in on a Warpath KS early next year.

All speculation, but that could have something to do with it.

Fair point. That being said, it does seem like they are going to launch it at the end of March. Wouldn't just waiting another week for some of the other KS to clear out, let people recover and at least get another paycheck in help their overall bottom line? I mean we all know its going to go crazy and be a success but it could be a bigger success by waiting a week or so. Also, I have always kind of wondered this but since Mantic knows this is going to succeed do they really need to wait for all the money to come in, couldn't they just do some ball-parking after a few days and go from there? That way they wouldn't loose anytime in the production step even if they did delay it by a week.

**timetowaste85**

*Drools* oh God, I want freaking pathfinders!

Suddenly grimdork, pretre, alph and paradigm all line up and smack me. "You don't need anymore enforcers!"

Liars.

**Compel**

timetowaste85 wrote:

Suddenly grimdork, pretre, alph and paradigm all line up and smack me. "You don't need anymore enforcers!"

Liars.

Indeed.

(I still need to assemble the vast majority of my 45-ish plastic ones and 20 peacekeepers).

**Barzam**

I like the looks of that female Enforcer. Can't tell if they're wearing sleeves this time around though.

I'm also REALLY hoping that the Enforcer drop ship will be a part of this Kickstarter rather than the Warpath one.

I'm also rather curious what other factions they're going to include. Because we all know that Mantic A)doesn't actually do small Kickstarters and B)they've yet to do one that only has two factions available.

**GrimDork**

I think the goal of DZ2.0 is to get hard plastic troop sprues in line for various factions, which would allow WP to focus on tanks, bundles, and expanding specialists/factions/whatever.

**Nostromodamus**

Veer-Myn and Pathfinders confirmed.

Z'zor and Corporation being "saved for later".

I think Sphyr would be popular. Actually several of the Dreadball races would be great in Deadzone. Nameless, Tsudochan and Ada-Lorena especially.

**Barzam**

I definitely would like some redesigned plastic Corporation troops. Shame I'll have to wait on them. Were the new Forgefather Steel Warriors going to show up here, or are they coming later as well?

Sphyr that retain the aesthetic of the Dreadball team would be absolutely badass, but they're already covered in the Rebs. Though, I wouldn't mind seeing them do various specific race expansions for the Rebs.

**GrimDork**

I would buy a few steel warriors. I've got a bunch of the half and half dudes and I still like them, basically the same kit but all scifi would get some of my money.

I won't say no to hard plastic corp marines either but.... i just dunno. I don't want any if they look like the corporation marine zombies you can make out of the zombie kit. Those things have heads at least twice the size of a corporation marine... I mean bulging muscles and whatnot is one thing.. but the helmets are *huge* comparatively. I don't want corporation marines with helmets that big and such wonky proportions. Though if they match the current guys, it'll make their zombie kit seem a bit weird. Not sure whats going down there.

**Joyboozer**

Is it called infestation because it's infested with humans?

**GrimDork**

Veermyn. Anthropomorphic rat dudes.

**Joyboozer**

They look very human, especially the female, are you sure it's not just an excuse to release more slightly different human factions?

**GrimDork**

Queue 'Not sure if serious' meme...

The photos above are Enforcer pathfinders, they belong to the Enforcer faction and technically to the larger GCPS/Corporation faction. While not linked in the last couple of days, the whole point of the next deadzone KS is the Veermyn, making the name infestation appropriate since they're human sized anthropomorphic rat people.

The two factions in the starter box/game box/core buy-in will be enforcer pathfinders and veermyn.

Not that multiple human factions would be a bad thing, but the pathfinders belong to a preexisting faction, as a lighter infantry/scout unit.

**Joyboozer**

How about this time they save the human factions until last and make all those great alien factions first?
Surely if more human factions is such a popular choice they should be saved for when the funds need a massive boost? Sarcasm!

**AlexHolker**

GrimDork wrote:
I really hope they drop the whole look-like-gw-sponsons-are-a-thing-in-the-future approach.

The best way to replace the sponsons is with unmanned remote weapon systems. Mount one of those on each side of the tank, and it could plausibly be for hosing down any infantry stupid enough to think they can sneak up on the tank.

**TomWB**

I'm glad Mantic are releasing more hard plastic stuff for Deadzone, but I wish the Plague would get some of the attention. The old Plague models looks (mostly) ridiculous compared to the new Enforcers.

**Azazelx**

I guess I really need to open and go through my W3 stuff pretty soon. Not too worried about a new KS. $1 buy-in and go up if I can afford it, PM Wave 1 (or 2, or 3) if not.

**scarletsquig**

Aliens vs. Aliens is a hard sell for a boxed game, a human faction in there makes it easier to relate to.

Also, with the pathfinders in hard plastic, Enforcers will have almost 100% hard plastics coverage in place for their faction before the Warpath KS even starts. And some of us will have painted armies already sorted.

Not sure if everything from Deadzone will make it to Warpath, some of the more niche restic and metal stuff (special characters, sentry guns etc.) might not be suited to it.

Were the new Forgefather Steel Warriors going to show up here, or are they coming later as well?

Most likely the Warpath Kickstarter for those. The sculpts are already done, and have been for a while.

I am not sure on the timeline for Infestation, think it might be a while off, possibly April?

**Joyboozer**

I disagree, I think it's humans are an easy option that wouldn't sell well as a stand alone so it gets chucked in the box instead, and a sadly GW inspired style decision.
Mantic have come up with some amazing alien races, they'd have no trouble selling in a boxed game.
Break the mold Mantic!

**sukura636**

Joyboozer wrote:
I disagree, I think it's humans are an easy option that wouldn't sell well as a stand alone so it gets chucked in the box instead, and a sadly GW inspired style decision.
Mantic have come up with some amazing alien races, they'd have no trouble selling in a boxed game.
Break the mold Mantic!

It's not quite as clear cut as that.

Humans act as a grounding element. To a new customer, this world of myriad new species and silly names has utterly no meaning. But humans - you know what a human is. So it's an opening into the world - then people break off and find their space. This is why sci-fi games tend to open with humans and why every GW starter set has space marines.

**Joyboozer**

How many of your backers/ customers are completely new? And you already have your starting game with Deadzone.

**Azazelx**

Mantic is trying/hoping to attract new customers in the way that GW used to and has abandoned. This will include younger players, and so Humans vs Aliens in Desperate Battle is a narrative that almost anyone can relate to.