Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Big undertakings in Fantasy Naval wargames seem to come once in a blue moon. It probably helps that it's set in a larger supported setting and is based on a ruleset that's already cut its teeth and didn't have the poor reception that some other Warlord Games' rules have.

It's kind of a shame that Hysterical Games went under. A fantasy naval game with all factions at WW1/WW2 levels of technology could be interesting.

Also! I'm currently reading the tie in novel, "Pious" by Mark Barber. Very enjoyable so far, with the right blend of nautical terminology that you expect from a novel in the genre but not enough to bog down the action and characters.

How did you get Pious already? Amazon has it only for preorder.

I got the ebook version directly from Zmok Books, although the physical version also isn't out yet.

And you can get it discounted 20% with their current sale code, STAYHOME2020.

Nice. I liked the hint he gave about the June release - it'll be a book/ expansion, and "we'll see what goes flying around there..." (~33:50)

Fliers, eh?

Can't wait.

Jan: 2-player set reprint and dwarfs
March: Empire of Dust
Apr-May: Big ships for the four factions. I think this is the XL ships (or maybe just L for the dwarfs?)
June: Expansion book (with fliers???)

Armada:


Dreadball


Deadzone


KoW/Vanguard

Every one of these designs is loaded with fun in some way. I’m really looking forward to these.

All great skatches/renders. Glad Mantic remembered its other "specialist games" exist!

And man if they had lead the Armada launch with those three fleets I'd be all in.

Looks like you added more pictures. Love everything but the forgefather stuff.

I thought I just save the post each time to make it easier to copy all the links

Forge Father Artificers are a new Sub-Faction for Deadzone representing the Miners/Engineers of the Clans

for Dreadball, Mantic is working on a new MVP wrestling style game

You don't like the new Forge Father stuff? I kinda do, but it seems like it veers back towards the fantasy side of things.
Much like the ratkin seem to straddle the line between KoW and Deadzone.

That Chinese Junk ship gives me hope we'll see some Asian inspired models that aren't pulling only from Japanese aesthetics. I've long wanted some wuxia inspired high flying sword fighters.

Maybe I'll finally get to do my Tabletop Musou after all some day in the future!

-what's the mutli armed demon for? Rats? Or Salamanders? Can't tell.

Overall great models, as usual for current Mantic.
Now we need a full Elven updated range, those drakons are fantastic!
Armada and Ratkin stuff looking most excellent too.

Was already looking forward to the Empire of Dust ships but each of those new factions look great! And it's cool to see Elves with cannons.

I don’t like the new Forgefather stuff for a couple reasons:

1. That mech is a huge step back from the Iron Ancestor. Whoever designed it learned nothing from the mockery poured onto The Matrix 3 or the Grey Knight baby carrier.

2. The firgefather tech priests are uninspired. They look like someone took some WGA Einharjar and just glued on whatever bits they could tear off the nearest Jayce And The Wheeled Warriors toy. Those bits should be used for Gaslands, not Deadzone! Don’t the Forgefathers have actual technology and not some Canticle for Leibowitz, retro-lulz parody of technological advancement?

Well that is certainly... a thing.



The nipples along its body are really disturbing.

It's a caterpillar.

Those guys were in Dreadball already too, if I remember correctly.

Ratkin Birthing Daughter?

Read the title, had an idea what it would be.. and.. wasn't

Ratkin Waving Pistol I agree with, though

 highlord tamburlaine wrote:
Those guys were in Dreadball already too, if I remember correctly.

Yes. I have that guy. He seemed cheerful, too, but not Corgi-with-bacon happy like Flurple.

Some of these have been seen in various places before, but here are the big Armada ships, due out in May

Very cool looking ships. I'll definitely be adding the Dictator and Ripper Hulk to my fleets.

So apparently it's Nautical Wargames month over on Techraptor, and they had an interview with Mark Latham, the author of the Trafalgar ruleset from Warhammer Historical. He worked on Armada as a background writer.

The most interesting part of the article (apart from talking about how Man O War, Trafalgar, Black Seas, and Armada influenced each other) is the potential hints of upcoming factions. Mark talks about the conflicts between his favorite faction, the Salamanders, and the Twilight Kin (Mantic's Dark Elves) and undead.

Sounds like they'll be wrapping up the Wave 1 factions in May with those ships, and the June release is an expansion book, so hopefully we'll be hearing more about the next wave factions in spring or early summer?

My starter box and two large ships arrived this morning. Lovely miniatures, but do require a little bit a fiddling to get them all together and sorted, but they really look good on the table.

Just off with painting them now. Really have the urge to buy more...

Crazy Bobby has been forced to isolate this year - nothing do with COVID, it's just for everyone's safety - so we're doing something a little different for our Black Friday sale. Use the code BLACKFRIDAY50 to get 50% off ALL digital products. This is a great chance to bolster your digital collection.

WholeHazelNuts wrote:
My starter box and two large ships arrived this morning. Lovely miniatures, but do require a little bit a fiddling to get them all together and sorted, but they really look good on the table.

Just off with painting them now. Really have the urge to buy more...

Ooh exciting, hopefully mine won't be too long.

Can I ask did you order from Mantic direct or via a store?

Via a store...

Quick tip now that people are getting them - there is a little bit at the bottom of the masts that just looks like extra resin sprue. It's actually a little bit of extra peg that lets the mast sit taller so your sails aren't touching the main ship structure... *siiiigh*

WholeHazelNuts wrote:
Via a store...

You lucky dawwwg. Mine is on order with Wayland and it's still just hovering around in the Not In Stock phase of order processing (pre-ordered in September).

But they have emailed to day that Blood Bowl has been shipped, so little wins I suppose!

My rep at Mantic told me they're a few days behind shipping out the stuff - they started on the UK yesterday. It won't be long now...

Thanks guys - think mine was from Firestorm Games who are usually pretty on the ball with releases.

MarkNorfolk wrote:
My rep at Mantic told me they're a few days behind shipping out the stuff - they started on the UK yesterday. It won't be long now...

Yep, Ronnie said the same thing in an update the other day. I'm actually glad in a way, it's basically sold out and they were just overwhelmed by the uptake. Lets hope the buzz continues well in to 2021 so we can all actually get some games played with people!

Have received my Armada box - great!

Only had a quick look through but first thoughts are very positive.

I haven't bought any Mantic stuff for a while, but the product definitely seems more professional than they were 2-3 years ago; rule book really nice paper quality and colour print, card tokens look good and like they will survive a few sessions. It looks like you get a fair amount of bang for your buck with a decent weight to the box.

Still a few little barriers to entry: Resin itself isn't as easy to work with as plastic (I don't have a problem with it but a newbie might), and things like the box being cardboard but with a sleeve (rather than a direct print on to the box, as you would get with most board games or GW products) is a step back. I do understand though, for both cases, this is entirely manufactured in the UK and produced amidst a pandemic so should have some leniency.

The important part! The minis and the rules. Just started looking through the rulebook and like I say promising so far, well laid out with nice artwork, and a story on the inside front page to immediately draw you into the game world. Looking forward to getting to grips with the minis and getting them cleaned and put together at least over the weekend.