Secret Weapon Tablescapes - Kickstarter ended @ $311k

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.

**RiTides**

DaveC wrote:
There's a new blog post showing a painted temple and fields tile (I assume these are the next tutorials

http://blog.secretweaponminiatures.com/2014/10/tablescapes-tiles-preview.html

Wow, they did a great job on both of those, particularly the fields tile. Love the greenish water, looks very much like the creeks I'm used to!

**Mathieu Raymond**

That tall grass looks ace. Until you need to store it in a stack...

**SlaveToDorkness**

GAAAAAAH....pad hates giant pics!

**Alpharius**

Tablet and smart phones - they'll be the death of us!

**Mathieu Raymond**

Uh, Aplh...

Not that kind of tablets. Those can be hard to swallow.

And smart phones ought to be the death of us, if they were really that smart.

**SlaveToDorkness**

I for one welcome our new IPhone overlords!

**Tannhauser42**

Meh, I'm still waiting for mine to arrive. Even registered for that FedEx delivery manager, and they don't show anything coming to me right now.

**Snrub**

Your tablescape or your iphone overlord?

**Breotan**

Maybe his iPhone Overlord is playing on your Tablescapes?

**Snrub**

Negative. My tablescape is safely packed away for now until I finish rejigging the layout of bedroom. You couldn't fit a razorblade in that box. Let alone a big fat iphone.

**Mathieu Raymond**

I saw someone on the Facebook group "A Wyrd Place" using this for a Malifaux game. I think it was Rolling Fields, for a badland/old west theme. Not painted, but still. They are out in the wild.

**Snrub**

Update #152

Nov 5 2014
Tablescapes Tutorials - Forgotten City
6 comments
3 likes

http://blog.secretweaponminiatures.com/2014/11/painting-your-tablescapes-tiles.html

Here's another great step-by-step tutorial from Mathieu Fontaine, and I hope to get Rolling Fields posted by the end of the week. Stay tuned!

In unrelated news I know we packed in excess of 50 orders today, including a big batch heading up to Canada. I also spotted a couple going to Dubai, and at least one going to Taiwan. International shipping is very much underway.

**SlaveToDorkness**

Great, tutorials for all the table tiles I HAVE YET TO RECEIVE!

**Valhallan42nd**

Kickstarter Update wrote:
Update #153 from Tablescapes - by Secret Weapon Miniatures
Nov 5 2014
Shipping Update - All Regions - All Themes
EU/UK Starting Next Week

I received confirmation from Mantic this morning that they're aiming to start shipping either this week or next. Backers in the EU/UK regions will be receiving emails from Mantic as orders go out. Stay tuned....

AUS Status

The Combat Company is reporting overages (too many of a SKU) in addition to the already identified shortages. Because neither of those things should have happened I've brought in a new data analyst to find out what happened, and get that sorted. In the interim TCC has sent me a list of the product he needs, and we'll get those sorted ASAP and figure out the freight situation.

US/Other International Orders

The first batch of international orders is leaving the warehouse this week. We've shuffled the domestic and international orders together, and are shipping both USPS and FedEx orders side-by-side.

This week we have to get all of the product in the second warehouse space moved into our actual warehouse space. We have the room now, and our temporary lease is about to expire. This means shipping will be slow this week, as we need to keep the staging area clear so we can maneuver boxes into new groups.

We've broken the 50% mark on all orders leaving the California warehouse, and can finally walk from the front door to the back without tripping over boxes.

The Official Unboxing Thread

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1084069684/tablescapes-by-secret-weapon-miniatures/posts/1028932

If you've received your tiles, and want to show off your setup, please hit the unboxing thread and share a link. Seeing tiles on tables out in the wild has been amazing -- and my thanks go out to everyone sharing their photos!

**RiTides**

It's interesting to me to see zero updates for long periods, then updates every day or two... "continuing to ship" is fine, but I don't need to be notified when 50%, 60% etc of packages have shipped

**plastictrees**

I think updates are often a reflection of the level of excitement/mood of the creator unless they've established a set update schedule (like Mierce or Reaper).

Hoping mine are in with the first batch of boxes that went off to Canada...

**misterjustin**

That update was also partially a reflection of the daily emails I was receiving from AUS/UK/EU backers

Seriously though, it was taking up about an hour every day. I figured an update was overdue. People need to know what's up!

**shade1313**

It's been a heck of a three week run. Got my Tablescapes on the first week, my Robotech KS stuff the second, and my DF caverns came in today.

Now I need to scratch up the pennies for the rolling fields. And save up a stash to have on hand if and when we get those trenches.

**Valhallan42nd**

RiTides wrote:
It's interesting to me to see zero updates for long periods, then updates every day or two... "continuing to ship" is fine, but I don't need to be notified when 50%, 60% etc of packages have shipped

I kinda do. It informs my panic about not receiving a Fedex Delivery Manager notification.

**darefsky (Flight Medic Paints)**

I'm gonna cut Mr Justin a bit of slack on this one. He is busting his butt to get the stuff out the door, while answering questions on forums and the kickstarter comments thread. Dealing with folks like me who are in the middle of moving (2nd time during this kickstarter) and also running a business to keep his cash flow positive.

To Mr Justin, Good job of juggling all the chainsaws. Keep up the good work man.

**Azazelx**

RiTides wrote:
It's interesting to me to see zero updates for long periods, then updates every day or two... "continuing to ship" is fine, but I don't need to be notified when 50%, 60% etc of packages have shipped

...unless you're one of the people still waiting on yours. Or yours is one of the fethed up Aussie ones. Then you might be more interested from a "how long to go?" perspective.

**Snrub**

Update #154

Nov 11 2014
Wall/Fortification Sets -- FINAL SET FINISHED!
4 comments
7 likes

One of the casualties of the Tabelscapes shipping madness was my ability to get the wall/fortification sets finalized. Well that's a problem no more! The last two sets, Rolling Fields and Forgotten City, are now finished and in master molds.

This is the first production mold for the Rolling Fields walls. We'll start making individual component molds this week for this and Urban Streets -- the only finished set still missing those.

This is a detail shot of the Forgotten City T wall -- digitally sculpted by the talented Raffa from Massive Voodoo, and then with a bit of additional weathering and touch-up before it goes into molds to ensure clean casts.

Components for the Forgotten City wall set, and two quick layouts on the prep table.

And now I'm going back under my rock to get though the work that piled up while I'm at the warehouse -- more news as I have it, for all quarters.

**SlaveToDorkness**

Got mine yesterday!!
Unboxing with my buddy after work!

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Got mine yesterday!!
Unboxing with my buddy after work!

**MasterSlowPoke**

Got my Secret Weapon board in!

Even though I've been playing 40k for 6 years, I'm still blown away by the sheer size of a 6x4 table.

How are people storing the tiles? I remember that there were supposed to be spacers, and something about a thin layer of foam between the layers?

**Snrub**

MSP - That looks awesome. Can we get some close up shots please?

Update #155

Nov 11 2014
US Shipped International Orders - Update
29 comments
9 likes

TL;DR version: We're having a LOT of trouble with USPS, and will be putting a temporary halt to international shipping while we find an alternative.

For those interested in a slightly longer version of this drama, let me open with this haiku that I just received from Brandon after USPS finally brought a truck to pick up the outgoing parcels:

USPS sucks

I'm gonna pull my hair out

Die USPS

Last week I spent almost two hours on the phone trying to get someone to send out a truck we could actually fit the boxes in. Today they finally sent a full-size container truck... that didn't have room in it for our orders. I kid you not. Three times previously they had sent normal residential mail trucks for the packages. To add insult to injury, they insist that we allow them an 8 AM to 5 PM pickup window... even though we close the warehouse at 4 PM.

Tomorrow is a holiday, so they won't be back until Wednesday this week. Those parcels are actually stopping us from consolidating the two warehouse spaces, and have created staging issues for more than a week now. I started reaching out to other services last week, and today I reached out to other companies in our market to get their input. I'll have a new shipping solution in place as quickly as possible, but it's not likely to be USPS. We've burned too many hours, gotten a crummy rate, and they're really just not geared for this.

My apologies to international backers that have already received their USPS shipment emails, and are waiting on their tiles to arrive. They're packed, and labeled, and still sitting in our warehouse....

If anyone wants to enjoy a fun rant, I can share the full story in the comments, but right now I need to take a wee little break to keep from burning down the whole building.

It's good times.

**SlaveToDorkness**

Awesome!

My buddy just got his Dwarven Forge cavers sets in the other day (and they're still setting on the gaming table) or we would have set up our 9'x4' table of tiles last night.

Got all the tiles out and pretty pleased with them. My two concerns are:

1. there's a huge discrepancy between road textures from one tile to the next. Some of the surfaces look like they've got sand glued to them and some are almost just bare plastic. This will make painting interesting since a drybrush will pick out details in one but not the other. Hopefully airbrushing will help. Perhaps some selectively applied textured paint?

2. There are no "L" shaped road sections. This can be alleviated with a "T" butting into a "flat" section (making a parking area out of the road end that's butted into the flat) but it is a little upsetting corners cannot be made. I'm sure it has been pointed out before but it had slipped my mind in all the waiting/excitement.

**DaveC**

Yep there never was an L road section it was asked for but didn't make it in it's apparently one of those designs to be done at a later date. To many T and crossroads IMO but no L but as you say easier to make a T section work as an L than the other way.

Now where are Mantic at I'd almost think they are stalling for time while they finish off MA shipping as they have now asked Justin for images of everything for packing purpose having had the tiles for nearly 2 weeks ( the first issue was with the address merge)

**Desubot**

MasterSlowPoke wrote:
Got my Secret Weapon board in!

Even though I've been playing 40k for 6 years, I'm still blown away by the sheer size of a 6x4 table.

How are people storing the tiles? I remember that there were supposed to be spacers, and something about a thin layer of foam between the layers?

Your dog looks concerned.

**creeping-deth87**

Desubot wrote:
MasterSlowPoke wrote:
Got my Secret Weapon board in!

Even though I've been playing 40k for 6 years, I'm still blown away by the sheer size of a 6x4 table.

How are people storing the tiles? I remember that there were supposed to be spacers, and something about a thin layer of foam between the layers?

Your dog looks concerned.

lol yeah, that is one SAD looking pup. Probably thinking his human overlord will love the tiles more than him now

**RiTides**

SlaveToDorkness wrote:
Got all the tiles out and pretty pleased with them. My two concerns are:

1. there's a huge discrepancy between road textures from one tile to the next. Some of the surfaces look like they've got sand glued to them and some are almost just bare plastic. This will make painting interesting since a drybrush will pick out details in one but not the other. Hopefully airbrushing will help. Perhaps some selectively applied textured paint?

2. There are no "L" shaped road sections. This can be alleviated with a "T" butting into a "flat" section (making a parking area out of the road end that's butted into the flat) but it is a little upsetting corners cannot be made. I'm sure it has been pointed out before but it had slipped my mind in all the waiting/excitement.

DaveC wrote:
Yep there never was an L road section it was asked for but didn't make it in it's apparently one of those designs to be done at a later date. To many T and crossroads IMO but no L but as you say easier to make a T section work as an L than the other way.

Now where are Mantic at I'd almost think they are stalling for time while they finish off MA shipping as they have now asked Justin for images of everything for packing purpose having had the tiles for nearly 2 weeks ( the first issue was with the address merge)

Ugh!

However, I have made the best of my tiles that came, and will be using the two straight creek bed tiles as a display for my Dropzone Commander army

which I think they will be perfect for!

Still doesn't change the fact that some of the tiles (no corner in the creek display, no "L" roads, different textured roads) aren't what people expected, though... seems to be happening frequently.