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Momotaro wrote:

privateer4hire wrote:
Bolt Action also allows units to auto activate as long as they have no pins.

My middle-aged memory... Still a neat rule though.

Wasn't a shot I'm middle aged, too and had to go look it up.
I'm interested in what GoA does differently/better than BA.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Vermonter wrote:
I dunno . . . I saw the half-lidded eyes as seductive.



Come and play a game of Gates of Antares with me, baby.

Aw, yeah.

 Vermonter wrote:
I dunno . . . I saw the half-lidded eyes as seductive.
Come and play a game of Gates of Antares with me, baby.

This is, in fact, how I get the ladies.

I'm just glad to see that you're true scaled and not hamfisted.

Now, back to something a bit more on topic... is anyone posting a full video battle report for the game anytime soon? I this one on youtube and then the 2-7 minute snippets direct from warlord but maybe DirectorDoug needs to make his debut?

[snip Vermonter's pic]


*Dramatically sweeps minis off table.*

 warboss wrote:
Now, back to something a bit more on topic... is anyone posting a full video battle report for the game anytime soon? I this one on youtube and then the 2-7 minute snippets direct from warlord but maybe DirectorDoug needs to make his debut?

You can see my previous work with


I think they'll want to do an overview video for GoA as well!

privateer4hire wrote:

Momotaro wrote:

My middle-aged memory... Still a neat rule though.

Wasn't a shot I'm middle aged, too and had to go look it up.
I'm interested in what GoA does differently/better than BA.

Didn't take it as one! And if you hadn't mentioned it I would have forgotten it again...

I'm liking that the extra stats seem sensible and add to the game without overburdening it - having the Resistance stat and armour bonuses/weapon strike penalties to the roll makes the damage system that bit more... universal... and flexible than Bolt Action. Still recognisably the same engine at the heart of the game though.

As Stroodles says, there's a lot of detail/chrome - for example, the bonus from the basic Concord armour is dependent on the attacker's range (in the fluff it's an active defence, so the more the armour has to react, the better it protects). Different unit types take terrain tests differently. Not played a game yet to see how we like that level of extra detail though (had to cancel Friday's planned session ).

Other new systems like multiple order dice for vehicles and big monsters... still reading through those sections.

I suspect I'd have laid the rulebook out more like the Bolt Action book - core mechanics for infantry and drones first, complications later

 judgedoug wrote:

 warboss wrote:
Now, back to something a bit more on topic... is anyone posting a full video battle report for the game anytime soon? I this one on youtube and then the 2-7 minute snippets direct from warlord but maybe DirectorDoug needs to make his debut?

You can see my previous work with

Spoiler:

I think they'll want to do an overview video for GoA as well!

I don't think I knew (or remembered) that you're an 'official' Warlord rep/outrider/sergeant/etc. - how long have you been one?

Well, I went to my FLGS and they had the starter for 20% off, so...



Oh my. There's a lot of stuff inside that box.

A great purchase at 20% off, congratulations. Hope you enjoy the game.

 Alpharius wrote:
I don't think I knew (or remembered) that you're an 'official' Warlord rep/outrider/sergeant/etc. - how long have you been one?

uhm Historicon 2013 ish. BA and GoA are about the only ones I play though (I actually prefer Mantic's KoW for mass battles over HC/P&S/BP, and Tomas Arnfelt's Ga Pa for early 1700's) (and Terminator with the few people that play it, which is unfortunate it hasn't caught on, as it's Alessio's best rules)
Their Sarge program is kinda mismanaged though. There's no great incentive to be a Sarge, so I just do it because I actually really enjoy several of their games. I still had to buy my own GoA box and Algoryn army that still hasn't arrived...

 judgedoug wrote:

 Alpharius wrote:
I don't think I knew (or remembered) that you're an 'official' Warlord rep/outrider/sergeant/etc. - how long have you been one?

uhm Historicon 2013 ish. BA and GoA are about the only ones I play though (I actually prefer Mantic's KoW for mass battles over HC/P&S/BP, and Tomas Arnfelt's Ga Pa for early 1700's) (and Terminator with the few people that play it, which is unfortunate it hasn't caught on, as it's Alessio's best rules)
Their Sarge program is kinda mismanaged though. There's no great incentive to be a Sarge, so I just do it because I actually really enjoy several of their games. I still had to buy my own GoA box and Algoryn army that still hasn't arrived...

Hopefully they make their "Sarge" program a bit better than that, and soon!

Your reports so far have got me very interested in GoA.

And while I have your attention...any insider info on the proposed Weird War 2 version of...er...maybe Bolt Action?

Or...am I getting that mixed up with some other company.

Yep, that's BA, Alph.

Doug - I'm interested in this game, but none of the miniatures grab me. So any advice for appropriate models for proxying other (40k!) ranges into this if I were to just pick up the rules and templates, etc? - I assume the order dice are the same as BA's?

I'd even happily use Forgefathers as Squats. I'd just go with the 40k background and use appropriate rules etc that closest match the 40k factions...

 judgedoug wrote:

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
JudgeDoug, that's a great looking set up, but the customers have all fled. Maybe it's because in that pic you have the eyes of a killer.

Haha, the store had just opened. I left work early, ran home, grabbed the stuff, and sped to the store, so I was a little exhausted, and my buddy just took the pic while I was still in the midst of posing (hence the slightly hunched over and what-am-I-doing-with-my-hands pose). But also I hate everyone all the time and that's my normal murder-look


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str00dles1 wrote:
no one has any interest without a easier play through being presented here.

Gosh, I really don't get it. It's easier than 40k and Warmachine... maybe the same difficulty as DZC. We ran through a couple two-strike-squads-versus-one-squad-of-ghar to get the rules down and now are doing 500+ point games no problem.

Id say its on par with 40k. Not counting the 700 different rulebooks, but the main rules are very simple on what you can and cant do. Out group had a lot of DZC play time and its very easy for us. GoA just isn't clicking. If you wanna post a how to play : it would be sweet since you seem to really know it. Besides that or the "how to play" booklet being posted, think our groups just gonna let this die.

I primarily paint and model but have found the basic mechanics of the game very simple to pick up, I am struggling to see how the 4 page "how to play" pamphlet is any more use than the rulebook itself.

@Azazel: Yes the order dice are the same as for BA. As for proxying...hmmm that is hard. At a very, very basic level with a lot of abstract thinking I would say:

Boromites: Use Orks.
Freeborn: Eldar.
Concord: Imperial Guard.
Algoryn: Tau?
Ghar: Necrons?
Isorians: Chaos Space Marines?

In all honesty looking at that list it looks mental and wrong...maybe Doug can help?

Also UK based fans, Wayland have a few hours left on their deal of the day the rulebook at £24 rather than £30 retail, plenty in stock too.

http://www.waylandgames.co.uk/beyond-the-gates-of-antares-essentials/27195-beyond-the-gates-of-antares-rulebook

I plan on using Dreamforge Games' Eiseknern Stormtroopers as Algoryn, I think. With some headswapping they would pretty much work for anything, though.

The rulebook is now £21 for the next hour:

http://www.waylandgames.co.uk/beyond-the-gates-of-antares-essentials/27195-beyond-the-gates-of-antares-rulebook

 Thraxas Of Turai wrote:
@Azazel: Yes the order dice are the same as for BA. As for proxying...hmmm that is hard. At a very, very basic level with a lot of abstract thinking I would say:

Boromites: Use Orks.
Freeborn: Eldar.
Concord: Imperial Guard.
Algoryn: Tau?
Ghar: Necrons?
Isorians: Chaos Space Marines?

In all honesty looking at that list it looks mental and wrong...maybe Doug can help?

Concord and Isorians have the same tech level, so that doesn't work. Maybe SM for Concord and CSM for Isorians? Algoryn Eldar and Freeborn IG. Uhh... even that doesn't make any sense. Wait, Concord has jetbikes, so you'd have to borrow someone's jetbikes for that.

There's no really good direct analogues, at all - so basically just use whatever you feel like using, I suppose.

It's actually kind of very hard because GoA inundates you with a much more realistic universe... and 40k looks like a really bad cartoon to me nowadays. It's like using He-Man and the Masters of the Universe action figures as "counts as" for like a Hundred Years War wargame. Sure it's possible, but it looks and feels wrong. So at that point, just use whatever models look ok to you. Mix and match if you've got other sci fi figures hanging around not being used.

So I've been asking this fairly consistently to no response, but how do the various factions play? Are their subtle or obvious differences in strategies, tech, dirty tricks etc?

You're narrowing you proxies too much by only looking at 40k. Ugly as many models may be, Warzine might be a better choice of proxies for some of the factions. Capitol for sure works as a stand-in for the Concord. Considering that atm most factions don't have much available model-wise besides troops and support weapons, I would think proxying would be even easier.

 Barzam wrote:
You're narrowing you proxies too much by only looking at 40k. Ugly as many models may be, Warzine might be a better choice of proxies for some of the factions. Capitol for sure works as a stand-in for the Concord. Considering that atm most factions don't have much available model-wise besides troops and support weapons, I would think proxying would be even easier.

Oh neat idea - I have some Brotherhood troopers on the painting table now that I intend to proxy for 40k Eldar.

Dark Sphere in the UK are having a 1/3 off Black Friday sale on them right now. I also noticed some Mantic Deadzone Asterian grav platforms in the sale.

Other ideas...
-Pig Iron Kolony Rebels and Militia as Freeborn
-Skaven and Veer-Myn as Ghar
-Mantic Enforcers for Concord.
-Eisenkern as Algoryn

Boromites are the only ones I'm not really sure about.

The old Vor lines as well as Ikore and even retro Warzone have lots of nostalgic retro looking figs that you can likely sub in. The at-43 therians and UNA might be good counts as visually for some of the ghar and concord as well.

Ghar outcasts could be proxied by Goblin Town plastic goblins from GWs Hobbit range, though you'll need to give them guns. You'll be missing out on their little walker too

If I expand my Ghar force, that's the way I'll do them. They're great for a lot of things - post-apoc mutants; scifi tribes on undiscovered planets, and I used them for my Skaven slaves.

Hopeless for high-fantasy goblins, but that's not GW's fault...

I'm using my infinity aleph for the freeborn faction as I already own them. Ghar is gonna be my main force though.

The Sedition Wars humans would probably fit in nicely too.

 Barzam wrote:
You're narrowing you proxies too much by only looking at 40k. Ugly as many models may be, Warzine might be a better choice of proxies for some of the factions. Capitol for sure works as a stand-in for the Concord. Considering that atm most factions don't have much available model-wise besides troops and support weapons, I would think proxying would be even easier.

Perhaps - but unlike Doug I still wub my 40k figures. They just don't get much play these days since 40k has turned into such an absolute clusterfeth. So it's more wanting to see if I can use the GoA rules as alternate rules for my 40k figures and factions rather than caring about the GoA background (nothing personal towards GoA - I just can't seem to bring myself to care at all about anyone's new Sci-fi or Fantasy backgrounds these days.)

The whole point being to use models I like and avoid the ugly ones!

The most obvious analogues for me would be to use Squats/Forge Fathers for Boromites. Not sure about Space Marines, perhaps even Ghar (you would have very few on the tabletop, but the relative power/invulnerability of the Ghar would fit well with the background of the Marines - although not sure how you would explain reactor explosions!)

Otherwise perhaps Isorians as Eldar, given the tech level (although the concept is more akin to what traitor Space Marines were back in 1st/2nd edition).

The problem is otherwise that remember all of the factions are actually human derived and have more in common with Bolt Action than they do 40k. There is no alien/insect race devouring everything, emotionless terminator robots or mass of greenskins, so a lot of the 40k factions don't really have any obvious analogue in terms of matching their 40k background to rules in GoA. Until some player-made rule lists come along of course..

Not sure if everyone saw the posts on the Antares Facebook page this weekend...


https://www.facebook.com/BeyondTheGatesOfAntares/photos/a.312049215563926.56682.302284019873779/715505418551635/?type=3

http://p3d.in/38eGd

...and a new video wiith Rick - discussing Tech and Terrain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB1RYouOCFw

Zond wrote:
So I've been asking this fairly consistently to no response, but how do the various factions play? Are their subtle or obvious differences in strategies, tech, dirty tricks etc?

The Concord and Isorians play pretty much like a modern force. Advancing/Firing while support units put pins on units from far away and pick up models fairly regularly. The Ghar are really the "odd man out". Initially they seem daunting with RES 12, meaning they ONLY fail on a roll of 10 and suffer no pins unless you modify their RES with Strike Value 2 or higher weapons. However in a 500 point game (the box set), they can only field 2 units to the Concords 4. They can pretty much be pinned into uselessness. Once the Ghar get more releases they can field a solid force.

The Freeborn are middle of the road army. Lots of good combinations but their tactical choices aren't anything to write home about.

The Boromites are heavy on support choices and their infantry are difficult to take down but I believe their leadership is a bit lower so they have less staying power once you pour fire into them.

Right now the only "dirty trick" that I know of is for Concord (I play them). They can take a Plasma lance in each Strike squad, which can fire at a different target than the rest of the squad, so you can fire at two squads and if you hit, you can put a Pin on each.

I was thinking of using the old AT-43 Karmans as Ghar. The bases are exactly the same size as the battle suits. Could then easily use some of the Eureka "Boiler Suit Apes" as Outcasts.

Freeborn would be the easiest to proxy/customize as they are essentially a conglomeration of private mercantile houses and various mercs/space pirates.