Project Update #179 wrote:Reprints Discussion
Hey backers,
Wave Two shipping is of paramount importance to you all, as it should be. However, we've seen many backers asking about various reprints of core items. Since you don't just want your items, but you want to make sure the line is healthy and strong and available for anyone to leap in and grab what they need to start playing.
And we love that passion! As such, just as we've given you full behind-the-scenes data before, we thought we'd provide details on all printing (and reprints) to date of the miniatures of this Kickstarter, along with the core BattleTech boxes.
BEGINNER BOX
We have published 31,500 copies of this game since the start of 2018, and the sixth printing, at 10,000 copies (the highest quantity yet printed, giving us a total of 41,500) is done right now, and we are working to get it on a ship. Normally it would be available by October, but with all of the shipping snafus around the world, it will likely be November before it's available.
A GAME OF ARMORED COMBAT
Once again, from when this was first released in early 2018, we have published 33,500 copies. The fifth reprint, of 10,000 copies (for a total of 43,500), is on a ship and scheduled to arrive into the Savannah port by September 14th. If that stays on track, it means the base game will be available again to stores and our website by early October. Based upon sales projections, we are already looking to start the sixth reprint of this box by the end of the year.
CLAN INVASION BOX
The Wave One printing of this box was 25,000 copies (the largest single printing of any game we have ever done); 17,000 Kickstarter covers and 8,000 standard covers. As part of a Wave One restock (see below), we reprinted 5,000 additional copies: 1,000 Kickstarter covers and 4,000 standard covers. As part of Wave Two we then printed an additional 5,000 copies (all standard covers), giving us 35,000 total. We are reviewing whether we'll need to start a fourth printing soon to keep it well in stock.
BY WAY OF COMPARISON
Just for comparison purposes, to showcase the insanity that has been this magnificent resurgence you have helped create, FanPro US and Catalyst Game Labs, from 2002 to 2017, published and sold four base box sets: stock # 10980 (one printing), 35000 (three printing), 3500A (one printing), and 3500B (two printings). Four boxes in fifteen years sold roughly 40,000 copies combined. As you can see above, in just over two years we've nearly matched that with just one box. And by the end of the year--making it roughly three years since this all began with the release of the Beginner Box and A Game of Armored Combat, we'll have three box sets that each will have surpassed that number.
Meeting the voracious demand for these high-quality box sets keeps us busy, but you can see that the numbers are clear: there's more BattleTech on the shelves now than any time in the last two decades.
WAVE ONE FORCEPACKS
The following numbers were printed of the Wave One ForcePacks:
Clan Command Star: 14,000
Inner Sphere Command Lance: 15,000
Clan Heavy Striker Star: 14,000
Inner Sphere Battle Lance: 15,000
Clan Elemental Star: 6,000
Legendary MechWarrior Pack: 8,000
SALVAGE BOXES
And the Salvage box numbers:
Salvage Box: Clan Invasion: 82,000
Salvage Box: UrbanMech: 22,000
Salvage Box: Legendary: 19,000
WAVE ONE RESTOCKS
Before Wave Two, we did the following Wave One reprintings. This is currently on a ship, arriving early September into the Savannah port.
Clan Elemental Star Pack: 7,500 (13,500 total)
Legendary MechWarriors Pack: 1,000 (9,000 total)
Salvage Box: UrbanMech: 2,000 (24,000 total)
Salvage Box: Legendary: 1,000 (20,000 total)
WAVE TWO FORCEPACKS
The following numbers were printed of the Wave Two ForcePacks (all of this has arrived at QML, of course, as shipping is underway!):
Clan Fire Star: 9,000
Inner Sphere Direct Fire Heavy Lance: 12,000
Clan Support Star: 9,000
Inner Sphere Heavy Lance: 9,000
Clan Heavy Battle Star: 9,000
Inner Sphere Striker Lance: 9,000
Clan Heavy Star: 9,000
Inner Sphere Fire Lance: 9,000
Clan Striker Star: 9,000
Inner Sphere Heavy Battle Lance: 9,000
Clan Ad Hoc Star: 9,000
Inner Sphere Urban Lance: 9,000
Inner Sphere Support Lance: 9,000
ComStar Command Level II: 9,000
ComStar Battle Level II: 9,000
And we ordered more of the following as a restock as part of that printing:
Salvage Box: Clan Invasion: 24,960 (106,960 total)
FORCEPACK REPRINTS
The following are currently scheduled to finish printing by early September, with most of it already finished (they were ordered back in April). Again, trying to take into account the current shipping issues, we are looking at either late November or December to have everything back in restock. Again, to be clear, the numbers directly below are completely beyond the needs of the Kickstarter, to carry us well into 2022.
Clan Command Star: 7,500 (21,500 total)
Inner Sphere Command Lance: 7,500 (22,500 total)
Clan Heavy Striker Star: 7,500 (21,500 total)
Inner Sphere Battle Lance: 7,500 (22,500 total)
Clan Fire Star: 8,500 (20,500 total)
Inner Sphere Direct Fire Heavy Lance: 10,000 (22,000 total)
Clan Support Star: 7,500 (16,500 total)
Inner Sphere Heavy Lance: 7,500 (16,500 total)
Clan Heavy Battle Star: 7,500 (16,500 total)
Inner Sphere Striker Lance: 7,500 (16,500 total)
Clan Heavy Star: 8,500 (17,500 total)
Inner Sphere Fire Lance: 7,500 (16,500 total)
Clan Striker Star: 7,500 (16,500 total)
Inner Sphere Heavy Battle Lance: 7,500 (16,500 total)
Clan Ad Hoc Star: 7,500 (15,600 total)
Inner Sphere Urban Lance: 7,500 (15,600 total)
Inner Sphere Support Lance: 7,500 (15,600 total)
ComStar Command Level II: 10,000 (19,000 total)
ComStar Battle Level II: 8,500 (17,500 total)
Salvage Box: Shilone
As we announced, we secretly produced a thank you miniature:
Salvage Box: Shilone: 20,000
We've gotten a question from some baclers of whether there will "be enough." As you can see, we absolutely have plenty to cover every last backers and then some.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BOOKS?!
Obviously the box sets and ForcePacks form the core of the line now, but the core books are still a crucial element. And so after all the miniatures numbers above, thought I would share some book numbers as well (all of these are just within the last two to three years!):
Technical Readout: Success Wars: 7,250 (5 printings)
Technical Readout: Clan Invasion: 5,570 (4 printings)
MapPack: Grasslands: 6,000 (2 printings; a 5,000 3rd printing is done, ready to get on a ship)
BattleMech Manual: 8,500 (4 printings)
Alpha Strike: Commander's Edition: 6,250 (3 printings; a 3,000 4th printing is about to start)
MechWarrior: Destiny: 4,750 (2 printings; a 3,500 3rd printing is currently on a ship)
Total Warfare (Vintage/Mercenary Cover): 8,000 (a 3,000 5th printing is currently on a ship)
TechManual (Vintage Cover): 3,570 (3 printings; a 2,000 4th printing is about to start)
Tactical Operations: Advanced Rules (Vintage Cover): 4,000 (2 printings)
Tactical Operations: Advanced Units & Equipment (Vintage Cover): 4,000 (2 printings)
Strategic Operations (Vintage Cover): 2,000 (1 printing; a 2,500 2nd printing is about to start)
Campaign Operations (Vintage Cover): 2,000 (1 printing; a 2,500 2nd printing is about to start)
As for those wondering, yes, we are working right now on an Interstellar Operations: Alternate Eras and Interstellar Operations: BattleForce Vintage Cover reprint split and hope to send them to print soon.
WHAT DOES
IT ALL MEAN?
What does all of that mean for the health of BattleTech and its availability to the market?
Well, it means that despite the insane rocket ship BattleTech has become the last two-and-half-years we have been on top of reprints and restocks. And it simply is the nature of the current world situation of delays in production and shipping that have pushed releases back. But that by the end of the year we will be stocked as we have never been stocked in the history of BattleTech in over 35 years. It means that by the time the last of the ForcePacks above hit our warehouse and start rolling out to gaming tables around the world, we will have published nearly 2.8 MILLION plastic miniatures in three years!
Thanks to all of you for helping us achieve this incredible moment for this game and universe we all love!
