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So, as the title says, I'm looking into getting Aeronautica Imperialis...

It seems too inexpensive, even more so when you look at the discounts available from 3rd party sellers. Even if you just buy the starter set, and the campaign book, you're still only looking at £77 (GW price) for what looks like all the rules, a small paper playing surface, and enough models for a short game, leaving just making your own board and gradually building up what looks to be a relatively inexpensive airforce (apparently a large airforce is only going to be about 12 models, so about £75 given each box set is currently £25 (GW price) and it seems you'll only need to buy 3 of them)!

A board is easy (and cheap) to make yourself also, at the most basic just draw 2" hexagons on a tabletop area of at least 3 foot square!

You don't need any terrain (which is expensive to buy these days, or very time consuming, and almost as expensive depending on materials, to scratch build) because it would get in the way of the hex board system, right?


So, what's the catch? Compared to almost everything else GW do this game looks very oddly inexpensive?!

The board is made of paper, the rules are just the basic rules without the campaigns in the separate book and the Imperial bombers aren’t all that effective for their points in air to air battles.

The starter box is worth the 76ish bucks offered on ebay, but not the 90 bucks plus tax from GW. Every element in the box except the models is not made to last. No scenarios in the rulebook, board is made of poster paper, no reference cards, rules for the initial expansions for both factions are not included in the pamphlet rulebook. The dice are nothing to care about. They cheaped out on every aspect of the set except the models themselves. This is in contrast to the Blood Bowl starter which used to be almost the same price, but had cards, thick sturdy card folding board, unique dice, templates, etc. This game is not as good a deal as Blood Bowl in any sense.

The positive is that if you want a box to get games in with two people and try it out then it's not that bad a cost. Downside is you'll need to expand sooner rather than later.

I see what you're saying.

Thing is, on the face of it it appears that I can have the complete rules (assuming Imperial and Ork army lists only) plus a full 10-12 aircraft roster for £152 ($182ish) (using GW prices), by buying the starter set, the campaign book and 3 extra boxes of whichever aircraft I want from those currently available, and if those extra 3 boxes happen to be Ork aircraft I'd be left with a few spare as I'd be able to make more than 12. That just leaves making a playing surface bigger than 2.5 feet square, which seems like a trivial matter.

That doesn't seem right though. That seems like I'm not having to buy a lot of stuff to get properly started. I'm not sure, that besides Blood Bowl, there's any of the other games GW make that I can start (including where you have to buy or make a table full of terrain) for that low an amount. Which is why I'm looking for the catch!

Perhaps the catch is the inevitable expansions to add other races into the game?

Rob Lee wrote:
I see what you're saying.

Thing is, on the face of it it appears that I can have the complete rules (assuming Imperial and Ork army lists only) plus a full 10-12 aircraft roster for £152 ($182ish) (using GW prices), by buying the starter set, the campaign book and 3 extra boxes of whichever aircraft I want from those currently available, and if those extra 3 boxes happen to be Ork aircraft I'd be left with a few spare as I'd be able to make more than 12. That just leaves making a playing surface bigger than 2.5 feet square, which seems like a trivial matter.

That doesn't seem right though. That seems like I'm not having to buy a lot of stuff to get properly started. I'm not sure, that besides Blood Bowl, there's any of the other games GW make that I can start (including where you have to buy or make a table full of terrain) for that low an amount. Which is why I'm looking for the catch!

Perhaps the catch is the inevitable expansions to add other races into the game?

It seems to me that GW are targeting this price bracket of the Skirmish scene pretty heavily.

Underworlds, you can purchase an entire season's worth for under £200, which is definitely enough to be competitive.

WarCry is the Core box and then either 2 boxes of 1 Warband or 1 box of 1 that's in the starter.

Killteams is a little more expensive but not by much.

Adeptus Titanicus is playable with a £200 investment too, the Battlegroup, Rules box and a couple of boxes of Knights.

Rik

There is no catch. It is an air skirmish game that you can play with only the rulebook, bunch of dice and a marker pen if you want to go all Scrooge McDuck about it. Skirmish games tend to be cheaper than army games.

 Sherrypie wrote:
Skirmish games tend to be cheaper than army games.

cuz they are designed to be played with few models over a short time.
anyone who wants "large games" from a skirmish game has misunderstood the point of skirmish games.

only reasons to why i did not go for the starter box is the qustionable "mat" and that you get a rules booklet, not the campain book.

Without the WOV starter set we would be looking at this for a simple two player game...

Rynns World £22
Thunderbolts £25
Dakka jets £25
Map of Engagement £26
Tokens set £7.50
A&A Card sets x2 £32

...I think thats about...£140? They have been very sensible in delivering a "First Strike" for Aeronautica.

Personally, GW has made the hobby more accessable in the last few years and its only Titanicus that has been expensive to get started with, for which £75 basically gets you pistols-at-dawn-with-warhounds...