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Well, for AoS the idea behind it wasn't bad, and not far off of we see now in several games
(having pre-made army lists that play pre-made scenarios to follow a story) but with the problem that the actual game was limited to the new core box factions and not available for everyone else (be it veteran or new player) and we don't know how much management interventions there were as well

So I am curious what JJ delivers

Jervis has had many more hits than misses if you look at his back catalogue. I think any designer with a long career is going to have the odd dud here and there. My issue with AoS wasn't really with the core rules anyway but with the silly 1st edition rules and lack of points. I've become more relaxed about points over time but at the time of release I really thought it was very poor that they weren't included.

The bigger issues with that game for me are all around the setting and artistic direction which I just find unappealing.

But I am likewise not interested in sports games at all, even Blood Bowl was never really interesting to me.

Jervis as head of Specialist Games was also the only time GW did public playtesting.

 Pacific wrote:
Really interesting to see Jervis Johnson still developing games after leaving GW.

Not only post GW - guy's full on retired.

I just got a notification that Mantic are doing a Ghost in the Shell wargame. It looks like it is tying into the aesthetic of the upcoming series reboot. Nice! Fuchikomas for everybody!

Seems like a big assumption to say it's a wargame?

I guess it could be an RPG. The splash page said coming to the tabletop, so take that how you will.

From the preview, looks like this an RPG.

Love Ghost in the Shell, so happy regardless.

 Flinty wrote:
I guess it could be an RPG. The splash page said coming to the tabletop, so take that how you will.

There's already an official RPG, released like last year by Mana Project.

They did go with ARISE, though, although 1) probably for money reasons, and 2) it's trivially easy to use it for anything else.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/manaprojectstudio/ghost-in-the-shell-roleplaying-game

I just expected it to be a boardgame/skirmish game hybrid, because that's what Mantic usually do with licenses?

AFAIK, they've never done an RPG

Oh wait, no, Hellboy.. I'm told that one needed a hell of a lot of rewrites ^^

Hellboy but indirectly as they acquired Riverhorse there is the Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and the My llittle Pony RPG/Adventure books

So it is an RPG after all! That is... well, weird, TBH. Now there's two of them.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to be bringing The Ghost in the Shell to the world of tabletop roleplaying” said Ronnie Renton, CEO of Mantic Games. “This is one of the most iconic and influential science fiction worlds ever created, and we’re honoured to be entrusted with the official license. Alessio and Zak have worked tirelessly to ensure every story told at the table feels true to the original manga, allowing players to live, think, and fight in the world of Major Kusanagi and the iconic Section 9.”

Dakka's search isn't working, but Halo Flashpoint is available on Amazon for $86.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR946KB1

Is the game any good? How's the plastic?

The game is simple and plays well enough. I don't like some of the game modes (not a fan of spawning in wargames). The game has 2 big fans at the club who are getting everything and are massive halo fans, saying it matches the background. The box is very good with everything you need.
Note that link above is for ODST. I got this, and discovered unlike the other big box sets int he range, this is the only one that doesn't come with a rulebook...

Only miss I have seen so far is the colours plastic is great, bar one of the alien groups being grey (not purple or similar alien colour).

My plastic minis in the original box were pretty warped and had relatively soft details.

The integral bases were wavy and had ripples in them. Game might be great, but that was enough for me to just offload it and move on.

Dreadball All Stars KS is live

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/manticgames/dreadball-all-stars-the-sci-fi-sports-game/description

I went over it few times to see what the minis are made of but it's not listed - they have confirmed PVC in the comments - and that ends my interest no matter what they say about it being a newer formula and better PVC just isn't worth my time anymore.

It just doesn't seem to be priced in a compelling way - effectively £20 teams of 5 models in PVC, ignoring all the cardboard, supposedly at a 30-50% discount.

Even if they're bigger and chunkier than the original releases, that's still £4 per PVC model at the Kickstarter price. Compare that to £2.27 per model for HIPS for Blood Bowl teams (if bought from a 3rd party retailer). It doesn't feel like they're competing on price or quality, particularly when asking backers to take on the usual Kickstarter risk.

£10 more for Dungeon Saga Origins (admittedly a few years of inflation ago) got you 97 good quality PVC models, so it felt like the inferior material had a substantial cost advantage.

A couple of comments about them really being willing to stand by the quality of the miniatures and them being available to see and handle soon, so hopefully that will give a better idea while the KS is still running.

PVC without any assembly needed is basically the obvious choice if they target the boardgame market
And the quality of the Halo PVC models is very good so while HIPS might have been better for "us" I don't see this as a big problem

Team price is £20 for the single 5 model Team + cards on the KS compared to £25 for the old Teams (11 models+cards) or the Halo 4 model Team (with cards), so my guess is that we will see a £25-30 for the Allstars Teams at retail
Box prices are hardly ever by models but by "full team", with an increased quality over the DB2 boxes
(I would be disappointed if the Teamboxes outside the KS would be 35 or 40)

Not sure what this adds over previous Dreadball - which I pledged all-in and then barely touched.

 lord_blackfang wrote:
Not sure what this adds over previous Dreadball - which I pledged all-in and then barely touched.

I think that it is an entirely new game with no crossover with the original Dreadball which is a shame as I really liked DB1 and 2.

Yes they have stated no rules crossover with the previous game.

I really liked the original game, although it did have some balancing issues - remember originally the Jedwan (the pacifist race ) basically getting top three or four positions in tournaments, they were so hard to stop. Then, conversely, it sometimes being too easy to kill players in league play - we had a fair few players having to restart teams, there wasnt enough of a balancing mechanic so people could 'run up the score' and not get an auto-win deliberately just so they could completely kill the other team.

Veer-myn and Marauders for Epic Warpath are up for preorder shipping in April

https://www.manticgames.com/epic-warpath/veer-myn/

https://www.manticgames.com/epic-warpath/marauders/

It looks like the wave 2 & 3 STLs are pushed back to Q3 but with new super heavies for Firefight they likely did mini versions as well?

https://www.manticgames.com/news/warpath-universe-roadmap-firefight-tribe-launch/?mc_cid=1b34aa2219&mc_eid=547ff1e0d5

In Q3, things are set to escalate. A major expansion book will deliver updates across three game systems - Deadzone, Firefight and Epic Warpath - alongside a global campaign that will shape the fate of the Warpath Universe. At the same time, Waves 2 and 3 of the Epic Warpath STL releases will roll out, with Wave 2 completing the line-up of existing factions, and Wave 3 introducing new units to the game.

Then, in Q4, the heavy hitters arrive. The Nameless will be making their long-awaited Firefight debut with brand new hard plastic miniatures that will also be useable in Deadzone, while Firefight will be expanding even further with some BIG new units built for the vehicle-focused Annihilation game mode

I am happy to see the Nameless finally get to be hard plastic for Firefight/Deadzone, but what ever happened to their stated proposal to release the "Rebs" in hard plastic?

link to the MMF tribe
https://www.myminifactory.com/users/ManticGames
$8 base level, for $15 for commander level with extras. you can get commander level for $12 a month with early bird slots, while they last. basic elvel comes with a 10% discount on their existing MMF store options, commander level with a 15%.

Welcome pack includes Enforcer peacekeeper captain, Enforcer jetbikes, and Enforcer Operatives/assault enforcers/heavy support. as well as dice and bases.



the may release is Marauders, with the marauder officer, the basic troops (rifles, heavy weapons, and melee parts), Skyscrapers, and the commander level bonus is the marauder Stuntbot and the Enforcer Strider. both with the parts for all the variants. (in the strider's case, that includes the GCPS, Rebels, and Plague parts as well)


and if they can get 1000 subscribers, they'll release the new Rippermech STL to the tribe. (currently that's a multimonth loyalty reward on their vault, so if enough people sign up for the tribe, MMF users could get it early)



honestly this feels like a great value for the price, especially if you can snag an early bird slot.

I'm not into STLs or resin, but hard plastic Nameless is great news if Mantic use Archon to cast them. (If they go with Chinese casters, I'll reserve judgment until I see the results, but given past uneven outcomes I'd be skeptical.) I expect there will be lots of crossover kitbashing potential between Mantic's Nameless and the Kaigus Pact from Maelstrom's Edge too, for those who want even more variety / options.

I'm also wondering what they'll do with the Rebs and hope they'll get to them some day too, but since I'd rather have Nameless, I don't mind them leaping the queue. (That said, hard plastic Reb Soraks and Teratons would be awesome.)

I'm guessing Mantic are going to do a sprue of the standard Nameless tentacled soldier types as they're the faction's bread-and-butter grunts, and (from the image shown above) the Ogre-sized crabby ones with giant clam-ish heads. Those larger ones are excellent designs, currently only let down by the boardgame PVC plastic Mantic originally released them in for Star Saga, which didn't hold detail as well as some of their other "restic" castings. If we get lucky, maybe they'll even do a sprue of Nameless Feromites (a better design than the bipedal Nameless troopers, in my opinion) and a vehicle or two.

After Nameless and Rebs, I'd love to see Mantic eventually release hard plastic Zz'or, although I think the Zz'or are due for a cool redesign, as well as a species expansion into other insect types for other units.

the teaser for next month's tribe release went up a few days ago. pretty early for this sort of thing, but i'm guessing they're hoping it'll drum up some extra subscriptions.



For the recruit Tier:

Enforcer Pathfinders
Novashock
Enforcer Defender Shield Upgrades
Enforcer Medic

and the commander Tier adds:

Enforcer Sergeant
Marauder Warlord
Marauder Bomb Beasts
Marauder Mule Transport


based on the Strider from this month, the Mule STLs will probably include all the parts to build it as GCPS, Plague, Marauder, and Mazon. though i doubt it'll have the extra for the specialized variants (bronco, command vehicle, plague mortar, etc.) those no doubt will come later on. just the basic transport model is what i'm expecting.

you have until the 31st to get your subscription in. there are still several hundred early bird commander subscriptions available. and heck if we can get all of those filled, we'll get the rippermech.