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2022/08/19 08:02:15
Subject: Re:Archon Dungeons & Lasers - Encounters PM and late pledge now open
- D&L 3 UK delivery still has issues. 200 UK pledges left to ship awaiting VAT payment - invoices issued but not paid follow up emails next week (check spam folders if you are still waiting)
- Need to close out the Woodhaven project this quarter.
- Looking at other options for future UK shipping possibly set up a UK branch for shipping and sales - probably not for Encounters shipping though.
- 5% of backers never respond or close PM - Products for UK market might end up more expensive as a result of additional costs that are being incurred and could be incurred if they set up a branch.
- Encounters project update see image below. Elven Woods tooled and in production, Swamps of Doom in tooling. In tooling does not mean production is near or that it might get bumped to rapid delivery. Mighty Merman is the internal name they used for the boat sprue.
- Encounters shipping January or February
- River - large - 2 sections takes up a full sprue, 2 sprue designs in set. Wider than older sets so not compatible straight out of the box - stand alone kit.
- Oak tree to be produced next week
- Creature pack 6 to 8 tools depending on layout which they are currently working on.
- Land of Giants - designed no tools cut or scheduled yet
- Using Aluminum tools - casting pressure on tools will very longevity - maximum life 120,000 sprues but can be less.
- Elven and Swamp most popular themes in PM so far (about level), Creatures not far behind, Land of Giants least popular by a good bit.
- Encounters Base pack - oversight was on the list to be added to PM - they'll add it soon.
- Assembly instructions on Archon website - working on update to have it open in browser rather than pdf download
- Adding extra shifts for manufacturing - night shifts (rather than adding more machines)
- Mentioned a skirmish fantasy game and possibly a Rank and File game in development.
Pictures to follow
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/08/19 14:13:05
2022/08/20 08:43:20
Subject: Archon Dungeons & Lasers - Encounters PM and late pledge now open
I hope some of the branches are interchangeable or it's going to get very samey. Going by their sprue sizes the Oak tree is about 5 inches tall, The current GW Wyldwood is 6 inches and the old Citadel Woods are about 4.5 inches depending on build so these sit somewhere between the 2.
I like that they modeled the inside of the tree stump so you can do fallen trees.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2022/08/22 17:12:00
2022/08/23 00:07:50
Subject: Archon Dungeons & Lasers - Encounters PM and late pledge now open
Whether intentionally so I do not know, but the holes seem the same size for major and minor branches, so you can swap those. If they are not it is not beyonf filing and using green stuff for any connectors. You should also be able to pin and reposition the branches also and turn branch sockets into tree boles.
I see zero problems with making these trees all different with the sprue shown.
However Archon Studio might not of themselves have thought of that, they have proven poor at variating items on sprues and adding specific details to generic items which makes them hard to repeat. I would not be surprised if they are all the same tree, there are enough branches that we have good material to work with.
n'oublie jamais - It appears I now have to highlight this again.
It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion. By the juice of the brew my thoughts aquire speed, my mind becomes strained, the strain becomes a warning. It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion.
2022/08/23 03:42:44
Subject: Archon Dungeons & Lasers - Encounters PM and late pledge now open
Hope Archon checked to see how many people "selected" 4 Elven sets!
I selected 6 Elven Woods sets... Two of us pledged and it worked for one of us to get Rapid Delivery for all of the Elven Woods pack from both pledges. Everything else (Swamps and Creatures) went into the other non-RD pledge.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/08/23 03:45:00
2022/08/25 12:50:51
Subject: Archon Dungeons & Lasers - Encounters PM and late pledge now open
Looks like they might be moving up Rapid Delivery from October so lock in you RD pledges sooner rather than later.
And another tree in production miniature for scale (32mm scale). The entire Elven Woods set is now done, and the river should be in production next week, meaning Rapid deliveries will start much quicker than planned. Thanks!
2022/08/25 22:18:15
Subject: Archon Dungeons & Lasers - Encounters PM and late pledge now open
Hanskrampf wrote: Are the "Entrances" included in the main pledge or only available as an addon?
Add on only.
I thought they were going to hide the clips under the river banks? they are visible under the water in the final design. I think they should have gone with the two 45 degree pieces suggestion over the 90 degree.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2022/08/30 17:51:18
2022/08/30 19:58:58
Subject: Archon Dungeons & Lasers - Encounters PM and late pledge now open
Retail releases October 6th -
Townsfolk set USD$59 (TBC)
Ghost Dragon USD $31
Encounters
- Swamp Tree is tooled and done
- Encounters bases - not designed yet so they can't price it or add it to the PM at this stage. Might be added later but not before rapid delivery pledges need to be closed.
- Retail releases - nothing that hasn't already shipped to backers also dependent on what retailers want to order so not everything will go to retail.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/09/02 14:00:17
2022/09/02 18:17:30
Subject: Archon Dungeons & Lasers - Encounters PM and late pledge now open
- Swamps getting a big dead fish as there was sprue space
- Tree branches are interchangeable
- Ahead of target - decision on possible revised PM closing date at end of November - might ship early and leave PM open but your pledge won't ship until PM is completed.
Goobertown has a new video showing some of the sprues and tools
This message was edited 5 times. Last update was at 2022/09/23 17:59:12
2022/10/08 13:07:45
Subject: Re:Archon Dungeons & Lasers - Encounters PM and late pledge now open
- Next D&L project - Heroes or Villains
monopose bosses - bringing back some of the old resin designs (LOAD, RELOAD, VoW, Chronicle X) in HIPS (150 to 200 designs available to use)
Fantasy and sci-fi minis
Q1 2023 subject to Encounters being finished
- Further D&L terrain project planned after Heroes or Villains
- No further retail releases this year for previous D&L stuff beyond those already announced
- No plans to retire anything already tooled but not yet released - retail release is a matter of timing
- D&L Encounters -
new sprues tooled (see pictures) - LoG sprues, creature pack sprues,
Need to finish tooling and manufacturing in December due to energy price rises in January that aren’t budgeted for
new sculpts completed
Female Giant (50mm base)
Entrances
Dwarf Entrance (12cm tall)
Spider eggs and various scatter bits
General
- Manufacturing for 6/7 customers 20% of capacity to customers there is always spare capacity between projects so they can fit them in
- Archon can now tool and manufacture cheaper than China where tooling is outsourced. Due to China delays they will lose money on MOTU Fields of Eternia.
- plan to reduce KS to 20% of business (20% customer services, 60% retail). 2 KS in 2023 Feb and June minis only no new board games until they can do everything in house.
- There’s an interesting case study on KS costs with a breakdown
8% fees
10% license fee
12% Taxes (averaged figure)
8% Development
26% tooling and manufacturing
5% to 8% advertising
31% profit (assuming no overspends or delays) to cover all overheads and keep the business running in the interim. Not to mention shipping costs which should be kept separate but may eat into the profit if incorrect,
MOTU Battleground has sold better as a retail only release in staged releases than FoE has as a KS. Lower initial investment and generates ongoing income over time vs 1 and done KS model.
Gamefound has stricter rules on multiple campaigns and undelivered projects.
Lots of pictures to follow
This message was edited 10 times. Last update was at 2022/10/14 14:25:47
2022/10/14 13:42:56
Subject: Archon Dungeons & Lasers - Encounters PM, D&L Heroes or Villains announced
I happen to like a lot of their older sculpts, I'm more concerned with what the size will end up like.
Some of the Woodhaven stuff was really tiny, especially the humans.
I get the feeling this heroes and villains thing is replacing their idea of offering STL files for their models from a while back.
I don't see a problem with them repurposing older designs that aren't getting much use these days.
Poorly lit photos of my ever- growing collection of completely unrelated models!
