Switch Theme:

John's Beyond the Gates of Antares Blog - Strike on Kar'a Nine  [RSS] Share on facebook Share on Twitter Submit to Reddit
»
Author Message
Advert


Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:
  • No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
  • Times and dates in your local timezone.
  • Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
  • Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
  • Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.
If you are already a member then feel free to login now.




Made in ca
Fireknife Shas'el






So I'm getting frustrated with GW in several ways - the animation crackdown, the rules bloat/obsolescence cycle, new Kill Team requiring two expensive books just to play, etc. etc. So I'm going to take a break from giving them any money and I took a serious look at alternatives and I'm really rather liking Beyond the Gates of Antares by Warlord Games. For those unfamiliar with the game, it's based off the Bolt Action rules, and features the following:

1.) Random unit activation in the form of order dice - both players dice are put into the same bag, one die per unit. You draw a die, and one unit of that side gets to act.
2.) Rolls are on a D10 and there's a hit roll and a resist roll - both can be modified in various ways.
3.) Morale is actually impactful, as it reduces many of your rolls to the point where you'll actually want to rally units and suppressing units is a viable tactic.
4.) Smaller unit sizes and game sizes than 40k - a lot of units are 5 models with the option to go to 8, and those 5 dudes are 100-150 points in a game geared towards 1000-2000 point play. So no real 'horde' armies and it's infantry focused, so no huge vehicles either - though there are transports and gunships available.
5.) The rules are confined a main starter rulebook and currently 3 expansion books, which are only required if you use the expansion units. Army lists are available for free as PDFs.

As to the setting, basically the star Antares is actually a giant series of wormhole gates that seems to cross both space and time. It's the only method of FTL (they can do sublight interstellar if necessary) and humanity has spread across millions of gates and re-engineered itself in many ways (so almost all the 'alien' factions are actually modified humans). Technology is very advanced and relies heavily on nanotech and AI assistance. This isn't the grimdark future, though there's plenty of evil and callousness to promote warfare. You're not getting the deep rich lore of 30 years of 40k books, but that's fine, I'm more about the minis and painting than the lore anyhow.

The minis are pretty much true 28mm scale. For comparison:




Each faction has at least one main-line troop unit in plastic, the rest being metal and larger stuff being resin with metal components. Price wise, it's a good chunk cheaper than GW. For example, a box of C3 Strike Team comes with 10 dudes, 4 spotter drones and 2 C3D1 Light Support Drones for 50USD direct from Warlord, probably cheaper at retail. Army starters are 90 USD from Warlord (note I picked up several from retailers at 70CAD, so shop around) and seem to float around 700-800 points of minis. Vehicles and artillery sit around the 45USD mark.

So I decided to buy one of the starter kits - the smallest of the two, called Strike on Kar'a Nine. It comes with the rulebook (to my surprise, hardbound), a box worth of C3 Strike Team (above) and a box and a half of Algoryn Armored Infantry (15 dudes and 3 drones) for 90 CAD (Warlord recently switched their pricing for NA to USD only, so now it's 62.50USD). Shipping was a bit expensive but Warlord throws in a free box of plastic minis (your choice!) to cover shipping, so I got an extra box of C3 Strike Team thrown in. Also included are 2x3 Order Dice, regular RPG dice, game templates and morale counters, some cardboard maps and terrain pieces. Pretty damn good value for a hardcover rulebook, 34 minis and all the extras. Basically if you were thinking about buying the rulebook you might as well buy Strike on Kar'a Nine just to get the templates and morale counters and you've gotten a bunch of free minis.

So, on to the painting blog side of this blog, I've finished painting (but not basing) the Concord side of the box set (bought separately this is 36USD direct from Warlord).



This is a minimum of 388 points as shown.

I really like these minis. While smaller than a space marine (especially a primaris), they have the same clean aesthetic. Build-wise, they're plastic with the legs being 1 piece, the torso 2, with an arm holding a gun (and its corresponding arm close on the sprue, so minimal instructions needed) and a separate head. Not a great variety of weapons, but all these guys have plasma weapons and those drones are carrying light plasma cannons - the Concord is pretty high tech when it comes to equipment. Mold-line wise they're as good as GW (small easy to clean lines).

Painting them, I airbrushed them Stynylrez blue primer followed by Vajello Model Color Light Turquoise. A wash of thinned Citadel Terradon Turquoise followed, then some clean-up with the Light Turquoise again, finishing with an edge highlight of Vajello Model Color Blue Green. Some Contrast Black Templar for the visors and a grey edge highlight plus some Reaper Orange Brown and Marigold Yellow for sensors/lights and such. Just for ease of play, some white banding was added to the heavy weapons guy and squad leaders (front and back) to make them easy to locate on the table. So maybe about 1 hour per guy.

Next up, the Algoryn side of the box, and then on to other stuff I have bought.

   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut





Always great to see some BTGOA content on the p and m blogs. I was quite heavily invested in the game from its beginnings (when the main Algoryn troops were metal) but somewhere fell out of it.

Your Concord look great, I am really interested to see you tackle some of their larger drones in the future. Also excited to see what scheme you choose for the Algoryn, easily my favourite looking faction for the game. Best of luck with it all.

Painting Warhammer 40,000 Conquest a P and M blog : https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/763491.page 
   
Made in ca
Fireknife Shas'el






ListenToMeWarriors wrote:
Always great to see some BTGOA content on the p and m blogs. I was quite heavily invested in the game from its beginnings (when the main Algoryn troops were metal) but somewhere fell out of it.

Your Concord look great, I am really interested to see you tackle some of their larger drones in the future. Also excited to see what scheme you choose for the Algoryn, easily my favourite looking faction for the game. Best of luck with it all.


Thanks. I'll be going with fairly standard red for Algoryn, I couldn't resist the blue team vs red team narrative.

   
Made in de
Dakka Veteran





I love the troops of all of the factions. You've definitely done IMTeL proud with these strike troopers.

While I have not played the BtGoA game, I am a big fan of all of the game's mechanics in Bolt Action. The lore is great, if a little underdeveloped. Hopefully Antares gets some more love from Warlord in the near future!

Definitely keep us posted!
   
Made in us
Is 'Eavy Metal Calling?





Affton, MO. USA

I like what you have done, and I have plenty of BtGoA models from the Ka'ra9 box and main starter as well as a load of C3 starter boxes and Ghar Starter boxes. Right now I am planning on using some of them as crew in stargrave alongside some Ironcore figures. I really like the idea of drones as well. I am not a big fan of the compacting and shrinking of models to fit inside of suits (Ghar) and the bikes that shrink down into the pockets of C3 troops. The Ghar suits I think should be Dreadnought sized to give the concept of weight and durability. I think it was just a creative way to make the models less expensive but to fit the rules.

Your paint job on the C3 is awesome.

LOL, Theo your mind is an amazing place, never change.-camkierhi 9/19/13
I cant believe theo is right.. damn. -comradepanda 9/26/13
None of the strange ideas we had about you involved your sexual orientation..........-Monkeytroll 12/10/13

I'd put you on ignore for that comment, if I could...Alpharius 2/11/14 
   
Made in us
[DCM]
Boom! Leman Russ Commander





United States

Excellent painting and well-photographed. The clean, almost sanitary lines and colors puts this unit at the 'science fiction' end of the scale, opposite the gritty, dirty 'space opera' end. The have almost a 2001-movie aesthetic; I like it a lot.

"He fears his fate too much, or his desserts are small, who will not put it to a single touch; to win- or lose- it all."

Montrose Toast


 
   
Made in ca
Fireknife Shas'el






 Theophony wrote:
I am not a big fan of the compacting and shrinking of models to fit inside of suits (Ghar) and the bikes that shrink down into the pockets of C3 troops. The Ghar suits I think should be Dreadnought sized to give the concept of weight and durability. I think it was just a creative way to make the models less expensive but to fit the rules.


It's an interesting solution to the Rhino problem that 40k has always had - no way 10 space marines fit into that little box. In Antares, they actually do shrink to fit!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
 Meer_Cat wrote:
Excellent painting and well-photographed. The clean, almost sanitary lines and colors puts this unit at the 'science fiction' end of the scale, opposite the gritty, dirty 'space opera' end. The have almost a 2001-movie aesthetic; I like it a lot.


It would certainly make for great cosplay, those C3 suits.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/09/16 05:13:21


   
Made in gb
Rampaging Reaver Titan Princeps





Earlobe deep in doo doo

Brilliant stuff. Really enjoy playing BtGoA myself and good to see more of it out there.

"But me no buts! Our comrades get hurt. Our friends die. Falkenburg is a knight who swore an oath to serve the church and to defend the weak. He'd be the first to tell you to stop puling and start planning. Because what we are doing-at risk to ourselves-is what we have sworn to do. The West relies on us. It is a risk we take with pride. It is an oath we honour. Even when some soft southern burgher mutters about us, we know the reason he sleeps soft and comfortable, why his wife is able to complain about the price of cabbages as her most serious problem and why his children dare to throw dung and yell "Knot" when we pass. It's because we are what we are. For all our faults we stand for law and light.
Von Gherens This Rough Magic Lackey, Flint & Freer
Mekagorkalicious -Monkeytroll
2017 Model Count-71
 
   
Made in gb
Dakka Veteran




Lincoln, UK

Lovely painting!

If you like the C3 plastics, you're going to love the metal Drop Troops. A joy to paint.

Only slight issue is they're a good head taller than the C3 troops, but you can rationalise that in-universe pretty easily.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/09/18 10:10:13


 
   
Made in us
Is 'Eavy Metal Calling?





Affton, MO. USA

I was at Miniaturemarket’s retail store in Manchester today and they had a copy of the K’ara 9 starter for 40% off. Almost bought my fourth one .

LOL, Theo your mind is an amazing place, never change.-camkierhi 9/19/13
I cant believe theo is right.. damn. -comradepanda 9/26/13
None of the strange ideas we had about you involved your sexual orientation..........-Monkeytroll 12/10/13

I'd put you on ignore for that comment, if I could...Alpharius 2/11/14 
   
Made in ca
Fireknife Shas'el






Trial mini for the Algoryn lads.


   
Made in nz
Ambitious Space Wolves Initiate






I have a few btgoa miniatures, got the strike box too but lost interest as my gaming group did not want to have a go. Glad to hear your feedback of the game.

Your c3 blue team look fantastic, the scheme suits the clean mini styling.

Red vs Blue great thinking there.

Algoryn Red looks promising. Looking forward to seeing more, then the ultimate red vs blue shot .

thanks for sharing.
   
Made in ca
Fireknife Shas'el






 Vestibulata wrote:


Red vs Blue great thinking there.



To be honest I was never really into RvB (or Halo), but it just seemed very appropriate.

   
Made in ca
Fireknife Shas'el






Been lazy lately, but got the first squad done.



This is basically Black Primer, Khorne Red Air, followed by a watered down Citadel Contrast Wyldwood wash (sort of a warmer Agrax Earthshade really), worked back up the Khorne Red and then Wazzdakka Red edge highlights plus a bit of grey/light grey and some blue details.

For these lads, thin shoulder stripe for special weapons, thick for squad leader. Higher ups will get more stripes.

   
Made in us
Dakka Veteran





These look great! The models appear very conducive to good highlight work. I'm surprised how much I like the plain black bases.
   
 
Forum Index » Dakka P&M Blogs
Go to: