Sunday, October 30, 2005

White Dwarf (UK) 311 Highlights

In France recently I took a look at their White Dwarf and noticed that content gets staggered between the different editions. Some of the content there I saw a while ago - other stuff, such as the Dawn of War preview, took a while to filter through to the UK edition.

I'll concentrate on the news stuff here.

Anyhow, 311 isn't quite as good as 310, but is closer to that level of quality than to most of the issues that came out during the weaker period that preceded it (the end of a Tale of Four Gamers probably helped). Probably part of this is that the WD development team merged with the website team as of 310, and in fact Owen Rees of the website team takes over from Guy Haley as WDUK editor as of next issue.

New releases this month concentrate on the Black Templars, the list includes the Battle Force (£50, 5/11 release), Codex (£12, 5/11), Crusader Squad (£20, 19/11), Assault Squad (£18, 19/11), Command Squad (£20, 12/11), Chaplain (£6, 12/11, 4 variants). The Battle Squad includes the following components:

- BT command squad
- BT crusader squad
- regular SM combat squad
- rhino

One thing, it doesn't mention, but which is in the 2006 catalogue, is that there'll be a space marines upgrade kit, containing the additional new sprues, released 7 Jan at £15.

Additional releases include the Terminator Close Combat squad (£20, 5/11), Wargear book (basically a mini-codex which summarises all the wargear information from the other 40k codices), Orion (£18, 29/10),the Lizardmen collectors guide (£5, 19/11) and the "modular gaming hills" (£15, 5/11). In this last case, you get 2 quarter hill pieces for your money, which "slot together in two different configurations" - maybe I'm being a little dense but I can only see one configuration if you only have the one (£15!) half-hill.

Anyhow, for LotR - Goblin Captains (£6 for 2, 12/11), Lurtz with Bow (£5, 19/11), Evil of Isengard Battleforce (20 Uruk-Hai, 18 Warg Riders, £40, 12/11), Valiant Rohirrim Battleforce (18 Riders, 24 Warriors, £40, 12/11) and a preview of the upcoming LotR Easterlings supplement, with some concept art and a couple of sculpts by the Perrys.

Hobby - the Mega Paint Set (complete 72 pot paint range, 7 brushes, flocks, labels (put them on the paintpots in the first place, dammit), glue, carrycase, £150!!!!, 5/11, if you're going to spend this kind of money buy 2 cases of Vallejo VGC is my advice), Master Brush Set (Wooden case, 5 "masters" brushes, soap, cloth, a brass waterpot, wooden case, £75!!! that's £15 a brush!!!), Army Figure Case (twice the size of the regular one, otherwise the same (£50, 5/11), Tank Figure case (the regular one but with a different foam insert, £30, 5/11). As to the brush set, the most significant improvement I've made to my painting is to stop using GW brushes - I use the Pro Arte acrylic range, available from most decent art stores for about £2 a brush.

From Forgeworld, the Phaeton outpost, Imperial Armour update 2005, Keep of Secrets greater daemon.

Black Library - Dawn of War: Ascension (by C.S. Goto, second in that series, 40k), The Broken Lance (Nathan Long, second in Blackhearts series, WHFB), the Vampire Genevieve (Kim Newman writing as Jack Yeovil, repackaging of the Genevieve four novels in one volume, WHFB), Realms of Sorcery (WHFRP). Preview of next Ciaphas Cain novel (Death or Glory).

Warp Artefacts - 13 new prints by John Blanche.

Sabertooth - Dawn of War battlebox for Dark Millenium (basically a fancy packaging exercise).

Warhammer Ancient Battles - Vlad the Impaler supplement.

And as for the actual content:

40k - Black Templars designer notes
40k - Black Templars battle reports (3 linked batreps - first versus Dark Eldar, second two versus Lost and Damned
40k - painting Black Templars (clue - use black). Actually a good and detailed article.
40k - preview of Wargear book
40k - modelling weapons damage (another good modelling/painting article, something of a feature of the last two issues)
40k - Index Xenos - article on the Dark Eldar, illustrated by some decent models. Basically a trailer for the new Eldar/Dark Eldar collectors' guide, which is presumably now out.
LotR - (this section is now in the middle, as of last issue it seems the LotR this section is going to float around in the same way the others do) Alternative Scenarios for Mines of Moria
LotR - updated rules for Battle Companies
LotR - scenario - the Ringwraiths vs Fatty Bolger (somewhat one sided)
LotR - painting Elrond and his High Elves
LotR - 2nd Age mini scenario
WHFB - Return of the Lichemaster campaign part 3, includes a Lichemaster Battle of the Cairns army list
WHFB - painting Wood Elf tree spirits
WHFB - Wayfarer's Companion, a guide to Hell Pit, stronghold of Clan Moulder. Hell Pit army list, plus some decent conversions
General - an article on brushes, and why you should pay £15 for one
Konvershun Klinic - Lustrian Heroes

Advanced Orders (some of these are now up on the website)
Black Templars Rhino (from 29/10)
BT Sword Brethren squad (from 29/10)
BT Chaplain Grimaldus and Revenue (from 29/10 - it's this set that's persuaded me to do a BT army)
Dwarf Army Set (!!!) (from 29/10)
Specialist Games Catalogue (from 1/11, and it will be interesting, given how little SG content has been released recently, to see if this has changed from last year. I guess it will have the 10mm LotR content.)
BT Sword Brethren blisters (from 6/11)

By the way, the letters page says they'll be running the house Mordheim campaign in WD, hopefully a little better than the Necromunda articles - the best articles of this type recently were the Battle Company ones, which almost got me to go out and start buying LotR stuff ("must ... resist ...").

Friday, October 28, 2005

Minis News 27 Oct 05, Part 2

Some more stuff, which I didn't have time to post earlier:

Forge World Tyranid Trygon

This was being shown at Games Day, it's just made it to the new stuff area on the Forge World website - a tyranid trygon, retailing at £75 (!!!), in case the really expensive Tyranids they make are beyond your reach and you only want one at about the price of a bottom of the range new settee from Ikea. A nice model but not that spectacularly better than the regular ones, I seem to remember it's 4-5" high.



New Terrain from ESLO

Some new announcements from the German terrain maker, 28mm items:

0162 School €49.95 EUR
0163 Ranch €49.95 EUR
0164 Bushes Set €11.95 EUR

 

Privateer's Katrina Aid Model Shipping

As an update to the previous news on shipping models, Privateer's alternate Vladimir model, in aid of Katrina Hurricane relief, is now slated to ship on November 9.

Keith Parkinson dies, aged 47

Famed fantasy illustrator Keith Parkinson, an artist very much associated with illustration for D&D during the later TSR era, has died at the age of 47. Latterly, many of his illustrations had been converted to miniature form by industry master Tom Meier. More details at the Dark Sword Miniatures site. My sympathy to Mr. Parkinson's family.

Minis News 27 Oct 05, Part 1

Urban Mammoth Boxed Sets available on pre-order

This now includes the starter set, as well as Full Force 300 sets (packaged 300 point armies) for each of the factions. Go here. Always one to be easily panicked by a short term special offer, I ordered a starter set and some of the builder sets. I'll let you know how it goes.

GW news

... from their latest newsletter. Not much really - a repackaging of Battle For Macragge (original box plus glue, sand, brushes and 10 paints (but not the £5 add-on scenario book) - and pre-order for the new plastic space marine scouts.

New Ilyad models

The Ilyad site (see sidebar) is next to impossible to navigate, even if you speak French, partly because it's not really a site in its own right, but rather a subsite of Asmodee Editions. Anyhow, buried in the difficult to find news section (I have the Frothers Fora to thank for this), a new Necromancer (or whatever the feminine of necromancer is), two Knights of Infortune (only the first is pictured, for the second just an illo is available), and Goum and Pepette, two "signature characters" for Ilyad's Chronicles of the Black Moon.

 

Elsewhere on Blogspot - Para Bellum

A new blog, around the construction of an army for Warhammer Ancients. Looking forward to following it. I'll start an area in the sidebar for interesting blogs as I find them. Main qualification is that they should be focused on miniatures and/or gaming, rather than where the writer eats out (real gamers don't get the time).

Para Bellum, building a Warhammer Ancients Roman Republic Army

Another one, by the way, and with a similar brief to miniblogster (and far more established) is Tabletop Gaming News.

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Minis News 26 Oct 05

New Gamezone Miniatures

I noticed these yesterday at Battlefield Berlin, trying to track down a supplier of Reaper's master paints (I'm still no wiser), and then followed through to Gamezone's own site in Spain. But given the various language differences I didn't feel confident to repost. An entry at Frother's Unite, though, identifies the new stuff (pictures in order): a Dark Elf Hero on Lizard, a High Elf captain, a Mage, an Orc Captain, a Dwarf Lord and a Dark Elf Mage. Some nice sculpts:

 

 

 

New Rackham Models

More of some of the best miniatures out there ... Dirz, Elemental and Mongol Orc:



 

Urban Mammoth - New Bio-Toxin Plant Set

Is now in stock, and for a few days there's a special offer on the various builder kits - going to get me some of that, methinks.

Renegade Miniatures - New Republican Romans

Some nice 28mm ancients sculpts. The new lines are:

ROME01 PRINCIPES, PILUM A
ROME02 PRINCIPES, PILUM B
ROME03 PRINCIPES, SWORD A (pictured)
ROME04 VELITES ATTACKING A
ROME05 VELITES ATTACKING B
ROME06 PRINCIPES, SWORDS B
ROME07 PRINCIPES, SWORDS C
ROME10 VELITES, SWORDS A
ROME11 VELITES, SWORDS B
ROME14 EQUITES A (Cavalry)



The following are "coming soon" ...

ROME08 HASTATI, PILUM A
ROME09 HASTATI, PILUM B
ROME12 TRIARI, KNEELING A
ROME13 TRIARI, KNEELING B
ROME15 EQUITES B (Cavalry)
ROME16 EQUITES C (Cavalry)
ROME17 EQUITES COMMAND

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Minis News 25 Oct 05

Privateer Press Shipments 26 Oct 05

The next batch of Warmachine models ship tomorrow, from various sites; the pictures below are from Game Mart. The list of new models includes:

PIP-33036 - Warmachine: Khador Behemoth Heavy Warjack
PIP-34038 - Warmachine: Cryx Deathjack Helljack
PIP-41028 - Warmachine: Alexia Ciannor & Risen, Mercenary
PIP-41029 - Warmachine: Mercenary - Risen (3)
PIP-41030 - Warmachine: Mercenary - Thrall Warrior

PIP-81043 - Iron Kingdoms: Curator & Discerning Beast
PIP-81044 - Iron Kingdoms: Umbral Warrior
PIP-81045 - Iron Kingdoms: Umbral Assassin
PIP-81046 - Iron Kingdoms: Umbral Sorcerer
PIP-81050 - Iron Kingdoms: Harlan Phineas Versh, Illuminated One

The risen and the thrall warriors can also be found in the Alexia boxed set, of which a picture below:



The Khador Behemoth and the Cryx Deathjack are the first of the larger "unique" warjacks (ringing in at £32 RRP):

 

Nicest of the release is probably the witch-hunter, Harlan, picture below. Also, the Katrina special edition Vladimir model (PIP-33040) is delayed, though Privateer have a released a picture of the model painted up:

 

New Renaissance Pikeman from the Assault Group

Nice historical figures and probably usable in a WHFB Dogs of War or Empire army, but I challenge anyone to find their way through TAG's unusable (from a Mac, at least) website to buy them.



Mega Miniatures 2006 Catalog available

As a PDF from this link. Notable among other things as the current home of the license for Traveller RPG spaceships.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Tyranids Collectors Guide

I try to pick up all the GW collectors guides, though there's this nagging feeling at the back of my head that I'm being sold a somewhat inaccurate catalogue in numerous £5 chunks. One reason is to try and work out exactly what is available still, given the implosion of the GW archive service (on the assumption that the collectors guides provide the definitive statement of archived model availability); the other is, well let's admit it, to look at the well painted models. OK, I tell myself, it's a reference.

Anyhow, looking at this latest CG, I was struck by the fact that several models I thought out of print were allegedly still available. In particular, a couple of genestealer hybrids, a couple of magi and for that matter the enthroned patriarch. There's another patriarch, for good measure, in the HQ section. So, let's go to the classic/collectors section, subsection Tyranids, of the GW website and see if any of the above are listed. Nope. For that matter the antediluvian "Classic Tyranid Warrior", £8, isn't there (though a different £10.50 one, not listed in the guide, is). The Hormagaunts aren't there either, though you can order the parts separately (but the bodies aren't listed in the guide). And so on.

OK, they're not listed. Type in the model numbers, handily provided in the catalogue. Not there either. Of course, this could be an issue with the notoriously ill-maintained ASP site that passes for the GW UK online store, or it could be the case that the store runs somewhat behind the collectors guides. Anyhow, it looks like a case of going back to eBay.

Minis News 24 Oct 05

Mongoose Previews Viking Dropship for Starship Troopers

As it says in the title ... Model not to be released till next year. Somewhat uninspiring to my mind, but probably a lot cheaper than a forge world equivalent if you wanted to use it in 40k (and could get away with it). However this is an early look and maybe at some point I'll see something that will win me over to SST.



Copplestone Castings announces 10mm Orcs

Go here and scroll down to 10mm Evil army. Four new model announcements: TM1/Orcs, TM2/Half-Orcs with Spears, TM3/Half-Orc Archers, TM4/War Trolls (taking scale into account these last end up at 20-22mm). Designed to be compatible with the GW 10mm games such as Warmaster and Five Armies, so if you're into those (I'm not) may be a godsend. And certainly a good job at this scale by legendary sculptor Mark Copplestone.

Monday, October 24, 2005

New Abnett Trilogy previewed on Amazon.com

At this year's Games Day UK, it was announced that Dan Abnett, probably the leading author currently writing for GW's Warhammer and Warhammer:40k franchises, would be bringing out a new trilogy based around the events of the Horus Heresy. Very tempting too, given that I've yet to read a bad novel by Mr Abnett (new readers, in particular, are directed towards the Eisenhorn trilogy). Anyhow, and this may not be new news (but I just noticed), Amazon.com has a pre-order page for the first of the new trilogy, dated April 2006.

Minis News 23 Oct 05

New Freebooter Releases

Two new releases for Freebooter in November, a winged variant of the female chaos demon (CHA 002-V) and a just-in-time-for-Halloween pumpkin-wielding chaos goblin (GOB 003). Total height of the demon is 64mm and of the goblin (plus pumpkin) 40mm.

 

Forge World Newsletter 132

A couple of new resin kits from the GW support company, firstly two variants of the Hellhound Imperial flamethrower tank, and secondly the Phaeton Pattern defense platform. The latter presumably fits with the fantastic (and fantastically expensive) Phaeton pattern defense base, which I was drooling over at Games Day this year.

 

Friday, October 21, 2005

Minis News 21 Oct 05

Urban War Box Set and New Greens

Urban Mammoth are previewing a Starter Set for their Urban War skirmish game. Included is a cut down Hexagon construction kit and two sets of six white metal minis - Viridians and Synthas. Price is posted as £30. Attractive, especially compared to, say, Mordheim. More previews here.

Also, some new greens, posted to their message boards: (in order of pictures) Junker Exosuit, Junker Legionaries, Junker sandrunner, VASA Archangel, VASA Black Legion:





 



Games Workshop News

For the UK at least, taken from their online newsletter:

(40k) White Dwarf 311 preview ... largely about the Black Templars. 310 was the best WD since Paul Sawyer left so hopefully this one will keep up.

(40k) Who are the Black Templars

(40k) Black Templars artwork

(LOTR) Building a Mines of Moria board

Sneak peeks: Warriors of Khand (LOTR) and Dwarf Lord (WFB) - I won't bother linking as they aren't hard linked

Also noted, appearing on the advance orders part of their website, some new "hobby stuff" - water effects (resin?) and modular gaming hills.

I popped into our local GW today and picked up the Tyranid and Skaven collectors' guides and the 2006 catalogue. I've still to open the collector's guides. There's not much to say at this point as regards the catalogue apart from that the paper feels cheaper than previous editions and the "preview pictures" are of tau empire (the same Vespid pictures that have been doing the round - no actual Tau) and the dwarf pictures which have also all appeared in the sneak peeks on the GW website.

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Minis News 20 Oct 05

Dark Age Genesis

Dark Age Games announced the release of their new wargame ruleset Genesis. Also some new models for October, DAG2022 Dragyri Frostbite #1 (pictured), DAG2023 Dragyri Blizzard #1, DAG1035 Forsaken Coil Leader (pictured) and DAG1036 Forsaken Strike Leader:


 

More Rezolution Gallery Postings

Previews from the Rezolution website: the Ronin Brick with mini-gun and first pictures of the new Merc faction :


 

Mystic Spirals Castings

A small run of limited edition figures (20 castings for each figure, according to the site) from Mystic Spirals, their first. Not bad at all. The pirate's my favourite:




Reaper Greens

Around for a few days, just got round to posting, some new greens from Reaper, including the pictured Sasquatch and Vampire Lord. Go to their Greens page to see the others, including some new CAV models and, from their fantasy ranges, a Satyr, Mage of Ritterlich and a Half-Orc with Double Great Axe:


 

New Pulp Figures

Some very nice previews from Pulp Figures. The complete list is here. Anyone thought of making an Inquisitor-type game set in the Pulp era?:


 

Minis News 19 Oct 05

Sigh. One broken hard disk later, and a busy day. I'll post some more tomorrow also.

New Gangs of Mega City One

Some new releases from Mongoose Publishing for Gangs of Mega City One - a Undercity Gang box set and some individual minis - Vid Vulture, Sleazy Lawyer and Cleaner. These latter items are nice looking and the first two could be used in most modern games, I think.







New Rezolution Gallery Entries

Some new gallery postings for the Rezolution sci-fi skirmish game.


  


New releases from Alpha Forge

Per the title, some sci-fi new stuff from Alpha Forge Games - a "Hydrissian Noble" and two salvage gang members. They also have a deal on their 6 member salvage gang.


 




New releases from Perry

I wouldn't normally reference historical stuff, but nevertheless, some beautiful stuff from the fantastic Perry brothers - samurai, American War of Independence Hessians, Border Reivers (1580 to 1603) and (pictured) Mahdists from the Sudan war.