The future of games day

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Ben Jackson

I’ve been reading with much interest another masterful miniature blog. It has been promising for what feels like weeks, but is probably only days to write about the future of games day. Well I’ve waited so long I thought I would do what most writers do.. Just make stuff up.

G,man and I both have tickets for games day uk and it looks like it’s going to be a very different event. The biggest change is there are going to be a lot lot less people there. The number of tickets has been reduced from 8000 to only 4000, however the size of the venue has been reduced from 2 large and 1 small hall to only 1 arena. This squashing in of people is less of concern given there have only been 2500 tickets sold so far.

Of course this isn’t the first time GamesDay has been held at the NIA. The last time it was there forge world was a very different business, which only made a handful of products. Given the trade stand had been given it’s own hall last year it will be interesting to see how the annual forge world world queue translates into the NIA even if there are only 3000 people standing in it this year.

In theory this extra £5 I paid for my ticket will give me twice as much time talking with the design and painting teams, twice as much time to take photo’s of the new forge world models. Twice as long to look at the displays, on hand. Oh hang on I’ve made a school boy error, twice as many people only gives me twice as long with the designers if I take the time out from doing something else. Maybe I’ll go to forge world next weekend so I don’t have to relate another account of standing in the forge world queue for over an hour and wasting a good proportion of the time I have at games day.

See you there if you are. I’ll be geek wearing the funny T-shirt oh wait that will be all of us, ok I’ll be the guy in the ring wraith suit.

New Space Marine Tactical Squad – Should you buy or not

Posted on September 7, 2013 by Ben Jackson

Well I think this question is a mute point, of course you will end up buying this kit. It’s going to be very hard to avoid it. There is still the question of should you buy the new squad, the old one while it’s still available, which should be a long time given how many have been made, or even should you take the forge world route.

I’ve been waiting for this kit for a long time. Given the level of anticipation Games Workshop have got to deliver on this kit. Let me start buy saying I both really like it and I’m disappointed by it at the same time. On the positive site it managed to have a fresh look. It has subtle differences from the old kit while still incorporating a lot of the same heads, torsos and arms; which is quite clever. If it had been made to look very different we would all have been up in arms about our old squads that now look tied and old. This way we can mix the new models through our collections and keep the old ones on the game table to.

There are a host of options with the new kit, including some hat tips to the old power armour suits, New MK4 legs, a couple of Mk6 torsos, more Mk6 heads and a new Mk8 torso with a high collar, there are also new heads and lots of weapon choices. All the old heavy and special weapons are included, the back pack for the missile luncher has been brought up to date with the devastator and old black reach kit. A Grav Gun, Grav pistol and a combi weapon which can be built as a combi grav, plasma, melta or flamer. Some of the old chain swords and pistols have been removed to achieve this. There is also a new aiming bolter stance and reloading bolter pose. The only issue on options is that there are no other heavy weapons included.

Rules wise this Tactical Squad has a slight edge on the old one. The grav pistol gun and combi weapons will allow a more useful build. The rules also now allow for a special or heavy weapon in a 5 man squad. As well as these you have the option of taking a Veteran Sergeant, although why you wouldn’t want the extra point of leadership escapes me.

Now it’s time to look at the price, £25 yes oh yes only £25. I guess I’m glad they didn’t add any more heavy weapons or this certainly would have been higher. I was expecting this kit to weigh in at £28. Given the inclusion of 10 different leg poses, more torso choices, the grav and combi weapons I think this squad is worth the extra £2. Not only are three different sprues, but they are all separate designs, that’s £9.33 per sprue design, as many as there are in the new necron super heavy kit but for a lot less. There are also 10 men in the box that’s £2.50 per man. A lot less than many of the other GW kits

Over all I’m very happy with this. I can’t wait to get myself at least one of these sets. At last something that was worth GWs effort from this release.

Appearance 9/10
Options in the kit 8/10 (-2 for missing heavy weapons and sergeants weapons)
Rules 8/10
Price 8/10

Over all 8/10

Next time I’ll look at the new veterans.

To recap

Centurions 6/10
Captain 6/10
Librarian 6/10
Chaplain 5/10
Tactical Squad 8/10

New Space Marine Librarian and Chaplain

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Ben Jackson

For the next in part this series looking at the new Space Marine models, we are looking at the new Space Marine Librarian.

Unlike the Space Marine Captain there is a need for this model. If you’re anything like me you have a bunch of Librarians, but not enough for a Cohort. Games Workshop didn’t need to pull out all the stops on this one in order to get us parting with our money. With the exception of the fat thing on it’s shoulder pad I love this model. The good news is you don’t have to use the flying infant cyborg. This Librarian is unlike any other GW have produced. Just like the Captain this model provides excellent detail, removing the need for almost any free hand work.

There are no alternative components within the kit. Unless you count the optional fat thing with wings. The arms are separate but doing any sort of decent looking conversions will be beyond many. I’m also not sure why anyone would want to. Librarians are about powers not weapons. Still I would rather have had an alternative head than the fat flying cherub baby thing.

Rules wise this Model isn’t going to be better than any other librarian. You may like the fact it doesn’t carry another weapon, but you might consider that an issue.

Then we get to the price, again it’s £18 yes £18! For that much you could buy Tigarius or two finecast librarians. So unless you are desperate for one more librarian pose and don’t like any of the other out of production models on ebay, or you just love the pose or hate finecast I can’t see you need to buy this.

That said this is the only plastic librarian in GW’s range. So it may end up in independent retailers, and remain in GW stores long term unlike a finecast releases, given the model a good reason to exist.

Over all. It’s a nice model and if you really like it get it, but there are plenty of other you could get for less

Appearance 10/10
Options in the kit 1/10
Rules 7/10
Price 5/10

Over all 6/10

Next we will look at the new Chaplain model.

Again this is a need for this for this model, but only because there isn’t another plastic Chaplain for the Space Marines. I like to say with the exception of the head I love this model, however it kills the model for me. The good news is there is an alternative head provided. Just like the Captain model the detail on this model is outstanding.

Other that the head there are no alternative components within the kit. However the pistol arm is separate and a simple pistol swap would be very easy.

Rules wise this Model is going to be the same as any other Chaplain.

Then we get to the price, while you may be expecting me to say it’s £18 yes £18! No it’s not it’s £55 YES £55. But you do get a free command squad and Razor back included. Still unless you already wanted a razor back and the command squad you would have to really really want this model to buy it. I guess you could think of it as some sort of loyalty bonus. You buy a razor back and command squad and get a plastic chaplain for an extra £9.50 which is almost half the price of the Captain and Librarian.

No sorry I can’t see the point of this one. It’s not needed, it’s doesn’t look better than the others, it doesn’t have better rules than the others, it not more accessible that the others, there no apocalypse formation that you need another chaplain for and there are nine others in the GW range.

Appearance 7/10
Options in the kit 3/10
Rules 7/10
Price 2/10

Over all 5/10

To recap

Centurions 6/10
Captain 6/10
Librarian 6/10
Chaplain 5/10

Could this be the worse release GW have done for 6th edition? I’ll be looking at the Tactical Squad next.

New Space Marine Captain – To buy or not to buy?

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Ben Jackson

For the next in part this series looking at the new Space Marine models, we are looking at the new Space Marine Characters.

In case you didn’t realise it theses are all multi part plastic kits. Showing just how far the designers at GW have come.

First up the new Space Marine Captain. If you’re anything like me you need another Space Marine Captain like you need a hole in your head. So Games Workshop need to really impress on this one, in order to get us parting with our money. As the captain models go I really like it. There are obvious similarities with the Captain from the old Black Reach box set and the Sicariaus model. It interesting the studio have chosen to paint this as a Third Company Capitan. So this obviously isn’t intended to replace the Sicariaus model. This model does provide a excellent detail, removing the need for almost any free hand work.

There is a alternative head provided within the kit. It also appears it’s possible to use a substitute arm to replace the sword and a replacement torso and arm to swap out the combi weapon. However these are not provided in the kit and the combi weapon swap could beyond many.

Rules wise this Captain isn’t going to be the best. A combi grav gun is going to have limited appeal. I would prefer a grav pistol so the Captains close combat ability isn’t reduced. If you spend the game shoting a bolt gun with a Captain I think you’ve missed the point, not to mention wasted a lot of points.

Then we get to the price, £18 yes £18! For that much you could add a Land Speader, any other single HQ, a special character or even couple of finecast librarians to your collection. So on price I’m not convinced.

Over all. It’s a nice model and if you really like it get it, but there are plenty of alternatives

Appearance 9/10
Options in the kit 2/10
Rules 6/10
Price 5/10

Over all 6/10

Tomorrow we will look at the new Chaplain model.

New Space Marine Releases – Centurions

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Ben Jackson

The Spetember White Dwarf hit the shops on Saturday and if you love Space marines (as we do at ChapterMasters) it’s a must have issue. The reaction to the new units has been mixed to say the least.

I’m going to get the Centurions out of the way first. My first impressions of these were absolute revolt (and I said I was going to be more positive this year). Once I saw them with a few more head options I started to think they weren’t so bad. Then I saw the art work.

Then I got Photoshop out and made it 20% taller and wished it was that easy to convert models. I guess a leg stretch might not be that difficult.

Given these were designed by Dave Thomas (who also designed the current Calgar model), I can’t help but wonder if we have paid the price for a plastic first cut. I can’t believe someone would have come up with these using greens.

Given the price tage is £47.50 for three spruces of plastic .That’s almost £16 per model or sprue. You could buy a Landaider, Storm Raven or a nice Forge World tank for that price and all you get is the the same mount of plastic as the Tactical squad. The only reason I can see anyone buying these is the rules. Three sets of 5 twin linked grave guns with give anything a headache. The only hole in this unit is as lack of an invulnerable save, but I’ll take Toughness 5 and two wounds over that any day. If anything these are a little cheesy, but that seems to be ok in Sixth Edition.

So in summary they are shot fat and ugly just like the Storm Raven. I hope someone releases a conversion kit to make them a bit better.