The mini games people are playing

I don't think Rackham has folded. People are saying that filing for Bankruptcy is quite common for French companies and doesn't mean the company is in trouble just finacially mismanaged. The deal with FFG is reassuring that they should be about for a while longer.

I have enjoyed my games of Confrontation and the minis are very cool. I also like the fact that you can put together a standard size army with some options for switching things around for under $100.

GW Minis are retarded expensive.

So far i've spent $50 for the rulebook, $90 for the Ork Battleforce Set (which doesn't even give you a legal army lololololol), another $17 for the Warboss, and like $20 for the codex?

Not to mention paint, brushes, etc...but i had those already from an early foray in to GW's LotR game.

Oh well, it's worth it for me. I can afford it, and i'm not all out crazy for it. I enjoy the modeling, painting, and the fluff. I do think GW's model sprues are totally kickass. There is so much customizability with regard to how you put together your figures. Especially with Orks where each one can look more or less completely different from the other one. Plus you get tons of extra bitz you can use on future projects. I just set little goals for myself, like today I'll paint the metal parts on the boys, etc. Just manageable goals. I usually don't work for more than an hour at a time on painting. Maybe 2 max if i'm feeling good.

Deciding what Clans my Ork Boyz were going to be was really fun.

Eventually I'd like to have at least 1 Unit in my Army from each of the clans, with that Unit representing what is best about that Ork Clan (Red Sunz on Trukks/Bikez and Blood Axes as 'ard boys with shootas is what i currently have now). Probably going to do some Orks in Mega Armour as Bad Moons (the yellow guys) next. I might get some Gretchin mobs with Snakebite Runtherds, etc. I'm sort of going for a "United Clans" force, but we'll see. My overall army composition is still probably going to be heavily weighted towards infantry with some fast attack/fast transport support. But we'll see.

I need more boyz already

A lot of what i've read online is that people buy more mini's then they can reasonably handle, and thus they languish. Sitting unpainted. So far with the battle force, i've painted 1 trukk, 3 bikez, and i'm working on putting the finishing details on 10 boyz. Then I'll start the next 12 boyz, and do the warboss last (the 12 boyz and warboss are undercoated and based).

It's admittedly a pretty big project and I don't think i'd ever want to take on this many models at once again (except for when that new 5th Ed Box Set comes out because it's going to be totally rad).

My goal from now on when purchasing figures is to only buy one model/package of figures at a time. No more new purchases until the old figures are up and painted.

See, that's what I don't get. If you can get 7 prepainted, albeit random miniatures for $15, why can't someone do a minis game where you can buy a plastic, prepainted squad or vehicle for $15? Is it the randomness that makes the CMGs profitable?

Sure, you just keep buying those boosters until you get something you like.

I actually like opening up a new pack, it's pretty exciting honestly.

I think Rackham's new minis game AT-43 is prepainted and non random and the new version of Confrontation will be too. I understand that they are also painted by robots instead of eight year old child slaves, which is a bonus.

From all that I've seen both Confrontation and AT-43 will not be random. And Citadel is correct, Rackham hasn't folded but is in bankrupt protection in French courts right now...So basically it protects them from their creditors while they redesign their production line.

Regarding pre-painted minis...Part of what draws people to the miniature hobby isn't the rules. If it was the rules then it would have been thrown on a grid at this point so everything is nice and clean...An inch is an inch if you will. Not a day goes by where people on 40k or WFB forums don't discuss what changes they feel should happen in the rules.

There are games out there with much better rule systems. For example Tannhauser I think works better for a skirmish game in general than Necromunda. What it lacks though is the modeling and building aspects. I think there is a market for games like AT-43 or Confrontation...There are people out there that want to play a miniature game but do not want to spend the time to paint. I feel those are the exceptions though. Many people get into the miniature hobby for the modeling and painting. I've seen groups get together just like groups on game nights but they sit around, talk and paint.

Yeah, but they're still costly.

metalface13 wrote:

Yeah, but they're still costly.

Yup.

I'm glad to see some prepainted minis games.

I just wasn't thrilled with what I saw in At-43(thematically), or the ruleset.

I haven't read the rules. I think the minis look pretty cool. They're pretty anime, but mechs are cool. You can get them online for like $20-30 a unit, but I want to see a $19.99 MSRP per unit, then pick it up for like $15 online.

I thought Rackham's Cadwallon game looked pretty cool, but they f--ked up the English translation so it wasn't worth the high price to pick up the book. I was hoping with Fantasy Flight's involvement it might get re-issued in a fixed up edition but that seems dead, too, at this point. I'm hoping maybe if they come out of bankruptcy in decent shape and with better leadership, they'll make another go of it. Not holding my breath though.

BillN

Yeah, I thought Cadwallon sounded interesting too. It'll be interesting to see what FFG/Rackham do.

So I've been thinking about a business model for a minis game. What if all the models are plastic. They could be unpainted or prepainted. Cases for either could be argued. If they are prepainted you could draw in people who are daunted by the hobby aspect, but if they're unpainted you could draw in the hobbyists. Either way, the idea is the same.

For $29.99 you get a starter army set that would include the basic rules, an army book and some starter minis. Then infantry units are $19.99 and vehicles are $19.99-$25. Hero units, smaller vehicles, commanders, etc for anywhere from $8-$20.

Now, I have no experience in the collectible miniatures games markets, but I think if they can get away with selling $29.99 starter packs and $19.99 booster packs filled with RANDOM minis you could do it for a more standard minis game.

Also for how cheap the minis are, you could field some pretty large armies. What do you think?

metalface13 wrote:

Yeah, I thought Cadwallon sounded interesting too. It'll be interesting to see what FFG/Rackham do.

So I've been thinking about a business model for a minis game. What if all the models are plastic. They could be unpainted or prepainted. Cases for either could be argued. If they are prepainted you could draw in people who are daunted by the hobby aspect, but if they're unpainted you could draw in the hobbyists. Either way, the idea is the same.

For $29.99 you get a starter army set that would include the basic rules, an army book and some starter minis. Then infantry units are $19.99 and vehicles are $19.99-$25. Hero units, smaller vehicles, commanders, etc for anywhere from $8-$20.

Now, I have no experience in the collectible miniatures games markets, but I think if they can get away with selling $29.99 starter packs and $19.99 booster packs filled with RANDOM minis you could do it for a more standard minis game.

Also for how cheap the minis are, you could field some pretty large armies. What do you think?

I think part of the reason why most pre-painted minis games have been random and collectible, is due to stocking and storage in retail space. Think of how much space is taken up in a store by Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000, games that already have a built in clientele. D&D minis and Star Wars minis don't take up that much room, really, at least in comparison to Warhammer or AT-43. I think that's the hardest thing for marketing minis games, is getting retailers on board. It just doesn't make a lot of sense for them to try and stick their neck out on a risky venture. The only way that there could be much success with your idea, would be a proven market or license that was adapted to the model. Otherwise, I can't imagine it being feasible.

I love minis games, but suffer from the same problem as everyone else. Not enough time to paint, although I enjoy it. I played Warhammer 40,000 when I was the target age (12-15) but gave up on it when I realized I couldn't afford it by a long shot.

I'm looking for more historical miniature games though, anyone have any suggestions? DBA is alright, but I prefer something a little meatier. Although I think my best option is just to stick with board wargames.

Count Orlok wrote:

I'm looking for more historical miniature games though, anyone have any suggestions? DBA is alright, but I prefer something a little meatier. Although I think my best option is just to stick with board wargames.

Isn't there a fancy Civil War minis game?

/me rummages BGG....

Meh, too hard. Here's a query for non-expansion, non-WWII, non WWI, non-SF miniatures games with at least 30 ratings .

(Sorry, metalface, I forgot an equals sign in the tag. And it's got brackets in it, because Aldie is an idiot, so I tinyurl'd it).

what's that? that came across as gobblydigook.

jeb wrote:

Count Orlok wrote:

I'm looking for more historical miniature games though, anyone have any suggestions? DBA is alright, but I prefer something a little meatier. Although I think my best option is just to stick with board wargames.

Isn't there a fancy Civil War minis game?

/me rummages BGG....

What were you thinking? Better have a look at the Miniatures Page. I personally recommend games by Too Fat Lardies, because they are not points-based competition sets but more aimed at historical feel and scenario's. They support their rules with lots of scenario's. Everything is available in pdf file, as well as paper copy, but that allows you the cheap option. You can choose with which type of minis you play. No ACW set though (as of yet).

ACW rulesets include: Johnny Reb, which is tactical and there is an ACW variant of Volley & Bayonet, a ruleset based on brigade as smallest unit. I like how it works for Napoleonics, but haven't played the ACW version. Johnny Reb is more complex than V&B. V&B also works very well with 6mm minis which paints fast as lightning, is cheaper and has the more impressive look.

If you want real cheap and easy painting, to 1/600 or 1/300 air combat.