Reviews: April 2014
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Reviews:
April 2014
Our regular, monthly round-up of what's new on the hobby scene.
Enjoy!
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The figures sent for review are Mike Owen sculpts, which means that they have been created by a sculptor with a proven track record of producing high quality renditions of characters from the Old West. The packs received for review are all mounted figures and have been named. So, I have Mounted Farmer’s Daughter, Mounted Hired Hand, Mounted Texas Ranger, Mounted Gang Leader and Mounted Deputy U.S. Marshal. You may notice that these generic sounding characters could be found in a number of Western movies, most notably a recent version of a story that I shall always associate with ‘The Duke’.
The quality of the likenesses to the characters to be found in both the original novelization and the filmic treatment are excellent, especially the grizzled, one-eyed Marshal himself. Interestingly, this figure has been sculpted with two pistols, one of which is clutched in a separate hand, almost as if he is ready to charge into battle against the foe, guns blazing. I bet it would take real ‘grit’ to do that. I mention the Marshal figure as he has the most character, but he is amongst some truly outstanding examples of Mike Owen’s art. The Gang Leader is a surly looking beast, as is the Hired Hand. The Texas Ranger is posed clutching his left hand to his shoulder and appears suitably pained. And the Farmer’s Daughter has the very epitome of grim determination written upon her sculpted visage.
These are some very useful figures that would suit the gamer and collector alike. I say collector simply because they could be seen as high quality representations of key characters from movie history. If you are looking for mounted and dismounted versions of Old West characters with a cinematic bent, these are the figures you need. As you can tell, highly recommended. |
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After the success of their Kickstarter campaign, Empress have an ongoing series of releases in their Modern Combat range. Provided for review are one pack from each recent release with an Australian pack AUS02, Chinese command pack PLA5 and American USMC3. Each pack contains incredibly well sculpted miniatures that, as always, show an exquisite attention to detail in terms of equipment and weaponry. Put simply, these are the finest figures on the market and yet still show signs of improvement with each new release.
Taking the Australian pack for a moment, the separate heads allow choices to be made of either soft hats or helmets. The pack comes with helmets, including the rather unique combination of in-theatre baseball caps beneath. The kneeling figure is posed aiming with one of the most well sculpted Minimis I have ever seen. In the Chinese pack, the commander figure posed in a classic firing stance with his sidearm is glorious. No separate heads here but one of the figures is advancing at the crouch and comes with separate arms. Not to be outdone, the Marine Corps pack contains a figure firing his main weapon with an underslung M203 grenade launcher that is perfectly rendered. Again, there are separate heads for the Marines, complete with some helmets with a mounting on the front for night vision goggles.
Designed for use in a near-future Pacific Rim conflict, these are useful figures for a whole range of options. Having never really studied the modern Australian army, it is good to see their unique quirks represented here. Equally, although I have a set of now out of production Battlefield Evolution People’s Liberation Army figures, the Chinese warriors presented here are excellent and truly represent the standard weapons and equipment of this fairly secretive nation. Once again, it is a resounding ‘well done’ to Paul and his team at Empress, not only filling a niche in the market but also doing so with great style!
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28mm Pre-Release Miniatures
Lucid Eye
Reviewed by Wayne Bollands
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I have an interesting, veritable smorgasbord of figures for review this time, supplied by Steve Saleh of North Star. Despite working full-time as a sculptor at Nick Eyre’s famous company, Steve likes to spend his spare time relaxing at home, er, basically sculpting miniatures. Glutton for punishment or ultimate artistic expression? You decide.
Anyway, hopefully being showcased at Salute, Steve has created his own label called Lucid Eye, a range of different figures that encompass a number of eras and subjects. The initial releases come under varied titles. In the VIP Range, we have Alien Rockstar, Time Rider and Dystopia Teenager. The Alien Rockstar consists of a finely sculpted figure with arms outstretched, holding a retro style raygun in his left hand and wearing a fairly sci-fi, glam rock style outfit perhaps suitable for life on Mars. Included in the blister is a microphone on a stand, giving credence to the concept of a certain amount of stardust being involved? This could be either a collector’s or gaming piece and certainly captures the essence of a certain era of a changeable man.
Talking of changeable, the next figure is entitled Time Rider and has a fairly Steampunk vibe, consisting of a floppy haired individual clad in long coat, short neck scarf, waistcoat, boots and gaiters. He is posed in a fairly unique way, hips slightly thrust forwards, and has a face with a grim visage as he contemplates perhaps the warlike scene around him. He is supplied with a separate left arm, which allows him to be posed with either an outstretched hand or as desired. His right hand clutches some form of large, sci-fi-style device, perhaps designed to aid him in his work as he moves between eras. The final figure also has a slightly ‘retro-futuristic’ vibe, wearing a bowler hat, ankle boots and a long coat with turnback cuffs. Supplied with a separate hand clutching a heavy looking cane, he seems ready to dish out violence, or even ultra-violence, to anyone who crosses his path.
Moving on, I have four figures labeled Prehistorics. This consists of three Neanderthals and one Clan Chief clad in a variety of furs and skins with long straggly hair and a quite simian appearance. Two of the figures wield Stone Age spears, with the Clan Chief and a bare chested warrior wielding clubs. Add in sabretooth necklaces and some nicely animated faces and you have some large, heroic scale miniatures ready to go on the hunt for a mammoth or two, possibly able to take such creatures down with their bare hands!
The final two offerings are the bare bones of three boxed sets. Entitled Mercenaries and the Aztec Triple Alliance, we have Greek Hoplites and Peltasts and basic Aztec warriors respectively. The Hoplites and Peltasts both have open hands to hold suitable spears. The Hoplites have fairly static stances to create a phalanx or similar formation, yet the overall quality of the sculpting on the armour and equipment demonstrates the sculptor’s desire to provide definitive models. In contrast, the Peltasts are in more animated, skirmishing poses but all have a subtle variance in clothing, hairstyle, etc. that add to their appearance. This aspect is reflected in the Aztecs, armed with traditional weapons but with slight variations in facial features and pose to create fairly unique figures designed to be used together as a cohesive unit. All of these boxed sets will come with a leader figure, suitable shields, etc.
  What makes these figures different is the level of thought and character that has gone into each one. Steve Saleh calls this his ‘vanity project’ but he has really used the Lucid Eye concept as a springboard to indulge his love of, and interest in, certain periods and subjects that would perhaps never see the light of day otherwise. He has remained consistent in his approach to the sculpts, aiming to provide the same top quality and uniqueness of style that one finds in his work for North Star. I think that, given this opportunity by his employer, Steve will continue to indulge his penchant for active creativity and add to the fine products available under the auspices of the Lucid Eye banner.
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I was pleasantly surprised when I heard the news that Gale Force 9 were following up their recent Spartacus board game, with one based on the ‘Firefly’ universe. ‘Firefly’ for those who are not familiar was a short lived science fiction series made in 2002 which subsequently spawned a sequel movie ‘Serenity’. The series and film followed the exploits of the captain and crew of a small space freighter carrying cargo and passengers across a section of frontier space, known as ‘The Verse’, which had been colonised by humans who had migrated from the ‘Earth that Was’. One of the key elements of the series and an element carried through to this game was that the real money was earned by taking risks and breaking the law, transporting lucrative illegal cargos and fugitives whilst avoiding the attentions of the overbearing Alliance government.
 Gale force 9 have attempted to realise this universe by creating at heart a ‘pick up and deliver’ game where the main task for the player is to move their spacecraft from one location to the other on the map of the Firefly universe, carrying cargo or passengers or attempting to perform some task at a specified destination. Each successful job will earn money which is essential in order to achieve a set of goals which determine the success rating of each player and the eventual winner. The game includes 6 sets of goals only one set of which is chosen for each gaming session thus allowing a level of variety from game to game. Additionally one of these sets is specifically designed for solo play which is useful for learning the game.
One thing I will say immediately is that there is very little interaction between players in what is essentially a race to accrue money and achieve goals. This may in itself might be something that would put of some players who enjoy a more cooperative or adversarial gaming experience but I think there are many who will find this not a problem. Perhaps to widen its appeal I am aware that GF9 will be releasing an expansion later this year which will introduce more player interaction for those who prefer it.
The game caters for up to 5 players (although as I understand it the US edition only has components for 4). Each player will choose one of the uniquely named Firefly spacecraft, an engine and a captain card. Certainly fans will appreciate the chance to control the stars of the show, Captain Mal Reynolds and the good ship ‘Serenity’.
 The games core is based on the execution of a wide range of available jobs enabling the players to commence their interplanetary journey and earn the cash they need to achieve the game winning goals. These jobs and the game mechanics around them are governed by cards. Each one indicating the starting and destination planet for the job, and also what monetary reward will be gained if it is successfully fulfilled. In keeping with the overall theme jobs can be selected which are considered illegal to the ruling authorities and these are much more financially rewarding but also carry with them increased risk. Perhaps the most important skill to be demonstrated by a player of Firefly is carefully choosing a job and managing its inherent risks and rewards.
The eligibility to take and in some cases complete each job will also require the player to acquire a mix of crew skills, be it Fight, Negotiate or Tech as indicated on the job card. These skills can essentially only be provided by crew members, your starting captain will have some, but additional crew members are usually needed to build up a pool of useful skill. Crew cards can be hired at various locations on the map thus requiring trips or detours to certain locations to hire the right individual for the job. To add to the spice some of these ‘crew for hire’ operate outside the law and whilst they may possess the skills you need they will certainly cause you problems if a random game event brings you to the attention of the law enforcement authorities, with fines, confiscation of cargo and assets a distinct possibility. Another clever game twist risks your ‘moral’ crew members becoming ‘disgruntled’ and ineffective if asked to take part in illegal jobs especially where violence is required. Additional equipment cards be it weapons, medical packs or ship components can also be bought at these locations to enhance your ability to complete jobs. In general a game of Firefly will require the completion of a few simple low risk jobs to provide you with the finances to acquire the crew and equipment you will need for the much more lucrative and potentially game winning jobs. Careful forward planning and appreciation of the value of certain locations and the distances between them will reward a player.
 Ok, now let us look at the physical components of the game and I am happy to say that they are very high quality. The map board is distinct, colourful and sturdily mounted depicting a chart of the ‘verse’ and its collection of star systems overlaid with circular grids to govern the movement of the starship miniatures. After unfolding I could discern no warping of the board which lays out nice and flat. The 7 included plastic miniatures are pleasing crisp and detailed renditions of the titular ‘Firefly’ class freighters and the additional sculpts of an Alliance cruiser and a ‘Reaver’ cutter. Each model is based its own removable stand. As someone who appreciated the original show I’m impressed with accuracy of the models.
The rulebook is also well laid out and very colourful with numerous examples of game play. Personally I would advise the owner of the game to read through the book and play at least one solo session before hosting a multiplayer game.
The player mats and the 167 game tokens are clearly printed on heavy cardstock. The counters are used to represent cargo, contraband, fugitives, passengers and fuel.
However in my opinion the ‘standout’ components of this game are the beautifully realised game cards of which there are nearly 400 included in this game. Many of the cards are illustrated with photographs and graphics from the Firefly show, something again which will enhance the experience of those who are already fans. I should also comment that they are not so specific to the extent they would alienate or confuse anybody not familiar with the source material. The components are rounded out by two Firefly themed six sided dice and some of the most attractive examples of game money I have ever seen.
One thing I will point out is that this game requires a large physical space in which to play. The sturdily mounted map board dominates the play area, and once you have laid out the player mats and the myriad of card decks required for the game you are looking at requiring a 3 foot by 4 foot playing area to comfortably cater for a four player session. This is not one for the coffee table.
 I would also say that the estimated playing time for the game listed on the goals cards of between 1 and 2 hours may be an underestimation and I would certainly set aside some more time to complete this possibly doubling times given . Game duration can probably be shortened if players who are not currently performing their turn browse the supply and job cards piles and decide what selections/purchases they might make when their turn comes around.
Overall I rate this game highly from both a gameplay and component perspective. I think those who are unfamiliar with the show but give it a try will find this an entertaining space themed ‘pick up and deliver’ type game. For the fans, the faithful representation of the Firefly background can only enhance the gaming experience. I’m also happy to say that a recent perusal of the Boardgamegeek website indicates a number of follow on booster and expansion packs planned by GF9 which should prevent this title from becoming stale any time soon.
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