Showing posts with label Miniatures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miniatures. Show all posts

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Star Wars X-Wing Future Wave

So I know many of you are hoping and expectantly waiting on the Imperial Aces, Rebel Transport, and Tantive IV... BUT, they now have listed the newest ships that are coming down from Fantasy Flight Games! Don't worry, I know that the Imperial Aces is now coming soon, so don't lose the excitement for 2 NEW TIE Interceptors.

I'm not going to spend a lot of time discussing what you can read on their website, but here are their names.

Z-95 Headhunter (Rebel)

TIE Defender (Imperial)

E-Wing (Rebel)

TIE Phantom (Imperial)

If you want to do to check out all that Fantasy Flight has to say about the new release click on their name and scroll down.

Looking for a place to play???  Check out our calendars below (Just click on the store name to see more):

Dragon's Den Poughkeepsie

Gamer's Gambit CT

Gamer's Gambit NJ


Sean "Striderlotr" Banks

Friday, April 13, 2012

Games Workshop New Paint Line

As many of you probably know by now, our friends at Games Workshop released their newest products, which contains 145 separate paints, making it one of the largest and most comprehensive paint lines on the gaming/hobby market today. These are hardly your "run of the mill" paints though...In fact they seem to not only be a higher quality than GW's previous paints, but are also created with a step-by-step painting process in mind. This makes them great for beginners and enthusiasts alike, especially considering their price hasn't changed at all!

Today, I'm going to show you every one of the different types of paints, a short description of the uses for the different groups AND a link to a nice conversion list for the old vs new colors they kept.

First up are the Bases. As you might expect, these 34 colors are made for base coating your miniatures. They contain a higher than normal amount of pigment, making the first layer a very nice solid color. As any painter knows, in addition to having a clean, smooth prime coat, one of the most important steps to painting your miniatures is to have a even and colorful base coat.

 
Next up, we have the Shades. There are 12 of these, and they are made for going over the base coats. Very similar to the previous Washes, they help to add detail and definition to the primary color, while also making a darker hue wherever you decide to apply it.
Beginners: remember to use sparingly until you get the hang of it, as this medium is made to pool into any spots or recesses that your miniature has.

Now comes the Layers, which are by far the most expansive of the line, and the core of what the other paints were designed around. Consisting of no fewer than 70 paints, these are different than either inks or washes as they are typically used for making very nice mid-tones and transitions. Although they overlay other colors, there is enough pigment that by watering them down slightly, they could be used directly onto your miniature.
Beginners: Due to the huge amount of color spectrum available as Layers, you shouldn't have to mix paints nearly as much as you previously had to.

The Dry paints are new to the line, never having been made before. There are 15 of these, and they are sure to help overcome any of your dry brushing problems. Using an entirely novel formulation, they are very thick (almost paste-like) in consistency. Thus, Dry paints will bond to your miniature's raised surface, making it much easier to create large-area highlights.

For the Glaze, Texture and Technical paints, I took a single picture, as there are fewer of them.
The 6 Texture paints (top) are essentially for basing your miniatures. No longer will you have to mix glue or sand into your paints, as these have both coarse and fine grit in them. They also dry very quickly, so you can add many colors if you so choose.
We now have 4 Glaze paints (right) which can be used for more even blending of colors, or adding that much more depth to a small area. They are extremely watery, but the color goes a long way.
Lastly, there are 4 Technical items (left). These are different than the others, in that they are used during miniature preparation or completion rather than during painting. Thus, they are not really "paints" per se, but are still part of the new line.
Beginners: After applying Texture to your bases, try using a light Dry coat to really bring out the detail. Careful use of the proper Glaze can help decrease the sharpness of highlights, and a good way to get rid of the gloss leftover from some Technical paints is to use a quick spray of Matte.
 

Now, the rumors of certain paints being re-used under different names is true. The chart for this can be found on page 128 of White Dwarf #387, which also has various painting techniques, upcoming miniatures, a look at the Citadel painting guide, and other cool articles and pictures.

But...if you don't have a hobby store near you and want to know the conversions, simply follow this link to the official GW chart;
http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m2320032a_Citadel_Conversion_Chart

That's all for today, everyone. I am getting in some Reaper miniatures on Monday though, so I will try to do a follow-up post showing the various steps I followed for using these new paints. Be sure to check on Twitter and Facebook for new posts!

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Catalyst Game Labs at GAMA 2012

Catalyst Game Labs has some great games out already and more fantastic ones to come!  They have some properties that many players may know already and some new ones that will get some attention once they release.  So lets start with some that you may know!


Shadowrun

This is the classic Shadowrun game you may remember from the early 1990s.  Many people feel that the game has disappeared, but it has been around for a long time!  Catalyst Game Labs has some new product coming out, one of which is the Runners Toolkit.  The toolkit has a GM screen, cheat sheets, and compiled charts for weapons and equipment.  This is a must have item if you are already playing, or if you are thin king about checking out the game.  They are also hoping to get a line of miniatures out for Shadowrun.  This will be fantastic for adding to game play! I personally can't wait to see how they do the Street Samurais and Deckers.

Battletech

The 25th Anniversary box set was fantastic!  If you aren't sure, then you can check and see how often they have had to reprint it!  The pieces could have had a little more detail, but they are good for getting players into the game.  They also included 2 premium figures (Thor and Loki) which are very nice.  Catalyst Game Labs will also be bringing out new box sets to introduce intermediate and advanced rules... with minis to enhance your games. 

Some other great games
  • Hexagon
    • Abstract pawn jumping game
    • Family style game
  • Linear
    • Gem stones
    • Line making game like Bejeweled
    • Abstract
  • Balance of Power
    • Kings, Bankers, and Generals... who will win?
  • The Duke
    • Tile laying game
    • Feels like chess
Leviathans

Saving the best... or most interesting, for last!  Leviathans is a game that has hit many speed bumps since it was showcased at Gen Con 2011 with massive replicas at the booth.  It looks like they are closer now to releasing this game and maybe we will see it after Gen Con 2012.  So let me give you some quick points about this very interesting miniatures/board game:


  • Set in 1910
  • Airship Battles
    • Aerial height system
    • Possible water units as well
  • Prepainted Miniatures
    • Lightly colored and easily repainted
  • Color coded D12s
  • 3 sets of rules: Basic to advanced
  • Hex Maps, same scale as Battletech maps
  • Multi player and Team play
  • Looking at an RPG set in the world
  • Starter box will include British vs French

If you are looking to try any of these great games, stop in and ask us about them.  We would love to discuss them with you and show you what we have.  We are hoping to maybe run some events for Leviathans or maybe even offer to help them with getting this going!

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Osprey at GAMA 2012

Osprey is a very interesting company.  They make and distribute historically accurate books from ancient times to today.  They have been used as reference books for many different games, from miniature, to even role playing.  For the most part their books are loaded with information, but they are now in the miniature games business... not the actual minis, but the rules!  I was very excited to go to their session at GAMA to learn more about the product, and now I want it in the store!

Force on Force

This is a modern era miniatures game made by Ambush Alley Games.  They have gone with a fire team approach, not a gigantic scale battle.  It is also playable in any scale, so try out those plastic army men you may have.  They are now bring out a new game, which is the first non historic, called Tomorrow's War.  This one will be similar to Force on Force, but set in the future.

Field of Glory

This is the older time line miniatures games by Slitherine.  In this game you can play with ancients and medieval miniatures.  As with Force on Force, it is playable in any scale!  They have done a great job keeping historically accurate and created a point system for force building.  They then added in Fields of Glory Renaissance.  This new add-on to the game allows you to play in a new time which includes GUNS... which adds a very different feel to the game.  Finally to round out the list, they have Field of Glory Napoleonic, which will release very soon.  This book will set the miniature game on a division scale.  To get you started, her are the Quick Start rules for the Napoleonic!  These rules will cover a 25 year time span.

Other Products

Osprey brings out books all the time.  Some of these are Raid books that focus on a very specific event in history, Essential history books, Duel books between two different specifics, and so much more!  These books run from ancient times to modern and everything in between! 

Some cool books to look out for from Osprey would be their Civil War books, as we close out the 150th Anniversary of this war.  Another set of books would be the War of 1812, as it is the 200th Anniversary of this war. 

If you are a gamer, or just really love history, these books are for you!  The depth of information, as well as the fantastic graphics make these books a must have!  Stop in the store and check out some of the Field of Glory titles I we have right now!

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks   

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Star Trek Games

Even if you are not a Trekkie, the new releases for Star Trek games have been huge and well worth checking out!  Now if you are a Trekkie... then you really need to see some of the games!

Miniature


Heroclix by Wizkids, created Star Trek: Tactics!  The game is... wait for it... Heroclix!  When you open the starter box you get the Heroclix 2011 Core Rulebook, and Powers and Abilities Card.  The Starter also comes with 4 fully painted miniatures: USS Enterprise -A, USS Rhode Island, IKS Rotarran, and IKS Bortas. 



Each ship comes with a stat card which gives you the Trekkie abilities to correspond with the super hero powers. 



The starter also comes with 2 double sided maps, each one with a very different effect on the battle.

Deck Building Game 


Star Trek The Next Generation deck building game was recently released by Bandai.  In the true deck building craze... which if you don't know what these are, then you need to check out some greats like Dominion and Thunderstone, you start with a basic hand and then acquire cards to build your deck  Back to Star Trek TNG deck build though, the game offers some great diversity right out of the box. 


There are 3 different versions of the game: Exploration: a free for all scenario, Borg Invasion: a cooperative scenario, and Klingon Civil War: a 2 vs 2 team scenario. The game has 300 cards and can be played with 2 to 5 players.  Oh, and if you come in, we do have some really cool promo Jean-Luc Picard cards!


Sean "Striderlotr" Banks






Monday, February 6, 2012

Unpacking the Dragon's Den

So many people who do not live local have asked us what the store looks like and what type of product we carry. So not wanting to keep everyone in the dark, here is an unpacking of the Dragon's Den!

As you walk down the hall of the Poughkeepsie Plaza, we are located at the end of the hallway at the North end of the plaza. 


When you look into the store, you will find many great items located on our island.  You are also presented with a choice, left or right...


If you walk straight in and look in the front two cases you will find some interesting items, including bumper stickers and ...


and CANDY! Notice that most of the candy is branded!


So I decided to turn to the right and make my way along the comic book wall.  We have a nice lite display for the comic books, all sorted alphabetically from left to right with tabs behind all the new books.At the end of the rows of comic books, there is a lite display with all the comic glasses, banks, and pop fun figures.  We carry Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, and more.  If you are looking for comic books, then you might want to browse our wall.


Opposite the comic wall, and inside the island you find all the collectible card games (CCG) and sports cards.  This is where all the boosters, starters, and singles for the different CCGs.  This is also where you will find the card sleeves, deck boxes, and play mats.  With games like Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh, and World of Warcraft we have plenty of CCGs for the players to enjoy.


Rounding the corner by the BCW spinning rack which houses top loaders, penny sleeves, and binders, you see the gaming area. We can set the area up in multiple configurations for card games, miniature games, or role playing games.  Across the back wall of the gaming area is a wall of board games and card games as well as Yoda above one of our demo video game systems.


Right in the corner of the gaming area is our role playing games (RPG) section, which usually has a table set up for RPG games. We keep our boosters of miniatures, RPG books (New and Used), and maps.  We carry many different RPG titles like D&D, Pathfinder, Legend of the Five Rings, Eclipse Phase, and so much more!


At the back of the island, facing into the gaming area you find our miniature paints, dice, CCG binders, some play mats, and darts.  Oh, yes DARTS!  So many people play in leagues in the area, but there are so few places to find flights, shafts, tips, and other dart accessories.


The wall opposite the comics and around the other side of the island you find miniatures and video games.  Starting at the back of the store, you run into the miniature section of the wall.  We carry game companies such as Games Workshop (Warhammer and Warhammer 40K), Privateer Press (Warmachine and Hordes), Spartan Miniatures (Uncharted Seas, Dystopian Wars, and Firestorm Armada), and some other titles like Battletech, Malifaux, and Infinity.


As you move down the wall, you will see all the video games, and video game systems.  We carry new games as well as retro.  Looking for Nintendo (Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Gamecube, and Wii), X-box, X-Box 360, PlayStation (1, 2, and 3), Sega (Master System, Genesis, CD, Saturn, and Dreamcast), or even Atari... we've got it!  We also have a tech in the store who can fix most problems with current and older systems.  In the island across from the wall we keep the hand held games.  These range from the original Nintendo Gameboy to the 3DS.  We also have PSPs, Sega Game Gears, and even a Nomad!


Right next to the register we have some more snacks.  Here we keep some of the really cool imports from Japan and Ireland!  Drinks, candies, chips, and cookies! We also have energy drinks in this case, as well as in the mini fridge right behind the counter if you want one cold.


So now you have had the grand tour.  I did not have space to put in all the pictures of the store or all the cases, but I wanted to leave some mystery or intrigue so that you are enticed into stopping by and checking us out.  And if you are curious, we run events on those tables every night of the week, and you should check out our calendar for more information.

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks

Friday, January 13, 2012

New Wizkids & Pathfinder Miniatures

It is official: the new miniatures for the Pathfinder RPG are out, and they are awesome.
The rumors of a new line of plastic miniatures were well-known before Gen Con 2011, and we were treated to a view of 6 preview minis when a coworker & myself stopped by the Wizkids booth. While they were fairly good looking, I was dubious that the entire line would be treated the same.

Needless to say, I had nothing to fear.  As I found when the cases of product showed up on Jan. 11th, ALL the miniatures are great, and the product is packaged quite nicely, both as a counter top display or for the serious collector.

An entire display has 19 boosters in it; 16 small boosters and 3 large boosters.  The MSRP for the large are $5.99 and the smalls are $3.99.  Each booster, regardless of size has one figure in it, unless you count the goblins. As they are easily the smallest minis in the set, there are 2 goblins per booster.


We opened up 3 displays for the store, and got 31 of the 40 miniatures in the set, with only a few being duplicates. (Not that we minded, as they all went in our 8 ft. long glass minis case for sale!) If you're curious, here's the ones we pulled along with their names underneath each picture.

Half-Elf Cleric, Orc Brute, Orc Warrior, Skeleton

Elf Wizard, Medusa, Lizardfolk Champion, Dwarf Fighter 
Half-Orc Barbarian, Seelah-Human Paladin, Human Ranger, Zombie

Lich, Vampire, Human Druid, Venomous Snake

Mummy, Werewolf, Giant Spider, Human Rogue

Gargoyle, Troll, Wolf

Giant Caveweaver Spider, Minotaur

Ettin, Chimera
Goblin Warrior 1, Goblin Hero 2, Goblin Hero 1, Goblin Warrior 2

And, of course, what would any set be without the limited edition collector's piece? 
In this case, that means the ultra-desirable Huge Black Dragon, (only available to retailers who bought 4 displays!) which is conveniently labelled as "Promo 1" on the bottom of the base.  Hopefully this will mean they'll continue to put out more sets, and more promos!



Personally, I think these miniatures are one of the best ideas that Wizkids/Pathfinder could've had.  With the loss of D&D miniatures (both as a product AND game), it is quite refreshing to see a company recognize that;
A) players want minis to represent their characters/enemies and
B) that all RPGers are, in essence, like addicted magpies with ADHD when it comes to collecting needless bits of colorful plastic.

Ok, reason B might be just me...

But seriously, I truly like this set, and the fact that it has only 40 minis as opposed to the 60 that Wizards formerly put out means it is that much easier to complete your collection.  In a way, this is a plus for DMs too: If you desperately need wolves, goblins and zombies, you have a great chance of pulling what you need.  Also, the bottom of each base has not only the name but also the number of the mini you're currently holding, printed in bright white paint. D&D minis essentially had the same, but theirs wasn't as easy to read as it was simply stamped on.

Would I have picked some other minis to make for the first set? Yes.
Do I want to see more of the unique characters from the books made next time? Certainly.
Will I still buy the last dribble of D&D minis boosters from my job? Of course!
But am I now also hopelessly addicted to these new minis, and will I tell all my role-playing customers to buy them? 

Do you even have to ask?

Stasi "Dengirl" King

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Ninja Legend of the Scorpion Clan Review

Another new game that I had a chance to play was Ninja-Legend of the Scorpion Clan. It is an intriguing game of an almost spy vs. spy nature, and is made by the same people who created Legend of the 5 Rings. The object of the game is for the Ninja and her accomplice, the Traitor to complete their 2 secret missions while the Guards attempt to stop them.  It truly is a very strategic multiplayer game, and a good way to spend an hour or so.  Thank you to all the hard workers at the AEG booth at Gen Con, who made sure that their retailers would have a chance to try out their new games before release!
This game is different than anything I have ever personally played, and the reasons for that are numerous. First of all, Ninja is probably one of the few games that plays well as not only a 2 or 4 player, but equally well (if not better!) as a 3 player.  Secondly, the fact that each player is responsible for their own actions but can still confer with other "allied" members is something not often seen in boardgames these days. Finally, the idea of each player requiring an individual (included) map to mark locations of either enemies or objectives is a very distinct feature, which I feel AEG has most definitely hit the spot on. But perhaps I should show you instead...

OPENING THE BOX

When you first open Ninja's box, the first items you see are the board and the 4 maps.  Underneath those is the 16-page rulebook, and finally the 27 miniatures, 4 decks, 6 mission objective cards, and 4 player privacy screens.  All of this is stored in a standard plastic box, although the outer cardboard box is sturdier than other comparable games. When you open the board for the first time, you'll see it is a tile-like foldout board, similar to Memoir '44 or Battle Cry.  Along the side is a descending group of 20 circles, which shows the turns of the game.  Underneath that is the Turn Order box, a handy reference for what each turn consists of.  Last is the 4 Alert Levels, which go from None to High.  You'll also notice that while the board is a beautifully rendered "blueprint" of a noble castle and gardens, there are faint blue and yellow dividing lines crossing its surface.


These are important for the maps which each player needs to fully enjoy the game.  Each player, whether Guard, Ninja or Traitor has a paper map on which to draw (about 25 map sheets per pad).  These are used to figure out where objectives are hidden, where the secret tunnel is, and which areas still need to be searched. Of course, it would not do to have a Guard see what the Traitor has marked off, even (ahem) accidentally...so the player screens are a must as well!
The plastic miniatures are also fairly well-crafted and are different colors for easy referencing, especially as the colors match up with the player screens. 


There are 20 tan and brown guards (10 with spears, 10 with swords), 1 red Traitor, 1 black Ninja and 3 yellow Drunk Guards.  There are also 2 silver Lanterns, 1 for placing on the current Turn Circle and current Alert Level.  

NOTE: Whereas the Guard cards have a tan Lion symbol on them and use corresponding tan/brown miniatures, the deck colors for the Traitor and Ninja are altered.  Thus, the Traitor miniature is red but uses the black Scorpion deck, and the Ninja miniature is black but uses the red Scorpion deck.  I don't know if this was intentional, but thought it should be pointed out!


PLAYING THE GAME
Now that everything has been explained, let's discuss game play.  As noted before, this can be a 2, 3 or 4 player game.  If it is 2 player, 1 person controls the Guards and 1 person controls the Traitor and Ninja. For 3 player, 1 person controls the Guards, and the Traitor and Ninja are split. The Guards are split as well, if you play with 4 people. 

First, set up your board and draw your cards.  Ninja takes 8 of the 12 cards available, Traitor takes 7 of the 10, and Guards take 24 of the 36 for their hands.  However, the remaining 12 Guard cards are kept out as a Draw deck.  No cards are to be shared with enemy players, and each deck has cards that are specific to the character using them.  For example, only Guards can play Listen cards, only the Traitor can use Potent Sake cards, and only the Ninja can play Shuriken cards.

Then, 8 individual Guards are posted as sentries, while the remaining Guards are grouped into patrols of 2.  Due to the wording of the cards, it is very advantageous to mix patrols (aka have 1 sword Guard and 1 spear Guard  per patrol).  The Traitor and Ninja miniatures are NOT placed on the board, and won't be for most of the game, but keep them nearby for when the Guards do find them. 

The Guard player takes her map and marks off the locations of 8 sleeping guards as well as 2 Traps, 2 Hidden Sentries, and the locations of the 6 Mission Goals (A thru F) that the Traitor and Ninja will be trying to find. They must ALWAYS be placed in their own zone. The Ninja and Traitor mark off their starting positions according to the rules, as well as the entrance and exit of the Secret Tunnel.  Place 1 Lantern on the lowest Alert Level, and 1 on the first Turn Circle. Now you are completely set up!

The game gets more complicated as it progresses, and players attempt to stay 1 step ahead of each other, but the Turn Orders always remain the same;

1. Alert Phase- Guard player draws cards corresponding to the current level of alert. The alert level then drops by 1, and the Guard plays any of the drawn cards she wants.

2. Guards Card Phase- Guard player uses cards for special effects.

3. Guards Patrol Phase- All patrols that are able to be moved or changed are moved.

4. Intruders Phase- The Ninja and Traitor make their secret moves, play whichever cards they can, and searches for their Mission Goals.

Although there are many different cards to be played, strategies to use and decisions to make every time the game is played, the Phases must be completed in order.  You cannot move onto the next Phase until the previous one is finished, no matter what.  So, even though your friend is going to spring a Trap on your Ninja or Kenjutsu your Guard, at least you'll know they have to wait their turn...

And there you have it, another wonderful game by our friends at AEG!  Ninja-Legend of the Scorpion Clan is a great game for more experienced players.  On a gamer learning scale (1=extremely new to gaming, 10=gaming professional) I would rate Ninja as a solid 7.  While not the most difficult of boardgames to learn, it does have several nuances that make it an inappropriate "first" for those who are new to board or card games. 

Like most of the games I review, we do have a copy of Ninja in our game library, so if you're in the Poughkeepsie area stop by and play!

Stasi "Dengirl" King

Monday, November 15, 2010

Spartan Miniature Games at the Dragon's den

We have recently found a miniatures game that we wanted to add to the store.  The best part is that they make several different ship to ship combat games that all play great... and similar to each other that you get the idea quickly on how to play.  Spartan Games from the UK at http://www.spartangames.co.uk/ has developed and produced two titles Uncharted Seas and Firestorm Armada! They do have a new line that will release in the next few weeks... just in time for Thanksgiving called Dystopian Wars!

Uncharted Seas is the first game we gave a try, as we were able to get the rule book first and many of the starter fleets. This is a naval based game with a fantasy flair. You have choices between human, elf, dwarf, undead, and more! With it being a fantasy based naval game, wind becomes a factor and can change during the game. Tactics involving how you turn and position in regards to the wind, become very important. The combat method is fairly simple: range is broken down into 8 inch increments, roll D6s and compare to the ships damage rating or critical rating (on a 6 score 2 hits and roll again!), then apply the damage or effect.

Firestorm Armada is a futuristic space battle involving large "capital" sized ships and their escorts.  This is another ship to ship game, just taking place in space.  One big difference between the fantasy and futuristic would be the carriers. Firestorm Armada adds in carriers with the ability to launch flights of fighters, bombers, and interceptors! It adds an interesting mix to the game.

Dystopian Wars is the newest game to come out from Spartan Games. This time they went with a Victorian Era Steampunk game, and it is land, sea, and air! The pictures that they have posted so far look great and we are really looking forward to giving this game a try! We have had players talking about this game from the moment it was previewed, and I think that the time period and steampunk flavor are helping to drive it for many players looking for a miniatures game.  We will be carrying the full line from the release (hoping November 23), and getting more models as they are released. We might actually be sold out prior to the release!

If you are looking to try a new miniatures game, or you are looking to play a ship to ship game, then this company (Spartan Games) is one to check out! The mix of titles including fantasy naval, futuristic space, or Victorian Era Steampunk battles gives players many options and allows them to pick the genre that they best enjoy... or play them all!  Each game and each faction in each game has a starter that can get you playing in little time with a similar force composition and point total. Once you look over one of the games and you want to get involved, come on in to the Dragon's Den! We can order all the different pieces for Uncharted Seas and Firestorm Armada, and we can take pre-orders for Dystopia Wars.

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks