Did you miss the Reaper Kickstarter? There is still a chance to get in!

OK, this link is for newbies only!!! If you missed the Kickstarter and want to get involved, go enter in the e-mail you would like us to contact when the post KS Reaper pledge manager goes live. If you've already pledge, this is not for you! This is NOT a link to the Reaper Pledge Manager! http://www.reapermini.com/ks/

H.E.R.O. Book Series! CHECK IT OUT!

I met this gent by the name of Kevin Rau that writes a series of Super Hero novels called H.E.R.O. Series during the Reaper Kickstarter (weird eh?). I have had the pleasure (about halfway finished) reading hist first book (which I can add is FREE) and you can pick up the rest of the novels as E-books for very reasonable prices. From my reading. I am very impressed with how this is going and look forward to reading more of these later! 

Overall, he is giving the Supers theme a very adult and realistic feel much like how Wild Cards was done with that sense of community and character development where there is less focus on the teams and more about the character development.

Well worth checking out, the website is amazing! He told me to check Facebook (that I hate) as he has more artwork and such there! He told me that it is updated several times each week.

The official pages are:

http://www.kevinrau.com

http://www.facebook.com/herobooks

I will post direct links to his stuff later on my blog for easy reference!

Speaking of reference I may be stealing some of his costume paint schemes for some of my figures! 

Super Models Assemble!

Hrm, that just came out wrong......still that is what happened last night. I got my supers on the road to primer once the weather gets nice. (insert laughter here) Once the weather gets better that is, being hot and humid does not help when it comes to the important primer process.

Anyway here is some teaser shots, I started to finish basing as well which I like to primer over to help seal the sand onto the model.

Yes, what you see in the background was fetched form my parents home on a visit saved from a storage area I found it at a yard sale back in the 80's I think. Not sure what I want to do with it. Part of me wants to break it apart use the blue insert as a middle point and use the front and back to build a 28mm item of scenery like the hall of justice for the super heroes...of course I would have to dremel the images and such off and use some textured paint to cover the work. Just not sure if I want to go to the trouble. It is a collectible but missing parts and well used by some kid years ago,  maybe reading this blog now as an adult! What do you think?

On with the pictures!

Holy Batchit Batman! That is alot of models!

This is all of the figures together...

Close up of the left side...

The right side....

All of my Reaper figures....

Crossover Figures ( I decided to glue their heads in)

Superfigs Grower and Shrinker....

Black Cat Bases Brain Bot and Water Elemental

Superfigs by old Glory

Foundry Figures (need base changes to match the others).

I plan to cut the sword off the Hermes model. Figure he will end up a Thor style character among the Heroes and the other one will be someone using a mystical rod of Hera that was left on earth.

So, we have a pile of heroes and villains now, some scenery ideas and a few odd bits to throw around like some cards, vending machines and junk! Whooo! It would have been cool to win one of those cool super lots given away by Hendry Badger but oh well, can't win them all! Later!

Black Cat Bases Shipment Arrived!

Just a small order of a few goodies for me, the crew over at BCB was nice and tossed in a few extras that I am thankful for. They are a good group and the company is outstanding as is their products...I will have some reviews up soon.

Here is a teaser of the pile of loot:

Everything including their resin vending machines and the mixed pile of junk like the ruined couch/chair and other goodness or rather junkness. The Brain Bot (one of my new Super Villains), a cool Water Elemental (another super), a science guy that can be used in Strange Aeons and Supers both, the old creepy Librarian, a possessed book and cultist with chainsaw (getting ready for Uncle Mike to post up Chainsaw rules!)

Vending Machines up close!

Cultist, Water Elemental and book..

Brain Bot, science guy and the creepy librarian....

The Junk pile that is going into my Super Hero game figured it would be cool to have some stuff to toss around and I thought it would be cool to model a junk yard which may also fit well into a Post Apocalypse Game also.

Isaac? What Issac?

Day off work, grilling out later today...weather is nice and cool.

The funny thing I saw on my wife's Facebook talked about the difference between how people that live in Florida prepare for a hurricane and the rest of the world. We bought some water, some supplies and ready to leave if the crap hit the fan. Otherwise, we had plenty of soda and stuff always ready to grill out! I saw the rednecks stocking up on beer when I was at the store the other day. The joke said people got all these supplies and such in paranoia.

Reaper Kickstarter is over!

They earned $3.4 million and kicked some serious ass. I think  Kickstarter crashed in the mist of the last few minutes....very annoying....HEY KICKSTARTER A BETTER SERVER!

Well, now my mini pile is over 240 figures, close to 300 once I get my friend stuff also. Even if I used 1/2 and trade the other half a very damm good deal! Never again will we see a miniature deal like this.

4 Hours Left Until Reaper Kickstarter Ends! OVer $3 Million and could close on 240 figures!

The Kickstarter just keeps growing, it very well could end with over 240 figures (maybe more) for a mere $100 with optional buys for other figures not in the lot and extras...wow!

I am watching....

Over 200 miniatures for $100? INSANE! 53 Hours to Go!

It isn't too late to invest in the Reaper Kick Starter. I am going to pledge tonight, I just wanted to feel secure when I invested that my money was there to pay my obligation! This is my first ever Kick Starter Investment!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1513061270/reaper-miniatures-bones-an-evolution-of-gaming-min

If you can't afford the $100 for Vampire level, combine with a friend and split the miniatures!!!! Serious, this is a FANTASTIC DEAL. I had one friend that is going to give me cash this weekend to pick him up some choice items from the extras section you can purchase.

Look at this insane ride!

20 Questions Part 1

Well, after seeing a few other blogs, I figured "what the hell!" and here are my responses...had a few editing issues I finally resolved.

 

1. Favorite Wargaming period and Why?

I would have to say that the Sci-Fi/Future gaming period wold be my favorite of all time. I have played 40k since 2nd Edition, Starfleet Battles and Battletech since my early days of college. with a spiral into Battle Fleet Gothic, Necromunda and Cars Wars to name a few.

 

It may be the fluff or just the interesting fact that the future is just that, it has not yet been told which is what makes wargaming so great; you are telling an untold story in a visual way. I grew up watching Star Trek, Buck Rodgers and Battlestar Galaticia (old school) along with Dr. Who BBC runs for hours over the weekend when I was young. I sat transfixed when I first watched Star Wars (my mother claims it was the longest I hever sat still and was quiet) and thought Mad Max was the coolest thing ever. This has been part of my life as long as I can remember and it as much part of me as breathing.
 

2. Next period, money no object (and time)?

There is a tie when it comes to this question as this is between the Old West and Pirates. I grew up on both as a kid watching TV a nd movies about these genres. I am always wanting to go nuts and bu tons of Old West Buildings and Pirate Ships as well as build some drop dead tables that are just jaw dropping.

3. Five Favorite Films:

In no order:

Star Wars

Blade Runner

Mad Max

Aliens



Stargate

4, Favorite 5 TV Series?
In no order:

Babylon 5

Star Trek

Firefly

Stargate

Dr Who

5. Favorite book and author?

My favorite author is H.P. Lovecraft and my favorite book would be "The Tomb and Other Tales". One of his best stories was "In the Walls of Eryx" his only Sci-Fi story.

6. Greatest General? Can't count yourself!

Robert E Lee

He was a general before his time and had some very radical ideas if you read his biography that could have changed the Civil War and gave an interesting introspection to the man. The Civil War was a very hard time for everyone and growing up in a home that had fmaily that fought on both sides with a strong southern heritage with my mother a history graduate and teacher, I learned to respect thoe of our darkest point in history.

7. Favorite Wargames Rules?

Currently it is Supersystem 3, the rules are very easy to learn and the system allows you to build your own characters with a good sense of balance for game play.

A very close second is Strange Aeons which is 1920’s horror miniature wargaming with again a solid set of rules and always expanding the resources to the game keeping things fresh.

8. Favorite Sport and Team?
 

Personally, I am not a huge fan of sports. My favorite sports when I was younger were martial arts and scuba diving. I am now too old to really consider either due to money and time. I did check on the status of the United States during the Olympics to see how we was doing in medals and any interesting highlights in stories. Watching it did not interest me.

The closest I come to a sport is playing Blood Bowl!

9. If you had a only use once time machine, when and where would you go? 

I would go back in time and give myself some advice. This translates to how to become rich so I can buy anything I want, travel the world and wargame at my leisure. I would also tell myself to take care of my friends and family (that I know now) that I have to look up this wonderful woman that is now my wife and marry her once I (my younger self) seek her out as that would be the one thing I would not want changed in my future. Last, build a time machine and wreck further havoc to the time space continuum.

10. Last meal on Death Row? 

Hibachi cooked steak, lobster and shrimp with friend rice and veggies with a coconut cake for desert.

20 Questions Part 2

11. Fantasy relationshp and why?  

Mya from Space 1999 played by Catherine Schell, I think this may have been my first crush as a young boy for any actress on TV. Something about the concept of a shape shifter just has unlimited possibilities!

12. If your life were a movie, who would play you?

Robert Downey Jr.

13. Favorite Comic Superhero?

Hendry Pym (the Scientific Adventurer) (aka...Giant Man, Ant Man, Yellowjacket, Goliath and Wasp II)

Pym has had more identities than any hero perhaps and is simply just a kick ass character. Science and super hero blended together to make an amazing powerhouse character!

14. Favorite Military quote?

"No plan of operations extends with the certainty beyond the first encounter with the enemy's main strength" (or "no plan survives contact with the enemy")

Helmuth von Moltke

15. Historical destination to visit?

Pyramids in Egypt

16. Biggest Wargaming regret?

Getting rid of anything of my gaming past as I feel I am getting rid of a part of me. I know there isn’t enough space for all that I have and if I want new stuff I have to purge the old to get the new stuff. Sometimes I later regret getting rid of something as I find a use for it later.

17.Favorite Fantasy job?

I would love to own my own gaming store and a wine/beer bar that serves food next door with private rooms for gaming in the back to enjoy as a home away from home. Just don't pee on the bathroom floor! Your mother does not work here!

18. Favorite Song Top 5?

In No order (look them up and listen!):

Sister’s of Mercy: This Corrosion

Shreikback: Nemesis

Metallica: Call of Ktulu

Disturbed: Down with the Sickness

Gary Jules: Mad World

This song is something I would love to be played when I die.

19. Favorite Wargaming moment?

Necronomicon 40k Tournament in Orlando, the first game of the day they did and interactive story where the day before you picked how you as the general would do as the narrative to the event was drawing halfway. You are outside the city and clearly the opposition is on their way there also. You picked a variety of options like Ambush, Push Forward, Cautious Advance, etc….I opted to Ambush and my opponent Pushed Forward. By turn 3 he was tabled and we went to get a beer, he also became a good friend and got us to go to a LGS in Orlando called Coliseum of Comics, his name was Mike. A great guy, I hate he moved out of state. 

20. The miserable Git question, what upsets me?

A lack of loyalty and honor, to me family and friends are everything. A person is judged by how they treat their family and friends.

Do you want a INSANE AMOUNT OF MODELS? Read on!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1513061270/reaper-miniatures-bones-an-evolution-of-gaming-min

Reaper is going full blast heading $1.5 million and the miniatures are just piling on to the pile. At this rate I will be painting figures well into my retirement at this rate! Serious, there is some crazy deals there, go in with friends and split up the loot if you can't afford a full pledge of $100 or more.

Reaper Kickstarter Still Kicking Ass!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1513061270/reaper-miniatures-bones-an-evolution-of-gaming-min

Reaper has done an amazing job and is still tossing miniatures to the loot pile! Approaching close to 200 miniatures and working out to about 50 cents a figure for a $100 Vampire donation spot. I am going to pledge on Thursday as I am waiting for payday! Still, if you have not pledged, you should look at it...there is tons of goodies and great stuff at dirt cheap prices. Hell, I figure even if I don't use them I can trade or sell them later.

They are already 1/2 way to the Mummy Goal and the Dark Heroes looms in the distance. People think we will pass this point and hit the next two at least before the end based on posts on the Kickstarter page.

A Super Sale by Crossover Miniatures!

Have you been thinking of buying the new Crossover Miniatures?

http://crossoverminiatures.com/

Well, now they are offering $5 off $30 or more and free shipping over $75 on their website if you are in the US!

I may be jumping in on this to buy up a goon squad, the sidekick, shooter and super solider to round out the collection!

Reaper Kickstarter - Check it out!

 

 

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1513061270/reaper-miniatures-bones-an-evolution-of-gaming-min

 

This is simply the best Kickstarter run I have ever seen. I have never invested in one but this one I think just won me over. At first the Fantasy Figures did not move me, but now with all the unlocked miniatures....wow! I am in now.

 

It works out to over 150+ figures for 100 bucks for the Vampire level. So, that is CHEAP figures at less than a buck a figure! Plus you can buy extra and add on packages as well. I plan to snag one or two for myself.

 

Reaper is  just shy of about 15k I think when I last looked of hitting their 1.1 million goal which unlocks the next bonus of goodies...I can only imagine if they hit that mark.  Invest with me and everyone else!

 

I just have to also say if you have never purchased a Reaper Bones figure, they are amazing quality for the price you get. A  soft plastic that is easy to convert, ready to paint without any primer if you wanted (I primer anyway), tough miniatures and to be honest I had to do little cleaning of mold lines and such on mine. I think Reaper has found the next generation of miniatures and has found the means to push themself forward to expand their product line quickly with investors.

 

 

New SuperSystem 3 Scenario: RAMPAGE!

RAMPAGE!

DESCRIPTION: One of the greatest threats has arrived to your fair city and threatens to destroy everything in its path! An Elder God, Giant Robot, Giant Mutant Dinosaur, an Unspeakable War Machine or whatever your evil mind can imagine has arrived! It no longer matters if you are a hero or villain because if you don’t stop this monster from destroying the city you will have nothing left to protect or conquer! As the monster you have one goal and that is to cause as much destruction as possible!

SETUP: Both sides roll to see who deploys first. The highest roller may select what table edge they wish to deploy on. All defending heroes/villains setup within 5” of a table edge and the monster deploys with the end of the base (if there is one) within 5” of the opposite table edge. As the base may be larger for the monster this is a slightly unusual deployment option.

SPECIAL RULES:

The Monster: Use the standard base of 85 points plus an additional 15 points per hero or villain that you will be facing off against. In larger games or higher point values you could opt to take a second monster using a base of 85 points and then you have the option to add 15 points per hero or villain you are facing.

Example: You are facing 8 Heroes of the Good Guy Squadron; you opt to take two giant robots instead each being built at 85 points base and 45 extra points for a total of 130 points total for each giant robot.

Carnage Points: As the monster your single goal is to destroy anything on the table to earn Carnage Points. These points are earned based upon what you target in the game as your focus to destroy that turn. A civilian would be easy to injure, while a car would be a small task and a building would be a challenge to destroy even taking out your opponents adds to your Carnage Point Totals! It is best to discuss with one another what the point value is for everything on the board to be clear. You may want to put slips of paper or other markers to note the value of objectives on the table. Use Appendix 2: Breaking Objects to help determine Vitality for an object in question.

Carnage Point Chart:

1: Civilian, Tree, Fire Hydrant, Dumpster, etc… (Anything small/easy to destroy)

2: Car/Truck

3: Bus/Semi, Hero or Villain

4: Small Building

5: Large Building (more than two stories)

OBJECTIVE:

Defender: Stop the monster(s) before they gather enough Carnage Points to win the game.

Monster: Gather up enough Carnage Points to win the game.

Small Battle: 15 Points

Medium Battle: 20 Points

Large Battle: 30 Points

End Game: The battle can last any number of turns until either the monster(s) or defenders (hero or villain) are defeated or the monster(s) have accumulated a total number of points to end the game in which the monster wins automatically.

REWARDS: Defender 2/1. +1 Experience to each model if the Defender wins. +1 Experience to the hero/villain that takes out the Monster.

Special Events: (roll a d6)

1: Unnatural Darkness

2: Civilians

3: Unexpected Ally (joins Defenders only)

4: Sixth Sense (Defender)

5: Cover of Darkness (Monster)

6: Weird Radiation

Commentary:

After reading the rules to Supersystem 3 there was no real scenario that addressed one of my favorite aspects in comics when I was younger and that was the “big” threat that the heroes or perhaps even villains may have to face off against something huge and usually singular.

So, I set out to work out a first draft of a scenario that would make either a good one off game or end of campaign finale. In any case, this could also make for an excellent idea for a demo table for anyone that would like to host a Supersystem game demonstration at their club or convention they are attending.

I would love to get comments and feedback from games to adjust the scenario as I am sure it may not be 100% balanced at this point as this is just a first draft of the scenario. Feel free to email me at: patrickballinger@yahoo.com and please put a header on the email so I don’t delete it thinking it is junk email or you can contact me on the Superfigs forum.

Monster Ideas:

The sky is the limit here when it comes to picking out something to be your monster for this game and IMO is the real beauty to the whole scenario as it allows you as the hobbyist to figure out and make that mega threat for your game! You do want something that is at least roughly 3x larger than your standard hero figures to give you that epic feel! Here are a few short ideas I would like to toss out:

• Pulp City has a great “monster” kit about to roll out loaded with options like a Cthulu like creature and mutant monsters! The only draw back on this kit is the price.
• Hero Clix: Again there is a sweet looking Cthulu figure but it also sells as a high price, if you have one or get one on the cheap all the better or perhaps you already own one! There are other Clix stuff like the Sentinel that you could pick up and use.
• Toys: As there is a variety of “cheap toys” you can find something at the Dollar Store, Dollar General, Freds, Big Lots or Family Dollar if you want to save a few bucks or perhaps you may find a deal hidden away on a back aisle of Toy’R’Us. With a few bits, remodeling and paint can change something into that perfect creation you are looking for!

Reaper Supers Arrive!

Well, my first wave of Reaper Supers arrived in the mail today and I cracked open the blisters. The quality is nice and I hope to take some snaps later of how Reaper, Crossover and Superfigs all match up.

I got Blubbery Rand, Raptor, Harpy, Zenith, Sandwoman and Blood Widow as my first round choices and was my first order bu due to Harpy being out of stock there was a delay in my shipment until now.

A pic of the the blisters I got!

Fallschirmjäger Update!

Finished up a few of my Germans a few days back and got the basing done. One thing left is to touch up with the eyes.

Radio Operator and two MP40s

More MP40s

More MP40s

Everyone....