Battle for Alabaster

[me_in_japan]

my point being that since both factions come in the box, why would it matter which faction one person chose to play? I intend to play em both as often as possible, truth be told.

[Primarch]

my point being that since both factions come in the box, why would it matter which faction one person chose to play? I intend to play em both as often as possible, truth be told.

BfA is a board game right? How about Sedition Wars, the range it comes from? Will it always be a board game or will they develop it into a tabletop game a-la Dust Tactics - Dust Warfare?

[me_in_japan]

BfA is indeed a board game. As for developing it into a tabletop game, yeah, I can see that happening. They havent said so specifically, but they already have 3 factions with a fairly varied range of minis for each (the third one is a bunch of freedom fighters/ex miners with lots of heavy armour and rock drills and vat-muscle enhanced ex-slaves etc.) The stretch goals for BfA are basically just (hopefully ) going to be "and here's another one of our range of vanguard/strain minis in plastic for free for y'all. enjoy.)

I don't know that I would necesssarily get into it as a tabletop game (depending on how it plays, mind you) but if I already have the BfA minis, there wouldnt really be much to stop me. One thing that did tickle my interest was that the rulebook for BfA is 60 pages long, and includes a lot of fluff, which is way more than a basic board game needs. Certainly, they seem to be putting a lot of thought into the background of the game, which is very wise in my opinion, as it's this that allows a game to grow and develop indefinitely.

Actually, given how well the kickstarter is doing, I reckon if they did go tabletop all they would need to do is another kickstarter campaign for their 3rd faction, and just have folks pledge to get plastic minis that way. It'd be a win-win situation, I say.

Anyway, I'm definitely in with bells on. It's a nice sci fi background with nice sci fi minis that are in no way derivative of warhammer 40k, and I'm feeling quite refreshed by it, truth be told

interestingly, if it does go tabletop, should two people with BfA play against each other then each could supply the other with an ample supply of extra units. Not permanently, I mean, just for the purposes of the game. Just a thought...

*edit* heh! And lo I do see the future sometimes...

New stretch goal for 140k is...

Heavy Weapons guy (one of their many Vanguard resin minis, soon-to-be-in-plastic)

[ashmie]

Looking good isn't it, it's looking to be a pimped up version of Space Crusade. Very nice. I backed it as soon as I saw the box and the minis. Mcvey is a good chap. http://youtu.be/6ZI3V19QI-s

[Admiral-Badruck]

Now that looks freeking rad. I said it rad as a child of the 80's I reserve the right to use the word RAD...

[me_in_japan]

@all - this game gets better and better. While I'm not completely sold on the not-Ripley (will depend on if they can get sculpts or even unfinished sculpts done before the drive ends) I am totally happy about a) the huge amount of extra minis coming, and b) the terrain pack. Free custom dice is also nice.

@Ashmie - skweeeee! I'm excited, are you?

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/coo ... ster/posts

[AndrewGPaul]

I'm still not entirely sure I've seen enough about the gameplay - a quick overviw of the basic mechanics doesn't tell me much - but is anybody really buying this for the gameplay? I'm buying it to get some toys for Tomorrow's War, myself.

[ashmie]

Yes it is looking very good, lots of targets keep getting broken for the kickstarter and we keep getting more stuff right. I will join Admiral as a fellow child of the 80's and say it is looking pretty wicked.

[me_in_japan]

I know I'm sounding like a fanboy here (ok, I admit it, I am a fanboy), but this whole kickstarter malarkey is aces Currently I'm getting (for 155dollars, 25 of which is shipping) :

The basic boxed game, which is 50 studio mcvey sculpts done in the same plastic that PP use. Also boards, scenic bases, counters, cards, rulebook etc etc.
Limited edition resin Kara Black (again, a studio mcvey sculpt, therefor I expect a v high level of quality.)
The terrain pack (70 miscellaneous bits of plastic terrain including doors, corpses, alien spawning vents and so on.)

The above is what I signed up for at the start of my pledge, and is what you can expect to buy in the shops when the game is released (the game will be 90 bucks, the terrain 40. The limited ed Kara is, well, limited ed, but similar minis can be bought from the studio M website for about 15 bucks. No idea what shipping would be for both. It's a big box, apparently, and quite heavy.)

Anyway, that's what I signed up for. What I'm (so far) getting for free is:

6 custom dice (3 strain logo, 3 vanguard)
Heavy weapons dude (pictured earlier in this thread)
An extra drone tank
12 more vanguard minis
12 more strain minis
2 more scythe witches (higher level strain)
2 more brimstone (again, higher level strain)
Painting guide DVD made by Mike and Ali McVey, specifically about how to paint BfA.
And soon-to-get an extra Grendlr (big nasty strain beastie)

All of the extra stuff is not necessary for playing the game, so can be converted, put in dioramas, chopped up for bitz, or even painted properly

I am very impressed with this game, and the developers attitude. They're on te boards at kick starter all the time, and actually do stuff that people request.

There is also, btw, a pack of 12 vanguard (plus 4 characters) and 13 strain (plus 2 bigger strain) available in clear and glow-in-the-dark plastic respectively. It's 30 bucks each or 50 for both. I didn't get em, but if you wanted just the minis (ie not the game) this'd be a good way to do it. I can tinker with my pledge level right up to the end, and if I add stuff to my order it ships free. So, keep an eye on the BfA kickstarter page, and if anything tickles your fancy, let me know. Or, you could just get a box for yourself. Tremendous value for money, I reckon. There are 2 weeks still to go.


http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/coo ... ster/posts

Oh, and there's also a not-Ripley (and zombie version) for 10 bucks, if you wanted one of those.

[me_in_japan]

An update for those who may potentially want some rather cool, yet cheap minis.

The Battle for Alabaster kickstarter will finish this Sunday (at some point in the wee small hours, I believe.) I appreciate that most of you reckon a boxed set is not necessarily something you want, but over the past week a lot of optional extras have been offered. I thought I'd list what's on offer just to see if anybody wants to piggyback a couple promo minis on top of my order. If anybody wants any of the below, PM me before the end of Saturday so I can add them I my order. Some of this stuff will e available after the game goes on general release, but most I it is kickstarter only.

Terrain set : 30 dollars - 70 bits of assorted tech/turrets/doors/corpses/ alien pods (rrp 40dollars)
12 clear plastic vanguard plus 4 hero characters (sniper, cap'n, medic, heavy) - 30 dollars
12 glow in the dark strain plus 2 bigger strain gribblies - 30 dollars
Both clear and gitd sets - 50 dollars
6 custom dice - 10 dollars

The following promo minis all come with an alien zombie version, too, and cost 10 dollars for the pair. These are all only available through kickstarter until Sunday, and even then it's limited to 3 per Biohazard level pledgers and above. After that theyll sell the spare stock (probly not many) at conventions. Then they're gone forever.

Ripley (from Aliens)
Isaac Clarke (from deadspace)
Vasquez (from Aliens)
6 (the red dress Cylon from battle star galactica)

No zombie versions of these (yet. There may be later.)
Mal
Jane
Summer Glau's character, i forget her name...
The pilot's wife (again, I forget her name)
All 4 of the above are from Firefly, and cost 20 bucks for the 4.

6 little mini drone bot dudes - 10 dollars
6 facecrabs (orrible little alien gribblies like the headleg spider thing from The Thing) - 10 dollars

For pics and more complete info, see the kickstarter page:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/coo ... -alabaster. (scroll down)