February Releases for Monsterpocalypse

Privateer Press has unveiled their upcoming Monsterpocalypse releases for February. They are releasing a new monster and building for the Shadow Sun Syndicate and a new monster and building for Planet Eaters.

For the Shadow Sun Syndicate-

Zor-Raiden (Metal/Resin, $21.99)

Shadow Sun Industries (Resin, $14.99)

According to the description, the Shadow Sun Industries building itself and allies from blast attacks as well as providing a new spawn point.

For Planet Eaters-

Rogzor (Resin, $34.99)

Unless I’m mistaken, this is the single most expensive (money wise) for a monster-only unit/package.

Harbinger Comet Shard (Resin, $16.99)

From the description, this building converts enemies into power for attacks and acts as a new spawn point.

These new models all, visually, seem incredibly fun. I know that the Harbinger Comet Shard is for the Planet Eaters, but I cannot help but want to paint it up like part of the Fortress of Solitude from Richard Donner’s Superman. Those are just screaming to be painted like blue crystals.

What do you all think? Will you be inching your way to a faction-pure build for Shadow Sun Syndicate and Planet Eaters with these or will you be skipping them? Sound off in the comments and let us know.

Until next time, keep your dice warm and happy gaming.

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Ninja Division/Soda Pop Miniatures Out of Money for Super Dungeon Explore: Legends

Alright. Admittedly that headline is a bit long, but it is the truth.

A little back story before we get into the meat of this article. Since 2015, Ninja Division/Soda Pop Miniatures have launched 5 successful Kickstarters. The most successful of these campaigns was for Super Dungeon Explore: Legends. More than 6,000 backers pledged over $1.29 million dollars during the Kickstarter and who knows how much more during the pledge manager via the company’s official web store. After Super Dungeon Explore: Legends, they launched campaigns for Relic Knights 2nd Edition, Starfinder Masterclass Miniatures, Rail Raiders: Infinite, and Way of the Fighter.

To date, Rail Raiders: Infinite and Way of the Fighter have been in retail stores for more than a year while there are still backers awaiting their copies, stretch goals and more. The Starfinder miniatures have just now begun making their way to US backers, with quality control issue after quality control issue. Relic Knights 2nd Edition was supped to have been done and shipped by February 2018 but there has been only radio silence since August 2018. And, finally, Super Dungeon Explore: Legends had been shelved until Starfinder and Relic Knights had been completed.

Despite the projects’ various degrees of completion, more than $2.56 million dollars was raised by more than 17,000 backers through the Kickstarter campaigns. This does not included the undisclosed amount raised during the various pledge mangers, as there would be late backers and people who upped their pledges.

With that in mind, it brings us to the the present. As the company has been radio silent on all their Kickstarter pages (See: Ninja Division Pulling Back from Kickstarter), this had led several backers to write to their attorney generals as well as the Idaho attorney general (Ninja Division/Soda Pop Miniatures are based out of Idaho) in regards to fraud. The response from Ninja Division/Soda Pop was finally made public: Ninja Division Response to Attorney General.

While the response is worded as such to skate over many of the pressing questions backers have had, as well as give a detailed account usage of all funds raised and not just of those during the Super Dungeon Explore: Legends Kickstarter, it does have a few interesting bits of information:

• Under their disclosure of Initial Funding, they state that approximately $343,559 was used for “annual overhead”. This included payroll, facilities and additional overhead. This funding was to cover them for the remainder of 2015, as well as all of 2016. They then state they had to deplete the funds to cover 2017 as well.
• Also under their disclosure of Initial Funding, they state that approximately $485,679 went to “project expenses”, including license fees and marketing.
• Funds for the game are completely ran through, leaving a deficit of $750,000 needed to bring the project to completion.
• While the fate of their other non-SDE IPs are not disclosed, they do mention that they are in discussion with multiple outside companies for acquisition of their studio.

There is also several bits of blame laid at the backers’ feet that we won’t go into.

In the end, ultimately, this does not bold well for anyone connected with these games. Be it a backer, designer or what have you, it looks like the curtain is slowly falling on what was once a great company and a great stable of fantastic games.

_________

For full details on the four outstanding Kickstarters and some basic stats. Way of the Fighter is not included in this break down as it backers for this are waiting on miniature add-ons. While not to be cast aside or forgotten about in the least, it is hard to gage a proper number of backers effected by this as Way of the Fighter featured the least amount of backers and most have moved on from the campaign.

Relic Knights 2nd Edition

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sodapopminiatures/relic-knights-2nd-edition/description

Originally ran on KS from Feb 27, 2017 until March 14, 2017

• Raised $386,826 from 2,489 backers
  • Does not account for any/all additional funds raised via the Pledge Manager
• Game/Stretch goals were to ship in 3 waves over an 8 month period
  • Wave 1 – Summer 2017: Base game and majority of stretch goals/add ons
  • Wave 2 – Winter 2017: Remaining stretch goals/add ons
  • Wave 3 – Feb. 2018: Void Break Expansion Rulebook/outstanding stretch goals

As of November 2018, zero of the game’s 2000+ backers have seen anything. Last real update on production was back in July 2018. Several comments made at GenCon by Soda Pop employees was that the game was to begin shipping at the end of August. Last comment made by John Cadice (owner of Ninja Division) was that they ran out of bases, and the comment was made via a Facebook Relic Knights fan page.

Rail Raiders: Infinite

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sodapopminiatures/rail-raiders-infinite/description

• Originally ran on KS from April 6, 2016 until April 22, 2016
• Raised $339,724 from 4,649 backers
  • Does not account for any/all additional funds raised via the Pledge Manager
• Game/Stretch goals were to ship October 2016.
• Shipping finally began in August 2017.

As of November 2018, many of the game’s backers (primarily those out of the United States) are still awaiting their games though the game has been available at retail for months. Last update was January 2018.

Starfinder Masterclass Miniatures

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/325468910/starfinder-masterclass-miniatures/description

• Originally ran on KS from September 27, 2017 until October 17, 207
• Raised $457,539 from 2,294 backers
  • Does not account for any/all additional funds raised via Pledge Manager
• Game/Stretch goals were to ship May 2018
• Shipping began in waves in May 2018, however they have switched to a new model of shipping what they have when they are done. 
  • This could be a single miniature or multiples.

As of November 2018, Wave 1 miniatures have begun making their way to US backers. These shipments have been plagued by quality control issues and broken miniatures.

Super Dungeon Explores: Legends

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sodapopminiatures/super-dungeon-explore-legends/comments

• Originally ran on KS from October 21, 2015 until November 11, 2015
• Raised $1,290,522 from 6,611 backers
  • Does not account for any/all additional funs raised via Pledge Manager
• Game/Stretch goals were to Ship December 2016

As of November 2018, zero of the game’s backers have received anything. The last update of any type regarding fulfillment and shipping was back in March 2018.

$2,566,516 from 17,428 backers, or $148.80 per person.

 

Monsterpocalypse delayed until October 5th.

Privateer Press has announced that the release date for their relaunch of Monsterpocalypse has been pushed back a couple weeks from September 21st until October 5th. While not much of a delay, those of you who follow The Late Night Players know that Monsterpocalypse was one of our favorite titles from GenCon this year. So the news that its being delayed, even if ever so slightly, saddens us that everyone will have to wait longer to get their hands on the game.

The reason for the delay seems to be due to a customs hold up. From what we are to understand, this is a bit of history repeating itself as the original game had a couple of their releases delayed due to custom holds and shipyard strikes. Purely coincidental mind you, but a funny observation none the less.

Privateer Press’ official statement is below:

“Privateer Press’ upcoming Monsterpocalypse Hobby Miniatures Game, scheduled for release on September 21, has been temporarily delayed. U.S. Customs held the container carrying the game and a host of items from other companies for an intensive exam. The street date has been changed to October 5, 2018.

The Monsterpocalypse tutorial guide was launched last week to further players’ knowledge and awareness of the forthcoming game. The tutorial is available at here.

The Monsterpocalypse Hobby Miniatures Game represents an updated and streamlined second edition of the original 2008 collectible game’s rules. Additionally, instead of using pre-painted collectible figures to play, the new game’s most noteworthy difference is its use of highly detailed resin and metal hobby miniatures, which players get to assemble before playing. As a hobby game, this upgrade to the Monsterpocalypse experience provides the opportunity for players to customize their armies through painting and modeling them.”

Hopefully this will not force a delay of their other planned October releases of the Shadow Sun Syndicate (Protectors) and Lords of Cthul (Destroyers).

What do you all think? Disappointed? Relieved you’ll have a couple extra weeks to get what you have primed and painted for the table top? Sound off in the comments below and let us know.

As always, keep your dice warm and happy gaming.

Star Wars Legion

I was trying to avoid this but it was bound to happen:

A local game/comic shop got in a small shipment for the launch of Fantasy Flight Games’ new Star Wars game. By time I got there, they’d sold all but one of the few core sets they got in. Deciding one can never have too many miniature games in their collection, I pulled the trigger and spent the day assembling the Stormtroopers and Rebel Scum.

For all intents and purposes, they were a rather easy and straight forward build. They included a somewhat handy assembly guid in the rule book. The Speeder Bikes were probably the biggest issue. The guide clearly shows a peg and groove for the peddles on each bike, but there is no suck peg or groove. So, just a heads up, add the peddles last after placing the Stormtroopers on the bikes.

Going through the rest of the box, it seems like the game will play somewhat similarly to FFG’s other Star Wars’ games, like Imperial Assault and Attack Wing. Hopefully, when I get the game to the table sometime soon we’ll know for certain. I’m being cautious with it, though. There are already a handful of expansions released, including a gorgeous AT-ST (Albeit a gorgeous, $50 AT-ST):

I want to get a couple games in before going crazy. I’ve yet to find a miniatures game that I could find myself going headfirst into, organized play and all. I could see Star Wars Legion being that game though. The miniatures are gorgeous. The company has a fantastic track record. It’s Star Wars, so the lore already has its hooks in my soul. Plus, the ideas floating around in my head for custom boards…

Anyways, I hope to have a game report sometime soon, like I said. Until then, keep your dice warm and happy gaming!

WarMachine/Hordes- First Real Game…

This past Sunday, I was finally able to sit down and get my first real taste of WarMachine (and a little Hordes, too) since we purchased some starters back at GenCon 50.

I was playing a Retribution Of Scyrah build while my friend/teacher/way too patient Scott ran a Mercenary build. We decided on 50 points but I didn’t realize that there were fewer points than that in any of the starters I bought (especially the ones from Privateer Press’ Black Friday sale). So we ended up just doing Warcaster and Warjack vs Warcaster and Warjack.

And as with every game I’ve ever played against Scott, I was obliterated. Needless to say more practice, and more miniatures, are required!

These guys haven’t even been primered yet, but the weather has been too cold for any of that fun stuff. I have a pair of Trollbloods that I’ve been working on here and there that I started on before winter set in. Another friend gave me a starter to add to the fun and I figured I’d practice on them first.

Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

Anyways, keep your dice warm and happy gaming!