RELEASE IS IMMINENT!:
MERCS: Recon by MERCS Miniatures
“The year is 2184, many decades ago nations merged with corporations to form giant mega-conglomerates called MegaCons. Nations were dissolved and the military folded into the company. These elite military and counter-security units have been given the acronym MERCS. They represent the tip of the spear. They are involved in everything from internal MegaCon security to reconnaissance and clandestine operations.
MERCS: Recon is a fully cooperative, stand-alone game set in the exciting MERCS world. Players infiltrate an opposing MegaCon location, fight through crowded hallways, capture and interrogate employees, find mission objectives, and secure the package.”
The kickstarter page is LOADED with stretch goals, info on in-game factions, and videos on game-play and mechanics.
It’s a local Indianapolis group (bonus points for that) and you seem to get a lot for your money. The board setup and lack of 3D terrain is more simplified when compared to the traditional miniature war-game juggernauts in terms of purchases, setup, etc but has chances for constant change to keep excitement and interest up. Both of these seem perfect for beginners and casuals of the mini’s world as well as the obvious veterans.
It’s blown the goal out of the water and is blasting through stretch goals, but it ends VERY soon, so act now if your interested in the claustrophobic skirmish game.
Chibi Gaslight Horror – Cthulhu Mythos & Sci-Fi Miniatures by Impact! Miniatures
“A line of classic Cthulhu RPG heroes & monsters, classic horror creatures & space-themed, sci-fi miniatures in chibi anime style.”
Another Indianapolis kickstarter! This is perfect for fans of the cutesy stile miniatures (Soda Pop fans, I’m looking at you). I’m surprised to see these little guys are provided unpainted and in both 30-36mm and 50-60mm sizes, which is a big plus for the hobbyist in me. They feature lovcraftian horrors, dark villains and monsters (some that wouldn’t look out of place in a tokusatsu show), dark ponies, gangsters, explorers, scientists, Judge Dredd style officers, and Zerg/Tyanids looking bugs just to name a few.
There are a lot of little add-ons and lots of ways to purchase the different miniatures listed. There are so many different styles that hobbyists and collectors alike can have fun painting, accumulating and incorporating them into a plethora of game scenarios.
Mecha Front Miniatures by Jon Paulson/Paulson Games
“Mecha Front is a table top war game and miniatures line that I have been developing over the last year. It features large scale robot models called “Mecha” that are able to be used with the rules system I have designed or they can be used alongside other 15mm scale games, such as Gruntz and Tomorrow’s War. The models range between 65mm-110mm in height (2.5-4.25 inches) offering an ideal size for both game play and for painters looking for a high quality display model.”
This is a really cool set in the same visual style as Battletech and Hawken. Paulson has been operating underground in the war gaming and miniature community through forums and social media, but this is what will catapult him to a new level of gaming awareness. I really hope all this work heading his way will encourage more and more products and not overwhelm this basically one-man operation. Lots of stretch goals getting reached and even more add-ons available for any pledge level. I can’t wait to see what all comes of this.
Darklands: First Edition II by Mierce Miniatures
So. Much. Information. Seriously. That kickstarter page has everything you could possibly want. Pictures of who knows how many miniatures, breakdowns of all of the lands, rules on play, countless methods and combinations of purchases, etc. It truly is an in-depth look at anything you could possibly want. So scroll for days and drool. Oh, and sit down and watch the 20 minute video with one of the driving forces behind the project.
TIME WILL TELL:
Heavy Steam by Jeff Gracia: Greenbrier Games
“Set in a steampunk universe, Heavy Steam is a game about piloting a giant mechanical humanoid war machine of doom. As a pilot you use the steam titan’s resources to strategically complete scenario objectives. More often than not it’s to defeat your opponent, but you’ve never shied away from a fight, have you?”
This game features a lot of customization to both your physical miniature and your cars and template. Their in-depth take on customization and resource management are big selling points for me, and really let this game shine beyond it’s cool but cliched steampunk setting. There are a lot of cool miniatures and cards to look at as well as a decent overview available on the kickstarter page. I really hope to see this one completed, and seeing that they already have at least 3 projects that exceeded their goal quit substantially, I hope I can rest easy. Now I just need to convince someone in my gaming inner-circle to buy it so I can play the hell out of it.
ON LIFE SUPPORT:
Nemisphere by Red Knight Entertainment
“Nemisphere is a 32mm science fiction miniature line. It features human forces collectively known as Forcecon against the robotic artificial intelligent forces of the Decrypte. If you had to quantify the range you could say at its core it is HALO VS Terminator. Different sci-fi troops versus a number of diverse robots.”
This line features some highly detailed minis that beg for a nice paint job and wash. I could see some cool customization jobs for these as well as use in sc-fi role playing games. If it succeeds it sounds like there are plans for lots more in the line and even fluff or a game system. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like it will be successfully funded. I don’t know if it is due to failure in publicity, the admittedly lackluster names, or that the cooler miniatures are unavailable before stretch goals, but this is not looking good for Red Knight Entertainment. I really would like to see this go through since I enjoy the miniatures and love the trend in 3D printing armies. Hopefully he can gather his ideas and come at this with a new and more successful approach or maybe this weekend will see a massive boost in backers. I hate to say it would take a miracle.
AG Zero 