Mantic SciFi Games News and Rumours Roundup

[IJW]

Tank-bikes sounds like a great concept, but going from the army list Mantic are thinking in terms of fast unarmoured models.

[rodmillard]

Was simply concerned that they might drop the ball again (as much as I like mantic there has been a lot of ball-dropping going on lately. :P).

To be fair, it's not just Mantic, and its not confined to wargaming. There seems to have been an epidemic of ball-dropping in the Nottingham area recently.

I have to agree - now that we're seeing them in sci-fi styled armour rather than just the fantasy-armour-on-a-moped versions in the original sketches I am LOVING the forgefathers. I think they may be my next sci-fi project (so at current progress I'll pencil them in for 2014...)

[André]

Now, how will the Elysians be fitted into this? Looks like some nights pouring over some books...

[AlexHolker]

The best of the concept art are the two heavy weapon troopers. Both of them are wearing armour that looks futuristic - I especially like the mantle with the two shoulder-mounted hardpoints, which look like something you'd see on one of GW's Titans. You should definitely make these guys in plastic.

Next is the first hero. While he looks like a science fiction character, it's simply nowhere near as awesome as the superheavy armour worn by the heavy weapon troopers.

The one I like the least is the second hero. Frankly, he doesn't really look like he's part of a sci-fi line at all.

[bravey]

Hmmm, those space dwarfs are looking way to similar to the Abyssal Dwarfs, especially the second hero.

[rodmillard]

Given the same artists and sculptors will be working on both ranges, that's not entirely unexpected. There's only so much you can do with a heavily armoured midget

Having said that, I have to agree with Bravey and Alex that he is the least inspiring of the designs. However, he appears to have been designed specifically as a multi-part kit, which is nice. Given the impact of rising metal prices, could mantic be looking at plastic heroes for Warpath?

[stonehorse]

If the models are close to those concept pieces I think that Mantic may be onto a winner with this one.

[Crube]

I must admit, I am more excited about Warpath than KoW... I love the ethos and models for KoW, but I can't get past the background etc that WFB has... I also think I'll miss some of the more in depth rules for WFB, but that's another thread.

WP seems to be my idea of a ideal SciFi game... and they have Space Dwarves

[Ozorik]

KoW doesn't hold much interest for me but this has caught my eye. Especially if the 'squats' match the concept sketches.

[Hairy Norseman]

I think I always saw KoW as an interesting idea but the figures don't really work for me so they never drew me to the fluff. The rules however do look good for large scale fantasy battles.

I am intrigued by WP as I've always been more of a Sci-Fi fan and some of the concept artwork looks cool. Assuming the rules follow the same straight forward style of KoW then I will be interested but will have to see what the actual minis look like.

Also the mantic ethos of large battles isn't massivey appealing to me in that I prefer smaller games (say 1k-1.5kpts 40k) but not really true skirmish. This is mainly a cost/painting time combo, I like to take my time painting my figs and I don't like playing with unpainted armies. I assume they will be apocalypse size games so I wonder how they scale for smaller games (no idea if KoW scales well at smaller games either).

HN

[scarletsquig]

Hairy, in the recent interview Ronnie said that the game was intended to scale so that any points value would work well.

Taking a look at the units, that definitely seems to be the case, and it also seems that the model count for Warpath is intended to be half as big as it is for Kings of War.

Instead of Troops, Regiments and Hordes of 10, 20 and 40 models, Warpath has Teams, Sections and Platoons of 5, 10 and 20 models.

So, you could have a game with 5 different units of 5 models, a couple of vehicles, an artillery piece and a hero on the board.

That would mean a game with 30 models on the table, but a whole lot of variety, so if you want small-scale at the level of 20-40 models like 2nd edition 40k had, then Warpath might just be the game for you.

Here is a 1000 point Forgefathers list as an example.

It has 2 units of 10 infantry, 2 units of 5 elite infantry, a tank and a hero. 32 models total.


1000pt Forgefathers Roster

* Scrappers Section (150pts)
2x Heat Hammer (60pts)

* Steel Warriors Section (230pts)
Hailstorm Autocannon (30pts), 2x Heat Hammer (60pts)

* Forgeguard Team (170pts)
Crushing Strength (6), Lumbering
Dragon Breath (30pts)

* Grizzlers Team (145pts)
2x Hailstorm Autocannon (60pts)

* Heavy Drakkar (210pts)
Stabilised, Transport (10)
2 Hailstorm Autocannons [R] [L]

* Huscarl (95pts)
Crushing Strength (1), Individual, Inspiring, Piercing (2)
Forgeguard Battlesuit (Lumbering), Heat Hammer (30pts)

[The Devourer]

It is understandable that the forgefathers look like mantics Abyssal dwarves. Mantic's Abyssal dwarves are very high tech for a fantasy setting and the Forge Fathers are going to have the dwarf look which makes them look a little less sci fi. This will end up with 2 semi Sci fi dwarf ranges.

[Comrade Wraith]

It is understandable that the forgefathers look like mantics Abyssal dwarves. Mantic's Abyssal dwarves are very high tech for a fantasy setting and the Forge Fathers are going to have the dwarf look which makes them look a little less sci fi. This will end up with 2 semi Sci fi dwarf ranges.

I agree, many of them (the King in particular) are only a couple of wires away from wearing powered armour.

[Darsc Zacal]

I forget which of the Abyssal Dwarf hero sculpts it was, but one of the greens had exactly that, what looked like power cables. After comments were made, Mantic removed them from the final sculpt.

[Hairy Norseman]

Thanks ScarletSquig!

Makes me even more interested now, can't wait to see the rules up close and some figs.

HN

[emperorpenguin]

I agree, many of them (the King in particular) are only a couple of wires away from wearing powered armour.

I forget which of the Abyssal Dwarf hero sculpts it was, but one of the greens had exactly that, what looked like power cables. After comments were made, Mantic removed them from the final sculpt.

Yes it was the King model (originally shown as Clockwork Wizard) as Comrade Wraith had already noted

[Demetrio]

While I'm excited for the Marauders and the Forgefathers, what I am most excited are for the Space Elves (Eldar are cool and all, but I'm probably the sole Mantic elf fanboy on the world) and Humans.

With the alliance rules it would be just fun to finally have Space Dwarves, Elves and Humans working together.

[otakuzoku]

it would be nice to see what thay can come up with for a rival to the tau and there crisis suites ?

[André]

Yep, really would like to transfer my Tau and Elysians to WP.

[Hairy Norseman]

I just found this interesting review of the Alpha rules for anyone like me who hasn't splashed out on a BoW backstage pass and seen the rules.

I think it makes me more intrigued, even if only for using WP rules and GW figs.

HN