Hordes: Primal reviews

[tabletopnews]

Just in time to get yourself ready for the Unleashed event on the 22nd, Tabletop Gaming News has posted its Hordes: Primal reviews.

We've managed to get an advance look at the miniatures, rules and even played quite a few games and we've posted our impressions of the game.

Since the review is quite extensive we've broken it into several sections to make it easier to read.

The review "portal" with links to all the individual reviews can be seen at:

http://www.tabletopgamingnews.com/?p=1331

Many thanks to Matt and Josh at Privateer Press for making this review possible

[Begisle]

So is there a game that tabletopgamingnews doesn't like?

Why such a huge review for Hordes compared to other reviews?

I question a service that seems to never have a bad thing to say about any game they 'review'. Is the gaming industry that scared that they just ship their product off to a yesman place to get a glowing review?

I keep seeing this
Warmachine is resource management
Hordes is risk management

Are people actually buying into this idea? PP has been playing up this idea for months now and it is the biggest laughable concept to date.

[tabletopnews]

So is there a game that tabletopgamingnews doesn't like?

We've just started doing reviews. There will be games we don't like.

Besides, the review isn't a glowing appraisal of the game. I think you should go back and read the comments about the Skorne miniatures and the commens regarding the Skorne and Everblight factions.

Why such a huge review for Hordes compared to other reviews?

No-one has sent us 18 miniatures and a rulebook to review before. I think the Confrontation 3 review was of comparable size considering that there were no miniatures to review.

As well we aim to play every game we review if possible and in this case that lead to another 2000+ words to talk about that.

I actually kept some of the early reviews short but since psoting them have been told repeatedly that people like and want more comprehensive reviews so we've been increasing the length of them

I question a service that seems to never have a bad thing to say about any game they 'review'. Is the gaming industry that scared that they just ship their product off to a yesman place to get a glowing review?

Well we've only been publishing for seven months or so and we've done reviews primarily of items that we've purchased out of pocket on our own. So that will tend to skew the results since no-one buys products they think are crap. Or at least I din't have the money to buy products to review on a whim.

Its actually just been recently that we've been sent review copies of anything. Hordes is the second item that we've been sent that we've reviewed.

And I do have to say that I resent the implication that we are just rubberstamping a positive review on products. We played the game for over two weeks, assembled 18 miniatures and then wrote a pretty substantial review. If we were going to just say something good about it we wouldn't have gone to that sort of effort.

Are people actually buying into this idea? .

Well it is actually one of the central design elements of the game so yes I think people are "buying" into the idea. Its not just marketing hype. It quickly summarises the differences between the games. Its one of the primary things you have to wraap your head around when you start palying.

It might seem as if the games are the same thing but there is a significant difference in the way each of them plays.

[tabletopnews]

I'd also like to add that even positive reviews can help you make an informed buying decision about a product as long as the review gives you enough detail about that product.

I've read glowing reviews of video games and not bought them specifically because the reviewer told me enough about the gameplay for me to know that I wouldn't like the product.

The critical factor is the information you give to the reader and not just your overall impression of the product.

[Lord Tyran]

looks good, nice site aswell

[Aurelien]

As far as I can see, Begisle never has anthing good to say about anything, so I wouldnt take his comments too personally.

As for your reviews, They seemed to take a hell of a long time to load, but I think that was my computer being stupid other than anything else. A good read for the most part.

[Begisle]

As far as I can see, Begisle never has anthing good to say about anything, so I wouldnt take his comments too personally.

Here just for you.
http://www.msbtoys.com/
Some awesome sculpts from another French company. Don't know if they have any rules. From the looks of it I would say no.

I'm sorry if I speak my opinion.

One of the funny bits about that whole risk vs resource management. In a table top game, they are interchangable.

Without the resource of their warbeasts a warlock can't manipulate the fury.

It is a greater risk for a warcaster to not take a warjack.

I think you should go back and read the comments about the Skorne miniatures and the commens regarding the Skorne and Everblight factions.

I did read them. and read your bios, I don't see how people who have been into these types of games for as long as you all say and never had much experience with greenstuff. I didn't have a problem putting together the Skorne I have. I also pin, maybe that is the difference.

If I went by your review I would've had problems.

How can you actually review models realistically? It all comes down to taste. Just because there wasn't any flash on your reviewed models doesn't mean that's the actual product.

You also didn't say anything 'bad' about Skorne and "blight as factions only that they play differently than the others, which surprisingly was exactly the same as Warmachine.

[Aurelien]

I'm sorry Begisle, but my opinion of you is of general negativity. I do agree that everyone is entitled to their opinion, it just seems to me you only post your negative opinions. Those are very nice miniatures, so thanks for the link.

[Brimstone]

And I do have to say that I resent the implication that we are just rubberstamping a positive review on products. We played the game for over two weeks, assembled 18 miniatures and then wrote a pretty substantial review. If we were going to just say something good about it we wouldn't have gone to that sort of effort.

Don't worry too much about it, thanks a lot for the review and keep 'em coming please

[EyEwitness]

Great reviews, wish I read them before buying Skorne box set, they are really awkward to assemble
(must think of how good they'll look when finished...)

[nick]

I believe the praise is well deserved in this case after reading other reviews. Privateer Press have been very good in sending out review kits and even included WarSeer on their list (shameless plug for our review). I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a set to try out sometime soon. I'll probably have to buy it as OneTrueFrodo won't give it up any time soon.

Nick

[Capt. Buko]

Here just for you.
http://www.msbtoys.com/
Some awesome sculpts from another French company. Don't know if they have any rules. From the looks of it I would say no.

I'm sorry if I speak my opinion.

One of the funny bits about that whole risk vs resource management. In a table top game, they are interchangable.

Without the resource of their warbeasts a warlock can't manipulate the fury.

It is a greater risk for a warcaster to not take a warjack.


I did read them. and read your bios, I don't see how people who have been into these types of games for as long as you all say and never had much experience with greenstuff. I didn't have a problem putting together the Skorne I have. I also pin, maybe that is the difference.

If I went by your review I would've had problems.

How can you actually review models realistically? It all comes down to taste. Just because there wasn't any flash on your reviewed models doesn't mean that's the actual product.

You also didn't say anything 'bad' about Skorne and "blight as factions only that they play differently than the others, which surprisingly was exactly the same as Warmachine.

Wow, you’re small minded.

If YOU had any idea what YOU"RE talking about YOU would know that all metal minis, especially first run minis, have a lot of casting errors in them. My titan took about 1/25 of a ribbon of GS to put together and I still has to make a cape/parchment to cover the mis-cast. Quality of minis has nothing to do with taste - it's about QUALITY OF MODELS. Sculpts on the other hand is about taste and personal preference.

Get off this guy's/group's back will ya. They are DOING something. As apposed to YOU.

And this is not a whole lot wrong with this game - it's a very good.

[Begisle]

Wow, you’re small minded.

If YOU had any idea what YOU"RE talking about YOU would know that all metal minis, especially first run minis, have a lot of casting errors in them. My titan took about 1/25 of a ribbon of GS to put together and I still has to make a cape/parchment to cover the mis-cast. Quality of minis has nothing to do with taste - it's about QUALITY OF MODELS. Sculpts on the other hand is about taste and personal preference.

Get off this guy's/group's back will ya. They are DOING something. As apposed to YOU.

And this is not a whole lot wrong with this game - it's a very good.

And if YOU had any idea about what YOU were were talking about.

First run at Gencon last year for the pressgangers there.

Second run was at Gencon Socal for the public sneak peak sale.

Third run the release of Hordes.
Maybe they have a problem then if you had to use that much GS...

The one thing you did get right. the essence of tabletopnews' review... er attaboy.

And this is not a whole lot wrong with this game - it's a very good.

[NakedFisherman]

Minis are awkward.

Rules are ambiguous.

Typos everywhere in Primal. Heck, there's even one sentence with 4 or 5 misspellings/typos.

Every boxed set says "Monstrous Miiatures Combat" for crying out loud!

At least mention these things.

Also, the review had its fair share of typos and grammatical errors. Not trying to dog you guys, but they were sticking out quite a bit as I read it.

[Tamwulf]

I just recently began reading Tabletop News, and I like it so far. I don't think they are rubberstamping anything! Thier website has been a nice place to visit to get info on all the vast tabletop and miniature games that seem to get released every week now a days.

[tabletopnews]

Minis are awkward.

Rules are ambiguous.

Typos everywhere in Primal. Heck, there's even one sentence with 4 or 5 misspellings/typos.

Every boxed set says "Monstrous Miiatures Combat" for crying out loud!

At least mention these things.

I fixed quite a few typos after the original posting. And thats probably one reason why I don't tend to mention typos :-) we all do them and I can't recall a book I've read that didn't have a few.

I think I did mention when the minis had issue. Not sure what you mean by ackward.

I didn't think that the rules were ambiguous. In fact I thought they were an improvement from Warmachine.

[archaeos]

Love the skorne ever since i checked out the box and magazine articals on them may favourite has to be that titan though it must be a pain to paint every bit is covered in detatail but you've got to ador thos tusks.