Showing posts with label Astronomi-Con. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Astronomi-Con. Show all posts

Reaper Miniatures 'Bones' Kickstarter



Reaper Miniatures is a North Texas-based company, and has long been a friend to the local gaming community (including prize support for events such as Astronomi-con Dallas); they have turned to the public-funding site Kickstarter for financing to greatly expand their 'Reaper Bones' line of unpainted plastic versions of their beautifully-sculpted, diverse, traditionally metal hobby figure lines, and have been embraced: with a week of funding left, they are approaching one million dollars raised.

In response, they have set--and achieved--numerous goals, with the result that several pledge levels--specifically, the $100 'Vampire' supporter level--have so many miniatures available either as a direct pledge reward or as a purchase option that supporters will be getting model figures at well under a buck each, a huge discount over their eventual retail.

While most of these figures are likelier to find homes on Pathfinder or D&D rpg tables, there are 40K- and Fantasy-related applications (I have the odd Werner Klocke Reaper sculpt in an Inquisitor warband or two), the Chronoscope and Pathfinder lines have numerous SuperSystem/Superfigs applications...and the Reaper people are very, very easy sorts to support. If this intrigues, take a look:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1513061270/reaper-miniatures-bones-an-evolution-of-gaming-min

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Bolt Action!--WWII in 28mm Playtest

Adeptus North Texas has been selected by Warlord Games to be a part of their pre-release playtesting of their upcoming World War II 28mm miniatures game: Bolt Action!

Warlord already offers a tremendous line of 28mm WWII miniatures and vehicles under their Bolt Action line, usable for any extant gaming ruleset...but as they have done with their excellent Black Powder and Hail Caesar rules, Warlord is developing their own game for their offered WWII miniatures--to also be called Bolt Action! This ruleset has reached the playtest phase, and interested North Texas gamers will have the opportunity to help influence the game by their advanced playtest participation.

Although official credits for Bolt Action will not be released until the game itself is publicly announced, veterans of previous generations of the Warhammer series of games, including Warhammer 40K, will recognize the design influences of such luminaries as Alessio Cavatore, Rick Priestley and Paul Sawyer.

How do you take part? As Adeptus North Texas is being considered a 'club' for playtesting purposes, all potential playtesters will have to be subscribed to the Adeptus emailing list (if you are getting this announcement there, you are good!); sign up from http://www.adeptusnorthtexas.com. Then watch for announced playtest games, and come test your mettle!

Of course, once introduced to the game, participants may want to run additional playtests themselves. That, too, will be possible.

And to facilitate the construction of initial forces necessary for play, Warlord have offered North Texas playtest participants the opportunity to build initial forces via their website--at a 20% off discount incentive!

Interested participants can identify the forces they would like to playtest with at: http://www.warlordgames.com/home/bolt-action/

Once you've determined the starter force you would like to purchase, email it to me with product names/ID codes (anything you consider necessary information to determine you will get precisely what you want) at: Outrider@adeptusnorthtexas.com with the Subject: 'Bolt Action Order'.

I will get back to you with your final cost, how to pay, when the order will be placed, etc.

Bolt Action is a squad-based game; while there will be plentiful utility for ancillary forces as the game is published, to best participate in playtests, look at the basic infantry boxed set types and especially starter forces on the website. An armoured vehicle, transport and tank or two will certainly be viable parts of a playtest force but building said force around a core of infantry is likely to be most satisfying.

This is a fairly unique opportunity to shape a ruleset--as well as get started on a force at a significant incentive discount!--so act quickly. There will be Bolt Action playtest games beginning soon at a retailer nearby in North Texas...and as Bolt Action has generously offered prize support, there will likely be a free Bolt Action demo playtest for paid Astronomi-con Dallas members, if the time and logistics can be managed!

Bolt Action: WWII in 28mm. Coming worldwide soon from Warlord Games...but ready to commence battle in North Texas today!

Results: Astronomi-Con Dallas 2010

The first Astronomi-Con Dallas was a resounding success on all fronts: a national-scale 40K event returned to North Texas and was impressively supported by the community, something appreciated not only by Astro organizers, host The Gamers Realm and all sponsors but by Games Workshop, as well...and the near sell-out roster of players got to experience the very best weekend the hobby has to offer!

  • BEST OVERALL: Clay Smith (Orks)
    2nd Place: Christopher Allen (Space Marines--Iron Hands)
    3rd Place: Michael Sanford (Daemonhunters)
  • BEST SPORTSMAN: Christopher Allen (Space Marines--Iron Hands)
  • BEST ARMY: Billy Pistole (Traitor IG)
  • BEST APPEARANCE: Michael Sanford (Daemonhunters)
  • BEST GENERAL: Raymond Nerpel (Chaos Space Marines--Death Guard)
  • BEST SINGLE MINI: Nam Nguyen (IG)
  • BEST TERRAIN: Dave Pakalnis (Tau Empire)
  • BEST ARMY LIST: Kyle Foster (Space Marines--Ultramarines)

Result: Pre-Astro Terrain Table Tourney

Eleven dedicated hobbyists brought their Astronomi-Con-tuned 1500 point Warhammer 40K armies to The Gamers Realm to test their mettle against the kind of terrain, missions--and scoring!--they will face in two weeks, when the Games Workshop Grand Tournament Circuit comes to North Texas via Astronomi-Con Dallas!

Thanks to those who submitted tables for use in the upcoming GT: six new additional tables will supplement those supplied by TGR and other sponsors, all with customized, dedicated scenarios written by the Astronomi-Con staff. Interested players can still register to participate at http://www.astronomi-con.com --where you will face opponents, and their Astro armies, like these Pre-Astro event winners:

  • BEST OVERALL: Dennis Ovens, Imperial Guard -- 78 points
  • BEST SPORTSMAN (and Second Place Overall): Brady Allen, Tyranids -- 77 points
  • BEST APPEARANCE (and Third Place Overall): Clay Smith, Orks -- 74 points
  • BEST GENERAL: Mark Pollet, Chaos Space Marines

The tournament winner collects a membership to any future Astronomi-Con of his choice AND a ticket to this year's GamesDay (including limited edition miniature!) courtesy of Astronomi-Con and Games Workshop, and the other winners collect gift cards courtesy of The Gamers Realm--total prizes awarded for the day exceeded US$200 in value...just a taste of what is to come at Astronomi-Con itself

Congratulations to all participants, as so many games literally came down to final turns; special kudos to Ian Kershaw and Dave Pakalnis, Best Sportsman runners-up, and Sid Stallings, Best Appearance runner-up. Thanks to ringer Steve Burroughs, from a grateful event moderator...and to everyone at The Gamers Realm, for sponsoring today's Pre-Astro event, and on June 19 and 20, 2010, Astronomi-Con Dallas!