Why did Inquisitor fail as a game?

I know that a lot of people in the UK bought inquisitor models at some point but the game as a whole failed to become popular.  Its still available to buy but it never took off and has become a redundant part of the GW website.

There wasn't enough variation in models on offer from GW.  They should have forgotten about metals and instead designed a generic plastic kit with lots of choice for variations , like different heads, weapons etc.  GW promoted conversions of the metal models heavily in white dwarf but there was a limited amount of conversions that could be done and it wasn't easy to do.  Finding components to convert the miniatures wasn't because they were the only ones making sci-fi models at this scale.  Only at the end did GW bring out blister packs of components when it was too late.

The game was hard to scale up unlike most massed infantry games because you only needed a small crew.  It was hard to find an incentive to buy more models unless you actually liked the design of the models themselves which i think a lot of people actually bought them for. 

There was also a problem with having a no points system which was highly narrative based.  Its too easy to blur into an RPG style game.  The models in the narrative changed a lot, (i.e losing an arm and it becoming cyborg) but the miniatures weren't designed for change, so the only option was to continually convert them.  But what happens if you want to revert back to my old human arm? it was just too much hassle.  Theres almost no need for miniatures at all these changes could be easily written down on paper like an RPG, which equates to less sales for GW and a dead system.

At the time magnets werent common in wargaming like they are today and a plastic kit combined with magnetisation might be the solution. 

40k doesn't have any of these problems highlighted above so its a much better alternative for the gamer and for the producer GW.

Crashed Tau Piranha by forge world

The tau crashed piranha is probably one of the lesser known pieces from forge world because they have now removed most of their scenery for sale.  Overall its very dull but from a sculptors point of view i can almost imagine the converted plastic piranha that they used to make it.  You don't need a lot of modelling skill in order to make something like this and i suppose that's why they didn't sell very well.  They also made a crashed Valkyrie and a blown up chimera but most main stream gamers would rather spend the money on an actual model that could be used in the game.

This kind of kit is best suited in a diorama in my opinion.  It would look great with dead pilots strewn around it and a team of servitors trying to capture new technologies.

Flames of war german armoured grenadier company

Flames of war for those who didnt know is a 15mm world war table top game thats been out for a couple of years now and has a huge following. The vehicles are made from resin and metal, however there are plastic kit alternatives from other companies which are almost identicle.

Its been a game that i have been keen to play but never got around to it. This company is now sold but it probably wont be the last one i'll ever see thats for certain.

WAC Rules & game mechanics suggestions on Dakka

We have had some suggestions for the Massive Armour Combat System (MAC) on Dakka which we all agree with.  This is a great incentive to progress the rules further.  Dans been working on some unique game mechanics such as respawning and medic/mechanic repair rules.  Ive started a thread on Dakka so that the gaming community can get involved with suggestions. (link below)

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/479687.page#4829362

Dan has already been working on these mechanics as we discussed these same points a while ago, in fact he wrote a blog post about it here http://massivearmour.com/blog/novel-game-mechanics

And as a last note:  Dan will be filming the first play testing of the rules very soon and will be uploading it here and on the MAC website.  The aim of the play testing is to find weak points in the game and to test out these new unique game mechanics.

If you want to get involved thanks for your help.

BUILD YOUR OWN THUNDERHAWK GUNSHIP

The cost of a forgeworld thunderhawk gunship is usually beyond the casual gamers budget.  Or you may have the budget but you wouldn't want to spend that kind of money all in one go.  The other alternative is to scratch build your own model.  Now you may ask yourself would this actually be worth my time and effort? Scratch built Thunderhawks usually sell for upwards of £100+ a time on ebay so if decide to get rid of it when something else takes your fancy it could go part way towards funding your next project.

The model below is one that i had a while back and whilst its not wholly true to original designs it did the job well in the game.  It was constructed with high density foam, plasticard and thick card stock.  The Thunderhawk Cannon was taken from the GW baneblade plastic kit, the side sponsons and turret were taken from the GW Predator tank plastic kit. Finally the engines were made from empty paint pots.  These kinds of materials are quite cheap to come by you might get away with spending as little as £20 to construct something like this yourself. Why not give it a go yourself?

 

MASSIVE ARMOUR - MAC wargaming rules

My Friend Dan Townsend is in the process of creating a new wargaming rule set for the popular line of  Maschinen Krieger models called Massive Armour Combat System (MAC).  Its currently in the development stages and i would urge people who have experience in wargaming to read his rules which are available here http://massivearmour.com/rules/

If you have any questions about the game or you have suggestions for improvements or new game mechanics please contact him.  Dan is going to book a local building to film the first ever play test of the rules system and it will hopefully be the start of many to come!

So stay tuned and thanks for your support.

TALISMAN DRAGONS TOWER EXPANSION 3rd Ed

The 3rd edition Dragon's Tower expansion is one of the most sought after expansions for the game.  They generally sell for anywhere between £120 to £180 on ebay (2012 prices) for a complete boxed set.  I've played all of the expansions and they are a must buy if you want to play the game more than once without getting bored too quickly.

However the most necessary expansion is Dragons tower.  This is because the final battle between your character and the dragon king in the base game happens when you reach the centre of the board.  This plays out way too quickly and you always feel that there was somthing missing in the game.  The expansion includes the tower itself with three platforms and introduces new enemies and traps to fight your way to the dragon king at the top.  This is a much more rewarding ending and it flows so much better.

TAU BARRACUDA by Forge World

Today im going to be talking about the TAU BARRACUDA by Forge World (SOLD).  Im a real fan of painting models with weathering, this can range from slight rust to huge battle damage i love the whole spectrum.  On this particular model i painted up some battle damaged areas where the paint had been scraped off from continual usage in combat.  Forgeworld seem to promote the gritty look and im all for it as it helps to bring the models to life.  There are lots of new weathering powders available to buy in the miniatures market so hunt them down and give them a go too.

PRO's:  The model itself is solid resin and is well cast.  It has a removable cockpit and hatch cover so you can paint some of the interior. It makes a great centrepiece to a Tau army and in the game its got great long range firepower.

CON's: After the initial excitement of purchasing the model wears off the model can feel quite plain.  Its lacking in a lot of exterior and interior details.  For the money you are spending (£73 as of 2012) the new plastic flyer kits such as the Heldrake, Doom Scythe and the Ork Bommer seem to offer more bang for your buck for a lot cheaper price.  This model should see a revival as a plastic kit in the near future by Games Workshop so i would hang on for that.

IMPERIAL TRENCH SYSTEM BY FORGE WORLD

Welcome to the wargamingblogger blog!

Im going to use this as a place to talk about wargaming miniatures and kits that i collected down the line.  Hopefully you will find some of the posts interesting.  This is all new to me so lets see how it goes.  Maybe one day it will all lead to somthing really great.

I'll start off the blog with a kit i got a while ago but is now sold, its the Imperial Trench system by Forge world! This was long OOP when i got hold of it and now its become quite desirable selling on ebay for around £200-250 (as of 2012). 

PRO's : The kit is modular made from good quality hand cast resin.  There were loads of upgrade kits available for it including support struts, ladders, firing steps and ladders.  Heavy stubbers with crew could be added along side trench system equipment.  The components are flexible allowing you to create various trench layouts.

CON's : It was quite an expensive kit when it was being sold, if you wanted to buy every upgrade it would cost around £100 (2009 prices).  It was also an unusual kit because it couldnt lie on the surface of the gaming table, it was designed to be recessed into foam terrain board.  This meant extra cost and time to craft the foam to create the desired effect.

Verdict:  Its a great kit overall if you manage to find one on the internet its going to be a great investment piece for the future as its very desirable.  I dont think there has been anything made to this standard and verity by rival miniatures companies.  Deluxe terrain is quite a niche and it seems that forgeworld are slowly reducing its selection so buy now before its too late!