Wednesday, February 25, 2015

"So these aren't new toys then?"

"well, technically no as I paid for them almost a year ago" was my reply.  However, there is something about kickstarters that doesn't ring true to my wife. So when this parcel turned up yesterday I had some explaining to do!!
I have participated in 6 kickstarters, ranging from one for a range of double ended kolinski brushes to reaper bones 1.  I have been lucky in that all have produced the promised goods in a slightly longer than anticipated time frame.  This is my second kickstarter from westwind, the first being empire of the dead, and yet again I am more than happy with my rewards.

 The box was opened and the contents check - all were present!
 I wanted a new dbmm army from the kickstarter but was also hoping to pick up some other bits and pieces to add some versatility to my collection.   I had also to keep in mind that as I approached the $400 mark I ran an increasing risk of getting caught up in customs and being hit for a tax payment that would almost wipe out any savings I had made on the deal.  (I decided that discretion was the better part of valour and only went to about $300!  Still a nice haul though!)
The main army I chose to purchase was Numidian.  Lots of light horse, some foot and a few elephants.
This is one of the packs of light horse.  I was really pleased with the general quality of the figures and the variety of poses within each pack.
 close up of one of the the riders.  Nice faces, I think.  They should take paint well.
 A different pose.
 Another of the nice things about this kickstarter is that most packs contain more figures than they should.  The numidian foot are next up.  They should contain 24 figures but contain 3 extra. Bonus!!
 Again a great variety of figures, nicely posed.
 They look quite a hairy bunch...
 I only bought 1 pack of elephants.
 The elephants themselves are nicely done
 but I have never seen the castle rides done quite like this!!  I don't dislike it but I am intregued as to how it will go together.
 So that is my main army and so I thought how to get the most mileage out of the money I had left.  I realised that if I bought a few late Caesarian Romans I could create a Pompeian roman army list using the numidians as allies.

 Romans with  Gladius.  Will have to think about the shield designs as I didn;t buy the shield transfers that were part of the kickstarter..... that may have been a mistake...
 I also bought some romans with pilum.

 Again, nice details

 So that made two armies!!!  Good going so far!!  For the next I went with the ultimate piecemeal army and looked at Carthaginian army.  I thought that I could use some numidians for this as well but would need some heavy cavalry
 Another nice set of figures with a good level of detail and nice characterful faces.
 I thought that I would also need punic veteran spears to provide a little backbone....
 I am hoping that the chain dry brushes easily
 I was worried that there were a lack of General figures in the kickstarter but I needn't have worried as most packs come with command that will be useful for command elements.
 And I also thought a pack of spanish infantry

 And finally I needed some celtic light troops to finish an army I had painted a while ago.
The first pack was slingers and javlins

 the second pack is bows and more javelins
 again I am very pleased with the level of detail.
 I always seem to forget baggage elements for an army, but not this time....
I bought 2 packs of 3 ox carts

 I am very taken by the sculpts of the oxen.

 And the final bit of the kickstarter was that the stretch goals included free generals for the armies and so these came as a separate pack.  I know who some are but the others I will have to look up.
 This one is King Porus
 Darius the persian



 The reason for the celts was that, as I have already stated, the main army for this was started a couple of years ago.  I painted over 400 figures for it and glued them all to bases to begin texturing them and then
I BLOODY DROPPED THE BOX!!!!!

 so I just scooped them up, put them back in the box and put them away.....
I am hoping that getting the figure to finish it may make me repair and complete the basing on the rest of them.  
Westwing are doing another kickstarter later in the year, which I will be watching with interest.  Now all I have to do is get painting.... and while I am at it paint the other two boxes of figures from previous kickstarters.......
Watch this space!!

10 comments:

  1. Always nice to get "unexpected" things through the post even if it requires some calming of the better half. Whate scale figures are these ? I'm guessing 15mms, but the detail seems too good for such a small scale.
    You'll not be the first or last to drop a box of figures, I'm guessing there's not a wargamer around who hasn't - but it still sucks !

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    1. they are 15's and are from westwind's new war and empire range. Nice figures and I am hoping that they do another ancients kicksttarter at some point in the not too distant future.

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  2. Thats alot of miniatures .... are they 28mm?
    I to got numidians but they are for my cartagian army.

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    1. these are 15mm figures. if you are after this scale they are very nice. If you want 28mm stuff have you looked at crusader miniatures? They go great figures.

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  3. Nice to receive a parcel. I am looking forward to my Studio Miniature Kickstarter one hopefully next month.

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  4. my problem with kickstarters is that I am enthused by the project when the campaign runs but in the year between that and getting the toys it is quite hard to keep that focus and so they run the risk of just joining the lead mountain. I will still do them though!

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  5. It is always a great moment when you receive a huge parcel from a Kickstarter project you backed, no matter how long it takes to arrive. I share your joy!

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    1. And there is always a sense of relief that they actually turn up!!! I feel lucky that I have avoided any of the horror stories that crop up every now and then. Just look at the ' dust' kickstarter......

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  6. Lovely to get mail you've been waiting for. Sorry though dude, they aren't my bag at all. Far too small for me as well man.

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  7. I was going to say 'that's ok. you can't like everything.' but then I realised I probably break that rule :) I shall probably put up pics as I paint but they will be interspersed with other stuff that hopefully you will like more!

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