Dragged into Turbolasers Episode 5: Deep Wars, the state of GW and supplements, and the decline in Malifaux model quality

Deep Wars is back!

Wrath of Kings: Orsund Cavalier unboxing and assembly impressions

Terror from the Deep!

We are always excited to work with models from miniature companies other than Games Workshop.  It is particularly neat to see what sort of innovations they bring to the hobby.  The market is virtually flooded with new games, so it can be difficult to keep track of everything.  We were excited to see that one of the blogs that we follow, Screwed Up Dice, was beginning an ambitious and collaborative hobby project centered around Cool Mini or Not’s Wrath of Kings.  The project, called A Tale of Wrath, is a spiritual successor to the seminal run of articles in White Dwarf back in 1998, called A Tale of Four Gamers.  This series chronicled four hobbyists’ efforts to start and continue building a new Warhammer Fantasy army over the course of six months, playing games throughout the process, and culminating in a tournament.  Screwed Up Dice is putting a new spin on this idea by changing the game system to Wrath of Kings (a non-GW game), and opening the project up to the entire world, encouraging anyone to signup and start building an army.  Although we realized that we would not have the time to participate in the project properly (the Pilgrym Project is occupying our time almost completely), it was hard not to get caught up in Screwed Up Dice’s enthusiasm, so we decided we should get a few Wrath of Kings models and let everyone know what we think!

Deep Wars: Converting the Silent Soldier

The call of the wretched sea...

Antimatter Games’ Deep Wars miniatures game has many elements that draw me to it: the tight ruleset and the very narrative focus certainly rank towards the top, but the primary draw is, without a doubt, the setting...  It is underwater!  What other miniature game can claim that? The underwater setting offers all manner of unique opportunities for both gameplay and narrative.  Towards this end, the release of the Fortune Hunter’s Silent Soldier model really captured my imagination. What is not to love about the concept of an underwater assassin encumbered by all manner of deepsea diving gear?  The concept alone is one that really offers a unique modeling opportunity, trying to create an amalgamation of sleek and cumbersome.  And while Paolo Fabiani did an excellent job exploring these themes with his sculpt of the model, I was always a little skeptical of the two cutlasses he was wielding. Why would an assassin be wielding such massive weapons underwater and why would they be in such a state of disrepair? Ultimately, I can’t really blame Fabiani for this, as he was following the original concept image. Even still, I knew it was something that I would change if I purchased the model.

Deep Wars at Games and Stuff

A fantastic submarine created for Antimatter Games using a host of old toys and random bits.

Having been a little while since I last played a game of Deep Wars, and knowing that a lot of newer models have begun to show up in retailers, I decided to head down to Glen Burnie’s excellent Games and Stuff to see if I could get a game in.  Few people know Deep Wars better than Patrick Weaver; having run Antimatter’s Deep Wars booth at both Adepticon and Gencon, he has spent more time in the inky depths of the ocean then anyone I know.  Luckily for me (and anyone in or around Maryland), Patrick runs Deep Wars games every Sunday at Games and Stuff, and has virtually all of the current range of models if you would like to try out some new units or even a new warband!

Deep Wars: Dire Fish-Lizard Review

Up from the depths! Thirty stories high...

I was drawn into Deep Wars primarily due to the setting.  I can’t think of too many things more exciting than fighting scaly fish monsters in the cold depths of ancient oceans. Since assembling my initial starter box of Ancients, however, I have not really been inspired to purchase any of the new models.  And this is not due to lack of new models, as they have maintained an impressive release schedule, sculpting and selling most of the models in each range.  Unfortunately, I feel most of the models are not as strong as the initial set of miniatures for each faction.  Many of them are Bob Olley sculpts, which tend to be mediocre at best.  Some of this can be attributed to questionable concept art, which looks to have been followed to the letter in every case (character’s weapons being particularly outlandish and undetailed).

Deep Wars at AdeptiCon!

Alex, the shark senses blood in the waters...

Since receiving my first models for the Ancients of Atalan (one of the enigmatic races in Antimatter Games’ underwater skirmish game Deep Wars), Antimatter Games has released a swell of new models and terrain for Deep Wars. What’s more, the digital rulebook has received an update to make slight corrections and clarifications. Perhaps the most exciting development for the game, however, is the fact that it is starting to be stocked in game stores across America! My local game store, Games and Stuff in Glen Burnie, Maryland is one such store. Moreover, Patrick Weaver, a huge proponent for the game and one who has helped revise the ruleset with Antimatter games, is a regular at the store. For the last few months, he has been fanatically assembling, converting, and painting the entire Deep Wars range of models in preparation for holding a Deep Wars booth at AdeptiCon 2013 this weekend (Friday and Saturday: 12:00pm – 7:00pm)!

Deep Wars! - A first look at some of the miniatures

It is an exciting time for miniature gaming enthusiasts, with the shift towards crowd funded miniature lines and games, we are seeing a surge of interesting new projects that would not have been possible otherwise. I have been on top of many of the different initiatives on Kickstarter, including Sedition Wars, Kingdom Death, and Imbrian Arts Miniatures (many of which I hope to post about in the future). However, there is one I managed to miss out on, one that I am still kicking myself for: Deep Wars!

Still my favorite Deep Wars model, and what got me interested in the game to begin with!