Blitz Bowl: Unboxing

Blitz Bowl!

Multiple times In the past, we have tried to play Blood Bowl, both in the form of single games and in a league, but always struggled to continue after a few games. Despite this, every year we get the desire to get some tiny athlete models and roll some dice with friends. With the COVID pandemic keeping us home, coupled with the long playtime for a single game, we had resolved to put off Blood Bowl for another year. This changed when we saw that Games Workshop just released the second season of their Barnes and Noble exclusive game Blitz Bowl, set in the Blood Bowl universe. Designed by James M. Hewitt, known for writing the rules for the new version of Adeptus Titanicus and the Hellboy board game, Blitz Bowl streamlines and simplifies the mechanics of Blood Bowl, creating a game with a similar feeling that can be played in 30-45 minutes rather than two hours. Using half the number of models of Blood Bowl (6 rather than 12), Blitz Bowl seemed like an obvious place to get into the Blood Bowl universe. With a Dark Elf team largely assembled, we decided to get the second season of Blitz Bowl and give the game a try!

Warhammer 40k 8th Edition: First Strike

First Strike

Despite being out for a few months already, we only just recently played a game of Warhammer 40,000 8th edition. While the initial Dark Imperium boxed set was enticing, filled with all manner of nice Primaris Space Marines and Death Guard models, and a hardback copy of the rulebook, its price and sheer number of models (that would likely end up in a box unassembled for a long period) ultimately swayed our hands. It was almost as though Games Workshop knew our plight, and that of new hobbyists, and released two smaller introductory boxed sets, Know No Fear and First Strike. First Strike is heralded as the “ideal first purchase for those new to the Warhammer 40,000 hobby” by Games Workshop themselves, so we thought it would be fun to get the box and see if it lived up to the statement. If nothing else, it would give us a few of the new Primaris and Death Guard models to experiment with, so what was there to lose (aside from $40, ha ha)?

Blood Bowl: Unboxing

Blood Bowl is back!

When there were first rumors that Games Workshop was going to re-release their classic fantasy football game, Blood Bowl, I was a little skeptical.  After all, the game has had a very strong following for years, despite a lack of official support.  Would GW really do enough to make it worthwhile?  As the months progressed, and more pictures leaked, it became increasingly clear that they would live up to the legend.  Their use of classic Wayne England artwork along with newer pieces from Karl Kopinski, and a fantastic cover by Filipe Pagliuso, was one element that really sold me on the whole endeavor, reassuring me that they were not cutting corners.  We were fortunate enough to pick up a copy of the game during the opening weekend, and wanted to do an unboxing, taking some time to go over the components!

Orruk Megaboss: Unboxing and assembly impressions

This beakie looks outclassed...

In my mind, the orcs/orks/orruks really came into perfect form when Brian Nelson started to sculpt them, starting with a few Warhammer Fantasy models, then moving to Gorkamorka (Mad Max-style gang warfare game), before finally sculpting the majority of the 3rd edition Warhammer 40,000 range.  He was able to take the somewhat comical humanoid designs of Rogue Trader and 2nd edition Warhammer 40k and completely revitalize them.  He turned the orcs/orks into more simian-like creatures with long arms corded with muscle and hunched postures.  Beyond the orcs’ frame, Nelson gave them a very distinctive facial structure, with a flattened nose, small beady eyes and a pronounced lower jaw.  A lot of these features were already part of the orc aesthetic, but Nelson was able to combine those elements into something very distinctive and unique for Games Workshop. Brian Nelson made me love the orcs.  A number of other sculptors have handled orcs for Games Workshop since Nelson’s reimaging, but none ever fully captured their essence like he did.  The last few Warhammer 40,000 orc releases seem more like imitations of Nelson’s greatness, never quite reaching the same heights (despite being very good).  I had long hoped for the day that Nelson would return to sculpting orcs, and when I saw images of the new Orruk models for Age of Sigmar, my heart lept.  After seeing the expressive faces on the models, and the careful attention to scale, I knew that Brian Nelson must have had a serious role in their creation.  As it turns out, Nelson’s first sculpt for the Orruk range was the imposing Orruk Megaboss. Such was my excitement about the model that I was at my local hobby shop to get it the day it was released.

Imperial Space Marine 2016: Unboxing

And they shall know no fear.

Last weekend, Games Workshop celebrated 30 years of Space Marines by releasing a promotional model reenvisioning of the very first Space Marine model.  Although they only had a limited number of the models, selling out within a few hours, I was fortunate enough to be able to get one.  I wasted no time assembling the marine and wanted to share my thoughts about it!

Adeptus Mechanicus Electro-Priest Unboxing Video

As 2016 steadily advances, we at Between the Bolter and Me are continuing to experiment with ways that we can extend what we are doing here, such that we can reach a wider audience and continue to strengthen and build this hobbying/modeling community.  In addition to starting our podcast Dragged into Turbolasers, we are trying our hand at doing some unboxing videos.  We do not intend to unbox every Games Workshop release.  There are already tons of other excellent people who do that, but rather just look at certain kits that we find interesting and/or intend to use on a project for the blog here.

Black Sailors: Papa Jambo, Witch Doctor Unboxing

Papa Jambo, Witch Doctor of the Black Sailors

I have always had a soft spot for orcs, ever since I started playing 40k with the second edition boxed game.  They were called Space Orks back then, and their identity was a little confused, equal parts goofy and equal parts brutal.  Most of the models were also quite generic humanoid figures, with few discerning features.  This all changed when Brian Nelson re-envisioned/recreated orcs for Games Workshop.  Rather than spindly human frames, they were replaced with hunched, hulking bodies, with huge corded muscles dominating their oversized arms.  Their faces also changed slightly, taking all the hallmarks of orcs in the fantasy setting, pointed ears, small recessed eyes, pug nose, and a broad jaw brimming with sharp teeth, and created something more his own.  This gave Games Workshop’s Orc design their own unique look, even though it was built from standard tropes, and it solidified my love of orks.  In the years since Nelson’s redesign, many have tried to sculpt orks in his style, but few ever really succeeded.  They tend to go through all the right motions, but always ultimately lose something in the process (often the sheer brutal practicalism of their clothes and weapons, replaced with wonky oversized nonsense).  I can probably count on one hand the orc models that I like that are not designed by Brian Nelson, and therefore almost lost interest in new orc models in general.  This all changed with the Black Sailors - Pirates, Orcs, Fantasy Miniatures! Kickstarter by Big Child Creatives.  They are a small company of very talented sculptors based out of Madrid Spain, who decided to launch a project with the following premise: "At BigChild we love orcs, we love pirates, so we thought, why not combine the two and produce such miniatures!?"  The result is an astounding collection of swashbuckling orcs, each gigantic in 54mm scale.  The amount of passion and creative energy oozing from each model literally renewed my faith in the creation of orc models.  I had to get one.  I ended up selecting Papa Jambo, a ramshackle Witch Doctor, and to my delight, he arrived in the mail yesterday.  I think that pictures will convey the meticulous craftsmanship of these models better than I could write!

Unboxing: Kingdom Death Monster

All 22lbs of Kingdom Death, inside a custom printed shipping box.

After almost 3 years of waiting, and becoming increasing frustrated with Kindgom Death’s portrayal of women in their Pin-up side project (which admittedly has not bearing on the game itself), I had almost resolved to just sell my copy of Kingdom Death when it arrived.  Upon receiving the box, I decided to give the game a chance, figuring I would likely never get the opportunity to see the game again, due to its impressive price tag ($400 retail, substantially higher than the Kickstarter price).  After spending some time with the game, going through the contents of the box and reading through the rules, I am happy to have decided to keep the game.  Not only does it have the highest production values of any boardgame that I have ever seen, it also treats its subject matter seriously, without any of the objectifying of women present in their pin-up line of models.  I thought people would appreciate seeing some pictures of what is in the box, to get a sense of the quality and to determine if it is something you are interested in.

Unboxing: Cult Mechanicus Kastelan Robots

From ancient Mars...

After all the excited Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii releases, it was hard to believe that the following Cult Mechanicus models would be able to live up to them. Fortunately for everyone, they largely did, with the fantastic tech-priest dominus and the tracked Kataphron Destroyers. The first kit released for the Cult Mechanicus, despite being just as visually striking as the others, has received a lot of mixed opinions in the community. I am speaking, of course, of the 50’s era Kastelan Robots.  I could not resist getting a box to play around with and to see the models first hand.

Unboxing: Tech-Priest Dominus

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Although the Skitarii release was a very strong one, with a host of excellent models, I could not help but feel a letdown when it was confirmed that there would be no HQ choice in the codex.  This was a shame because with an army themed around esoteric, archaic technology and ritual, there certainly is not a shortage of ideas for creating exciting character models.  When rumors about the Cult Mechanicus started to circulate, however, I was pleased to hear that they were going to correct this, by releasing an HQ choice in the form of the Tech-Priest Dominus.  And after seeing pictures of the model, I think it was worth the wait, and think that the Dominus may be the best Adeptus Mechanicus model that GW has released. These are words I do not use lightly, considering the excellent Rangers, Sicarians, and Kataphron servitors.  I got the Dominus as soon as I could, and having assembled him, wanted to let everyone know what I think about the model, both aesthetically, and in terms of ease of assembly and quality.

Unboxing: Adeptus Mechanicus Sicarians

Hail Mars!

Games Workshop have certainly hit the Adeptus Mechanicus release in stride, with one exciting release after the next. After the excellent Ranger/Vanguard box, one of the strongest releases GW has had in recent memory, I felt we would be lucky to get something even half as inspired.  Amazingly, the third kit they released for the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Sicarians Infiltrators/Ruststalkers may outshine even the Rangers. Venturing away from the more subdued Ranger design, they created a group of esoteric, inhuman assassins, perfect for the cold data-fueled logic that commands the Skatarii on the field. I got my hands on a box of the new unit and wanted to let you know what I think!

Unboxing: Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii Rangers/Vanguard

Glory to the Machine God!

Having only just unveiled a high profile release in the new Harlequin models, Games Workshop continues its relentless pace with an even more exciting release, the Skitarii of the Adeptus Mechanicus!  Although the followers of the Machine God have been in 40k lore since the beginning, and have been explored extensively by Jes Goodwin and John Blanche, there have been very few models to represent them in Warhammer 40k.  Back in 2000, GW’s Skullz program gave people a chance to get a few promotional Mechanicum models, but it was really only when Forge World started to create models for the Horus Heresy that people began to seriously consider starting armies dedicated to the Machine God.  So when rumors started to circulate that Games Workshop might create a line of plastic Mechanicum models, it was hard not to get excited, particularly when the FW models are so stunning.  I am pleased to say that these rumors have become a reality, and although the models are quite divergent from those released by FW, they are no less imaginative and exciting.  Always being partial to the line and file soldiers of an army, I decide to get a box of Skitarii Rangers/Vanguard (the troop choices in the new codex), to see what the new models are like.

Deredeo Dreadnought: Unboxing

Iron Within, Iron Without!

Since I became invested in the hobby years ago, I have been enthralled by the design and concept behind the Space Marine dreadnought, and I doubt that I am the only one.  There is something intriguing about these sepulchral walking tanks, primarily stemming from their utilitarian function of saving a heroic warrior from the verge of death, giving them the opportunity to fight once more.  Although they had some comical renditions in the beginning (a walking peanut), since the 2nd edition, they have looked like a squat walking sarcophagus of adamantium, complete with stubby gun arms, a drum-like powerfist, and a rectangular sarcophagi in the center.  This has become a cornerstone in the Space Marine aesthetic. Forge World, always wanting to shake things up a bit, released a new pattern of dreadnought loosely based on some old models a couple years back, the Contemptor.  Although reminiscent to its smaller cousin, it is bulkier, with a more rounded design.  Coupled with its separate head and its more articulated legs, the Contemptor is a far more agile and believable walker.  SInce its release, Forge World has produced numerous Contemptor dreadnoughts, including many chapter specific ones.  Just when we were all getting used to this new dreadnought, Forge World decided to release yet another variant, the Deredeo dreadnought.  Although reminiscent to the Contemptor, the Deredeo is slightly bigger, and serves as a dedicated weapons platform.  My fascination with dreadnoughts made ordering one of these Deredeo variants an inevitability, and a few weeks ago I got it in the mail, and thought you all might be interested in seeing what comes with the model.

Imperial Knight Unboxing

Although the lineage is clear, the Knight has come a long way.

It is rare that Games Workshop really surprises anyone with a release, but I admit I was pretty shocked to see that they were releasing a plastic Imperial Knight. I was even more surprised and thrilled with how effectively it captured the image that I had cultivated in my mind of how a Knight should look, maintaining the bulky, hunched look of the related constructs of the Titan Legion. With their release slated to be Saturday, I decided to pay my local hobby shop a visit the Friday of, hoping to at least get a look at the new Imperial Knight. I was not really expecting to buy one because in the past GW has asked stores to only sell their new releases on the the actual Saturday release date. After talking with the store owner, he told me that GW was now letting him sell most of their new releases on Friday, and proceeded to go into the back of the store and bring out all of the Imperial Knights he had ordered for the shop. Interestingly, while the store had only ordered seven of the kits they received nine in total. Furthermore, eight of the nine Knights were packaged in the plain white, “Direct Order” Games Workshop boxes, rather than the proper Imperial Knight ones (likely confirming the rumors that have been in circulation of supply issues).

Ferrus Manus: Unboxing

Ferrus comes with the most pieces yet of the Primarchs!

Frequenters of this blog might already know how impressed we were Simon Egan’s third primarch model, Ferrus Manus of the Iron Hands, selecting him as our favorite model of 2013.  Although I spoke at length about various aspects of the model when he was initially unveiled, I never actually did an unboxing to show off the components of the kit like I did with Fulgrim.  Although I have had the kit for a little over a month now, I had a few issues with some of the components not being cast well.  Having just received replacement parts in the mail, I decided now is a good time to show everyone the kit and to talk a little bit about Forge World’s excellent customer service.

Deadzone (Mantic) Unboxing

And Deadzone arrives!

On Monday, I was excited to get home to find that my Deadzone Kickstarter pledge was delivered. Ever since Mantic started to ship out copies of the game two weeks ago, the internet has been alive with activity surrounding it.  Although the overall impressions were largely high, an increasing number of comments on their Kickstarter comments page suggested that things were poorly packaged and confusing.  Reading all this only increased my anticipation to receive the game myself and to see how everything would turn out.

Fulgrim the Illuminator: Unboxing

Fulgrim unboxed!

Since his reveal a few months ago, I eagerly awaited the opportunity to get my hands on Simon Egan’s latest Primarch, Fulgrim the Illuminator.  I was very impressed with his first Primarch model, Angron the Red Angel, and wanted to see how his next compared.

Having just received Fulgrim from Forge World, I wanted to take a few pictures and show you all of the parts and do a few quick comparisons to Angron.  Enjoy!

Horus Heresy: Unboxing Abaddon and Loken

The newest set of Horus Heresy characters in all their unassembled glory!

Having only been released to the world last Friday, you can imagine my surprise and excitement to have returned home to find that Abaddon and Loken had arrived from Forge World! I have been anxiously looking forward to taking a closer look at the models, and thought that others might be interested in seeing some pictures of the different components of the set.