CWF-2008-3-5 Gary Gygax Dies, News, White Dwarf Magazine, and BG Weird War 2

Episode 34 with Jonathan as your host discussing Gary Gygax Dies, News, White Dwarf Magazine, and BG Weird War 2.

Show Length: 41:50

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00:00 Theme, Zombie by Devin Anderson (Electronic)

00:54 News

00:54 Gary Gygax Passed Away

An homage to the man behind Dungeons & Dragons

Gary Gygax on Wikipedia

05:06 Dawn of War Soulstorm

Released this week

06:04 Event Countdowns @ CWF

War @ Sea at Battleground Games on Wednesdays

‘Ard Boyz Tournaments for 40k

WordPress 2.5 Releases in 5 Days

Anime Boston in 16 Days

Quake City Rumble’s Warhammer Fantasy GT in 20 Days

Total Confusion XXII Presents All Day Boardgaming at Rising Phoenix Games in Leicester on April 19th

10:35 Battlegrounds Special Offers

D&D 4th Edition Offer – Pre-order & pre-pay all 3 core books and be entered to win a free case of D&D minis.

Battleground d20 20% Off Coupon

12:00 CWF March 2008 Newsletter Available

Read Issue #9

15:40 Music to Game By Check Out “Downtown” by Matthew Ebel.

21:07 White Dwarf #338 Quick Picks

White Dwarf #338 Quick Picks Article

31:31 High Orbit Podcast Promo

33:16 BG Weird War 2

Take 2: What The?! Miniatures to Sell First Custom Figs

39:50 Please send us feedback. E-mail it to cwfgamecast [at] wargamingforums [dot] com. Use the Contact Us Page. Go to iTunes and leave a comment. Send an IM to cwforums on AIM.

40:51 Next cast will be Thursday March 13, 2008

Take 2: What The?! Miniatures to Sell First Custom Figs

Back on February 13th I wrote an article titled “What The?! Miniatures to Sell First Custom Figs.” In that article I rated two models produced by the makers of Battleground Weird War 2, Brian and Amy Cottrell, the Fliegerfaust as part of their foray into making miniatures. I reviewed the models giving them a warm 4.5 stars out of 5. I didn’t give 5 stars because I had a few concerns.

Since then the March ’08 issue of the CWF Game Cast Newsletter was published leading Amy to leave some comments on that article. I am so glad that she took the time to make a response on the issue. Her responses have clarified all of my concerns, which now allows me to give 5 stars for the models. Before I share my concerns and explain why I’ve bumped the rating up 1/2 a star I want to thank Amy for her comments. I also need to say that the Fliegerfaust models were renamed Luftfaust. I will explain that below.

What I don’t like is the shoulder-fired pose. I love having a shoulder-fired one but I think the rocket launcher needs to be aimed higher in the air. It looks like it is posed to take out a tank but a plane. Fliegerfaust are anti-air weapons. Therefore they need to be aimed at the sky where aircraft are. You don’t see planes bombing or strafing while on the ground. They do that from the air.

Amy informed me that the name was changed to Luftfaust because the models are carrying weapons to take out land and air. She said the version of the weapon mounted on aircraft is called Fliegerfaust. When they came across that information they promptly changed the name. That clarification has virtually nullified my comments in the above excerpt. As I said the models “looks like it is posed to take out a tank.” Clearly the pose now is more befitting the name. I still maintain that an anti-air weapon, or any weapon for land and air, should be positioned in the air. But, there’s nothing stopping a gamer from positioning the weapon that way.

I had another concern that dealt with scale. This too has been rectified in comments from Amy. I originally said:

My concern with this change in scale is that most games I’ve seen are 28mm and they enjoy a lot of success. I’ve read that a lot of WW2 and Weird War figs from other companies are in 28mm scale or something close to that. By switching to 34mm scale I’m afraid that long time gamers won’t buy the new figs because they won’t fit into their existing collection. I’m also concerned that other companies will be alienated because gamers will either need to use other companies’ stuff or product from What The?! Miniatures.

Amy has since alerted me that all their 28mm scale models will be sculpted in 34mm scale. Consequently, all their 34mm scale models will also be sculpted in 28mm scale. I am going to venture onto a limb and say that enough feedback reached them to make this change. I don’t recall ever seeing this mentioned on their forum before I wrote the article. However, I am glad they are casting in both sizes. The reasons to cast in 34mm are completely valid and do make solid business sense. But, it also makes solid business sense to cast in 28mm scale.

We intend to sell the 28mm minis as a permanent item in our catalog. We also intend to shadow any popular 34mm sellers in 28mm so the 25mm-28mm won’t get left out on the popular stuff.

All 28mm minis will be $3.50 and the 34mm will be 4.50.

We have several projects percolating right now so we should have some interesting stuff to offer later in the year.

A lot of great information was made available in Amy’s comments. One of the most important I’ve shared in the above excerpt. All 28mm minis will be permanently fixed in the What The?! Miniatures catalog. Plus, 28mm scale will cost $3.50 per model while 34mm will cost $4.50 per model plus s&h. These are great prices that allow the casual gamer to try them out and the veteran to stockpile without emptying the bank.

Lastly, to reward you for reading this entire article I have a few treasures to share. Firstly you can find the official Battleground Weird War II rules for the Luftfaust by going to the official Battleground Weird War II Rules page. Lastly, I have pics of the painted figures to share. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

You can clearly see the progress from green sculpt to finished metal model to painted figure.  Be sure to click the thumbnails for a closer look.

BG Weird War 2 German Fliegerfaust 2BG Weird War 2 German Fliegerfaust 1 (Completed)BG Weird War 2 Luftfaust Painted Front


BG Weird War 2 German Fliegerfaust 2 (Pic 2)BG Weird War 2 German Fliegerfaust 2 (Completed)BG Weird War 2 Luftfaust Painted Back

New Bottom Line

5 stars. ‘Nuff said.

White Dwarf #338 Quick Picks

We scoured the new WD and have chosen 5 Quick Picks for your perusal. If you hate reading the entire mag, have a short attention span, or just want the best here’s 5 sections you can’t miss. Our top pick is the Vampire Counts Design Notes article on page 18. It shows, in a nutshell, the great changes to the Vampire Counts army.
Don’t forget to read the complete table of contents for WD #338 from our article Inside White Dwarf #338 March 2008.

White Dwarf 338 Title: White Dwarf 338 Date: March 2008 Cost: $6

  1. March of the Dead: Design Notes p. 18-33. This briefly shows what the new Vampire Counts are all about. It is a cross between a chunk of an army book and an interview with those who designed the new take on the army. The images of the new models are stunning and the story behind the army is delightful. Even if you dislike Fantasy and the VC you’ll like this article.
  2. March of the Dead: Hour of the Dead p. 36-57. C’mon you had to expect that this month’s Quick Picks would be stuffed with Vampire Counts content. I’ve only been talking about the VC for weeks and said they’re my favorite army period. Batreps are great reading material and especially in the bathroom, don’t lie you do it too. This one was especially fun to read.
  3. Warhammer 40,000 Tactica: Fast Vehicles p. 68-73. I was torn between this or the following article on the Mumakil. I chose this and I’ll briefly tell you why but you can expect more on the subject from me in the podcast. Many gamers have a tough time properly using Fast Vehicles. They let them sit in one spot too long or they’re afraid of their “fragile” nature. More and more fast vehicles are coming out and showing their importance to armies. The Dark Eldar are most noteworthy for fast vehicles along with Space Marines for their bikes and landspeeders. It’d be nice for people to start using them properly.
  4. Painting Masters: Martin Footitt p. 90-94. Master sculptor and killer Golden Demon winner. Do I really have to say more? Seriously, look at pages 91, 93, and the Farseer on 94 and tell me I had to say more. You can’t do it can you?
  5. ‘Eavy Metal Showcase: Elves of Middle-Earth p. 96-99. The ‘Eavy Metal Showcase is nothing but gratuitous advertising with gigantic neon signs saying “We Kick Ass!” But, it is successful and inspires many to become great painters. The LotR Elves showcased this month are truly stunning. The LoTR models, in general, look superior to anything else GW produced at that time. This showcase captures that essence and broadcasts it for all to see. It shows why LoTR continues to be a hit in many areas of the world. Well, that and the big name and the story and the great rules. But I’m getting off track. Shiny models go look.

March 2008 Newsletter Available

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