War @ Sea Set 2 Confirmed Releases

Posted on February 18, 2008 by Jonathan J. Reinhart


News for WotC’s War at Sea mini game, part of the Axis & Allies Minis, has been sparse for many months. We last discussed the game on August 22, 2007 in our article War @ Sea: A History According to Game Designer Richard Baker. Fast forward roughly 6 months to now and we’re happy to share news of confirmed releases for Set 2.

The releases are confirmed by WotC game designer for WAS Richard Baker and have been posted at Axis & Allies foruMINI. You can read and participate in the discussion at WAS Set II. With bated breath I am proud to share the unfinished list of confirmed War at Sea Set II Releases. Set 2 is officially named Task Force and has a release date of July 25, 2008.

  • HMS Warspite (WWWWWWWWWWWOOOT!!!)
  • Graf Zeppelin
  • BF109E (which we are allowed to land on carriers as if it were the 109T)
  • Admiral Hipper – class
  • Zara (Italian Heavy Cruiser)
  • SM.79 (Italian torpedo bomber)
  • HMCS Haida (Tribal-class destroyer, Canadian ship woohoo!!)
  • HMAS Arunta (Tribal-class destroyer, again! huh?)
  • HMS Kent (reprint of Canberra, with higher Armor value)
  • USS San Francisco
  • Tirpitz (higher cost, range and AA than Bismarck)
  • De Ruyter CA (Dutch ship)
  • Iowa sister ship
  • Akizuki-class destroyer
  • F6F Hellcat (!!! The wildcat is so overpowered I wonder how much better stats they’ll allow the immensely better Hellcat to have!)
  • Kongo sister ship (most probable)
  • USS Yorktown
  • New Japanese battleship (possibly the Fuso)
  • HMS Fencer (reprint of St. Lo)

Also, night-fighting and Kamikaze rules in set II.

I must reiterate thanks to Axis & Allies foruMINI, UNC_SAMURAI, Richard Baker, and all the WAS fans who have gathered this information and made it available on Axis & Allies foruMINI. All credit for this list goes to them.

Looking at the list we can see that it is composed of 19 models. There are 4 German, 3 IJN, 3 US, 3 UK, 2 Italian, 1 Australian, 1 French, 1 Canadian model. The composition of this is pretty fair although I would have preferred to see some more planes and fewer US vessels. This list does leave out at least 1 IJN kamikaze model, which I know must be in Set 2 because special rules for kamikazes are due to be released in conjunction with the new models.

As previously stated by Richard Baker a lot of the vessels will be repaints of existing ships and he has recently said

We saw the second round of paint masters for War at Sea II last week, and they’re making good progress. Some of the paint jobs are quite good—for example, the HMS Kent has its fantastic wartime dazzle camo. You won’t mix it up with the HMAS Canberra from set 1, trust me! I think it might be my favorite paint job in either set, just because the colors are so striking (although the Duca d’Aosta from Set 1 is quite good, too). Another good one is the HMS Fencer, which is another “reprint.&rdq uo; It looks enough like the St. Lo that we re-used the sculpt for a British CVE. With the flight deck painted wood-tone and the dazzle camo on its hull, it’s a completely different ship… you just can’t believe it’s the same model with a new paint scheme. The Fencer is a vicious ASW ship, by the way; if subs still trouble you even after the rules update, a Fencer and a Swordfish will work wonders.

I’m quite excited about all the models including the reprints. Several WAS gamers were already converting ships and repainting ships to be used in the game. The Graf Zeppelin was popular in that regard and now the rest of us can have that vessel with ease. Unfortunately I do not have pics of the new models but when they become available I will share them here for your viewing pleasure.

Until then let’s get the discussion rolling on this set. Be thankful for what got in, commiserate what didn’t make the cut, and contemplate what the kamikaze rules could be.

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Black Gobbo 109 Available

Posted on February 17, 2008 by Jonathan J. Reinhart

The new Black Gobbo issue 109 is now available. It has enough LotR goodness to make your head spin and a dabbling of Space Orks to boot.  This issue is a must read for LotR enthusiasts. Check it out at Black Gobbo E-zine 109.

I wasn’t too happy with #107 but #109 is quite good.  All the LotR content is a nice change and it is well done.  I won’t claim that my comments here and in the January 24, 2008 episode of the podcast resulted in this changes.  But, I’m sure that GW at least partly agrees with those remarks and their internal review of the e-zine has recommended a change of the methodology.

The Harad as Allies article, and the Harad Army Lists article, both have lots of great content.  The Allies one shows a small and larger point size version of each list for most of the lists.  Plus, it gives sufficient reasoning behind the choices.  The Painting Harad Details article is fun to look at and fits in with what one finds in an army book or codex.  The pic of the Corsairs of Umbar sprue was nice but not overly useful or necessary.  All GW had to do with that was post it in the LotR Harad section of the site.  It didn’t really deserve special inclusion in Black Gobbo.  Same goes for the Haradrim Raiders sprue.  Lastly, the Ork Terrain was fun to look at.  But, it could have been more useful and significant if the article was a walk through for making each of the pieces.  I know Space Orks, and greenskins in general, cobble their structures together from disparate components forming a solid and useful product.  Naturally a lot of that occurs when you, the terrain maker, dig through your bitz and join parts together resulting in terrain that is unique.  But, even a rough guide would have been helpful.

All in all Black Gobbo 109 is a vast improvement over #107 and even an improvement on #108.  I think it is worth 4 stars and a pat on the back of the Black Gobbo team for the improvements.  Many thanks and please keep it up.

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CWF-2008-2-14 News, What The?! Miniatures, and Babylon 5 A Call to Arms Stops Production

Posted on February 14, 2008 by Jonathan J. Reinhart

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (45.2MB)

Episode 31 with Jonathan as your host discussing News, What The?! Miniatures, and Babylon 5 A Call to Arms Stops Production.

Show Length: 53:33

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

02:23 News

02:32 Event Countdowns @ CWF

Magic City Champs @ Battleground Feb. 16

Vampire Counts Released March ’08

05:46 Halo 3 Tournaments @ Battleground Games in Abington Every Thursday

Thursday Night Halo 3 Tournaments

08:25 CWF’s New Banner Logo

CWF’s New Banner Logo

See Our New Logo

10:52 No Quarter #17 Pre-Order

Inside No Quarter #17

12:28 Music to Game By Check Out “Title And Registration” by Death Cab for Cutie.

17:15 What The?! Miniatures

What The?! Miniatures to Sell First Custom Figs

Battleground Weird War 2 Official Website

29:05 comedy4cast Promo

32:56 Babylon 5 A Call to Arms Ceases Production

Mongoose To Halt Babylon 5 Minis Production = 20% Off

45:55 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.

48:19 Next cast will be Thursday February 21, 2008

48:35 Our Website = www.wargamingforums.com and it has all the shownotes and updates.

Next cast will be Thursday February 21, 2008.

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Mongoose To Halt Babylon 5 Minis Production = 20% Off

Posted on February 13, 2008 by Jonathan J. Reinhart

In a move to drastically cut expenses Mongoose Publishing is halting all production of their Babylon 5 A Call to Arms miniatures on March 31, 2008.  A Call to Arms was the 2004 Gamer’s Choice Winner at Origins designed by Matthew Sprange but even that couldn’t prevent the ax from falling.  Mongoose released this information on their website citing the increasing costs with the extensive range as the cause.

From the time Mongoose began production on the range they expanded it constantly with models for the Vree, Dilgar, and ISA to name a few.  Sadly, this will have a major negative influence on new gamers playing the game with real models.  The core rules of the game do come with punch out cardboard chits of most, if not all, ships from the game.  That will hopefully allow the game a continued existence.  To further nurture  the game Mongoose has pledged to support it through their online magazine Signs & Portents along with continued book releases.

I’m not much of a glass half full kind of guy but there is good news with the bad.  Mongoose has implemented a sweeping 20% discount off MSRP of all Babylon 5 A Call to Arms miniatures.  That makes this the perfect time to get into the game, add a new fleet, or snatch the ship you always wanted before they are gone forever.  You will be able to buy models, while supplies last, from the Mongoose website and your Friendly Local Gaming Store.  In fact I know that Battleground Games in Abington will be immediately pricing their B5 stock at 20% off.  How do I have such great information?  I heard this news and told Derek, the owner, who promptly stated his intent to reprice for all Battleground customers.

Origins Award Winner SealB5 A Call to Arms Logo

Naturally there has been discussion of this on the well read B5 A Call to Arms Yahoo group.  Jason Coffey who is the SW US Advisor for the Mongoose Demo Teams had this to say.

1) Many retailers have retailiated at Mongoose for the way AOG had B5
Wars, and Fleet Action.

2) Many Distributors would ship AOG product from the backhouse,
before ordering from Mongoose. Later Distributors refused to
Distribute B5:ACTA without having the entire range “on consignment”.

3) B5:ACTA is a gamer friendly game, and not a fundraising game at $2
to $4 a basic Infantryman. They have tried to stay away from the
crazy over-priced stuff as much as possible, and keep fleet sizes low.

4) Space Combat games are hard to keep “popular” and on the shelf.

5) Lisencing costs fit in there too.

6) Mongoose is producing a new “generic” space combat game. It is my
understanding that in addition to those factions, it will also
provide continued support for B5:ACTA. Same rule mechanics, etc.

7) Mongoose is in the UK, with production facilities in the old AOG
plant in Ohio. Part of this has to do with re-evaluating that
process. Much like how Mongoose quit producing RPG books for a while
till a in-house printer came online. While QC issues have
significantly gone down… the control is still not acceptable for a
company of under a dozen people

So anyhow… there are a few things for now.

In the meantime, if you enjoy the theme or designs as much as I do,
it is time to stock up on the miniatures. I am sure that John
Coviello can also get some via The Little Shop of Magic pending a
discussion with Mongoose.

We will still be running our Tournament at ConQuest, regardless.
Likewise we will be continuing all of our slated events for this game
in Las Vegas, NV. I am pending some conversations before we look at
the Dilgar Campaign for this fall though.

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What The?! Miniatures to Sell First Custom Figs

Posted on February 13, 2008 by Jonathan J. Reinhart

What The?! Miniatures is the miniatures company formed by Brian and Amy Cottrell who are best known for the Protocon 9 Best Minis Game Winner Battleground Weird War II. The game takes place in World War II and includes a twist with superheroes, villains, and monsters like King Kong. It is a great independent game that deserves a lot of success. Wanting to increase the pool of available Weird War minis, the Cottrells formed What The?! Miniatures as an outlet to create and sell their own minis that fit perfectly with BG WW2.

We first covered the game when Amy crafted the Battleground World War II – Wargaming in a World Gone Mad article, which is also our Highest Rated Article by all you readers. Now the weird gaming continues with two brand new figs. The models are German Fliegerfaust. If you never heard of that before you have a lot of company. Until I read up on them I hadn’t a clue what they were. Thankfully, Brian has shared that information in a post titled New Minis on his website. Basically, they are shoulder-fired anti-air rocket launchers.

Photos (Click to Enlarge)

You can see the progression of the model below. The first two pics are right and left views of the finished green (sculpted but not cast) model. The last one is the finished model after being casted in metal. This figure is walking with his Fliegerfaust to the perfect location to shoot down Allied planes.

BG Weird War 2 German Fliegerfaust 1BG Weird War 2 German Fliegerfaust 1 (Pic 2)BG Weird War 2 German Fliegerfaust 1 (Completed)

Again the first two pics are right and left views of the finished green model before it was sculpted. The last one shows the finished model after it was sculpted. It has the Fliegerfaust on its shoulder waiting for the right shot.

BG Weird War 2 German Fliegerfaust 2BG Weird War 2 German Fliegerfaust 2 (Pic 2)BG Weird War 2 German Fliegerfaust 2 (Completed)

How to Buy

Both models are in 28mm scale but the rest of the models What The?! Miniatures will have for BG WW2 will be 34mm scale. These models look real nice and only cost $3.50 + actual shipping. That’s not a bad price at all and you can save a lot with a low cost shipping option. Or, if you need the figs now you can choose a more expensive overnight shipping method. You can only pay with Paypal for now and please e-mail [redacted] to place your order.

Reaction

That said I have some concerns about these models and the road What The?! Miniatures has chosen. The figs look good and I like the idea of having one pose of a guy walking with the weapon. Movement is good and shows action. Action makes people want to buy the fig so that is a plus. Also, in terms of fluff the soldier needs to get to a location to use the weapon. 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.

Brian promised to create rules for the Fliegerfaust and make them available before the figures go on sale. He still has time because the Fliegerfaust were leaked on TMP and also on here. But, What The?! Miniatures isn’t officially open for business just yet. Perhaps in the rules there will be options or a chart for using the Fliegerfaust against tanks. It makes sense on one level that rocket launchers can take out planes but also how devastating they are against tanks and other vehicles. If those rules exist that will mollify me a bit. Even if such a rule comes into existence I maintain that an anti-air model should be pointed into the air. Not directly forward.

There is some good news here that leads into a concern I have. Future models will be sculpted and cast in 34mm scale. The Fliegerfaust will be re-sculpted and casted in that new scale too. Don’t let that dissuade you from getting the 28mm versions, they’re quite nice and can work with a ton of 28mm games, and perhaps they’ll re-sculpt one of the soldiers with his rocket launcher pointed in the air.

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.

I understand why the Cottrells made the decision to switch and I am sure it was a difficult one. The main reason for the change was that 38mm models will fit in better with 1/48 and 1/50 scale vehicles, which most gamers use. A road to success for the Cottrells is to fill a niche with high quality, desirable, and useful product. I think 38mm will be that niche and the Fliegerfaust are certainly desirable, high quality, and useful. They went all out and are now getting the Fliegerfaust professionally painted. When those photos are available we’ll share them here for all of you to see.

Bottom Line

Overall I give these figs 4.5 out of 5 stars and 2 thumbs up. You can order the figures by e-mailing [redacted] or going to the official Battleground Weird War II website for more information. Until the What The?! Miniatures website goes live Paypal will be the only accepted payment method. Remember that $3.50 + actual shipping is all it takes for you to get these incredible models. Way to go Amy and Brian! These figs are excellent.

Posted in Games, Jonathan J. Reinhart | Tagged , , | 5 Comments