Review - Batman Game Lamp Posts, Sewers and Objectives

For this Knight Models review I'm going to take a look at something a little different. Lamp Posts, Sewers and Objectives. All of these are used in the game rules and these packs are physical representations so you don't have to just use counters or markers.

With the Batman Minis Game being set at night, Lamp Posts are very handy. Each player gets to place D3 on the gaming table. These light up the immediate area around them and make models in that area easier to see / shoot at.
Each player also gets D3 Sewers. These let one model at a time move around the board from one marker to another. Opponents can block the exits though so watch who you send down there.

For the Objectives, each player gets to pick 3 of the 4 types and place them in or near the opponents deployment zone.
Loot gives bonus Victory Points to the crew that hold it. Riddles might give extra VP depending on a dice roll and number guess. Ammo Crates give extra Ammo Magazines to models that start the game with a limited number. Titan Canisters are single use and up all of a character basic stats by 1 for the turn.
Some characters like Catwoman, Penguin, Riddler and Mr Freeze can effect these objectives in different ways with their own rules.

Both of these sets come in standard blister packs with the parts held in with a large block of foam. The display car on the other side shows nice painted versions of the contents.
Inside you will find.....

2 Gotham City sewer covers, 2 Lamp Posts with street bases, Riddler Trophy, Loot / Money bag, Ammo Crates and a Titan canister. You will notice that the Objectives come with 30mm round bases but the Lamps and Sewers do no. You will need to find some extras or take off the tabs on the bases.

For the Lamps and Sewers I decided to dig out some extra bases so they matched the Objectives. There were barely any mould lines on them so it was straight to building.
The Sewers are perfect fit inside the lip of a 30mm bases. The Lamps took a little more effort as they needed to be kept straight until they had dried. Next time I will probably pin them as that would have made it a lot easier.

A quick scale shot with Arkham City Batman.

The Objectives were very easy to do. Minimal mould lines around them and each are a single piece. I have removed the base tabs and mounted them on Fenris Games Post Apoc base toppers to match the rest of my collection.
While the Ammo Crates, Loot and Riddle look really nice, I wasn't too impressed with the Titan Canister. Its a very plain piece that needs any details painted on to it. I would have preferred it if the 'Titan' logo and side markings were part of the sculpt.
Below is Arkham Batsy for scale again. (Sorry for the slightly blurry pic but you get the idea)

Both of these sets can be picked up from several stores for around the £6.50 mark. You can't beat that for some official scenery and objectives.

These two packs can really add the right looks and feel to your Gotham game board while being useful pieces and removing the need to counters that look out of place. I would recommend picking these up from the start if you want to play the Batman Minis game.
The down sides I can see are that you will need bases from the Lamps and Sewers and to paint the details onto the Titan Canisters. Not too bad all in all.

Taking that all into consideration, my final score for both sets together is.......

8 out of 10 Badger Points

Bases and more detail would have made a full 10!

What's coming up next? No idea. Suggestions?

While you're thinking why not head over and check out the rest of the Knight Models Goodies!

- Hendybadger

Review: Secret Weapon Urban Street Bases

For the third in my small series of Secret Weapon base reviews I will be looking at the-

Urban Street Range

These bases feature cracked cement, tarmac and a minimum of rubble to allow you to face your model in multiple directions allowing for some variation in your army.

When I opened the parcel I found these very professional looking packets. A lot of base companies send things in just clear bags, but Secret Weapon go that little further with retail ready packs. On the left is the 30mm set and the right is the 40mm set. Both very easy to see exactly what you are getting.

Here you can see the 30mm round lipped base set. Painted picture at the top of the post.
They are single piece resin casts with a large amount of detail. The base sides are perfectly formed with no lumps or bumps to deal with.
The bottoms of the bases are level which is always a good thing as you don't want to be filing resin if you can help it. Around the edge on a couple is a very thin overlap of resin. This can be taken off with your finger or a hobby knife if you want to be more precise.

The 30mm Urban Streets are perfect for any modern or city based game. Several of them have pavement (sidewalk) curbs to give a slightly different height level. The tarmac (asphalt?) is cracked and damaged and gives a 'used' look to them.
With each base being different and none of them being symmetrical, you can face models in any direction. This means you can use several packs in the same collection and have each model stand out as an individual.

Price - This pack of 10 bases can be picked up from the Secret Weapon store for $10. That is around £6.60. A great price in my opinion for such high quality products.

Here is the 40mm set. 5 different bases in the pack.

The 40mm set are the same high standard as the 30s. Nice smooth sides and only a little flash around the bottoms, which again are perfectly level.
With a bigger base you can include a lot more detail.
They have the same cracked tarmac and curbs as the smaller bases but also include a small section of brickwork and some crushed and damaged bricks scattered around. The curbs cover a larger area on a couple, these could even be lined up with a pair of minis for a diorama look.
Non symmetrical detail again gives you the option to face models in different directions for different looks.
These seem a little higher with the details so your medium sized minis will stand out a bit more.

Price - For the set of 5 bases you can get them at the Secret Weapon store for $10 (£6.60)
Not 'quite' as good a deal as the 30mm set but still darn close. A great price for the detail and standard.

Overall - I really like this range. The will be a perfect fit for Pulp City models (which is what I will be using them on) or any other modern era ranges like 7TV or Super System.
The only thing I would consider changing would be the make some of the cracks smaller or even remove them in places.

8 out of 10 Badger Points.
Less cracks and 1 or 2 more designs would have been a 10.

Hendybadger awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Bases, Bases and More Bases

As I continue my journey into Pulp City I have been thinking about how to base my Supremes.
After asking about bases on the Pulp City Forums, the members suggested looking at the resin bases and base toppers produced by Fenris Games.

I have bought bases from Fenris before. Alot of thier deep DS bases for my Hordes Blindwater Gatorman army so I can make custom swamps for each mini. (More info on those soon.)

With Pulp City being based in , as it says, a city there were a couple of base ranges that stood out.
The standard tarmac street bases -

And the more damaged Post Apocalypse set -

I like both for the setting of a modern day city where super beings are constantly fighting. But I want all of the minis to match with thier base styles.
So now Im stuck.
Which ones to get?

If it was you basing heros and villians, which would you choose and why?

Hendybadger out for now