Titan Joker Preview for the Batman Minis Game

"Happy Valentines Harls. Do you like my new look?"

Beasts of War  have a preview of a new Huge model for the Batman Minis Game from Knight Models.

The massive Joker on Titan is a stunning beast. One of the bosses from the Arkham console games, he's out the crush the Bat.
Can't wait to see this model in person. Looks like he is the size of the Hulk from the Marvel range.

What do you think of him?

- Hendybadger

2 Days Left for Batman Rulebook and Exclusive Mini Pre-Order

Just a quick reminder today.
The Batman Rulebook Pre-order offer has only two days left!
Want your own Alfred, Joker Red Hood or Joker Rulebook? Head over to Knight Models and place your order by Sunday!

Game and Crew Design with the Knight Models Team

Recently I had the chance to throw some questions at the game design team at Knight Models.
With the new Batman Rulebook about to hit, I thought it would be great to get a little insight into the creation and development of the game and crews.
The answers have been tweaked a little as I don't speak Spanish and English is thier second language.

Hendybadger - "What were your plans and aims while designing the game?"

KM Team - "The first part of the development for game game like the Batman Miniature Game is to learn about the characters. We have read tons of comics since we were children but there are so many characters to remember  and for some we only know a little about them. So we hit the comics and videogames hard.

The first idea for the game was to simulate the Arkham City video game, but later we expanded to the wider Batman background because its SO HUGE!!!!
75 Years of history from DC Comics.

To develop a crew, the first thing we have in mind is how to represent the character (their lore and abilities) the best we can in the game. People want to play the characters they know and want the character to do what they do in the comics.
We can't see Batman without a Batclaw or Bane without Titan. When we have the ideas clear we go and test to make the rules for each as playable as possible for a tactical skirmish game.

We hope people like the different ways to play each crew. We are very happy with the way things are now going. In the future you can see the Wonderland Gang which have the mechanics we are the most proud of so far."

Hendybadger - "What changes during the development process?"

KM Team - "We need to adapt some rules for the different crews. In game we love different forms of play. Specific rules for some characters and crews etc.
We have to keep this in mind as we need to combine it with the merchantability of the products.

This is the most difficult part to implement in the game, but we are very happy with the final result.
For example, we know Batman and Joker will be some of the best sellers as they are the most charismatic characters from Batman lore so the crews need to be the easiest to play.
This idea came to us because miniature gaming is a very specific hobby but with the Batman license it could bring new people into the hobby.
So Joker and Batman need to be easy to play in a very specialised game.
It's very difficult to create a simple miniature game. Even more so if you can do a lot of very cinematic things."

Hendybadger - "What types of crews did you end up with?"

KM Team - "Basically, looking at the personality of each character, the Henchmen are a continuation of the Leader. We create the Leader and work with ideas based on them
For example,
The Penguin is a very rich person who always uses other characters or Henchmen to help make his business plans.
The Joker is very unpredictable and you never know what he is going to do. I think the Kaos Agent trait represents this well.
Black Mask is a criminal who uses brutality towards people to get on the favourable side of the dirty business he has in Gotham"

Huge thanks to Knight Models for these answers.
I will see if I can get them to answer some more for us in the future.
Is there anything you would like to ask the designers of the Batman Miniature Game?

Head over to Knight Models to see what they has been working on.

Until next time,
- Hendybadger

Why Batman?

You 'may' have noticed that ToaTS has been mainly about the Batman Minis Game by Knight Models since it's return.
That's because I am completely hooked on it! Love it!
With that in mind, I thought I would take a little time to explain why.

To start with, we need to back a few years. About 20 or so.
When I was a kid, I had a ton of Batman toys. Loads of the Legends range and even a (wired) RC Batmobile from Batman Forever. No comics thought as the closest store was over an hour away.

At about 12 I found wargaming. 40K, Necromunda, Man 'o' War and such. I even took a badly painted Undead army to Warhammer World for a tournament. Came near the bottom but it was fun.
Then the teenage years happened and I found the wonders of girls and beer like we all do and that replaced wargaming. I still liked my Super Heroes though. The 90's Batman movies, Spiderman, X-Men, Hulk etc.

Jump forward to about 9 years ago.
My girlfriend (now wife) took me into a model store where I spotted some 40K models and told her about the fact I used to play. She talked me into getting some to see if I still liked it. You can see where that led!

After a few years of gaming through several systems, a friend introduced me to Pulp City. A SuperHero skirmish game. Ideal! My two interests in one.
If you look back on the blog you can see my projects with Pulp as well as my PC / Avengers painting.
At around the same time, smart phones became popular and I discovered the Marvel digital comic app and the world of comics opened up to me!!!!
 
I then started to look around for other Super minis.
I found the 75mm Marvel range from Knight Models and decided to email them asking if the Marvel minis would ever be made in 30mm. They would have been perfect stand ins for Pulp.
The reply came back as "Wait until you see what we have planned for next year"

A year later, the first Batman mini appeared. I liked it, but at the time I was much more of a Marvel fan so it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for. I kept an eye on the releases and was continuously impressed by what was coming out but I didn't get around to picking any up and starting the game.
The constant new characters did get me looking into the DC universe a bit more though. Comics, movies, series, animation and more.
WOW! The more I read / watched the more I wondered why it took me so long to enter the world of DC.
I was impressed. Hush, Arrow, Suicide Squad, Red Hood, the XBox games, all of it was great and I had fallen in love with another Supers setting.

On to the start of 2014. The Marvel range appeared and I was instantly hooked. These were the minis I had wanted for YEARS!
As I began to pick up every Marvel release, I started to look further into Batman and the game. With a better knowledge of DC at this point, the whole thing became a LOT more appealing.

The models are stunning. The detail is beyond fantastic and the representations of the different characters is spot on.
The rules are easy to learn but hard to master. Just the sort of game that gets you hooked. Scenario based play makes for more interesting games than your usual 'kill everything' and the characters have some very thematic rules. The ones that stick out for me are Penguins Lord of Business where he has more $$$ to hire thugs and Two Face needing an actual coin flip to make in game decisions.

But, the thing that appeals to me the most is the background.
In other games I love to soak in as much info as possible. Games like 40K and Warmachine have a lot of background and story, the smaller and lesser known games don't usually have much more than what is in the rulebook and on the website.
Batman has more than all of those others put together!
75 years of comics, series, cartoons, films, games and much much more.
Want an idea for building a team? Grab one of the movies.
How about your own scenario? You could follow a game storyline.
Want to know more about the new model that's just been released? There are probably 100+ comics with them in.
More info than you could ever take in. I'm like a kid in a candy store!

My loves - Miniatures, skirmish games, Super Heroes. The Batman Miniature Game pulls that all together in one place!

Well, that's enough of my babble for a while. Catch you all again soon.

- Hendybadger
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Marvel / DC Review - Intergalactic Bastiches - Thanos + Lobo

Two of the biggest, baddest, intergalactic Bastiches have been added to the 35mm ranges from Knight Models.

The Mad Titan Thanos for Marvel and the Main Man Lobo for DC / Batman.

Both come in the usual KM packaging. Clear blister, foam and backing card. Lobo is in a small blister while Thanos is in a large one.

Inside you will find two 35mm scale, highly detailed, metal multi-part models, one stat card, one 30mm base and one 40mm base.

Thanos doesn't come with a stat card as there isn't a Marvel game at the moment.

Lobo is a 136 Rep, $500 Free Agent. He Hates Batman, Green Arrow and Law so can only be used by the 'bad' crews. His 'Main Man' rule also stops he working with any female characters. Sorry Harley, Ivy and Catwoman.
Lobo's stat are impressive. High Willpower, Strength, Attack and Endurance. Low Movement though.
He his packing his trademark weapons. A Big hook that lands 1 Blood and 1 Stun with Sharp and Reach and a Big Gun which dishes out 2 Blood with a ROF of 4!
His Traits make him even more dangerous. Brutal, Immortal, Master Fighter, Power Strike, Dirty Fighter, Psycho and Regeneration. Lobo is a beast on the table!

Thanos comes in three parts. Main body, head and right arm.
Lobo is also in three parts. Body and two arms.

The close up shows how nice and clean these models are. There is a small mould line around Thanos but it was going with a very quick file. Lobo barely needed any cleaning at all.
Then it's glue.....

Both of these are very simple models to assemble. I have cut the base tabs off to place them on Fenris Games base toppers.

Thanos will need a little filler around his arm joint but it's something I always expect from large metal models. Lobo will also need a little on his arm joint due to the position of his gun. Again, it was expected and could be a lot worse.

No suggested list for Thanos as there isn't a game or rules for him at the moment. There is talk of a Marvel game in the works though so he may hit the table one day.
Thanos hasn't had many costume changes over the last few years apart from it getting a little more detailed at times so I guess you could call this his 'classic' look.
I think KM missed out on one big thing with this model though. The Infinity Gauntlet.
I would have preferred it to have been sculpted on or even had an optional arm choice. The Gauntlet is what Thanos is all about.

You can find this model for around £25. This is the same price as Hulk, Venom and Thing but Thanos isn't as big and bulky as those so I think he should have been a little cheaper. Maybe the £18-20 mark?
But hey, it;s the Mad Titan. I would buy him no matter what.

I thought about doing a list for Lobo but as a Free Agent there are just so many options. The only restrictions being no goodies and no ladies. 

What about putting him with Black Mask? He would have the resources to hire the Main Man. Or pairing him with Titan Bane for some serious hitting power?

The design is based on the pre-new 52 Lobo when he had dreadlocks. So glad about that. Really not a fan of the new skinny one. 

He does have the dreaded 'foot on rock' but he looks badass and manages to pull it off really well with an impressive looking pose. It would be easy enough to replace the rock with brickwork.

Lobo is around £12. The usually KM price for human sized characters. As a 35mm scale, highly detailed metal model, I'm more than happy to pay that. 

My overall scores are-

Thanos - 6/10 Badger Points

Lobo - 9/10 Badger Points

I have always been a bigger Marvel than DC fan and love Thanos, but Lobo takes this one for me.

Will you be picking up either of them? Or Both?

- Hendybadger

Batman Model Review - Batwoman + Joker Gas Objectives

The first Knight Models review this week covers a new member of the Bat Family and a new crew specific objective.

Kathy Kane a.k.a Batwoman and some Joker Gas canisters.

The models are packed in the usual KM packing. Clear blisters with foam holding the parts in tightly and a backing card which shows a painted version of the minis inside and doubles up as a stat card.

Inside the blisters you will find 3 35mm scale, highly detailed metal models, 3 30mm plastic bases and 2 stat cards.

Batwoman is a 95 Rep Sidekick for the Batman crew and the new Law Forces. Her stats are average for this type of character and she packs 2 Stun Damage weapons. Medium Range, remote controlled Batarangs and Shock Gloves with the Crit Shock ability.
Her Traits include Bat-Armour Mk1, a Batclaw, Detective, Night Vision, Searcher, Stealth and Technique. Looks like she will be quite good at sneaking around and dropping in to take out unexpecting opponents.
Batwoman also has a new Special Trait. Criminology removes Runaway from all enemy characters within 30cm.

The Joker Gas Objectives are a new option for the Joker crew. These can be taken in place of one of the usual 3 objectives you are allowed to pick.
If you do pic these you get 2 canisters that can be placed with the usual objective rules. They give 1VP to the owner if they control it. But, any model activating within 5cm needs to pass a Willpower roll or suffer 1 Blood Damage. Is it worth the risk?

Batwoman comes in four parts. Main body, right leg, right arm with Batarang and head.
The Joker Gas is a single piece.

As you can see on the close up, Batwoman barely has any mould lines at all and was very easy to clean up.
The Joker Gas has a small line running over the outer edge but it only took a minute to remove with a small file.
Time for glue.....

Building both of these was very simple. I have also removed the base tabs and mounted them on Post Apoc base toppers from Fenris Game to match the rest of my collection.

Batwomans parts fitted together perfectly. A tiny bit of filler may be needed on the neck joint but the others are fine.

Do watch out with the arm and legs joints though. The limbs are very thin so it may be worth using a very small pin or a little green stuff if you expect you models to be handled a lot.

The Joker gas was just stick it to the base. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed that the canister was plain as the painted image makes it look like the face is part of the sculpt. I also thought it was quite large but I have been informed that this is the size they are in the game.

If you are looking to use Batwoman, it would be worth taking her in a Batman crew for now until Law gets a few more releases.

A possible list could be-

Batman (Origins) - 144 Rep

Batwoman - 95 Rep

Robin (Drake) - 68 Rep - $200

Agent Ron - 25 Rep - $300

Police with Baton - 16 Rep

This gives you a crew of 348 Rep and $500 leaving you $1000 to gets some extra equipment for your police.

The models comes in at around £12 which I don't think is too bad for a character model. Especially seeing its a large scale and licensed.

The Joker Gas objectives don't have a Rep or $$$ cost but I think they are worth taking as one of your three choices. I know they cause damage but it seems very 'Joker' to me. Using whatever or whoever he needs, even if they suffer so he can win.

The pack comes in at around £6 for two canisters. I would have preferred the image sculpted on but it's not a bad price at all to keep with the theme of your crew.

Overall, I like both of these but I do have a favourite.

Joker Gas - 7/10 Badger Points

Batwoman - 9/10 Badger Points

Will you be picking up either of these recent releases?

Next up, a pair of Intergalactic Bastiches!

- Hendybadger