AT-43 — The Big Guns
Rackham has released some new units for AT-43. This round includes a number of heavy units. The Therians get the hero (special character) Tiamet. She is an impressive model and ships singly along with one resource generator and a single unit card. Tiamet is on a 65mm base and is very well sculpted and painted. Unlike Atis-Astarte, Tiamet is a very durable miniature and should hold up to regular play just fine. The size of the figure befits her armament of four Light Grim Scythe’s with 13 strength attacks each.
The U.N.A receive a couple new units. First is another batch of TacArms. This time it is the dual Volcano MG-equipped Death Dealer TacArms. The Death Dealers ship three to a box but unlike the other TacArms there are no option bodies; you get one leader per pack. You also get five cards, two unit cards (leader and troop) and three ‘Ace’ cards. I have no idea of what use are the Ace cards. The Death Dealers are perhaps the best U.N.A. figures yet. They come in a very well done urban camo of light and dark gray with various insignia. Unfortunately the official rules for them are very limiting but they look so good I suspect a lot of players will ignore the official rules and use them as they would other TacArms. Read the rest of this entry »
Combat Mission: Shock Force — First Look
Battlefront released its new modern-era, tactical combat game Combat Mission: Shock Force. The game is the successor to the excellent Combat Mission World War Two titles. It improves upon those games in almost every way and if you have played any of the earlier titles you will feel right at home with CM:Shock Force. You will need to spend some time with the manual even if you are a veteran of the earlier titles because there are a number of new elements to the game that are not readily apparent.
The game includes a new real-time option as well as the traditional turn-based system. I still do not like the real-time option because no matter how good the AI is it still does dumb things. In addition, even with pause, you cannot be everywhere at once. This is not just an issue with command but simply in seeing the action unfold. With the turn-based system you can always see what happens. In real-time mode you often miss things while you are occupied elsewhere. Moreover, the highest realism setting, annoyingly, removes your ability to issue orders while the game is paused. Real-time does not equal more realistic for a tactical wargame.
Minor issues aside, if you like the subject matter you will enjoy the game and CM:SF does introduce some seldom seen concepts in wargaming such as unit specific spotting. Hopefully they will redo the WW2 titles with the new engine soon.
The Wargamer has a nice After Action Report and review of the game.
The v1.03 update is available.
Carriers at War — Review
Matrix Games released Carriers at War a few weeks ago. It is a very well done remake of the original. Overall the game will require you to spend a bit of time with the game manual to learn a number of the game mechanics but it will be time well rewarded. If you enjoy WW2 carrier warfare it is a must get game.
The Wargamer has a nice Carriers at War review so we will not bother doing one ourselves. One note, the author of the review, Bill Trotter, has a relationship with Matrix Games, but nonetheless we agree with what he says about the game.
Do not forget to get the v1.02 update.
Warhammer 40K — Apocalypse Update
A few weeks ago we announced the initial details on Games Workshop’s upcoming Warhammer 40K Apocalypse releases. Well full details are now available on the 2007 releases. In 2007 we will see the rulebook as well as supporting items such as the templates, a handful of new units such as the plastic Imperial Guard Baneblade and eight Laser Cannon-armed Terminus Pattern Land Raider, as well as a number of ‘splash’ only releases of large quantity unit-packs such as the Space Marine Suppression Force (two Whirlwinds and a Land Speeder), Emperor’s Fist Tank Company (ten Leman Russ tanks), and Tau Armored Interdiction Force (two Hammerheads and a Sky Ray) to name a few plus a handful of limited items such as the Big Gun Dice and Imperial Guard Backpack. There are also photos available of some of the rulebook pages.
Overall Apocalypse is looking to be a big release [pun intended] by Games Workshop and so far most of the items look good. Games Workshop is now accepting advanced orders on all of the Apocalypse items including the splash releases. If you want one of the splash items act quickly because they often sell out fast.
Games Workshop has Apocalypse details on their Website including an overview of the game as well as the new releases.
Also see our Apocalypse Update II.
[Updated: 28AUG07]
Aeronautica Imperialis — New Ork Releases
ForgeWorld just announced the release of the previously announced Ork Bomber. But they surprised us nonetheless! They did not release just one bomber but three different versions. There is a traditional bomber, an attack ship (Blasta Bomber 1), and a gunship (Blasta Bomber 2). The bombers seem to include a number of different build options including an open cockpit and gunners. And if all of that was not enough FW also released an Ork Bombs and Rokkits weapons pack. It is certainly a good day for Ork flyers.
Babylon 5: A Call to Arms — 2nd Edition
Mongoose Publishing just announced a new second edition of their tactical space combat game Babylon 5 A Call to Arms. It sounds like the game will be available any day now. B5:ACTA is our favorite space combat game and anyone interested in that genre, especially BattleFleet Gothic players, should check it out. See Signs and Portents Wargamer Issue 47 for more details including a battle report with the new rules. Read the rest of this entry »
AT-43 Therian Army Book — Review
The AT-43 Therian Army Book is now available. The quality and layout is the same as the U.N.A. Army Book. The book is 64 pages long and printed on high gloss paper in full color.
The book includes 14 pages of information on history and the factory-worlds but the majority of the book is dedicated to the Therians and begins with information on a number of Therian factions; Cyphers, Warriors, and Web Striders. Each faction has their own benefits and disadvantages. For example, the Warriors excel at close combat and can get an alpha level overseer for free but must engage in close combat if possible. A few pages detail the heroes including Atis-Astarte, Sigma Urash, and Omega Tiamet. Details on the various Therian weapons are also included. Read the rest of this entry »
Warhammer 40K — Apocalypse
Well we are more than six months into the year and Games Workshop has finally announced something we care about. Of course we will not see any of it until October of 2007. GW is releasing Apocalypse for Warhammer 40K. Much of the information around the product is still rumor, but various bits of information have leaked that show it is a $50, 200+ page book. The book contains rules for large scale games (5,000+ points) of 40K as well as background, conversions, and lots of color. Apocalypse will be a big release and will also contain large (10″) blast, barrage, and flamer templates. It looks like GW has learned something from the large-format, Imperial Armor books from ForgeWorld.
There are a number of supporting releases planned including terrain and even a plastic Imperial Guard Baneblade [more pics on Warseer]. Most of the races will receive something new and there are a number of large package deals planned to make it easy to buy large quantities of units. Following it all up is a $22 Apocalypse Wargear book in December 2007. Perhaps most exciting are the new Ork units — Although, we will not see them until January 2008.
Coming out in the next few months is the new Chaos Space Marines Codex and a number of newly sculpted, and plastic, Chaos units including new Chaos Terminators that will finally bring the Chaos units up to the standards of the newer Space Marine miniatures. Chaos will also get some Apocalypse scale units, including the Brass Scorpion, in 2008. [updated: 31JUL07]
Also see our Apocalypse update.
Aeronautica Imperialis — New Releases
ForgeWorld announced a few new releases for AI. First is a new, large, Orc Bomber. The Orks also receive the new Ork Flak Gunz and Ork Flak Wagon. Secondly is the AA Sabre Platforms (autocannon version) for the Imperial Guard. Lastly, although not officially announced, there have been preview pictures of some AI terrain including an Imperial Control Tower, Phaeton Landing Pad, and Imperial Landing Pad modeled after the 40K scale Phaeton complex structures. The Sabre Platforms and Ork Gunz are available for pre-order now but not the other items. [updated: 20JUL07]
DakkaDakka Up for Auction
And you are charged to pass the lamp of knowledge onto those who follow after…
Ten years. It’s been ten years since I first launched http://www.DakkaDakka.com as a site initially dedicated to simply tracking the league activities of a small group of 40k players in New England. Over that time, it has grown into something much bigger. It is now a worldwide, online community of miniature gamers that share their ideas and opinions, and a place where small businesses involved in the hobby can share their new business ventures with the gaming community.
I’m very proud to have been involved with Dakka and am thrilled with the opportunities it has provided. Through the Dakka fan community I’ve been able to see elements of the miniature gaming hobby and industry from a wide variety of angles that I’d otherwise never have experienced. Dakka Dakka has always been a labor of love, and it is nice to see that effort appreciated by fans and miniature gaming industry leaders alike. Read the rest of this entry »
The View from the Turret 
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