Nice!
One of the things that almost tips me over into collecting TR is also to potentially play more water-themed mats… I know it sounds silly but I really like how they look.
Like this kind of thing -
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Is it really “blatantly unfair” if some factions comes before others in the series of books?
As adults, we are used to waiting for things all the time, right? Sometimes it’s other people’s turn to receive a service first, and sometimes the service provider decides what is most expedient, especially if there’s a benefit in providing special focus - group by group - that can’t be scattergunned to a whole group.
I get that you need very fair systems if it relates to something like who eats and who doesn’t … but then again this is about rules for toy soldiers so I think some perspectice is always necessary.
What alternative model of rolling out these new units, lore etc would you have preferred?
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I would’ve liked them to do all the work at once then release The Big Book. One rule book with all the armies, one lore book (for now?), followed by digital updates.
New models can stand on their own. Good product sells.
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Ok, that would be your preference… but are you really being treated unfairly if they do it their way?
Its clearly unfair in the general sense, I have plenty of armies (and games!), I’ll be fine. Not sure why you’re treating it as a strictly personal feelings thing.
This thread did ask for opinions, right?
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Well, we usually give our opinions and then we discuss things 
I’m not sure it is “clearly unfair” or “blatantly unfair”, that’s why I asked what you meant by that.
If you don’t want go articulate why, that’s fine.
From what I’ve seen/heard so far, the extra stuff that the armies in the first campaign book get are some extra command orders (they seem to get about 5 each v 2/3 for the main rulebook lists) and a few units linked to new model release.
Nothing has come across as making them ‘better’ armies - the halfling review was actually pretty scathing?
Does really depend on how good the tweaks and additions are. A later book/amended list could end up being more competitive than the first tranche.
I think how good the Xirkaali are will be interesting. New stuff is not always stronger with Mantic. Rebooted Twilight Kin needed nerfing, yes, but he COK book for Forces of the Abyss and Trident Realms did not look strong initially.
Okay, let me spell it out for you, I didn’t think I had to? It seems so obvious?
So if the Lore Book armies get their unique orders, and extra tools, but some more than others, right? And some armies will have to wait 2.5 years for their lore book and might even be Army D in said book? At release, 4 armies have Unique Stuff, 16 don’t. 6 months in, 8 armies have US, 12 don’t. Then 12 do and 8 don’t. 2 years in, 16 have had their Unique Stuff, 4 haven’t. Does that clarify why I think its unfair?
A plan was made, I think the plan is bad. I think an evolving story that gets told in chapters is great, I think deciding that some armies just get to wait is bad. Is that an acceptable opinion?
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It isn’t obvious that its “unfair” to me at all, actually , which is why I asked. Thanks for giving your few cents though, I do understand your grievance more clearly now.
Anyway, to move this to a safer topic-
Who has pre ordered the Invasion book? Intended to, but I collect none of the factions, so…
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I preodered everything
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I preordered both books anf artifact and spell cards. I don’t play any of the factions in the Invasion book, though. I just want to flip through, read the lore. Guess I have to wait quite long for Undead to get their overhaul, so why not read the lore and rules in the other books.
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Here is the problem, Mantic did this with 3rd and nobody really cared about new models being released later into the edition without a book update
Everyone who wanted the unit that was there right at the beginning but had no models improvised to get one, so didn’t bother to buy the new ones released, and those who didn’t want them did not buy them anyway
In addition people start to argue that the game is dead and Mantic abandoned it if there are no regular releases following up, because everything is already there from the start
Releasing all models at once is also not an option, not for the size of the company anyway.
The need to wait for your army to be released to get new models is the compromise to be made.
But in addition you also know that there will be enough time to play with your army after release as well given that we are looking at 2,5 years with the Edition lasting 5+. (So not like the other game were you wait 3-6 years for your update and get 2 games out before it is replaced again)
And from everything I have seen so far I don’t have a lot of concerns regarding balance between updated and RB armies (and the first 6 months are going to be wild no matter what)
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I did, they got me with Hardcover combined with a spine artwork to want them all
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I’m going to pick up some more minis but leave the books. Previously, I’ve ended up flicking through them once and then they sit in a crate. I was buying them as the quickest way to get the rules and updates that covered my armies in the pre-companion days.
So I’ve been considering a response, and I think it can be best summed up as:
I work in a cafe. Do you think I will sell more coffee if I take tea off the menu?
Point being, I don’t think consumers can be affected in the way Mantic is hoping. People will buy the models they like best, whether thats Mantics models or other manufacturers. This cannot be changed!
I think we all understand why this is a good thing from Mantic’s perspective. However I, and seemingly others as well, dislike the drip-feed approach to rules.
I’ve played enough different systems over the past 30-odd years and I personally really like having one book with all the rules and lists. The CoK way of updating those lists once per year was lovely and everyone, no matter which army they played, got an update at the same time. From a player perspective, I thought this method was optimal.
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To be fair, Mantic have stated that though the books focus on 4 factions, they may well update and even bring new stuff in for other factions, as well as balance etc. The companion will (we are told) be updated at the same time. All in all, given that there were already updates out of sync with clash, it won’t be much different.
IF they follow through on all of this then more than 8 armies will get something each year and all armies will be rebalanced/updated every 6 months.
I also like everything in one book, but realistically, this was never the case as a printed book goes out of date alomost immediately.
I think you have a good point, just highlighting that it might not be quite as extreme as some may imagine.
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We’ll have to wait and see, but I think it will feel significantly different.
Take these examples:
I am currently building a FoN army. It is now on hold, because Ronnie stated on a Podcast that now is a bad time to buld a FoN army. Apparently the FoN list which will be in the expansion book (2nd book for FoN) will differ significantly to the list in the rulebook. In essence, wait for the expansion book or risk wasting time and money.
Equally, the Dwarfs are one combined list in the rulebook, but rumours say Mantic is planning on splitting them into regular and free dwarfs again, once the dwarfs appear in an expansion book. Consequently I will not be adding to my Free Dwarfs until the expansion book.
The issue is that the lists in the rulebook are seemingly temporary and may undergo noticeable changes in the expansion books. This, imo, is rather player unfriendly.
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