Getting back into things.

So, having gotten everything back to normal, I'm starting to get back into things. I have brought out my paints again, getting hyped for the Paradiso book and finally figured out a colour scheme for my Shasvastii! And I might also have motivated a few members in my group to take part in the Relic Knights kickstarter...

So, first things first. Let's begin with me showing you my own, reposed and converted Dragao, Acontecimento Dragoon!



Oh yeah, I know. He's big, he's imposing and he's coming for you!
So, the story about this one. I, as many others, consider the Dragao to look absolutely ridiculous the way Corvus Belli made him. Shoulder-mounting a Hyper-Rapid Magnetic Cannon while wielding a puny flamethrower and having a ammo feed that insists on defying gravity... No, just no.
So I decided to try and fix it. I'm only decent with greenstuff, can't sculpt anything, is a little impatient but able to pin decently. I knew it was a risk. But I started cutting him apart.
I think it took me three days to get him right, and even then his left arm is slightly misshapen, but it was worth it.

Then, a little preview of what my Shasvastii will turn out like:


Naturally, the models in the picture aren't finished it's all base colours there, and a little highlighting. Gotta highlight/shade all the model, and paint the unpainted areas. Then I might add some OSL and blending... Might. We'll see what I'll do, as I'm still not completely sure myself. Seriously considering changing the way I highlighted him.


And now, let's talk a little about Relic Knights.

So, if you watched the video before reading this, you might just have got a pretty good idea of what it's about. If not, let me tell you.
Relic Knights is a miniature wargame based on over-the-top manga. Yes, you heard me. Over the top manga.

So let's break this down. I'm gonna talk about aesthetics and about gameplay.

Regarding aesthetics, well... You can see it yourself. There's mechas, there's half-naked chicks, there's demons and awesome weapons. Soda Pop miniatures did not go easy on the manga inspiration. And to be truthful, I enjoy it. It's a nice, refreshing breath of air in all the seriousness of most other wargames. I actually look forward to painting these, as you can go pretty much as crazy as you want because frankly, if you're playing Relic Knights as a serious game then you might just be doing it a little bit wrong. Plus, manga chicks is always a bonus.

And now for the crunch. Note that I have not read the rulebook, only looked at the video put out explaining gameplay mechanics, so I might have gotten something wrong. I have to say though, Soda Pop Miniatures seems to have captured the feeling of manga and anime battles quite well. But basics first!
The thing that pops out to you is that the game does not use dice, it uses cards. Every player has an Esper deck. Esper is basically mana. At the beginning of the game and at the end of each turn, each player draws/discards so that his/her hand contains five cards. The most common cards have one big coloured symbol and one small coloured symbol. You get to play (read: Discard) any card in exchange for either two esper of the big symbol or one of the small. These are then used in order to activate the specialy powers of units, such as Pounce (and attack) or Shield Wall (a defense).
The game also features alternating activations, and a card for each of their units. Basically, both players have an "Idle pool", a ready pool and an active pool. The active pool is where you place the card of the active unit. In the ready pool lies two cards of the upcoming activations (so you have to plan some steps in advance!), and as soon as the card in line becomes active, you have to fill the empty ready slot with one card from your idle pool, which is where all the other cards lie.
When you activate a card, you get to move it and (if you've got the esper) to use an ability. For example, Agha (demon-wolves) may attack with their pounce or render a ready opponent idle using their howl. Knights may attack or use their shield-wall for defense. Aghas have no defense however, so they're... defenseless! Another example given was a knight piloting a giant mecha who had the power to teleport six inches and the blow away every unit close to him (read: jump into the middle of the action and land with a deafening sound causing a shockwave that sends every foe flying).

That pretty much sums up the rules.. At least as we know them for now!
Until next time!
Oh, and don't forget to comment!