Topics

1

The Swap Shop / Selling new Dystopian Wars and Dropfleet Commander

« on: March 29, 2023, 08:28:51 am »

Hi everybody,
I have been hanging on to my Dystopian Wars (Spartan Era) and Dropfleet Commander (Hawk Wargames Kickstarter) models and it is time that they find a home with someone who will have the time to enjoy them.

I am based in Germany, so shipping within the EU will be quite cheap, but I can ship worldwide (it is just a matter of shipping costs, which are rather high at the moment).
All models are new.

Here is what I have for Dystopian Wars:

Kingdom of Britannia - Naval Battle Group
Kingdom of Britannia - Support Flotilla
Kingdom of Britannia - Wolf Pack Flotilla
Kingdom of Denmark - Korsor Class Minelayer (6x)
Kingdom of Denmark - Naval Battle Group
League of Italian States -Scutum Class Escort Frigates (10x)
Prussian Empire - Arminius Frigate (6x)
Prussian Empire - Wachter Class Escort (6x)
Republique of France - Aerial Battle Group
Republique of France - Gascony MkI & MkII Battleship
Republique of France - Lyon Class Frigate (6x)
Republique of France - Support Flotilla

In addition to this list, I have two items which I can't identify:

Republique of France ? - Frigate/Escort (looks similar to the Lyon Class Frigates) (3x)
Prussian Empire ? - Frigate/Escort (I checked online for pictures but couldn't find a match, the models have the German cross on them, which makes me think that they are for the Prussians) (4x)

I bought all of those packs when Spartan Games went belly up and paid 290 EUR for the whole lot.
Now I would like to sell it - if possible also as a (partial) lot instead of posting a dozen or so parcels individually.
I checked on eBay for comparative prices in 2023 and based on sold items the total price today would be around 295 EUR.
I would be happy to sell it to you guys for 190 EUR (plus shipping).
And if you are interested in just parts of the lot, please let me know as well, I am sure we can find a good deal.

***

And here is my Dropfleet Commander stuff, that needs a new home:

Bases - 20 sprues + Flight Stands - 4 sprues + Hawk Widgets - 1 sprue
Civilian Cruise Liner - 4 models
Launch Assets (Fighters, Bombers and Torpedos) - 2 sprues
Modular Space Station - 4 sprues
PHR Cruisers - 5 sprues
PHR Cruisers with Battlecruiser upgrade bits - 1 sprue
PHR Frigates - 2 sprues
Rulebook (2016)
Rulebook (2016) (slipcase damaged)
Scourge cruisers - 4 sprues
Scourge frigates - 3 sprues
Shaltari Cruisers - 6 sprues
Shaltari Cruisers with Battlecruiser upgrade bits - 1 sprue
Shaltari Frigates - 2 sprues
UCM Cruisers - 7 sprues
UCM Cruisers with Battlecruiser upgrade bits - 2 sprues
UCM Frigates - 4 sprues

All of this came from the Dropfleet Kickstarter plus add-ons that Hawk Wargames ran in 2016.
TTCombat sells most of these models still today (except for the Civilian Cruise Liner, which was a KS exclusive, the first edition rulebooks and the Battlecruiser upgrade bits also seem to have vanished (and being replaced by Resin models)) and buying all those sprues in the TTComabt webstore would cost 1000 GBP (1137 EUR).
Again, I would be happy to sell it as a lot, and I would be willing to part with it all for 500 EUR plus shipping.

But if you are interested in just parts, I put together the following "starter fleets":

PHR set (6 Cruiser sprues, 1 Battlecruiser upgrade bit set, 2 Frigate sprues, 4 base sprues) - 125 EUR (plus shipping)
Scourge set (4 Cruiser sprues, 3 Frigate sprues, 4 base sprues) - 100 EUR (plus shipping)
Shaltari set (7 Cruiser sprues, 1 Battlecruiser upgrade bit set, 2 Frigate sprues, 5 base sprues) - 150 EUR (plus shipping)
UCM set (9 Cruiser sprues, 2 Battlecruiser upgrade bit set, 4 Frigate sprues, 7 base sprues) - 200 EUR (plus shipping)

Just let me know if you are interested in any of these, ok?
Thanks and happy gaming,
Michael

2

News and Rumors / Leviathans is coming back - and to Kickstarter in 2020

« on: July 29, 2019, 02:36:38 pm »

Hi everybody,
Catalyst is currently running their Battletech Clan Invasion Kickstarter, which exceeded their wildest dreams and is currently at over 1 million USD. It will take them a year and then some to fulfill this project, but it looks like they have their eyes on Leviathans for their next Kickstarter.

If you are not aware of this game - it was a rather short-lived steam-punkish fleet battle game with flying ships, set in an alternate 1900s timeline. The premise is not too different from Dystopian wars, but the game itself is. I have never played it, but it seems to me like a mix of Dystopian Wars and Battletech, which could be an interesting mix.

Here is the announcement:
https://monstersinthesky.com

COMING TO KICKSTARTER IN 2020!
Originally published in 2012 to critical acclaim, the game will return via Kickstarter in 2020. Advancing the timeline to the start of World War I, Leviathans: The Great War will unleash new factions, miniatures and more!

3

Firestorm Armada / [Project] Firestorm Taskforce - Stat Cards

« on: September 06, 2017, 02:10:24 pm »

Hi everybody,
Firestorm Taskforce is a solid entry level space navy wargame and actually much better than many gamers think. The ruleset has a few flaws and I had hoped for a revision as a part of the Firestorm Armada 3.0 ruleset, but with Spartan Games closed this won't happen anytime soon.
This promted me to start this little project which will add a bit to the game experience and, in time, might even expand the game.

This post here is meant to let you all know that I am working on this and to invite you to provide feedback and suggestions for any future developments.

***

I have started to create Stat Cards for all the ships available for Firestorm Taskforce (which are most, if not all Firestorm Armada ships).
The reasons for that are the following:
1. Taskforce is meant to be an entry level game and having cards with all the statistics for each ship in a fleet makes it easier for beginners (or young players) to understand what is going on. The official fleet lists in principle serve the same purpose, but I hope to offer some more value by adding a photo of the ship type (for ease of identification) and by adding brief explanations of all the MARs relevant for each ship (both weapon MARS and ship MARs) directly on the card.
2. Having a deck of cards makes list building much easier and quicker - especially for younger or inexperienced players. My seven year old son can just put all his Aquan stat cards in front of him and pick whatever he wants to field in a game - much easier than flicking through the printed PDF.
3. I think that the stat cards will make it easier to direcly compare ships within and across factions. The same is of course possible with the available documents, but just imagine you would like to compare all the different destroyer models in the game based on the 8 PDF files (6 for the core factions and 2 for the minor races). Just placing all the destroyer class cards next to each other will speed this up considerably. This ease of comparability will also help with designing new ships for he game - which is something we migh want to consider now tha the official support has died.

Here is an example of one of the Stat Cards I have already finished:



The files I create are Poker card sized and I will print my copy of this deck at the Gamecrafter. Obviously I cannot make hem available there publicly, but I will find a way to share the digital files (.png and/or .psd) so that fellow gamers can print their own copies.
The example above is a bi bigger than the final card as the Gamecrafter template also includes a border that will be cut off after the printing. The final cards will look more like this:




***

Where do I stand with this little project?

I started last week and so far I have created 28 cards (all of the Aquan ships and 8 Dindrenzi), but not all of them have images added to them yet. I plan to create cards for all the factions. This way I will end up with maybe 150 cards (just a guess) which will take me a while.

All the rules are taken directly from the Taskforce rulebook and the published fleet lists, but I have taken the liberty to correct a few mistakes (e.g. that the Aquan Escort Carrier was listed as a Tier 3 ship while the Dindrenzi Light Frigate counts as a Tier 2. I also unified the MAR names (e.g. Laser Battery vs. Laser Batteries) and ironed out a few other small typos.

Each faction will have it's own color template (e.g. light blue for the Aquans) and as I create these carsd primarily for my own use I also have changed some of the color for certain factions. My Kurak ships are primarily blue and green, while my Zenian ships are red and orange - and this will be reflected in the background color on the cards - just that you know.

***

Possible future developments?
Well, once I am done with all those cards I would like to create a second deck of cards (maybe called Phase 2) that offers a few alternatives and modifications.
Currently there are several ships of the same class that have the same statistics in the game (e.g. the Aquan cruiser classes Storm, Chironex, and Isonade). This made sense as long as Spartan Games was still publishing new models for the game and it kepts things simple. But now we might be in need for a greater variety in order to keep the game fresh. What I would like to do is to create separate cards for each of the ships that up to now have shared a list entry. The most recent version of a ship (e.g. the Isonade cruiser) would keep the official statistics, while the older ones would receive a certain downgrade - weaker statistics, but also a reduced points cost - to reflect the advancement in military development. Older versions of a ship class could also have a slightly different focus (e.g. weaker lasers but stronger torpedoes). This will open a nice design space and - based on community input - keep the game fresh.
And finally completely new ships (new factions, merchant ships etc.) could also be introduced.

But first things first. I still have quite some Stat Cards to design before I can think about creating new content.

Well, there you have it - my small contribution to keeping the Firestorm games alive.

What do you think?

4

The Great War / Jutland - Looking for a specific book...

« on: August 28, 2017, 05:20:13 am »

Hello everybody,
I am looking for a specific book - and I have no clue what its title is or who wrote/published it, but maybe you can still help me.
As a young teenager I enjoyed reading a book about naval warfare in WW1. The booked dealt with the pre-war arms race as well but the main focus was on the battle of Jutland - with a detailed report of how it went.
My edition of the book was a rather large hardcover and it contained a large number of full page illustrations - oil paintings depicting scenes of the battle.

I got rid of that book when I moved out of my parents house and have been unable to find it on amazon or ebay (it's hard to find something when one doesn't know the specifics of what he is looking for).

Maybe you know such a book, and even if you don't, are there any visually interesting books about the battle for Jutland out there you could recommend? I know that I could easily get a paperback packing a lot of content, but I greatly enjoyed those illustrations.

Thanks,
Michael

5

Roll Call / Cast off!

« on: August 28, 2017, 03:33:52 am »

Hello everybody,
I have been lurking on these forums for quite a while now but with the closure of Spartan Games I decided to register and become a bit more active here.

I am 37, based in Marburg, Germany (think about the brothers Grimma and fairytale country and you are right there), working at the University (Geography) and have three kids (aged 7, 4 and almost 1). This life of mine keeps me awfully busy, which means that I hardly make it to gamedays, conventions or meet ups. Most of my active gaming happens with my wife and has nothing to do with naval or miniature games. I enjoy a wide range of board and card games and have a fairly active account on boardgamegeek. Oh, and I design games, but just for fun as my limited free time prevents me from pursuing this in more earnest.

I started with miniature wargames in the early 90s and Battletech was my first love. Warhammer 40k (2nd ed) followed a few years later, but I got out of miniature games when I went to college in favor of D&D and CCGs. I always liked naval themes and when Battlefleet Gothic came out (and I could not afford it) I just created my own ruleset (roughly based on Battletech), which was fun for a while.

Fast forward a decade or so and I am rediscovering miniature wargames. Space Hulk 3rd ed got me back into buying and painting models and after years of pondering I took the plunge and got Firestorm Aramda (2.0). In terms of naval games I also have a nice collection of Sails of Glory ships and some bits for Star Trek Attack Wing, but Firestorm Armada is where my heart is at.
My main fleet are Sorylians which I, as often as time allows, pit against my son's Aquans (as he is just 7 we play the simpler Taskforce ruleset), but I also have some painted Veydreth, RSN and (almost finished) Dindrenzi. Other fleets (Relthoza, Oroshan, Xelocian, Directorate) are patiently waiting for their time on the painting table and will keep me busy for months (years?) to come.

As my time is limited I am more a hobbiest than a gamer right now and if Spartan had released more fiction for their games I would have certainly devoured it, too, as I am more a fluff gamer than a min-maxer.

I am happy to be here and hope that many more Spartan Games fans will join this forum and keep their games alive.

Happy gaming,
Michael