First Glance At Robotech RPG Tactics

I had originally intended this post to go up early last week, but it seems that being in a car crash wasn't enough as I got sick shortly after my last post, and have only recently begun to recover.  So without further delay let's dig in to one of the exciting finds at Adepticon.



The nice gentlemen from Ninja Division are running a Kickstarter for Robotech: RPG Tactics.  The game uses iconic mecha from the classic anime series Robotech.  The above picture is one of the Veritechs/Valkyries painted up as squadron leader (fans of the series will recognize the paint scheme as belonging to that of Rick Hunter as leader of Vermillion Squad).  I got to spend some time talking to the great guys from Ninja Division, tried out a demo, and took plenty of pictures. 



The above pieces are what you would call prototypes.  They're all cast in pewter and made up as special demo crews for cons, and were painted by the talented John Cadice shortly before the con.  The final product is going to be cast in plastic, which in this case isn't a bad thing as the minis I got to hold all had some heft to them.  Plastic Robotech minis will be a lot more durable, especially the battlepods.  Speaking of Battlepods there were some special Battlepod promo minis given out each day to the first 100 people who came by at Adepticon.  While I was unable to grab one myself a friend of mine, hearing about my car accident, grabbed one for me.



Needless to say I was very happy about this find.  I currently have the guy assembled and standing on my desk waiting to be based, but haven't decided if I'm going to sculpt a blasted street or if I'll do more of a ruins.

I got a chance to play the demo itself, and it seems pretty straightforward.  You're either the Zentraedi or the UEDF (United Earth Defense Force), and you utilize a number of squads.





There was only a small selection of models for the demo.  The Zentraedi was all Gulag Battlepods while the UEDF had a squad of three veritechs and a pair of Tomahawk Destroids.



The Gulag Battlepods had a style/scheme that gave them the potential to have more Battlepods swarm onto the field at the end of each turn (replacing ones destroyed during the turn), unless you entirely destroyed that squadron.  The UEDF had smaller numbers, but packed a lot of firepower.  Interested in checking out the rules?  Well they've given a sneak peak at them!  PLEASE NOTE:  THESE RULES ARE *NOT* FINAL!!!  These are still a rough look at things, and the final product could differ wildly from what you read.

While you're reading the rules, how about a look at the Veritech in Gerwalk/Guardian mode as well as fighter mode?







I was VERY impressed with the detail.  They definitely caught the feel of the original designs in my opinion, and when cast in plastic should look just as good as what you see here.  For a, "quick and simple," paint job John Cadice really captured all the flavor of the series I remember growing up with.  One thing worth noting is that each Veritech has three forms: Fighter (Jet Fighter), Battloid (transformed), and gerwalk/guardian (legs and arms extended in Jet Fighter mode).  While switching between modes is simple (done when the squad activates), it does mean three models painted for one figure used in the game.  Given the overall durability and power, it may as well be three models in one.

For the demo we were given Squad Cards which had stats and traits for the squads used during the game.





Again please note: THESE ARE PROTOTYPES AND NOT FINAL VERSIONS!!!  Even though they're not necessarily the completed project they're very easy to read and follow.  I think the general format they use is very solid, and will help the game along.  You can see weapons and general stats occupying the left 2/3rds of the card while armor/life points occupy the right.  A quick look shows you that those Battlepods need swarm tactics with how easily they'll be shot out of the sky.

While there weren't any on the board there was a Defender Destroid that had been painted up and on display.




And for those of you interested in the recently unlocked Roy Fokker Veritech here's a sneak peak at what it may look like painted:



While it may look like the range of models is rather limited I'd like to remind my readers that these are the figures that were cast in pewter and set up as a quick demo crew before Adepticon.  The Kickstarter has already reached multiple stretch goals and unlocked:

Gnerl Fighters, Sentry Pod Upgrade, Mk. II Monster (YES!!!), Spartan & Phalanx Destroids,  Support Battlepods, and Zentraedi Male Power Armor!

The rumor goes (according to some guy with the initials K.N.) that anything from the Macross Saga is fair game to be a piece in the game.  I did ask about the limit, and so far the agreement between Ninja Division, Harmony Gold, and Palladium Games is for the Macross Saga.  However it stands to reason that if things do well enough we could see Southern Cross, New Generation (Genesis Climber Mospeada for you hardcore fans), and Sentinels!

However far this goes the prospects are already exciting!  I still have a few clinging details from the excitement of Adepticon to attend to, but soon I hope to get a post up about a painted promo Battlepod.

What's In A Name?

When I first decided to start my blog I spent some time thinking about what I would call it.  I knew going in that most of my posts would be related to miniatures and miniature painting, but I also knew I had some other hobbies that I was into.  I decided to go with, "Mydnight's Hobby Corner," in order to give myself a larger umbrella to work under.  One of my other hobbies that I don't always have time for is working with Chainmail.



The above is a small sheet of European 4-in-1 chainmail made with rings obtained from The Ring Lord.  So I've got this nice little sheet, and it's colorful, but what do I do with it?  A friend of mine said she could use it for one of her dolls.





These are not your ordinary dolls either.  They are a hobby in and of themselves.  I pestered my friend for more information, and she was nice enough to take the time to answer my questions.

Mydnight: "So what are these dolls called?"
Rikka: "ABJD (or BJD), Asian ball-jointed doll, which is constructed very similarly to those little wooden artists models that articulate very closely to human movement for the sake of assuming realistic poses."
Mydnight: "How did you get into this hobby?"
Rikka: "I've technically been in the hobby since 2007, when I was given my first BJD as a gift. It wasn't until about 2010 that I started designing clothing for them and my fiancee sealed the deal on my becoming addicted to the hobby by learning to paint the aesthetics while I learned to adjust my sewing skills from human sized to doll sized." 
Mydnight: "They don't come like that? 
Rikka: "They do come assembled, but some are unpainted.  Companies do aesthetics if you pay extra for them.  Over half of our dolls are adopted secondhand. So when they come home, they are cleaned and sometimes sanded. They're made with polyurethane resin, so they're pretty durable. Dish soap and warm water for a gentle clean, but if there is heavy staining or we're removing a prior paint job, pure acetone is used for a deep clean.  Before any additional work is done, a specific UV protectant sealant is sprayed to protect the resin, and then begins the painting.

 

Sylvyr does hers in stages, sealing each layer as she goes so if she makes a mistake, she can wipe the most recent layer without disturbing what's already done. She uses all acrylic pastels, paints and shimmer powders (anything with oil in it can and will stain the resin).



Mydnight: "How customizeable are these dolls?"
Rikka: " I would very easily say that the sky is the limit with them. Resin can take additive and subtractive mods, and there's no limit to the colors of hair, eyes and paint/blushing that can be done.  Fairyland MiniFee Chloe. Came to us with completely closed eyes. Sylvyr carved the eyes half open and then painted all the features. Once coloring was decided, clothing was made.



Mydnight: "Do you buy clothes for them?"
Rikka: "As much as it kills my +5 tailoring skill to admit it, I bought clothing back when I was still new to the hobby. Further in, I realized that I could turn my sewing skills down to a smaller scale and make them whatever I wanted...and save on shipping too!"

 

My first attempt at sewing doll clothes were an embarrassing pair of pants and shirt, but that only made me buck up and say "challenge accepted!" with the fervor that spoke of many sleepless nights and many threats to throw my sewing machine out the window.  It all went down from there. Since then, I've constructed kimono, goth pants, frilly underthings and intricate dresses. My two favorite special projects included a Victorian dress with a little modern twist and most recently, a wedding ensemble in cream and gold.



Mydnight: "Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.  May I link to your blog?"
Rikka: "Sure!  It's Crimson Chimera."