Interplanetary Seminar Model Previews...

[Henshini]

I thought there was only one chain rifle style. What model has a chain rifle different from the domaru?

[McNamara]

they are now a lot smaller than back than. Its the same style though.

BTW: yu jing HMGs:

[vorthain]

Same style though...

[McNamara]

the jock is thats a vacuum cleaner

[Penemue]

More importantly...what's a Breaker Pistol?

[McNamara]

More importantly...what's a Breaker Pistol?

No info yet, ASAIK.

[vorthain]

Someone may have mentioned this previously, but the concept are specifically says 2 breaker pistols. I know some models have two pistols but rules for 1 (e.g. Wu Ming), but saying both specifically is something I haven't seen much of. The Sekban is one example, but the pistols were different, one lethal and one non-lethal.

[chaos11]

That's the old Hac Tao right?

[macfergusson]

Someone may have mentioned this previously, but the concept are specifically says 2 breaker pistols. I know some models have two pistols but rules for 1 (e.g. Wu Ming), but saying both specifically is something I haven't seen much of. The Sekban is one example, but the pistols were different, one lethal and one non-lethal.

Double assault pistols is what I've seen mostly... That burst 5 is pretty awesome.

Could be something similar, if Breaker is some kind of new anti ARM ammo for close range (say burst 2?), and double Breaker pistols gives you burst 3 of, I dunno, AP+. I'm totally just making stuff up here, but based on the name it sounds like either anti ARM or anti STR of some sort.

[Claudius Sol]

Maybe a sort of DA pistol? Or combine DA + AP? So B2(+1) DA + AP at DAM 13? Pistol ranges would make sense.

I was originally going to say EXP, but that's overboard.

I could see something like maybe AP(for BTS) and the pistol deals EM damage instead of N damage.

[macfergusson]

Maybe a sort of DA pistol? Or combine DA + AP? So B2(+1) DA + AP at DAM 13? Pistol ranges would make sense.

I was originally going to say EXP, but that's overboard.

I could see something like maybe AP(for BTS) and the pistol deals EM damage instead of N damage.

AP+DA at long range is a Feuerbach. A close range version actually kinda makes sense, and fits the name, IMO.

[McNamara]

That's the old Hac Tao right?

Yes, I posted it for the HMG comparison.

Thats the new one:

[vorthain]

I'd love AP/EM personally - cut through and shut down enemy armor.

[macfergusson]

I'd love AP/EM personally - cut through and shut down enemy armor.

Hmm.... (Ice)Breaker ammo?

[Penemue]

Maybe a sort of DA pistol? Or combine DA + AP? So B2(+1) DA + AP at DAM 13? Pistol ranges would make sense.

I was originally going to say EXP, but that's overboard.

I could see something like maybe AP(for BTS) and the pistol deals EM damage instead of N damage.

AP+DA at long range is a Feuerbach. A close range version actually kinda makes sense, and fits the name, IMO.

I like this idea. Heck, even if it were only DA, it would still be situationally useful!

[vorthain]

That seems fairly strong to me, almost like having a contender with short range on a combi - but what do I know.

Ideally, as the mantra goes, the Terracotta will be cheap enough to be LI, and having good toys doesn't seem a great way to achieve it.

[jake]

The Haqq starter will still likely get resculpted sometime to the new 3d sculpting aesthetic of bigger, more defined.

not very likely..... how often do you think CB will re-sculpt the same models over and over again. PanO and Nomads were the last starters that needed to be re-sculpted - I highly doubt CB will dive right in to another round of re-sculpts. Their techniques/style are always going to be advancing - ultimately they could just keep re-sculpting what they have and never sculpt anything else, MAYBE in 5 years, probably not for N3 though

I'm thinking it's reasonable that we'll see a new Haqq starter in 2-3 years at most. And if speculation holds true, it'll eventually be debuted in one of the Operation starter sets, either the next set or the one after.

Judging from the upcoming new PanO and Nomad starters, there seems to be a disparity between this new aesthetics and the previous ones. I think it'd be a mistake to have outdated starters compete for attention against the new and improved ones for too long of a time.

It'll be interesting to see just how much of a difference there might be between the new and old Janissary after the resculpt.

I really think you're wrong. I think that the resculpted Haqq and yujing starters from a few years ago were the beginning of the shift in aesthetic, one that is just now finally coming around to the Pan O and Nomad starters. There does have to be a beginning somewhere. Anyway, I'd hardly call either the Yujing or Haqq starter outdated. both look fantastic and match the current aesthetic of the armies very well (in my opinion).

I hope we're not in a cycle where CB just updates everything continuously every 4-5 years. At some point it just becomes updating for the sake of updating.

[McNamara]

I really think you're wrong. I think that the resculpted Haqq and yujing starters from a few years ago were the beginning of the shift in aesthetic, one that is just now finally coming around to the Pan O and Nomad starters. There does have to be a beginning somewhere. Anyway, I'd hardly call either the Yujing or Haqq starter outdated. both look fantastic and match the current aesthetic of the armies very well (in my opinion).

I hope we're not in a cycle where CB just updates everything continuously every 4-5 years. At some point it just becomes updating for the sake of updating.

I think you are a bit wrong too. They clearly redesigned the weapons since than. Its not that visible in Haqq and Yu jing (like with the Nomads), but the new weapons are a lot smaller. And I wouldn't be surprised if Haqq gets new HMGs too, f.e.
Adriana and CA will get new Starters before them for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if they resculpt the Ghulams or Zhangshi in a year or the year after that.

[jake]

I really think you're wrong. I think that the resculpted Haqq and yujing starters from a few years ago were the beginning of the shift in aesthetic, one that is just now finally coming around to the Pan O and Nomad starters. There does have to be a beginning somewhere. Anyway, I'd hardly call either the Yujing or Haqq starter outdated. both look fantastic and match the current aesthetic of the armies very well (in my opinion).

I hope we're not in a cycle where CB just updates everything continuously every 4-5 years. At some point it just becomes updating for the sake of updating.

I think you are a bit wrong too. They clearly redesigned the weapons since than. Its not that visible in Haqq and Yu jing (like with the Nomads), but the new weapons are a lot smaller. And I wouldn't be surprised if Haqq gets new HMGs too, f.e.
Adriana and CA will get new Starters before them for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if they resculpt the Ghulams or Zhangshi in a year or the year after that.

I don't think any weapons from the Haqq starter has been redesigned since it's release, have they? The rifles and sniper rifles still look the same, as far as I can tell.

I'm not as sure about the Yujing starter. In any case, I believe that you have to draw a line and say "this release is an acceptable starting point", and I think that line was with these two starters, which were really where teh resculpt effort began. It is true that just over the last year we've seen a new round of weapon and armor redesigns, and I suppose it is possible that the Morat, Corrigidor and Neo Terra starters (and now the O:I stuff) represents a new starting point for the resculpt cycle. I think it's more likely that the completely acceptable Haqq and Yujing starters will remain available.

But who knows?

[chaos11]

That's the old Hac Tao right?

Yes, I posted it for the HMG comparison.

Thats the new one:

Yeah I thought so. For a minute though I thought you had a really clear image of the new one and got all excited.

[McNamara]

I really think you're wrong. I think that the resculpted Haqq and yujing starters from a few years ago were the beginning of the shift in aesthetic, one that is just now finally coming around to the Pan O and Nomad starters. There does have to be a beginning somewhere. Anyway, I'd hardly call either the Yujing or Haqq starter outdated. both look fantastic and match the current aesthetic of the armies very well (in my opinion).

I hope we're not in a cycle where CB just updates everything continuously every 4-5 years. At some point it just becomes updating for the sake of updating.

I think you are a bit wrong too. They clearly redesigned the weapons since than. Its not that visible in Haqq and Yu jing (like with the Nomads), but the new weapons are a lot smaller. And I wouldn't be surprised if Haqq gets new HMGs too, f.e.
Adriana and CA will get new Starters before them for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if they resculpt the Ghulams or Zhangshi in a year or the year after that.

I don't think any weapons from the Haqq starter has been redesigned since it's release, have they? The rifles and sniper rifles still look the same, as far as I can tell.

I'm not as sure about the Yujing starter. In any case, I believe that you have to draw a line and say "this release is an acceptable starting point", and I think that line was with these two starters, which were really where teh resculpt effort began. It is true that just over the last year we've seen a new round of weapon and armor redesigns, and I suppose it is possible that the Morat, Corrigidor and Neo Terra starters (and now the O:I stuff) represents a new starting point for the resculpt cycle. I think it's more likely that the completely acceptable Haqq and Yujing starters will remain available.

But who knows?

I mean of course this will take time and it will always be a ongoing process of change, I imagine, but from what I got these new Starters are of a new era, the digital one.
All miniatures from now on are probably digitally sculpted. I am not sure if the Corregidor or Tohaa Starter where the first ones, (the Morat is for sure), but I belief these are the points where the "new" aesthetic starts.

And the weapon design of Haqq hasn't changed, but the size of the weapons has for sure! Its extremely visually with the nomads. Look at the size of the BSG on the Sekban and the older units like Fiday or Bashi.

[jake]

Right. So I guess the question is how important is weapon size? Does the BS Fiday get resculpted because the weapon is larger than the more recently released Haqq models? Even though the model istelf looks great and otherwise fits the current Haqq aesthetic?

I suspect the answer is no, that it won't be resculpted. At least not any time soon. But I could be wrong. It could be that CB wants to redo everything in 3D, regardless of whether it needs to be redone (where "needs to" = poorly sculpted, out of print or no longer fitting the current aesthetic). I kind of hope not. The vast majority of the Infinity line looks great, and it would be a shame to redo models just because a gun is outdated or needs to be 20% smaller.

[McNamara]

My guess would be that they will do it exactly the same as now. some might get resculpts some don't. Nothing is save though, see Hac Tao. :LOL:

But my guess would be that, if they do a annual Operation:X with 2 Starters, than every unit represented in these Starters will be new sculpts to give new Players a representation of whats coming, like Bostria said. The Haqq Starter will probably way down the line of that.

[jake]

But my guess would be that, if they do a annual Operation:X with 2 Starters, than every unit represented in these Starters will be new sculpts to give new Players a representation of whats coming, like Bostria said. The Haqq Starter will probably way down the line of that.

Is there any indication that they're going to do this? It wouldn't surprise me if we see a new 2 player set for Acheron Falls (or whatever the next book ends up being) featuring two new sectroial starters, but constantly updating the original 6 starts seems like a mistake, especially on an annual basis. All 6 have been resculpted now, and all 6 look good. Redoing them just for the sake of resculpting/resizing a few weapons seems like a mistake. Redoing them just to redo them is even worse.

Oh, I guess the CA starter hasn't been resculpted yet, and obviously needs to be. I suppose the Aleph and Tohaa ones haven't been resculpted either, but there's really no reason to do that at all.

Anyway, I guess we'll see.

[ToadChild]

Combined Starter is coming out at the end of this year (ish), and appears to be digital (at least the Unidrons are).

I think the only digitally sculpted Tohaa models are the Chaksa Auxiliars/Servants, Gorgos, Dire Foe, and Clipsos Sniper. And I guess the Nikoul; my store has failed to get it in stock, but that model is released now. I expect all future Tohaa to be digital. But the initial releases all appear to be hand-sculpted.

The new-new Jannisary looks slightly different than the previous resculpt; it seems that N3 is introducing some new visual cues for HI troops that both the new Orc and new Mobile Brigada share. It's also the first time we've seen that new HMG. We'll see the Ghulam box set soon enough, and how similar or dissimilar they look to the existing Haqq starter will probably answer any questions.

[McNamara]

Yeah, no idea. It would make sense to always have a Starter set like this available though. And Archeons Fall probably won't need an help selling the new Sectorials.
With Dire Foes, SpecOps and Bootleg, there are a lot of stuff that might get done every year or so. So maybe Starter Packs like O:I and resculpts sets might not appear that often after all.

And one thing I remembered is the Neo Terra Starter, which includes fairly old minis like the Swiss Guard and Aquila, but also new ones like the Bolts. I can't imagine they would have done this if they plan on redoing the Swiss or Aquila anytime soon. And the Aquila's Mult rifle is pretty ugly and big too.

[ToadChild]

Good point, I forgot about how weird the Neoterra box is in that regard.

I'm now giggling to myself imagining how upset some folks would be if the new CA starter still has the classic Plasma Charontid. (It won't, but I would laugh a lot)

[chaos11]

Good point, I forgot about how weird the Neoterra box is in that regard.

I'm now giggling to myself imagining how upset some folks would be if the new CA starter still has the classic Plasma Charontid. (It won't, but I would laugh a lot)

Haha, that would be hilarious. Shiny awesome new EI models and that really dated looking Charontid.

[McNamara]

The Malignos from that box doesn't look to bad compared too the much much newer Hacker though!

[Machinist]

And one thing I remembered is the Neo Terra Starter, which includes fairly old minis like the Swiss Guard and Aquila, but also new ones like the Bolts. I can't imagine they would have done this if they plan on redoing the Swiss or Aquila anytime soon. And the Aquila's Mult rifle is pretty ugly and big too.

They need to sell those old models somehow. Seems like a move that is worth giving it a shot. Especially, since you can't get Bolts in a blister any more.