The fine folk of Knight Models, who make the Batman Miniature Game, reckon you can play the game with two starter sets. So, for the next couple of Geeking Outs – and thanks to their generous donation of a pair of the aforementioned starter sets – we’ll be putting this theory to the test.

Two starters, with a bit of judicious online shopping, shouldn’t set you back more than £40. With the rules and tokens available as free downloads, that’s not bad – if it works, that is.

So, our we begin with two starters, Commissioner Loeb’s G.C.P.D. and Penguin’s Crew.

Both sets feel like quality products. Cardstock on the stat cards is heavy-duty, style is neat. Maybe a little cramped, but looks good. I love the textured plastic bases, they’re a nice touch, and add to the accessibility.

The models themselves are chunky but realistically proportioned. They captured the Penguin especially well, but they all have a cinematic realism to them.

Casting wise, you will find the odd mould line or bit of flash (excess metal), and for this you really want to invest in a very sharp hobby knife, which will set you back around £5.

That, with the Superglue you’ll need for assembly (~£3) means your buy-in spend is really about £50. As for Assembly, most are 2 or 3 part models. You shouldn’t need to pin models together – you could invest in a pin vice (~£5), and I find paperclips make excellent pins (cut down with pliers or similar), but it isn’t really necessary. What you may want to acquire is some Kneadite, more often known as Green Stuff. A 2 part epoxy putty, this is commonly used to fill small gaps, although in fact it’s many modellers’ preferred medium for sculpting. At anywhere from £3-£10 for a fairly hefty supply. Again, it’s not an essential, but should be high up the list of priorities.

An aside: I’ve never had an issue with missing parts, though I did have a miscast Alfred; fortunately, Knight have famously excellent customer service, and a replacement arrived from Spain within a week.
So let’s look at how well they go together.

Loeb’s G.C.P.D.

These are lovely models. The detective is a one-piece, Loeb’s hand is inexplicably separate, and the other two are multi part.

Nice, clean builds all.

Penguin’s Crew.

Cobblepot and Co are a bit more intricate.

Still, fine with some patience. I dislike the pose of the baton guy so that may require some tweaking, gentle bending with needle nose pliers is usually sufficient.

The choice, dear reader, is yours. Ultimately, outlay can spiral as with anything. Overall though, I think it’s a fair investment in some rather marvellous toys,

So they’re ready to play, albeit unpainted. Tune in next time Bat fans, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel (well… ish) for a test run of the game with an uninitiated novice.

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The Writer of this piece was: Sam Graven
You can follow Sam on Twitter

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