Graven’s New Year Giveaway – Starters Orders!

Posted on December 29, 2017 in Geeking Out

It‘s gone Xmas. You’ve got all the socks you can eat. You’ve also got the impending 2018 blues and major nerd block. So how do I fix this, we hear you ask? Well, the answer is simple. Go get a 2nd Edition Batman Miniature Game Starter Set (or two, because it’s more fun with friends 😉 )!

Or hey, why not just try your luck here, for a chance to win one of 2 two-player starter bundles from our fine friends at Knight Models?

For their 2nd edition, Knight Models have released new versions of many of the classic teams, some consolidated and some shuffled. Everything from the previous edition is still valid, but with the move to the more user-friendly plastic-resin (warning – does need to be washed in warm soapy water before painting), reorganized card layout and streamlined FREE rules, there’s a concerted effort to make a better play and hobby experience. Oh, and it’s cheaper than metal too.

The first two waves of starters have already been released:

The Brave and the Bold – Batman & Arkham Guards.

Merging Batman, Law and Arrow as a single faction was a logical choice, and it’s a move that has generated some really interesting new play options. But this set is about addressing gaps, and the loss of the ability to field multiple generic cops. Speaking of gaps though, the interesting thing about the Batman is that, at 125, he sneaks in a points gap and his Smoke Grenades in particular make a very appealing prospect. The guards themselves are fairly good, all around the low to mid 20s, similar to the named Gotham cops, but a bit tougher; the 22 point guy with the riot gun and Tireless is the real star for me here, as he’s got the speed to match fast (or indeed, Fast) Bat-family members.

Gotham City Sirens – Poison Ivy, Catwoman, Harley Quinn and plant slaves.

Not a new crew as such, but the re-branded Gotham City Sirens (formerly just Ivy) bring some interesting new play features to the tabletop with a host of new models. Ivy herself, though pricey, gains the ability to control any Henchmen in the game, not only giving you access to regular goons from other crews, but also the likes of Diggle, Amazonian warriors and the Talons of the Court of Owls – all particularly good choices given the willpower reduction ivy gives them. Catwoman is Catwoman – sneaky, climby, stealy, slashy – but the Harley is really interesting, given the saturation we have. Follow me, technique, unpredictable and Disarray give us the most versatile Harley at a very reasonable 68, a genuine mix of all the different versions, not exceptional yet still interesting. Couple more plants to round out the set aren’t bad either – great Feed Me vibe giving the little Audrey2 plant Cannibal, especially. A neat package all round.

Organised Crime – Two-Face and gang.

One of the fundamental changes in the 2nd Edition was the merging of Two-Face, Black Mask, LexCorp and Mad Hatter with Organised Crime. It does mean there’s a bit of paralysis of choice, and a new Boss doesn’t exactly help 😉 That being said, he’s a very interesting prospect, cheaper and less overtly murderous than the original Harvey. He’s really tough, relatively inexpensive at 99, and can grant bonus actions to goons at the toss of a coin (yay, very fluffy). Sadly the goons, whilst interesting in terms of loadout, suffer from weak Defence relative to their 20+ cost – Def 2 characters do tend to get carved up, especially when only Movement 2 also. It’s great to finally have two Two-Faces to choose from though.

Bane – Bane and Mercenaries.

It is so very, very good to have a truly terrifying Bane in the game. As well as a magnificent, dynamic sculpt that reeks of power, he’s an absolute murderous, indestructible beast – reflected in his cost at a back-breaking 161. If anything were to tempt me to try out a new faction, it would be this guy. The added bonus is a host of efficient blood damage-dealing mercenaries. Yes, they’re expensive relative to other goons but they are utterly deadly, tough as nails and cheap for what they are. And plenty of $ leftover to equip them up, also, so you can tailor them to your needs. You’ll be running a small team with the beast of Santa Prisca for sure, but that’s what makes this box set such great, self-contained value.

Joker – Joker (Arkham Asylum) and clowns

I have mixed feelings about this starter, and I say that as a Joker player. The new Joker is… Fine. He’s quite decent, doesn’t really behave that differently to his other Arkham 105 version, but with Joker, it’s always all about the goons. Like most factions, hordes of the same generic goon are now out, but then again, Joker has always had access to more goons than you can shake a cattle prod at. The new ones are a mixed bag, from the very cheap Hobo that’s the new knife swarm substitute, the flimsy but versatile Bouffon (who, with Undercover can be placed further up the board, and who can also fire his nail gun on the move), and the slightly-pricey-but-very-Bloody White Face. They certainly stack up well against the recent AK Harley goons, though again Move 2/Def 2 thugs are still at the weak end. Nothing bad here, but nothing that screams must-have.

Riddler – Riddler (Modern Age), Quiz crew and Quell

Riddler isn’t a new starter per se, but rather a recast of the metal set in the new style. However, you do get the added bonus of the devious Ms Quell, while STILL coming in at less than the old metal starter. A word of warning: Riddler is the most atypical of play styles of the current starters, and takes some getting used to, as he manipulates several of the basic game mechanics. Definitely a better buy for a more experienced player, or at the very least a more experienced gamer.

Freeze – Mr Freeze (Modern Age) and Snowy gang

Like Riddler, this is a resin reissue of the recent metal starter, though this time with added goons. Oddly, some have different names (and hence are different characters) meaning there’s overlap here with the old metals. It does mean, however, this is a valid buy for an existing Freeze player also. So, bonus. Freeze is also very potent in-game, great to learn with and allows lots of self-indulgent Arnie impressions (sacrilege).

COMPETITION TIME!!

Since it’s almost New Year and we love rewarding all you loyal readers, here’s what you can win:

First Prize:

Not one but TWO villain starters of your choice from the following options: Bane, Two-Face, Riddler, Mr Freeze.
Set of Buildings.
Set of objectives, lampposts and sewers.
Dice.
Print rulebook.

Second Prize:

Whatever two villain starters aren’t claimed by the First Prize winner.
Set of objectives, lampposts and sewers.

Still not sure what you fancy? Well, if you choose the Two-Face starter, you’ll also get a Maroni Crime Family starter, giving you a whole host of other Organised Crime options. And if you don’t go for Two-Face, instead you’ll get a new Deathstroke (reviewed next time in the prize thread, but basically, he’s terrifying) instead!

That’s £150 or so of festive fun to be won!

So how do you enter the competition? Well, it’s a slightly different process than usual, this one.

You must:

Like the Big Comic Page on Facebook.
Like Knight Models on Facebook.
Like and share this article on the Big Comic Page Facebook page

And, crucially:

Comment on the main Facebook article with which TWO of the villain starters you’d like to win!

Plus, for every like, comment or share of our previous article (CLICK HERE) you get a bonus entry!

Check back soon(ish) for the result! We’ll be doing the prize draw in the New Year, along with all the juicy January previews. So until then… keep Geeking Out!

The Writer of this piece was: Sam Graven
Article Archive: Geeking Out
You can follow Sam on Twitter