You gotta love someone who does it for the love of the hobby. Someone who has an idea for a project and refuses to let it fail. Tabletop Props comes full circle with their fourth Kickstarter being an attempted relaunch of their first two. They have momentum, can they win the fight this time?
Jonathan Wilson is a man with a vision. That vision is.... a wagon. Hey, don't laugh, those things used to be really important! Besides, with the number of wargames right now focusing on Steampunk, Weird West, and similar settings, this is a piece of scatter terrain that's much needed.
So, back way back in June, Jonathan did his best to bring his dream to reality. He came up with a solid product, got some demos done, and launched himself a Kickstarter. He hasd a nice product, well photographed....and then set up a huge goal. Understandably, it wasn't going to make it, and Mr. Wilson cancelled the project.
So, he retooled the project, got the idea out a little better, and came back with a relaunch of the Kickstarter. One fifth the goal. more than twice the backers. Still, the wagon popped a wheel, and couldn't finish out strong.
Now, most people give up by this point. Those people aren't Tabletop Props. Look, I'm a guy from Philly, so the Rocky comeback underdog feelgood of this sits really close to the heart for me... and even still I don't know if I don't throw in the towel at this point. So, what does Jonathan Wilson do? He changes tact.
Kickstarter Project Number Three: water terrain. Honestly something everyone can use. He shows you a cheap and easy method to do it, but then explains that if you back this kickstarter he makes it and you don't have to. Water features for a little money- I'll take it. So did roughly 250 other people. This didn't break the bank, but it got his name out there, showed people the quality of his work, and got one in the Win column. Also, as it was intended form the start, it created a funding base to try to make the original project viable.
And now we come to Number Four. The TableTop Props Covered Wagon....Again. This time the costs are better managed. The goal is not only attainable, but it's one tenth of the original project- and about half of what Project Two generated. So, done deal, right? Why are we even telling you about it?
Because now it's time to blow this out of the water, and make it fund so high we see more work form this talented man.
I've you're quick on your keys, you can get in on the "initial 48 hours" discount pledge which is certainly a sweet spot- three wagons for $50. That's three wagons (which can be done covered or uncovered, and transformed into a simple cart as well), six horses, and a bunch of properly themed scatter bits to fit inside. That's a great deal. As it's sized for 30mm, it "splits the gap" well, working for both 28mm Heroic and 32mm games really well. 
Stretch goals are basically all the pieces that made the first project unobtainable. They're stretched out at various funding levels, rather than being an all-or-nothing proposition that, so far, had been a lot more nothing than all. Smart play. You can really see some Kickstarter experience- the painful kind- incorporated into this one. I'm definitely waiting for the dead trees to unlock to grab a few of those, followed by that acrylic campfire- I smell a lighted base coming on.
Oh, and if you missed out on the water features kickstarter, thirty bucks gets you a ridiculous amount of them as an add-on: 3 lakes, 3 ponds, and a nice amount of river tiles. Really good pieces, you'll see them in LXG Battle Reports soon enough.
Can an underdog win in the comeback? That's why we play the game, right- because there's one heck of an accomplishment in making the "impossible" happen. So, jump in, grab yourself some wagons for (alternate) 19th Century Wargaming, and a bunch of water tiles for every time in history. Fourth time's the charm- time to make a Champion.
I'll see you on the other side of the table,
The Second Class Elitist
The Second Class Elitist
What an awesome review! Thank you so much!
ReplyDelete