Sunday, February 15, 2015

Drop in to ACP's new Kickstater!


It's Kickstarter season again, and the first one out of the pipe is a beauty! ACP Games has really outdone themselves with an amazing kit that anyone in 10mm, 15mm, or even 28mm is going to want to have- the Vanir Dropship.  Load up and let's go!




15mm jetbikes!?! Are you kidding me!
ACP Games is a solid player in the 15mm scifi wargaming market, producing four lines of 15mm scifi figures (Makat, Federal, Nationalist, and Hadai) as well as multiple infantry, vehicles, and mechs within those lines.  Their lead designer, James "Jimbo" Burrell, has sculpted for Reaper in the past- including a large portion of the Reaper CAV line- so the company has a bit of a pedigree to it.  

This Kickstarter is without question ACP's biggest release ever- a dropship designed for 15mm scale figures, that is so massive in size that it can work in 28mm!  Don't believe me?  Keep reading, I'll clear it all up, I promise.  

That's... a lot of pieces...
So, the Vanir is a space-to-sight dropship capable of ferrying troops, armor, and materials.  The detail on this model kit is nothing short of astounding.  It boasts a well laid out fuselage design. a wealth of artistic elements, and weighs in at over one pound of resin- this guy is no joke!  The measurements on the kit round out to seven inches long, six inches wide, and three inches tall.  As Merek so fondly pointed out, is a hoagie disguised as a model kit.  

painted by Dwartist.The size of the Vanir makes it believable for a platoon or vehicle squad transport- something rare to find in miniature games where ships of that size are generally too small to actually be able to do their job.   The infantry compartment is incredibly detailed, and doesn't even need to be installed into the model- the kit can be built as a "lifter" instead for heavy armor, using the crane arms pieces which also come with the model.  


crew area detail.
Crew Area Detail- that's insane!
As far as price, I was honestly surprised on this one.  I expected even the Kickstarter price would be $100 a piece for this lovely lady.  Apparently, ACP wanted to save us money, and the price for Vanir during the Kickstarter is only $75, US shipping included! Which is really insane.  Just think about some of the other vehicles on the market- in any scale- and you'll see that you're getting a great deal for your money on this one.  However, if you or your club are *really* into dropships, the sweet spot on this Kickstarter is definitely the "$150 for 3 Vanir" pledge.  Which, of course, I went in on once it was less than I had budgeted for... I mean come on, spend less than I was expecting on a project?  I'd have to turn in my Miniature Addicts Anonymous membership.  However, that sweet spot is a limited time deal- as of right now there's only 10 of those left, so jump on them and pledge in while you can! 

commando Valkyrie
Hello, I'm free with your pledge!
Stretch goals for this one are pretty sweet too- oh, and two of them already unlocked for you.  See?  Spend your $75, get free stuff.  A missile pod attachment has already been unlocked, as well as  the new Commando Valkyrie model pictured here.  Which means these newly sculpted Commando Valkyries will also be available as add-ons in the Kickstarter.  More new Valkyries are on the way as stretches as well, including one I'm really excited for up very shortly- an anti-tank equipped one.  Really exciting stuff! 

What can this baby be used for?  Well, pretty much any game in 15mm where you want a cool dropship.  Specifically, the Vanir is getting a Gruntz entry, as well as ACP is developing their own game system sometime in the near future- which gratuitous success in this Kickstarter will only speed up I'm sure.  I'm more that certain however that this kit will get great mileage in just about any 15mm game you play.  Personally, I'm looking forward to launching my Federal forces from one (come on, a faction with jetbikes, don't act to surprised). Oh, and my Shattered Verse forces too, because why not.  Oh, and my 15mm Bombshell Babes.  Oh, and my sold off kidney's worth of Skullduggery 15mm Dark Legion when it comes out. So, you guys remember me saying that a TON of awesome stuff was coming this year for 15mm that you wanted to get in on, right?  Yeah.... I wasn't kidding.  

models owned by their companiesOh, you only play and collect 28mm?  No, that's cool, totally. I get it.  Until recently I was there myself.  I'll tell you what.... I'll offer you a gateway drug into 15's.  This dropship, right here.  Why?  Well, think about the relationship between 15mm and 28mm Heroic (which really, let's face it, is 30mm by another name).  Twice the scale, right?  So... that means a a two pilot cockpit platoon dropship in 15mm is pretty much a one pilot cockpit 6-12 person shuttle in 28mm, right?  Sure, the side doors are no longer doors but mechanic access panels, and you have to enter and exit entirely from the cargo bay door... just like a certain very "Serene" ship that might have more than a few fans around here.  I'm just saying I think my Counterblast Lancers might have a new ship... 

Pledge in. Paint a crew. Keep flying. 


The Second Class Elitist

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