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Miniatures Adventure => VSF Adventures => Topic started by: Nord on 09 November 2014, 10:20:03 AM

Title: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Nord on 09 November 2014, 10:20:03 AM
I don't see much on this game on this forum, is there a GW style hate relationship with Spartan Games? I recently bought the new starter set, containing French and Antarctic forces and they are lovely models. Having a read through the rules and so far it seems logical and well thought out. And yet, the silence is deafening. What's the situation?

Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: kidterminal on 09 November 2014, 10:31:06 AM
You mean their skirmish game with the 35mm figures?
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: twrchtrwyth on 09 November 2014, 10:40:45 AM
You mean their skirmish game with the 35mm figures?
35mm figures.  :'(
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Mason on 09 November 2014, 10:46:37 AM
35mm figures.  :'(

I feel that could be one the reasons for the lack of interest.
They are just not compatible with most peoples existing collections.
I have seen a few of the vehicles added to their 28mm forces but not the figures.

Another reason could be that those that play the game tend to visit the Spartan Games forum.
I know this to be the case with their earlier game releases.

Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Kommando_J on 09 November 2014, 01:59:16 PM
35mm figures.  :'(

This, if they were smaller I'd gladly incorporate/convert them and add them in with my others but they are simply too big.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: robh on 09 November 2014, 02:17:22 PM
.....with the 35mm figures?......

This :?
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Metternich on 09 November 2014, 02:58:51 PM
I totally agree - interesting VSF figures spoiled by being incompatible scalewise with anything else.  And the vehicles have a huge price point, so you are put off buying them to otherwise incorporate in your VSF forces.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Nord on 09 November 2014, 03:43:22 PM
So there's no point in putting a blog up then? Shame, I think they are really nice figures.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Craig on 09 November 2014, 04:15:18 PM
So there's no point in putting a blog up then? Shame, I think they are really nice figures.

In my experience Nord, build it and they shall come. Just because it isn't getting mainstream love does not mean that there are not enthusiasts out there.

That said the 35mm figure size prevented us from using them to play IHMN with.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Dewbakuk on 09 November 2014, 05:18:50 PM
So there's no point in putting a blog up then? Shame, I think they are really nice figures.

There are plenty of people who play it, just not here ;)

I'm not that keen, there are some gems in there but overall I didn't like the style and the size of them was just stupid. I have used a couple of pieces though.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Hat Guy on 09 November 2014, 07:56:19 PM
There was a table of Dystopian Legions and Little Wars Melbourne this year, so it must be played somewhere, but it hasn't garnered as much interest as Dystopian Wars to my eyes.

Also, yeah, 35mm? Way to miss out on much $$$ by having people use your figures for Imperial Guard.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Thargor on 10 November 2014, 07:47:13 AM
We play at our club in Chichester.  I have a good sized KoB force and also picked up the new set.  Those Automata are buggers to put together (7 pieces per figure) and there's something about Spartan metal that really doesn't like glue.  Loctite works on everything, except Spartan models - I have the same problem with Zap-a-gap too.

Many people were disappointed with Spartan's seeming dis-interest in thegame, but with the new figures being released there may be a revival.  The size of the minis also put lots of people off right from the start.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Mason on 10 November 2014, 08:21:30 AM
All the above having been said, there is still no reason for not doing a DL-themed blog.

We all like to see well painted minis after all.
 ;)

Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: YPU on 10 November 2014, 08:31:58 AM
Many people were disappointed with Spartan's seeming dis-interest in thegame, but with the new figures being released there may be a revival.  The size of the minis also put lots of people off right from the start.

Spartan games release and support for their game often makes me scratch my head. They really are all over the place most of the time.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Nord on 10 November 2014, 09:20:00 AM
I'm new to the game and the company. The scale thing doesn't affect me, I don't have a legacy collection. Even if I did, I would be tempted to buy the new starter as a complete standalone game - two decent sized forces and a nice bit of terrain, plus rules, templates etc. Even if the game turns out to be poop, that's a complete skirmish set with any other set of rules.

The lack of support I cannot see, they have released four starter factions, and now two more in the starter set. The four starters have troops, transports, ironclads, characters, heavy weapons, etc - what support are you looking for? I have signed up to their forum and they do seem a bit distant and non-involved, but that may be the way to go with bigger companies. They do seem to release in fits and starts, but they are a smallish company and don't rely on kickstarter, so I would think it's down to pure economics.

Anyway, politics aside, got my first squad primed and ready for painting, and loving the quality of the sculpts.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Argonor on 10 November 2014, 10:12:34 AM
In my experience Nord, build it and they shall come. Just because it isn't getting mainstream love does not mean that there are not enthusiasts out there.

All the above having been said, there is still no reason for not doing a DL-themed blog.

We all like to see well painted minis after all.
 ;)

I agree - we'll glady gawk and dribble all over your stuff  if you share, and some might even consider getting into them.  ;)

That size minis is not for me, as I have plenty of 28mm, and 1:72/20mm, and recently bought a horde of 15mm Copplestone barbarians for a GoB15 project (and am planning to get some 10mm stuff for some large battle LotR), so only smaller scales for me, but I can appreciate nice minis in other scales/sizes just the same!  :)
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: YPU on 10 November 2014, 11:49:11 AM
They do seem to release in fits and starts.

Quite, I´m sure they are getting better at it, but not so many years ago their releases would be so much so that one could only describe it as random. I think your right tough, its a smaller company, however this is easy to forget with the relative distance they are keeping. I'm not complaining, just observing.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Thargor on 10 November 2014, 09:07:04 PM
You wanted pictures?  Okay... here are a selection of my Kingdom of Britannia troops and vehicles:

(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7574/15140233533_097036da22.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/p4TDXc)097 (https://flic.kr/p/p4TDXc) by pithlitt (https://www.flickr.com/people/10903634@N05/), on Flickr

(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7568/15574941160_256b95fa2f.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pJiDoh)140 (https://flic.kr/p/pJiDoh) by pithlitt (https://www.flickr.com/people/10903634@N05/), on Flickr

(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7527/15736062416_5a356c1646.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pYxr7Y)242 (https://flic.kr/p/pYxr7Y) by pithlitt (https://www.flickr.com/people/10903634@N05/), on Flickr

(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8545/15574293848_6e73a4eaca.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pJfjXJ)338 (https://flic.kr/p/pJfjXJ) by pithlitt (https://www.flickr.com/people/10903634@N05/), on Flickr

(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7506/15574525587_33aefd35da.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pJgvRe)351 (https://flic.kr/p/pJgvRe) by pithlitt (https://www.flickr.com/people/10903634@N05/), on Flickr

(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3947/15757773391_66507cde8b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/q1sH38)IMG_4422a (https://flic.kr/p/q1sH38) by pithlitt (https://www.flickr.com/people/10903634@N05/), on Flickr

(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3940/15140252233_3895c339ac.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/p4TKvB)370 (https://flic.kr/p/p4TKvB) by pithlitt (https://www.flickr.com/people/10903634@N05/), on Flickr

(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3943/15736076306_66f83fc8fc.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pYxvfs)113 (https://flic.kr/p/pYxvfs) by pithlitt (https://www.flickr.com/people/10903634@N05/), on Flickr

(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3920/14561120911_9d7931c4e1.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/obHxWP)365 (https://flic.kr/p/obHxWP) by pithlitt (https://www.flickr.com/people/10903634@N05/), on Flickr
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: kidterminal on 10 November 2014, 10:15:02 PM
Very nice I do like these figures but they are much to large for me to use with my collection.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Nord on 10 November 2014, 11:10:57 PM
Or maybe your collection is too small to use with these figures.

They are roughly the same height as a space marine, or at least the French guys are.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: kidterminal on 11 November 2014, 04:48:20 AM
Or maybe your collection is too small to use with these figures.

They are roughly the same height as a space marine, or at least the French guys are.
They don't fit with the Westwind, Warlord & Hasselfree figures. They are the size of the new space marines as in HUGE.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Nord on 11 November 2014, 08:53:05 AM
Westwind and Hasselfree are small, the latter more like tiny. That's why they don't fit. I don't like Warlord proportions, short and fat is not for me.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Dewbakuk on 11 November 2014, 09:21:58 AM
If you're coming in fresh then the size is irrelevant as long as you like the aesthetic. For those like me who've been gaming VSF since the 90's, it's no use as we have collections. I gave away my 25mm RAFM stuff long ago and I was always in the 28mm area anyway but the Dystopian Legions stuff towers over my Copplestone Naval Brigade which are regarded as big figures anyway. They're as big as GW terminators.

(http://www.adpublishing.de/Dystopian_Legion_Comp.jpg)

(http://m3.i.pbase.com/o4/00/263300/1/147409903.pI7nTFfH.Dytopian_Legion_Comp.jpg)

(http://www.brueckenkopf-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/DL_Scale2.jpg)

(http://www.adpublishing.de/Dystopian_Legion_Ruler.jpg)
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Nord on 11 November 2014, 12:05:17 PM
They are definitely bigger in height, though slimmer than average figures - in my eyes better proportioned. I'm not sure they are terminator sized, don't have any to hand. I do wonder if the Prussian hat is exaggerating the difference?

(http://i.imgur.com/Max5zq3.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/R6v7Ja4.jpg)

Two quick snaps of some WIP stuff, one from table level, one from a more natural gamer perspective. To me, at least, in these pics the French eyes are roughly on a level with the marine's forehead.

I completely understand why folks with other figures would not like them because of the size issue. Never thought I would see the day when the boast is "mine's smaller than yours".  lol
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Schrumpfkopf on 11 November 2014, 02:37:42 PM
Its the price of them here that stops me getting them. THe height does not bother me or their slimness.

They're about £2.50 per miniature. Not sure how this is expensive compared to many other ranges.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Nord on 11 November 2014, 02:58:13 PM
The starter set is even better value, around £2 per mini if you pick up the box for £80 - and it's cheaper than that in some stores. It also has a nice piece of terrain and the rules for that price. Good VFM if you ask me.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Schrumpfkopf on 11 November 2014, 03:04:52 PM
Just a little hard to mix with existing lines of miniatures. Then again - I am mostly in the realm of Napoleonics where mixing is a No Go, at least in the same unit.

With this in mind wouldn't I mind to use some larger 28mm in one force and the SL ones in another.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: DLIinVSF on 11 November 2014, 08:09:00 PM
Too big  :( shame I like the sculpts, if I can't us them with my 28mm then I won't invest in them. I think they slipped up picking 32mm  :'(
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Nord on 11 November 2014, 10:12:57 PM
Surely the exchange rate/postage affects all non-domestic minis? So the price inflation occurs with every figure you buy, 28mm, 30mm or 32mm or whatever.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: kidterminal on 11 November 2014, 10:17:06 PM
The Australians take it on the chin when it comes to shipping.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: The Gray Ghost on 11 November 2014, 10:18:18 PM
has anyone mentioned that they are 35mm :D
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Dewbakuk on 11 November 2014, 10:32:28 PM
has anyone mentioned that they are 35mm :D

 lol
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: kidterminal on 11 November 2014, 10:32:44 PM
has anyone mentioned that they are 35mm :D
Yup that knocks them out for me even though I do like the French & American figures a lot.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Nord on 11 November 2014, 11:10:29 PM
has anyone mentioned that they are 35mm :D

Only once or twice or twenty times.  ::)
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: marcusluis on 12 November 2014, 01:12:49 AM
Love spartan stuff play DW and FSA but havnt bought any DL or Planetfall stuff yet!! :D
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Sinewgrab on 12 November 2014, 05:59:13 AM
it has a huge effect on my purchases. I get lots of eureka because it works out nice on price here. You are looking at $3.30 compared to $5 an up. Any GW or warmachine stuff is second hand only. If its something I want from overseas I will get everything in one big hit to mitigate postage.

Anything from the US is just not worth it. Which is a shame because their gaming prices are some of the cheapest on the planet. (wanna fix the US economy lower the damm postage rates and the export economy would be back up and running.)

The other thing you do is watch the value of the US vs AU$ and the GBP vs AU and when it goes wonky you do a bunch of purchases. When the US was running at 50c to the AU it was a fine time to go shopping there.

At the end of the day consumer product prices are the highest or some of the highest on the planet here. By shopping around and being smart for little effort you end up saving yourself hundreds.

Its not a matter of not being able to afford it, its justifying the cost for what you get.

Try shipping from the US to Canada or Europe.  I have lost my shirt on trades to England because the shipping was more than the entire trade together was worth.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: DLIinVSF on 12 November 2014, 09:10:11 AM
has anyone mentioned that they are 35mm :D
Whoops! Sorry 35mm not 32mm what was I thinking  ;)  lol
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Nord on 12 November 2014, 09:21:01 AM
Summary:

Dystopian legions figures are bigger than most
Spartan Games are stupid for not fitting in with other ranges
Shipping to Aus is expensive (who knew, it's only on the other side of the planet, two oceans away)

Did I miss anything?
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Mason on 12 November 2014, 10:19:47 AM
Did I miss anything?

Yes!

We would still like to see you paint some as there are some nice sculpts in the range.
 :D

Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: joroas on 12 November 2014, 10:23:50 AM
Quote
Dystopian legions figures are bigger than most
Spartan Games are stupid for not fitting in with other ranges
Shipping to Aus is expensive (who knew, it's only on the other side of the planet, two oceans away)

That's what happened to Inquisitor, too.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Fuzzywuzzieswiflasers on 19 November 2014, 06:36:35 AM
Some of their tankettes can be used in my normal VSF games as they will fit but the figures I wouldn't touch because of the size.

In fact I think the scale choice is a conscious decision so you can only play with their figures. That sort of blatant sales tactic is a straight away turn off. Just like Wings of War and that Napoleonic sail game (I forgot the name) and refuse to buy on principle.

Cheers Fuzzy
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Metternich on 22 November 2014, 10:39:32 PM
So quality of casting is bad, and they are also some of the more expensive figures around.  I would use some of the tankettes, but the price is prohibitive.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Nord on 23 November 2014, 09:56:04 AM
So quality of casting is bad, and they are also some of the more expensive figures around.  I would use some of the tankettes, but the price is prohibitive.

Castings in my starter set were good.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Tehet on 25 November 2014, 12:58:07 PM
I managed to pick up a couple of new starter boxes off EBay for nearly half the price, so there are bargains out there...

Personally  I haven't worried too much about the size discrepancy. For me its a stretch of the imagination but since this is the age of experimentation and the new prometheus there would be the scientists attempting to create super soldiers, bigger and stronger. Therefore I look at them in that way, after all Frederick the Great deliberately picked tall soldiers to serve as Grenadiers I believe so inject them with some gorilla or bear DNA and voila, super soldiers...
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: Andrew May on 25 November 2014, 01:40:08 PM
I picked a couple up at the weekend to look at and they really are massive. The sculpting is very distinctive, more similar to larger scale figures in proportion etc. the presentation and casting quality were excellent.
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: The_Beast on 26 November 2014, 06:26:47 PM
I suppose my problem was the tankettes seemed a bit cramped even for a bit more standard figs.

And as a game unto itself, most of the Spartan stuff just never moved me.

Doug

Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: mysteriousbill on 30 November 2014, 01:14:01 AM
So do most CV33s. I find the tankettes to be about right size for 28mm figures, incredibly small.

Take a look at the picture on this site to see how tiny tankettes were...

http://afrikakorps.forumcrea.com/viewtopic.php?id=36
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: rob_the_robgoblin on 30 November 2014, 01:19:53 AM
Gorgeous figures, odd scale, but not an issue for me. I have the Americans, but not done anything with them. The game looks fun!
The figures are, for me, either very nice or a little lacking, usually only because of poses though! The infantry tend to look like a little bit too flattened out. I understand it's for ease of spinning in metal, but still, even if the hands were separate so that the pose could be more dynamic, that would be good. Looking at the French and Antarctic guys, it looked like that has happened anyway.

But yeah, it makes me think twice about all the other VSF stuff I have. :P
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: The Gray Ghost on 30 November 2014, 03:15:01 PM
I've been looking to pick up some of their vehicles if the price comes down
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: The_Beast on 30 November 2014, 04:09:58 PM
So do most CV33s. I find the tankettes to be about right size for 28mm figures, incredibly small.

Take a look at the picture on this site to see how tiny tankettes were...

http://afrikakorps.forumcrea.com/viewtopic.php?id=36


I'd seen the Italian tankettes before, but never in Iraq!

I could quibble about industrial products of Victorian and post-WWI, but it would be a quibble. A friend got some at sizable discount, and I won't complain seeing them on the table.

Doug
Title: Re: No love for Dystopian Legions?
Post by: eilif on 04 December 2014, 03:39:37 AM
For those who know, two questions:

1) Are they really 35mm "to-the-eye"? The pics on this thread make them look like they're 32mm.  3mm is a pretty big difference and would make them possibly compatible with…

2) RAFM Airship Pirates.  Anyone seen an Airship Pirates fig side-by-side with Dystopian Legions?  I've got a bunch of Airship Pirates coming in next year and they also seem to run pretty big. I occasionally see some Dystopian Legions figs on sale and I don't know if I should be snapping them up or holding back.