[KICKSTARTER] Ice, Lightning & Death - Three original naval fantasy war fleets

[weirdocollector]

After our first Kickstarter foray for an undead fantasy fleet, now dating back to three years ago, we have returned with new model vessels representing two of the most prominent races of the world of GRAVETIDES: the Frost Dead of Nadvidia and the forces of the Necralchemist of Neghorreth.

These original and beautifully digitally sculpted models can be used with the GRAVETIDES beta rules downloadable from our ‘official’ site (www.gravetides.com) or easily adapted to existing wargaming rule systems to add new variations to your epic naval battles.

This Kickstarter also reproposes our original undead war fleet now representing the naval forces of Kavenid, a once powerful human merchant realm that while striving to remain neutral in the wars among its peers was the first to turn itself into a Necrorealm under the pressure of the expansion of The Defiler and of the secret desire to outrun other realms once acquired immortality.

These hand sculpted models were available during our first Kickstarter and only a small second reprint was done during this years.

All ships will be cast in high quality resin and offered as already composed war fleets composed by a flagship, two independent vessels and two different squadrons of three warships each.

Hope you'll join us in this new adventure!

Ice, Lightning & Death

- Res In Aere

[Macunaima]

Sigh. I wish someone would do some low fantasy or realistic fantasy naval models. Every single fantasy naval game that has come out (ever, AFAIK) has these over the top, physics and common sense defying sculpts.

Surely someone can do something different?

[Chief Lackey Rich]

Sigh. I wish someone would do some low fantasy or realistic fantasy naval models. Every single fantasy naval game that has come out (ever, AFAIK) has these over the top, physics and common sense defying sculpts.

Surely someone can do something different?

How would you distinguish realistic low-fantasy ship minis from historicals?  There's plenty of the latter out there in various scales already, and Strange Tydes (the least "fantastic" fantasy naval rules set I can think of) simply used Age of Sail figs.

[robh]

After our first Kickstarter foray for an undead fantasy fleet, now dating back to three years ago, we have returned with new model vessels representing two of the most prominent races of the world of GRAVETIDES: the Frost Dead of Nadvidia and the forces of the Necralchemist of Neghorreth.

Do you have some pictures comparing your ships to the Dreadfleet and Man o' War models yet. I did not back the first campaign due to lack of any comparisons.
Also the first campaign had individual ship add-ons, are you planning the same this time or only fleet packs?

[Macunaima]

How would you distinguish realistic low-fantasy ship minis from historicals?  There's plenty of the latter out there in various scales already, and Strange Tydes (the least "fantastic" fantasy naval rules set I can think of) simply used Age of Sail figs.

Well, the same way that North Star, say, distinguishes realistic low fantasy dark age troops from historicals. They seem to be selling a respectable number of figures.

I am OK with a certain amount of exaggeration and decoration. What I really don’t like (to give an example which all the current fantasy ship producers make) are what look to be ketches with x-box hueg meg-cannons perilously balanced on their bows: no way of loading and simply sailing with that — let alone firing it — would sink the ship.

A lot of the current vessels look like they’d be right at home with a rubber ducky in my bathtub. And, frankly, I find them clunky and ugly. One acquaintance said that a recent offering reminded him of napkin holders. Quite.

I don’t think over-the-top, physics defying, AND startlingly clumsy or ugly is the only way to make fantasy warships.

I think one could do some fantastic xebec style ships for elves. Or, hell, even decent catamarans. Turtle ships for dwarves. Take unusual historical ship choices and spiff them up. Some really graceful and sweeping galleys, for example.

Instead, everyone seems to be taking the worst phase of GW’s sculpting styles and going even further with it.

[shadowbeast]

A lot of the current vessels look like they’d be right at home with a rubber ducky in my bathtub. And, frankly, I find them clunky and ugly. One acquaintance said that a recent offering reminded him of napkin holders. Quite.

There's one recent offering I've been on about since first preview:

You can probably guess which one I'm talking about. Definitely not buying any.

Some of the older minis from Uncharted Seas were good, but then they had to go and re-do the whole line for no real reason. The newer designs were like the older ones, but cruder and over-themed. I ended up using small galleys from Battlefield Accessories to increase my undead fleet.

Why not some Lepanto era vessels?

[weirdocollector]

Do you have some pictures comparing your ships to the Dreadfleet and Man o' War models yet. I did not back the first campaign due to lack of any comparisons.
Also the first campaign had individual ship add-ons, are you planning the same this time or only fleet packs?

Not immediately, but you can extrapolate the model sizes from this photos that depict one of the ships near a ruler.





Other photos comparing other ships with a 1 Euro coin can be found here (go to the bottom of the page):https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/weirdocollector/gravetides-an-undead-fleet-for-naval-fantasy-warga

About the individual add-ons we are already thinking about a simple way to add them to the campaign.

Hope this helps ! 

Thank you for your interest!

[Macunaima]

I’m sorry, but I have got to say it.

Without the top piece, that looks like a rowboat transporting an air conditioning unit.

With the top piece, it looks like it’s transporting one half of some Frazetta-style fantasy female giant’s  breast plate.