[KICKSTARTER] Archon Studio’s Rampart 3

[Grumpy Gnome]

Archon Studio has pushed their Rampart 3 Kickstarter back to January.

It has already evolved quite a bit from what was originally announced.

There is a decent thread about it on Dakkadakka but I thought it would be good to discuss it here as well. Archon has been responsive to vocal customer opinion.

https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/799563.page

Archon Studio is very Open about their Kickstarter plans, some times it can be challenging to navigate all their information.

From what I gather so far my opinion is this….

Looking at the pricing, everything is indeed going up. I am glad I convinced Mrs. GG to late back Rampart 2 rather than wait for Rampart 3.

It is nice to see the figures be an option rather than mandatory. I still expect to see figures end up as stretchgoals due to customer demand but Archon may surprise me.

Will the stretchgoals all be scatter terrain for the new city theme?

As it currently stands the preview of Rampart 3 has not made me as enthusiastic as I had hoped I would be.

My gaming includes an element of almost diorama building in its aesthetic goal. The Rampart pieces, all of the themes, seem incomplete. They work well enough for ruins but somehow lack the ability to create lived in looking structures. It is as if the pieces symbolize buildings rather than are buildings, if that makes any sense. Like they are icons rather than scale model replicas. That is fine I suppose for basic gameplay and I suppose the pieces work well enough as bits to bash together for your own conversion work but I was hoping for more.

As it stands now the new city pieces do not really work for me as stand alone bunkers or bombed out blockhousing ala Stalingrad. Can they maybe be made to work as exterior pieces for D&L Vault 7 pieces, maybe?

No doors? Why are doors such an issue? Surely Archon has learned customers are interested in doors. I mean ok, working doors are problematic? Fine. Go back to door pieces with and without a door.

Ugh. Maybe I am just in a particularly grouchy mood this morning but this ks seems like so many missed opportunities yet again. Archon keeps making things I almost love. We have a big collection of Archon stuff that we really like… I just wish it was just a touch more refined and complete so I could love.

What are your thoughts?

[robh]

I have not picked up any of the Rampart kits, but was interested in the possibility of the Post-Apoc  shanty style theme, sadly judging by the KS preview that seems to have been excluded from this campaign.
Wish they would look at sci-fi civilians (like the fantasy villagers) rather than the DKK rip-offs.

The Aztec/Jungle themed set is still the standout for me.

[Grumpy Gnome]

Keeping the post-apoc wasteland pieces from looking characterful and yet not repetitive might have been challenging. Individuality strikes me as key for post-apoc shanty structures. That said I would like to see that done well.

I do not need sci-fi figures but I did expect a sci-fi take on the civilians from D&L 3. These Empire of Man figures are a surprise to me. I notice the Empire of Man tank has gone up from 27 (Rampart 2) to 30 Euros. That surprised me. Reportedly the walker tank as a stretchgoal in this KS was previously released in resin.

We late backed Rampart 2 and got one of each theme. The price was excellent value for money and we got the pledge within a couple of weeks of payment. We like them but the floors do not work well. All three themes work best as los blocking ruins. It would have been nice for this KS to turn them into usable buildings.

I feel like Archon has not really learned from D&L 3…. folks want stand alone modular buildings. They want floors. They want doors.

[robh]

Campaign is now live and unsurprisingly doing well.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/archonstudio/rampart

The add on packs from the first 2 campaigns look like decent value if you need drop in clutter scenery.

[Grumpy Gnome]

I am not convinced by the new city terrain. It looks somehow unfinished or incomplete. Maybe they could work with something else in order to look more complete?

But it is nice to see they added a smaller, less expensive pledge. I might go that route to get the stretchgoals with another set of Kazumi.

It really depends in the end on whether I think the floors and new city terrain is worth the extra cost…. Which I am currently undecided on.

[robh]

....I am not convinced by the new city terrain. It looks somehow unfinished or incomplete. Maybe they could work with something else in order to look more complete?

No, I think they are awful. They look like they should be the internal walls of something else rather than a stand alone construction.

[Wachaza]

Anyone seen a clear explanation of the likely UK import cost?

[Grumpy Gnome]

No, I think they are awful. They look like they should be the internal walls of something else rather than a stand alone construction.

Yeah… I think you may be right.

Sorry Wachaza all I have found is the delivery listed on the KS. If I was in the UK I would plan on paying 20 to 25% more for VAT and import, if it turns out less then that is a bonus. UK is showing as EU Middle 1.

[Wachaza]

Sorry Wachaza all I have found is the delivery listed on the KS. If I was in the UK I would plan on paying 20 to 25% more for VAT and import, if it turns out less then that is a bonus. UK is showing as EU Middle 1.

There's a quote in the kickstarter about refunding VAT over £135 and then having to pay on import to UK.

If you live in the United Kingdom and your order exceeds the £135 net threshold, excluding shipping costs, your VAT will be refunded to you upon closing of Pledge Manger. VAT will be collected upon delivery.

Prices of pledges and add-ons are quoted in Euro and are gross prices, VAT in UK is 20%. The threshold of 135 GBP refers to net value.

I was wondering if anyone had seen anything further?

[Muzfish4]

I am interested but currently on the fence about this one. The 'City' sets looks good for a number of the systems I play, but the access to previous campaigns' stretch goals might be what swings it - can never have too much scatter terrain!