(Kickstarter) Mantic Epic Warpath

[zemjw]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/manticgames/warpath-the-game-of-epic-scale-sci-fi-warfare

Epic in this case means 12mm. Never in the field of human conflict has one term been used to refer to so many different scales ]



Doesn't look too bad price wise, but the size means I'll almost certainly skip it.

Already fully funded and runs to March 1 2024, with delivery March 2025

Edited to update the image url

[Gibby]

I wish them success and I hope its fans love it, but the photo of the two armies lined up, jammed together with no manoeuvre room like any given big 40k game, tells me all I need to know for my own tastes. Surely robs the smaller scale* of one of its major benefits. Though I accept that perhaps that's not a standard sized fight and is for marketing?


*Agreed that 12mm is a bit on the large side for big sci fi mass battles!

[craigjonwoodfield]

Yes, thought that this would be worth a look, but definitely underwhelming.

[Overrevdsquat]

I had some hopes for this - I've enjoyed the Mantic rules I've played, and having a Forgefather faction was hopeful. However, I am underwhelmed too. I'd have prefered, and expected, a smaller size either 6 or 8mm. A smaller size would maybe have allowed them to expand the factions more - the present choices are just not that interesting, i can already do battles with most of the models on offer, in 28mm.

[Logain77]

I’m of the opposite opinion - Epic Warpath has developed a lot better than I anticipated. Based on the photo shown, I’d guess that there are two of “army” boxes per side which would be twice the number that you’d actually use on a table that size. The boxed armies are supposed to be 2000 pts, which is also the recommended size game for a 6x4 table. So the table won’t be as crowded in a real game.

At $50 for a full 2000 pt army with eighty infantry stands/vehicles representing nine different types of units - it seems priced very reasonable. For another $40 you add eight more different types of units. The rules seem based loosely on the old Epic Space Marine ruleset which was a lot of fun.

The scale thing is annoying- but not new. It sounds like they made their designs, printed them at different scales and picked a size they felt like was optimal for both painting and gameplay.

And there is talk of some good scenarios beyond “line up and shoot”. Of course it will be a while until we see the sculpts in plastic and get an actual look at the rules - but I remain hopeful that it could be something cool in the end.

[Frostie]

I've backed this and am looking forward to getting my hands on them.....i think it will be a great game and in a decent scale.

[The_Beast]

Assuming this gets to my FLGS, I may give it look.

I wonder how these will look next to B5's Gropos 10mm...

Doug

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Epic in this case means 12mm. Never in the field of human conflict has one term been used to refer to so many different scales

Very good.

I will look out for it at Salute 2025.

[NotifyGrout]

Mantic is usually quite good about offering scenarios besides "line up and kill the other player's models", so that is something of least concern.

I think the 12mm scale for this (and Legions Imperialis, for that matter) is catering to the current trend of increasing model size. As much as I am bummed about not having things in 6-8mm, I think this will still work well. Worst case, wait until the rulebook or a book/dice/template set is released, then buy whatever proxies you prefer.

[Brummie]

Bit bummed its not in scale with Legions Imperialis. Granted with the aliens it doesn't matter, but I was hoping to diversify factions to fight the Legions.

[Battle Brush Sigur]

I think the rules will be perfectly OK, because Mantic rules usually do what they're supposed to do. The presentation looks alright, even though I agree about the green table. How come they based all the figures for what looks like sand-y desert, but don't have a sandy desert table to put them on?

Either way, 12mm is too big for me for that sort of game. I love 10mm/12mm for all sorts of stuff, just not for modern/sci-fi battles.

They use the term "command and control", which bodes well. Of course the term "epic" is burnt and should not be used for at least 15 years to come.

Anyway, all the best to it. I'm happy that Mantic's sci-fi things still go strong, and I welcome anything that goes beyond the skirmish level.

[beefcake]

Needs some bigger stompies.

[YPU]

Needs some bigger stompies.

They have previewed superheavies but only rough art drafts.

Honestly the entire project feels rushed? They put out draft rule previews a while back, in very rough state in what felt like a response to GW releasing/anouncing legion imperialis. Like they needed to get their foot in the door and show that they had been working on small scale stuff as well actually.

[craigjonwoodfield]

One of the issues with Mantic is that they have always been a lowest-common-denominator, we're-not-GW kind of company. Everything they do seems rushed and derivative, and this looks to be more of the same.

[Elbows]

We had a big chat the other day about Mantic, and this game in particular.  We came to the same conclusion we do with most Mantic properties: the rules will be good, the models will be trash, and the components will be lazy/underwhelming.

Mantic does one thing good: they write pretty fun/solid rules (and I don't even play their games, just going off of all the feedback I see and battle reports I've watched).  People seem to really like the 2'x2' skirmish game for their not-40K verse.  People seem to really like Kings of War, etc.

But their art direction and thus their models have always been utter garbage to me...I mean, really bad.  I don't mean to insult their artists or sculptors...but it's holding them back.  Their game contents also seem to be pretty poor.  I'm still a little miffed I bought into the Kickstarter for Dungeon Saga only to open the box upon receipt...and put it on eBay the next day because of the absolute garbage level quality of everything in the box.  I design games for fun using print-to-order companies...and I can design nicer feeling/looking cards and components.

I think if they put out a lot of decent terrain, they could steal some GW players' monies...but even GW's is unlikely to succeed and become a big product --- so a knock off version seems even less likely to really succeed.  If they had enough "notGW" armies that scaled with GW's stuff they could steal some market...but this whole thing smacks of an 18-24 month flash in the pan before it's all quietly ignored and left-to-die.

Dropzone Commander is still ambling along, but I can't recall the last time I saw anyone mention it or post a video about it, or play it on this forum, etc.  This "scale" of game is just not the 40K monster that companies want to make serious money.