Zen Again: Scapeliciously Good!

If you're a fan of HeroScape (http://www.hasbro.com/heroscape), there's no better time to put your gaming geek-o-mobile into overdrive than right now. Just look at all of the scapeliciously cool stuff that's being released for this much beloved miniatures wargame.

Wave-7
In mid-to-late August, the newest 4-set expansion pack for HeroScape called Fields of Valor was released. This set includes:

• Templar Knights = 3 mounted Knights with a strong "crusader" feel to them.


• Fiends & Vampires = 3 very nasty looking Gargoyles and some deadly blood-sucking Vampires.


• Spearmen & Riflemen = 8 Ashigaru soldiers (Japanese); 4 spearmen and 4 gunners armed with arquebuses.


• Heroes of Elswin = an eclectic mix here of Elven Sorceress, Ninja, Vampire heroes, and a Soulborg hero (Cyborg).

This looks like an excellent expansion set. The Knights are my faves of the bunch (a cavalry squad was long overdue), and the Vampires, Gargoyles, and heroes are all quite attractive additions to the game as well. I'll be scarfing up all of these very soon.

Swarm of the Marro (Master Set 2)

Just released about a week ago was the brand new Swarm of the Marro master set. The new set includes a couple of refurbished heroes (Sgt. Drake and Raelin to name two popular characters), a few new characters, and a whole lot of Marros (aliens).

In my opinion, Master Set-2 isn't nearly as cool as Master Set-1, but I would have wanted the 2nd set anyway for the additional terrain. But geez, that giant Marro behemoth is just too damn cool to pass up. I'm not sure what his stats are yet, but he looks like he'll kick some serious valkyrie booty.

Wave-8

But wait, there's more! Coming this Fall to a toy store near you is the Wave-8 expansion set for HeroScape called Defenders of Kinsland. This 4-set packs includes Elves (4 elven magicians including one riding a hippogriff), Marro Cavalry, Militia & Wolves (English musketmen from the Revolutionary War and a wolf-pack), and Heroes of the Molten Sea (assorted heroes including a Samurai leader, Templar lord, and Elf wizard among others).

This looks like another winner, especially for those of us who like to use our HeroScape figures in other tabletop wargames as well.

Ticalla Jungle Set

Another terrain set is also planned for a late-2007 release. You'll soon be able to augment your forests, bridges, lava, tundra/glaciers, and castle with jungle terrain. Very cool indeed.

And finally...

MarvelScape

For those of you who want to scratch your superhero itch, the new MarvelScape game was released this summer. I enjoyed comic books as a kid and love comics-inspired movies such as Spiderman and the X-Men. But I never got into the whole HeroClix thing mainly because collectible games are not really my bag. I like to know what I'm getting ahead of time. That makes MarvelScape, a non-collectible game, a very interesting & tempting little game. Plus, the quality of the pre-painted figures will surely be top-notch.* I think given time, this game will equal and perhaps even surpass the popularity of HeroClix in superhero gaming circles.

*[Mini Rant] -- Yes, yes I know, I know... Pre-painted minis are never as good-looking as what most experienced wargamers can produce with their own paints & brushes. But people who complain about pre-paints are really missing the point. I enjoy painting, but with my free time at a premium, I don't get to do it nearly as much as I'd like. So I welcome the chance to augment my own painted creations with pro-painted stuff that I buy at shows or on eBay. And I certainly don't mind adding some pre-painted stuff to my collection if it's "tabletop quality" as well. It's a huge time-saver.

But listen up wargaming elitists, there's a large throng of gamers who could care less whether they ever touch a paint-brush in their life. For those folks, pre-paints are the perfect solution. They're affordable and look a hell of a lot better than bare-metal minis! The opportunity to buy toy soldiers and game with them right out of the box will help expand the wargaming hobby into sectors of the gaming world that were heretofore untouched. Reaper and now Rackham are starting to take the hint. And I'll bet that the huge success of HeroScape had a lot to do with their decisions to introduce pre-paints into their own product lines.

[End Rant]

PS: My favorite place to buy HeroScape stuff online is House Mouse Games (http://www.housemousegames.com). Check out the site when you get a chance.

Peace out!