Last August/September I embarked on a journey that many hobbyists have since taken as well, a Kickstarter Campaign! This one in particular was the Reaper Bones kickstarter that offered an absurd number of miniatures for a modest price. Seriously, the Vampire level alone came in at roughly $0.25 per model (USD). The available upgrades were also very nice and affordable. Being my first kickstarter though, I was reticent to plop down serious cash but eventually warmed to the idea of adding a few addons. I managed to scrap up enough willpower to avoid this one getting too expensive, but since then, I have plopped down an absurd amount of money on various kickstarters. Let's take a peak inside my Reaper Bones box and go over some helpful tips for those adventurous souls who are interested in giving Kickstarter a try.
As you can see from the the above pictures the Reaper Kickstarter campaign offered up a box full of miniatures. These miniatures came from many product lines and genres. What Reaper wanted to do was to take some old favorite metal sculpts and convert them into plastic. Along the way they added in some new sculpts as well.
So why did I invest? Like many gamers, my friends and I are prone to bouts of pen & paper RPGs. We usually fight out combats in miniature fights using the rules for the system if appropriate. This adds to the general feel of the campaign and usually makes combats far less confusing then either drawing on a map or just picturing in our heads. So I figured for the cost, I'd never have a better chance to acquire so much fodder for the RPG scene. Besides, at the end of the day, I love painting miniatures (even if I seemingly find little time to do so).
So I pledged for the Vampire level and added on a few interesting models like the clockwork dragon, Nethyrmaul, and of course, C'Thulu.I then waited around for March to come and was disappointed when the e-mail came out in February or so saying that the shipping would be staggered and while it would start in March, it wouldn't be finished until May. About April all the pledge givers saw another e-mail stating that shipping was delayed and we might not see our product for another couple months. Finally, around the end up June (June 28th) I received my box full of Reaper minis.
So what do I think of the miniatures? Overall they are very usable and the ones requiring assembly are a cinch to put together. The plastic to me is something more akin to a board game that comes with minis in that it is soft and semi-malleable even in a normal form, but it can be bent back into place like any other plastic. If you are expecting super-durable GW plastic, then these are NOT the miniatures for you. At the end of the day, some miniatures I'm really happy with, some I think are garbage, but most will easily fulfill the purpose for which I bought them, to paint and have available for D&D, Shadowrun, and even Dark Heresy games.
I'll definitely continue looking at Kickstarter for miniatures and games. So far I've pledged for a total of 4 miniature games (Reaper, Kingdom Death, Robotech, and Torn Armor), 3 video games (Torment: Tides of Numenara, At the Gates, and Dreamfall Chapters), and a two book projects (Larry Elmore's artbook, and the Through the Breach Malifaux RPG).
I'll part with a few tips for Kickstarter.
- Research. Make sure you know exactly what you are buying. Most kickstarters will have several links showing off products and concepts. If they don't, wait to pledge until you see a physical product. Also, make sure the company/person pledging has a good reputation. This is one of the factors why the Reaper kickstarter was my first. Reaper has been around for roughly 20 years so I knew they could make it happen and my risk was slight.
- Set Limits. When you go into any Kickstarter, set a price point that you can't pass and stick to it. This takes willpower and resolve but it is really hard to enjoy whatever the final product is if your spouse makes you feel miserable for spending too much money or you are living out of your car. I failed to do this with both Robotech and Kingdom Death and they cost me a boatload of cash. I'm still looking forward to the miniatures of course, but, I spent more money on those then I probably should.
- Patience. All Kickstarters take time to complete. They are not meant for backers to get their items super quickly so if you need miniatures for a game next week (or even next month) this isn't the place to go looking for them. Always check out the timetable they have stated for delivery and make sure you are comfortable waiting that long. Lastly, crap happens. Don't be surprised if the company involved pushes back delivery. Unforeseen problems can and will happen so give them a little slack. That being said, stay informed and if you suspect shenanigans then make sure you contact kickstarter directly so they can look into the allegations.
- Wisdom. Consider why you are interested in the Kickstarter and what you will do with the final product. If the product will sit around collecting dust for years, then really ask yourself if you need to purchase now. Sure, you will get a deal on the product, but if you won't do anything with it for 5 years, is it really that cost effective?
