It’s Friday, and here on No Rerolls that means it’s time for an all-new 5 on Friday. We’re going to start with 5 exciting releases for this week before moving on to our usual digest of some of our favourite articles from the past week. Of course, we’re slow readers, so don’t be surprised if there are some articles that are a little older – these are just some of the great articles we happen to have actually read in the past week.
Releases & Previews
Every week there are many games and miniatures released. This will probably be a mix of previews, preorders and releases, and with release dates being the way they are in this industry, it’s always pretty approximate. Excuses out of the way, here are 5 of the releases that caught our attention this week:
Games Workshop releases Hexbane’s Hunters for Warhammer Underworlds – Warhammer Underworlds has been channeling Mordheim a bit of late. I want to make it really clear that this is most definitely not a bad thing. The Underworlds warbands are consistently great and I imagine they must be an interesting prospect for designers to tackle as well, giving them a chance to do something a big different.
The Witch Hunters are a beautiful set of minis, and show some cool internal variety. I wonder if this is any indication of a direction that will be further explored in Age of Sigmar’s upcoming Dawnbringer Crusades. I’d like to get more into Underworlds, but I’m struggling to find time to get it to the table!
Affiliate Links
Dyskami Publishing releases Anime 5E Roleplaying Game – In the ever-growing ecosystem of 5E-based RPGs, there was apparently a weeb-shaped gap in the market. In the spirit of prvious games, such as Big Eyes, Small Mouth, this is a total conversion of 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons to fit into the common themes of the anime genre.
The Game is D&D 5E. You should know by now if you like the system or not. The PDF has been out for a while and the physical books are now making their way to retail. In terms of production quality, this book is pretty fantastic. I picked up the PDF version and it’s just very well done. The artwork is especially good and, more important, consistent. I like a lot of the new races and classes as well, but I do run into some trouble at this point. Adventurers? Benders? Techknights? All really cool. The class that’s essentially a schoolgirl? No. This is where the book panders to the ugly (read: creepy) side of the anime fandom, and it makes me uncomfortable. Other than some poor choices like this, I really like the book.
Affiliate Links
- DriveThruRPG (Standard Edition PDF version)
- DriveThruRPG (Pocket Edition PDF Version)
Barry & Jason release Anchorman: The Game – The film that launched a million memes. It’s odd timing to release an Anchorman game, some 18 years after the release of the movie. I suppose this is how a small indy publisher was able to get the license. This game is clearly a labour of love.
There’s a lot in the box, and has some real charm, even if the production quality doesn’t seem top-notch. It does seem to fit into the Cards Against Humanity breed of party games, which are clearly popular. I’m a bit burnt out on them, myself, but there are a lot still coming to market. The price point is also pretty decent, especially when you factor in nice touches like the Sex Panther timer.
Saves and Sorcery releases Neurodivegence Fantasy RPG – Neurodiversity seems to be becoming something of a genre in gaming and, as with the previous example that I have discussed, I have some thoughts. I think representation matters. I think that there’s a stigma that comes with conditions like ASD that can be very difficult for those on the spectrum and for those who love and support them. That said, it often feels like, almost by necessity, the self-appointed spokespeople for this community represent the group that is problematically known as ‘high-functioning’ (problematic because of the aspersions cast on those who do not fall into this group). These individuals are often able to represent themselves and their experiences but are not necessarily in a position to empathise with and represent those who experience more significant cognitive and communication-based challenges because of their autism. I might be overthinking things, but it’s certainly something I was aware of whilst studying for my postgraduate qualification in this area.
The book, though. I have the PDF here and, you know, it’s pretty well presented. The artwork is simple, yet whimsical. There’s a bit much randomisation through tables during character creation, but many suggest that you can instead choose one of the options rather than rolling for it. I really like the last few pages with some information about the world, details about the real big bad, and a cool adventure hook. The game seems fun and nice, and it has such a positive message. I’m just always a bit wary of these titles, which I think is more down to my own overthinking, knowledge of the topic, and professional experience than from any intent on the part of the publishers.
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Jolly Lark preparing to launch Batch Painting Handles on Kickstarter – I’ve never really felt the need to use a paint handle, myself. Then again, I’m not a very proficient painter. Maybe a handle is the magical answer… I do have friends who use them all the time, and there’s one guy at our local club who makes and sells them. The thing is, a lot of hobbyists are not just working on a single model, but a whole unit at once. To whit, enter the batch painting handles:
Launching on Kickstarter later this month, these handles promise to be affordable enough to buy multiples of and comfortable enough for an extended painting session. I think the pricing will make or break this product, so I’m keen to see what sort of value we’re looking at.
Blog Posts & Articles
The meat of 5 on Friday, the articles are listed in no particular order, so let’s get into some recommendations:
To Warcry 2 or Not to Warcry 2 @ A Loft Full of Lead – I’ve written already this week about the idea of edition changes, so it perhaps was not surprising that this post caught my eye. It’s interesting to read the author’s reasoning behind the reticence to pick up the new edition. But then, I suppose we’re not talking about video games where a patch comes along and fundamentally changes the game. You can play whatever rules you want, and that’s fantastic.
Book review: Thousand Sons (Horus Heresy XII) @ Scent of a Gamer – This was one of my favourite books in the Horus Heresy series. The hubris of Magnus is huge, and I really like how the author of this post lays bare his folly. The sentence “Questions should have been asked” is blunt, direct, and true. Good review of a good novel.
3-reasons-why-spellcasters-are-not-overpowered @ Jon Brazer Enterprises – I get it. You’re poking away at a monster with a point-ed stick and then the guy in the dress behind you lets loose an almighty blast of the elemental power of creation. It can feel, on occasion, that spellcasters might be a bit overpowered. The author of this post gives some good points to really explain why this isn’t as simple as it looks, or feels. The best point, and the one which I hadn’t really thought of, was the first one.
Army Showcase – Kruleboyz @ FORTYK.W – These. Are. Gorgeous. There’s a cool Uruk-Hai feel to these guys that’s wonderful. I also like seeing non-green Orcs, generally. My favourite models in this showcase are the Marshcrawla Sloggoth, the Gutrippaz, and the Breaka-Boss.
The Five Worst Looking Warhammer Miniatures @ Handful of Dice – Och, it’s a fun wee list. I agree with some of the entries, like the Catachans and the Rat Ogres. Those kits are really showing their age. I’m not as convinced on the Skryre Acolyte, as I think for the age it actually looks pretty decent. It’s also better than almost the entirety of the Lumineth range. A fun read!
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This week, I’ve shared my completed Neferata miniature and some thoughts on the challenges that Wizards of the Coast are facing as they develop a new(ish) edition of Dungeons & Dragons.
Catch ya’ll next week!
No Rerolls 
Thanks for the kind words on my review!
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