Dreadfleet

[lono]

So, GW are releasing a new limited edition gamey thing like they did with Space Hulk. It's called Dreadfleet and it looks to be an update of Man O War with a bit more of a background worked into it.

I think the ships are pretty cool and the hobby geek in me is excited. Also, there's potential for selling it on for profit as well, so my entrepreneurial side's quite pleased too. I may have just ordered far too many copies of it. Probably won't be as popular as Space Hulk was, but looks fairly funky. Thoughts?

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/blogPost.jsp?aId=18300007a

The ships are pretty big!

 

[ColtheReaver]

I love that ghostly galleon...bit of jiggery pokery and you could make a 'Black Pearl' out of that. The other ships look really nice too...might get me a set at GD.

 

[minimart]

I love that ghostly galleon...bit of jiggery pokery and you could make a 'Black Pearl' out of that. The other ships look really nice too...might get me a set at GD.

Funny thats how I feel about this!!! Not that any of us on the site are bent the same way :wink:

 

[cassar]

brilliant stuff nice concept.

 

[noneedforaname]

Don't get me started on this.....

 

[Griffin]

Dread Fleet awesomeness

Yep, I'm super amped for this. Pre ordered my copy this afternoon at the Games Workshop Shanghai store.

 

[ischa]

i´m not sure. either i love it or i hate it. i´ll probably pick one up, love painting the boats and then play it once

 

[supervike]

I'd love to see GW start delving back into this sort of specialist gaming. It may be enough to pull me back into the fold.

I have to admit, the boats are pretty damn cool looking. Seeing how I've still not painted my Space Hulk goodies, I may be able to hold off.

Not a fan of the limited edition though. Also, still wondering why they have chosen not to further support Space Hulk. Given it's popularity, I don't understand the reluctance.

 

[ischa]

indeed vike. i also wonder why they dont state how limited it is. this limited edition stuff is driving me nuts(piratejoke ohoy)... the limited spell cards during storm of magic was just ridiculous. besides, this pack seems very overprices, those ships arnt big...

 

[noneedforaname]

The ships are apparently about 100-180mm long allegedly for those that are interested. I just see this as a god all mighty business f**k up.

 

[Chern Ann]

I'd love to see GW start delving back into this sort of specialist gaming. It may be enough to pull me back into the fold.

I have to admit, the boats are pretty damn cool looking. Seeing how I've still not painted my Space Hulk goodies, I may be able to hold off.

Not a fan of the limited edition though. Also, still wondering why they have chosen not to further support Space Hulk. Given it's popularity, I don't understand the reluctance.

Probably has to do with limited resources in terms of R&D and marketing. They probably need to make quite a large run to ensure profitability, so not making it general availability helps to sell out the entire run rather than have people waiting. Releasing a 2nd print run might be a possibility but I'm pretty sure for Space Hulk they must have saturated their market, such that a 2nd run wouldn't be profitable.

The only way GW would be able to make a go at boardgames is to have a setup similar to Fantasy Flight within the company. Since Fantasy Flight is already doing an admirable job of managing some of GW's IPs, it probably wouldn't be hard to imagine Space Hulk of some kind appearing in FF's stables in future, if the relationship remains rosy.

 

[supervike]

Probably has to do with limited resources in terms of R&D and marketing. They probably need to make quite a large run to ensure profitability, so not making it general availability helps to sell out the entire run rather than have people waiting. Releasing a 2nd print run might be a possibility but I'm pretty sure for Space Hulk they must have saturated their market, such that a 2nd run wouldn't be profitable.

The only way GW would be able to make a go at boardgames is to have a setup similar to Fantasy Flight within the company. Since Fantasy Flight is already doing an admirable job of managing some of GW's IPs, it probably wouldn't be hard to imagine Space Hulk of some kind appearing in FF's stables in future, if the relationship remains rosy.

But what does GW have to lose with Space Hulk, not speaking of a 2nd printing, but of game support? A book of missions? A small set of rules additions? A collectible digital 'Turn Timer'? That is the part that has let me down. The production values for those things would have been considerable less, and most likely possible.

Although I agree with FFG's strategy. They have easily become my favorite 'games company' and are setting themselves up to be a major player in the industry.

 

[Chern Ann]

But what does GW have to lose with Space Hulk, not speaking of a 2nd printing, but of game support? A book of missions? A small set of rules additions? A collectible digital 'Turn Timer'? That is the part that has let me down. The production values for those things would have been considerable less, and most likely possible.

Although I agree with FFG's strategy. They have easily become my favorite 'games company' and are setting themselves up to be a major player in the industry.

That's a common misconception about opportunity cost. It's the same thing with Wizards of the Coast and D&D. Given a limited amount of managers / artists / capital, do you a. Put out a Magic the Gathering expansion, or b. Put out a Forgotten Realms source book?

When there is internal competition for resources, then the product with the lower potential gets shelved. D&D would be in better hands simply by being an independent company again, as would the whole board games division of GW (Talisman being re-released by FFG is a step towards that).

 

[10 ball]

£90, a bit steep for me at the moment :-(

 

[BPI]

I got the impression last time around with Space Hulk that the whole point of the LE status was to easily deflect the inevitable requests for "official" game support. It's a one-off sale of a product with a set price for set content that you know in advance, any extras will come from the fan community. Which in this internet age is fantastic compared to the old fanzine days.

Contents again appear to be fair value within the boardgame market (eg. I've read that a sea mat of other brands, that size, cost in the region of £35) and I assume fairly low profit that requires 100% sell through. A situation aided by the speculators. Don't forget that while GW may have sold out of Space Hulk, the middle men who bought it haven't (regular comments on Warseer about indy shops that still have copies gathering dust on shelves and I'm sure people with 5 copies shoved in the loft getting musty while the buyer daydreams of lottery like profit).

I'm sure GW will announce that they've sold out of copies fairly shortly. Then we'll get the inevitable Ebay spotting of a copy going for a fortune (which will turn out to be an Australian getting a "bargain"), then it'll settle back to people getting a copy for roughly £70 with a fat chunk on top to cover P&P

Once the product has been dumped on the market and GW have made their profit to satisfy the shareholders, the game can be forgotten and never referred to again (other than in future marketing opportunities encouraging a rushed sale of the next LE item due to swift sell-through). I'm just wondering whether I'll get to read a review of the gameplay and box content quality while GW still hve copies. Not what they want of course, hence the pathetic publicity, I don't really trust companies that want me to buy blind out of excitement rather than making an informed spending decision.

Risky of course because at some point they'll drop a lemon on the market and burn everyone who then won't fall for it again. Of course with the churn in their core customer base and a bi-yearly release schedule that may not actually matter

What was I trying to say? Oh yes, don't expect official support, there's no money in it

Cheers, B.

PS 10 Ball, it's £70 not £90 on GW's UK website with free P&P. Are you having to pay for non-mainland shipping?

 

[Wyrmypops]

I'm gonna wait and see what reviews are like.

The lead up announcements didn't grab me. Given that is was a pair of John Blanche pics, neither of which screamed nautical action with his customary lack of illustrative skills getting through his distinctive art style (a fit of red, black and white, spikes and furs, again and again) - for all those pictures conveyed it could have been a game about an Eldar wraithbone creator or a market trader in the Old World.

I missed out on Man'O'War. It was leaving the shelves as I started my stint with them. Folk always seemed enthusiastic about it though. Despite its poor ship design, the thin plastic masts and sails been so snappable. At least back then it was a simple enough matter to mail order specific parts.

This game, the ships appear to be standalone big ships. No development of a fleet for a player to monkey around with. Just a fleet of goodies vs baddies made up of one big ship from various races.
The mini's are purportedly snapfit with the option to glue remaining, so that might mitigate the snapability of the masts and sails if they can be plucked off for storage.

GW has some competition this time round when it comes to a nautical game. Uncharted Seas, Dysopian Wars, and Flames of War. Definately gonna wait and see.

 

[Farin]

Ok,Guys let me play devil´s advocat for a moment:

While I understand that many people are happy to see a new naval game set in the warhammer universe ( how many years since Man O War? ), I ´m not particular impressed, mostly because of the ship design. While the ghost ship ( recon it´s supposed to be the flying dutchman ) and especially the skaven angler fish look great the other ships have a problem imho: The proportions are all over the place. With the evil flagship you have a figure head almost as big than the castle on top of that deck, same with the arabian one and the good flagship. What buggers me even more, is that the ships seem overladen. The angler fish and the flying ghost ship are based on one good design ideas and the sculptors stuck to them. With the evil flag ship you have several ideas: Castle on top, vessel made of several ship wrecks and the general GW elements of wings and bones. And these concepts don´t work together, at least not for me.

Personally if someone asked me for a fantasy naval game, i´d probably tell him to go with uncharted seas. (Which i don´t play , but i recently started Dystopian Wars wich is very similar and a lot of fun)

 

[10 ball]

PS 10 Ball, it's £70 not £90 on GW's UK website with free P&P. Are you having to pay for non-mainland shipping?[/QUOTE]

No I'm mainland delivery but still a bit steep at £70, I'm still painting space hulk stuff!

 

[dogfacedboy uk1]

As much as I'd love to buy this game, Talisman The Dragons expansion is just released at £30, its a bit more affordable than the new GW game. Talisman is a game that is much closer to my heart so it gets my cash

dfb

 

[Kalidane]

I was thinking I don't really have the storage space for another big box then went to the GW website to see all the pics and found a NZD220 price tag (GBP115.65). Silly rabbit - trix are for kids. Not even worth a tirade any longer.