Heroscape 2 Prediction Thread

[orgsbane]

Originally Posted by Mr Migraine

I will eat a Nikita Agent figure

Prime title material right there, too bad you already have one

[Tai-Pan]

I predict squads at least will be sold individually and not in double packs.

I predict huge figures will be prohibitively expensive for some of us - and that's a bummer. I really loved that the best and the worst figures cost the same and that terrain packs and huge figures were also very reasonably priced for mainstream audiences.

I predict HeroScape may take some very interesting turns to compete with the other unpainted miniature lines, trying to break out of typical pathfinder/DnD/MtG themes. Hopefully that means more historical units!!!

[Master Roshi]

Originally Posted by Tai-Pan

I predict squads at least will be sold individually and not in double packs.

I predict huge figures will be prohibitively expensive for some of us - and that's a bummer. I really loved that the best and the worst figures cost the same and that terrain packs and huge figures were also very reasonably priced for mainstream audiences.

I predict HeroScape may take some very interesting turns to compete with the other unpainted miniature lines, trying to break out of typical pathfinder/DnD/MtG themes. Hopefully that means more historical units!!!

Why do you say that about huge figure?

['Scaper94]

Originally Posted by Tai-Pan

I predict squads at least will be sold individually and not in double packs.

Maybe AH will decide to continue with double packs, but it'll be two of the same common squad instead of two different squads.

[Owlman]

Originally Posted by TurtleKing99

What are your predictions for Heroscape 2? Anything from release dates to special attacks.

Some of mine:

1. Release date will be between 7-13 months, targeting a launch tournament at GenCon and/or inventory ready for the holidays.
2. If a significant number of new players pick up the game, they'll reprint classic figures with new cards.

Reasons: I'm assuming 20-30 units for a typical set + wave. With 10 units partially revealed, I'm guessing they're roughly 1/3 finished. There were about 3 years between the first sets, but we don't know when the second set design and production really began.

Easier to bring a product to market now than 15 years ago, especially when unpainted. All things considered I'm guessing 2 years total for design and production, with 2/3 left to go. Which would match nicely with those target dates.

It would be unfortunate if new players were locked out of units like Raelin, but there is a huge incentive to reprint some units, especially if one rumor is true: they're unpainted. Because of this they print existing figures (e.g. Ne-gok-sa) that use a choice of a new set of abilities (e.g. Dark Ne-gok-sa) and an old set, with no confusion over the figure's painting. This has precedent with the GenCon exclusives and units like Raelin 2. The plastic molds already exist, online retailing is much easier than it was 15 years ago, and it'd be all-around low-risk boost to the game.

This throws a bone to both old players and new players. Gives access to the OP older units and makes existing old figures that much more usable which builds the playerbase and game.

Any wildcards they throw at us would be great too.

Curious to know what everyone else predicts!

Gotta be honest, my excitement dropped like a rock as soon as I heard they will not be painted. I'm not a painter, and I don't intend on painting figures anytime soon. Also I didn't see a single squad figure debuted, did they confirm they're doing squads?

I will say I'm curious to see the new terrain and if it will look same or different, but all in all, while I'm happy to see other scapers rejoice i'm very skeptical and most likely will not be buying anything new that comes out unless it's a spectacular deal on terrain, or they start pre-painting figures. Got married recently, and there's a lotta other stuff I gotta spend money on in the near future lol

I predict 8-12 months as far as predictions goes.

[Tai-Pan]

Originally Posted by Master Roshi

Why do you say that about huge figure?

I look at Nolzurs and Pathfinders unpainted Minis and figure Avalon Hill probably doesn't have a trick the others don't. So a figure the size of say a Frost Giant will run about 15 dollars. And that dragon looks a lot larger than that. I just really don't know if it will still be affordable to be a completionist.

[Master Roshi]

Originally Posted by Tai-Pan

I look at Nolzurs and Pathfinders unpainted Minis and figure Avalon Hill probably doesn't have a trick the others don't. So a figure the size of say a Frost Giant will run about 15 dollars. And that dragon looks a lot larger than that. I just really don't know if it will still be affordable to be a completionist.

Essentially that would mean a pack like Raknar's Vision in the current game would come at around $80 or so. I would be extremely frustrated if that were the case. If the game does end up being that expensive I'm probably going to stick to just using my classic figures

[Syvaris]

Originally Posted by Mr Migraine

If a new Sgt. Drake Alexander unit isn't released within 12 months of the first set, I will eat a Nikita Agent figure.

Luckily there are still fifteen unopened sets warming pegs at Walmart so you'll have plenty of choice on which you want to eat!

[Sir Dendrik]

I predict that there will be different species involved in a single squad, as if everyone has been around each other long enough on Valhalla to form new alliances. So a squad with a monkey/shark man/goblin all wielding similar weaponry. This would make all sculpts unique while still letting squads be in the game. Have you ever played Heroscape with just heroes? It's way less fun--engage smack smack dead, re-engage smack smack dead. This would be a way to keep squads in the game while also diversifying the stock of miniatures.

[TheAverageFan]

I predict little in common with original Scape other than gameplay compatibility. It seems to have been a long time from Classic to AoA, and the new Master Set figures look like distinct fantasy creatures. No Marro, no historical units, no robots, etc. Seems more like a motley of long-surviving creatures in an apocalyptic Valhalla rather than summoned units in fresh rank-and-file.

Don't know about the glowing lava but I do predict unique new terrain types so that should be cool.

~TAF

[TREX]

I predict that all the sets of anything that comes out will be similar in price and appearance to most other games on the market today. They will be more expensive and unpainted. That is the nature of most of the games out there. Since I got sucked into the miniatures games via heroscape, ive since picked up dozens of other miniatures games. Granted, these were all initially picked up to use the figures in heroscape as customs. Yet, I've given most of them a chance and like playing them just as much as Heroscape, some I like a little more. With the much larger selection of games to play now, with much lower barriers of entry in many of the games, I'd expect these guys to do anything they can to cut costs to be competitive. Even something as simple as the card design shape. I don't see them using the traditional heroscape card shape. As cool as it is, it is an absolute joke when looking at it in a cost effective way. You can easily fit 9 playing card sized cards on a sheet compared to 3 heroscape cards on a regular sheet of paper. If they have their head on right, all of those types of extravagances will be gone. In the time this game has been absent on the shelves, there have been many wargames and skirmish games come out with better turn mechanics in game. I would be highly surprised if they don't change any of these. If its just new units without new mechanics, I don't see it doing as well. Some of this is me being hopeful they improve here. The price for anything has gone up, so I don't see the value being even remotely close to what it was back in the early 2000s. Most wargame starters I know of are roughly 60-120 dollars without any real terrain. So my guess on the starter price would be an easy 120. If its less, I will be surprised. None of this is supposed to come off as negative, just based wholly on my experience as a now avid skirmish and wargaming player that has invested in several games and titles. I'm looking forward mainly to what they have done with the rules and if there are any improvements.

[caps]

Originally Posted by Scapemaster

I'm reading estimates that the Master Set will be going for $100+ dollars on release, which seems absolutely ludicrous to me. If I remember right, the original Set was $40 and came with a ton of terrain and figures, more than anything else released since.

At such a high price point, I know I won't be able to be able to pick up more than one Master Set, and I don't know if I would even want to if they are that expensive AND unpainted.

Originally Posted by Master Roshi

When I look at the heroquest set for $130 it makes me cringe cause I know I wouldn't buy it. They can choose to provide unpainted figures to simplify production, but the price should be reasonable to reflect that

Prices are just not the same as they were when the game came out. The $40 master set back in... 2004? Was before oil prices spiked not long after that, which spiked plastic prices. Plastic prices have only gone up since then, on top of the inflation of all other materials. Games with miniatures are just much more expensive now than they used to be. You can't compare the stuff they make now, pricewise, with the RotV set, or even the BftU set (which even in 2009 was way less plastic for a similar price). You have to look at other games with plastic minis like this (Heroquest, for instance) and what they sell for. One of the main reasons they are going with unpainted is that labor costs for painting minis have *also* gone up, and they want to try to keep it affordable. At the same time, they're also going for top-grade minis, which I think will only help the game succeed in the market--people love buying minis, and the cross-compatibility of these figures, scale-wise, with other games will only help with that in terms of selling product.

Originally Posted by Scapemaster

Less a prediction and more a hope, I hope they release a bulk "terrain" set that focuses on just putting out a ton of hexes, even if it comes with no figures.

I am hoping they split terrain up separately from unique figures. I would like to see Unique figure sets and Terrain + common figure sets.