Welcome back, gamefans, to another installment of the update. The big news,
that really isn't news, is that summer is officially here with the release
of school, and the kids are out in force. As is the demand for Pokémon.
Yes, loyal readers, the demand hasn't lessened as time went by, only grew.
But the added twist is that I've begun to give out WOTC's number to the many
disgruntled parents who demand to know why they have to pay $25 a deck on
the net. Keeping my prices at $2.92 a booster ensures that they never stay
in stock, but getting them is a bit of a problem.
But in other news. FASA's Crimson Skies has continued it production of
minis, and now all but one of the published ships are available. Also, the
new Magic in the Shadows for Shadowrun 3rd is having trouble staying on the
shelves. Battletech, though, seems to have slowed again, with the utter
lack of sourcebooks.
Games Workshop has released the Eldar for the Battlefleet Gothic game, and
again, superior craftsmanship on the minis, but poor PR for the prices.
Call the store for more info. The 40k game is still going strong, with more
and more players switching over to the newer, faster system, and still loving
the minis. Fantasy, though, needs the Undead to come out soon, as the demand
for the kits are quite high.
Keeping WOTC in the news, their subsidiary, FRPG released its fifth edition
of the L5R game, and Pearl edition is one of the most beautiful sets yet.
Adding new artwork to many old favorites, and changing the borders on every
card has everybody taking note. Unfortunately, the quotes on the cards remain
the same, thus limiting the demand for the cards somewhat.
Ral Partha (haven't heard from them for a while) is releasing the new Dragon
of the Month minis again, and for you old gamers out there who remember
Grenadiers series, may they rest in peace, these do a damn fine job of
continuing the trend. The first is the Vulture Dragon, and comes in an
oversized box. A good piece at a good price ($14.95).
ICE remains silent on the hill, waiting for this summer. Fans of Silent
Death will rejoice at the news of Q'Raj due soon, as well as another rules
addenda set, and of course, more kewl minis. No news yet of the new Middle
Earth CCG, though.
Kenzer and Company are doing a bang-up job still on Knights of the Dinner
Table, and the new issue hit last week. Featured inside are several new
minis of the KODT gang, so check it out. And if you haven't tried Orcs at
the Gates, get out there and buy one.
Rio Grande Games also released a slew of new translations, including one by
Reiner Knizia, who to fans of the genre, makes amazing board games. These
include Richochet Robot, Money, Klunker, and Green Sleeves. All good, all
foreign, and all worth the price of admission.
Recent reports from North Texas show that Star Fleet Battles is not dead,
and was only hibernating. Armadillo Design Bureau re-re-released SFB
recently, so all of you who missed it for the past 20 years, you still have
a chance to grab it. 'Nuff said.
Finally, Dwarven Forge has allowed us a look at their new sets of terrain,
and all I can say is that this scenery may be the best that is available at
reasonable rates. Fully hand-painted, felt based and completely isomorphic,
these sets, though pricey for the average gamer, are great for a club to start
buying. Applicable for any underground setting, or just as interior castle and
church layouts, it just doesn't get much better than this.
Well, that's all for this month.
See you at the gaming table!
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