Warlord Preview More From Beyond The Gates Of Antares
May 1, 2014 by brennon
Warlord Games have returned from Salute and started getting back into the full swing of things. Of course they did get to show off some more from Beyond The Gates Of Antares and below are a few of their sculpts...
First up we have the Algoryn that we've seen before. I think of all the troops they have shown off so far these are the ones that have caught my eye. I think the main reason is that they all look as cool as Garrus from Mass Effect. I don't think I'm enamored with the model who looks like he's doing some kind of dance but the rest of them look awesome.
Another big appearance was from the Concord which we've had the pleasure of seeing too. It's a nice contrast to the Algoryn with the armour being sleek and sculpted to the body. It will be interesting to see if the design evolves more past this concept stage.
Next up we have more finalised models in the shape of Bovan Tuk and the Female Boromite. Bovan Tuk is one of the Mhagris who are a warrior people living on feral worlds. He sure looks like a leader I wouldn't want to run into on a dark night. Interestingly Bovan is one of those feral warriors who managed to get together the funds for some better equipment and made a name for himself.
The Female Boromites look much better than their male counterparts and hopefully we'll see some variants in the future to have your troops represented as them over the male miniatures.
Last but not least is the concept work for the Ghar and their Battle Armour. These chaps are genetically engineered soldiers from past wars who now live and breath inside their protective suits rather than show themselves to the world. This aged feel is represented by their clunky, heavy armour and most of their technology being from the distant past. I like the sound of this race.
Have you been following Gates of Antares?
Supported by (Turn Off)
Supported by (Turn Off)
Supported by (Turn Off)
Recently head a series of interviews about this on Fools Daily with Rick Priestly….I must say it interests me a whole lot more than it did before.
The rules sound kinda interesting not really interested in the figures
I have been following Antares since the beginning, and it is great to see the model range shaping up so nicely. Like Brennon, I also like the Alhoryn, but my favourite faction is the Concord, and the Concord Strike Trooper concept really appeals to me.
The game will operate on a further developed form of the Bolt Action ruleset which, given the high regard in which Bolt Action is held, is very promising. Apparently, the current timescale Rick Priestly and the other creators of the game are aiming at is to have some further model releases and an early draft set of quick start rules out by about the middle of this year, with further model releases on a semi regular basis after that with the full game launch set for 2015.
The models show promise, although my favorite isn’t displayed here. Some multi-eyed alien soldier, if I remember correctly.
The Algoryn look good, although it’d be nice to get at least one in an active shooting pose.
The female Boromite has a lot of character. It looks like she’s in the kitchen, yelling at her husband to take out the trash and feed the dog. I’m all for having unarmed versions of the game’s races for light roleplaying, so kidding aside, I like this one.
I’d rework the Ghar battle armour, though. Battle armor can be a hot seller when it’s done right, and presently the Ghar suits look like they’re made for the obese. Are Ghar the Antares version of Space Dwarfs or something? In that case, the armor’s thick, squat look could work. Otherwise, I think a diet is in order.
I wish they’d consider doing these in plastic, though. It’s just my personal preference, and so probably completely irrelevant, but these days I’m not buying much metal.
“The models show promise, although my favorite isn’t displayed here. Some multi-eyed alien soldier, if I remember correctly.”
That would be the work in progress model of the Isorian Phase Trooper. The multi-eyed head is actually a helm complete with its own spider-like eyes – under all the biomechanical armour is a (more or less) human or Panhuman soldier.
The Isorian Dark Shard is the principle opponent of the Concord in the game lore. It was originally part of the Concord, but broke away after a war with a silicon based, insectoid alien race called the Tsan Kiri lead its Integrated Machine Intelligence network to absorb alien technology and so become incompatible with that of the rest of the Concord, hence the unusual looking equipment. Each civilisation now sees the other as a threat to be exterminated.
“The female Boromite has a lot of character. It looks like she’s in the kitchen, yelling at her husband to take out the trash and feed the dog. I’m all for having unarmed versions of the game’s races for light roleplaying, so kidding aside, I like this one.”
In the background, the Boromite Guilds are matriarchal societies – she is the one in charge, ordering the other Boromites around.
“I’d rework the Ghar battle armour, though.”
It is only an initial design, and from the posts I have seen on the Warlord forums, the designers are already considering reworking it to some degree.
“Battle armor can be a hot seller when it’s done right, and presently the Ghar suits look like they’re made for the obese. Are Ghar the Antares version of Space Dwarfs or something? In that case, the armor’s thick, squat look could work. Otherwise, I think a diet is in order”
In the lore, the Ghar are a race genetically that were engineered to be soldiers in an earlier age. In the contemporary timeline, they are extremely violent and warlike raiders and slavers. While not powerful enough to directly challenge the Concord of Isorians, they are in a near constant state of war with the Algoryn and other Determinate cultures. With a background like that, the choice of suit design seems all the more curious.
The Ghar battle armour has immediate appeal for me. Love the idea of extremely heavy armour built for sheer toughness rather than grace or looks.