Army Boxed Sets

[Hiromoon]

The product range for the Starship Troopers miniatures game continues to successfully grow and prepares to further expand by adding a third race in March with the Skinnies. As more and more retailers and players rally in support of the game, we here at Mongoose Publishing have been considering the creation of a new product that would allow players wishing to focus on one particular race to have the option to do so.
The first of these products that we’re looking at creating is the Arachnid Empire Starter Set (name subject to change). The contents we’re considering incorporating into this box would include:
-18 plastic Arachnid Warriors
-3 plastic Blister/Blaster bugs
-3 plastic Hopper bugs
All of these unit choices are available for use at any priority or scale of game and would provide a solid foundation to any Arachnid army. We are currently considering a retail price of $64.95 for this offering, which is a great value considering that it comes with approximately $110 worth of boxes if purchased separately.

 

[joewolz]

I'd vote no on this one, the reason being that I want Mongoose to make more money.

If they can do it and stay afloat and keep me in new armies and new rules, then more power too them. But I'd rather keep the game slightly less accesible than pile another risk onto Mongoose.

I mean, margins can't be that high on this stuff, so it would probably better to leave the prices as is.

Not that I wouldn't buy one or two if an army box did come out...

 

[Carloss]

Cmon man, I just set the other up! You could at least tell me you were gonna make one already.

 

[Voracioustigger]

Well, I voted yes, but it's a conditional yes.

I'd say yes as long as the MI and skinnies DON'T get one. The reason being that MI and Skinny armies are SOOO much cheaper too field. They are so much cheaper that, in my experience, about 2/3-3/4 of people who play seem to play MI. People are a bit wary to invest money in anything new unless they're sure they can enjoy it. If people aren't playing the game, they can't enjoy it. Because of this, people looking into SST will be MUCH more likely to buy a cheap army (MI) than an expensive one (Bugs).

Also, no one wants to see another game that is dominated by one army. 40k has dozens of army lists, but over half of the players play Space Marines. I hope that by this time next year, less than half of SST players are playing MI as their main force.

I think this boxed set would be a great way to get more people interested in playing (I know there are some people who would only play if they played bugs, but can't justify the current cost of bugs), and to keep the number of players with each army balanced.

Hmmm, I dunno about Blasters/Blisters though. I mean I think the Hoppers and Blasters are a good idea because they're really expensive to buy on their own, but I just don't think Blisters and Blasters are worth their points... but that's another debate.

I think this set does everything that a boxed set should do...

1) Gets people interested in the army
2) Has units that you can always use more of, making 2+ army boxes attractive to many.
3) Makes costly units easier to afford
4) Units can be used in any Bug army

I approve

 

[duryeaa]

If this is what they can offer, unconditional YES.

My $0.02:

If they could throw in a Tanker instead of Blister/Blaster and keep price at $75 (10 more), I'd think that might sell better. Get's the "Big Bug" market appeal going, and gives players a nice 670 points to combine with the 300 from the box to get a PL2 1K force of bugs (before assets) with your first $150 in the game.

Anything Mongoose can do to help starting (and existing!) players build up is appreciated.

 

[Conan]

For a MI starter set how about 16 Power Suit troopers, the pewter MI Lt. from the Heroes box, a M8, and a M9 and the MI army book. With the addition of the purchase of the hardcover rulebook it would give a player a good core army with everything they need to play it. It is about $100 retail worth of stuff with the free pewter fig thrown in.

Some of the people I've run demos for would more likely go for something like this than $75 box set when they usually only want one of the armies.

 

[Michka]

This is a great set. I'd love to get some more Blasters/Blisters and some more hoppers, and you can never have enough warriors. This is what I really wanted when I answered Carloss' post. It would also be a great set for the RPG crowd who want some minis for the games but have no intention of buying the Miniature game. (We do exist !!!)

 

[Carloss]

Yeah, this was on another topic wew were talkin about it on. Everybody said there was no need for blasters, on account that they comparatively suck.

 

[Voracioustigger]

If this is what they can offer, unconditional YES.

My $0.02:

If they could throw in a Tanker instead of Blister/Blaster and keep price at $75 (10 more), I'd think that might sell better. Get's the "Big Bug" market appeal going, and gives players a nice 670 points to combine with the 300 from the box to get a PL2 1K force of bugs (before assets) with your first $150 in the game.

Anything Mongoose can do to help starting (and existing!) players build up is appreciated.

I'm not so sure that would make them sell better. Not many people will want to buy 2-3 Tankers, but plenty of people will buy 2-3 units of Blisters/blasters and hoppers, and of course, more warriors are always fun.

I've just never really seen the use of tankers, let alone 3. The one time I played another bug player with 2, I killed both with just worker bugs and all he got to do was get 1 spit in.

 

[duryeaa]

Workers would have done just as well against the 6 Blister/Blasters purchased instead of the 2 Tankers.

It really depends on what Mongoose is gunning for. The Blister/Blaster option will benefit established players but for beginners a tanker is going to help get them on the board faster and, I think, entice a better number of players. Easy to say with no numbers to back me up There is a practical limit of 3 sets with the tankers before you'd have to go "colony" but I'm not sure ppl would buy more than 3-4 with Blister/Blasters.

 

[Voracioustigger]

Workers would have done just as well against the 6 Blister/Blasters purchased instead of the 2 Tankers.

It really depends on what Mongoose is gunning for. The Blister/Blaster option will benefit established players but for beginners a tanker is going to help get them on the board faster and, I think, entice a better number of players. Easy to say with no numbers to back me up There is a practical limit of 3 sets with the tankers before you'd have to go "colony" but I'm not sure ppl would buy more than 3-4 with Blister/Blasters.

But the thing is, when people START playing the game, they want to buy a box that they can just play with. With the tanker on the list, they HAVE to make at least a PL2 list.... but with only about 650pts of models. Sure you CAN spend 350pts on tunneling assets, but anything over about 1/4pts on assets is a bit overboard.

With the blasters, you can use the army right away as a PL1 list, but if the tanker is in the boxed set, then the new player is FORCED to buy other stuff just to use what he just bought. Sure 2000pts is the normal game size, but few start playing their first games at that level.

What I COULD see, is maybe have a box like Hiromoon suggested, and then maybe a bigger box for PL2+ forces with maybe a bunch of Warriors, some hoppers, a tanker and a brain. Or maybe just a big bug box with a plasma tanker and brain.

 

[Y3]

I think that the Blister/Blaster bugs aren't that good for any player who is starting out. First of all, they are all that good in CC, and their guns could be a bit better, and they have no special move. I think that Firefries are much better deal, because their guns takes out cover, it is a d10, and their CC is a d10, and best of all is that they have jump, which makes them keep up with MI. I got hit by ten d10s in one turn for Tigger readying the turn before, hoping and shooting, then charging.

I think that the "Big" bugs should be left sperate because if you get it, then you probably have to ude it to get the point value up to where MI can play. And for people who already play, it would be much harder to get what they wanted. Amd when the other tankers come out, maybe people will like them better, so they would buy that tanker and the box.

 

[duryeaa]

But the thing is, when people START playing the game, they want to buy a box that they can just play with. With the tanker on the list, they HAVE to make at least a PL2 list.... but with only about 650pts of models. Sure you CAN spend 350pts on tunneling assets, but anything over about 1/4pts on assets is a bit overboard.

With the blasters, you can use the army right away as a PL1 list, but if the tanker is in the boxed set, then the new player is FORCED to buy other stuff just to use what he just bought. Sure 2000pts is the normal game size, but few start playing their first games at that level.

What I COULD see, is maybe have a box like Hiromoon suggested, and then maybe a bigger box for PL2+ forces with maybe a bunch of Warriors, some hoppers, a tanker and a brain. Or maybe just a big bug box with a plasma tanker and brain.

A 510 point box of PL1 bugs can't get to 1000 points, it won't be a standalone purchase either. See the original suggestion on purchasing the tanker version as complement to an existing starter set.

However, a series of PL-based boxes makes great sense. If such were the plan then Mongoose should stick with bl-sters in the first box.

 

[Voracioustigger]

Ummm, please quote the rulebook where it says that I can't play a 500pt game because I don't see it anywhere. However, I DO see where it says I can't have a PL2 bug list at 500pts.

Not EVERYONE who buys this will want to jump to 1000+pts right away. Some will just want to use this as a cheap way to see if they really want to play the game. Buying an army that they can actually use right away is therefore the best way to go.

 

[duryeaa]

Then leave off the tanker in the proposed set and play a 400 point game.

 

[Voracioustigger]

Then leave off the tanker in the proposed set and play a 400 point game.

So, why buy it if I'm not gonna use it?

You say that it should be in the core set, but then tell people not to use it? I'm confused by your logic.

Remember who is going to buy this. Would you rather have a boxed set that saves YOU a few extra bucks or a set that gets more people to play the game? I, for one, would rather have more people to play against (regardless of the point value)

 

[Roughneck2zero]

I'm all for it if Mongoose can still make a decent profit from them! If not, I can continue to buy the items I want seperately, no big deal! :wink:

 

[Y3]

I think that most of us won't really be buying many box sets cause it seems we have 2000 point armies already (Some with more) so I think that the sets should focus on getting gamers into playing it.

 

[duryeaa]

Then leave off the tanker in the proposed set and play a 400 point game.

So, why buy it if I'm not gonna use it?

You say that it should be in the core set, but then tell people not to use it? I'm confused by your logic.

Remember who is going to buy this. Would you rather have a boxed set that saves YOU a few extra bucks or a set that gets more people to play the game? I, for one, would rather have more people to play against (regardless of the point value)

Well, we're agreed on that point, my suggestions are geared towards getting more fresh blood as well.

 

[veon]

Starship Troopers stuff is cheap already. Box sets are nice for beginners, but they don't have to be a super cheap price or something (don't want the profit to be super low), all mongoose needs to do is throw in a special figure or something .

In the end though, I would be glad to but a box set like shown, I don't know what everyone is going on about blisters/blasters being bad, a unit of blasters has always performed well in my games :roll: