Another new year, another crack at looking through every month's issue of Game Trade Magazine from Alliance Games Distribution, looking at the new gaming solicitations.
For those of us who haven't played along at home before, I only have a few ground rules.
- I don't list everything. That's what the actual issue of the magazine is for. Issue #287 of Game Trade Magazine can be found at your FLGS or online in pdf form here. I have ten years of retail experience and decades of talking shop with store owners and managers on the East Coast, and I've had a pretty good track record of not diving headfirst into obscure but awesome RPG lines, and especially miniature games.
- I avoid "PI" product. PI stands for "Please Inquire with Your FLGS." It usually means that the store is not getting their normal wholesale discount for the product. While distributors do have different discount structures (usually a base discount rate, with contractually stated specific discount for Games Workshop, WotC, etc), the PIs are usually at an even lower rate. If you want the item, great, your FLGS could still get it to you, but outside of sales, realistic wholesale costs and MSRP keeps your store in business longer. Ergo, I usually avoid Ultra-Pro and Warlord Games products for this reason, unless I think the product could be a great seller. I will note various TCG/CCG product if they are the standard booster/starter arrangement.
- I brake the items up in three categories, a) my must have want list. b) my money-is-no-object list, which also includes inexpensive items I wouldn't actively order through my FLGS, but might pick up as impulse buys, c) What I would ponder ordering if I ran a game store nowadays.
- The Old Man Rants about production, quality, pricing, and random clouds in the sky are free! I sometimes forget that the 90's were more than twenty years ago, even if my knowledge of inflation and production costs is current.
ViscountEric's Gaming Want List
Nothing!
ViscountEric's Money-Is-No-Object Want List
Exalted Funeral
Spirals ...................................... $8.00
Free League Publishing
Dragonbane RPG: Standee Bases $1.99
Paizo Publishing
Starfinder RPG: Flip-Mat - Shopping Mall ............................... $16.99
The Imaginary Store List (The Pegleg Gnome)
The Army Painter
Wet Palette: Wargamers Edition ..................................................... $44.99
Warpaints Fanatic: Complete Paint Set .......................................... $759.00
Warpaints Fanatic: Mega Paint Set ................................................. $199.99
Catalyst Game Labs
Shadowrun DBG: Edge Zone Deck Box (2 pack) ........................... $11.99
Shadowrun RPG: Critter Deck ......................................................... $14.99
Shadowrun RPG: Scotophobia ......................................................... $49.99
Shadowrun RPG: Sixth World Core Rulebook City Edition Berlin ..... $49.99
Shadowrun RPG: Wild Life .............................................................. $49.99
Chaosium
Runequest RPG: The Glorantha Sourcebook ................................... $44.00
Call of Cthulhu: Arkham .................................................................. $59.99
Cubicle 7
Doctor Who RPG: Adventures in Space ........................................... $39.99
Doctor Who RPG: Gamemaster's Screen .......................................... $29.99
Doctor Who RPG: The Secrets of Scaravore Adventure Book ......... $34.99
Evil Hat Productions
Monster of the Week RPG: Tome of Mysteries HC ......................... $35.00
Exalted Funeral Press
Bloom: Adventure for Mothership ................................................... $14.00
Mausritter: Boxed Set ....................................................................... $55.00
Mausritter Estate Collection ............................................................. $55.00
Squishy: Quick Start Horror Game ...................................................$15.00
Squishy: Campfire Carnage.............................................................. $22.00
Squishy: The Halloween Babysitter ................................................. $15.00
Free League Publishing
Blade Runner RPG: Case File 02- Fiery Angels .............................. $39.99
Dragonbane RPG Rulebook HC ....................................................... $39.99
Dragonbane RPG Bestiary HC ......................................................... $39.99
Dragonbane RPG Monster Standee Set ............................................ $24.99
Goodman Games
DCC Dice: Half Pound Random Assortment ................................... $49.99
Compendium of Dungeon Crawls Volume 1 (5e) .............................$49.99
Compendium of Dungeon Crawls Volume 2 (5e) .............................$49.99
Fifth Edition Fantasy #25 - Seven Days of the Serpent God ........... $10.99
Zero Level Rulebook (5e) ................................................................ $10.00
Neon Lords of the Toxic Wastelands ............................................... $50.00
Prisoners of the Secret Overlords .................................................... $19.99
Space Bulk ............................................ $30.00
Looney Labs
Camping Fluxx ..................................... $20.00
Loke Battle Mats
Giant Book of Battle Mats Wilds Wrecks and Ruins ........................ $46.99
Mongoose Publishing
Paranoia: The Core Book ................................................................ $49.99
Paranoia: The Accomplice Book ..................................................... $49.99
Paranoia: Computer Dice ............................................... $24.99
Paranoia: GM Screen ..................................................... $19.99
Cheap old man rant here. Paranoia is one of those games that have had multiple iterations in the 21st Century, but nothing seems to match the low-key rules, hi-strung insanity of the original. And I can't personally justify $100 to GM the game that's still run as one-shots or mini-campaigns. YMMV
Traveller RPG: Adventure Class ...................................... $49.99
Traveller RPG: Mysteries of the Ancients ....................... $59.99
Now, Traveller, on the other hand, seems to continue to generate product. The reprinted material makes me wish I just cleaned out FLGS of their inventory in the 90's, but c'est la vie!
Monster Fight Club
Cyberpunk Red: Combat Zone ......................................... $120.00
I'm familiar with Monster Fight Club from their multiple appearances at HMGS cons (Cold Wars, Historicon, Fall-In!). Just from that impression, I know the Cyberpunk miniatures rules will be good. I will always flinch at what to order for all the other figures box sets. I'm been trying to get my head around $6-7/figure costs in boxed sets, for plastic figures, for years now, and that sort of investment in a product line requires dedication by the store staff to promote it.
Monster Scenery: Chain Link Fences ........................................... $30.00
Monster Scenery: City Streets ...................................................... $30.00
Monster Scenery: Industrial Cargo ............................................... $30.00
Compared to figures, if it is 28-35mm, the scenery pieces look like a good investment. The buildings, roads, and Witcher line? I'd take a hard pass for now.
Paizo Publishing
Pathfinder RPG: AP Seven Dooms of Sandpoint ..........................$54.99
Hardcover available for $69.99
Pathfinder RPG: Core GM Screen ................................................ $24.99
Pathfinder RPG: Flip-Mat - Boarding School .............................. $16.99
Pathfinder RPG: Monster Core (HC) ............................................ $59.99
Pelgrane Press
Suburban Consumption of the Monstrous ........................................ $39.95
Pinnacle Entertainment Group
Savage Worlds - Pinebox Middle School RPG ................................ $39.99
Savage Worlds - Pinebox Middle School Archetype Cards ............. $ 9.99
Savage Worlds - Pinebox Middle School Boxed Set ....................... $124.99
Savage Worlds - Pinebox Middle School GM Screen + Adventure.. $19.99
Savage Worlds - Pinebox Middle School Map Pack #1 ................... $14.99
Savage Worlds - Pinebox Middle School Map Pack #2 ................... $14.99
I don't remember this being on crowdfunding, so this is an ambitious project if it's been traditionally developed. The "Kids on Bikes" genre is pretty messy, so this might be the "high school sanitized" version of their East Texas University setting .
Prolific Games
Cultists,& Cthulhu 2nd Edition ....................................................... $24.99
Random House
D&D: A Long Rest for Little Monsters (A Little Golden Book) ..... $ 5.99
I tend to avoid mainstream book publishers, but IT'S A LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK FOR DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS!!!! I might order a bunch of these for the imaginary store and keep them by the register. This is the ultimate impulse buy for gamers (the majority who still play only D&D) with kids.
Sirius Dice
Be My Nat 20 D20 Necklace ................................................................. $30.00
Thirty bucks is a little high in my book, but not by much. And if it's available before Valentine's Day, you could move a few and justify keeping one on display all year long. Their dice are also in the reasonably priced spectrum and look pretty good.
Skybound Games
Sheep in Disguise ....................................... $19.99
Steve Jackson Games
FRAG ......................................................... $24.95
Ultra-Pro
As I said in the preface of this month's post, I tend not to list anything for Ultra-Pro. Their new line of Magic: The Gathering deck boxes, sleeves, and other storage solutions just look sharp and clean, and that may be the problem. Everything is a Magic mana symbol with a crisp white background. These should sell well, but they're not going to age well after weeks of play/use.
Wizards of the Coast
Magic: The Gathering CCG: Dominaria Remastered Collector Boosters
Magic: The Gathering CCG: Dominaria Remastered Draft Boosters
Wizkids
D&D Phunny Plush ............................. PI
I don't like the PI on Wizkids stuff, but the Black Dragon, Bullywug, Rust Monster, and Intellect Devourer are adorable Prices on pre-orders for these things look to be under $20.
D&D Icons of the Realms - Adult Moonstone Dragon ....................... $99.99
More a question than a rant, when the inevitable D&D 6e comes out, are we just rebranding the rare dragon types, or we rebuilding a dragon collections starting with the basics again.
Marvel Heroclix:Next Phase Pizza Party - Hawkeye .......................... $29.99
Marvel Heroclix: Next Phase Pizza Party - She-Hulk ......................... $29.99
Pathfinder Battles: Death Coach Boxed Miniature ............................. $59.99
Pathfinder Battles: Gholdako Boxed Miniature .................................. $39.99
Pathfinder Battles: Leshy Window Boxed Set .................................... $59.99
Pathfinder Battles: Yamaraj Boxed Miniature ..................................... $39.99
Pathfinder Battles: Set 25 - Armies of the Dead Booster Bricks
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