Unboxing the backbone of my army
First thing i would like to mention is that i have not owned nor unpacked a box of Tactical Marines before, i have seen in on the shelves and in some images but that is all. All the subjects i will mention in this review is based on what i have experienced with the Assault on Black Reach box and bits and pieces i have read and heard. I also do have the Dark Vengeance box but since it is still largely on sprues i cannot use a lot of experiences from that box.
The box
Looking at the box its immediately noticeable they have continued the style and looks from the Dark Vengeance box, personally i like it and it suits the dark atmosphere of 40K a lot better. Since they have only the models on a dark blue and black background the focus has also shifted more to the models themselves instead of the models and a piece of scenery they have been positioned on. When you turn the box around you will find the sides having a few close-up pictures of the marines asides from the usual legal and content texts, these are a nice way to show some more details of the models inside.The box contents
Before i got my hands on a box of my own i have seen quite a few others talking about the new parts on the sprue, of course i was curious to see these bits with my own eyes and i have to admit, they don't disappoint. Apart from the sprues there was also included a manual which shows the different types of set-ups you can make and two transfer sheets with the icons of a few chapters, designation symbols and numerals. Apart from the sprues there is also a bag of bases, these seem to have a small dimple in them. Why the bases have a dimple is unknown to me but it does not distract too much.The sprues
All the components on the sprues have been numbered and grouped, the numbers correspond neatly with the numbers from the manual. The arms are not only having their numbers but also their pairing (A, B, C, or D) cast near them, this way if one is to lose the manual the pairs can still be identified easily. The special parts such as the hand holding a clip do have an extra arm but still use a normal arm to hold the weapon.The selection of different parts is actually reasonable diverse. There are a few styles of heads to choose from, including the mark VI Corvus ("Beakies"). Also included are some shoulderpads with nice details such as a skull or aquila on the rim, a sun on the shoulderpad, a hanger, or even the heavy bolts as seen on the mark V Heresy or Artificer armor. These are not extra's and in order to make all 10 tactical marines they need to be used as well. Apart from the diverse selection of separate parts there are also the standard extra's such as packs, grenades, knives, and also a few loincloths to choose from. Also new is the including of combi weapons, this removes the need to sacrifice a bolter and a special weapon to create a combi weapon to comply to WYSIWYG rules and generally makes it easier to create one.
When building i did however notice there was a different quality in mold lines, for example the boltguns have a clearly visible mold line as for the legs or head are near-invisible. As this is my first box i build these lines have been a bother for me to remove completely but i am sure this will be of little concern to the more veteran builders. Another small bother is the legs which attach to the sprue on the toes, when trying to remove it or when taking off the excess plastic it is easy to deform the foot so you have to be quite careful with this.
Conclusion
The box has some nice features, the added extra's give a little more room to make individual marines instead of having them all the same. The helmets do look a lot alike and have subtle differences i had to really look hard to find. The building of the models is easy and the manual has some ideas for people to use.+ | - |
|---|---|
| Diversity in the bits. | Some bits look a little too alike. |
| Nice extra's to add a finishing touch. | Having a 10 man squad with 'normal' shoulderpads isnt possible unless you modify it some. |
| Box looks good in the new style. |
Images
The pictures which accompany this blog were made at the Reflash.eu studio at Almere Netherlands
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