OK, lets get a little real here. The latest pre-orders are up for Adeptus Titanicus and you have to wonder.... Does this price me out of the game? Its been a full year of hype and anticipation, but am I really interested enough at the cost of the game?
I know many people will just jump into this game, whether its buying the base Rule Set box and then will slowly purchase any Titans they wish, or scrambling to get the few (very limited release box set) Grand Master Box Set.
However, the Rule Set box comes with this..... No miniatures..... for $60 USD
The Rules Set: This box contains:
The 96 page Adeptus Titanicus rulebook
6x Titan Command Terminals
2x Imperial Knight Command Terminals
Mission, stratagem and weapon cards
Reference sheets and accessories such as dice, a range ruler and a Battlefield Assets set.
Now the Grand Master Edition Box Set is listed at $290 USD with enough miniatures for two people if you split it. It comes with
2x Warlord Titans
6x Questoris Knights
The rules set and Command Terminals (everything in the rule set box)
Sector Imperialis scenery
So what it comes down to is this...... Bad Marketing in the extreme.
Going all in.
Getting a Grand Master Edition Box set is what we all would want in an ideal world. However.... $290 to get what you need to play the game? Way out of touch. Will we do it anyhow? Possibly. It depends on your financial situation this month. At this point cost though.... Doesn't Kill Team sound much more sound?
Splitting the Grand Master Box Set
If you go in with someone to purchase this set, you will be splitting the Titan Command Terminals, Mission, Strategem, and Weapon cards. Which literally means you will be also having to buy another Rule Set box for an additional $60. So your total cost.... for two people...... is $350. $175 when split, which is a lot better.
Individually?
yea, we all know where this is going, but at least you can spread it out and purchase models later. Hopefully there will even be more options by the time we get around to picking up the models. Or perhaps we will be side tracked elsewhere, pick up some miniatures for a different game that does not have a $200 buy in. Rules $60+ Warlord Titan $110+ Imperial Knights $35= 205, without terrain sets.
The Value of the game.
Yes there is a lot of hype right now for this game, but really it's mostly all hype and will pass. Will people be playing this game 2 months from now? Hard to say. Although its claimed that the rules will provide lots of variability..... it is really two identical factions going head to head. Even with different stratagems and weapon lay outs with so little available and both sides being identical to each other in options I see a lot less variability and even replay-ability than other games that are much easier to get into.
Kill Team is the ultimate opposite of Adeptus Titanicus. Low cost to get into, lots of great options, and a sound ruleset. Kill Team is the ultimate great idea, low entry cost, great starters, terrain, and lots of options to play right off the release.
While I see the potential in Adeptus Titanicus... and I have not played it, do not own it, and have not been privy to review the actual game...... I see little reason to jump into it until something changes or more is revealed.
1. A real starter set...... This should of been there right out of the gate. An easier jump in point for your Adeptus Titanicus that includes terrain, perhaps without a Warlord Titan. So a couple different layouts of knights or even a Warhound Titan would of been a better idea. Set a starter so that people can afford it.
(I do think the value of the Warlord is good, just that it was a poor choice as a box set to jump into the game with).
2. Factions..... I know this is harder, but factions with distinct differences would of been great. Whether its Traitors with the powers and taint of chaos, or even differing houses.
While this may all change once I get the game in hand or get a chance to see it, for now I am passing on it, and will get a little more Kill Team, or spend my monthly gaming allotment elsewhere. Personally I think the game may be great, may turn out to be all that we want and expanded into Epic, but for now its just now showing the value I personally want to see in a game.
Overall I believe this release was executed poorly.
What will you be doing? Jumping all in? Splitting a Grand Master box set if you can get one quick enough? or just waiting to see how it all goes down?