Bones 6 Enthusiasm and Commentary

[Guyra]

Well, the campaign is over. With $900k less than the previously worst Reaper Bones KS(Bones III), it's absolutely a dud of a Bones KS. There seems to be a dozen different reasons for why it turned out this way. But even as the worst performing Bones KS, it did end up at ~$1.84 million - which is still quite the success!

I imagine the remaining, revealed stretch goals will be unlocked during the PM - this is something Reaper's done before. They might also choose to just unlock stuff in the campaign end update, which is probably just around the corner.

And then there will likely also be extra stuff to add in the PM that we've not seen during the KS. (Like the Power Ups in Bones 5, or potentially even old stuff like in Bones 5.5.)

[Disciple of Sakura]

After being a participant in Bones KSs since Bones 2, I have to say, this was incredibly lackluster for me. I never got that excited about it, far too many things in it felt like redundancies of existing offerings, and it felt really mismanaged compared to previous KS. Bones 5 had tons of really exciting "encounter" add-ons with cool bits of terrain and lots of other neat things, and this one just had... nothing that really made me nearly as excited. The fact that they previewed the Stirges before the KS and waited until the last possible moment to put them into a bog-standard encounter feels like such a misstep. They could easily have made the stirges a simple add-on for $5 or $8 and people would've gone nuts for something like that. Instead, you get some goblins and a merrow, without any cool terrain or other things.

 

I'm sure a lot of people really enjoyed this KS, and maybe it's because I'm already a repeat customer, but I spent over $600 on Bones 5, and I don't know that I'll spend a third of that on this one. It brought in only about half of the Bones 5 total during its run, too. I'm not sure what was different, but it felt like a drastically different team running this one. It felt like an entirely new to KS team, honestly. Congratulations to those who worked on this for getting their stuff funded, and maybe Reaper was aiming for a much smaller KS this time around, but it just feels like a massive let down after prior outings.

[Bane Of Humanity]

Sorry all, had to stay out of this one this time.  i reallly wanted those ants...  

[aku-chan]

Pretty annoyed they threw the Lady Storm Giant in at the last minute as a Kickstarter Exclusive, I really wanted that one.

 

 

[Sirithiliel]

13 minutes ago, Disciple of Sakura said:

After being a participant in Bones KSs since Bones 2, I have to say, this was incredibly lackluster for me. I never got that excited about it, far too many things in it felt like redundancies of existing offerings, and it felt really mismanaged compared to previous KS. Bones 5 had tons of really exciting "encounter" add-ons with cool bits of terrain and lots of other neat things, and this one just had... nothing that really made me nearly as excited. The fact that they previewed the Stirges before the KS and waited until the last possible moment to put them into a bog-standard encounter feels like such a misstep. They could easily have made the stirges a simple add-on for $5 or $8 and people would've gone nuts for something like that. Instead, you get some goblins and a merrow, without any cool terrain or other things.

 

I'm sure a lot of people really enjoyed this KS, and maybe it's because I'm already a repeat customer, but I spent over $600 on Bones 5, and I don't know that I'll spend a third of that on this one. It brought in only about half of the Bones 5 total during its run, too. I'm not sure what was different, but it felt like a drastically different team running this one. It felt like an entirely new to KS team, honestly. Congratulations to those who worked on this for getting their stuff funded, and maybe Reaper was aiming for a much smaller KS this time around, but it just feels like a massive let down after prior outings.

 

You summed it up well. I agree entirely

 

I settled on:

 

Owlbear tale

Anniversary dragon

Briarwood vale

[haldir]

2 hours ago, aku-chan said:

Pretty annoyed they threw the Lady Storm Giant in at the last minute as a Kickstarter Exclusive, I really wanted that one.

 

 

 

Anther one??

 

I didn't even notice that, thou I only kept up with the final day via email updates.

 

I was going to get the giant anyways, but I hate seeing KS exclusives. Just gives a reason for "If you don't get it now, you can't get it later."

[strawhat]

I had a pledge for $200.  I cancelled it.  I ended up re-pledging for $125.  I'm under $150 in the PM, but I "should" be about twice that.  I might make it back up to $200-ish, but I might not.  I'm feeling uncharacteristically stubborn about this (and I'm already pretty stubborn by nature).

 

There are many decisions made by Reaper this go-round that I do not understand, and that is very likely to keep my pledge amount lower.  Why get the lancers if I'm not getting Briarwood (and how do we not have a bee-zerker?!  How?!)?  Why get the extra ants (without the queen) if I'm not getting the Core?  Why are the skeletal hounds in Denizens away from the handler in the Core?  Why is the [owlbear] hatchling in the core away from Winterfall?  The hyenadon away from the Blackmanes?  Why does Vandorendra have a rattle?

 

Where were the Deep Ones?

 

Where were the Slaughterwaulers?

 

The encounters really drove my Bones V purchases, and dropping them into the mix only at the very end of ends did much to lessen my anticipation.

 

Kickstarter Exclusives suck.  Full stop.  I get that the numbers may not be right for a profitable retail release, but I hope that at least some of the KS Exclusives will really be more like "Kickstarter Limited" or "Kickstarter Featured" and have some sort of pledge manager rotation.

 

 

[Inarah]

1 hour ago, Chris Palmer said:

 

Reaper is showing the Storm Goddess and the Goblin Encounter as unlocked on the Kickstarter page:

 

 

Ah, good, I wasn't sure what I would do with the extra ~$30 I put in if they didn't make it.   I did not realize the Goddess was going to be exclusive.  

 

 

1 hour ago, lexomatic said:

Gonna have to think about Rotstump Bog. Not what I was expecting. Like the dead sitting dude and the witch a lot though.

 

The little rat sold me on it. 

 

1 hour ago, Magnus Brickson said:

Love it or here it, that core set finished at 114 minis for $125. That's a good deal

 

I think it was said that came out to $1.09 per figure. 

 

22 minutes ago, strawhat said:

There are many decisions made by Reaper this go-round that I do not understand, and that is very likely to keep my pledge amount lower.  Why get the lancers if I'm not getting Briarwood (and how do we not have a bee-zerker?!  How?!)?  Why get the extra ants (without the queen) if I'm not getting the Core?  Why are the skeletal hounds in Denizens away from the handler in the Core?  Why is the [owlbear] hatchling in the core away from Winterfall?

 

 

Been wondering the same. 

 

 

[corbie]

The lighthouse made sense as a KS exclusive, since it's a big, niche piece that would probably never make it to retail. Surprised about the giant, since I'd think she'd do well in stores. Definitely grabbing her.

[Joshinminn]

52 minutes ago, aku-chan said:

Pretty annoyed they threw the Lady Storm Giant in at the last minute as a Kickstarter Exclusive, I really wanted that one.

 

 

What’s the complaint on KS exclusives? Is it on principal? Genuinely curious, couldn’t you just have backed the KS for that alone? And anyone will be able to join the Pledge Manager as a late backer for a minor increase later. 

[AlonTey]

Honestly don't mind the "kickstarter exclusives" too much seeing as the previous kickstarters also had a ton of things in them that, surprise, are never going to be for sale.  Sure, I'd prefer everything to eventually come to retail over exclusives, but if they're going to have these big ticket items we'll never see again I'm glad they're labeling them as such now.

[bearsman6]

I've said it a couple times before, but it bears repeating I think because it shows how vastly different the perspective can be for people with different histories:

This was my first Bones KS, and I absolutely loved it. I'm currently on the hook for less than I will end up paying (due to what I learned about how the Pledge Manager will work...) but I really thought this was fun. Yes, it was a bit slow in the middle, but anything that pulls $1.8+million  seems like a good KS to me, regardless of past KS performances.

 

Here are my closing thoughts on the minis, for those who care -- and because I want to put it out here! Yeah!

Also, Long Post Warning?

 

DEFINITELY GETTING

+ Core set --> the value here is insane, and even if I don't particularly need all of them, the amount I'd pay at retail for just a fraction of this is too much for me to pass on. My favorite pieces: Bog Shambler (22015), Asandris Nightbloom (22026), Dreadmere Catalina (22056), Brinewind Angelica (22067), Werebear (22087), Eyelick Newt (22099), and Ranger Raptorkin (22111). -- And yes, I have a thing for well designed female minis. I also don't have enough of them for my players, of which 60% are female (and more like to RP one).

+ Briarwood Vale --> I knew this would be mine the moment they teased the fairy dragons. Everything about this spoke to me. Then they revealed Shimmerscale... I mean, it's just one of the neatest dragons I'll ever own. Right beside...

+ Anniversary Dragon --> Do I need to explain why this thing is amazing? AND it comes with a death knight? OH, it comes with two? FFS yes. Shut up and take my money.

+ Chaarondar --> I'm a sucker for dragons, and I love that this is a different style of pose from the norm. The more upright, aggressive, less bestial nature? I love it.

+ Storm Giant Queen --> As soon as I saw her, I knew I needed her. Like, I need this one. I loved the beautiful regality of this sculpt when I saw it teased. Glad they got rid of the armor nipples. Even George Clooney couldn't pull that off, and he was Batman!

 

POSSIBLY GETTING

~ Egg of the Phoenix --> I like the idea of this set. I like the salamanders, because they're rarer minis, and these sculpts are fun. I love that freaking Flame Drake! The turnaround on it and the flying carpet have probably sent me over the edge on this one. I also really like that Levid is a non-typical looking character. This is likely to be up there with Denizens as my first addition to the Pledge Manager over what I paid in the KS.

 Denizens of the Dungeon --> I am very much on the fence about this. I like the little norkers (not needs though). The hyenadon is fun. I will never have enough spiders, given my tendency to throw entire swarms of them at my players... and the SLUG and BOTH WYVERNS are amazing! Maybe I want the trolls. They could be useful. The orcs suffer from the same "I have double HeroQuest" problem, though I do like that they're clearly a squad. Demilich I want. Flumph I want. but the others... meh? SO when I do the math looking at this, I really should get this expansion. Why haven't I committed to it yet? I truly don't know, and that moment of pause is something I need to consider.

~ Hellborn Heroes --> I'm not sure about these. I do like the sculpts (especially that top left cleric!). I know they're a good deal at this price. I also know how hard good not-Tiefling minis are to find. I will probably get these once I've gotten another paycheck.

~ Lizardfolk --> These guys feel similar to me as the Hellborn: useful enemies that could also be monstrous PC races. The shaman sculpt speaks to me for some reason, and since I also really like the Clubber and Axer (that's what I think of the Tyrant as), I will likely get these.

~ Bugbears --> I realllllllllly love the sculpts here. ALL of them have so much personality and flair! I can't tell whether Grumpf or Klogg is my favorite. I do wish they had more PC-friendly weaponry, especially since Bugbears are one of the monstrous races my players love to run. But this one is only 5 figures for the same price as the Hellborn. That puts them lower in my priority list, sadly.

 

DEFINITELY NOT GETTING

- The Green Griffin --> Since the first adventure I ever wrote was set in a bar, I've crafted my own bar terrain/scatter. Many of the minis still speak to me, with my highlights as: Briggley, Miss Rose, Cap'n Dimitri, and Liriel (I love bards). But there's just too much terrain here dragging my perceived value down.

- Shadows of Sullenhall --> Maybe it's just that I really don't want all the terrain, because I'm noticing a trend in my "definitely not" list. This one also has the downside of being heavily undead themed, and that is one of the few places where I DO have tons of minis already... thanks to having the original HeroQuest game and the recent rerelease as well. I do think the wraith mini is cool, and I may end up grabbing the sexy ghost at retail. The rest are cool but just not for me.

- Lost Tombs of Hakir --> I totally dig the vibe and coherence of this set. I love the timing it has currently with Moon Knight too. The sculpts are all really neat, with many being downright beautiful or imposing. This is totally up someone's alley. Just not mine. Also, I just really don't need or want big terrain. What I do use, I've mostly already made for myself.

- Paints --> I play with blank plastic minis. I do not paint, and I will not paint. It's not something I am good at, and I don't want to spend the time to get good at it. Besides, I have no problem playing with unpainted minis. Am I jealous of those of you with the time, energy, experience, and skill to have beautiful minis? Yes. Will that ever be me? Nope.

- Gnolls --> I just don't need 6 gnolls for $14. My money is going elsewhere, and there's nothing in there I desperately need. I do really like the sculpts on the greataxe and dual-wielding ones.

- Men at Arms --> A really cool idea, but I don't need to pose my minis myself. Also, I've got a fair number of guard types already (or coming in the core set). I'm good.

- Chibis --> I love that they're making these, but they are 100% not for me. I have bought many of the Pathfinder regular minis Reaper has made at retail. I don't want chibi proportions.

- Orcs of the Ragged Wound --> I think, if I'm going to get any of this (admittedly badass) set, it'll be in the Denizens. I prefer those sculpts to these.

- Talons of Winterfall --> Such a neat idea for an encounter. I do really like the mother owlbear figure, and I find that those kinds of minis are hard to find. But that's really the only piece of this set that I want, and she's just not worth $18 to me alone. Hopefully she'll come to retail someday.

- Lighthouse --> This was not for me. It's another big piece of terrain. Even though I love that it started as a meme, and it's a KS exclusive, I don't care. I rarely if ever have FOMO, and this won't do it for me. I do love the Slaughterwalrus as a concept. Even Mirch's concept art looks neat.

- Goblins of Rotstump Bog --> For some reason this does not speak to me at all. Goblins fall into the "double HeroQuest" curse. The bigger dude is ugly (in that great way), but not great for me. The stirges are nice, but I'll get them (and probably only them) at retail.

- All the extras --> I'm already getting the Core Set, and trust me when I say the timing on those wolves is way too late. I literally spent $50 last month creating a wolf pack for my players. I needed 20ish. (Yes, I am an evil DM at times.) So I've already got them. So it goes.

 

 

[Cintra]

So, I wasn't planning to get the Chibi Goblins. But with the Goblins of Rotstump Bog, now I'm picturing getting the Chibi Goblins and painting them like they're carved from wood, and having them be statues (or warning markers) at the entrance to the Bog.

[Werkrobotwerk]

I'm definitely in for tomb of hakir, and briarwood vale, bee lancers, and hell born. phoenix egg is a maybe, ants and newts are maybes.

[Great Khan Artist]

1 hour ago, Guyra said:

Well, the campaign is over. With $900k less than the previously worst Reaper Bones KS(Bones III), it's absolutely a dud of a Bones KS. There seems to be a dozen different reasons for why it turned out this way. But even as the worst performing Bones KS, it did end up at ~$1.84 million - which is still quite the success!

I imagine the remaining, revealed stretch goals will be unlocked during the PM - this is something Reaper's done before. They might also choose to just unlock stuff in the campaign end update, which is probably just around the corner.

And then there will likely also be extra stuff to add in the PM that we've not seen during the KS. (Like the Power Ups in Bones 5, or potentially even old stuff like in Bones 5.5.)

 

I hope so. The slaughter pigs were my favorite reveal and we didn't get a chance to purchase them.