Reaper Miniatures - Detailed photo of the Special Edition figurines

[Mercade]

ZimbuTheMonkey cross posted a link to the photo of the figurines in the confirmed features and versions thread. This photo appears with a news item on the Reaper Miniatures website. Here's the news item verbatim. Thanks for spotting, ZimbuTheMonkey

posted 16 July 2010

Usually we have a couple of figure releases a month, but this month we're not going to until after our next major release, the Warlord: Savage North expansion book. So, what gives?

While it's true that we make the most consistently awesome figures for all of your gaming and painting needs here at Reaper, sometimes we get contracted out for someone else's project. The Everquest II mount that we recently produced is a fine example. During these times, we're spending every moment we have to spin tens of thousands of these special figures for our employers. This month is being spent working on an excellent pack-in for Take-Two Interactive Software and their upcoming game Sid Meier's Civilization V. Perhaps you've heard of it?

Included in their special edition box (among other things) is an art book, a soundtrack disk, and five metal figures patterned off of units in the game. Yep. Made by us. Here's a sneak peek.

No, you don't get the quarter.

So, if you're wondering why we're not making metal this month, the answer is we are making metal. Just not a regular release. To get this metal, you're going to have to get a Special Edition release of Civ V.

You can expect things to return to normal in August after Gen Con.

So they're busy all July to make the special order for the Civ5 special edition.

To follow up, there's a second article with a picture of the production.

posted 20 July 2010

After I posted the bit about the contract job the other day, I started getting a ton of questions about the status of the next release. So, in no uncertain terms, yes the next release is coming along. Here are a bunch of figures waiting for packaging right now:

For some perspective, each of those boxes weighs 20 pounds. That's a lot of metal.

 

[Calouste]

So a Giant Death Robot, English Longbowman, Modern Infantry (maybe the French Foreign Legion?), Barbarian Warrior and Roman Legion?

 

[Schuesseled]

seems like a fair assumption.

 

[Le Sage]

Looks like they portray the development of Infantry through the ages. Really worrying then that it ends with that sci-fi robot

 

[Schuesseled]

not worrying, statisfying, or even sexifing.

 

[12agnar0k]

Thanks for that picture, we assumed slightly differently as to what we would get, now I kind of want to buy it, English Longbowman !!!!! BABY! YEAH!.

And that mech looks awesome

 

[White Elk]

Whats the gold unit? Spartacus? Or some other hero of old? I think I remember reading that one of the figurines would represent that special unit which spawns under certain rare and mysterious conditions. Been out of the loop due to apathy though. Any news of that secret unit?

 

[Mercade]

Whats the gold unit? Spartacus? Or some other hero of old? I think I remember reading that one of the figurines would represent that special unit which spawns under certain rare and mysterious conditions. Been out of the loop due to apathy though. Any news of that secret unit?

You mean the rightmost of the five? It's just the lighting that gives it a slightly golden blow. It's suggested to be a roman legionair of sorts, and that makes sense to me.

 

[Wezqu]

You mean the rightmost of the five? It's just the lighting that gives it a slightly golden blow. It's suggested to be a roman legionair of sorts, and that makes sense to me.

I think the color is because of the quarter reflecting on it.

 

[White Elk]

I suppose it could be a trick of light. But the coloring seems too consistent. Though I may see tinges of that color on the other figures. If it is just the lighting, that still leaves you with one figurine to represent the special unit ~ an unbuildable unit which some unidentified trigger spawns into being. So which one is it?

 

[Mercade]

I suppose it could be a trick of light. But the coloring seems too consistent. Though I may see tinges of that color on the other figures. If it is just the lighting, that still leaves you with one figurine to represent the special unit ~ an unbuildable unit which some unidentified trigger spawns into being. So which one is it?

The photos at the Civ5 website and EBGames don't show the distinct golden glow on the legionair.

Funny though how Civ's website has the "art not final" picture with placeholder box art and the EBGames' website seems to have the more mature photo.

 

[White Elk]

I've seen the Civ5 photo and read the disclaimer. That pic (minature wise) is a bit better than the EBGames one. I don't know. Don't much care. I've decided I won't be getting the game. I am however curious as to which of those five represent the special unit.

 

[Tylerryan79]

I don't know if one does represent the special unit. I haven't seen anything confirmed atleast. I remember when we first heard about the CE of civ v and a user posted pics everyone was guessing that the mech was the special unit. I doubt that though. When we first heard about the secret unit it was said you'd only know what it was once you did certain things, then you'd see you could build it. I don't think we would see it this way, with the minis.

 

[White Elk]

Yeah I'm wondering that also Ty. But that recent pic from the minature manufacturer, with what appeared to be a special casting for one of the figures... we'll that got me wondering if perhaps an aspect of the secret had been inadvertently revealed. idk.

The miniatures seemed to be a tad more justified as a swag item, if some landmark unit was represented as part of the set. I'm not sure thats the case though. It seems possible that Civ5's figurine swag might be not much more than a counterfeit of Elementals swag pack.

Elementals figurine has actual meaning. Elementals version of Civ5's strategic view, shows units represented as figurines moved upon a cloth map. This cloth map mode has been part of the game from the first days of beta testing. The game engine was built around the ability to zoom from the cloth map all the way down to see the buttons on a units overcoat. The game was played/tested soley in this cloth map mode for quite some time. So with Elementals swag pack you get the Dragon Figurine and a cloth map of the world... both being styled to represent what you see in the game. It makes perfect sense for their swag pack to include the figurine and cloth map combo. Its commemorative. But I don't see any reason beyond copycatting, that Civ5 has figurines now. Civ5 has little buttons for unit icons lol. I could be wrong and maybe Civs tin soldiers have some meaning behind them. But hey, thats 2k's department so I doubt it ;~p So I was quite interested in that figurine that looked to be different from the set. lol

 

[Ahriman]

The shield is too small for it to be a legionary.

 

[Le Sage]

Agree with the above. That figure doesn't look like a Roman Legionnaire to me...

 

[Mustakrakish]

not worrying, statisfying, or even sexifing.

Amen brother...

 

[White Elk]

The shield is too small for it to be a legionary.

Agree with the above. That figure doesn't look like a Roman Legionnaire to me...

I concur. Though I see the style of armor and sword as being romanesque. It made me think of a Thracian gladiator... hence why Spartacus came to mind. But the helm is not plumed, and the sword is not Sica (but hollywood fails these details so things like horned helm Vikings become iconic in our games). The shield does resemble a Parmula. I can't place the helm. Whatever this figure represents, it seems Roman like to me.

I wondered about the spawn triggers if that Romanesque unit was the special unit....

Spoiler :

Freeing slaves or some other slavery, or rebellion related event might trigger a Spartacus unit.

 

[Le Sage]

The word gladiator came to my mind as well, actually. I'm really trying to see what could unite all the units they've chosen to make figurines of; and so far the Development of Infantry through World History is the only thing I can find in common with them all. Your Spartacus idea might not be far off though.

The Longbowman and that French Foreign Legion looking bloke look really good though. But the rest of them are the typical semi-realistic/fictional things that I had hoped would have been left out. I think it would be a lot more fun playing the game with really realistic-looking and historically correct units instead of purely fictional ones. The Berserker unit in Civ4 was indeed a bad example of fictional and semi-historical.

Seems like we're getting the usual mix of fact and fiction this time around as well, which is actualy rather OK, although I had preferred units only based on facts.

 

[Dragonflow]

Those figurines look really nice.
I guess that the two after the mech are the English Longbowman and the French FL, but I have no idea what the final two could be. Well the one with the mace could be barb and the last one could be a Swordsman, Roman Legion or maybe a dismounted Immortal?
I guess my first game will be as France, those FL look just awesome.