I have a few things coming for various games, most ordered last year. For some it seems like an eternity ago for some and they are all late (I get why). This week two arrived.
Please excuse the mini rant about long drop times, something only one person is responsible for and it is a first world problem.
The BRP UGE Creatures book. This one was only about a three months since random discovery to arrival, but an auto buy as the core BRP system is still my pilot point for RPG’s.
Not as much a monster manual as a guide to making monsters by class or type and across genre, it is compatible with basically every D100 game I have (with conversion notes for the Chaosium ones). It is colour, nicely presented, as comprehensive as a medium sized, universal system support book can be and I hope they follow it up with a Powers and Gear book of the same quality in the near future.
The second item was an avalanche of TMNT Unmatched boxes.
I went for the lot or I guess in pizza theming “the works”, realising that if I did not, it would never feel complete.
I was there at the beginning of TMNT. I had some 1e comics, went to the movie (original one), even got the Palladium TMNT RPG (still have a pdf of that somewhere). I have not kept up with them more recently, but it is safe to say, I am an early adopter.
The core box “with extra cheese” is the second Unmatched collaborative set, allowing for solo or team play and it is comprehensive. Two villains, two big boards, the Turtles and their sidekicks, various minor henchmen and even peripheral characters handled as events in the initiative deck.
These look true to the comics. The alternates look like later versions.
The “cheese” is an alt-art version of the main play deck, the one that handles the villains and co in the larger game. I have no need for this really, but it is cool to have.
The second box is a little pizza box full of 16 alternate character sculpts (some of the best Unmatched offers) and all the minor characters. This was a must have for me as I have decided to get minis for all sidekicks, so the official ones were a must.
A morning outing with the alternate Turtles. Action poses and more detailed than the originals.
I bought the separate card packs for Shredder and Krang so they can play normally. They will make great enemies and it completes the offer. Interestingly the core box has a hole for these, in fact as usual with Unmatched the box holds all the cards with sleeves on, so way to go Restoration Games. The only thing I have no place for is the alt-art core deck, but I will tuck that away.
Sidekicks. I shot this angle to show Splinter’s tail.
The bad crew, Shredder and Krang alternates, all the henchmen. The Alternate sculpts are better than the core ones, but also more over the top.
The last bit was an underwhelming looking plastic bag full of cool bits. 24 “Hand” Ninjas and other upgraded components (plastic traded for cardboard). These minis are up to the standard of the rest, just smaller, less varied and purple, but a huge upgrade from little marker discs!
I will continue to collect Unmatched sets, the Bruce Lee/Ali set is on the way now and Hellboy is an auto-buy. I was luke warm warm on Lee vs Ali, but then I thought I missed Lee the first time around and he and Ali are the ultimate “who would win out of…” characters that kind of define the system.
Ali vs T-Rex, Hellboy or Luke Cage, Lee vs Electra, Daredevil or Shredder, plus a temple and boxing ring. All good.
Only Captains Chair (months late now), DCeased Gotham Knights (even more overdue) and the standee upgrade box for Cyclades, disappointingly absent when ordered before Christmas.
Soon Grasshopper, soon.