Hey Folks, we’re back with another product review, and some hilariously good news. The SO’s Kickstarter box should have gotten here by the time y’all are reading this, so we’ll have an unboxing of that package some time next week. One of my ABSOLUTE favorite things about the BattleTech Plastic mini range is the Blind Salvage Boxes you can get (If you can find the damn things. They’re exceedingly rare here in Texas, and i am hoping they resume shipping soon). I got a bunch with the Mercs Kickstarter, and i’m going to share what fell out of the Boxes with you.
Honorable mention goes to the Savannah Masters, which remain sealed in their box of shame, They know what they did).
So, let’s open some magic cards i mean salvage boxes.
We got:
One Blood Asp Salvage Box (I can’t wait to see what’s inside)
3 Mercenaries Salvage Boxes
5 Legendary MechWarrior Boxes
*Some Aerospace Fighters* (Not pictured, but we’ll do these later when we cover lonely things)
Contents
So, Each Salvage Box will contain one CGL plastic Miniature (most are mechs, but i’ll cover that in a second), a double sided Alpha Strike Card, and a double sided Pilot card. You can play Alpha Strike out of the box with these, but you’ll need the sheets to play BattleTech. Each Salvage Box draws from a specific set of Mechs that can be inside (this will be roughly identified by the packaging)
So, what did we get?
We pulled
A Blood Asp (An absolute shock to everyone)
A Maxim hover transport (Pulled out of a mercs box)
A Javelin (Mercs)
A Firestarter (Mercs)
A Pair of Bounty Hunter Warhammers (Legends)
A Devastator (Legends)
A Bounty Hunter Loki II (Legends)
A Bounty Hunter Timber Wolf (Legends)
How did i know these are Bounty Hunter Versions? They come with Bounty Hunter Pilot Cards.
So, Let’s take a look at the boys up close .
Blood Asp
The Blood Asp is a massive Clan Assault Omnimech built by Clan Star Adder. It shows up in several Computer and video games and is one of the most well known designs of its era (MechAssault 2 and Mech Commander 2 both featured this design). This is why neither of its Pilot card options are from the Star Adders (one of them is actually featuring one of the Mechwarriors from Mech Commander 2)
Maxim
I have to say, I'm not amused when i open a box that says 1 ‘Mech on the package and its got a hover tank in it. Maxims are pretty universally used throughout the Inner Sphere, so i will find a home for it, but I'm still annoyed it’s not literally anything else. Note: This Salvage box did not come with a BattleTech pilot card.
Javelin
One of the Iconic Davion Lights, the Javelin is actually a mech i was looking for. I have a second one in one of my lance packs, but so far I've been very good about not opening them. You’ll see this Javelin (and his buddy the Firestarter) in my Argyle Lancers Project.
Firestarter
One of the most tactically interesting light mechs ever built, the Firestarter is a personal favorite of mine going on thirty years. Like the Javelin above, this one is also in a Force Pack but I am using this one for the Argyle Lancers.
(These three fell out of Mercenaries Salvage Boxes)
Warhammer (Bounty Hunter Edition) x2
I love the classic Warhammer, and the sculpt on this one is so good. The Alpha Strike Cards for this one are generic Warhammers, but the Pilot Card is the 0/0 Bounty Hunter Vic. I’m kind of stoked i pulled two of these (and have a complete Bounty Hunter Box)
Timber Wolf (Bounty Hunter Edition)
The Bounty Hunter Timber Wolf is a cool sculpt and holy Jesus. The Alpha Strike Card (Both sides) are massive at nearly a hundred points on each side, but both Pilots are Skill 0, which is a massive chunk of beatings. Both of the Pilot cards for BattleTech are equally dangerous at 0/0. The more i see of these Bounty Hunter cards, the more terrifying i find the box. (I will end up doing a full Bounty Hunter force, representing the Hunter and his team at some point, probably when the Mercs Book comes out).
Loki II
The newest design in the bunch, and a revision of one of my favorite mechs, the Loki II has a Pilot Card representing the Bounty Hunter himself, and another representing one of his associates. The Alpha Strike Cards mirror these personnel, but don’t merit a double sided card (Like Marcus Barton below). I’m a huge fan of the design, and it tickles me that I've got two. I’m also pleasantly surprised that its one of the newest designs we’ve seen in plastic.
Devastator
Transformers jokes aside, the Devastator lives up to its Assault mech weight class. I think its wider than the Emperor and nearly as tall as the Atlas II. It’s a big boy, and plays like one. Unlike the other cards we’ve seen so far, this Devastator is Marcus Barton (of McCarron’s Armored Cavalry Fame). His Alpha strike card is double sided, with the mech stats on one side and his special rules on the other. His BattleTech MechWarrior card likewise takes up both sides.
Breakdown:
Salvage Boxes are a gamble, and that’s at least 60% of their charm (The other being it’s the only way to get single mechs in Catalyst Plastic). They’re pretty much playable in AS out of the box and that is something i absolutely love. Like all minis, they’re going to need a little bit of prep work before you paint them, but that’s not new news.
AS Point Cost (in the box) As each box is a random draw, there’s no way of guessing what the PV in the box will be. However, each one comes with an AS card, so you should be able to give them a spin in Alpha Strike.
Battle Value isn’t calculated for these boxes, and you would need to use the Master Unit list to factor out the BV cost. Note, the Legendary Pilots (especially the ones with multiple Special Pilot Abilities) are going to skew your valuations.
Thoughts: Like i said, i absolutely love these things, and they remind me of the joy of opening a pack of baseball cards (Or Magic: The Gathering Cards, if you’re that kind of nerd). You don’t know what’s in the box, but boy howdy is it going to be fun. Like this entire line of products, they’ll need a little bit of prep work if you’re going to paint them, but they are ready to play Alpha Strike out of the box. You’ll need to grab a Record Sheet for BattleTech play though.
Overall Rating:
5 stars.
These things are sold out lots of places, but retail for around $7.99 US if you can find them. They're a delightful bite sized way to pick up BattleTech minis and are an excellent way to start a friend on BattleTech, and at their price point, you can pick one up at your LGS if you hadn’t planned on picking up a heavier purchase that day.
So, that’s our product review of these Salvage Boxes. .
No comments:
Post a Comment