Hi there! I need some input from you fellow ALEPH players... I've realized recently that I need to put my wargaming collection under some sort of control, because I might have just a little too much of this stuff... I mean, I counted - and I have over 400 Infinity minis (and then, there's AoS and WH40K...). I definitely need to purge some of them for the sake of my shelf space, free time and sanity in general. I've already sold portions of my Nomads, YJ and NA2 armies. Now it's time to take a look at ALEPH. As we now, CB retired a lot of old ALEPH models, including most of the Steel Phalanx. I happen to have quite a few of the SP minis and I'm starting to think that I might not need all of them. Especially as CB might release better versions of them at some point (I think?). Some of them I might want to keep, though... So I need help deciding. I already have Achilles 2.0 and Hippolyta assembled - as well as my version of Nesaie Alke I converted from Chandra. I own Hector and Andromeda - and these sculpts didn't get retired by CB. So I won't be dropping them. What about Atalanta, Penthesilea and Scylla, though? These are three models I'd be tempted to keep - but how do they compare to the newer SP models? Would they stick out due to quality, scale differences etc.? What's your opinion? Also, what about the Thorakitae? They had a box a few years ago which looked really nice - so I was surprised to see CB retire it. Did you guys assemble these models? Are they bad in some way? And overall - are there any news / leaks / rumours regarding new SP sculpts? Any renders etc.? Oh, and any news regarding Marut resculpt, perhaps..? Any advice?
No news at all, was expecting the big lady to show up with the other TAGs, I think May would be the earliest you would see any concepts or renders for SP. There hasn't been any news about us that I have seen, the Naga hacker sculpt feels like a bone thrown our way to show that they haven't forgotten us but we are a low priority.
Don't expect resculpts any time soon. If anything, I would hang on to the discontinued models, because it'll probably be years at least before new sculpts come out. The late N2 era Steel Phalanx sculpts are high quality, but do look a little small next to the digitally sculpted N3/N4 stuff.
IMO Atalanta, Penny, and Scylla are all fine. Penny is the most out of scale, the other two are OK and none of the three is outside the bounds of "petite woman-sized" compared to other sculpts. (Diminutive Scylla looks like a librarian already, her being kind of short and unimposing-looking but a hacking monster is a cool vibe.) The Thorakitae SWC box's sculpts are beautiful and, much like the recent Acon sculpts from the SAA and Bagh-Mari boxes/blisters, it suuuucks that they've gone OOP.
I wouldn't hold my breath. They will exhaust all sellable models from the "in production" line first, then decide if they want to bring back an OOP line, they'll go for the most commercial, which is a coin toss, but I'd bet on Acontecimiento first... Atalanta has a very nice Total Reaction profile now, Penny now cuts bots as easier as people, Scylla has been nerfed in a way, but massively boosted in her programs and device selection... she is the only EVO that has an anti-hacker program. As for scale, they are farily consistant with all SP units. Nope, not bad at all (aside from AVA6 for a unit with 7 models and the Specops XD ), the box was with the special weapons not released before (HMG, Feuerbach, SMG and a second Combi to the starter ones), but while they try to be like the original ones (combi, chain rifle, LGL) from the SP starter box, they are more "stylized" (in the male's case, a little less bulky, but they are not hunched over like the old ones); the change in style is noticeable to a player who is used to the old models, but new players won't notice the difference. No and no. I wouldn't wait for new sculpts, and the Marut resculpt... I dunno, we can't even trust the auxiliary unit, since the Sphynx's one was made in line with the old model and now is as differenciated from the TAG as the Marut's...
Atalanta is actually still in the store, so I think she won't be removed any time soon, and as xagroth said she has a very nice profile. Penny still has her newer Bootleg biker model, so I suspect she'd be low priority to update, as that is sculpted to be a playable model (unlike the Pilot bootlegs). The only issue I had with the scylla model is the clunky bot compared to the newer dakinis, and those bots are still in production with the Deva box (though I hope that would be rescaled and released at some point, it's the one that most needs it of the remaining boxes) so I wouldn't expect a resculpt until that box goes oop. I actually picked up the Thorakitae they were so nice looking, and they went together fine. I believe around when they announced TAGvember someone asked about a marut resculpt and one of the staff (Carlos?) said "not planned at this time". So unfortunately we won't see a bunny bot update anytime soon. As it's only been 6 months since they went oop, I think we won't see any SP resculpts until 2022 at the earliest, when Aleph seems tentatively scheduled for Code1.
Thanks for all the answers! I was worried a little, because I have the Synchronized Devas box... which is really old, I think... and the Devas there are noticeably smaller than new ALEPH minis. The female Deva looks positively pixiesh! But the Dactyls (which are SP) look fine... If Penny, Atalanta etc. fit with them, there shouldn't be a problem. Now, what to purge, speaking from game useability perspective? Here are the SP characters I have and I'd like to keep: Achilles Hector Andromeda Nesaie (proxied by Chandra) Hippolyta Thrasymedes Atalanta Penthesilea Ajax Scylla Teucer These are the choices based on the combination of fluff, game useability and aesthetics. To various extents: I mean, Teucer seems to be a really annoying person, based on the fluff :) But I can't resist a sniper who shoots a Feuerbach... Characters I consider cutting are: Drakios Acmon Machaon Phoenix I'm tempted to keep Phoenix because of his heavy launcher. The other three don't do much for me... But maybe I'm missing something? BTW. Here's a Penny question for you - do you guys have a good way of proxying her in the dismounted mode? Or do you keep her strictly on the bike?
Acmon is amazing now, Machaon and Phoenix have always been strong choices, but Drakios has been and remains lackluster.
If you’re keeping the sectorial, just keep them all. It gives you options that you might not realize you like or want to try yet. This comes from someone who feels an obsessive need to complete each sectorial I have.
Phoenix used to be the backbone of every Steel Phalanx list, to the point that it was repetitive and boring. Eventually N3 nerfed him to the point that he was merely good.
Don't get rid of models you want to play. Repeat do not get rid of models you want to play. CB hasn't brought a sectoral back from hard storage yet. They did a soft freeze on Shaz for most of third edition, it was something like 5 years between some paradisoish releases and their release with 0-12. I would not be surprised if it was that long or longer for cold storage factions to get revisited. Second, Mac is the very definition of a work horse. He does everything, he's a Dr, he is shock immune/nwi, he is a wip 15 specialist, he can make good use of an LT order, he's a good gun fighter, he stabs, he has eclipse, he's even reasonably priced. Of all the myrmidons he would be the very last one I would let go. Phoenix is excellent as well, just not as multifaceted. Steel lacks long range fire support, he has an HRL. (Other options being all the Agema(s), and the new patroclease). All of those options are very different, Pat is HI with a projector, the Agema (atalanta and teucer) all have msv, phoenix has odd and links. They're all useful against different types of targets. Anyway I wouldn't consider getting rid of anything you want to play, and especially not maceon and phoenix.
Phoenix, Mac, Acmon, and Drakios are also all CAD sculpts, so there's no guarantee they'd get resculpts even if CB do bring back the Steel Phallus. Even Drakios, the least impressive of the four, can be great against overwatching MSVs being a source of Albedo for the Phallus.
Ah! I suppose you are all right... That said: you guys do know that, between Infinity, AoS and WH40K, I already own 1100+ minis? The chances are I will never get to even assembling some of this stuff... And watching all these boxes and blisters collect dust makes me depressed. That's why I recently decided to go Marie Kondo on my collection and jettison the stuff that didn't excite me... ... not sure if Acmon excites me, to be honest.
Well, in that case... I'd go that way: Am I going to use this model in any reasonable future (I know, we are in the Era of Covid, actual games are rather... problematic. But still)? If the answer is "no", off with it. If the answer is "yes", keep it. Myself, I'm very close to 300 Infinity minis (296 assembled, painted and all-in-all table-ready, 3 more painted, but not yet varnished. Models not yet painted: 3, two of them are ready for pre-assembly and undercoating, one is not started at all yet). This makes for 6 sectorials I do play on regular basis (save for Covid). I do - technically - have a 7th sectorial about 80% complete, purely by having the other 6. I decided against actually starting it, because I wouldn't really have time to play it. You seem to have several factions yourself, and several games. How much of that you do play? With any regularity?
If you want to play ASS in future I'd definitely hold on to Acmon, a gunslinger Wildcard that's also a specialist? Hells yeah! Edit: If I were to start selling off minis I'd probably go by faction rather than piecemeal as otherwise you end up swiss cheeseing your options. I'd also hang on to anything OOP to avoid future seller's remorse. That said, I've never sold any Infinity myself, just my GW minis before I moved.
If you’re looking to cull your collection down, pick a couple of armies and keep those, then ditch everything else. Again, completionist there, but having part of a sectorial isn’t usually ideal. Unless you’re only playing locally with friends and not doing any tournaments or events. A good way to have some variety, and keep your collection manageable would be to keep two armies with two sectorials each, then add one NA2 army that draws heavily from the two you’ve kept. For example, PanO (VIRD and SWF) and Nomads (CJC and TJC) then also get the handful of other models needed for foreign company. Those five sectorials all do different things and will give you a variety of toys while also leaving your nomads and pano diverse enough to play vanilla. Then, ditch everything else. You could accomplish a similar level of variety by just getting combined army and all of its sectorials.
Well... not much as of yet, admittedly. I planned on playing a lot more in 2020, but then Covid hit and I just don't want to risk meeting people for games. This is... infuriating, admittedly. I want to play! But yes, I do have a lot of stuff. When it comes to Infinity, I have Haqqislam, Nomads, ALEPH, Yu Jing, Combined Army and JSA (and Foreign Company, but that's only additional 10 minis or so above what I already own). Then there's AoS, where I collect Stormcasts, Daughters of Khaine, Skaven and Slaves to Darkness (and related Chaos stuff - definitely adding the new Slaaneshi archers for the StD army, they are just too cool...). And then, there's WH40K with a combined Sisters / Marines army and CSM / Deathguard army... Lots of cool stuff, it's just that I'm building it all quite slowly.. Hmmm. Okay, please explain it to me: what's so great about him, exactly? I'm looking at his stats and I'm just not seeing it. He has BS 13, but so do a few other SP troopers. He's a Wildcard, but there are other Wildcards there, too... The one thing that stands out to me is his Tactical Awareness. Aside from that, he seems like a more fighty version of a Dactyl... which is a plus, but I like my Dactyl gal, because she's cute... BTW. Drakios's Albedo - is it actually useful? I know, but I... just can't make myself ditch a whole army. I like all of them! I guess I could ditch JSA, but they are actually the smallest one. Aside from them, all of the armies I own are interesting and appeal to me on some level...
Acmon pluses: Panzerfaust for long range ARO and armour cracking Burst 4 breaker in a Fireteam for close range armour cracking. Tactical Awareness lets you break the order cap, very valuable on a Wildcard. Unhackable Specialist Unhackable 2W trooper, great for joining Fireteams with a Doctor as he can take 2W and be brought back to life again. Burst 2 CC21 with his pistols in the active turn is surprisingly capable. Surprisingly cheap for his capabilities, 31 points, which includes Engineer and Tactical Awareness, skills which are usually 4 points each! Great model in a gunslinger pose. One of the cheaper Enormoustacos bearers.
Alright, I'm sold. :) Could you explain Albedo to me, too? I'm not sure if it's useful or not. On a lighter note: I'm currently watching a 1994 movie called T-Force. It's basically a Steel Phalanx action movie! Seriously! :D
Core linked MSV2 snipers are some of the most oppressive AROs in the game, Drakios can potentially walk right up to them and unleash a pair of flamethrower templates and a Burst 3-4 gun!
