Dystopian Wars - The British are Coming!

Today, we the expansion to the British Crown Faction, the Victory Battlefleet from Dystopian Wars to preview!
Dystopian Wars is a Jules Verne-style Steampunk/Sci-fi naval (and air) tabletop wargame originally produced by Spartan Games, the IP was purchased by Warcradle Studios several years ago when Spartan collapsed.
Any tips/tricks improvements for this kind of video are welcome, I have plenty more models and game systems to look over (including every model made for Victory at Sea) if you like this occasional format.

[@Drachinifel]

Pinned post for Q&A :)

[@thehandoftheking3314]

Hey Drach, continuing with the tabletop games, how do you personally rate different games and systems? What bare your top 5/10? BFG, X-Wing, Dystopian Wars etc.

[@joshthomas-moore2656]

So which ones HMS Warpsite Lord Drach?

[@beaker126]

Hey Drach, did you ever play Man O' War from Games Workshop? I unfortunately got into it as it was getting phased out, and models were getting harder to come by. Did haveca good few games with it though.

[@andygeary3531]

Hey drach I have a question for you- In the Battleship era, did reducing the amount of propellant bags change the impact damage done? If yes then why would they reduce the amount of bags used to shoot at shorter distances rather than just lower the elevation of the gun?

[@johnbattyll6874]

You may have answered this before but if you could Captain one vessel in the period that your channel covers which would it be? Also warhammer 40k do you play and what factionn(s)?

[@kefkaZZZ]

Love the rant about paint, when it comes to underglazes there is constantly the same issue with colours not being what they say they are or drying out.

[@malusignatius]

Apart from wishing the Hotspur had a through-deck flight deck, they look pretty darned spiffy. If I ever get into Dystopian Wars, these and the Antarctic faction are high on my list.

[@stretch3281]

The miss naming of corax white is not its only problem.... its so chalky. You'd probably be better off using tippex. Any titanium white heavy body artist acrylic, well waterd down, is a much better option.

[@steveclarke6257]

I entirely agree that but I use a solution of matt medium and water (ration of 1:2 works well) to dilute the paint with, rather than just water. If you desperately want to use "contrast paint" (vastly over priced stuff in my opinion as its all about the undercoat not the paint), I use White Artists ink as it far cheaper...again diluting this in the same matt medium. I have found that the tricky bit working in ink is working the dilution ratios worked out, because its different for each ink.

[@Del_S]

GW's white paint options seem to be notoriously awful across the board right now. Other brands like Vallejo Game Colour and Army Colour seem to be slightly better if a plain white is what you need.

[@richmcgee434]

On a vaguely related note, have you looked at Brigade Models' extensive range of aeronef miniatures? Flying antigrav ships with a nice variety of design aesthetics, ranging from pre-Dreadnought up to some almost-WW1 styles. They're based in the UK, and along with Ground Zero Games are two of the best small casting companies in the country when it comes to quality, cost, and reliability.

[@Drachinifel]

Yeah, i have a few :)

[@richmcgee434]

@@Drachinifel The recent South American ships seem to be pushing toward less "wet navy" inspired designs, for better or worse. Looking a lot more like starships with wooden deck planking and funnels. :)

[@trainfan-ks5hk]

link?

[@rippertrain]

This is my favourite channel. But in Canada we say " the Brits kept comming" Edit: I'll have to watch this later tonight

[@BlazingWolfNova]

Is Drach ever going to show us a game played with these?

[@lordofrats4703]

I would love to see a game played or maybe a Drach styled "post-battle" where we get a "story" from him like the other battles on his channel

[@theofficerfactory2625]

@@lordofrats4703 An AAR. That sounds fun.

[@richmcgee434]

Yay, we haven't seen any new goofy VSF boats in a while. Sadly no cyborg zombie whale launchers in this fleet, though. :)

[@theofficerfactory2625]

No but you guys are getting pacific rim style giant robots so…

[@Loweko1170]

Good to see the chainsaw submarines back! I hope we get the battleship-sized one back too. Those things are hilarious.

[@VD913]

It's so good to see this game still getting developed. I am still very anxious to see how they revamp my Republique/Alliance fleet. I love the old style so much, I hope they don't get as radical of a redesign as the Federated States/Union. I still can't get over the cowcatchers.

[@5peciesunkn0wn]

There's pictures on the Dystopian Wars website of what they look like, though I'm guessing you've probably seen them lol. While I like the fact the Union ships actually, well, look like they're seaworthy, I found the monitor style hilarious and wish it was kept in some fashion. Tho I agree about the cow catchers. Thankfully, shouldn't be too hard to scrape off.

[@theyorkshireshadow7081]

Vallejo Cold white is a very good white by the way, it comes in a dropper bottle and doesn't clog up like ceramite white used to.

[@kubapicha5124]

BTW, I wanted to ask fellow Vallejo user, if you have and use "off-white" is it also incredibly runny, as if diluted with water?, or is my just faulty

[@Eulemunin]

Love Caliburn/Excalibur naming. Fun play with linguistically related things.

[@bentilbury2002]

There's probably some original (like 1990s original) Citadel Skull White in my parent's loft if you want it 🤣

[@mgrzx3367]

I probably never said it, but I do love your content. Arigato Senpai.

[@Tekentumorman]

Entire collection video please. You are the reason im into dystopian wars.

[@mugsnvicki]

Hello from Canada. I've been a subscriber for some time and just came across your latest video. I was into naval tabletop wargaming and had built up several fleets: WWI German and British, WWII Pacific - Japanese and American. I first started with Fletcher Pratt's Rules and I think the last rule set was Battle Stations. All ships were GHQ. That was over 40 years ago. Still have them all packed away! Great channel!

[@phoenixheart79]

I really do need to give Dystopian Wars a shot at some point, though at present I'm painting up the Victory at Sea starter set (and the British fleet after that), it's got that steampunk vibe I love.

[@5peciesunkn0wn]

It's quite fun. One of the few tabletop wargames that outright encourages exploding dice. As in, directly built into the rules, you want to roll exploding dice lol. I've got the russian-antartican starter set and played a couple games by myself (while not the most, well, *challenging* since your fighting yourself, it's a useful way to learn the rules) and got 32 hits in one round of shooting thanks to exploding dice.

[@scottnyc6572]

We’re already in a dystopian war.These models need to be built to scale.

[@speeddemonpainting7050]

Love how these came together! I've been massively enjoying the new Warcraddle models myself, having never played the game in the Spartan days. I can understand why it's slightly more annoying if you had a big Spartan collection to match them up to. I do enjoy the flexibility the plastics offers though. You can assemble them as whatever variant you want, so you never feel like you are buying '"useless models" because of the rules attached to them (if you don't just want to go for rule of cool, but also take gameplay into account).

[@kylebroflovski5333]

Really enjoy these types of vids. It’s fun and relaxing

[@joshthomas-moore2656]

Finally the Royal Navy has arrived Huzzah!

[@dmcarpenter2470]

Submarine with a midline saw, HMS Gigan?

[@flakstruk-8481]

Ijns Gigan actually

[@dmcarpenter2470]

@@flakstruk-8481 Nay Nay, Britannic Fleet

[@potterendergaming5335]

Drach you are a national treasure

[@12jazion]

Where is the glorious battle video? We have been waiting for ever to see you and Mrs. Drach engage in the most epic dystopian wars battle that mankind has even known.

[@corneliusmcmuffin3256]

I really like the idea of massive warships with corkscrew propulsion drives, which could theoretically allow them to move on land.

[@corneliusmcmuffin3256]

If you ignore the fact that the stress of going over hills or any uneven terrain would probably tear them apart…

[@dillonrinehart8319]

to be honest, i had issues with warcradle when they first took over dystopian wars. i swore i would never buy any of the new stuff. thanks to your reviews i am slowly changing my mind. i may even preorder the new 2 player starter for aerial units this month. thank you Drak

[@wendywhite4537]

These look fantastic. I wish I was younger and could do these. Great paint!

[@hectilliusthelegionary8496]

18:32 something similar happened to my dad when painting aircraft on a model of USS Enterprise with a colour "Sky Blue" from company called Agama. Said "Sky Blue" was in fact green, my uncle and me used it a few years later to paint the interior of Spitfire's cockpit.

[@strydyrhellzrydyr1345]

I have seen so many of your videos now.. and never seen that intro before... What... I thought I was watching a soap opera all of a sudden..

[@paulprovenzano3755]

There is literally no alternate reality in which I would like to go up against the Royal Navy. (signed) -Some Random American-

[@blu___1612]

thank you great fun friday

[@azogtheuglee4889]

*Mobile Opression Palace!!!* Such a good name.

[@hmshood9212]

Those ships give me big Battalion Wars Two vibes

[@lukewest7216]

If you want a good pure white, I use Army Painter Matt White. It has good coverage and it's pretty cheap

[@jamesmilton8308]

I'll be happy to support someone who is not GW or WOTC.

[@Lightman0359]

Being both a historiographer and wargamer, have you tried Warlord Games' "Victory at Sea"? it's their naval counterpart to Bolt Action [ww2 historical Warhammer] and Blood Red Skies [WW2 Historical X-wing]. I run a tabletop gaming store in a mall [ok...swap meet] with alot of veterans and history buffs [there's another store that specializes in ww2 lego compatible kits]. I like the quality of their tanks for bolt action, but am unsure of the accuracy. My goal is to sell them as a novel alternative to the Takom and Tamiya style kits you can get at walmart and hobby lobby, I know nobody at the swap meet is gonna actually play the game.

[@theofficerfactory2625]

I had an idea over on the OnTableTop video about the Dystopian Wars Templehoff boxset. Do you think it's possible for all ships to add a strip of metal to the underside of the decks and add magnets to the sections and weapons?

[@paulamos8970]

Most enjoyable, thanks for sharing.

[@Kellen6795]

I got a warhammer ad on this 🤣

[@AdmPrestonCole]

Never paint pure white. Always go with a light grey or light cream, then highlight with pure white

[@alanrogers7090]

The Morgana submarine reminds me of a Platypus, with torpedoes. Lots of torpedoes both forward and aft. (If they were spaceships, those might be retro rockets or maneuvering jets). I can see it now, "Star Wars XX, The Search For Sanity" with spaceships that have huge chainsaws as weapons.

[@clffliese26]

The subs, especially the Morgana, put me in mind of the Nautilus from the Disney movie 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. In fact, until you said it was a chainsaw, I thought it was the sawtooth pattern on the Nautilus.

[@Eiskralle1]

I'd love if you played a few games of this on camera, I love the models and I'd love to see you put them into action

[@holdencross5904]

I’m British and I want this now!

[@nanorider426]

Now I want to get to my Battlefield Gothic collection. ^^

[@BlackMasterRoshi]

NERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRD!

[@thehandoftheking3314]

I've been looking forward to this.

[@viridisxiv766]

the sub looks kindof like the batmobile, up to its axles in water.

[@gokbay3057]

Oh boy, I am early. I was trying to finish the Drydick 183 first but might as well watch this video first.

[@Dogbertious]

That's a whole lotta boats from the Spartan era!

[@johnforguites4800]

It took me a moment or two to understand what was going on here! :-)

[@LorrusGrymn]

Did you have any problems with the funnels of the frigates and cruisers from the first wave release? I can't fit properly any of mine.

[@hallstuart6604]

The Brits where your favourite? Shocking! XD

[@peterbrazier7107]

I brought a British set for my son for his birthday, last year.

[@johnbattyll6874]

Looks awesome. Might have to invest in some.

[@gmradio2436]

I want to see this vs my Ice Maiden.

[@VirgoShelter]

The redcoats are coming!

[@bryce4724]

Oooooohhhhh dose that mean the Australians are coming in the future

[@adamsaunders333]

Probably to late to get a reply but id their a good place to watch dystopian war battle reports? or maybe a discord server to play it on TTS?

[@c.a.mcdivitt9722]

"Mobile Oppression Palace".... WHAT ON EARTH?

[@Dirt1061]

Yay my Britannia ships are here!

[@PhilipFear]

Reminds me of the lead miniatures that I used for strategy war games back in 1980.... I had a friend who got me in to it at his hobby shop.... He also had the 3D ground game set up on a table about 10feet by 30feet like model RR use.... 10 sided dice and weapons tables etc.... In the days before computer games..... I was even on the NBC News piece during the Falkland war, I was the Argentine Naval Commander.... I got my A$$ kicked..😆 But I did save the General Belgrano, and almost sunk the QE2.... But the American's satellite gave you Brits the position of my 2 WW2 Gatos away...😠

[@chrissouthgate4554]

Main Battle Fleet (New stuff) supported by the Reserve Fleet (Old)?

[@williammanes2108]

Hey Drach ,love your channel. Can you or have you ever done a video on the U.S.S Oregon that was present at Spanish/American War? My great grandfather served served on that ship and I have pictures of him hanging out the porthole. I was also interested in another age of sail ship that was named after my ×6 Great uncle Brigadier general Zebulon Pike, your video on the great lakes fleets was grand, it was that video that got me hooked thanks Drach, keep up the good work sir.

[@Drachinifel]

I've done a video on her class :)

[@williammanes2108]

@@Drachinifel awesome I'll look for it

[@sfjp1]

I know you can play Warhammer at games workshop shops. But how do you play other people with the other tabletop games?

[@theofficerfactory2625]

I am still awaiting to hear from Leviathan: Monsters in the sky Kickstarter besides news to come from last month. As for that AA cruiser, I feel those guns are on a gimble; a gimble turret.

[@Ostentatiousnessness]

*RULE BRITANNIA INTENSIFIES*

[@scorch6200]

Would you ever do any videos discussing Victory at Sea by Warlord games?

[@Drachinifel]

Definitely, painting some of them at the moment :)

[@KyriosMirage]

So, when are you getting HMS Thunderchild?

[@johnbattyll6874]

I do like the paint jobs btw

[@KillerOrca]

Im glad this didnt go down with Spartan Games.

[@phinhager6509]

Can you cover the torpedo boats of WWII? (E-boats, PT boats, and such)

[@neves5083]

EVERYONE TO THE U-BOATS

[@minimax9452]

the british are coming - after the party in downingstreet 🤣 commanded by a clown 🤡

[@bigTonyBalloney]

Any more dystopian wars content coming?

[@robertsullivan4172]

Will land combat be returning as well?

[@ThumperE23]

Dystopian wars version of the First Battle of Savo Island? Anyone? Anyone?

[@airplanemaster1]

Those chainsaw submarines must do a real number to whales when they're submerged.

[@brucegibbins3792]

Could this kit also be thought of as a post apocalyptic fantasy diorama if that is the intent of the designers to display this scary set of ships in that way?. Unless one combatant is Spartan, could any sane individual believe that war can be utopian?

[@SephirothRyu]

Valhalla is sometimes a utopian war.

[@18robsmith]

So the next Royal Navy submarines should be equipped with ginormous chainsaws to ensure your fullest approval?

[@strydyrhellzrydyr1345]

Wait.. why the carrier look so wierd.. or odd

[@skyfever111]

do these float on water though

[@PenumbranWolf]

Was there a rerelease or sommat? I had Empire of the Blazing Sun when the game came out about ten years ago and I fucking hate it. Nothing to do with the game mind you, though the constantly changing rules back then were frustrating. No, the reason I hated the game was because I had terrible luck with the game. I had these dice that to this day I maintain were cursed that never fucking rolled 6's. I had a Kiyohime soda-can on the side of a CSA cruiser during a ram, a Hachiman that in range band 1 failed to do anything to a near by ship regularly, a pair of Ika that would terrifyingly surface from the depths to gently carress ships, and a whole fucking air group including a trio of Inari and a Tsukiyomi all chain Magazine Explosion. The only things that did work were my Amaterasu bombers and my Tanuki...

[@lenkautsugi5747]

Dam that's alot off stuff it must takes weeks to paint them all

[@marcogenovesi8570]

The brits in this game are definitely borrowing a bit the Imperium esthetic from 40k for their warships.

[@davesy6969]

Is there an H.M.S Brexit?

[@strydyrhellzrydyr1345]

What... Did u paint all that stuff... WHYYYYY... HOW... that's to much free time for any human

[@uebse]

Generic coment for the algorithm

[@RipOffProductionsLLC]

CV11; The Algorithm. Demands. Engagement.

[@ethantaylor9613]

God I miss the old designs for this game. Fluff was pretty weirdly racist though although I guess you could make the argument it was more about a very racist time period.

[@merlinwizard1000]

61st

[@Thurnmourer]

The lore for the British annoys me as it explicitly paints them as a backwards naval power stuck in a dream world despite them being in a recent Tsushima-like incident with the Russians against the Super Asians in said lore. Bloody 'ell, their big battleship is a 30-year old design! There's no viable reason for them to be written like that.

[@Drachinifel]

I've usually found it best to have my own head-canon loosely based on the official background

[@Thurnmourer]

@@Drachinifel It's probably a good thing I'm collecting it for the "boats" then, not the lore.

[@strydyrhellzrydyr1345]

Wow... U are way to picky on your SUPPOSED colors... Lol... I guess your eyes are the eyes to judge all eyes from.. right

[@crazywarriorscatfan9061]

,

[@ROBS098]

#3

[@dmj92002]

2nd!

[@schr75]

And...? Why is this a thing? You were not even first.

[@phillip_iv_planetking6354]

Never liked dystopian wars. I prefer 40k.

[@marcogenovesi8570]

these brits do look like Imperium a bit tho

[@akikubel710]

we require more escorts