Elder Scrolls Call to Arms Unboxing | Skyrim Miniatures Game Wave One Initial Review

[@qsviewsrpgs4571]

Excellent review! I was on the fence regarding this, but not now. I'm all over it. Thanks for sharing and taking the time.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thank you for watching. I'm glad you found the video useful. Just to make you aware, since shooting this video I have discovered there is a misprint on unit cards, where the shield block skill is listed as a stamina test rather than a strength test. I have spoken to Modiphius who have confirmed the error and are looking at a way to deal with providing corrected cards.

[@quinnd.silvers3608]

Aww that mistake sucks! Sorry that happened. But anyways great video! Can't wait to see more! :D

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thanks. Hopefully it will get rectified shortly. Fortunately, at the moment I only needed the dragonborn and the draugr enemies.

[@johnmascardo7047]

Glad you've done this, I just stumbled on this game only recently.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I'm expecting to do a fair bit of coverage on this one. It looks interesting.

[@johnmascardo7047]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring have you an affiliate link to purchase this?

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I always post my Element Games affiliate link in the video description, as that's the company I would normally use. Looks like they have the introductory bundle for £75 plus postage, which is a great price. but you don't get the ethereal dragonborn, and they don't seem to be taking orders for the neoprene mat, terrain, or resin miniatures yet. Also, I'm not sure how quickly Modiphius are getting stock to third party retailers. When I preordered months ago, I don't believe any other companies were offering the introductory bundle, so you might want to shop around a few places to get the best deal possible.

[@TheDungeonDive]

I love the packaging for this game because I can use all of the other minis I already own, and don’t have to waste money on more. For me, it’s perfect. Keep the cardboard and plastic separate. I wish more games did this.

[@johnmackrory8306]

Great introductory video, I’ve had my eye on this for a while, you may have tipped me over the edge especially if the discounted price is still available 😉 look forward to your future content.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thanks for watching. Make sure you check prices at a few different places to make sure you get the best deal, and be aware that to get a good discount you need to order the "introductory bundle." Buying everything separately costs way more.

[@caladorx5853]

looking forward more Elder Scrolls content

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thanks. Just trying to teach myself how to play at the moment!

[@mattnorwood6546]

I’ve just taken the plunge and I’m buzzing. I wish I got it this time last year. Got some catching up to do

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I hope you have fun with it.

[@MentatOfDune]

Nice. I preordered from Element Games (a little cheaper but will have no preorder mini). Nice to see the game out in the wild as I'll guess that I'll see my copy soon :) I don't mind the core rules being separate from the minis. It allows folks to get counters, cards etc and use their existing minis that they may have for games like Frosthaven, Rangers of Shadowdeep, Descent etc.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I think people will fall into two camps on the release format. For me, part of the enjoyment of playing a game based on an IP is using the official miniatures, but I do appreciate some people will want to use proxies. I'm not overly bothered, but I would have liked to have seen unit cards for new miniatures in the boxes, just to make it easier to expand a game without having to buy separate cards each time you want to add a unit.

[@MentatOfDune]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring - Yeah, for the price I don't think having the cards in the box would have been a big deal. The minis (1 sprue without those unit cards) seem to be about £3 to £5 too expensive. The introductory bundle experience along with the (perceived) value of the next miniature boxed sets, will determine if I want to invest further in the game.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Yeah. £25 for the five-mini boxes seems a little rough. Of course, I understand there's a big IP to pay for. At least it's possible to get those prices closer to £20 if you shop around online.

[@CesarIsaacPerez]

All I can think of is that I can use the figures and map for Frostgrave! I have seen some gameplay on other youtube channels and Call to Arms looks component heavy and cumbersome but it also seams to do a good job representing the videogame.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

A lot of these guys will be making their way into Rangers of Shadow Deep for me. I can see why people might say the game looks component heavy, but I'm not sure it is all that much. Part of it is because they went the FFG route of having unit cards and upgrade cards, and part of it is because of all the different modes of play, which means you need to have different cards and tokens to handle the campaign system, adventure mode, and running the monster AI.

[@johnmiddleton4291]

Glad you finally got something to keep you busy! That resin sword will likely not ever be fixable unless it's thick enough to drill and pin, and you would need much finer steel piano wire than normal pining. I had to fix several Fallout weapons like that and it's really annoying. Computer designed minis chopped up in the CAD software. Same as GW minis that seem randomly chopped and have no variety.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Ha. Yeah. I'd completely run out of things to do! Modiphius have already been in touch to say they are going to replace my broken Dragonborn and send out the correct sprue for the imperials. It's just going to take a while, due to lockdown. I'm more than happy with that response, and in the meantime I can have a little bash at fixing the one I have.

[@johnmiddleton4291]

Now you're going to have an entire spare set of dudes and we can hear you whinge about not having cards for them into eternity. Also, start saving your pennies because CMON has a Masters of the Universe game coming this fall from the dude that designed Song of Fire and Ice. It's set to coincide with Kevin Smith's new cartoon.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I like to think that I look at things critically, rather than just whinging, but I guess that's semantics! I thought Masters of the Universe was going to Kickstarter in 2021. I am such a huge He-Man fan, my resolve to never use Kickstarter may falter for that one. Then again, I may be able to resist and just buy a core set at retail. Will probably entirely depend on the quality of the renders they show for the miniatures, the scale, and what exclusives they do.

[@johnmiddleton4291]

Well there's talk that it won't be an EU release. Maybe that won't matter for the UK by then? It will be absolutely loaded with exclusives and stuff that never really reaches retail, as all CMON kickstarters are. I hope that there are skirmish battle rules and it's not just an adventure boardgame. Is critically whinging a thing?

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

@@johnmiddleton4291 I saw that the distribution agreement seemed to be limited in their press release, but it's a bit vague at the moment. Will have to wait and see. There will definitely be lots of exclusives, it's the only way CMoN functions, but it depends on what characters they lock away. It also depends on what the miniatures are like. If they're really static and flat like the Death May Die ones I won't be interested. Critically whinging should be my channel name.

[@synns6898]

Looking forward to seeing some more, I am holding off on this at the moment as the gameplay videos I’ve seen so far haven’t grabbed me and also the fact that some of the miniatures going forward will be resin only and I hate resin models, they are too brittle. The major pull is that it’s elder scrolls and I love the ip, but that on its own isn’t enough.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I'm not a big fan of resin, although I do have a fair amount of resin stuff in my collection these days. I really couldn't resist the theme on this one. Thankfully, it seems pretty good from what I've seen so far.

[@DestroyerHivePro]

Excellent video, as always! Can you give me your stance on neoprene mats, in general? I made my first Kickstarter pre-order recently with Hel: The Last Saga, and am wondering why there is an option to purchase a neoprene mat that looks exactly like the game board. I understand for Warhammer, as it creates a cool, thematic battlefield for the armies to fight on, but what purpose does it serve for a board game?

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thanks for watching. I've only ever used neoprene mats for war games to help create the scene (although I have a friend who bought a Blood Bowl neoprene mat). I prefer neoprene to paper mats (which I very much dislike) and boards, although I wouldn't go out of my way to purchase a neoprene mat to replace a board, that's generally something Kickstarters do to suck some more money out of the backers. Neoprene mats have a number of advantages, but how much value you put on them is entirely subjective. Some benefits: 1. No creases, cuts or folds. 2. Rolling dice on neoprene is way nicer than rolling dice on a board. 3. Boards tend to be a bit glossy so you can get glare under certain lighting. 4. Neoprene mats are better able to survive a drinks spillage. 5. Cards don't slide as much over neoprene. There are disadvantages too: 1. Harder to store. 2. Heavier and more awkward to transport. 3. If an expansion comes out that has a board you might end up with a mismatch between a neoprene playing surface and a cardboard one. These are just a few thoughts off the top of my head. Hopefully they give you something to think about.

[@DestroyerHivePro]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring Thanks for your in-depth response! I decided not to purchase the mat, as I really would not pay $50 for a neoprene mat, even for Warhammer, and especially if it's designed to work with only 1 board game. Additionally, at 27", it is 1 inch too long for my desk, so the board will have to do :)

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

@@DestroyerHivePro Happy to help. I don't think you'll feel like you're missing out on anything. Neoprene mats are expensive, so it's nice to have ones that you can use with lots of different games.

[@darrenrichardson6146]

That's not a very good mistake to have happen, the wrong sprue in a £28 box of miniatures. Hope it gets sorted out properly soon for you.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Fortunately, Modiphius have been excellent, and have promised to get my replacements out as soon as possible. It may take a little while because of the lockdown, but they are on the case and have already emailed me twice about it. Of course, the proof is in the resolution, but at the moment I can't complain about their customer service.

[@darrenrichardson6146]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring That's good, they seem to take customers complaints pretty well, I recall them pulling one of the Vampire RPG books the other year after people started complaining about some very unpleasant writing in it in regards to the Balkans conflict of the 90's.

[@Sheepdog416]

Have you noticed that the block skill symbol is listed incorrectly under the 'Endurance' attribute on all of the character cards? It should be printed beside the Strength attribute! I cancelled my pre order after I saw this and the many broken / incorrect minis that people have been receiving.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I hadn't noticed about the block action. It makes sense for it to be an endurance skill, as it improves armour, but it definitely uses the strength attribute when you discard a block token. I wonder if that was a last minute change in the rules that wasn't reflected on the cards. I can forgive the incorrect miniatures. They are working under unusual conditions at the moment and they've promised to resolve it promptly, so I'm okay with that.

[@h2t26]

I was looking forward to it but seeing a playthrough from the makers it seems like a lot of micro management. Not sure if anyone has played has more feedback after the initial fan spell wears off. It's a good price then again you got the bundle and it's plastic instead of resin.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thanks for watching. If you ever watch my follow-up video you'll see I never even got a fan spell. I really didn't get on with this game at all, and apart from a few miniatures and the play mat, I've got rid of it all now. It had some clever ideas, but it was so fiddly, and there were so many rules that added complications yet still didn't quite achieve what they were supposed to.

[@h2t26]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring I definitely will then. Everyone has glowing reviews, which I understand since I love elder scrolls, but when I saw modiphus play their own game it gave me pause. I haven't been able to find someone give a more critical view. So looking forward to it.

[@kimrasmussen8594]

Right after watching your video i checked my miniatures and guess what, i have 2 sets of Stormcloaks aswell :(

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Ouch. I hope it's not a wide scale problem or Modiphius are going to have a lot of replacements to source!

[@kimrasmussen8594]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring I ordered the plastic minis as well, there might not be a problem with the resin minis

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

@@kimrasmussen8594 Hopefully not. On the plus side, Modiphius have responded to me promptly, and arranged for replacements. It may take a while because of lockdown, but I can't fault the service I've received so far.

[@kimrasmussen8594]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring This could happen to anybody, im sure i will get the same good service once i get a hold on them :)

[@kimrasmussen8594]

So i have already received a mail from their customer support, i have to say that their service is top notch.

[@seankavanagh3742]

Great review! I looked at this game but honestly in it's current format I'd rather just play the game on my PS4 🤪 Still might buy some of the figures if they release some more bug names or the dragons 👍

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thanks for watching. They've put out a rough road map of releases for the next few months. We have some khajits and orcs on the way, and something you might be interested in near the end: Adventurer Followers Adventurer Allies Chapter 1 Card Pack: Civil War Bleak Falls Barrow Tomb Scatter Imperial Officers Stormcloak Chieftains Histories of the Empire: The Stormcloak Rebellion Imperial Legion Reinforcements Stormcloak Skirmishers Draugr Guardians Draugr Faction Rules (PDF Release) Wordwall and Dragon Priest (TBC) Draugr Ancients Skeleton Horde Tales of Tamriel: The Thanehold Saga (TBC) Something, Something, Something Dragons (TBC)

[@seankavanagh3742]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring I shall keep my eye out, may even buy some just to paint...got a big Burrows and Badgers backlog at the moment. Buying is easier than painting 🙃

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Don't I know it! I really didn't need another game system to get involved with really, but I just couldn't help myself.

[@seankavanagh3742]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring I used to get away with that too but now we have a monthly miniature budget review meeting in my house 🤪 I am in rehab I am told LOL!

[@mjames70]

Not for me, but thanks for the video. I played the video games, but I’m not a huge enough fan to want more in another form. Modiphius has done some good work with stuff in the past, like the Star Trek RPG and miniatures, but damn, this was pricey!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I am happy with what I got for my £90, but it's definitely on the expensive end. I wouldn't have been impressed if I had to pay the price for all of the items separately. I got my special edition copy of Rangers of Shadow Deep in the same order. That is a truly lovely book that I'll be showing in a future video.

[@BloodyCactus]

I just put my delve set together, have not started the other two. wow these are the most fiddly miniatures ever. the attach points are terrible. Really, I have to glue feet onto the skeleton? terrible imo. I did stick all my tokens in coin cases (except those super micro ones for tracking stamina etc). Im not looking forward to doing the two other sets... and that is kinda sad, and honestly makes me a bit wary about buying future sets.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I actually talk a bit about putting the skeletons together in an upcoming painting video. They were very fiddly. Not as bad as Kingdom Death, but more annoying than they needed to be. The bit that got me was some of the shoulder bones and hip bones are spilt in half. It would have been much better to keep those bones in one piece and overlay them on a join part for the arms and legs to fit underneath.