Monday 17 November 2014

Galactic Knights reaching goal for more packs expansion


“The Senate must be protected from the psychic assaults of the Utlragaranians or its crystal walls will crumble and the galaxy will be exposed to the mind tearing death of civilisation. A duty of rescue falls to the Galactic Knights who with their swords drawn and cloaks aflutter in the starry breeze do the bidding of the forces of well meaning. Riding among the flow of space these warriors of true and virtue will lay waste to the planets of the evil ones. Glittering beams and shining blades against tentacles and teeth amid a landscape of lava and blackened skies.”

That piece of fiction makes the hairs on the back of your hand stand up doesn't it.  It certainly did for me when I wrote it after looking at the concepts for what would become the HOF105 Galactic Knights.  I was not alone in this feeling and here we are in the winter after a summer release on the far side of nearly five hundred packs sold of these miniatures.  My thrust in this post is two fold. Firstly to say that when we reach five hundred packs we will expand the Galactic Knights as that was our promise and secondly to ask you to get yourself a pack if you have not already to put us over the goal set.  Thanks.


So what form could the expansion take with no pre-funding or other input?  Well based on the concepts that came from the initial Art Jam early in 2014 there are a number of avenues that might be taken.  I have tempered the raw talent of the initial input by laying out potential packs inside the guide lines for the HOF 15mm Science Fiction Range as well as the normal four poses of miniature to a ten miniature pack code.  Here is what we are thinking by order of probability and it is most likely to be two packs which will be the level of expansion.

Galactic Knights Command
The knights that exist in HOF105 would need some dedicated poses to lead them into the fray.  A command pack would have the poses that allow this.  A higher ranking commander along with dedicated specialists such as medical, psychic warfare, or communications or perhaps a battle standard.  We would refrain from a casualty pose in such as pack keeping it back for the future.  Final choice of posing would be up to the designer under designated role assignments.

Galactic Knights Support  
Perhaps the fantastical evil in the universe needs a bit more than energy swords, pistols and a rifle to put it down.  To that end a Support Weapons pack would have the poses for this role.  A chance here for four new miniatures armed with a variety of exotic beam or particle weapons.  After all you need to fight in the laser light and the shimmer glitter of impacting rays.  A pack like this when combined with the Command pack and the existing infantry poses would allow the creation of a whole force at platoon level.  

Bare Headed and Personalties for Galactic Knights
This possible expansion is more likely to be a third stage if the popularity of the miniatures persists as it would make the Galactic Knights a force of names.  Without their distinctive helmets and with bare heads you would be able to name them.   While a couple of the poses would be of the 'sergeant' type with typical weapons and armour except for their faces being shown, acting as squad leaders, the other two might be something more.  True personalities in more elaborate or totally different costume or armour.  The possibilities here for a noble leader are endless.

Female Galactic Knights
As you can see in the artwork there is an idea already in some form for the inclusion of female knights of the techni-colour future.  Different armour style but with the same ethos and drive of their male counterparts these would be a stand alongside pack.  Female miniatures have become more popular in recent years as a force in their own right within a range (we have such coming up for Security Force Alpha) and of course our sister brand The Ion Age has a lot of female poses and characters now.  Without a lot of feedback this would be a third stage possible expansion.  Personally I like the idea and the artwork if turned into a figure would be superb!

Galactic Knights Light Vehicle 
A knight needs his charger!  Certainly he does even in the rainbow hue of the stars.  There is no concrete notion as yet what such a vehicle would look like but it would certainly fulfil the needs of a scouting or small transport made for one or perhaps two riders.  Would it be ground bound or anti-gravity?  Certainly the idea of a floating far future bike is very appealing but then it might be much more exotic.  We would consider this a third stage pack for certain as it makes little sense to have it before we have command and support poses.  Ideas would be asked for before design sketches commenced.

There we have it.  The proposed expansion packs for HOF105 Galactic Knights.  Certainly the top two are most likely but it might be any of the others based on what happens next.  I will give it to the end of the month or so and then report what happened to you all.  Did we break the five hundred packs, will there be an expansion in 2015 and what will it be?  Only the future knows.

Thanks for Reading.

GBS

6 comments:

  1. Great news Kevin,
    I got mine to convert into females to go along side my sister knights.I have plans to put jump packs on them and convert some to bare heads.I also plan to build skimmers to have a fast insertion force. Your plans would nicely fold into mine.
    For sure you will succeed to do them.
    Z

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    1. Thanks Z for your comments. Your own plans are proceeding this way. We will see what is chosen.

      Gavin.

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  2. I think the key is in the third picture with the two VTOL's is the back ground, i suggest they could be made into jump capable close assault troops. They already have a power sword of sorts so sub machine guns, side arms and stun grenades would be the weapon choice of the day and of course some kind of jet pack, i would say with a single thruster type to keep in style with the fine lines or the armour they wear.

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    1. Nice idea Zac, thanks. I have added this idea to the list of possibles. We will go with the poses that top out the list. Very Space Knight indeed.

      GBS

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    2. Loving the concept! If you're considering introducing more female figures, I hope that includes in support roles and special characters as well as elite forces?

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    3. Thanks for your comment Gary. We are about to stop counting votes as the target has been reached. A blog post later this month will hopefully have the results with in. But yes females would have fine roles as well as characters and elites.

      GBS

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