Type-005 (blister)

My second Type-005 (my first is here); Zomtober has really helped spur me on to get a number of minis finished this month (on the day I finished this Type-005, I finished 3 other minis).

This Type-005 follows the same colour scheme as the preceding one, and the third I am working on along with a Type-009 which will have a matching scheme too. Hopefully they will be a fearsome-looking selection of units when finished.

There are two Type-005 bodies, with a selection of two left arms, two right arms and three heads. I plan to stop at three of these units, as with the Type-009 upgraded, I expect the four models will weigh in at 85 Levels as they benefit from a Black Sun Organization Advantage which awards levels for upgrades. In a 300 Level game that leaves 215 levels plus 5 upgrade Levels for another Undead unit, which should mean around 4-6 additional models, or 8-10 for a 300 Level Party as a whole. Given that a 300 Level Party would typically be 6-7 units, that is quite a potential numerical advantage. I will need to work on a few more units to get there though.

I have started work on both the remaining Type-005 and the Type-009, so hopefully they will be finished while I still have some painting momentum. Let's see how that works out...

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 144 (added: another Type-012 Hunter)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 32
Painted Minis Percentage: 22.2% (percentage of minis owned and painted)

A Desolate Place of War (Battle Report)

My first Anima Tactics Battle Reports, and like the Battle Reports I have done for Pulp City, told using Comic Life software. A huge thanks to Rob as the main source of images.

This is a little different to my Pulp City Battle reports, because I envisioned it being a little more like a (mostly!) sequentially illustrated story rather than panel-to-panel comic book style. I use lots of action names and dialogue superimposed over the images in my Pulp City Battle Reports, so if enough people prefer that, i could change how I do these in future.

Finally, the action took place a few months ago, and I have only just had time to get around to this, so things are as best I can remember them!

Click on the images to enlarge.

Type-005 (Starter Set)

I am pretty pleased with how this model has turned out. It has been assembled for quite some time, and was something I planned to get around to eventually, but with Zomtober underway on one way of my other blogs (click for link), I was inspired to do some Undead painting for Anima Tactics; to that end I made a start on my first two Type-005's (I have three; you can take one per 100 Party Levels allowed). This is the first, and I would like to finish the second before the end of October, motivation permitting.

With a really limited palette, this was actually quite quick to finish: the different areas of colour are skin; metal; black cloth; green cloth; leather straps; blank dead eyes. I chose to use my usual Zombie skin recipe rather than the Anima Tactics 'studio' Type-005/Type-009 skin hue which is a kind of magenta. That does look cool, but I know what I like for my Undead!

Type-005's seem to have taken time to improve in perceived value in the game. At first glance they are quite cheap units with a degree of customization available (more on that with the next Type-005 post). However as Undead they cannot take Advantage Cards, which means that mitigating their inherent limited accuracy (Attack 4; no special Attack or Charge that adds Attack or Damage) is a key issue. Initially their biggest inherent advantage could be that after being taken out, the essentially explode at the start of the next Action Phase. However if your Black Sun Party takes Elite Squadron (Plot Card) and has a Type-009 upgraded to Type-010: Commander, then suddenly taking a few Type-005's means that you can have Attack 6 and Damage 6 units at just 25 Levels cost apiece (Type-005A: Assault). Add to that they have a 12 inch range Attack and the possibility of some annoying spam is unleashed.

Time to start thinking of playing a Black Sun Party methinks! And time to get painting the other two Type-005's and my Type-009...

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 143 (added: still nothing since the last painted mini!)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 31
Painted Minis Percentage: 21.7% (percentage of minis owned and painted)

Team The Condemned Lovers

My second Team, although perhaps my first team proper (as a group of units that can be taken separately, as opposed to Bella and Aqua who must be used together if at all).

Drake and Cenette form The Condemned Lovers, he a vagabond warrior, she a princess and master fencer with angel blood in her veins.

There is a lot of interconnectivity in the backgrounds of the various Anima Tactics characters, and Teams possibly exemplify that above all else when it comes to the tabletop; there is usually a game-play bonus for each member for taking a Team. Those benefits for The Condemned Lovers are primarily built around what happens to the survivor when either Drake or Cenette is lost as a casualty - Drake in particular stacks on a lot of positive States, while Cenette can sacrifice herself, potentially saving Drake to stacks those aforementioned benefits.

The cost is that to take a Team usually requires use of an Advantage Card slot as well as the Level cost of the Team card (Team The Condemned Lovers is 5 Levels for example; so not too expensive by any stretch).

There is one other benefit that comes for a Team - they only count as one Wanderer if used in an Organization Party, useful for filling out the ranks with what is likely to be an effective sub-Party.

The Next 10 (3)

It took around 3 and bit months between the first 'Next 10' and the second 'Next 10', and to my surprise not too much difference for the second to this third 'Next 10'. I thought I had slowed down much more than that time would indicate, but then July was pretty productive in my Anima Tactics painting.

While momentum does feel it has slipped, I hope to pick some up in the next couple of months. Currently I have 112 Anima Tactics minis to paint, and I do not yet have them all, so this remains a big project!

This batch saw a lot of female characters painted, as well as a predominance of Church and Empire. What that bodes for the next 'Next 10' is anyone's guess!

As for the image, next time should see the usual triangle formation return, but the pesky extra spirit thing with Damaris messed that up this time around!

Cenette

I am glad this is finished at last. It has been stuck in the queue with no motivation from me to finish it for what has seemed a long time. As soon as it arrived (some time before early May) I prepared it for painting, and started some base colours - then just lost all motivation to finish it. It has only been in the last week that the motivation resurfaced, so bit by bit this week I have been working away on it and now it is done.

This is my first attempt at a 'sheer nylon' type effect, and I am quietly pleased about it (even if the images don't show it off that well), while other parts less so - but they are unlikely to be changed now. There are some really fine parts on the mini as the images no doubt show, which I struggled with, but this is as good as I could probably manage without losing patience. And to top it off, the mini has been dropped or knocked over at least twice, requiring repairs and touch ups, so to be honest, I will be glad it is the cabinet!

Cenette is one half of Team The Condemned Lovers along with Drake (who was finished back in March), and finishing her represents completion of my first Team proper (since Bella and Aqua are a special case anyway). Cenette's history describes that she chose to leave Rose Island to its fate and pursue the man she loves. And blessed with angelic blood and incredible martial skill, she and Drake make a deadly combination.

In game terms, Cenette looks a little light in the Attack/Damage department, at 5/3; however her actions change that perception dramatically. Her 3 AP Attack is at basic 10 Attack, meaning most models are auto-hit unless they Dodge or have a buff in place. Her special Charge is yet more devastating; it adds +3/+2 and gains +2 from being a Charge, for 10/5, meaning she is very likely to hit due to rolling 2 dice, even if targets elect to Dodge, especially if she can get a buff from another Party member (not to self: I really must paint up Sophia Ilmora), and her Charges can have a single direction change, meaning she can if used right avoid intercepts and tank-like characters acting as speed-bumps.

If using her alone, the usual thoughts come to mind with regard to choice of Advantage Card: Primal or Elemental Weapon are obvious options. However, maybe Clock of Cronos to ensure she can use her special Charge just when needed.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 142 (added: nothing since the last painted mini!)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 30
Painted Minis Percentage: 21.1% (percentage of minis owned and painted)

Damaris

I am glad this one is finally done; it has been 'hanging around' the painting queue part-done for quite some time, and so needed completing (even if there are some bits I think could be better, it will do). I have quite a few others in the 'mostly done' phase (which is all too common for me!), so I need to finish some more sooner than later.

Damaris is (yet another!) Church Mystic, but to add variety a male - yep it is a dude! He is also a Summoner (Light and Dark, but not Void), so immediately I am thinking the only unit he is competing with in a Church Party is Sarah Reindhold. Damaris is 5 levels more, but can take Dark Summons which Sarah cannot; he is also *slightly* more durable (12 LP vs. 10 LP); he can also buff and respond to the destruction of Friendly units with a few differing options. Basically he looks to be a more aggressive option than Sarah, and could be the means I have been looking for to get the most out of Lostaroth Marchosias who always seems to die pretty swiftly.

In terms of Advantage Cards, the Container card he comes with buffs his Summoner Level, but I may be more tempted to use Familiar to keep his Summon around longer - I guess it depends on the Summons I would want to use; if say a Hellhound, then Damaris with Container and 2 Hellhounds only costs 65 Levels which sounds okay since they are intentionally pretty disposable. If something like Hamadria, Wrath of Nature or Elhaym, Maiden of Light, then Familiar is the choice I would make.

The pack comes with the spirit 'thing' included. There is no obvious use for it from the Damaris character card or the Advantage Card he comes with, so I have wondered if there may be some new Team coming up in the future, but who knows. I painted the spirit thing ages ago, and I am not counting it against my painting totals.

Anyway, it is another mini done, and I am closing in on my third 'Next 10' post, so that is positive, even if the rate of Anima Tactics painting has dropped over the last couple of months.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Minis: 142 (added: Raziel Nk-X)
Anima Tactics Minis Painted: 29
Painted Minis Percentage: 20.3% (percentage of AT minis owned that are painted)