====== Ogre Digest, August 8th (Last: August 3rd) ======== ===== Combine Set 11 - First Impressions From: Darren Breland ============================== From: Darren Breland Subject: Combine Set 11 - First Impressions Hello all, I picked up my long awaited Combine Set 11 Ogre Mk I & II Mini pack yesterday and I thought I would share my first impressions of it with everyone: The set costs $19.95 retail and comes with 1 (yes, only 1 not 2) Ogre Mk I and 1 Ogre Mk II for a total of 75 points. Originally, I believe the plan was for 2 Mk I's for a total of 100pts... the web page description says so and should be updated.. but I digress. Mk I: ===== A very nice LARGE figure.. highly detailed and about the size of a Combine MHWZ or SHVY. Highly detailed and very much in the keeping of the Combine vehicle styling, boxy and squat. Comes in 4 separate parts: Chassis, Turret, Tower, Gun Barrel. I have yet to paint or assemble this critter but a "dry" assembly was very easy. Altogether a very well done figure and almost exactly what one would expect of the first Cybertank... kudos. Mk II: ====== Again, a highly detailed large figure.. slightly longer and larger than the Mk I, as one would expect. Same turret as the Mk I but that's where the similarity ends. Diverging from the classic Ogre "boxy" style, this machine is... well.. rounded. The chassis sweeps and curves unlike any of the other Ogres. A long pointed "nose" protrudes out the front with two AP guns on either side give the vehicle a bug-like appearance. I'm not particularly fond of this styling. To me it goes against the grain of all things Ogre, it's not scary looking, just too rounded. I will likely apply judicious use of a dremmel to square off the "nose". However, some detail-oriented painters may enjoy the long proboscis and use it as a canvas for detailed "nose" art... to each his own. ;-) Nose notwithstanding, this is a very well done, highly detailed figure. This figure consists of 6 parts: Chassis, Turret, Main Gun Barrel, Tower, 2 Secondary gun barrels. A dry assembly was easy and very straight forward. Chaff ============ The box is the standard VHS tape box with foam insert, along with a single cardboard Record Card (I love those things) with stats for both figs on it. Conspicuously absent was a repair kit, which I have found a nice addition to the other Ogre kits. Parting Shot ============= All in all I like the new additions to my army and plan to wreak some havoc on mine enemies and cause them to "snuff it". However, at $19.95 for 2 figs I think a second Mk I in the pack is in order. Bang-for-the buck the Set hasn't much too offer unless you need the extra box and can't live without the Record Cards. Personally, I'll wait until WH23 has these figs individually where I look forward to purchasing Mk I's en masse. Just my $.02 -Darren B. ===== [Yeah, I had thought they had cleaned up the two Mark-Is bug long ago, but it's still at http://www.sjgames.com/miniatures/ogre/ if nowhere else. (Must be too busy writing D&D books these days to tend to these parts of the web site. Would you buy OGRE D20 if it was offered? "Save vs death or be crushed under the treads." ;-) Not having the repair kit is a bigger bummer. (BTW, do any of the other turrets fit on the Mark I mini? Fencer, MHWZ or even Missile Tank?) Paul explained the streamlining as a failed attempt to increase the underwater speed of the Mark II. In terms of VPs per dollar, this set is a better deal than any non-Ogre, non-infantry set. The standard of measurement must be the sixty points of LGEVs you could buy for the twenty bucks. (Though in the clear, 20 LGEVs would strip even two Mark-Is and a Mark-II so fast...) -HJC] List Moderator: Henry J. Cobb ogre@sjgames.com Archives for this mailing list may be found at http://www.io.com/~hcobb General online support for the OGRE game is at http://www.sjgames.com/ogre Ogre, G.E.V., Shockwave and other products mentioned here are trademarks or registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games. All rights are reserved by SJ Games. This material is used here in accordance with the SJ Games online policy at http://www.sjgames.com/general/online_policy.html