Mantic Crazy Box 2015 - 2016

 (Sadly, it doesn't actually look like this.)

So, last year I (as I always do) ordered the Mantic Crazy box from their online shop. For those who are unaware, the Crazy Box is an annual offer made available by Mantic around the end of the year. More specifically it's a box full of random pits and pieces from all of their model ranges, all thrown together in a box at an impressively discounted cost.

Over the years I've gotten some good stuff from my Crazy Boxes, a mixture of Zombies, Warpath vehicles, Kings of War infantry, all sorts really. If you're an inveterate kitbasher and converter like I am it's a wonderful source of Bitz. This year they released two different versions of the offer, the Sci Fi and Uber versions, of which I bought the former.

Let's have a look at what I got shall we?

Loka Pieces

(Mariliths Griffon to Sauron's Elemental 4)

Firstly we have a selection of pieces from Mantic's Loka boardgame, a game I've never played but from what I've been told is essentially an elemental version of Chess that allows up to 4 players. I can't comment on the game itself but I can on the models, and on the fact that this small pile of obviously fantasy models is in the so-called "Sci Fi" crazy box. I'm assuming the game isn't selling well (when I checked Mantic's website earlier they had over 60 copies in stock) and they're trying to clear warehouse space. That's fair enough, but don't throw the models into an offer where they very much don't belong.

Well, with that little complaint out of the way, let's have a look at the models themselves. The selection of Loka pieces is composed of...

• 1 Red King : Cut Price Sauron.
• 1 Red Queen : A Marilith.
• 1 Red Wizard : Jaffars cousin.
• 1 Red Elemental : Fire, of course.
• 1 Red Monster : It looks like some sort of mutant seahorse, I'm not entirely sure what it's meant to be.
• 4 Red Pawns : Ral Partha era Orcs.
• 1 Yellow King : Nega Sauron.
• 1 Yellow Queen : An Angel of some sort.
• 1 Yellow Wizard : Gandalf the Yellow.
• 1 Yellow Elemental : Air Elemental.
• 1 Yellow Monster : A somewhat scrawny Griffon.
• 4 Yellow Pawns : Scimitar wielding soldiers with what look like feathered masks.

The quality on these pieces is...well...it's pretty poor. They're blatantly pieces for a low budget boardgame rather than wargaming models, so the sculpt and material qualities suffer as a result. I'll admit they're nice and chunky, so if nothing else they're certainly durable, and the models do have some character to them, but even so I can't see most people getting much use out of them.

Me and The Girl had a chat about these pieces, and in the end the only thing we could think to do with them would be to use them as statuary when building terrain. The hefty bases would actually be a benefit in this regard, with each having a plinth already built into the model. A bit of grey, a stone wash, maybe some work with a modelling knife to apply a some damage to them and bob's your uncle.

Mars Attacks Miniatures

(ACKACKACK! ACKACK!)

(ACK ACK? ACK!)

Now these are interesting. I've been aware of Mantic's Mars Attacks skirmish game since the Kickstarter was launched, though I personally decided against supporting it. Again much like Loka I'm not familiar with the rules so I'm going to restrict myself to critiquing the models. Our Martian contingent consists of the following...

• 6 Martians with rayguns
• 1 Martian with a heavy Raygun
• 1 Martian with a pistol, probe, and labcoat.
• 2 Martians with probes and pistols
• 1 Martian Hell Crab
• 1 Martian Death Dog
• 6 Transparent Plastic Martians with rayguns
• 1 Transparent Plastic Martian with heavy raygun
• 1 Transparent Plastic Martian with a pistol, probe and labcoat.
• 1 Transparent Plastic Martian with pistol and communicator
• 2 Transparent Plastic Martians with probes and pistols
• 1 Set of Mars Attacks AI Cards
• 1 Plastic Blaine, included here as I couldn't decide where else to put him.

I've got to admit, I actually really like these little guys. The solid plastic models are nice and crisp, they've got a good selection of poses, and the monsters add a splash of variety to the tiny martian horde. The only problem is the transparent models, the plastic and mould quality of which is markedly worse than their solid plastic counterparts. Par for the course for what I assume to be novelty promotional miniatures. The best bit about these models however is not shown in the photograph, and it's truly wonderful. Each of the

Martians comes with a tiny plastic bubble helm that fits over their head, just like their Topps and film counterparts. Yes I know, it's a little touch, but it's absolutely perfect and pleases me immensely. The Blaine model is of the same quality, it's passable, and I continue to not know who he is or why Mantic include him in all their product lines.

As for what I'd use them for...I have absolutely no idea. I'm unlikely to give the game a go at any point, but I'm probably going to end up painting these little fellas purely for entertainment. I might throw them into a sillier game at some point, maybe Mutant Chronicles or somesuch, but for now they're going to sit in their box until painted, and then lurk on a shelf plotting the doom of all mankind.

Deadzone / Dreadball / Warpath

 (I'll dig a hole in yer' face!)

(You keep Brocas Helm out of this...) 

(Thunder, Thunder, THUNDER!)

(Sim Settlement 2422)

This is more like it. These are what make the Crazy Box worth purchasing and I'm pretty damn happy with these guys. The actual Sci Fi contents of the Crazy Box consists of the following models...

• 4 Forge Fathers heavy infantry with rifles
• 4 Forge Fathers heavy infantry with special weapons, I'm not sure entirely what they are though.
• 2 Forge Fathers officers with pistols and either hammers or POINTING HANDS!
• 2 Marauder Goblins with sniper rifles.
• 2 Marauder Commandos with paired rifles.
• 2 Jotunn Heavy Hailstorm Cannons
• 1 Forge Fathers Star Player, the wonderfully named Gorim Ironstone.
• 1 Asterian Star Player, Mellisandra
• 2 Scenery Sprues

All of these models are of pretty decent quality. They have the usual Mantic issue of being made from sub-par materials and needing a bit of TLC in order to bring out the best in them, but they're all perfectly servicable. The Forge Fathers have oddly long arms, but that's an issue most model lines have when it comes to sculpting Dwarves, and the gunners for the Hailstorm Cannons look absolutely ridiculous, but then I doubt I'll be using them anyway. The pair of scenery sprues are a nice addition, as I always find myself lacking in railing, lights and other little nicknacks when I'm setting up a battlefield.

Almost all of these models are going to see some use, the Forge Fathers will likely get assembled, painted, and either used in the Deadzone or as a minor Xenos/Abhuman race in 40k roleplay.

Yes, I miss the Squats, deal with it.

Likewise the commandos and goblins will be added to my collection of Marauders, and the scenery sprues used for, well, making more scenery. I'm not sure about the Deadzone models, I've not played the game myself, though I've heard a lot of good things about it and may give it a whirl at some point.

Finally we've got the Hailstorm cannons, which I have definite plans for. I've got a third already, thanks to a previous Crazy Box, and when I get the chance all three are going to undergo some heavy conversion into a battery of Thunderfire Cannons for my Knights Vigilant. I may even mess around with the weapon mountings so I can swap out their cannons for quad heavy bolters or lascannons so I can field them as Rapiers. We shall see.

Conclusion

There we have it, not a bad little bundle for £25, though as I said I'm a little irritated by the presence of the Loka pieces in a "Sci Fi" box. Ah well. I'm sure I'll get plenty of use out of these models, and all in all I'm pleased with this years haul. Hopefully next years will be even better.

Until Next Time
Happy Gaming
Michael