I've been interested in Anima tactics for a while now, but there's very little info on it. I've tried checking with local game stores, emailing people who talk about it on BGG, even emailing FFG - no luck! So maybe you all can help.

I'm looking for a rules-light skirmish game with low setup time that plays in under 2 hours, and can preferabbly be played on one normal sized table. This looks like it might fit the bill. Does it?

What do 2 players need to get started and try the game? Are 2 starters sufficient? Would one starter and 2 extra figs be better?

I'm wary of spending too much just to try this - I wish anyone near me owned it!

The rulebook mentions maps being available online, but I haven't found any. Do these exist? I'd rather play on a grid than free-measured.

What size are the bases? Could I use D&D minis maps for Anima?

Are there two sets of starters? Is the first set still available? Are the minis from each set available seperately?

Thanks for any info!

Hi StormKnight,

I think that you will find that Anima Tactics is just what you are looking for!

You can start with just the two starter boxes but a game of four figures per side is best. That way you get a feel for the variety of abillities that the various characters have.

I admit that the figures are in the high end of the market - price wise but they are of fine quality and you only need a few to have a really good game. Also included with each figure is a character card and an item/effect card with very nice artwork and production value.

I have not seen any maps online but I must admit that, as I tend to play on a terrain table, I haven't really looked.

Nearly all the figures come with a 30mm plastic slot base, a few have a 40mm slot base. If you wanted to play on the D&D maps then you could just pick up a pack of GW bases to put your figures on (unless FFG sells those too). There is no reson why you could not have a good game with the D&D maps as the game plays better with lots of terrain.

Both starter boxes are still available, one for "Light" and one for "Dark" each box has two characters and cards for that faction and the "starter" rulebook; there is an extended rulebook coming out in the first quarter of 2009 (Please!). I am unsure if those figures are availanble seperately. Bexley should be able to tell you more on that front. If you pick up some neutral characters for the extra figures, you will be able to vary the two sides. You will find that each game plays very differently; I have had a few games now and no two were the same. The games play to a conclusion in less than 2 hours (if I'm playing it finishes even quicker!)

I hope this helps and that you give the game a try.

Mike

Mike - thanks for the info! That is helpful. 30mm bases is a bit odd, but shouldn't be a problem. That should still fit on a 1" grid with a little squeezing.

What's confusing about the starters is that I've been seeing two different dark faction starters, but have only found one light faction starter, and I'm not even sure if both the dark faction starters are still available.

Thanks again. Maybe I'll manage to try it - still not sure!

The only starter figure currently also available as a single figure is Bael, form the Dark Starter.

Now you have me confused Bexley; my Dark starter came with Cheshire and Shinigami Ayl. I have never seen a starter with Bael in.

Mike

Hi,

I've been interested in Anima tactics for a while now, but there's very little info on it. I've tried checking with local game stores, emailing people who talk about it on BGG, even emailing FFG - no luck! So maybe you all can help.

I will try But you should visit the other english board for more information.

www.edgeent.com/animaforum

I'm looking for a rules-light skirmish game with low setup time that plays in under 2 hours, and can preferabbly be played on one normal sized table. This looks like it might fit the bill. Does it?

Rule-light : check

low-setup-time: check

plays under two hours:check

normal sized table: it works but it would be perfect if you could play on 48 * 48 inch table. How big is your table ?

What do 2 players need to get started and try the game? Are 2 starters sufficient? Would one starter and 2 extra figs be better?

I'm wary of spending too much just to try this - I wish anyone near me owned it!

Especially if you can only get the new Dark starter, I would recommend one additional fig for each side. That should be enough for some games.

The rulebook mentions maps being available online, but I haven't found any. Do these exist? I'd rather play on a grid than free-measured.

There is (or at least was) one online map, but after some plays I prefer to use my own terrain. It may happen that there will be new maps with the release of the real Rulebook, but that is unknown.

Are there two sets of starters? Is the first set still available? Are the minis from each set available seperately?

Thanks for any info!

There are 2 starters, both should be available

The light starter has Kronen and Evangeline.

The old dark starter has Shinigami Ayl and Dark Chesire. The new has Bael and Dark Chesire and Shinigmai will be available as a single blister at some point. The reason behind this change was that Ayl is veryhard to assemble, and that might turn off newbies.

Mike Broadbent said:

It orignally did; it now contains Bael instead of Shinigami Ayl.

it works but it would be perfect if you could play on 48 * 48 inch table. How big is your table ?

Our regular gaming table is only 2 1/2 feet wide. We also have a sheet of clear plastic to go on the table that makes a 3' x 3' square (used to put over HeroClix maps; they then clip to the side, since they are too big for the table). We've got a 5' x 6' wargaming table set up, but...it just doesn't work well at the moment. Long story. One of the reasons why games like 40K aren't getting played and we need something 'smaller'.

Basically, at the moment, we really want to be able to play while comfortably sitting, which doesn't work on a table so big you need to stretch across

Thanks for all the info so far. This sounds appealing; two more questions:

If I get just two starters to begin with, will that give us a fun game? I know we won't have tons of options, but do you think it will be enough to say 'that's cool, lets add more forces', or dodes it fall flat with only 2 minis each?

What amount of terrain works best? Is it good with an open battlefield with a few pieces? Would densely packed corridors work well?

Thanks for all the help!

StormKnight said:

To be honest that depends on you. I wouldn't like it with only 2 minis per side, but I know at least one person that says that anima is best with 2-3 minis per Side . And Anima is demoed with two minis per side.

My advice is the following.

Ask yourself the following questions:

-Do I like the anime background and the universe ?

-Do I like the miniatures ?

-Will I paint the miniatures ?

If you can say yes to these three questions, do the following.

Download the rule booklet and the scans of the following characters.

-Evangeline

-Kronen

-Dark Chesire

-Shinigami Ayl

Print the scans, and the part of the rulebook about status effects and actions.

This can be found here www.anima-gaming.be/

Get some D10, a couple of counters. Three piece of terrain and 4 figures to use as proxy.

This should be enough to play the game. If you now like what you see so far, you should get 3 minis per Side (You actually don't need the starter if you print the small rulebook). For choosing the minis, just start another thread here or at www.edgeent.com/animaforum so that the users might give you advice about the different factions.

For terrain, you don't need much terrain, but it is good if you have good range of different terrain.

Hi, I'm just going to piggy back onto this thread. I'm also looking at picking up this game. The store that I frequent does not carry any minis and I'm trying to get some buzz happening among people I know. The positive spin is the FF feel that some feel as well as the low model count. Next thing to disarm them with will be the assembly and painting bit as most are card gamers. I'm going to have to place an order in the new year with the games manager.

There are some models that I'm eyeing right now and was wondering if you find it more more effective to organize teams based on alignment/factions or organizations?

I'll probably be looking to order 6-8 models off the get go so that I can let people try it out at the store.

I'm digging the Empire and Wissenchaft models. If I go alignment route, I'll pick Light.

I personally like basing my teams based on Organizations. I love Samael. How can you not love succubus chicks with gigantic horns, possessed demon armor, and teenage girls with kitten ears? It's really nice to use the organizations because Light and Dark can play together. (I personally use almost all Dark characters except for Aoi in almost every battle. She's a great healer! However, Fallen Angel Dinah (also Light side) is just awesome so I'll have to start including her!) With the Church organization, you can put Nero and Xavier on the same team. (Nero is fantastic against Dark players, and Xavier is awesome against Light players). I like having a theme (mystical people with pointy ears and tails) but it's always a personal preference.

Well I definitely see much more flexibility when you play Light or Dark but at the moment, I am more inclined towards actual cohesiveness and themes running through my force so that's what makes me look towards just picking models from an Organization at the moment.

How is this game doing overall? Seems to be very little activity on these forums and I'm only finding a handful of sites with anything useful outside of regurgatating material from official sites. To those of you who are collecting this game, do you have healthy gaming groups for Anima Tactics?

Just to let those who offered advice know, I picked up the starters last weekend. Have a bit of a hang up in that my Light starter was missing Sister Evangline! Bird and base, but no mini. Hopefully Fantasy Flight will fix the problem quickly. Looks pretty cool - I look forward to playing!

Johnni said:

You'll see lots of discussion at http://www.edgeent.com/animaforum/ . It's well worth the visit!

StormKnight said:

I had a missing part and FF was excellent about getting me the replacement part right away. "Send me Tusbasa's head! In a good way."

Regardless I placed an order with the local store and if his supplier has them, I might have me a bunch of Wissen figs by next Friday *cross fingers*

Hopefully the game plays really well and I can get some of the regulars to pick up this game.