Dropfleet Commander: Starter Set Unboxing
October 14, 2016 by dignity
We crack open the new Two-Player Starter Set for Dropfleet Commander with Dave from Hawk Wargames.
Justin is giddy with delight at finally getting his hands on the game he and John and have been waiting for.
Not only that but they discuss the ramming rule which we intend to carry out any chance we get!
For further details on the game check out these videos...
- Dropfleet Weekend Part 1 – Fleet Manoeuvres
- Dropfleet Weekend Part 2 – Weapons Free!
- Dropfleet Weekend Part 3 – Orbital Assault
- Dropfleet Commander – Shaltari Mechanics
- Dropfleet Commander – Shaltari Shooting
- Dropfleet Commander – PHR Vs UCM Weapons Demo
- Weekender: Hawk Talks Dropfleet
Will you be picking this up?
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I am so much looking forward to this! The waiting for my pledge is kind of part of the fun – it can arrive every day now… 🙂
Waiting for 3 Commodores (plus extras) so I will need a bigger house 🙂
Tell Dave I want battleships, supercarriers, corvettes, destroyers, monitors, mobile repair docks (probably something that can be concocted from the space station sprues but we’ll see)
Missed the Kickstarter unfortunately, so can’t wait till this is available retail
Same here, gutted I couldn’t back the KS
It already is!
Just to be sure as a backer we do not get the box right? Because it is a really nice box. Can’t wait to get my stuff. Maybe I will see them in Esse at Spiele
Theres a comment on tbe box on the latest kickstarter update
While they said it would go to us first, I am glad it’s going out to retail on time. I am hoping that this game takes off and pulls DropZone right along with it. This has me more excited than anything since I have gotten into miniature war gaming. Now all I have to do, other than waiting patiently, is hope that I can find some place and opponents to play against.
Its awesome, and torture all at the same time…lol
People keep saying it is going to retail ‘on time’, when is ‘on time’? No one seems to have a clue when this will be in stores.
I backed this but it’s not turned up so I’m on my way to pick one up from dark sphere. Just couldn’t wait for this
Dam should waited, just got the email from hawk to say my pledge will here on monday
lucky you 🙂
I’d still be tempted to buy it at retail … simply because I’d have more ships for two of my starter forces.
Looking forward to the Bootcamp even more now 😎
Really looking forward to opening my beautiful box when the KS reward arrives.
So, when a new Scourge ship is encountered, it’s the UCM captain’s responsibility to name it? Knowing how hard it is to come up with a character name when put on the spot during roleplay, I can only assume that most Scourge ships are named “Bob” 😉
I’d be tempted to name them squids … big squid, tiny squid, angry squid.
Just seen the boxes in my local games store. Owner and I both a bit miffed as we both pledged through KS and are waiting for our pledges… unfortunate timing.
As a kickstarter I have been looking forward to these for a long time, it’s a shame people with be able to go and get these from a shop before those 1000’s of people who pledged will. I am happy to see the unboxing but an VERY sad to find out that the Kickstarter pledgers will NOT be getting a retail box! This makes no sense to me other than a cost saving. I like all of you love opening a box and getting that new product smell. The box is more than a storage unit as well, I plan… Read more »
Sorry – I can’t watch this. I’ve tried to be supportive on the KS comments page but..
– “yes – it’s finally here!” – no it isn’t
– “let’s look at the lovely box art” on the box KS backers aren’t getting?
Things have probably just heated up big time on the KS comments…
Just looked – yet it has. Those of a sensitive disposition might want to leave it a while.
Seriously it’s perhaps time some of the KS folks took a bit of a deep breath on this. 🙂 Do you want the game to be a success? If that is or at any time was ‘yes’, then you need to understand the importance of the retail release of this (or other) products. Large retail releases are months in the planning, and when your entire livelihood depends upon the support of retailers to help a game grow and reach a critical mass where every player benefits from wide support, and ample players – then you do EVERYTHING to make sure… Read more »
I’m one of the backers in the camp of wanting this game to succeed first and foremost. I have plenty of ships from other games systems that look pretty, but for systems that noone around me plays anymore. My first hope is that Dropfleet doesn’t join that list. With the above in mind, I fully support Hawk’s decision to not delay the retail release and risk destroying much needed retailer support. Yes, it does mean the release happens whilst the kickstarter is still shipping, but it’s not as if delaying retail would get me my toys any quicker. All it… Read more »
@nekomata : I doubt they could have done much better. Yes, it wasn’t perfect communication, but given the relatively small size of the company it’s a bloody miracle they can even manage to ship without making us wait for another year. Contrast Mantic who claim that the TWD shipment to backers will be done in a few days. Of course their kickstarter was much simpler in design, which is a factor that Hawk probably underestimated. While they listed it as a “two player starter set” I don’t recall them ever claiming that we would get the retail package itself. There’s… Read more »
I don’t want to appear picky, and yes I can also quote a number of (for me) more disastrous projects. However have you read the first part of the campaign page and the banner image asking “What is in the BOX” followed by “The 2 player starter BOX gives you everything you’ll need to start playing Dropfleet Commander” ? In marketing and business we call this “expectation” management related to value propositions. When those expectations and value propositions are not delivered that will tend to cause issues with your customer base – even on Kickstarters. Be careful what you say… Read more »
It’s fair to expecte that a “two player starter set” will consist of all elements of the two player starter set unless otherwise specified. It wouldn’t have been too hard to add a line to the kickstarter description stating that the retail packaging will not be included with the starter sets. Given that the lack of retail boxes is most likely a minimal saving for hawk (either in cost, time or whichever metric they used for the decision), but is causing their customers to feel disappointed or even cheated in some cases, I would say that it is an area… Read more »
@coxjul They named it a ‘starter set’, but in all of their updates they never ever promised an actual ‘retail level’ starter set. I’m not sure if it had made packaging easier, because the process involves one step less (no need for a fancy box per item). However as you can see in the preview videos they don’t have the retail quality boxes at this time (they surely would have used them in the BoW unboxing videos). So in essence they appear to have had the choice between shipping the stuff to backers in ‘plain cardboard’ or delaying a x… Read more »
I realise that they found themselves unfortunately stuck between a rock and a hard place on this one. I completely understand their need to fulfill commercial commitments to retailers as well as trying to satisfy their KS backers to whom they only indicated their intent to deliver pledges first. But as nekomata has also pointed out, there are ways of doing it. They are a small company with stretched resources, and rumour has it someone who worked on their comms has recently left. I also have no problem with the principle of recording a series of videos with you guys… Read more »
What really winds the KS folks up is other folk telling us to calm down. There is one particular troll on the KS page and facebook (who I believe to be a Hawk Talon) that is REALLY winding people up and is causing real reputational damage to Hawk itself. I am still waiting for Conan, over a year late but due to better handling and communications it’s not bothered me in the slightest. Dropfleet and the lack of comms and the almost withdrawal of interaction on the KS page is infuriating. Lets hope I get my ‘Starter Set’ in the… Read more »
@ Warzan as a backer of DFC I understand what your saying, but from what I have been reading this will be my first KS 2 player starter box that is the shipping box. Mind you there are those of us that like to display our game boxes down in our man caves for our friends to choose which game they would like to play. Us KS folks are more or less the bread & butter of KS’s at the begining & the retailers keep it going after that. I’m not sure retailers would pony up over 500,000 quid for… Read more »
I think @nekomata has just opened the floodgates on comedy labelling of Scourge ships 🙂 Gribbley MacCthulhuFace and suchlike… from the UDM.
Probably something laconic from PHR: Target of Opportunity 23A
my box delivered today more on the way i crumbled big time and have an early night planned with the rulebook a jack russell and his duck……..oh i remember friday nights used to be so much more different when i was younger
Glad to hear it… Enjoy!!
Well as an Admiral backer, i have invested 500quid in this game. My view was that Hawk would do everything they could to get this out before retail. Funnily enough of all the kickstarters i have backed none have arrived in a retail box so my expectations of getting this in a retail box just were not there. It would go in the bin anyway. As to getting the stuff before it goes to retail it does not bother me at all Afterall the oringinal plan was to get the the starter set out in plastic nothing more they asked… Read more »
This is going to be awesome!
Sound Battlestations! Helm, all ahead Flank Speed. Take Us into the fray. We’ve got Scourge to kill.
That’s right, cant wait till ti arrives.
Already have a few more people waiting for my boxes to arrive so they can play the game as well as all the Dropzone Commanders in our club, crying out to go into campaign mode.
So from me and only a few others… Hail to all human kind and it goes without saying Death to the rest.
Seriously looming forward to this, check my email every other hour waiting to see the dispatch of my pledge. I can live with a minor delay but have to say disappointed will be no retail box. I like keeping all the counters etc in the box and when deciding which game to drag out I normally look at my stack of boxes and I’m drawn to whichever shiny box art grabs me.
Bought my copy yesterday.
Couldn’t believe how heavy the box was.
The rule book is a work of art.
Glad you put a build idea in the box, as would be unable to decide what I wanted on the table top.
Can’t wait to open my boxes when my pledges arrive.
Oh wait, My starter sets will be missing their boxes. 🙁
Just ordered the starter set. I really like the ships and hope that the game keeps on growing.
that’s a shed load of stuff in the box.
Nice box, I am thinking Scourge done in some sort of metallic or iridescent green. They all need to have Lovecraft style names. 🙂