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22 December 2010

Ebble Miniatures 2003-2010 Archive DVD

I just received my latest acquisition earlier today, a Christmas Present from myself to myself, from Ebbles Miniatures.

I think I will do a review of the Ebbles Miniatures Archive DVD. I purchased it this last weekend (18DEC2010) for $49.99 and received it today (22DEC2010). The disc contains the Ebbles Cardstock Models from 2003-2010, with some exceptions which I will get to in a bit. First off you are getting 65 different sets, including variations on color schemes for some of the sets, that if bought separately would have cost you more then $400, the UD-41 (2010 version) iirc was roughly $30 with the forum exclusive re-skins running about $16. Most the sets are geared towards Sci Fi (including a game called Guncrawl which from a brief glance looks to be an Aliens/Space Hulk/Starship Troopers style game, though I may be wrong haven't looked at it yet). Some of the models such as the M11 4x4 looks liek it could easily pass as a modified Humvee, the M9 6x6 as a wheeled APC/Police Riot Tank, and the M8A3 as a Main Battle Tank for a military. Each of these three models come in a variety of color schemes ranging from Woodland Camo to Desert Tan to UN to Police paint jobs (yes there is a Police version of the M8A3 for those who may play a game where the Police are a Militant force). There's also the Convoy set that Ebbles released this year that can be used in a Modern Day setting, the convoy consists of a truck with a covered bed, one with an open bed, one with a tank labeled Water and one with a tank labeled Flammable (Fuel). The convoy comes in either 15mm or 28mm size and in Helo Drab (an greenish color), Tan, Gray, and white.

There are a few exceptions to the disc, these are models that have recently been released such as the Overland Motor Works Onager, a tracked vehicle and the just released Jeepvee (another Hummer styled vehicle), fortunately these are available on the Ebbles Miniatures site for about $2.50 per model, unfortunately that $2.50 will only get you one color scheme. I also believe that some of the forum exclusive re-skins of a couple of the models may not have been included in the archive.

Other then these few models not being included, I will find use for the M11, M9, M8A3 as military vehicles (and police for the M11 and M9, Civilian for the M11), the UD-41 (the newer 2010 released version, a high tech Castle Pharmaceuticals Transport plane) the Folding Unit Structures (structures for a Military outpost/base/refugee center), the Convoy (Military transport trucks, and maybe as a Survivors convoy), and maybe some of the props from the Derelict II set (an interior set one could use as a bunker/Space Station/Vault).

I may get around to building some of the Mecha models though the wont be used in my ATZ games. Over all the DVD Archive is well worth the price, and it is only available for a limited time, once Ebbles Miniatures transfers all the files for the Models over to the World Works Games storefront, the DVD will be no more (the copies of the DVD still on hand will be sold, once those are gone there will be no more print runs of the DVD).

For those not familiar with both Ebbles and World Works Games (WWG), while technically they are/were competitors they had a close friendship and if say Ebbles had the model someone was looking for on the WWG forums, WWG staff would point the forum user over to Ebbles and vice versa, Ebbles would send users over to WWG for models he didn't carry.

8 comments:

  1. Thanks for the review, Doug. The stuff that you mentioned that you're going to use in your ATZ games is the stuff I already have. I doubt if I'd ever use the spacecraft models but the mecha could find use in my Secrets of the Third Reich Weird World War 2 setting. The interior sets are excellent and I frequently use them with my WWG buildings. I can see the sense in Mel joining forces with WWG as they've always enjoyed a friendly relationship and they complement one another very well.

    The bottom line is I'll probably pass on this offer and come to regret it in the future when it turns out there was something I needed after all. Nonetheless, it is a fantastic bargain.

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  2. It is a great deal, unfortunately it isn't the complete 2010 catalog since they added some new models after the DVD was released. Also if you have checked out the Ebbles Miniatures Site you will notice that Ebbles is now focusing on carrying supplies for the cardstock modeler, which is knives, blades glue, cutting mats, cover stock (a heavier and brighter white cardstock), etc...

    Also as if you want the different color schemes for Onager and Jeepvee I said they must be purchased separately. If you were to purchase all the color schemes for the Onager and the Jeepvee together right now its roughly $32.50.

    Also will be updating my post on the Ebbles Archive DVD to include the links to the Ebbles website and the Archive DVD.

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  3. Just received this very same product myself Doug. I have to say I'm as impressed as you are. Now if only I could find a reliable source of foamcard.

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  4. Hey Doug, Looked at getting this DVD several times, but I think (as usual!) I'm agreeing with VtG on this - I'm not going to get it, but will regret it in the future!

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  5. @ Dangerous Brian- I am lucky the local Dollar store has white foamcore sheets available, if I had to guess at the dimensions I would say they are 20"x30" and about 3/16ths" thick. I am thinking of going and picking some up here after the holidays when I start to build stuff.

    I first need to make sure I have plenty of ink for my printer, and enough cardstock to print the stuff on.

    @Colin and Bryan- I know what you mean, I almost passed it up but the more I thought I about it I knew if I didn't get it I would be kicking myself down the road. I am already kicking myself for not getting the Mayhem TLX road set back a couple weeks ago when WWG had it on sale. But that is the nature of the beast you figure nah you don't need to get something when its a good deal, then you later regret not getting it after the deal is over.

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  6. Stumbled across this comment while checking out various blogs, and thought I'd put in my 2 cents. First things first, thanks for the business and for the review!

    Second thing--sorry about the confusion, but our catalog years actually start and end in September, because we started selling on September 9, 2003. The newest stuff on the DVD is from the 2009-2010 catalog year, while the 2010-2011 catalog year started on September 9 2010. Were I to have said that the DVD contained models from 2003-2009, it wouldn't have been accurate because there are several 2010 releases on the DVD.

    Everything on the catalog was released before September 9 2010. Anything released after that is stuff that I basically do in my spare time between filling orders for tools and supplies. I don't do the big "multiple colors in one product" bundles anymore because we discussed it on my forum, and people were more in favor of buying just the colors they wanted rather than having to buy a whole bundle.

    Hope that clears things up. Thanks again for the business and the review!

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  7. Oops. The word "catalog" in the second to last paragraph in my previous comment should be "DVD." Sigh...note to self: preview before posting.

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  8. Mel,

    Don't sweat it, your products are still great if they are on the DVD or not. If you check out my Progress Report post that I put up yesterday, it will tell you I have been busy building some of the models on the Archive DVD, along with some of the JeepVee and Onager files I purchased after getting the DVD, btw I am definitely planning on ordering the rest of the JeepVees and maybe all the Onagers I dont have yet (still debating on whether to or not to get the Desert Pink Onager). Depending on the funds available I might also be placing an order for some stuff from the supply depot (GatorBlade II, the knife, the used blade puck, some more glue).

    BTW Ebbles Miniatures has a good birthdate, though it could be better and have opened one day later on Sept 10, either way the day before my Birthday is still good. LOL

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