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Aliens II Set $1.78 $1.07
Publisher: Arion Games
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by Rob M. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 01/31/2007 00:00:00

Due to the many games with detailed tactical combat systems, miniatures have become a necessary evil. This puts those of us who have neither the desire, space, or cash to collect traditional miniatures in a bind; miniatures make handling combat much easier, but how to use them without having to handle a ton of minis. Paper minis provide a good solution for to this problem. Paper minis provide a nice alternative to traditional minis, in that they are inexpensive and disposable. When they are packaged as a PDF, you are provided with a reusable, readily available source of minis for your games. Print those that you need, when they get to be a pain to have lying around, you can throw them away, with PDF tucked away for when you need to print some more. They are also handy for ?collectors? of traditional minis to provide additional figures, or non-precious stand-ins if you don?t want to worry about your minis being damaged or lost at an unfamiliar, or merely overcrowded, gaming table.

The figures in Arion Games? miniatures sets come in 3 styles, ?A-frame?, ?Flat?, and ?Triagonal?. The ?A-frame?, and ?Flat? figures can be constructed from the same sheets, depending on how they are cut-out. The ?Triagonal? minis are constructed from a separate sheet. These construction choices provide additional options in preparing your minis for use in the game, major characters or monsters can be constructed as the ?Triagonal? versions to provide a more visual flair, and to emphasize their importance. Other figures can be done as ?A-Frame? or flat versions to make them easier to handle or distinguish them from each other, thus providing a functional use beyond their graphical characteristics.

The instructions are easy to follow and assembling the minis is quick and painless, just requiring a bit of work with scissors and some glue. This particular set requires an extra bit of work putting together Triagonal versions of the large Dragon-lord figures, but nothing to strenuous. There are also instructions provided on how to prepare a custom sheet of figures to meet your specific needs. The minis look good, even when printed on plain paper. Each figure is drawn from a 3D rendering (done in Poser using figures provided by DAZED, according to the credits), providing sharp detail and life-like shading, even when printed. This 8 page PDF (9 with cover) is Arion Games? second set of alien miniatures. This set features a selection of 18 Xenomorphs, big scary bug aliens to hunt and terrorize the PC?s. The aliens in this set are all larger, fitting into the large size category in D20 type games. They feature a variety of appendages, chitinous spiky strikers, slimy and noisome tentacles, and other pseudopods of unknown purpose. The set includes one Mantrap figure (a large bulbous body topped by venus fly-trap like flowers & head), two Sluglin figures (large comical seeming bipeds with two eyestalks rising from their noseless, large mouthed heads), three Alien Plants figures (one with a bulbous base and 3 fungi like motile heads, another bulbous based alien with a slender neck leading to a large fungi like head, and slim vaguely cactus shaped plant with a large multi-leafed mouth). Next is a variety of single figures, each a verity of spiky/tentacle bug to attack your players. The Chega figure is a large armored segmented worm-like creature with a mulit-tusked maw, the Husk figure is a vaguely scorpion like creature with a large sting and two sets of long spindly legs, and a set of feelers/limbs somewhere between antennae and tentacles. The Vebra figure is an odd plantlike creature with bi-segmented chitinous body and a set of three stalked limbs protruding from each end (It seems like it would have to be either floating, sessile, or a swimmer, or low gravity native.) Next is the Gatch figure, a green chitinous monstrosity on a set of dual back-kneed legs, a large powerful tail, two striker tipped ?arms?, and two sets of tentacle/feeler type limbs. From these creatures we move onto the neon green Slurm figure (It likely could be drowned in water and the expectorant turned into addictive soda no doubt), a segmented, suckered worm-like creature around the size of a large python. The Egwa figure features a more hulking animal like build, two strong legs, balanced by a long tail, support a forward torso/thorax featuring a pair of fearsome striking tusks, alongside a maw featuring two curving tusks. The Slag Monster figure is an amorphous creature sporting a variety of pseudopods, tentacles, and segmented grasping mouths, it would no doubt be comfortable lurking in a trash compactor on giant space station the size of a small moon. Next is the Curulu, a mishappen lump of ugly brown flesh from which alight a variety of thin, unsettling looking segmented tentacles, and powerful looking armored tail. No doubt it would drag a hapless PC off into some extra-dimensional hellspace where it dwells, to slurp away his soul and vital organs through a super-string silly straw. Next, is the Slig figure, a delicate, but deadly segmented, armored insectile looking predator, using its two large forelegs, and smaller reversed rear legs, to pull and push itself along at an in human speed, clicking it four mandible limbs intent on dragging it?s victim to it?s gaping, suckered maw. Then there is the bulky Gripa figure, it features squat massive stumpy tail upon which is set a small torso and four gnashing mandible forelimbs to draw prey to it?s mouth. Somewhat sad is the Sack figure, a plant-like creature with a bulbous central body set on a thin leg leading to four long segmented toes. Its top is surmounted by a flexible, whiplike limb and a small biting orifice. Lastly, we have the Kluth figure, featured on the cover, this creatures splayed bent legs bring to mind the fast two-legged dinosaurs such as a Velociraptor, It?s legs meet a cresecent shaped body, ending in a large powerful tell at one end, and it?s largish head and mouth at the other. Descending from the shoulder are four wicked looking striking limbs surmounted by wicked tusks.

Overall, this is a pretty good set from Arion games, the creatures presented are rather horror sci-fi xenomorph in style, and would work best in games focused on combating nasty alien creatures, perhaps a group of tough hombres like colonial space marines. However, several of the creatures have a more nightmarish look to them, and could be used in a horror game. Some of them would also work in a fantasy game, or in a D&D game based in the planes or sigil. The textures and colors are pretty good, none seeming terribly off. Thus I can recommend this set to anyone looking for some nasty spiky/tentacled beasties for their game. So if either of these scenarios fit, I recommend this set. Adding in the fact that you can print as many as you need, and prepare your own figure sheets, this is an excellent value as well. <br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: Kluth, Egwa, Slig, Curulu<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Sluglin figures look too goofy/comical for my taste.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Aliens II Set
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