How to fix Art of War Studios tokens

So you may or may not have ordered product from Art of War Studios, a UK-based store that makes and sells gaming aids, like token's and measuring sticks.

Before I ordered anything from them, I've seen lots of complaints about the quality of the products they received from this company. People who are happy with the quality insisted that the customer service at this place was great, and the company could be contacted, to receive better crafted product.

The main complaint I've consistently read about was that the words were un-readable, and it's not what people were expecting compared to the sample pictures on their website. I decided to order some myself, and even if it was a bad batch, I knew I could probably salvage it. Besides, the company has very cheap products compared to the competition on the market.

We ordered a few products: Union Influence tokens, Alchemist tokens, Mortician's tokens, and measuring stick sets for a variety of factions. We received the product, and we definitely had product that was not as good-looking as those pictured on the website (See first picture). Not only were the token's symbol's really dull, but more than half the tokens looked like they were scuffed. However, I will show you how to easily fix these tokens.

Now, before you ask me, "why don't you contact Art of War? Their customer service is really good, and they'll send you a new batch!" like I suggested before... it seems that they have given up on making and sending out clear, legible tokens, as our order came with a slip of paper that basically said "here are a few ways you can bring out the detail in your tokens."

Well, here's a simple guide on what to do to make your tokens look sweet and vibrant!

1- Paint the surface with paint. I chose white because I think it 'pops' the best.

2- Use your thumb to wipe the paint off the surface of the token. The idea here is, your thumb will easily remove the paint from the smooth surface, but leave the paint in the recesses of the token.

3- Use your fingernail to scrap off the scrapes from the token. They aren't really scrapes. It's just excess material that hardened on the token when the company was trying to color the detail on their tokens. Your finger nails are tough enough to remove this material, but soft enough that they wont scratch your tokens.

As you can see from the photo, here are the before and after tokens, side-by-side.

This whole process takes very little time, and as a miniature gamer, you probably already have paint lying around at home.

You don't even have to use your good paint. I just used dollar store paint.

Hope this guide helps!

-the aY

Magnetizing and Transporting your Guild Ball miniatures!

You've probably met someone, or at least heard of someone, who magnetizes all their models and puts them in tins for safe transport. (If you haven't, well now you have: me!).

I had a friend who magnetized an entire army, some 100+ models, spread out among 5 or more different sized tins. That example is quite dangerous though. It was quite difficult carrying all those tins, and if he ever lost balance, his whole army had the potential to be ruined.

That example is a bit atypical, and probably impractical. But for a game like Guild Ball, where you only need 6 models for a game, and maybe 8 for a tournament, or even only 11 for a full team, magnetizing may be a bit more practical.

So, you may be wondering: why magnetize? Why not just use trusty foam and carrying cases? Simple: if you transport your models and actually take them out of the case to play, scratching your sweet paint job is an eventuality.

Putting your models on the table top can lead to damage. An errant dice roll, a model falling on a rough tabletop surface, or a measuring tape snapping prematurely can all lead to paint chipping from your models.


However, at least those are situations we can understand. If you use your models, there is chance for wear and tear. That is what we expect with most things in life.

But your models being scratched while sitting in a carrying case is just disappointing. It's not even something that you can control. Foam just happens to be rough enough that friction can rub the paint off your models. This is especially so with points and edges, usually on weapons.

However, if you magnetize your models, you eliminate the chance for wear and tear of your models during transport entirely! There is no foam to rub the paint off your models. Also, sometimes models can come into contact with each other in a case. Friction between those models can cause chipping. That wont happen here either! The illustration to the left shows how strong a hold these magnets have. The tin can even be held upside down and shaken, and they still hold!

The best part is, all you need are strong magnets (rare earth) that are probably available at your hobby store, or various other random places (like Princess Auto), and hot glue to attach them to the bottom of your base. Then, the metal storage container can be acquired from anywhere. Danish Butter Cookie tins, metal lunchboxes, or even tins from the dollar store! You can add little flair by spray painting the tin, and adding in a stenciled Guild Ball logo on the lid. Kind of like what we did when putting the logo on our home-made mats from my previous article HERE.

But remember the story I mentioned about the guy with 5 or more different tins who precariously carried them to the hobby store? We can add some safety by putting the tins in a bag to carry. I bought a small lunch bag from the hardware store, sprayed it black, and added a Guild Ball logo to personalize it.




The official Guild Ball bag from BattleFoam is $74 USD. It's a great, high-quality product, but it only holds 2 trays of foam. This arrangement allows as many tins as you want (depending on the size of the bag you buy), and smaller models can even be magnetized upside down on the lid for even more storage space! This whole combination only cost me $15 Canadian, taxes included!

Now, there are some downsides to magnetizing. In theory, if you threw your Battlefoam bag, filled with miniatures, your models have some chance of not being too broken. With this layout, extreme force will likely cause the models to detach from their spots in the tins. This isn't so much of an issue for me, as I have been carrying models in cases for the last 20 years or so, and not once have I ever accidentally thrown a carrying case. I've dropped them from my hand, resulting in a 1-foot drop, maybe. But that shouldn't affect the magnetic hold of these models. Also, this process also adds extra cost and time to each model. If not done correctly, you may also have your models still move around when the case moves around. Make sure you do it correctly, or else it defeats the whole purpose of this method! Also, if you happen to use metal rings to mark AOE's (I'm looking at you, Alchemists), be warned: your models may move from their current positions on a table if the rings are placed too close to your models base. If you are OK with these concessions, then magnetizing your models may be right for you. It sure works out for me!

Enjoy the rest of your day! :)

P.S. Due to some input, I will write an article on how-to, and points to consider when magnetizing your models!

-the aY

Alchemists Spotlight - Midas Striker Team

Last week, I decided to trade in some Magic cards on a whim. Apparently, I had some cards that were worth some decent coin! With my spoils, I picked up the remaining two models of the Hunter's team (Seenah and Chaska) that I was missing, and the entirety of the Alchemist faction, minus Katalyst. I also got to pick up Decimate and Mist, so I can use them in my Mason's lineups.

After playing so much Butcher's, I thought I would like to play a Striker team, but not so obvious like the Fishermen. But, after looking at the cards of the Alchemists, combined with some Union model help, I thought it was very realistic to make a fast-paced, high-octane Alchemist team that could threaten the goal from multiple threat vectors.

I also happen to like the idea of playing super-solos that can do a lot themselves (I'm a fan of this playstyle in many games), so I thought the obvious choice would be 'King' Midas himself. The hobbyist side of me wanted to make my model look like he was actually performing some kind of field alchemy, so I took my regular cork bases and made something that was very Full Metal Alchemist-esque. If you don't know what that is, you owe it to yourself to watch that series! It's probably my favourite anime series of all time.

Back on topic: Midas is amazing. The whole GB community probably already knows that. He can be a beater if he needs to be, but I think his comfort zone is being zippy and scoring goals. If you can steal 'Where'd They Go?', then you are in for some amazing times. He is just so mobile, and he has so much defensive tech built in, he feels almost unstoppable. His only weakness is that he can only activate once a turn, really.

   So, with all this Midas threat that is always on the table, I knew I needed to add some more strikers to make it a Striker team. Vitriol is the obvious choice. A very mobile, accurate Striker, who also happens to be able to beat face if need be. Also, she happens to be debated among the community as a contender for "best Striker, non-captain" on the forums.

   I think under most circumstances, having a double striker list is probably enough to be considered a goal-oriented team, however I prefer threat saturation when we are going for skews. So, let's add a third Striker! Mist was the top candidate. Although they tend to have great kick stats across the board, the remaining Alchemists don't quite have the mobility to be true Strikers. Mist having Where'd They Go just gives him that extra mobility to get into good scoring positions, or get into a spot where a snap-kick is possible. While he is excellent, the lack of a momentous tackle generally means he can't be the first activation in a turn to score a goal. So beware!

   Rounding out the rest of the team, I put in Flask as the mascot based on community feedback, but Naja could work. After a first-turn cloud to help Vitriol, I just tend to leave the mascot by the goal to help act as a ghetto goaltender. Compound, I feel is an easy-include in any Alchemist list, just because he generates 2 Influence and can act most turns without any INF. Just having the Rush-keeper stops certain goal runs, and controls a large table area. The sixth spot is what is currently the slot I have yet to finalize. Decimate seems to be the natural choice with her good kick stat and mobility, plus her ability to generate momentum easily if required.

   When I play with this list, it just feels like I can play recklessly, make mistakes and bad trades, and still come out on top at the end of the game due to the high capability to score goals from multiple models on the team. It doesn't matter if you give your opponent 10 VPs because you aren't defending well, or accidentally give a way easy take-outs. As long as you get 12 VPs, you still win! If you are an alchemist player already and haven't tried playing this way, try it out! If you aren't an alchemist player, but are looking for a new team, I'd say this is a solid choice. I know it's not any news to say that Midas is awesome. But for those who have never played as Alchemists, you don't realize how FUN a list like this is to play until you try it!