Miniatures Game Review - ‘Batman Miniature Game: Back To Gotham’ Two-Player Box
The Batman Miniature Game from Knight Models celebrated it’s tenth anniversary this year. That’s a long time for any game, let alone one based on an existing IP, to be around. While it shows commitment from its existing community, a game can’t thrive without getting in new players to continue to grow. That is why a game’s entry point for new, or returning, players is key. Does Knight Models deliver that entry point with Back to Gotham? Read on to find out.
What is the Batman Miniature Game?
Before we go into the review of the core box, we should actually discuss what the Batman Miniature Game is and how it plays.
As the game’s title gives away, it is a miniature game set in the world of Batman (and some outlying characters within the DC Universe at large). Players bring a crew (team) of miniatures to the table and face their opponent over a handful of rounds, competing over various objectives to score points. The crews are comprised of miniatures of various ranks, such as Leaders; Sidekicks; and Henchmen. The game plays out over a minimum 3’x3’ board, filled with various size terrain and it is perpetually night time (affecting elements and rules of the game). Something special that was introduced in the current third edition are the Objective Deck and Audacity tokens, which affect model activations and actions.
Knight Models used some beautiful boards in their books.
Previous editions of the game used a series of hardcover books (similar to a Warhammer 40,000 Codex) and each character model came with a character stat card. Knight Models launched a companion app in 2021 that allows the company to update cards and rules as needed. The only downside to this is that players will have to print out their character cards for 90%+ of their models. Not a major hinderance, but could be annoying for some players.
This review is not about the game itself but rather a review on the box meant to get players into the game. Some aspects of the rules will ultimately weigh on our opinions somewhat, however.
What’s in the Box?
A good two-player starter for any miniature game, in our opinion, has to offer three key components to be considered a success. Those are Components, Value, and Accessibility. Components are what you would think they are - whatever you need to make the game work. Value is simply is it a better starting point financially to go with the starter versus buying all the parts separately? And Accessibility is simply rather or not it helps a player truly get started or if there will be more a player would need to play a full game. Accessibility is heavily tied to both the Components and Value of any starter box for any game.
The Batman Miniature Game: Back to Gotham two-player starter includes two crews, two complete objective decks for the included crews, various templates and tokens, dice, and rules. How about a deep dive on the Components more closely?
The Components:
The Crews (Miniatures and Objective Cards)
The two crews that are represented within the box are Batman and the Joker. While the Batman crew is headed by one of the more impressive Batman models they’ve released, the Joker crew is ran by Harley Quinn.
The Batman crew has the aforementioned Batman, Sgt. Harvey Bullock, Officer Merkel, a GCPD Dective, and two GCPD Cop models (named Cop 1 and Cop 2). The total of the crew comes out to 280 Rep points, out of the standard 350 Rep points, with the Batman model making up the vast majority of the points at 146 Rep. The crew’s Objective deck is focused on manipulating Suspects (tokens included in the starter).
Harley Quinn’s Joker crew includes Harley Quinn (on a gorgeous base), Deadshot, and six various Thug models (each named Thug 1 through 6). The total for this crew is 258 Rep. The Joker crew has a focus on scoring more Casualties in the game, as most psychotic killer clown gangs would.
The models are made from a much more flexible resin material. The details are sharp and deep, but there is some flash issues that will require some cleanup. Compared to earlier models, especially their first metal models, these things are an absolute treat to assemble. Some models have a few customization options regarding their head sculpts. This is a nice addition as the Thugs can be customized to be less clown-like and fit into other gangs, like Two-Face.
The Objective cards feature art pulled directly from the comics. Thankfully it is from all eras of the comics and not just a singular time (like the New 52 years).
All in all, there is little to complain about here save for the fact that you don’t have a complete crew of either Batman or the Joker. Against one another, they play fine, but as no one crew is at 350 Rep points (and the rules don’t allow for easy cross affiliation play), players will have to purchase additional models. Coincidentally, there was a Commissioner Gordon and Joker model that released at the same time that will bring their respective crew to exactly 350 Rep points. We wish the set had just one or two more models to get those crews to standard Reputation points without having to go out and spend so much more.
Peripherals (Tokens, Templates, Dice)
As with any starter box, this one has no shortage of tokens. The rulebook does a good job of listing and identifying each token should a player get them mixed up or forget what does what. They are made from a sturdy cardboard stock and should last players a considerably long time through multiple games.
The main complaint we have has to do with the lamp post tokens. A unique rule within the Batman Miniature Game is that it is always nighttime. Gotham is a living shadow and it’s citizens are just inhabiting it. This constant darkness means that, with the exception of certain traits or weapons, a singular model can only draw line of sight up to 12” from their base. If a model is within 4” of a light source, like a lamp post, then they can be seen from any where on the map regardless of distance. This makes those markets extremely important and why the flight token can be easily mistaken for an objective token from a distance. For this particular element, we wish they’d have included either a set of plastic/resin lamp posts or ones made from MDF.
The box includes templates for measurement, explosive effects, and expansive effects. Each set is themed for the factions in the box. This is something we think is an incredible thing as most two-player starters only ever include one set of the required measurement or template tools. This leads to a lot of handing things back and forth, just adding to the game time. Giving each player a set makes things easier, especially if the players are going in together on the box and splitting up its contents.
The included dice are d6’s in white and blue. The game system runs on a d6 mechanic so any will do. Knight Models has sold various themed sets in the past, including Bat-Family, Joker, and Suicide Squad themes.
What’s Missing
Aside from the lack of two more figures to give players a full 350 Rep crew, the game is missing a key component that plays a major part in each and every game - terrain.
Terrain generally plays a massive role in all table top miniature games. It helps create a unique gameplay experience by varying the board each game, providing cover and elevation for models, and generally making a bland board look good. The Batman Miniature Game’s base rules have terrain ingrained into its DNA. This makes the lack of even something as simple as a newspaper stand and some scatter terrain baffling. If this is a player’s first experience with a miniature game, this feels like its only offering half the experience.
Knight Models have released starters with terrain in the past. The original Suicide Squad two-player started included a couple of high-quality cardboard buildings (and even cardboard 3D lamp posts). The previous iteration of the Back to Gotham starter included a massive amusement park terrain kit, featuring an amazing ferris wheel. The cardboard buildings are currently available as a separate purchase on their webstore.
The Value:
Currently via Knight Models’ webstore, the total for the miniatures comes out to approximately $129.61 USD (give or take due to the exchange rate) prior to shipping. This is only taking into account the physical miniatures. For the cards, players will have to buy the Objective Card Set 2 for the Joker objective cards, and that is approximately $21.78 USD. For the Batman crew cards and tokens/templates, players would have to purchase the current The Batman two-player starter (more on that in a moment).
Current online prices have the Back to Gotham starters at $79.99 USD, so even with its few short comings the value is extremely solid. This might vary, however, if you aren’t interested in either of the crews.
The Accessibility:
The Back to Gotham starter is a box that is right there on the cusp of being one of the better miniature game starter boxes we’ve had the pleasure of looking at. The miniatures are highly detailed, fantastic quality, and just a joy to work with. The third edition rules are leaps and bonds better than either of the previous iterations, thanks in large part to the update character cards, simplified rules, and the implementation of the objective deck. Where the accessibility falls short is that final experience for the beginning player.
A new player cannot pick this up and bringing it to their local hobby shop to play at an event due to the lack of a complete force in the box. If this is their first miniature game, a new player will have an incomplete experience due to the lack of terrain, large or otherwise. One could argue that a paper 3’x3’ mat would be nice, but a simple cloth can take care of that.
All in all, a new player to the hobby could expect to spend another $100 on top of this box to have a complete game experience. That would be $60 to get the miniatures needed to flesh out a complete 350 Rep crew and another $40 for some nice terrain from a place like TTCombat (not a sponsor, just like their MDF terrain). While $180-$200 isn’t all that outlandish to get into a game (especially when compared to come miniature war games), it can still be a difficult thing to accept when starting out.
The Batman:
Earlier we mentioned that there was a current starter featuring The Batman. This new two-player starter offers players a choice between a Batman crew or an Organized Crime crew. These models are based on the movie that came out earlier this year and retails for $89.99 USD. This set does include two complete 350 Rep crews and a complete objective deck for each.
We have not had a chance to have this set in our hands yet. If and when we do, we’ll be sure to review it for you all.
Final Thoughts:
The Batman Miniature Game: Back to Gotham two-player starter was a great way to kick off the game’s third edition going into the 10th anniversary celebration. With the new material for their miniatures and the streamlined rules, Knight Models has a rare opportunity to see an IP based miniature game go the distance into those double digit years. The starter, ultimately, finds itself unsure who it is meant for. New players will find it hard to get a complete game experience from it without investing more money into the game. Veteran players can acquire the models on the webstore and download the rules for free from the Knight Models website or through their handy App on Android and iOS. In the end, though, the value of savings and quality of the included components does make it a serviceable starter.
Pros:
The miniatures are absolutely gorgeous and will be treat to work with regardless of your hobby experience.
The updated and streamlined rules make the game easy to learn.
The objective cards are a fantastic addition to the game and are well designed.
There is a rather decent savings on the miniatures versus buying them at retail, should these be crews you are interested in playing.
The Batman Miniature Game is the best representation of the Dark Knight and Gotham on the tabletop.
Cons:
While not a deal breaker, the lack of a full 350 Rep crew for either player makes for a rough starter for new players as crew construction can be a bit intimidating.
With no terrain of any sort in the box, new players may feel like they are not getting a full gameplay experience as the rules are very terrain focused.
Verdict: 4/5 - Worth A Spot In Your Collection
The Batman Miniature Game is published by Knight Models and is for 2 players, intended for ages 12+, and plays in roughly 90 minutes. The game can be purchased at your local game store or via Knight Models’ online webstore. The Late Night Players were not paid or compensated in any way for this review.