4 Pieces of Concept Art for Gates of Antares

Rick Priestley’s Gates of Antares Kickstarter is fighting on. One one hand, Gates of Antares is a highly successful crowd-funding project. It raised a £ 100.000,- on little more than a single green, some early rule-concepts and a few background sound-bites. And, of course, the name of Rick Priestley. On the other hand, it still is a long shot off from its declared goal of  £ 300.000,-.

February 1st marks half-time for this ambitious crowd-funding effort. Unlike the first weeks, when the initial excitement about Gates of Antares dissipated in a void of non-content, the team behind this one have started to put some visuals out there. 4 pieces of concept art (and a few more wip-sculpts) are out there, providing early visual glimpses into the main (starting-) factions of the game.

In alphabetical order:

#1 – Boromite

The Boramites originated in the Boram Asteroid mines of Gar’Xu. They have now spread throughout many of the mining colonies of the Spill and can be found throughout Antarean Space. Boramites are a Panhuman species that is highly dimorphic in nature – with a small subtype a well as a larger ruling caste.

The first one – the Boromite Overseer – is arguably the one I am (currently) least impressed with. It is also at the time the only xenos non-human pan-human in the mix. The knobbly look doesn’t really do it for me. On the upside, I believe the pan-human idea of the setting makes for a more plausible background to a range of “Star-Trek-Aliens” of, essentially, variant humanoids in the setting.

Indeed, today’s Kickstarter update is a fresh look at the Boromite sculpt taking shape.

#2 – Isorians

Unlike the Boromite Overseer, I can envision a truly wicked army coming out of the Isorians. Before Gates of Antares showed their concept art, they launched a Kickstarter update centered on a (very) long background-pitch for the Isorian battling an insectoid race of aliens into extinction, yet assimilating the xenos technology into their own IMtel (Integrated Machine something – essentially a ‘Powered by IMTel’ pun) and thereby culture, society and technology.

Now, a concept art is a concept art, but if they make these work: a faction of soldiers clad in H.R. Giger-esque exo-armour, than this could easily be a visual highlight for Gates of Antares.

#3 – Freeborn

On Dakkadakka, these guys are affectionately known as “Space Hobos”, which fits their pitch of being ramshackle outlaws, drifters and freebooters (their original faction title) in a (more-or-less) no-fantasy-hard-high-tech-far-future-universe.

The Necromunda-vibe is certainly coming through on those, and if the sculpts are good, I can see them becoming popular miniatures, not least due to people poaching them for other games.

#4 – The Concord

The Concord appears to be a stand-in, at the moment, for a default, somewhat militaristic Space Empire (without being omnipotent in scope or power as those things tend to be in other settings). There is some background on where the Concord did battle and against whom, yet preciously little (that I can find) on their core identity, values and defining traits.

But their troopers wear greatcoats, so that’s definitely a point in their favour.

#5 – Conclusion

The Gates of Antares Kickstarter still offers preciously little visuals on the coming game, but at least some concept art to get a glimpse of what this game might look like, once it is completed.

What do you think?

Do you like where this is going?

Which of the art-pieces (if any) could tempt you to take a second look at the Gates of Antares Kickstarter as it heads into the second half?

Which of the above would you most like to see as a miniature?

I am looking forward to your comments!

Z.