War Gaming is an all-in hobby and isn’t just about the gaming. There’s a whole background of tasks that need to be completed before you can actually physically start gaming, which ranges from learning the rules, to putting your models together and creating your army list. After that, there’s logistics to think of in where you are going to play, you will need scenery, what will you play on, and how will you transport your miniatures? And then there’s making your miniatures look incredible by painting them. For many gamers, painting and modifying their miniatures are the most exciting part; some don’t even play but simply enjoy that side of the hobby. As part of our Start Collecting series for Infinity and Warhammer 40k, we’re also going to look at some of the accessories, from paint and brushes, to cases for transporting your models, to scenery and other items that will make your life easier.
If there’s something you would like us to cover, let us know in the comments.
There are several different types of miniatures' transportation systems, from simply wrapping your miniatures in tissue and taking them in plastic bags, to high end carry cases with foam inserts.
https://youtu.be/TI1xZhoyDo8?list=PLQBILiqtfObBTV8OUvG8RwQJLliVxdt9B&t=2
The TechRaptor Tabletop Team were sent the A-Case+, which is a very interesting type of miniatures transport system. The A-Case+ consists of a metal frame and shelves that your miniatures stick to after attaching magnets to the base of the miniatures. The frame of the A-Case+ is wrapped with a water-resistant polyester material that has a shoulder strap and hand grip, as well as a front pocket and a Velcro strip for attaching patches.
The A-Case+ is sent to you flat, and you assemble it yourself by folding the sides of the metal sheets into place, and then slotting the whole thing together. It's very straight-forward and as a hobbyist, an enjoyable process. You can see the full assembly instructions in the video below, which we followed for research purposes.
https://youtu.be/-lC6rDg2F9I?list=PLQBILiqtfObBTV8OUvG8RwQJLliVxdt9B&t=2
The team have also uploaded a host of other videos including how to magnetize your miniatures and my personal favorite, the proof of the durability in the shake test.
https://youtu.be/cYRea4Zsq_g?list=PLQBILiqtfObBTV8OUvG8RwQJLliVxdt9B&t=52
We took the A-Case+ out to several gaming sessions with different miniatures. Most of the time, the A-Case+ was itself, inside a backpack, with rulebooks and other items on top and to test it further, we ran with it. Not a single model took any damage and we had only used superglue on the small magnets provided with the A-Case+ on the underside bases of our miniatures.
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The shelves in the A-Case+ are removable and there are several fittings to completely change the size and setup of the shelves inside, depending on what you are transporting. Our 1000 point Space Marine force easily fitted on two shelves, with loads of room. If we had bunched up the miniatures together, we could have got them all onto one shelf, but we left space and kept them in squads to test the movement inside of the A-Case+.
Apart from the durability of the A-Case+, which is exemplary, we love the fact that the miniatures are on removeable shelves. You can purchase extra shelves, and actually store your whole collection in detachments, even when not in use and slide them into the case as required. For us, playing several different games, this is an incredible feature as you don't have to keep emptying out a carrycase to use it for a different army each time.
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The A-Case+ comes in a variety of different color options with extra accessories options as required, and we were also sent the A-Case Brushes and Tools case, which comes in the same great material as the A-Case+ and fits handily inside in the front pouch of the A-Case+
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If we had to look for a negative point about the A-Case+, it would be that you can't fit a full size rulebook in the front pouch. But that's not even a negative point, and to counter the point, you can actually fit a tablet in the front pouch, which allows us access to all of our rulebooks.
The design and construction of the A-Case+ is great. It fits inside our board game rucksack, which means that it is roughly the same size as two board game boxes stacked ontop of each other. The removable shelves make it useful beyond transportation, and once all of your miniatures are magnetized, actually speeds up the preparation process for getting your army together. Most importantly though, your miniatures won't get damaged at all during transport and that's what makes the A-Case+ an incredible product.
The A-Case+ as well as other cases and accessories are available from their store.
The A-Case+ used in the feature was provided by Army Case.
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Adam is a Tabletop Specialist for TechRaptor. He started writing for TechRaptor in 2017 and took over as Tabletop Editor in 2019 and has since stood down… More about Adam
