HBG - Axis & Allies Parts/Accessories and Custom Piece Sets Store!

@knp7765:

Okay, that sounds a little scary.  I would hate to see the day that HBG no longer offers the plastic sculpts.

I’d hate that too, and I’d be happy for my theory to be proven wrong.  Note that I said “shifting their focus away from those types of sculpts”, not “dropping their sculpts entirely.”

Well, I hope you’re wrong about the de-emphasis on sculpts, too.  I try to spend money on all kinds of HBG products to show my support, but it’s the new pieces that make the whole thing worthwhile for me.

As for the 3d modelled ones, I’ve ordered quite a few, both from the HBG site and directly from Shapeways, but I continually find it frustrating that they’re such a mixed bag… So far we have available super-BB’s for Germany, Japan and France… and the Netherlands… but not the USA or UK?  We have a “Taiho-Kai” but no Midway or Malta?  And does anyone get what his obsession is for flying boats?  I can’t for the life of me come up with a use for them…

Meanwhile, though the Amerika piece set + its expansion gives us nearly every jet or heavy tank we could want, they’re available only in a very limited color palette, so they’re not in the colors that I’ve been using for elites (Dark Green for US, Red for Japan & Black for Germany.)  On the other hand, if I switch and have the darker colors be the “normal” and the lighter Amerika shades be the “elites/ heavies” the holes in HBG’s legacy line-up make this difficult, too.  (e.g., no small ships at all available in the dark green…)  It’s like the company has ADD and can’t focus on the little details enough to maintain consistency or logically-fleshed-out model lines across individual products…

To me it seems simple: if you’re going to do Super-BB’s, do them for everyone before you stop and do flying boats for some nation…

@DrLarsen:

To me it seems simple: if you’re going to do Super-BB’s, do them for everyone before you stop and do flying boats for some nation…

Wait, on second thought, just skip the stupid flying boats altogether… And those silly gliders and all the other ridiculous and useless units (Landkreuzer P 1000 Ratte, here’s looking at you!)  Has anyone actually gotten any use out of those flying boats or gliders or ridiculous uber-weapons?  Am I missing something here…?!?

@DrLarsen:

@DrLarsen:

To me it seems simple: if you’re going to do Super-BB’s, do them for everyone before you stop and do flying boats for some nation…

Wait, on second thought, just skip the stupid flying boats altogether… And those silly gliders and all the other ridiculous and useless units (Landkreuzer P 1000 Ratte, here’s looking at you!)  Has anyone actually gotten any use out of those flying boats or gliders or ridiculous uber-weapons?  Am I missing something here…?!?

I don’t think you are missing anything. That is your opinion, but I happen to agree with you. The standardization that was planned for the sets has been semi-maintained in the sets themselves, but now that HBG has said they are no longer making sets, I am afraid that idea is going to be thrown out too. That is unfortunate because I really appreciate consistency.

I have been under the impression from the start that HBG was to create batches of new game usable pieces in sculpts not found in the OOB Axis and Allies. There would be some versions of sculpts found in the OOB game (e.g. Shermans, Zeros, Bismarck, etc…) but most of them would be heretofore unseen (e.g. Liberator, Tiger II, Me262, etc…). Then, once the “new” sculpts were deemed mostly complete, HBG would start work on OOB replacement pieces (P-38, B-17, etc.) which would be up to the HBG standards of better detail and consistent sizing.

Apparently this is not the case any more, if it ever was. While I don’t think it is necessary to stick to that exact formula, the premise is pretty good: new sculpts to replace OOB unit types, with a few logical riffs such as jet fighters and heavy units. I would prefer to see a bunch of OOB replacement sculpts than historically obscure, non-regular use pieces like superweapons, alternate history vehicles and niche unit types with no concrete use with basic A&A rules.

Yeah, it’s one thing to have a set of advanced weapons that are 1 notch (or even half a notch) better than the typical, but so many of the new 3d-printed “expansions” just seem so out there…

IMO, HBG has far too many irons in the fire and has lost sight of both what we want and what they originally set out to do.  The large number of roads half taken have caused me to lose faith in them.  When they were at the top of their game, the pieces they were producing were excellent.  It’s a shame we have so many unfinished product lines and essentially dead projects.  I used to check their website often.  Now, it’s something like once every six months and dropping.  That’s too bad too because they showed great promise at one point.

Most of the custom made pieces and units at HBG reward points if purchased (At least that’s what the website claims). My last order I was suppose to be rewarded a bunch of points but never did. This was my third order at HBG and the first time this happened. When I contacted HBG via facebook (they reply within minutes if not seconds) they said not all orders reward points which puzzled me. So I specifically made a list of my purchased pieces with the corresponding amount of reward points according to the HBG website and send it off. No reply back. Anyone else experience something like this before?

@Erocco:

Most of the custom made pieces and units at HBG reward points if purchased (At least that’s what the website claims). My last order I was suppose to be rewarded a bunch of points but never did. This was my third order at HBG and the first time this happened. When I contacted HBG via facebook (they reply within minutes if not seconds) they said not all orders reward points which puzzled me. So I specifically made a list of my purchased pieces with the corresponding amount of reward points according to the HBG website and send it off. No reply back. Anyone else experience something like this before?

Are you logged in to your account when purchasing and trying to redeem points or check your balance? I have not personally had this problem.

@LHoffman:

Are you logged in to your account when purchasing and trying to redeem points or check your balance? I have not personally had this problem.

Yes I am logged in.

@Erocco:

@LHoffman:

Are you logged in to your account when purchasing and trying to redeem points or check your balance? I have not personally had this problem.

Yes I am logged in.

I am not sure then, sorry. I haven’t had an issue like that, but I also have not ordered from HBG in a while. I do have reward points in my account currently though.

I don’t know if this helps, but when you get some of the 3D printed pieces, they don’t award points for those because their profit margin is very small on those.
I’ve gotten reward points on their pieces from the combat unit sets and some of the acrylic markers and battle labels.  Just not on the 3D printed pieces or old A&A pieces.

@knp7765:

I don’t know if this helps, but when you get some of the 3D printed pieces, they don’t award points for those because their profit margin is very small on those.
I’ve gotten reward points on their pieces from the combat unit sets and some of the acrylic markers and battle labels.  Just not on the 3D printed pieces or old A&A pieces.

Thank you for the reply knp. The order was mostly combat units and clearly the HBG website states how many points should be awarded for the pieces I’ve odered.

What do ya’ll think about the Global War 1936 Base Set?

I love it

@Narvik:

I love it

Well, sure, but its only up for pre-order now, yeah?

Guess I was more interested in asking what did all ya think about having calvary, partisans, mountaineers and the like?
And also the nation colored factories.

@ch0senfktard:

@Narvik:

I love it

Well, sure, but its only up for pre-order now, yeah?

Guess I was more interested in asking what did all ya think about having calvary, partisans, mountaineers and the like?
And also the nation colored factories.

This is the first set that I don’t have a lot of interest in.  The only pieces I am really looking forward to are the major and minor factories.  I do like the idea of having them in national colors.  I think I’m going to pass on the pre-order this time and wait until the factories are offered in sets of 5.
I am really looking forward to the French set.  I might do the pre-order on that one.

This is basic math, if nobody aint gonna preorder, then the man aint gonna make the set. If you got the bucks but dont need the set, take one for the team and preorder anyway, man.

mr.ch0s, in case you ask me I think its great to get all this different units, even if we dont have mountains in any A&A game that I am aware off, we can always use the mountainman as neutral infantry for Scwitzerland or Sweden, and the cavalry makes for nice Saudi Arabian infantry. I only wish they will make the commanders in nation specific molds at some time, now that would make my day, man

Narvik where have you been? Also what was your first handle ( name) and why don’t you ever post with it. It was Adlertag or Eagle? Foxy? How many others? LOL

@knp7765:

This is the first set that I don’t have a lot of interest in.  The only pieces I am really looking forward to are the major and minor factories.  I do like the idea of having them in national colors.  I think I’m going to pass on the pre-order this time and wait until the factories are offered in sets of 5.
I am really looking forward to the French set.  I might do the pre-order on that one.

I’m too much of a piece junkie to pass it up.
Seems this set is supposed to fill in the missing unit gap in Global War 1936 game.
Guess I can tell myself I can use those pieces for that game one day… lol.

I also am very interested in those factories. I can finally get rid of those factory markers.

@Narvik:

mr.ch0s, in case you ask me I think its great to get all this different units, even if we dont have mountains in any A&A game that I am aware off, we can always use the mountainman as neutral infantry for Scwitzerland or Sweden, and the cavalry makes for nice Saudi Arabian infantry. I only wish they will make the commanders in nation specific molds at some time, now that would make my day, man

Nice thinking on using them pieces outside of Global War 1936. I might use this idea, lol.

Commanders in nation specific molds?
I… very much like this idea, but it doesn’t seem practical for HBG to do that.
I mean, for a typical set, a person will probably buy more than 1 set so they can have a couple of pieces to use.
Specific commanders, though, you really only need 1 set.

Though now that I think about it, what they could do is add a specific commander to every future set instead of a commander set. That could work out, but the generic commanders in the 1936 set is meant for pre-orders only. They have some commander Global War expansion they’re going to use them for, so the hope for specific commanders seems a little bleak to me ATM.

Looking to do a huge order this weekend. Any promo codes or discounts for large orders?