Website ( Cipher Studios )
The first of two Cipher Studio games that I'm collecting at the moment, Anima Tactics is part of a much wider Anima family that includes a very popular RPG (Anima: Beyond Fantasy) and also a very well regarded card game imaginatively entitled Anima: The Card Game. Like Malifaux (which I discussed yesterday) Anima is a small scale skirmish game between two or more small forces of between 5 and 6 models per side, or thereabouts. Its set in a very cool and rich universe that is heavily influenced by JRPG computer games such as Final Fantasy amongst others, for the main the miniatures are absolutely fantastic, in fact one of my new favourite miniatures ever TM has just been released ( Morrigan painted by Giraldez) and what an awesome paint job it is by Angel Giraldez!!! However more impressively you can see how close the final sculpt and paint job are to the concept art to the right. 
The core rules are really, really simple to learn and very clear, but when coupled with the fact that every model is an individual character with their own cool abilities there is a real hidden depth to mastering this great little game system. There are synergies to be had and special skills to be stacked and utilised in different ways. There really is an abundance of possibilities with only a handful of mini's, this isn't a lightweight skirmish game its full on. I'm not too sure what Cipher were going for when they created the game, but I personally feel it not only looks like a JRPG it even plays like a JRPG. Those skills synergies and strong characters help with that feel but this is strengthened with a mechanic where actions cost mana points. Also these mana points only recharge by a certain amount each turn, much like the charge action bars in those lovely JRPGs I've been talking about. It means you can't have complete blow out rounds of awesome skills every turn with the same character and introduces a nice resource management element to the game.
I think that of the games that I'm currently fiddling about with, that Anima Tactics might possibly have the lowest profile of all of them, certainly here in the UK. However when it has been introduced to friends both the detailed models (many sculpted by the excellent J.Navarro), atmosphere and play mechanics have won people over. There's no doubt that if you're one of those people who love their anime and JRPGs that the doe eyed, nubile females with short skirt stylings will appeal and for the ladies (just to keep it equal opps) there are plenty of dark brooding males with swishing capes and trench coats and unfeasibly long... swords. However sadly ladies it looks like clover might be taken, by the read haired vixen... wearing a short skirt, with big doe eyes... you get the point, oh you thought Clover was a more suitable name for a female, right, well no Clover is the dude in the cool green coat with longer and better hair than the girl... look its inspired by the Japanese and I don't make the chuffing rules up OK? If however you love Japanese inspired lady boys and women with legs up to their ears and a scant disregard for clothing as well as the worlds of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest et al then you'll positively love the Anima Universe.