As promised and delivered!

Kansu
25ly Spinward of Friesland
October, TW 339

Senior Lieutenant Chang was weary. Another day facing the rebel siege of Firebase Autumn Wind. It had been ten long hellish days for the defenders, holding off hordes of Association guerrillas, they'd been outgunned from the start, a short company of kids just out of depot training managing somehow to hold off a guerrilla regiment backed up by combat engineers and ancestor knew how many mortars.

To make matters worse, all manner of consumables were running low. Division had promised that the new mercenaries were coming to help. But Chang didn't believe such things anymore. He'd already made his peace two days ago, having written letters home, assuming the guerrillas didn't destroy them. His father's disapproving countenance danced in his mind's eye. A noble son of the House of Jade, dying in some dirt poor outpost at the hands of the lesser scum that made up the Association? The shame of the family would be too great.

He heard a low, throaty cough reverberate through the hills surrounding the firebase, Mortars, his mind reported. The firebase's last Calliope had run out of ammunition holding off the last human wave assault on the eastern end of the perimeter. Chang had tried to bluff it out, but the Rebels hadn't fallen for it. They shelled the firebase seemingly at will now. Chang shrugged as the sound continued to travel. What was the point of taking cover? They were all dead anyhow.

It was with a measure of surprise that a cyan bolt snatched several of the shells out of the sky like the hands of an angry god. More blinding bolts began to land amongst the rebel positions to the hills...the fire coming from the western pass. But how? The mercenaries had only been hired some eighteen hours before according to press reports...when Chang could receive them.

Chang turned his viewfinder to the west and focused them on the grey specks throwing up roostertails of dust and gravel feet into the air..spitting out cyan fingers of death with staccato timing. Each burst triggered the anti-blinding measures on his autonoculars.

His headset crackled to life...it was clear, clear as a bell without any of the squealing and popping from Association jamming. "Blossom Six, this is Golf One-Six, sorry we're a touch late, but we're here. The Colonel sends his regards, now, sit back and watch how we Slammers fight. You might learn something. One-Six out!" Chang shook his head in disgust...he hoped they were as competent as they were arrogant.

Hammers Slammer's 15mm Test Figure

Well, here's the first of the Hammer's Slammers Platoon and may I say, this was better than I thought it would be.

More Work in Progress photos of the Combat Cars and a 15mm Pickup for my Human Resistance forces for Terminator.

I thought I'd take another photo session of my Hammers Slammers Combat Cars, as well as a photo of a project I'm working on with some Peter Pig trucks. All I am awaiting now is the Selpduvian Resistance fellas from Khurasan Miniatures. I am going to mix them with the militia types from GZG and I think we'll have something, that with the right paint work, looks darn close to what we saw on the big and small screens to the human resistance fighters.

Anyhow, here's the pics:

Something I posted on TMP, but I'd love to develop this further

Well,
It's a new year, and I thought it might be time for us to voice things we'd like to see in the future with various miniatures lines and from specific manufacturers to supplement existing lines? These opinions are mine alone, but I'd like to hear from others…hey, it's why we discuss things on this board, right?

So, without further ado:

Ground Zero Games Specific items:

Tracked and Hover Alien vehicles (Something for our Alien Mercs and or other Alien races?)

More FCT poses (maybe a leader and commo pack?)

More SF Egyptian poses (I know we discussed this, but they need a Leader/HW pack.)

Hammers Slammmers (More poses, perhaps a kneeling/prone pack, some grenade launchers, and maybe some more leader types with SMG/Rifles and a tribarrel ground mount with crew?)

UNSC Hardsuits (Some kneeling and prone figures, snipers and more leader types)

FSE (Some HW (Man portable Plasma gunners and Tac Missile Teams), a leader and commo pack, and maybe snipers in both Kepi and helmet)

Militia (Mounted figures on horseback ala the 25mm line, as well as some "grizzled vets" types wearing elements of their old kit?)

Grav versions of your warbot line? (Not the MAWP, but the newer smaller bots)

NAC types in softer inertial armor ala 2300. Perhaps some could wear a mix of patrol caps and berets?

Khurasan Specific Items:

Felids (More specialist types, perhaps some sappers, a SAW gunner and a commo type?)

Critical Mass Games Specific Items:

ARC Fleet Recon (SAW Gunner Pack, I know they're supposed to be Gauss Rifles, but SAWs can carry more ammo and a bigger battery?) (Tick one on that list, the SAWs are underway and will be out this year. Posted to TMP thread 1/15)

Rebel Miniatures Specific Items:

Sahadeen Mortar/MRL teams? (Cheap arty for guerrillas), and sappers with satchel charges, limpet mines, thermobaric LAWs and flamethrowers?

EF Light Recon types? (Fatigues, floppy hats, Night Vision, heavy packs, lots of commo gear with SATCOM uplink setup, tricked out rifles and some snipers? Perhaps some with active camo cloaks?

EF downed dropship crew or POWs?

Sci fi versions of your contractors? Incorporating some elements of what you'd see in the Traveller Mercenary book.

Sahadeen HVT pack (Charismatic leader and his bodyguards?)

Other Ideas:

Some PA with "non-Western" (ala John Ford, not geographical) themes. I am thinking a mix of cast off BDUs, rags and cloaks? Maybe even some in the remains of NBC gear?

Sci Fi media crew?

Now that's what I'm talking about!

Ok, say it with me folks, we've been begging for terrain in the 15mm sci-fi world for years. GZG was amongst the first to work on this, and their latest efforts have been great...but my jaw dropped with what's coming out of Painted Terrain.com



It's styrene, so it'll be lightweight, and from the general "put together out of bailing wire and scrap metal" look, one can modify it with styrene, cardboard, and green stuff to one's hearts content!

Well done guys!

A lot's happening these days

Seems the 15mm TFL post had quite the effect of drumming up folks to play with..I guess "if you paint it, they will come" really does work! I am currently working on my USCMC force courtesy of QRF as well as my Hammers Slammers. I have to find suitable vehicles for the Marines. I think these ought to do nicely:



I am also working up what my Zhodani are going to look like, probably going with the New Israelis with the Advanced Gravs for that, and then the Aslan are going to be a mix of the RAFM figures, and the Felids from Khurasan.Probably go the same route with the Vargr.

As for John Connor's resistance army, I am going to get some Toyota pick up trucks from Peter Pig and mock them up with some plasticard armor. Then it's wait for Khurasan to release the Sepulvedan Resistance guys they're promising. I really can't wait for those or when AAG releases Tomorrow's War.

If we thought 2009 rocked for 15mm Sci Fi...Wait till 2010 is through.

The Tanstaafl Free Legion-Welcome to Aurore!

Aurore, Tanstaafl Colony, 20th January, 2302.

2nd Lieutenant Hans Schrager looked on in some measure of impatience. He wanted to get on with the latest patrol of Aurore’s Hotback. It had been 5 days since Admrial Borodin and his fleet defending Aurore had smashed the latest attempt by the Kafers to take the colony. He’d let them gain orbital superiority, even begin landing ops, then caught them in a very nasty englobement. Not a single Kafer ship had gotten away, though, true to the nature of the aliens, none had tried.

What had complicated things was that not all the landers had been caught, and a number of Kafer lifepods had made planetfall. Any Kafer who had made planetfall was dangerous. Kafers were hermaphrodites. They could reproduce easily and a three year old Kafer was an adult. And they had a nasty habit of being able to use anything from sharpened sticks to captured human firearms once they “got smart”.

Tanstaafl was an independent colony. It didn’t have a Terran government back home to support it. It had been fighting the Kafers on its own, with only its militia and mercenary “Free Legion” to keep the Kafers away since 2298. This was slowly changing. Rumors were that American Marines and Texan Rifles would be arriving any day now. Schrager hoped so, his men and equipment were worn out. His “Ramrod” platoon was being called out after an all too short rest and refit cycle to do a 250-kilometer sweep of the Hotback where radar in Tanstaafl City had detected some Kafer landers go down. Recon flights were too risky, as the area was too thick with Kafer “Snapfire” remote SAMs.

Schrager walked the line of his troops, stopping here and there to make sure a trooper had secured extra ammo or water. The Hotback gave new meaning to the words “desolate” and “barren”. They were a far cry from the lads he’d led against the frogs at the Somme ten years before as an Oberfeldwebel in a proud Bavarian regiment. Post-war reunification politics had done him in. He was a Bavarian, and that was all that mattered. After knocking about as a hired gun and bodyguard up and down the French Arm, he’d found a new war on Aurore. And he’d done well, he’d taken a Texan wife and was expecting his first child any day now, which made this deployment all the more galling.

To make matters worse, the TFL’s fame in taking on the Kafers had attracted an influx of recruits. The colony’s leaders, as well as the TFL had been able to be picky. The good news was that all the men and women who had come, they were willing to fight. After that, the headaches had compounded. Schrager, thankfully, was blessed with several quality NCOs and his vehicle crews had been with him since he’d arrived two years ago as a Corporal. Promotion came fast in the TFL, all you had to do was two things..survive and prove your competence. Neither came easily. If the Kafers didn’t kill you. Aurore just might. Oddly, Schrager wouldn’t have it any other way. He smiled grimly at that thought.

His helmet headset crackled and the singsong voice of his platoon sergeant came over the platoon push. Sergeant Major Lien’s voice chimed like fine porcelain over the tinny speakers, her Manchu accent in full force. Her German and Texas accented English was fluent, but she had never lost the Manchu accent.

“Boss, Company wants us out there already. Captain Gross wants that sweep yesterday, that and we have to go check on a downed relay near Distant Thunder.”

Schrager shook his head. Such things could be nothing more than mechanical problems, or, they could be Kafers. Either way. Ramrod 131 would go check it out, and deal with it if there was something the militia couldn’t.

Time to get on with it..”Ok, Lien, mount the kids up and let’s get this done.” As he responded to Lien, the old Kangaroo IV APCs spooled up their MHD turbines with whines of protesting metal and sputtering fans. The old machines were past their prime, battered and pockmarked by stray rounds and splashes from spent plasma bolts. But, they’d done well for their second war. But he’d seen what happened when the Kafers had caught one straight on. It wasn’t an accident that APCs were called “coffins” in TFL slang.

Schrager shouldered his AS-89 and sighed again in resignation. What would happen, would happen. He was a soldier, and this was his world now. Time to go do what they paid him to do, thus, another day on Aurore began as Murphid cast it’s blood red glare over the open plain as Ramrod 131 departed in a flurry of dust and the whine of turbines.

WIP TFL 15mm Sci-Fi

Well,
I'm not QUITE done, but I have made some real progress. I am working on as you all know, a Ramrod Platoon of the Tanstaffl Free Legion.



The original color plate from the Aurore Sourcebook, included for comparison purposes only and not intended as a copyright challenge.



A Roo analogue, it's a Wombat II from Ground Zero Games 15mm Line...the resemblance is uncanny.









Figures are by Force XXI Miniatures, they're not bad and look good beside miniatures from other lines.

The methods to paint were simple, a method I found in the tutorial section of the Guild Wargamers website.

Comments?

Wow, I guess we can call this a sucess!

More from Jon from yesterday!

OK, many thanks to all who have applied so far, can I please ask you now to STOP sending further applications until I have the chance to sort through the ones we have received already?!
We've had a positive deluge of replies in less than 24 hours, and I think that I've now got more than enough to choose from for the first round of this project. I'm going to whittle it down to a shortlist (partly by style/quality and partly by the BF you have asked for, so if you've chosen one of the less popular ones then you may have a better chance!) and then choose the final ones by random draw.
Thanks again to EVERYONE who has applied, there are too many of you for me to reply individually to all your emails but I'll let you know within a few days if you have been successful. The sets will go out to the successful applicants sometime in the next couple of weeks, I hope, once we are completely caught up after the holiday break (paid-for orders must come first!).
I will update everyone on the project soon.
Best,

Jon (GZG)

One of the coolest Sci-Fi deals EVER!

From Jon at GZG!

Hi all, hope 2010 is being good to you so far!

I want to put to you all an idea that came about from a conversation I had this morning with Paul Owen (our esteemed Web admin); we were discussing the fact that while we are now trying to ensure we get photos for the webstore of all the individual new codes we release, we have none showing the special pack deals that we offer.
We'd like to have some good quality pics that really show off the pack deals to best advantage, and there is simply no way I will ever get round to having the time to do this myself - so we're asking if some of you would like to do it.


Most of you are probably familiar with the BATTLEFORCE deals we offer on the 15mm Stargrunt range figures and vehicles - you get a good core force to start your army; the exact composition depends on the pack you choose, but in general you get a combined arms group consisting of a section or platoon of armour, a platoon of mechanised infantry plus (where applicable) a mix of support, recon, command elements etc., with various accessories and extras thrown in as well - over £75.00 worth of minis for a deal price of £60.00.

Now, we want to give some of these BF deal packs away FREE (we'll even send it to you post free)!

The catch is, in return for one of these FREE packs we want you to commit to ASSEMBLING AND PAINTING the minis in a reasonably short timeframe, and sending us some decent photos of them which we can use to illustrate the pack contents on our webstore, in adverts and so on.

Obviously, you get to keep all the minis - all we want are the pictures. You'll be putting in a good few hours of your hobby time, but in return you'll have a finished army that you can use at no financial outlay - so everybody wins! ;-)

We WOULD ask to see a pic or two of previous stuff that you've painted (it doesn't have to be anything of ours, just something to show your style) when you apply, but please don't be put off if you don't think your work is of the highest standard. We are not asking for prizewinning painting levels, though obviously we do want the results to look competent and attractive. Even simple paint jobs (sprayed basecoat and some washing/drybrushing) can look fine, and in many ways these actually show the lines of the minis better than things like complex camo patterns. What we need is a few of you who are prepared to commit the time and effort to actually getting the job done, so please don't respond if you don't have both the enthusiasm and the free time available in the near future.

Just as a final incentive, while I've said that we don't need an incredibly high standard, we WILL give something extra as a PRIZE for the most attractive finished force after we get them all in!

Quantity-wise, we're talking about in the region of ten to a dozen vehicles and forty to fifty infantry figures (which may be single or fireteam-based to your choice) in each BF deal, exact numbers depending on which pack it is.

So, IF you can fulfill all of the following.......

1) you can commit to building, painting and photographing a force of that size in a reasonably fast timeframe (we're looking at ideally around 4 to 6 weeks from you receiving the parcel from us).

2) you have a reasonable standard of painting and modelling skill - sufficient to make the minis look attractive at tabletop viewing distance, we don't need exhibition standard but we don't want splodgy messes either!

3) you have (or have access to) the facilities and equipment to take a number of qood quality, well lit, in-focus shots of the finished minis, in groups and singly, and send the results to us by email.

4) you'd like about £75 worth of completely FREE minis in return for some time and effort....

...then please drop me a line directly, to . Please attach at least one pic of an example of your painting, and please let me know which one(s) of the following forces you would be most interested in doing:

TRACKED force
HOVER (GEV) force
WALKER force
EARLY GRAV force
HI-TECH GRAV force
HI-MOBILITY WHEELED force
KRA'VAK grav vehicle force
8-WHEELER force*
AIRMOBILE (VTOL) force*
ADVANCED GRAV force*

(* these are ones where we haven't yet sorted out BF deals on them, but I want to gauge interest in doing them....).

We will need to get ONE of each force type done, so if you want to give us several options in order of preference then that would make things easier rather than everybody wanting to do one type!
Please note that the INFANTRY nationality supplied with each force will be to OUR choice, because we want to depict a good spread of options, but if you have any particular likes/dislike feel free to mention them and we'll try to take that into account.

IMPORTANT: by replying to this request, you are merely expressing interest - you are NOT actually committing yourself (or us) to anything at this stage - we won't send anything out to anybody until we've confirmed and agreed everything by email. However, by responding you do affirm that you are able to fulfill the criteria mentioned above. Obviously we do reserve the right to make all decisions about which offers we accept and reject.

I'm posting this here on the GZG list first, but will probably follow it up with postings to places like TMP, SFSFW, Dropship Horizon and so on - but all you listers are getting to see it first - so over to you.....

Jon (GZG)

PS: IF we get enough response to this and it actually works out OK, then we might consider extending it to cover the Fleet Deals of FT ships too...... ;-)

A Wargamer's Philosophical Journey

Hello all,
Since I last wrote, I recently got a MP3 player from Sony for my birthday (thanks Mom!) and in between enjoying movie soundtracks, Evanescence, AC/DC and Billy Joel, I have been enjoying the fine Meeples and Miniatures podcasts from Neil Shuck. I really got a lot out of the "View from the Veranda" shows he did with Henry Hyde, editor of Battlegames magazine. The shows were full of erudite discussion that has had me thinking the last two days..Henry's assertions during the second show, which was on ethics and morality in gaming was correct about GW's background being abhorrent, more so than historicals in some cases, and that it's not written from any sort of literary idea, but from a marketing background. The discussion also about the differences in UK and US gaming cultures are also profound. I like the point made that it is extremely difficult to break into the US market, and that most folks are forced to play what's popular because that's what the stores are carrying, and that's what they're playing.

Now before somebody says "Dear god, Panzer's become a pinko!" or something, hear me out. Games where the background is "war for the hell of it" tend to run out of ideas fast, and often require a reset with, you guessed it, a cataclysmic war that does little but cause the game to hemorrhage fans like an arterial bleed. Some of you can guess what games I am referring to, but I won't call them out. I've done that enough.

I understand, companies need to make money, but does it have to be at the expense of a good story? I dunno. But enough of my lamentations. Here's what I am vowing to do about it.

1. I intend to follow my heart when it comes to gaming. I'll play what I enjoy, doing it the way I want and not marrying myself to a single game system like a sycophant.

2. I intend to not let myself get stuck only buying "THE APPROVED LINES". If somebody makes figures for the period better, then by god, I will buy them. I applaud Battleground/Flames of War for bending here. I understand their "no pictures on the website" policy, they are trying to make money, after all, but understanding, it might be cheaper/more feasible to go with QRF or Old Glory, for example (a strength of historicals).

3. I intend to support games that tell you two things, One "Play the game, not the rules" and two "Don't like it, change it!" Among those I can think of doing well right now are Too Fat Lardies, Ambush Alley Games, Ground Zero Games, Specialist Military Publications, to name a few. I think the new outcome driven rules get to a realistic outcome without a lot of hassle. They are adaptable, hell, with Ambush Alley's Force on Force, it's a case of WHAT CAN'T IT DO! It's the Gerber tool of wargaming. Another good rules set is Fistful of Tows II which has SPEED as it's mantra. You really can do a division in contact game in three hours. Name a sci-fi game that can match that lately. The sci-fi market has sadly gone in the other direction, going so crunchy and enamored of the toys the troops are using that they forget that it's still up to the scared kid with the bayonet to take the ground in the end.

4. If I don't like something...out it goes. You all know my issues with certain background fluff with a game I won't mention. Well, when I get the time..I am going to write my own. Already doing that with some like minded friends for Twilight 2000 based on stuff that came out after the Cold War ended. Once you buy that gaming product, it's yours. Use it as you will, if you can't use it, sell it and find something better!

We need to demand excellence from our hobby, especially now with dollars tighter. I am tired of spending $40+ on gaming products and getting little meat on the bones. The above manufacturers deliver more meat than anybody these days, and even with AAG's price rise, I'd stack Ambush Alley or Force on Force up against some of the more popular commercial products...I think AA and FoF would beat them silly.

The Hammer of Strephon!!!!