Rebel Minis releases VIPER mecha

Painted by Jeff Racel

Rebel Minis has released their latest 1/100 mecha: the Variable Payload Raiders (nicknamed VIPERs) by their operators).  Sculpted by John Bear Ross, these match up well with the previous HAMR suits in terms of size and armament options.  Three different weapon loadouts are available, along with two different leg poses for the mech itself.  The weapon arms are completely interchangeable with the existing HAMR sprues, which means Rebel now offers a nearly infinite variety of mecha configurations.

Painted by Jeff Racel

Rebel Mike is trying something a little different with the VIPERS.  Instead of all-metal kits like we saw for the previous HAMR suits, or resin-metal hybrids like his armored vehicles, the VIPERS are 100% resin.  This allows Rebel to offer them for only $6.49 each.  Mike has stated that, if this is successful, the HAMR suits will also be revised into an all-resin (and less expensive) product.  An "advancing" pose of the HAMR will be included in the re-release - good news for those of us who like the original design but think they are a bit static.

Many more VIPER configurations and comparison shots can be found on Jeff Racel's Skydrive: link and link

With these latest mecha releases by Rebel Minis, along with recent offerings from Critical Mass Games, Ravenstar Studios, and Micropanzer Wargames Studios, I'm predicting 2012 as the year where 1/100 Mecha-centric warfare will surge in popularity.  I'd love to see a game featuring two platoons of three VIPERS squaring off against a pair of Gruntz Imperators in the ruins of a futuristic city, or a team of HAMR suits defending a crowded spaceport from a Khurasan L-HAC.

Cheers,
Chris