Friday 17 May 2019

New 15mm Gangers at Alternative Armies

“Like minded individuals often gather together for mutual defence of themselves and their turf. It's a strategy that humanity has employed from the early days of recorded history to the industrial work gangs in the mega cities of earth and Alpha Centuari. However colonial gangs are more often than not the first line of defence in case of siege and invasion as they are farmers and families who have gathered together to protect their holdings and claims from aggression. Once a colony has developed beyond a few small farms and a port is established, the gangs still exist, levying control on areas they claimed at the start of the landing. However other inhabitants may take offense to this and start their own gangs to take back these holdings. At other times they are sprung up from perpetually bored teenagers with little common sense and an eye for violence. On occasion they may even become notorious criminals or just a more militant version of the Planet Defence Forces. Their colours are as numerous as they have numbers, and are often used as a conscript force if things do get dire. Lightly armoured but heavily armed with cheap rec-guns and knowledge, their hold on their turf is absolute and can spring ambushes and raid supply convoys before melting back into spider holes to lick their wounds and strike again later. Their morale is often tied to their leader through a cult of personality, if he dies, they will run. But as most find out, they will be back in greater numbers and with more weapons to settle the score. Colonial life is harsh and brutal enough as it is, but these souls have opted for a more difficult life and will carve out their name and colours... or die trying.” 
The brand new release for May 2019 into the HOF 15mm Science Fiction range is a mega pack of 15mm Gangers great for any campaign and setting. Concept by Fred Richards and sculpted by the talented Sean Bullough this pack can be had with all fourteen poses or select poses from it. Above is some setting for these vicious thugs and they are great opponents for your Security Force Alpha patrols or even as Betrayers slaved to the Shia Khan in games of Patrol Angis too. Go HERE for the range or read on for more. 



HOF136 Urban Gang Conscripts 
This pack contains fourteen different 15mm scale white metal one piece miniatures sculpted by Sean Bullough. Human gang members both male and female great for any number of present day or near future campaigns. Our painted set is in the colours of The Wolverines Gang a blight on the honest citizens of Alpha Centauri city seven. You can see that the poses each have a letter next to them. This means you can select single poses in any quantity you wish. Each miniature is approx 13mm to 17mm tall standing or kneeling. 
Female Ganger with long rifle in leather jacker (A) 
Female Ganger with assault rifle and light armour (B) 
Kneeling Ganger with bald head and assault rifle (C) 
Lunging Ganger with automatic shotgun (D) 
Advancing Ganger with laser carbine (E) 
Bald Ganger with heavy assault rifle (F) 
Female Ganger running with carbine (G) 
Ganger with Mohawk with heavy assault rifle (H) 
Ganger with eye covered and machine gun (I) 
Advancing Ganger with long rifle (J) 
Running Ganger with sub machine gun (K) 
Ganger with long hair and heavy shotgun (L) 
Ganger in cap with missile launcher (M) 
Female Ganger with sniper rifle (N) 
Go HERE

If you fancy fighting gang wars then Alternative Armies has a lot to offer you. For example what would happen if your gangers managed to get their hands on a fully functional battlesuit? Now that would liven up the cityscape! Check out the Fire Cat and also the Grease Cat for a couple of choices. The HOF Range has over one hundred twenty different packs. 
Thanks for Reading!

GBS

Wednesday 1 May 2019

The Ion Age returns to Alternative Armies

Please read this major announcement from The Ion Age.  Thank you.
'This galaxy has decided to gorge upon itself, to consume its vitality once more in pointless slaughter that will see those left afterwards little more than mono-planet atom burners.  Well, its not going to happen, not again.  My father, your king, died for the dream that Prydia held dear and in two decades of civil war we here also have nearly lost that promise of freedom we hold equally dear.  We will all have that freedom again mark me, the Barons will pay and those beings not of mankind that are even now forcing open the doors will be thrown back to the Anwnn where they came from.  Prydia will rise once more and I will, with the aid of the Starvaulters, make it happen.'
Princess Daphe Cyon address to the Council of Aeddans 4330IC
Back in July 2013 I was given the chance to take what existed of the space opera setting of The Ion Age and develop it as a free standing entity apart from Alternative Armies.  In the near five years since then I feel that the little team I assembled has achieved some great things including a 15mm range which went from some thirty poses to many hundreds of poses, new factions, many vehicles and a terrain range.  There was also the three books of the Patrol Angis game system.  We also had four years of monthly free special miniatures.  All great stuff.
The world changes as you all will know and I have reached an agreement with Alternative Armies to hand The Ion Age ranges back to the mother company.  The reasons for this are several.  Firstly the ranges have grown to a point where I no longer feel comfortable handling their expansion on my own.  Secondly Alternative Armies has greater resources which I feel are needed as we continue onto a fourth book and more releases.  Thirdly I realise that we are now in an age of social media (so much different from 2013) and that I am the public face of both Alternative Armies and The Ion Age; this tends to cause some confusion for gamers.  With everything in one place this confusion vanishes and The Ion Age will be able also to take part in the big offers that Alternative Armies makes.  Alternative Armies has increased its staff level and technical resources and is a very active company.  It makes sense to have this return happen.
Do not fret.  There are no staff changes and no miniatures will disappear from production.  Alternative Armies and The Ion Age operate out of the same office.
So what will happen and when?  Do you need to do anything?
In essence I will gradually close down The Ion Age website while transferring the miniatures and books to new pages on Alternative Armies.  Across the next four weeks the 15mm range and the 28mm range as well as Publications and Free Downloads will gain their own pages under a main new heading on the Alternative Armies website.  We will also shut down the ability to purchase from The Ion Age once the codes are moved.  The Ion Age blog will remain in place and will continue to give you the latest news and be a source of content.  Once all of the ranges are transferred The Ion Age website will be mothballed and then shut down in coming months. Our email address info@theionage.com will remain active going forward and do feel free to contact me with any questions.
A large part of the process of handing over will apply to the 'Reward Points' system powered by SLoyalty on The Ion Age.  We have over one thousand customer accounts and several million points accumulated.  It is vitally important to me and it has been agreed with Alternative Armies, that those reward points will be honoured.  Right at the start of the process of range removal from The Ion Age website the Sloyalty programme will be closed down.  When this occurs all customers will be exported and held in a master document with me.  You will still be able to access your account on the site until the site is closed down.  Here is how to claim your accumulated points.
Contact me (Gavin Syme) on sales@alternative-armies.com with your name, address and the email address you used with The Ion Age.  I will confirm this with the master document and then reply to you.  I will tell you the amount of points you have, its value in Sterling (GBP) and how to spend it.  You will get the value of these points on anything on the Alternative Armies site (including Ion Age codes) and it can be used on shipping too.  We ask you use it in one order (for my sanity) and it will be done by email with me directly.  There is no time limit upon this offer so if you are reading this long after May 2019 just contact me.
Aside from this to gain your points you need do nothing more. 


Alternative Armies has a lot planned for 2019 and beyond and its agreement with me to take back The Ion Age is only a part of that.  I can tell you that there are more than a dozen new codes in development for the 15mm range as well as the 'Baron' book for Patrol Angis.

Here are links to the new collections for The Ion Age on the Alternative Armies website:
I want to take this moment to thank every one of you for the fun four year ride which we have taken.  Its time to get off.  Before we get back on again!
Thanks for Reading,
GBS
p.s. The images in this announcement are of a customised Magog mecha belonging to Sam Croes, the lead designer at Alternative Armies, painted in the colours of his baronial force 'Castella'.  It is in his personal collection and we hope you like it.  Contact me if you want to know the pieces used to create it and how you might do the same thing.