Spartan Assault Troops

These are my 'Spartan' elite Assault Troops for FWC - a work in progress. Still have to paint the weapons - possibly an ochre-sand colour to look like plastic/composite camo'd casings; and maybe some flashy insignia on the shoulder plates.

My Spartan Elite
15mm GZG New Israelis

The 'rocks' you see on the base are an aquarium product called Roman Sand. You can buy it quite cheaply from most pet stores in lots of different colours including deep red and flame orange. I chose the black as it looked like bleak volcanic rock. As an experiment, I've mixed PVA glue with a cheap dark ochre acrylic paint from the Royal Langnickel 'Essential' Acrylics range, dropped the 'rocks' on and voila! Instant basing!

It's worth looking out for the 'Essential' Acrylics range, which is superb for terrain and general art projects. The local art shop sells these in 59ml bottles (2 fl oz, in old money) for just £1. Yes, £1. Checking the forums, some guys swear by them for their miniatures too and I'm not surprised when Citadel pots are around £2.25 for 12ml.

The base isn't finished as the volcanic effect of the rocks gave me the idea of trying to paint rivulets of lava flowing between the rocks similar to the picture on the right. See also Gavin Thorne's work on the DakkaDakka forum (Click here). Will it be too fussy for 15mm? Dunno, but I'm willing to give it a go. It may mean having to repaint the visors red to match the terrain.....oh bugger! A lazy painters' work is never done!

Cheers
Mark

The Master Chef on eC3 in Future War Commander

OK Marines, Listen UP! The Master Chef here with a few words on any true Marine's least popular word: Command. Now any of you who have served with me know that there is only one command - Do What The Master Chef Tells Me To!

As we all know, however, there are also officers and worst still officers who think they know what they are doing. If that is not enough, they think that they give the orders........

So, over to Technical Sgt Name Deleted For Security Reasons to explain the wonders of the INTEGRATED COMMAND NET.......take it away Sgt, a long way away.....

ICN enables HQs and COs to exercise command functions without being on the battlefield; instead they are in orbit, in deep bunkers, anywhere where the battle ain't. Comms are presumed to be via satellite, computer net, microwave signal or similar technologies.

Only forces comprised of Advanced Tech can use it but only if the entire force is of the same tech level, otherwise the buffers wont interface the subwave on the same ghz. ;-)

You still pay for the command elements as normal plus an extra 20pts per unit (infantry base/vehicle) because they are all Independant. No, not Independants, Mr Reynolds.

Usual rules then apply except that all units can act as FO or make a recce roll - but can't do anything else that turn (non recce units do not get recce cover bonuses).

Net Overload - the chances of a command blunder can be increased to a double 5.

OK thats all for now, I'll leave it to CoB Hannam to try to explain how to jam signals on the ICN.

Stand......EASY !

Future War Commander: A Tabletop Review

Future War Commander
Fast Play Tabletop Wargames Rules For Combined-Arms Operations, The Future

by Peter Jones

From: Specialist Military Publishing

Price £20





THE BOOK:
140 pages, A4, colour photos throughout, including:

- 25 pages of core rules
- 8 pages of game set up, playing and 11 basic scenarios.
- 10 pages of specific rules within the Army List section
- 61 pages of Army Lists
- 2 pages of point values for army creation
- 6 pages of Individual Skirmish Rules
- Illustrated examples of game play and rule explanations throughout
- A4 Doublesided Quick Reference Sheet

SCOPE:
Fast Play Tactical Future/Science Fiction

ARMY SIZE:

Small game = 20-40 elements per side
Large game 60-100 elements per side

Where an element represents one playing piece, an individual tank or apc, or a base of infantry. This is called a "UNIT" in FWC.

The game has no predetermined unit scale. You choose on a game by game basis whether your individual infantry bases represent a fireteam, a platoon, a company etc. Same with AFV's. A tank model can be an individual vehicle or represent a platoon of 3-4 tanks.

UNITS are grouped into "FORMATIONS". Formations aren't strict in FWC. You can breakup and reassemble as you please throughout the course of the game.

SCALES

The game can be played at one of three levels:
- 1 UNIT = 1 Platoon (the scale the game was designed for)
- 1 UNIT = 1 Squad or Individual Vehicle,
- 1 miniature = 1 UNIT = 1 Soldier or Vehicle.

- Ground scale is 1cm = 20m or 1cm = 10m respectively.
One game turn represents up to 30 minutes of real-life action.

Any number of miniatures can be on a base. No preferred base sizes are stated. You can also use single miniatures if you wish.

BATTLEFIELD:
4ft x 6ft recommended for 6mm and 6ft x 8ft for 15mm/20mm.

GAME LENGTH:
2-4 hours realtime

PLAYING AIDS REQUIRED:
Normal 6 sided dice (the more the merrier)
A 'Directional Die', where the numbers or pips are replaced by arrows
A tape measure
A circular template 20cm in diameter
A circular template 30cm in diameter
Markers/dice for denoting 'suppression' etc

UNIT STATS:

All UNITS have the following basic stats: ATTACKS/RANGE, ASSAULT, HITS and SAVES.

The Attack value represents the offensive capability of the UNIT and the range that it can carry out those attacks. It's normally described in the terms of '4/30' - eg this UNIT can roll 4 dice when firing at an enemy unit up to a range of 30cm.

The Assault value is the number of dice rolled in close combat.

Hits represents the humber of hits a UNIT can soak up per turn before being KNOCKED OUT. Hits are not cumulative between game turns and disappear at the beginning of the next turn.

Saves represents the armour and protection of the UNIT. The Save value is the minimum score required to prevent a hit.

The results of combat may force a UNIT to be SUPPRESSED, FALL-BACK or be KNOCKED OUT in which case it is removed from the game.


THOUGHTS:

I have to keep reminding myself that FWC is a Fast Play set of rules. When I do that, it's a great, fast moving game in itself, with a slick Command and Control system. There's not an unnecessary die roll anywhere. It has a lot of positives but equally is disappointing in so many ways for a hard Sci Fi grognard such as myself.

The fact that FWC is a development of Blitzkrieg Commander shows through like a bad paintjob. The cover photo of GZG armour advancing through Hampshire should have warned me. For instance visibility and intelligence of the enemy in FWC is determined by Line of Sight - SORRY?, I thought this was Future War Commander not Napoleonic War Commander! Real-time intelligence? Integrated firepower? Individual soldier command interface? Netted fires? Electronic battlefield? I could go on. As for Recon.......

Despite the fact the author actually says "weather is a vital factor in war and often overlooked", it's relegated to three short paragraphs in FWC and equally, there's no rules for fighting on planets with different or even no atmosphere, gravitational effects, environmental or seismological events.

Tech Levels are reduced to Primitive, Contemporary and Advanced. Whilst I can see the advantages in this over worrying about the exact technology available at Tech 11 as opposed to Tech 9 armies and it's relative effectiveness, I think it would have benefited from a further 'EXOTIC' category which covers 'Ultra-Tech' human or superior alien science and technology.

Where FWC wins is that it is slick and fast play, and does has a whiff of futuristic wargaming (as opposed to warfare), so it does what it says on the tin. The army lists include factions from most the the major Sci Fi miniature games on the market in recent years, so it can bring together gamers with armies from different canons and allow them to play against each other on the tabletop in a game which gives them a flavour of what they are used to when playing within their original game universe.

An added value of FWC is that it includes individual skirmish rules based on the core game system. It means you can play Sci Fi/Futuristic man to man skirmish games without having to learn new rules. And again it's great for getting guys in your gaming circle who may already play Blitzkrieg or Cold War Commander to play Sci Fi skirmish games with a system they are familiar with. The skirmish rules themselves are a bit ersatz, but do the job quite well in 6 pages.

The unit creation and points system in FWC is both versatile and flexible when it comes to building your forces for each battle. It's probably the strongest element of the game. By simply adjusting the basic Stats or adding either Technological Upgrades and/or Unit Attributes you can turn the humble grunt into a SPARTAN III, Eldar Striking Scorpion or similar. For instance, if I just increase the Assault rating by 1 for my infantry, they are now bio-enhanced soldiers for the coming scrap. An extra one or two on the Attack value means my guys are armed with the latest in assault rifle calibre airburst sub-munitions without having to worry about separate rules or additional die rolls.

Comparing notes with the Master Chef, we are agreed that FWC has a very playable game system which is going to encourage more gamers to try out Sci Fi gaming, and allow those who are currently locked into their own Sci Fi miniatures game systems to play against each other on the tabletop. We think it's a great chassis upon which to build our own vision of future warfare and also recreate the XBox and PC Sci Fi games we both enjoy.

We suggest that if you want the gritty feel of futuristic combined operations on the tabletop, stick with Dirtside, Stargrunt and their ilk. However, Future War Commander doesn't pretend to compete with these games and despite lacking Rock and Roll, FWC is a complete package that offers within it's own parameters an easy to learn, fast and enjoyable tactical game.

SUPPORT:

Future War Commander Website
Future War Commader Design Group

Kitbash of the Week No.4

GZG's latest 8 Wheeled MICV, V15-51A partially assembled on my painting board. It's a substantial model 70mm long, 35mm wide and approximately 35mm tall when fully assembled. About the same size as QRF's BTR80 APC.

I like the boxy light weapon turret (with gatling and missile pod) and have used it as the basis of my latest Kitbash of the Week. Maybe this week we should call this feature doodling with armour!


First up! My favourite tankette! Surely a film starring Daniel Day Lewis? In the photo above we find the MICV's light weapon turret matched to the QRF's MT05 AMX13 hull, which gives us some serious recon firepower! Though in FWC you might as well have two guys strapped to a Penny Farthing as your recce element! Never mind, this kitbash creates a nice Mid-tech fast tank suitable for jolly scrapes on newly colonised worlds.



In this photo, I've put the MICV's light weapon turret .in place of the gun system of GZG's V15-03A GunCrab quad walker. It's not a great fit, but it works better than the photo suggests. I am wondering though about the turret from GZG's V15-38A Tracked Heavy Fire Support Vehicle with Light AA cannon?

Whilst I had this spare GunCrab set up, I tried out the remote turret from GZG's V15-44A High-tech Grav Light APC/scout vehicle. Yeah, it works to a degree but is just too small for my personal liking. The Guncrabs are incredibly versatile pieces of kit and deserve more attention. It can fulfill a multitude of roles including remote or semi-autonomous weapons platform and even as an alien tank! More about them in later posts.

Cheers
Mark

The 300 second SPARTAN

Following the Master Chef's excellent stats for HALO SPARTANS in FWC, I couldn't help but set myself a mini challenge of painting a 15mm SPARTAN in 300 seconds or less using the Master Chef's painting guide.

I pulled a GZG New Israeli figure from a pile waiting for a desert paint job. There was no flash or mould lines to remove, so a quick wash and he was ready.

Two coats of Citadel's Thakka Green Wash. quick wipe of Gold across the visor, Bolt Gun Metal for the rifle and Emporer Dandruff Grey or similar for the gauntlets, followed by a quick black inking of the rifle anf gloves. Quick, easy and bloody effective - this figure looks superb!

I'm off to work right now, so no time to blether....just enjoy the eye candy!

GZG 15mm New Israel, now a HALO SPARTAN-III

Green wash on bare metal

pre-black inking for the rifle and gloves

Cheers
Mark

The Master Chef on HALO Spartans in FWC

“OK Marines, take a knee, the Master Chef here. Now, it has come to my attention that there has been some scuttlebutt as to how you represent SPARTANS in 15mm.

The answer is: Green Armour and Gold Visors. Any other answer, you have a problem and that problem is ME. Are you hearing me loud and clear recruit?

Now, I know that Chief of the Boat Hannam is deploying GZG New Israelis and I personally have some UNSC hardsuit troopers but neither of these really meet the 7’ tall MJIOLNIR clad troopers we need. The new GZG heavy vac suits are the right size but they need more armour, a remodelled helmet and more dangerous looking guns. Don’t try to hide Mr Tuffley, Sir – this means YOU. Give me those figures or give me 30 on the deck and I mean now.”

The real question is how to represent the fearsome qualities of the SPARTAN in terms of FWC. You can simply paint your power armour / hardsuit troops in green and gold, call them “Spartans” and use the stats for whatever figure they originally were. This will work to a degree but will not give you the heroic, HALO type performance humanity expects from their last best hope in a hostile universe!

So, it’s time, gentlemen, to build your own SPARTAN. These are very tentative stats for FWC and represent say either 1 heroic Master Chief type or 2-3 Spartan troopers in a fire team.

Move '10'

No flight ability or jump pack. The Master Chief is a bit faster than the marines in HALO so you could give a Move of 15 if you want to sprint things along a bit.

Attacks '4/40' or '5/40'

The Master Chief seems to use the most effective weapon for the target, whatever it is.

Assault '5'
Even just armed with a pistol a SPARTAN is highly dangerous in melee

Hits '5' or '4'*
Nuff Said

Save '3'
"SPI armour...could only take a few glancing shots before failing" - Ghosts of Onyx.

Elite
Of course!

Independent
Which reflects nicely the role of AI in the CCC of SPARTANS; their HQ / CO could be in orbit or on the other side of the rock.

Stubborn
Have you ever run away playing HALO? Have you? Really? GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!

Tough
We are trained to expect the worst; surrounded, armed with a pistol, fight your way out Marine.

Shields '5' or '4'*
Those shields in HALO keep you fighting so bring along.

Adaptive Camo
"The armour's camouflaging textures sputtered and stabilised, however, and once again blended into the rocky terrain" - Ghosts of Onyx.

*field tests show that a 4 is hard enough for non SPARTAN troops to take on. 5 may be overkill.

I’ve not added it all up as you’ll want to chop and change. One version got to 280 points, another 250. This all adds up to not much change out of 300 points. My test versions were about 276 each.
Bottom line, you get say 3-4 SPARTANS for 1000 points. They are tough as nails but with such a small force, their break point is insanely low; even lose one trooper and all bets are off. Your best bet is perhaps 1 or 2 SPARTANS and a larger force of Marines, armour, gunships etc to go with them. Which is exactly what you get in HALO.

FIELD TESTING:

Game 1 pitched 3 SPARTANS vs 9 FSE Legionaire bases in mixed light cover / open ground. The SPARTANS got to grips quickly, suppressing and destroying 3 FSE in assault. They pressed on until one SPARTAN was isolated and almost KO’d – but the FSE couldn’t convert it to a KO and the SPARTANS replied with another suppression then assault combination that broke the FSE. In this game the SPARTANS had shields

Game 2 had 2 SPARTANS in hard cover defending a rubble complex against 9 FSE. They held out well, again edging towards the FSE break point but one was suppressed and then swamped by a wave of FSE – which was of course a break for the SPARTANS. In this game the shields were powered down and it showed. Verdict 1-1 but with FSE losses at an unacceptable level even when they won and it would have been 2-0 if the shields had been used in game 2. I gave the SPARTANS a CV of 10 and the FSE 9 – which kept things moving along.

CONCLUSION:

“OK, Marine’s I kid you not. You can field SPARTANS in FWC but we’re expensive. You get lots of firepower and we don’t run but you won’t have many of us and we can’t be everywhere. You’ll need the Green Machine (and personally that means UNSC or New Anglian Royal Marine Commandos) along to help carry the ammo and hold the real estate while we do what we do best. That’s all. DIS-MISS!”

Future War Commander: The face of futuristic gaming?

Future War Commander
Fast Play Tabletop Wargames Rules For Combined-Arms Operations, The Future

by Peter Jones

From: Specialist Military Publishing

Price £20

A personal review that strips away the hyperbole and drills down to the facts. Whether you rate FWC or hate it, this is not going to be pretty.

Please return later in the week for the full critical evaluation of Future War Commander - Cheers, Mark

Sci Fi Reading 1

Last week I took some time out to re-read Future History by Jerry Pournelle, a combined volume of two stories The Mercenary and West of Honor, linked through the same protagonist, John Christian Falkenberg. Both stories revolve around mercenaries in a future where colonised worlds are policed by the Co-Dominion, in many ways similar to the Alliance and "Earth that was" from the Firefly 'Verse.

It's always easy to slip into Future History's pages, as it reads like sipping brandy and swapping late night tales with an old friend. Every time I read it, my minds eye projects the ex-Citadel Traveller Miniatures Mid-Tech troopers (now RAFM's Infantry Pack No.2) into the role of Falkenberg's Legionnaires.

I'm determined at some stage this year to replay the action at Fort Beersheba as a solo mini-campaign. In fact as a campaign setting, one of the great things about the book is that it includes two maps! There's a world map that's pure Traveller! All it needs are the polygons overlaid. Then we are given a more detailed sketch map of the Arrarat region where the majority of the action takes place. This makes the whole thing intensely 'do-able' as a small but fun wargame side-project.

This weekend I've started Ghosts of Onyx, a HALO universe novel by Eric Nylund. Well, I couldn't resist the cover! This is apparently the fourth novel in the series, but I've just dropped in here and don't think I've missed anything by not reading the previous volumes.

The the story begins in the year 2545 with a company of SPARTAN-IIIs being dropped from orbit in an assault on a Covenant fleet refueling depot. Like it so far...

I must admit that I cringed inwardly but then actually thought it was a cool homage that the Spartan 'Company' is 300 strong - '300 Spartans' geddit! Though given the prowess of a single Spartan on the XBOX, I think a company of even just 6 might be a tad excessive!

The Master Chef created a small HALO inspired Spartan force for FWC and they wiped the opposition from the table in double-quick time. More on this in a later blog entry.

If you want SPARTANS in 15mm, look no further than GZG's New Israeli Armoured Infantry in Hardsuits, SG15-Z1. The New Israelis pictured below are an excellent example taken from Chez Ebbles' blog which includes some great painting tips, if you want to recreate this look yourself. Incidentally, I must take a serious look at Chez's 'Guncrawl' space corridor rampage game.

Chez Ebbles SPARTANS.
Great paint job!

I'm currently repainting my own HALO dedicated force of '30 SPARTANS' (there's a credit crunch after all!) to look closer to what Chez has achieved with his figures. I wouldn't mind at all if Jon at GZG expanded this line with more combat, support and command types. Certainly one of the best and most versatile sets of miniatures in his 15mm Stargrunt range.

Cheers
Mark

Kitbash of the Week No.2

Hykranian BMP2R

I've decided upon a Neo-Soviet feel for my FWC Hykranians. Therefore Kitbash No.2 demonstrates what can be achieved by mixing and matching between manufacturers. A Hykranian BMP2R.

Once again we see the hover skirt from GZG's V15-15A, the hull from V15-43A, but in this case the turret comes from a QRF Soviet/CIS BMP2. A little while back, Geoff at QRF was happy to sell smaller parts such as this turret for £1, to stimulate and encourage kitbashing, but it's worth checking if you feel inspired to ensure this option is still open.

There's a small hole in the top of the turret for a Soviet Spigot(?) Missile, but I thought it could be better used for either one of the GZG radar/sensor options or the Missile System, which is available separately as V15-ACC3.

Cheers
Mark