You Got the Money, We Got the Guns

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OK. This is Master Chef calling in from the outfield.

You want crazy? We got crazy!

I have been thinking for some time about the whole gaming universe thing. And have concluded that there is just one political entity – the Imperial Republic of the Federated Alliance. Honest. Within that august body, which is sadly riven by fratricidal strife, there is only the Merc and he fights…..everyone else.

Of course there are some, aliens, freebooting scum, freebooting SCUM I tell you, villains, more aliens, THEM, who prey upon the Empire, err Republic, I mean the Alliance, I mean whoever is in charge of this sector…..hey, that’s us, we're the ones with the guns! and damn big ones at that!

Gentlemen, the galaxy is our oyster, well, it would be if the galactic oysters weren’t FTL capable and hell bent on eating as many human colonists as they can. Pass me the electro-hammer Gunny, I got some galactic crustacean shell to crush…..Ooh-rah!

In such a galaxy there is only war no, there is only an opportunity for a good merc to make money!

Master Chef

Khurasan Miniatures: 15mm Kzinti/Felids

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Heads Up Marines!

There's a new alien on the block and we have to be prepared to meet it. These guys are stark staring, tail swishing alien carnivores of frak knows what dna. One thing is certain - they got teeth, claws and blasters!

Khurasan Miniatures 15mm Sci Fi
Forthcoming Nivenesque warriors

Our contact in the Khurasan Sector has sent Chief Hannam the latest intel. The Chief believes a large number of these will be landing in the Kinkydeenshire Valley soon and is preparing his Marines to meet them head-on on the Drop Zone.

I want a full intelligence report Chief and tactical database simulation within 24hrs!

Master Chef
Out
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Commendation for 15mm.co.uk

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OK Marines, Master Chef here - with a glowing commendation to hand out.

It had come to my attention (Radio 4 listeners can read that in Mitch Benn's voice if they like) that Alien Squad Leader had been revamped. OK, Chief Hannam had been muttering "ASQL 2" like some deranged Buddhist mantra and so, when thursday afternoon in work turned into "Hell O'Clock" I rang up 15mm.co.uk in their Highland Lair and ordered a copy. Apparently, I'd missed the post run for the day but he'd see if he could drop it off in the post on the way home. Come saturday morning at chez chef and postie drops off one copy of ASQL v2.0 - with a note inviting me to enjoy the rules and they'd be charging the credit card later - so not only had they posted it out ultra pronto, they'd done so in preference to getting payment.

Now, I know that it is a commonly held belief, supported by strong evidence, that if you even think of buying GZG stuff, Jon has it in the post for you but I have to applaud 15mm.co.uk here - much as it is at odds with the gruff, uncaring persona that I cultivate. But this is really good stuff by a manufacturer with some nice figures and in the plethora of new shiny stuff by groovy new firms - it was the old Laserburn stuff, the TTM range that was all we had for a long time. That range held the line for a long time and we shouldnt forget that.

So, well done 15mm.co.uk, good work, Marine!

Right that's it; get off my deck or give me 50 NOW!

Master Chef
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Master Chef On Deck......Military Away Team

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Master Chef here. Marines! Take a knee!

Critical Mass Games new recruits certainly pass the muster. I can see the Head Shed's idea for Light Recon Troopers and Augmented battle Suits at the ends of the spectrum but two additional troop types in the middle? I hope they are all issued the same standard issue boxers or the supply chain will be gone to FUBAR and back!

But I say, more recruits equals more BUG FODDER to draw out them bugs so I can take 'em down!

Now, what I'd like to see in my command are some FORCE RECON SCOUTS. A pack of miniatures that represents an away team on a "gone to jawashit mission" - guys with longs are trying to give cover to the techie whose trying to bring in the gunshuttle....

On my HUD this translates into Scouts in jumpsuits, ranger caps like those damn fine 28mm Viridian Marines, but with visors or shades, in the following poses:

- Standing, firing combat shotgun. legs braced into a half crouch, blasting from the shoulder.

- Kneeling, fiddling with tech array with one hand, holding mini smg/gauss carbine in the other.

- Crouching fring mini smg one handed, (possibly ready to throw grenade in other or bracing firing arm).

- Standing / crouching firing ACR (with sights, suppressors all the bits) from the shoulder.

Question is.....Is it just me that likes the idea and which of our current embarassment of manufacturers would be most amenable to suggestions?

Master Chef
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Hyborian Campaign: Futuristic Background

Very rarely a recruit will mistake me for a decent non-tentacled being they can talk to. "Master Chef" they'll ask "if you lost a war would you get all eaten by revenge like Mal Reynolds?"

I reply with the Master Chef's First Rule Of War - WIN! My Second Rule Of War is " if losing, keep fighting till you WIN!" I then introduce them to the Master Chef's Universal Rule or "Dumbgrunts get to do 50 - NOW!"

On with the Intel briefing.......

Hybor 654

The tech level of H654 is pre spaceflight but in system travel is being developed. The planet is heavily balkanised, maps are available on the Command Net or in the historical novels of Howard, available from Warperstones (do not forget to claim you UNSC discount). There are a number of geo-political groupings.

Aquilonia-Nemedia remain as two separate nations, with a long history of rivalry and open warfare, Aquilonia-Nemedia realised that the increasing rise of the Turan & Hyrkanian regimes meant that they had to stand together or fall on their own. The tech level is advanced and the forces well trained; the Aquilonian Intervention Force (AIFOR) is an all arms brigade ready for rapid deployment; Aquiloniania has made much of the reforms in the Oceanic Indigenous Zone previously known as Pictland, now a source of vital natual resources. The Shadizar Herald Tribune though frequently reports alleged disturbances in the OIZ.

Nemedia is focused on the ongoing anarchy in Asgard & Vanaheim and has concentrated on using Hyperboria to offset Brythunian ambitions.

The northern states of Asgard and Vanaheim are in a constant cold war. The closed kingdom of Hyperborea destabilises them both whilst applying constant political and military prerssure to bear on Brythunia - which is edging towards an internal crisis as its previously strong government slips into the pockets of Hyperborian generals

Cimmeria is a net exporter of well drilled mercenary troops.

Koth is seeking to " Ophirise" the small but wealthy countries of Khoraja, Corinthia and Khauran (the ambition of creating the Greater Koth) and is simply at daggers drawn with Aquilonia-Nemedia.

The need for a stable corridor to Turan has led Aquilonia-Nemedia to invest heavily in Zamora - now ovecoming its murky past to achieve solid open government.

Turan is using the vast natual resources of the Vilayet Sea to dominate the east of Hybor in a looming face off with the Hyrkanian Empire of the Steppes.


Master Chef
Dismiss!

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 !

The 300 Second Spartan: Lessons Learnt

Listen up Marines! Master Chef here. Take a knee.

The sign of a crack outfit is that they learn from every action and are prepared to turn every defeat, every mistake, every Charlie-Foxtrot into an opportunity for improvement. Chief of the Boat Hannam will now brief you on the lessons learnt from the '300 Second Spartan' challnge. C.O.B. over to you....

No.1 SHAKE

Shake that bottle of Citadel 'Wash' as if you are ringing the neck of an Algolgian Snakemaster.

No. 2 DIP

When Mogi stew is the chow of the day, you know that when the you have to dip your spoon right into the bottom to get the good stuff. Same with the Citadel Washes. Use a Starbucks wooden coffee paddle if you only want a small amout.

No. 3 POOLING

Citadel Washes can pool on flat surfaces and leave 'tide marks'. You can't hide them with another coat of wash, so keep an eye out for this and prevent it with your brush. The only place to worry about on the GZG New Israeli figure is the very top of the helmet.

No. 4 BOLT GUN METAL

I painted the weapon Bolt Gun METAL and carefully applied a black ink to enhance the detail. Next time I will either leave the weapon with a green patina and give it a careful black wash OR paint it black and drybrush with Bolt Bun Metal.

No.5 GAUNTLETS

I was going to leave them green, but I saw some pictures of SPARTAN Action Figures with black/dark grey gauntlets so went for that. Too late, I saw some promo pictures from HALO 3, where the Spartans have gauntlets with green armoured plates covering the hand and fingers. Next time I'll leave the hands green but give them a light black inking to bring out the fingers.

No.6 DON'T LET THE PERFECT.....

My wife made a very valid point about this miniature. She thought it was one of the best figures I've painted in years. Not simply because it really does look great on the tabletop, but because I painted it to what she feels is the appropriate level of detail, not letting "the perfect get in the way of the good". I've been known to spend hours on a single 15mm miniature, but, in this instance I didn't even try to paint the gold into every nook and cranny of the visor, yet the end result is stunning.

Of course the subject matter, figure design and colour scheme helped, so this may not be possible with ordinary grunts - but we'll see.

That's all. DIS_MISS!

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!”

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

Listen Up!

OK Marines, take a knee, the Master Chef here.

High Command have noticed that there are far too many unpainted figures out there and something needs to be done about it. I presume you are painting RAFM High Tech infantry and you want to paint them as Spartans. What else do you want to paint them as?

I’ll talk slow, so try to keep up.

One!
Buy some artist mountain card, dark brown shade or whatever
fits the terrain you will fight on most of the time.

Two!

Glue your figures onto the base. Remember, don’t cluster and make it easy

for the alien scum to take all the guys with one frag grenade!

Three!

Let the glue DRY! This means YOU!

Four!
Get your green ink/wash. We use GW Thraka Green but there you go.
Apply the wash liberally over the figures.

Five!
Do it again to cover anything you missed at stage 4.
If you need a 3rd coat, you are off this course, you dumb grunt!

Six!
Let the ink dry!

No one won a war by handling wet figures.

Seven!
Paint the visor – yes paint it GOLD!
What other colour do you paint visors?
YOU DON’T NEED TO ANSWER THAT!

Eight!

Apply unit patches; a simple red dot on the left arm will do.

No patches, no crossed paintbrush insignia ribbon.

Nine!

Paint the weapons and kit black, steel or whatever.
No pretty colours! Repeat

NO PRETTY COLOURS!!

Ten!
Use brown ink to dye the edge of the card and add flock etc to taste.

Eleven!
Find some alien scum and KILL THEM!

The Master Chef's Alien Scum
Ex-Citadel Traveller Aslan with GZG Kra'vak APC

Master Chef On Deck

Listen up Marines !

We have a new occasional columnist on board.

The Master Chef!

"OORAH"