Danger on Outpost 32 - SHM Aliens Finished

Another day of painting, another step closer to playing the USE ME Danger on Outpost 32 scenarios.

With the Zeta Reticulans out of the way, I was left with five HOF Muster Troops and nine figures from the SHM Range. I decided to group the Human Bounty Hunter mini in with Muster Troops - those can wait for the next painting session. That left me with four armed aliens, three unarmed aliens and one human miner (which I'd already decided to paint as an alien anyway). The molds on the SHM Range figures are still nice and fresh, so there was very little to clean or file. I proceeded in the same way as the Zetans - white glue to mount four figures each to two craft sticks, and sprayed with white primer.

The process from here was a little more complicated, but a bit more fun. With the Zetans, I was able to paint them assembly-line style. All the grey on the first stick, then grey on the second stick, then grey on the third stick, then orange on the first... and so on. But I wanted to give each of these alien figures a unique paint scheme. So I painted all of the base and highlight colors on one figure before moving onto the next, then went back with the final washes and touch-ups after all eight figures were finished.

Here's the completed "unarmed" figures:

On the left is my favorite sculpt of the lot - the Starport Urchins. It's a "mama bear" alien figure (that somewhat reminds me of the Mystics from The Dark Crystal) clutching an assortment of four alien children. I decided to paint the tallest child as a human, since there were no obvious alien features. In hindsight, I should have reversed the blue and green of the second and third figures - there isn't much contrast between the green child and its foster mother. But overall, I like the finished result.

The next figure is called a Baroka Crime Lord. It's a pretty ubiquitous sculpt - could be used as a village elder, an old spice trader, or even some kind of Yoda-esque mentor figure. It has quite a few details that I didn't pick out this time, but I can always paint another one in a different style later. The Miner was sculpted as a human, but I used Vallejo Heavy Warmgrey to give its skin an alien color. I really like its mining tool, which could also be used as a large spanner in a starport workshop. Finally we have the Calamite Preacher. It looked like an aquatic being to me, so I thought a blue robe might have some religious significance.

Moving on, we have the armed figures:

I fought the temptation to paint the Snake Alien in the same green scheme as my Critical Mass Astagar and went with black scales. For its clothing, I decided to get some more practice with yellow - a color that has never quite been within my painting skills. Well... I obviously need more practice. On the other hand, I'm very pleased with the white armor on the Trandan Mercenary. It would be great to see a few Trandan variants - I would like to field a complete team of this race in future games. The Gizbin Mercenary reminded me more of a Star Wars alien than any other sculpt in the lot. It definitely has a future as a bounty  hunter in one of my game settings. 

Finally there's the Prang Soldier - in my opinion, this is Eli's best sculpt. This guy just looks as strong as a gorilla, and clearly possesses a very advanced tech level on top of the brute strength. Eli has already been working on a few variants of this sculpt, and I'll buy plenty of them when they're available. This species will play a key role in a space opera setting I've been writing in my spare time.

My average working time on this batch was about 25 minutes per figure, and they are certainly ready to play.  So, in three sessions, I've finished 21 out of the 27 figures included in Danger on Outpost 32. Just a half-dozen humans left to finished, and then it will be time to start picking apart the game scenarios.

Cheers,

Chris

Individual HOF Castings, New Armies Army, and Manufacturer Guide Update

I can't say enough about the effort 15mm.Co.Uk makes to serve our hobby.

They are unbelievably receptive to their customers' suggestions (which is what brought Danger on Outpost 32 into the gaming world). They give aspiring sculptors an outlet to refine their craft (giving us a fun variety of figures in the SHM range). And they are the only 15mm manufacturer who offers individual castings of hundreds of different figures.

Most figures in the HOF Sci Fi range are offered in 10-packs and as individuals when they are released. But somehow, the earlier Ion Age-style figures were never offered this way. That has now been corrected - we can now purchase individual castings of the Retained Knights and Muster Infantry.

Offering these figures as individual castings is brilliant. Suppose you're looking to start another army, but can't decide which figures to use? You can buy a few castings from this range, see if they match well with your theme, and even try some experimental paint schemes without adding to your pile of unpainted lead. It also works well if you want to round out your existing squads and platoons - the forces we build don't always match retail packs figure-for-figure. Or, especially in the case of the Retained sculpts, you might only need five or six figures for a small skirmish game like In The Emperor's Name or Mutants & Death Ray Guns. You can do that, thanks to 15mm.Co.Uk and their devotion to the hobby. 

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The Armies Army RUSK concept is developing into a complete product range.

Keith scored a major hit with his original infantry pack, and they've now been expanded with command, support weapon figures, heavy weapon teams, and MULE support vehicles. The command pack includes a medic ,a GRID/COMMS operator, three leaders, and a Kommisoner figure.

The support weapons pack includes two gatling gunners with loaders, an ATGM launcher team, a plasma gunner, and and a sniper figure. I like the variety of weapons in this pack.

The heavy weapon teams include three gun mounts, three shields, three different weapons, and three two-man gun crews.

Then we have four different MULES based on a common platform. This is the basic MULE, used as a battlefield logistics support vehicle. Three different weapon variants are currently available, and Keith is working on a few more versions. And I imagine we'll see quite a few custom variants made by customers in the coming months... this thing is just screaming to be converted!

The entire Armies Army range is available from Black Hat Figures.

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Speaking of Black Hat Figures... they actually have three separate ranges available that could be of interest to readers of this site. There's the Armies Army goodies, the ex-Green Eyed Minis Tolero and Yetis mentioned last week, and their signature Martian Empires VSF range.

We haven't talked about VSF much on this site. But it's certainly an interest to many of us. Yet somehow, this range has never been featured in the 15mm Manufacturer Directory on the right side of this page. I've updated that, and added a few more companies that we haven't mentioned before.

Peter Pig used to have a larger sci-fi range (the Phug aliens went to Moonfleet Miniatures), but still carry a nice little selection of - stop me if this sounds familiar - VSF Martians. They also have the most expansive range of 15mm conversion heads available today, including some very desirable beret heads for making elite commando units.

Trench 2114 has developed a very original and detailed setting for their games. Think of it as post-post-apocalypse; the fires burned, the civilizations fragmented, but then came back together and are engaged in full-scale war for the surviving resources. But the figures would be good in any setting, from Weird War 2 to post-apocalypse to gothic sci-fi. The website is still in its infancy, but already offers a couple packs of interesting figures and a standalone set of game rules. There don't seem to be many good pictures of their figures, so I've stolen these from Tom Crandall at Miniature Review.

Clockwork Goblin Minis is another newcomer in the 15mm field. But their Weird War 2 figures and walkers definitely belong on these pages - once again, they could be useful in many different science fiction periods and settings.

Please let me know if we're missing anyone else in the directory! I know there are at least three more out there with Kickstarter projects (Dreamforge Games, Grinning Skull and our own Eli's Loud Ninja) - they will be added as soon as product is ready to order.

Cheers,

Chris

Danger on Outpost 32 - Zeta Reticulans ready to invade

In the last article, I said plenty of nice words about the USE ME - Danger on Outpost 32 boxed game from 15mm.Co.Uk. But actions speak louder than words, right? To highlight its "starter set" strengths, I'll demonstrate how long it takes to build and paint all figures and play through the scenarios.

The figures in the box set can be divided roughly into three factions - the Zeta Reticulans, the human defenders, and the assorted alien figures from the SHM range. Since the Zetas were the most numerous, painting them first seemed like would make the rest of the painting seem easier. 

The Zetas are an assortment of figures from the HOF Grey Aliens range. They are extremely clean castings - the mold lines were easy to remove with small hobby files and there was just a bit of flash between two figures' legs. My only complaint about the figures is the thickness of their cast bases. But the pewter is fairly soft, so a few minutes with a full-size metalworker's file was all it took to reduce their height. I divided the figures into three groups (which, other than two figures, unintentionally matched the HOF blister packs), mounted them to craft sticks with white glue, and hit them with white primer.

While the spray primer dried, I grabbed a handful of pennies and painted them with Model Master Euro Gray. Danger on Outpost 32 does include 20mm plastic bases for all figures. And I was tempted to use them - thinking that I might turn this box set into some kind of standalone travel game. But I ultimately decided not to limit their future use, and went with the same type of bases as the rest of my 15mm figures.

The primer was dry by the time I had an initial coat on the last penny. So I chose my base colors for the Zetas and went to work. I picked Vallejo Stonewall Grey for their skin, Vallejo Fire Orange for their uniforms, and P3 Cygnar Blue Base for trim/contrast.

Sure, it may look like a bright and somewhat garish color scheme. But I assure you it perfectly fits my vision for the Zeta Reticulans, and has nothing whatsoever to do with my internal bet of painting a 15mm force to correspond with each football team in the Big Ten conference's colors... Anyway, it took about three episodes of The Walking Dead to get those base colors applied to all 13 Zetas. I painted the grey first, then the orange, and finished with the blue. In hindsight, doing the uniforms before the exposed skin would have been slightly better. But it still got the job done. Figuring in the time it took to clean, file, undercoat and basecoat... about 3.5 hours work. Plenty for the first day.

The second day was quite a bit easier. I painted the eyes black, the weapons and other equipment with Vallejo Glorious Gold, then the cast bases Euro Gray (same as the pennies). Then I touched up a few bad spots with the original three colors and finished with black Wonder Wash applied to each figure. 

While the wash dried, I painted another coat of Euro Gray onto the pennies. Then some inspiration struck me. Alien Greys are quite a staple in Alien Squad Leader games, and there was enough figures here to build three stands. So I dug out a few of the square skirmish trays built in my early 15mm days. By the time I had three of them painted, the Wonder Wash on the figures had dried. Here's why I use white glue on the craft sticks - it's easy to pop them off with a hobby knife, and any residue will clean off easily. I superglued the figures to the pennies, and flocked the skirmish trays while the figures were setting...

...then flocked the figures themselves, and sealed the texture with another coat of thinned white glue. It was only two hours' work to get this far on the second day, plus a bit of time for the white glue to dry. 

And that's it. Less than six hours work and I'm already halfway done with the new figures. They'll never earn me any "oohs" or "aahs," but I'm more than happy to use these on the battlefield. Here's the Zeta Reticula infantry figures:

The specialists:

And the leadership.

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how these guys perform in the Danger scenarios. And I'll have to grab a couple packs of Grey Soldiers with my next 15mm.Co.Uk order. Combined with these figures, I'll have a pretty good start on another Alien Squad Leader army, and have more flexibility with them in future games of USE ME.

Next up on the painting table: two sticks of SHM range figures.

Cheers,

Chris

Danger on Outpost 32 - Unboxing and Early Impressions

It's been just over a month since 15mm.Co.Uk released Danger on Outpost 32 (their introductory boxed game for the USE ME series), and they've already announced the follow up title. Sales of this boxed game completely exceeded their expectations. So what's the secret of their success? Well, here's a close look at Danger on Outpost 32's contents, scenarios, and the irresistible appeal of the USE ME system.

Gavin Syme was kind enough to send me a review copy upon the game's initial release. I've been playing 15mm sci fi for just a few years now, and have found the experience to be very different compared to commercially-popular 28mm games. I have an expectation when I receive a package in the mail from 15mm.Co.Uk... and that expectation certainly doesn't include something like this!

It may not be covered with store-friendly artwork, but you won't doubt for a second that you're dealing with a cohesive, ready-to-play wargame. One of the toughest "selling points" of 15mm Sci Fi is the lack of starter systems - boasting that newcomers can simply pick and choose individual miniatures and rules systems is a truly foreign concept to many 28mm players. So when I first held this box, I realized that those days are gone. If somebody expresses interest in 15mm sci fi, there won't be a better starting point than these USE ME boxed games.

Okay, enough waxing poetic. Let's get down to business!

The box contains: 

• A copy of the USE ME UM001 rulebook (good thing too - my old one is getting pretty beat up!) 
• A two-sheet insert with the introduction, game scenarios, and force roster. If you want to check this out before you buy the game (or if you already have most of the figures), it is available as a separate download on the catalog page.

And a compartmentalized styrofoam insert with the actual game contents.

• Two bags of Gray Aliens from the HOF range. At first, I wasn't sure about these as a starter force. After traveling to Roswell a few times for work, these types of aliens seem more like gift-shop novelty toys than credible gaming pieces. But you know what? They're really growing on me, and really don't have a greater "cheese" factor than most other aliens.
• A bag of Ion Age Muster troops. I've always meant to pick up a few packs of these, and now I have a chance to come up with a good paint scheme.
• A bag of assorted goodies from the SHM range. I think this is what really sets Danger on Outpost 32 apart from other "introductory" game systems. How many starter sets on the market include a variety of mercenary and civilian figures along with two organized military units?
• Plenty of 20mm plastic bases. Personally, I like the heft of steel washers. But again, this is something that makes it a complete package for 15mm newcomers, and many veterans use these as well.
• Two surprisingly small D6s. I must admit a small chuckle when I first held these little guys. But now I realize they don't bounce off the tabletop or chip the finish of terrain like my larger dice... and now I'm thinking about replacing most of my gaming dice with this type. 

I'll review the figures a bit more thoroughly as they get painted, and I reviewed the main rulebook some time ago. But the scenario pages are worth an early mention.

The final verdict will have to wait until I play them all the way through. But it looks like Gavin knocked these out of the park. They each have the right amount of flavor text - it gives you a mental picture of the situation, but offers enough flexibility that you can adapt it to your own terrain and background. They're designed to be played by beginners, but offer plenty of room for advanced strategy. They also include the notes required to utilize the Solo Play mechanics. 

The scenarios provide a good roadmap for creating your own later on - showing what can be done with just a few little tweak and special rules. And, most importantly, the force rosters allow the miniatures to be utilized anytime you like, not just when fighting these three battles.

Danger on Outpost 32 establishes a very high standard. By choosing the right variety of minis and preparing a great scenario and force guide, 15mm.Co.Uk packed a complete and expandable wargaming experience into a small and inexpensive package. I'm definitely looking forward to getting these figures painted and playing through the scenarios!

Cheers,

Chris

Goons, Cops, Resistance Fighters, and Furious Furballs...

15mm.Co.Uk has added yet another entertaining product to HOF Humanity range: Hired Goons. Wearing boiler suits and armed with submachine guns, hese figures would be great in James Bond (or even Austin Powers) settings. Use them to guard your evil lair, mount laser beams onto sharks, or to push around the boiler-suit wearing alien goons from CP Models! They are available in a 10-pack or as separate poses.

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On the other side of the law, Khurasan Minis has expanded the Federal Police range. The Security Force Troopers pack offers ten heavily armed and armored law enforcement professionals (I really like the futuristic pistols!) as well as a casualty figure. The Federal Cyborg Supercop... um... doesn't need much explanation. :) But the pack that caught my eye is the Police Bots (pictured). I've been a fan of the unarmed robot in the DPLS Spaceship Crew pack since it's release, and have long wondered if we'd see more figures based on that robot design. They're intended for use as police automatons, but it wouldn't surprise me if we start seeing complete armies based around this pack.

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Khurasan Minis has also expanded the Sepulvedan Resistance Fighters range. Those of you who have been fighting against the villainous Jellina Jo-el I and her fearsome Control Battalions will welcome the new Sepulvedan Provisional Army Regulars and Sepulvedan Provisional Army Jungle Fighters. Each division has four new packs, differentiated by futuristic combat helmets or berets respectively. The packs for each division include Regulars (armed with  the same pulse rifles as the Control Battalions), Command/Heavy Weapons, Mortars, and a pack of Truck-Borne fighters (pictured). The latter are intended to be used with the excellent Rockjumper tracked pickup, but could also be useful in similar vehicles from Old Crow, GZG, and Ravenstar Studios. 

One additional pack is available - Sepulvedan Resistance Scouts on Horses. Jon might find a sleeper hit with these figures, even outside of their obvious use as low-tech space colony forces. Many of us have long been inspired by post-apocalyptic movies like The Postman and Book of Eli, along with the new TV series Revolution. These Scouts would be perfect in those settings. And they would be great opponents for the Post Apoc Riders from Rebel Minis.

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In the same vein but on the opposite side of the technology spectrum, Black Hat Miniatures brings us some long-overdue reinforcements for the Tolero. Two cavalry packs are now available - one armed with bows, the other armed with spears, both mounted on Terror Birds. This is one of 15mm Sci Fi's greatest strengths. A sculptor or manufacturer takes an idea from existing media (the Tolero certainly never tried to hide their inspiration!), and produces a base pack or two. But eventually their own creative nature takes hold, and that force is able to find its own identity. I certainly don't remember seeing terror bird cavalry at the end of  that 1983 movie, but now we can use them in our own universes. These are especially useful in games like Alien Squad Leader, where stands of primitive infantry and cavalry fight alongside their high-tech masters.

Cheers,
Chris

New Pangalactic Legion from Rebel Minis

Well, look what Rebel Minis has released!

Painted by Jeff Racel

Those of you who follow PF's sculpting blog probably remember his Federation series of figures. It was a brilliant little concept (if not 100% original!) - an army of different humanoid aliens based around this core battle uniform:

He then created tons of different head sprues to create the different aliens. Here is just one of many that were shown on his blog:

PF showed us a few of the finished troopers, but the Federation posts eventually tapered off. Well, now we know what happened to them. :) Two different packs are now available on the Rebel Minis website. Here is the Pangalactic Legion Command and Heavy Weapons pack, brought to life by Jeff Racel's paintbrush:

This pack would make a wonderful team of mercenaries or starport thugs in its own right. But if you want to play on a bit larger scale, here's the Pangalactic Legion Infantry Pack (which comes with 3 each of these eight sculpts):

I must say, the production result of these figures is quite impressive. While they lack the variety of truly alien physiques found in Khurasan's Jasmine Throne Foreign Battalions, the Pangalactic Legion looks like a group of tough, gritty warriors. And if you don't think there's enough variety in the Legion, Rebel Mike hinted that he would release a set of alien head sprues if there was enough demand...

For more pictures, check out Jeff Racel's gallery: link.

Cheers,

Chris