The Ion Age - August and Year Three is nearly here!

It is about to be that time of year again that sees The Ion Age celebrate another year, this time its third year, of being space opera awesome for wargamers. My baby is now a toddler with its own game system and near one hundred and fifty codes of 15mm scale miniatures, vehicles and terrain. We will continue to grow of course but each August an event occurs which many look forward to namely the release of the full year of IMP Monthly Miniatures from last summer to this summer. From September 2015 to August 2016 the miniatures were given away free in every order and shortly you will be able to purchase them as singles or a set in the YOC3 Year Three Collection come the start of next week. It will be on this pageHERE along with the Year One and the Year Two collections. Below is an image of the collection and read on to hear what else will be happening next month as part of the fun!

The Year Three Collection is a real doozy eh! From the top left across and to the bottom right we have: Muster Cutter Trooper, Female Nox Trooper, Florian Pumpkin Spore, Missiletoe Claus, Cold Climes PM Sergeant, Xin Monkey Bot, Padraig O'Malig, Hand of the Duxis, Happy Burger Clownbot this months Cybernetic Retained Knight and then you can see...August 2016's brand new twelfth miniature IMP36 Prefecta Aimar of the Styx Legion!

In August we will be releasing two new packs of miniatures sculpted by Dave Foley into the Ion Age Universe of 15mm characters which you can see HERE on the website. These will be a pack of five different Security Droids and a rocking pack of five different Entertainers which will be great for any setting from space port to cantina and city streets of the future too. Early next month for these.

In August we will be adding to our Poster Prints range with a fantastic resource for fans of The Ion Age created for us with cooperation by Aris Kolehmainen over in the mighty USA...a poster of thirty uniform schemes for Muster, Retained and Desteria along with their titles from the Prydian Army to the Marcher Barons and the Condots along with many more. Essential and already on my own wall! You can see our poster prints HERE. 

As it is our 'birthday' we will be having a great month long offer and it will be all about the IAF028 Khamel Tracked Bike where there will be 25% off the pack of three miniatures (Bike with Rider, Bike alone and Rider on foot) and 25% off the Bike with Rider on its own for those wanting to build a big force! You will also get a third new weapon mount option too! You can see this pack HERE and the offer will begin 1st August 2016.

August is going to be awesome!

Thanks for Reading,

GBS

ClearHorizon Miniatures - Covert Ops Night Stalker

Adding to their already extensive range of science fiction aircraft, ClearHorizon Miniatures has released their new "Night Stalker". This stealth equipped, light attack craft is like an aerial sniper providing pinpoint deadly support. 

The Covert Ops Night Stalker is approximately 60mm long x 70mm wide and is a multi-part metal miniature and includes multiple weapon options.

The Night Stalker also includes an optional bench piece to allow for infiltration of additional seated Operatives.


Inspired by a design by James Jimbo Burrell of http://acpgames.com/
Sculpted by Harley Graves

$13.99

ClearHorizon Miniatures Covert Ops K9 Operative

Coming Soon from ClearHorizon Miniatures, a new 15mm Covert Ops pack, the Covert Ops K9 operative.

Pack contains the handler and two cyber-K9s...

Coming Friday to www.clearhorizonminiatures.com

Sculpted by Anton Ducrot

The Ion Age - Afara Strider 15mm mecha early supporter offers now live!

The Afara mecha is now here. Great for any 15mm sci-fi system. What a reaction to the concept art and story of our first 15mm mecha kit from the start of this week! If you missed it on our blog and want to see the diagram page full size please go HERE to read it and download the image. From now until Monday 25th July we at The Ion Age are delighted to have Early Supporter Offers on the Afara with all orders containing one or more of these codes being shipped out worldwide once the offer period ends. Place as many orders as you like and remember every order earns Reward Points on your account with our website plus a free IMP35 Cybernetic Retained Knight miniature worth 0.60GBP. Existing customers who have been storing up their Reward Points CAN use them for discounts upon their early supporter orders for even bigger savings. Excellent! 

Go to our Early Supporters Page now or read on for details here.

What is the Afara Strider?

The Afara is our first 15mm mecha and it is a light mecha cast entirely in high quality grey tone resin and supplied in kit form. These kits are easy to assemble from eight or nine pieces with a high degree of posing due to the sockets into which feet, legs and arms fit. Once assembled the Afara stands approx 55mm in height or about three times our typical human sized miniature. There are three variants under the code IAF128 each with its own battlefield role from troop support to anti-armour and close combat. Here is the release information on the codes:

IAF128A Afara Strider 26WA 

One resin 15mm mecha kit for an Afara Strider armed with a Valerin 15Mw Laser Cannon arm and Anda 60mm Missile shoulder pod.

IAF128B Afara Strider 26WC 

One resin 15mm mecha kit for an Afara Strider equipped for close combat with an Octa Sword, separate Shield and Anda 60mm Missile shoulder pod.

IAF128C Afara Strider 26WB 

One resin 15mm mecha kit for an Afara Strider armed with a Bodkin Howitzer arm and Hermit 50mm Grenade Launcher shoulder pod.

What are the Early Supporter Offers?

We have several offers for you that all give you a saving off the above release prices which will be online after the 25th of June 2016. Here are the offers:

Single Strider

Purchase any single IAF128 Afara Strider and save 10% off release price! 9.00GBP per kit

Trio of Striders

Purchase the set of three different IAF128 Afara Striders and save 15% off release price! 

25.50GBP (release price 30.00GBP)

Strider Bumper Box

Purchase the Bumper Box and get the following: Three of each of the three Afara variants saving 15% off each, an additional random Afara for just 3.50GBP and this bundle is free worldwide shipping automatically. Fantastic value. 80.00GBP (release price 100.00GBP)

Where does this new model fit in The Ion Age?

During games of Patrol Angis there are vehicles deployed using the Callsign Taranis expansion book. Walking vehicles such as the Afara Strider are included in the rules with stats for play in the book too. In vehicle only platoons of three striders they are deployed as light or medium vehicles in opposition to Espaten Portable Weapon platforms or Adder Combat Carsand Lifters. They can take on a Mullo armoured fighting vehicle but they are no match for the mighty Taranis main battle tank. Afara's in the field supported by lances of Retained Knightscan deal with some serious odds such as the Canlastrian encroachment on the Everian Temple on Gatsby III during the Prydian Army's liberation of the planet. With its great mobility and moderate firepower the Afara is a welcome addition to any force. 

Go HERE for the Early Supporter Offers

We hope you enjoy these offers and that our entry into the next category of 15mm scale vehicles can be a part of your 15mm science fiction wargaming collection. Here are some two scale images for you and remember you can ask any question you like by sending it toinfo@theionage.com and we will do our best to answer it.

Thanks for Reading,

GBS

The Ion Age - War Mecha of Prydia – The Afara Strider

Hey all,

There is an amazing new development in The Ion Age. I have to admit I would have never seen this coming, but the addition of giant stompy robots is by no means an unwelcome twist. I've long been a fan of mecha and other robot machines and these new machines from The Ion Age fit into the universe while indulging that mecha itch.

Reach more below to get the official introduction to these new mechanical monsters.

-Eli

“During his work on the Taranis main battle tank hulls chief engineer and guild master Ulus McTear allied himself with an up and coming younger woman who had come to work at the Targa work complexes on New Glastonbury. Sally Bragan perfected the technology that would become known as the Bragan Memetic Neural Linkage system and this gained her entry into the same guild as McTear. While arguing over the finer installation diagrams for the Bragan system, Ulus McTear had an idea that would give the armies of Prydia two new classes of war machine; the War Mecha and the Striders. The ancient files from the Resource Wars of old Earth made mention of vehicles that walked on two legs and carried the fire power of the largest ground travelling war machines. The GroatVey MkX HeavyIon Reasc Fusion Reactor had the power needed for a body frame some twenty to twenty five feet in height and by coupling them in pairs the reactors could also motivate a body frame over one hundred feet tall. Revan Koore had perfected a gyroscope which would give balance and with Bragan's, linkage a pilot would be able to make his or her giant body respond to thought and become an extension of their own selves. It took all the resources that the Targa works could provide and more than a year when with great fanfare the first Afara type Strider walked out of the fabricator yard on its own feet.

The Afara comes in three primary variants and these are the 26WA which has a centrally mounted Hermit 50mm Auto-Grenade Launcher as well as a Valerin 15Mw Laser Cannon on its arm while its other arm has a gauntlet for close combat and more delicate work. The 26WB which has a Anda 60mm Missile Pod and an Angis 25mm AP Cannon and the 26WC boasts a 'Bladesman' load out with an Anda 60mm Missile Pod plus an Octa Powered Sword and a Shield. The Strider has a similarity to the Duxis Battlesuit in its form it and it is a match for any light vehicle such as an Adder Combat Car and also some medium vehicles. Since 4308 IC the Alfara has been in use by the Prydian Army and also the rebel leagues. Refer to other Auto-Trainer data swipes for additional technical and specialised information. Restrictions for placement of pilots and training remain in effect as per Royal Decree in 4330 IC.”

Academy Auto-Trainer Series 58, New Glastonbury, 4334 IC 

If you enjoyed the image at the top of this post please click on the one above for it full size so you can read all of the text. Excellent! This page fits in neatly with the Diagram Series pages for the Taranis super heavy main battle tanks which are to be found in the new Callsign Taranis expansion for Patrol Angis. You can find the game rules and statistics for the Afara in the Callsign Taranis book.

The Ion Age will enter the realm of mecha on Friday 8th of July with offers on the fantastic Afara Strider! Yes. The concept art in this article is a real 15mm scale model which will be on our website then with some great early supporter offers lasting a couple of weeks before global shipping on all orders containing them. For just now we wanted to show you the design and to tell you that it is coming real soon. Three variants and produced in high quality grey tone resin just like our other 15mm vehicles which you can see for the Prydian PrecinctHERE.

We hope you like our first mecha designed by Sam Croes. I know I do!

Thanks for Reading,

GBS

The Ion Age - IMP35 Cybernetic Retained Knight free miniature for July 2016!

It is the nature of war that injury and death occur while on campaign and while an honourable retirement is offered to every man or woman harmed defending the Precinct some do not choose to leave the oath they took to the Code Gallant. Those, often badly injured, who make the choice to return to their regiment are offered the means to do so in their treatment. While 'Rederm' can repair the skin and flesh leaving in most cases no sign that injury ever occurred this is not the case for lost limbs or the most serious of injuries. Cybernetic limbs and casings which once fitted and slaved to the nervous system give a performance equal to or exceeding natural limbs are given instead. There are different styles available from indistinguishable from natural to purely mechanical. Those who see regular active campaigning often opt for the mechanical due to its superior durability and de marking a true veteran. 

Academy Auto-Trainer Series 26, New Glastonbury, 4326IC

June was a massive month at The Ion Age with the release of Callsign Taranis the expansion of Patrol Angis our 15mm wargame rules system. July is now here and this month we have a man who was badly injured in the service of Prydia but returned to the front line as well as some big lads as walking re-enforcements for your collection in the form of an Early Supporter Offer too. More on that soon. Allow me to present to you IMP35 Cybernetic Retained Knight. It is July 2016's free 15mm miniature of the month all month. This miniature is automatically put into every order at the rate of one per order regardless of order value. It can also be bought in any amount on the monthly IMP page of the website for this month only too before being withdrawn on the first of next month. It will be one of the twelve in the 'Year Three Collection' next month.

Wearing specially modified Alwite powered armour this character has returned to his duty as a knight despite having one of his legs, one of his arms and half of his head replaced with cybernetic parts. Holding a Carnwennan mini-mine pistol he would make a fine officer or notable character in your Prydian Army, Marcher Baron or Condot forces. This miniature is in one piece and stands approx 17mm tall. We realise that some of you may wish to purchase the currently free miniature to get multiples of it without placing a lot of orders so you can do just that. Go HERE. There is a growing page on the Ion Age website where the current and all former IMP series free miniatures are shown so that you can see what came before. Enjoy looking at them and go HERE. 

We ask you to sign up for a website account with us on your first order. Why? For one reason only. Not to send you emails (we never will. If you want our emails sign up for our Mailchimp list on the right top of the blog) or to pester you; but only to keep track of the Reward Points that all orders with us earn. Reward Points through our online partner Sloyalty which can be used once accumulated to get discounts or free stuff at any point in the future. Learn more about this HERE. Every order earns Reward Points! Yes free extra value. Part of our promise to keep the fun in wargaming.

This is our first article of the month and other events, releases, ideas and wargaming fun will occur across the month. If you are looking at this article later on then please go to our blog or website and see what we have done since.

Thanks for reading.

GBS