Titanium Dropship - 15mm Blood Angels and Leman Russ

And a third contestant with both Squad Leaders and Vehicle Commander: 15mm Blood Angels Terminators and a 15mm (of course) Leman Russ by Gunner from Gunners Wargaming. 

"(...) 15mm Blood Angels Terminator assault squad, heavily converted from Eureka 25mm NSL power armour, bare head is from a 15mm Khurasan Iroquois warrior, the vehicle is a 15mm Death Korps of Krieg Vanquisher, converted from 1/76 Airfix WWI Mk IV tank, the figures are converted 15mm Blue Moon WWI Germans (...)"

Titanium Dropship - Weltraum Kommando Soldaten

Second entry: more Germans by Barks from Wargaming with Barks.

"Coming from unexplored space, the interplanetary blitz took everyone by complete surprise. Rapid deep strikes outmanoeuvred the lumbering federation militaries. Armed with their terror weapons, the heavily armoured WeltraumKommandoSoldaten instil fear wherever their dropships arrive. Little is known of their origins because none of these fearsome warriors have ever been taken alive. Some think they were never alive at all..."

Eureka 300 Club Project - Denizen's Federation Space Troops

Following the success of the Eureka 300 Club Ventaurans project, fans of the old 25mm Denizen minis have decided to try and get a second range sculpted in 15mm.  This time they have set their sights on the Federation Space Troops, SF 30-39 on the Denizen web store:

From Denizen Miniatures' Web Store

For those of you who aren't familiar with Eureka's 300 Club - here's the concept.  A customer can submit an idea to Eureka that has a reasonable chance of production.  That project is placed in the 300 Club Pre-Order section... once a project reaches 600 miniatures preordered from 10 customers, Eureka has them sculpted, cast, and makes them available for sale.  

Denizen graciously allowed their Ventauran designs to be used last year, and those minis are now available in 15mm.  For the Federation minis, Denizen is once again allowing their designs to be used.  So if you have any interest in seeing these troopers in 15mm, head to this page and place your orders.  

And just for some fun weekend discussion: what would you, the readers, like to see submitted to the 300 club?  Something else from an old and defunct range?  Or something new entirely that isn't currently offered in 15mm?  Post some ideas in the comments!

Cheers,

Chris

The Ventaurans have Landed

Struck down with a headcold, I was at home on Tuesday when the postman dropped off a little packet from Eureka Miniatures. Upon opening it, I discovered my pre-ordered Ventaurans, freshly emerged from Eureka's 300Club.



The figures are as good in the flesh as they appear in these photos Nic released earlier, with the distinctive Ventauran helmet and the tight fitting light bodyarmour and light backpacks.

Weapons-wise, the Ventaurans are armed with light automatic weapons, and have a heavier SAW, plus missile launcher and Autocannon as support weapons. While the weapons are mid-tech, and quite nicely LBB Traveller, the missile launcher and the autocannon are just a little too retro for my liking. I think I can tech up the missile launcher but the autocannon, to me, poses a bit of a quandry. It seems too heavy to be made easily mobile on its ground mount, which seems a little at odds with the general light infantry vibe of the rest of the range.

But having said that, I really like the Ventaurans and I'm glad they're available. I expect them to appear on the Eureka website soon and have included the figure codes on the above pictures for those keen to get in and order some.

Edit:

Ventauran technical - Ventauran autocannon on Ground Zero Games Utility Grav sled (V15-29A). That's blu-tac around the gunner's hands, BTW.


Another view of the technical.


Left to Right: Khurasan Felid, GZG New Israeli, Rebel Miniatures Earth Force Marine, 15mm.co.uk HOF Retained Knight, Eureka Ventauran, GZG UNSC-L rifleman.


Left to Right: GZG New Israeli, Rebel Miniatures Earth Force Marine, Eureka Ventauran, GZG USMC-L Rifleman, Khurasan Felid

Eureka Ventaurans Sighted!

This in from Nic of Eureka Miniatures:

"We are pleased to be able to announce that the masters have now reached completion. Please find attached some preview images for your consideration."







Nic is back from Historicon in mid July when he should have release dates for these figures.

- David

In The Pipe...... 300 Club 15mm Ventaurans

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Eureka have contacted me to say that sufficient interest has been received in the 300 Club Ventaurans for them to now judge if it's worth going ahead with the order.

Mike Broadbent will sculpt the helmeted figures shown below:

Over the past twenty plus years up to just three years ago, I would have eaten their hands off. Two years ago, there was still merit.  I put my name down in March 2009. Now, February 2011, yes 2011, why would I want standy abouty figures when there's ranges like GZG's New Israelis and Khurasan's Federal Army available  in a wide range of active combat poses with a full package of command and support weapons?

Whilst I still love the design of the helmets and armour, I'm sorry but I really cannot support what I see as a backwards step and have declined.

Cheers

Mark

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IN THE PIPE... 15mm Sci Fi Germans

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Having a quick break from detailing my Felid bunkers to let you know that Eureka Miniatures have done a great job on expanding their current Sci Fi Germans to a range.

These are just the new infantry and I have to say that really like the poses. Well done Nic! I particularly like the advancing figure with rifle at low port - there's real urgency in the movement and I get the sense of a grunt running from one building to another feeling the sniper's scope zeroing in on him.

You can see more photos including the new support weapons on Eric's The Two-Hair Brush blog.

Even if you don't like the idea of Sci Fi Germans they will make good proxies for Firefly 'Purplebellies' or any Sci Fi troopers you want:

The codes (including the four original sculpts) will be:

300SCI01 Sci-Fi German Stormtrooper with assault rifle (7)
300SCI02 Sci-Fi German Stormtrooper with Section Automatic Weapon SAW (1)
300SCI03 Sci-Fi German Stormtrooper Officer (1)
300SCI04 Sci-Fi German Stormtrooper with 'flamer' (1)
300SCI05 Sci-Fi German Stormtrooper team with Light Anti-armour Weapon LAW (1)
300SCI06 Sci-Fi German Stormtrooper with Auto Cannon (1)
300SCI07 Sci-Fi German Stormtrooper Sniper (1)
300SCI08 Sci-Fi German Stormtrooper Spotter (1)
300SCI09 Sci-Fi German Stormtrooper comms (1)

Any downside? Well, yes. TMP Mafia be damned, I have to say "nice figures, but......" I feel there should have been at least one squad leader pose and more Panzerfausts. The' Comms' figure may make a squad leader and I can give the 'Officer' a German style combat cap or helmet to ring the changes....but it looks like Peter Pig or FOW will be filling in the Panzerfausts.

Overall, the advancing poses are admirable, especially how the weapons are being held; and that kneeling grunt firing is leaning into his weapon and really looks like someone firing an automatic weapon at an enemy rather than just a redneck's girlfriend shooting beer cans on Youtube.

Nevertheless, at this point I want to say "Well done Eli" (emu2020) and "Thank You!" for pushing this project through (TMP)! I know you did a lot of work in the background corresponding with Nic and building up the client base through forums, blogs and email.

Cheers
Mark
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Eureka Sci Fi Germans - Support Weapon Choices?

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My mate Eli of I See Lead People fame has received an email from Nic at Eureka regarding plans to extend Eureka's current pack of Sci Fi WW2 Germans with heavy weapons.

Eli has posed a topic on TMP here:

"New Heavy Weapon Troopers for Eureka Sci Fi WW2 Germans"

Nic is wondering what suggestions potential customers have for up to four heavy weapons, before the final decision is made and figures sculpted.

Eli himself suggests:

1) Panzerfausts armed troops.

2) Flamethrower.

3) Heavy anti-material/sniper rifle with scope.

4) "Death Ray"

Me? I think they'll be too vanilla for my Weird World War 2 tastes. But, a big F.O. retro flamethrower and a multi-headed or multi-exhaust Panzerfaust would be fine.

Pop over to TMP and have your say!

Cheers
Mark
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300 Club Ventaurans

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Are you a closet fan of the Zhodani? Well it's time for me to don my clamshell helmet and come out of the transporter to declare "I AM a Zhodani!.... and so's my wife!"

It's nothing to do with their culture, spirituality or even military prowess. I, shallow being that I am, just like the uniform!

Oooh! Suits You Sir!

I contacted Nic at Eureka about the Ventaurans listed on Eureka's '300 Club'. These would be 15mm counterparts of those produced by Denizen Miniatures in 25mm.

Denizen 25mm Ventaurans

For those of you who don't know, the '300 Club' is essentially a wish-list for bespoke miniatures. Once a minimum of 10 customers place orders totalling 600 figures, the miniatures will be sculpted and put into production. Nic kindly replied to my query:

"Although the Venturans are over 400 they are still only two thirds of the way top the 600 figures we need pre-ordered before we can look at producing them. We have permission from Chub Pearson to make his figures in 15mm form, but with the current number of figures and pre-orderers, we would only be looking at four to six figures. We need more people on board before we can look at a complete range. My reading of the original request is that the 25mm poses should be reproduced in 15mm. This could be discussed amongst the members of the Club when we reach the 600 figure and ten customers that we require to go ahead." Best wishes, Nic

Thanks for the reply Nic!

I was glad to hear that the gamers committing to the 300 Club had a say on the sculpts. These days I'd certainly want more 'aggressive' poses (cough! Who said tell them to look at GZG New Israelis!).

Would these 15mm Ventaurans or other potentials for Zh'ol Commandos pique your interest?

Cheers
Mark
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Film Review - INTIMATE ENEMIES (France 2007)

David, mon beau-père, popped round earlier in the week and dropped off a couple of DVD's for me to watch whilst I'm off work:

IN BRUGES; starring Colin Farrell and Brendon Gleeson, sort of Cohen Brothers meets Guy Ritchie gangster themed black comedy.

Kokoda-39TH BATTALION; starring Jack Finsterer, tells the tale of Australian troops fighting the Japanese in terrible conditions on the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea, 1942. It's essentially a lost patrol movie focussing on 'mateship'. Worth watching in tandem with THE THIN RED LINE (1998).

INTIMATE ENEMIES; Benoit Magimel and Albert Dupontel lead in this gritty French language war movie set in French-occupied Algeria in 1959 at the height of the insurgency.

One of my favourite popcorn war movies of all time is LOST COMMAND (1966), starring Anthony Quinn as a tough French Paratroop C.O.. The action takes place mostly during the Algerian War of Independence (Guerre d'Algérie), 1954-1962. As a result I've always had a fondness for things French Military, particularly set in that post-war period of 'gallouise' French colonial history.


No surprises then that I was keen to watch INTIMATE ENEMIES, and I have to say the film didn't fail to deliver. It's brilliant. Gritty and often harrowing to watch, this is France's very own 9TH COMPANY. The film doesn't pull any punches about insurgency warfare and obviously one can draw comparisons with modern operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, (if you really feel you have to).



But the film also has a timeless quality that could see the action being played out within a TRAVELLER or similar Sci Fi setting. I think the French language, uniforms and equipment plus most of all, the alien nature of the Algerian mountains helps dislocate the viewer enough to be able to picture this as another godforsaken police action, on a godforsaken ball of mud at the arse end of the galaxy.

Eureka Miniatures 15mm French Foreign Legion
See more details here: Eurekla Miniatures

At the very least, INTIMATE ENEMIES will give you more fodder for AMBUSH ALLEY and AMBUSH ALLEY: Force on Force plus an excellent excuse to buy Eureka Miniatures 15mm Legionnaires. The figures in 'cowboy' hats just call out to be used as 'Mercs' regardless of whether it's 1960's Congo or 2160's Epsilon Indi.

Cheers
Mark