News & New Releases

Ravenstar Studios is having a 25% off sale through February 5th.  This is a great chance to pick up some mecha, drones, and other unique walkers.  Small skirmish gamers should take a close look at the Coyote and Jackal grav jeeps - they have the perfect look and feel for Blasters & Bulkheads, Traveller, or Laserburn cities and spaceports.  The sale also applies to the starships and 1/60 items, for all you heretics who don't exclusively play 15mm sci-fi.

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Khurasan Miniatures has released three more packs for the popular Sepulvedan Control Battalion infantry.  Riflethings Set Two ($ 4.99) includes eight minis in four poses: two more poses or Riflethings, and the equivalents of SAW and RPG gunners.  The Mortarthings set ($3.99) include two full mortar teams.  Finally we have a pack of Tank Crew Halves ($1.29) - four in two different poses.

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Earlier this week RAFM re-released their 15mm Plasma Grav Tank, now with the hull cast in resin. This has dramatically reduced the price, to a more economical $12.95, and their Grav Tank Platoon deal has also had its price reduced, to $49.95! Classic Traveller fans will remember this tank as the Instellarms Light Grav Tank, originally released by Martian Metals. Even if you aren't a fan of Traveller,  this tank will be a welcome addition to any 15mm sci-fi wargamer's motorpool.

Cheers,
Spartan 117

More Junk Building - Comms Transceiver Objective

I needed a new terrain piece for the second scenario of the Christmas War campaign.  This had to be a key piece of Laurentian military infrastructure - something the invading Cimmerians must destroy to gain a tactical advantage.  Since the Laurentian Tactical Command Network played such a key role in the first scenario, I decided a communications bunker would be the perfect objective for the second.

But what to use?  I already had three modular buildings painted in Laurentian colors (like the checkpoint bunker from the first scenario).  The easiest solution seemed to be adding a large satellite comms dish to one of those buildings.  I've picked up a few assorted building parts from Ground Zero Games and The Scene, but never did grab either of their dishes.  I had a few left over from GZG command vehicles, but they were far too small for my tastes.  Then I remembered Eli's Junk Building article and started rummaging through my drawers.  Here's what I ended up with after experimenting with a few bits:

Quick and dirty, but it got the job done.  Parts used:

1. The cap from a 20 oz water bottle
2. Part of a tail rotor from a G.I.Joe Locust helicopter (been in my bits drawer for years)
3. A small scrap of round plastic sprue
4. A searchlight and crew hatch from a GW Imperial Vehicle Accessory Sprue.

I ended up gluing a few steel washers into the bottlecap, just to give it some extra weight and stability.  It will be a nice, flexible piece once it's finished. It can stand free on the ground (it would look really nice sitting next to a parked command APC), or I can rest it on top of a building.

Once I get this comms transciever (and two more HAMR suits for my Cimmerians) painted, I'll be able to run the second scenario of the Christmas War.  

Cheers,

Chris

Rebel Minis releases VIPER mecha

Painted by Jeff Racel

Rebel Minis has released their latest 1/100 mecha: the Variable Payload Raiders (nicknamed VIPERs) by their operators).  Sculpted by John Bear Ross, these match up well with the previous HAMR suits in terms of size and armament options.  Three different weapon loadouts are available, along with two different leg poses for the mech itself.  The weapon arms are completely interchangeable with the existing HAMR sprues, which means Rebel now offers a nearly infinite variety of mecha configurations.

Painted by Jeff Racel

Rebel Mike is trying something a little different with the VIPERS.  Instead of all-metal kits like we saw for the previous HAMR suits, or resin-metal hybrids like his armored vehicles, the VIPERS are 100% resin.  This allows Rebel to offer them for only $6.49 each.  Mike has stated that, if this is successful, the HAMR suits will also be revised into an all-resin (and less expensive) product.  An "advancing" pose of the HAMR will be included in the re-release - good news for those of us who like the original design but think they are a bit static.

Many more VIPER configurations and comparison shots can be found on Jeff Racel's Skydrive: link and link

With these latest mecha releases by Rebel Minis, along with recent offerings from Critical Mass Games, Ravenstar Studios, and Micropanzer Wargames Studios, I'm predicting 2012 as the year where 1/100 Mecha-centric warfare will surge in popularity.  I'd love to see a game featuring two platoons of three VIPERS squaring off against a pair of Gruntz Imperators in the ruins of a futuristic city, or a team of HAMR suits defending a crowded spaceport from a Khurasan L-HAC.

Cheers,
Chris

Creating New Game Settings from Existing Worlds

I've noticed something about us 15mm Sci Fi gamers.  We suffer from tunnel vision.

It's not something to be ashamed of, and it's certainly not exclusive to our little corner of the world.  Everyone gets it sometimes.  But when we get it, it results in months of delayed purchases, unpainted minis, general disappointment in the hobby, and at worst - frustration and anger at the manufacturers.  And one of the leading causes of this tunnel vision?  Settings for our 15mm games.  

We switch to 15mm for all the right reasons.  Tons of products available, excellent variety, good value, very inspiring (and obviously humble) bloggers, you know the drill.  So we take the plunge, buy some figures, buy some more figures, paint a couple of them, buy a bunch more figures, buy some vehicles, print some rules, buy some figures... and then we're stuck.  No idea what to do with them. There's no Codex - how do we paint them?  There's no novels or movies about these figures - so what are they fighting over?  

So we look for inspiration.  We all have a creative side - we wouldn't be shopping for 15mm sci-fi miniatures if we didn't.  But ultimately, we want our games to be familiar.  A favorite movie, book, TV show... or an existing RPG, maybe even a miniature game in a different scale.  That's what we want to play.  So we decide to play it, especially since we know exactly how it should look on the table... 

But wait.  Nobody makes a 1/100 version of that particular figure, that vehicle, that aircraft.  Now we're stuck.  What do we do now?  We talk to our buddies, we write blog posts about it, we turn to TMP and other message boards for advice.  How many threads have the title "What's a good ??? in 15mm?"  "Looking for ??? in 15mm!"  "15mm Proxies for ???"  Or requests for manufacturers to create a knock off version, just so we can get those perfect minis in 15mm...

"I know a genuine Panaphonics when I see one..."

For the most part, it's never going to happen.  Because of intellectual iroperty laws, copyrights, etc., we're never going to get those specific miniatures made in 1/100.  So we get stuck.  We have piles of unpainted lead and we stop playing games.  We beg manufacturers to release things they'll never get away with.  We do everything possible to get that specific setting, in its original detail, onto our tables.  What we never do is stop, take an objective look at that entire setting, and figure out the reasons we like it in the first place.  

What if we make the fundamental storylines into something which fits current miniature ranges?

Look at it this way.  We can wait months, years, or forever for manufacturers to release that "proxie" that gets us close enough for our lofty expectations.  Or we can apply just a bit of creativity, and change a few aspects of the story, the aesthetic, the technology... whatever it takes to play that theme, that idea.  If we do this correctly, we may end up liking our new creation even more than the original setting.

I really think anyone can do this with any novel, comic series, movie, TV show, or video game.  Do we really want to play the Battle of Naboo, but are disappointed by the lack of 1/100 Battle Droids and Gungans?  Let's stop looking for proxies, open ours mind, and create our own version with hordes of Khurasan Mekanoids attacking a jungle full of technologically-outmatched Blue Moon Fereen.  Want to run the final battle in Avatar but can't find any Na'Vi?  Let's relax and play a fun intepretation with Splintered Light Leonines.  Or here's a common one: 40K in 15mm.  Do we want to wait for the perfect Space Marines, Tyranids, and Tau to be released?  Or can we focus on the basic theme, and create our own interpretation with Blue Moon Orions, Khurasan Space Demons, and Eureka Ventaurans.

It's tough to do this, especially when we have such specific visions in our minds.  But let's choose the most important elements of the stories and be creative with the rest.  There are dozens of great figure and vehicle ranges in 15mm Sci Fi, and more new items are coming out every month.  It isn't worth sitting around waiting for that perfect "proxy" or "not-this" to come out.  We should make use of the nearly-unlimited game possibilities available right now.  

Cheers,

Chris

Review - 15mm Sci Fi from Brigade Models Sculpted by PF

As a follow up to this post highlighting that Brigade Models have acquired some of PF’s 15mm sci fi sculpts we're please to be able to provide a review of these soon-to-be-released figures. Despite being in the process of making production moulds, Tony at Brigade was kind enough to send the Dropship Crew a sample of each of the forthcoming packs straight out of the master mould!

First up, the Alien Civilians pack (pictured above). This features 5 unarmed humanoid character models. These could be characters in a tabletop wargaming / roleplaying game cross over or as civilian bystanders to a shoot-out in some retched hive of scum and villainy. My two favourites are the second from the left, who could be a doctor or a scientist on a survey mission, and the one second from the right, who could be pointing out secessionist spies to aid colonial troops!

Next up we have the Alien Creatures pack which provides some weird and interesting aliens for your 15mm sci fi games. We have what looks like an alien watchdog with a sharp face an a lion-like mane, a lizard or even Hutt-like creature with a spiked tail, some sort of techo-maggot, a beetle and a shambling tentacled thing. The wargaming potential of these figures may be limited, but I can imagine a sci fi skirmish campaign with characters competing to collect weird creatures from across the galaxy for the eccentric proprietor of some interstellar zoo!

Then we have the Bounty Hunters pack providing 4 mean looking characters and a shacked captive (on the far right). My favourite figures in this pack are the larger equine-looking creature (second from left) and the humanoid second from right who is equipped with some great looking armour and appears to be unarmed and sculpted in the style reminiscent of a superhero (or villein) PF often employs. I can see lots of potential for use with sci fi skirmish games like 'Blasters and Bulkheads' and '5150:New Beginnings'.

Finally we have the Mercenaries pack. This consists of 4 armed humanoids and what might be another superhero (or villein). I really like the human armed with a mace (or should that be a power weapon?) second from left. This sculpt has real character and delicate facial features which have not been lost in the casting. Like the other packs, there is lots of potential for use with sci fi skirmish games.

All of the figures in all the packs are sculpted in the delicate style PF is a master of and I'm pleased to say that none of this has been lost in the casting - bearing in mind these were provided direct from the master mould and not been cleaned up in any way.

Tony has suggested that these packs may retail for around £2 per pack, which seems very, very good value indeed given the quality of these sculpts and the casting. We've been raving about how good a sculptor PF is for some time here on the Dropship so it's great to see more of his characterful 15mm sci fi in production - Especially as there appears no sign of the sculpts acquired by Pole Bitwy and previewed here entering production. He’s certainly not been responding to my emails on the subject!

All in all a great set of forthcoming releases and, I for one, hope they sell well so that we'll see more 15mm sci fi from PF and Brigade. However, what I'd really like to see is for PF to turn his had to sculpting a conventional high-tech military force rather than just character models!

Christmas War - Invasion of Laurentia Game 1

Date/Time: Christmas Eve, the year 2212.  1935hrs.   
Location: Laurentian Border Defenses - Buyan Swamp Crossing

The Buyan Swamp Crossing was an insignificant outpost along the Laurentian-Cimmerian border.  It was one of the oldest gravel trade roads established between the colony-states, and had long been surpassed by multi-lane highway checkpoints.  So it was little surprise that half of the garrison was granted Christmas leave this year, leaving only eight troopers (and two CAT 'bots) defending the border.  It had been that way as long as the anyone could remember - certainly it happened every year that the Laurentian communications-technician had been assigned to this backwater.

This year was different.

Half the garrison (the other four-man team) were sleeping inside the bunker; the other half were in the clearing across the road, discussing all the other places they would rather be.  Only the CATs were watching the road when the first rocket hit.  The comm-tech looked over to see one of their CATs was damaged, and the other firing its own rockets toward a dark, lumbering shape.  His team grabbed their carbines and ran to their defensive barricades, and the comm-tech grabbed his datapad and switched on the scanner feed.  Before he could see exactly what was happening, he found himself ducking small arms fire from the hill across the barricades.  

The data feed went live, and the comm-tech patched in his team.  They could finally see what was shooting at them.  That initial rocket had been fired from a Cimmerian Battle Walker, which was now trading heavy slugs with their own CATs.  The small arms fire was from a four-man Cimmerian fire team sheltered on the rocky hill.  Another two teams of Laurentians were double-timing up the road, covered by the heavy weapons of the first team.  The comm-tech holstered his pad and grabbed his carbine, focusing his fire on the Cimmerian heavy weapons team.  The CAT on their side of the road exploded, and a team of Cimmerians ran straight between his fireteam and their bunker.  A smart rocket from the Cimmerian heavy weapons team hit their position, killing one of his teammates.  They returned fire, but couldn't hit anything.  

Another Cimmerian team attempted to pass between the barricades, but was interrupted by small arms fire.  It was the Laurentian bunker team, now fully engaged in the fight.  The bunker-side CAT managed to blow an arm off the Cimmerian walker.  The bunker-side Laurentian team cut down two Cimmerians attempting to run up the road, but were surprised a fourth enemy team.  They had apparently come around the far side of the swamp.  This was a true assault team - spewing plasma from two flamethrowers while charging the bunker team.  The comm-tech could only try to focus on his own target while his comrades’ bio-signs switched to black, one by one.

The comm-tech attempted to send an alarm signal to the High Command Net.  But there was too much interference from the weapons fire, or possibly a minor EMP from the exploding CAT.  There were no signs of life from his teammates.  He ran as fast as he could, rapidly sending his alarm code as he tried to get out of range.  The second CAT ‘bot must have run out of rockets - he saw it jump the barricades and charge the Cimmerian walker.  Not a bad robot, thought the comm-tech.  He’d have to put it in for a battle honor, assuming there would be enough parts left to find the serial number.

Just as he thought he heard a confirmation chime from his distress signal, the comm-tech felt a sharp impact on his back plate.  He dropped - feeling intense, burning pain from the wound.  Then everything went dark...

Rules: FUBAR (links to unit stat cards: Cimmerians, Laurentians)
Playing time: 1 hour solo game
Battle outcome: Cimmerian victory - complete wipeout of Laurentian forces.  The Laurentians did survive six rounds. Per campaign special rules - long enough to earn a Special Forces reserve unit for the second scenario.

Cheers,
Chris