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Headsup Marines! New Mercs from Critical Mass Games headed to this sector stat!



Now I really like the Mass Effect, Space Opera style of these minis. These Mercs are going to make great allies/opposition for the Systems Alliance military - more specifically, Commander Shepherd/Ashley Williams. Whilst no dedicated miniatures exist in 15mm superb proxies can be found in Rebel Minis Earth Force Infiltrators.


Cheers
Mark
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Buy V15-COL4 SHACK SET and GZG will give you a FREE randomly-chosen pack of 15mm SF civilians/colonists to populate your settlement!

OR buy the Shack Set AND the Colony Bar (either A or B version) and GZG give you TWO different civilian/colonist packs FREE!

To claim your free pack(s), you MUST mention this offer and ask for them in the "comments" field of the order!!!

Each V15-COL4 SHACK SET contains enough parts to create FIVE different Sci Fi shacks/shanties. Plus a free pack of accessories - mine included a satellite dish, generator (?) and three small cargo pods!


The Introductory Offer freebies I received were a pack SG15-V4 Techs and crew, which suits an idea I am mulling over for a 'Company' outpost.


The 'Company' settlement has a group of 'Habi-shacks', a Company Bar/Grill (V15-Col1B), a Company store (V15-Col1A) and a variety of functional buildings based around GZG's Pre-fab Base Modules:

Office - Comms Module (V15-PBM3)
Manager's Office - Command Module (V15-PBM2)
Manager's Quarters - General Purpose Module (V15-PBM1)

If it's a small Company outpost, perhaps restrict the administrative and managerial overheads to just a Comms Module and Manager's Quarters. Larger Company outposts will have General Purpose Modules as workrooms/tech offices and perhaps an Extended Barracks (V15-PBM5) for tech or specialist personnel.

Carrying on the theme, I wonder if one of the new Critical Mass Games Protolene Ayame Predator Battlesuits - painted yellow, would make a good construction or engineering droid?


15mm.co.uk also have a lot of decent droids that can inexpensively populate the Company outpost with mechanical help...... but what if THEIR AI is corrupted or deliberately sabotaged! Humans being hunted by their own machines a la Westworld (1973). Great potential for a very different and fun scenario!

Cheers
Mark
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As promised, additional pics of Critical Mass Games forthcoming releases in their Mercenaries range. Click on the pics for a larger image!





Out of the 12 sculpts there are some real stars amongst the miniatures in the ViviPara range. I see them as alien bio-engineered combat troops or combat androids within my games. En masse they are cool as 'Terminator' proxies that are just a little bit different to the norm.

I like these in a Space Opera kind of way and just something is nagging me to turn them into heavy support for Khurasan's Karkarine Marines.

Cheers
Mark
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So, I'm discussing post-apocalyptic scenery ideas this morning and BANG! Gavin at 15mm.co.uk comes up with a great freebie for you!


a free pack of HOF58 Stellar Refugees (10 miniatures) worth £3.50. You just pay the postage! If you are placing an order with 15mm.co.uk anyway, the pack is completely free!


Click here for details: 15mm.co.uk/SPECIAL_OFFERS

These Stellar Refugees will make great inhabitants (or Zombie/Alien fodder) for the new Sci Fi settlements from GZG and Battle Works Studios!

You can also now pick up the Refuggees as single castings at HOF Individuals!



To get your free scenario pdf, email Gavin and Alex through the webstore or download from the files section of the HOF Fireteam Yahoo Group. Click on the HOF Fireteam logo in the right-hand panel of this blog!

Cheers
Mark
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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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Earlier in the month I blogged some ideas for recreating the XBox game Ghost Recon in 15mm. Since then I've been play-testing HOF Fireteam and the two have run together.

HOF Fireteam is perfect for episodic gaming, recreating the up close fast paced action of an X-Box or similar video game. It's fast and furious giving what is essentially a first person shooter on the tabletop.

Going back to Ghost Recon, I found that with HOF Fireteam instead of 3 -4 'acts' or 'chapters' laying out lot's of terrain as originally planned, you can simply move the action from decision point to decision point via waypoints (just as waypoints are used within the game itself). Each decision point being made up of one or more map tiles.

Course, you could just lay down one or more tiles and have an off the cuff game in minutes rather than hours with other systems.

Now you may scoff at the idea of tiles. Master Chef has long been an exponent of them but I'm just coming round to their benefits myself - one being that you can limit the playing area and direct the action - again just like a Video game - where you may be able to see the big wide world, but your actual path through the game is defined by the scenario - eg Gears of War.

'HOF-F' isn't a holy grail. But you know, after a brain heavy day at work I find it a welcome stress free gaming environment.

Cheers
Mark
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Todd emailed me with a request to see the Kaamados VivPara alongside a GZG NAC trooper as they may be a perfect proxy for an alien race in his game backstory. The NACs being the human OpFor.


Cheers
Mark
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Our cats are mad for Whiskas® Temptations treats. This is great, because the plastic containers have a feline look about them that makes them just that bit different from human architecture. Didn't take me long to identify the potential to turn them into Felid colony prefabs or military bunkers.



GZG building accessories, a few bits from the spares box, plus some cardboard and I hope to have a neat set of Felid military bunkers by the weekend, especially as it's been snowing since Tuesday evening and I don't think we are going anywhere.......


Cheers
Mark
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'Pea Dot' camo schemes I knocked up freehand using Paint.Net during some 'downtime'.


The Midnight Bubblegum is my interpretation of the 25mm Strike Commandos on Tim's Miniature Wargaming Blog. And perfect for the armoured Protolenes!

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The world of 15mm Sci Fi has gone into hyperdrive this month with Jeff & Rich at Battle Works Studios developing and releasing a new Startown Slum range of 15mm improvised sci fi buildings.

The Startown Slum range follow hot on the heels of GZG's 15mm Sci Fi Colony Shacks/Shanties but has a unique flavour of it's own. I'm sure both ranges will compliment each other to give us an exciting 15mm tabletop environment.


The first release is a series of 5 models designed to create the flavour of a Sci Fi market bazaar. They are cast in resin with separate roofs and detailed interiors.


Prices are:


Drop by Battle Works Studios to order or simply marvel:


That's an order Trooper!

Cheers
Mark
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As followers of the blog will be aware, jobs are being discarded like confetti in my organisation. My team will survive this round of cuts if half go. You can imagine that it's like accepting an invitation to a buffet at the Roman Forum on the Ides of March!

'Performance' is key to survival, that is, be SEEN to be achieving.

So, you can understand that I've been a little distracted over the last week or so whilst I race to bring in my current efficiencies project stage on schedule, and I've done it! PHEW!

In addition I've managed to reduce the requirements for 13.7 man years of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) resources to just 3.1. The Project Sponsor and stakeholders are over the moon. Again, PHEW!

Unexpectedly I won public approval from senior managers and private praise from my colleagues on Tuesday for taking a lead in a diffcult efficiencies workshop. Luckily (sic) I had come to the workshop with a considered and structured strategy for delivering this particular efficiency workstream across the organisation. The workshop facilitator called in sick and I was able to step into the breach.

There is a big HOWEVER! In order to 'achieve', I've had to ignore our reporting mechanisms. Maybe a tactical mistake. You see it's more important to show highly developed plans and write reports than to actually do the project i.e. "be SEEN to be achieving".

I have to report on my activities daily, to do this I have a seperate electronic timesheet, that needs to be completed during the day - when I get to work, go to lunch, come back from lunch and sign out at night. Keep this parked somewhere, I'll come back to it.

For each project I need to create a detailed project plan in MS Project. Only, my stakeholders don't have MS Project and you can't copy and paste from Project into Excel. So, I have to print it out and recreate in Excel for my Project Board and Stakeholders. Once done I upload as a file into a project management and reporting system - but of course, this project reporting system needs to have the whole project plan recreated in it's own format with an emphasis this time on milestones. All of this needs to be updated as the project progresses.

Also, yes there's an also, I HAVE to use a system that accounts for my time and planned allocation of activities, currently up to August 2010. So, once again I have to recreate my project plan, this time adding in my personal details and day to day demands like annual leave, flexi-time (a thing of the past), visits to dentist, union activities, team and non-chargeable internal meetings. But you can't undo mistakes and can't change estimated timeframes to actual timeframes.

I copy and paste the details from my electronic timesheet into an excel spreadsheet and from there transpose it into this system. It's a mess, even I can't follow it.

It's all absolutely barking mad!

Got that off my chest!


Cheers
Mark
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Tonight, an exclusive colour render of the Cafferata APC. A 15mm Sci Fi AFV available from Jon at Khurasan Miniatures in about a month's time.


The image is a full render of the completed rapid prototyping design. So it will look precisely like the colour image right down to the smallest details in the illustration above.


"The Cafferata is the main APC used by the Federal Marines. The Marines call them "camels" or, more often, simply "trucks." It's a conventional/anti-grav hybrid, with retractable wheels. (It's illustrated here in low hover, the wheels retracted.) As an anti-grav fuel-saving measure, the wheels can be deployed, in road mode, and the vehicle's anti-grav engines make electricity to turn them, rather than hovering the vehicle, as road mode requires far less fuel. It can achieve quite respectable speeds of 70-80 kph in road mode, under ideal ground circumstances. The vehicle can also operate as a normal anti-grav craft, of course.

Its sensor suites is very sensitive to sudden changes in altitude, and the vehicle's anti-grav engines kick on automatically if, for instance, the ground or ice give way, a bridge collapses, etc. (Of course the vehicles can just cross rivers by hovering over as well.) If a tire is shot out, the antigrav engines on that flank deploy automatically to keep the vehicle level, or it can
just switch to anti-grav mode.

Marine vehicles used anti-grav mode almost exclusively in the Sepulvedan War, as Sepulveda is one of the galaxy's leading supplies of angravium!

This vehicle has quite a punch with its heavy autocannon and two missile boxes, but its primary purpose is to transport the marines into battle. The L-HAC is the main battle vehicle of the Federation.

The mode is almost exactly 75mm (3") long. It is designed to transport a squad of ten marines, plus crew. It comes with a flight base, four wheels, a hull and a turret. The turret has a heavy autocannon and two missile boxes. The wheels can be attached in anti-grav mode or road mode.

The vehicle is named after a Terran Marine hero from a pre-Federal Terran war of the C20th , the "Korean War." (Click here)."


I really like the look of this APC. Chatting with Jon it appears that elements of the Bradley were used within the design. I think the Cafferata is an incredibly versatile and workmanlike model that will easily look comfortable on both hospitable and inhospitable worlds complimenting a wide range of manufacturer's figures on the market.

In wheeled mode I see it operating on my tabletop in tandem with GZG's new AV-7 Utility VTOL Transports and Rebel Minis Modern Americans (as 'Colonial Marine' style Mid-tech Sci Fi).

Cheers
Mark
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Chatting with Craig over at Critical Mass Games, the Protolene Ayame Light Battlesuit variants have been restructured and prices lowered:







Protolene "Ayame" Light Battlesuit "Scout Variant"
Three Variants - PRVH1a,b,c - £3.00 each
Each variant has 1 leg variant, 1 left arm laser cannon, 1 right arm laser cannon

Protolene "Ayame" Light Battlesuit "Hunter Variant"
Three Variants - PRVH2a,b,c - £3.00 each
Each variant has 1 leg variant, 1 left arm partical cannon, 1 right arm partical cannon

Protolene "Ayame" Light Battlesuit "Predator Variant"
Three Variants - PRVH3a,b,c - £3.00 each
Each variant has 1 leg variant, 1 left Claw arm, 1 right Claw arm

The platoons for each model of Ayame (Scout/Hunter/Predator) Battlesuit have one of each variant for £8.

Available on 22nd February!

Fore more details check out the Critical Mass Games Forum (click here).

Cheers
Mark
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Available from Rebel Minis soon:

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Master castings of forthcoming 15mm Sci Fi figures from Critical Mass Games Mercenaries Range (click here for more).





These fantastic 15mm Sci Fi miniatures ooze MASS EFFECT style Sci Fi Space Opera, The Mercs will be released in waves over the coming months. The Kaamados Dominion VivPara will be released in April.

Enjoy. More pics to follow!

Cheers
Mark
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Intercept from Jon at GZG:

"SUBJECT: It's all your fault...;-)

Hi Mark!

Since you were playing around with the Bar extension parts I sent you, to make a stand-alone shack/shanty, you got me going on this.....


I've now made a whole set of shack parts that can be mixed-and-matched to make a HUGE number of variants - so many that I can't handle the complexity of specifying individual codes, so they are available in two ways:

• as single shacks with a RANDOM choice of parts,
• and as a set of five with at least one of every part (there are actually 5 different front walls, 5 back walls, 5 roofs and 3 different sets of side walls, all of which can be assembled in any combination).

Hope you like the quick pic of the "SF shanty town", using the Bar, the five shacks, one of the new very large shipping containers (the Bar is built from two of these welded together) and some of the recent cargo pods. I was going to spray some primer on them, but they look great just in the bare metal ....!! ;-)


Anyway, they are all moulded and ready now, including the AV-7, they will be up on the store soon.

The full list is:


V15-COL1A Colony Bar (basic structure)
- makeshift building from welded shipping containers, with signboard and porch £9.00

V15-COL1B Colony Bar (with extension)
- as COL1A, but with added lean-to side extension (kitchen, store etc.) £12.00

V15-COL2A Large shipping container
- (5 part kit, approx. 70mm x 28mm) £6.00

V15-COL3 Single Colony Shack/Shanty
- RANDOM MIX of parts to make 1 shack (4 walls, 1 roof) £5.00

V15-COL4 SHACK SET
- mix of parts to make FIVE colony shacks, all different, plus FREE accessories! £22.00



Buy the V15-COL4 SHACK SET before the end of February and we'll give you a FREE randomly-chosen pack of 15mm SF civilians/colonists to populate your settlement!
OR buy the Shack Set AND the Colony Bar (either A or B version) before the end of February and we'll give you TWO different civilian/colonist packs FREE!

To claim your free pack(s), you MUST mention this offer and ask for them in the "comments" field of the order - if you don't ask, you don't get! ;-)



V15-80A AV-7 "FanVan" Utility Transport VTOL
- 10 part all-metal kit, with positionable fan nacelles and chin turret with tribarrel cannon. £8.00

V15-PB80 "Flight" Deal
- 3 x AV-7 VTOLs £22.00

V15-81A Kra'Vak Grav Attack Drones
- (pack of 2) inc. clear plastic stands £3.50 per pack.


All the best!

Jon."

Well Jon, for once, I don't mind being at fault! Bloody Excellent! This ramps 15mm Sci Fi gaming up another level!

Cheers
Mark
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Cheers
Mark
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The Arc Fleet Grav Scout is admittedly workmanlike and a bit Meccano-tech, but don't underrate it. I see it as a very credible Early to Mid development Grav AFV.

The hull is 65mm long and 10mm wide, 32mm overall including the Grav pods. You can't help think of it as a step away from a two-seater Grav Bike. The hull is a one piece casting, the turret options seen in the photos below are resin masters (the retail model has metal versions). It comes complete with it's own very well designed resin flight stand and base. The model seen here is assembled without any glue and is very stable. Thin webs of flash that can be removed with a fingernail and little in the way of immediately discernible mould seams. Nice one guys!

You don't like the Grav design? Well..... put it on the deck and it makes a really neat Snowcat! Or as here, a fledgling Harkonnen Sand Spider!


Playing with the model there's just something that makes me want to use it as a futuristic Grav Police cruiser. I can see the blue and white livery responding to a call from Despatch, hovering above the streets outside the Mudd Eisley Cantina!


This Arc Fleet Grav Scout is just one of a whole dropship of releases from Critical Mass Games this month.

ARC Fleet Grav Scout - 1 Variant, 2 barrel options (AFVH16 - £6.50)

ARC Fleet Grav Scout - 1 Set of 3 AFVH16 (AFVH17 - £16.50)

ARC Fleet Grav Scout - 1 Set of 3 AFVH16 (AFVH17 - £16.50)

ARC Fleet Grav APC - 1 Variant (AFVH12 - £7.50)

ARC Fleet Grav APC Platoon - 1 Set of 3 AFVH12 (AFVH13 - £19.50)

ARC Fleet Medium Grav Tank - 1 Variant, 3 barrel options (AFVH14 - £8.00)

ARC Fleet Medium Grav Tank Platoon - 1 Set of 3 AFVH14 (AFVH15 - £21.00)

Protolene "Ayame" Light Battlesuit
- 1 Leg Variant, 3 left arm options, 3 right arm options (PRVH1a, b, c - £3.50 each)

Protolene "Ayame" Light Battlesuit Platoon
- 1 set containing 1 x PRVH1a, 1 x PRVH1b, 1 x PRVH1c (PRVH2 - £10.00)


Available from Critical Mass Games on Monday, 22nd February 2010:




Cheers
Mark
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The AV-7 "FanVan" utility VTOL - a reliable, rugged workhorse for your airmobile forces! Tuffleywerkz Gmbhbrings you a 10-part all metal kit, complete with positionable fan units, tribarrel in chin turret and tricycle landing gear. Will carry 10-12 fully equipped troops plus a 2-man flight crew.


Preview photos are of the first assembled test run from master castings. Still needs to be cleaned up before production moulds are made, but it should be in production and on sale very soon - code and price to be advised.


(Flight stand not included) Jon advises that the one in the pics is made from a large FoW plastic base, one of our small grav vehicle stands, some brass rod and a good splurge of Basetex!

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You may be aware, Mike at The Scene Uk has released a small number of 15mm 'Special Agents' as part of his new Urban Warrior range:


These have now been joined by the four new Agents, I mentioned last week, which are available for pre-order and will be ready for sale on 26th Feb, 2010:




I think these will make very nice Hands of Blue operatives!

Cheers
Mark
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Gavin at 15mm.co.uk has asked me to lead the playtesting on HOF Fire Team. You can also take part in this exciting new gaming project:


HOF Fire Team is the first miniature wargame in the Hordes of the Future series from 15mm.co.uk. HOF Fire Team is a dynamic tactical adventure game with a setting ranging from ultra modern to the far future. HOF Fire Team pits squads of soldiers, guerrillas, police, and outlaws against one another. Use miniatures from your existing collection, on single bases, or add any new ones of your choice.

Players command a number of fireteams, support, command elements. Trusting to sound small unit tactics and the luck of the dice, attempt to carry out set mission objectives. The ‘mission objectives’ will be determined by the scenarios and template missions in the rule book and free from 15mm.co.uk. Each being a mini game unto itself with objectives, forces, way points and set up.

HOF Fire Team is played on purpose designed ‘battle boards’ overlaid by a 20mm squared grid. These squares allow for instant measurement of game distances for movement and weapons fire, whilst easily establishing the relation between every miniature in play and any available cover. Using a unique D6 mechanic based on Alternative Armies 28mm scale Firefight 2.0 engine, combined with an innovative ‘tech level’ for all troops and the ‘way point’ mission driver, this game promises fast and intense action in a compact playing area. You can play a game with three fire teams a side (a total of 24 miniatures on the battle boards) in less than fifteen miniatures.

The play-test of HOF Fire Team will be hosted via Dropship Horizon and a purpose created Yahoo Group. Rules and sample battle boards will be available to download and print. All comments are welcome and a special offer will be opened to all Dropship Horizon readers upon the release of the game later this Spring.

More details and full links to follow!

Gavin Syme & Bob Minadeo
www.15mm.co.uk


Cheers
Mark
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