Wednesday, 8 June 2011
Micropanzer Wargame Studio - 20% Off Sale for June!
Jason at Micropanzer Wargame Studio has announced a 20% sale, along with some future release plans:
"Since the sell through of existing product did not take as long as I thought -- I will continue the special pricing of 20% off since I originally said it was through the month of June. The price in red is the discounted price and what the button will charge you. If you have not seen the painted prototype armies head over to the forum to get an ideal of scale of minis to one another.
-- If you are attending Origins come by the Osprey Publishing Booth #106 and see some minis in person and play a demo of Ambush Alley's Tomorrow's War. I will be attending the con on the 23rd for the day but do not have a booth.
The Russian heavy Suit has now been sent to the printer to get the mock up done in both 15mm and 32mm scales. If I get them back and cleaned up before I leave for Origins I will post photos as well as special preorder prices --"
Exclusive Sneak Peak - Khurasan Locust Patrol Truck
Exclusive intelligence gathered by Obi Wan Dropship from his hermitage in the deserts of Mudd Eisley!
This is an approval casting. More details will be available nearer productuion. As you can see the LOCUST has potential for ultra-modern and near future applications as well.
The first sight of Khurasan Miniatures' Control Battalions LOCUST Patrol Truck! This sinister vehicle is used to take beings away in the middle of the night. It's also use for patrol and recon, and to give light fire support in a firefight. The LOCUST is designed as a small sci fi light AFV and is a redo of the rockjumper CAD. Comes with a twin heavy blaster turret, which can be replaced with a hatch, or just a flat cover, both are included.
This is an approval casting. More details will be available nearer productuion. As you can see the LOCUST has potential for ultra-modern and near future applications as well.
A big thanks to Jon at Khurasan Minis for letting us share this with you!
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Combat Wombat LAVs
8x8 LAV - picture lifted from Combat Wombat's website
The 8x8 LAV from Combat Wombat is one of those models that gets released without a great deal of fanfare, and then sits in a catalogue, cruising along just under the radar.
I remember Scotty posting the first WIPs of the vehicles he wanted to make a few years back on The Miniatures Page. As I recall, he was cooking up resin on his stove and casting figures in his kitchen while his lady was out of town – sure hope he remembered to scrub the pots out before she got back! Amongst his first releases was a stumpy little 6x6 ATV, later known as the Pitbull. The design was simple – two piece hull and a set of wheels to stick on, and then paint. I had never assembled a resin kit The Pitbull prior to assembly - the LAV comes in a similar number of pieces
before, but these vehicles went together very easily, with just a little sanding.
When I came to consider vehicles again, Scotty had brought out the 8x8 LAV. I really liked the look of the LAV as there was something Traveller Book 4: Mercenary about it. As I was ordering a troop of these, I kept seeing pictures of vehicle-riding troops – including in the masthead of the Crisis in Alcovia blog – and these pictures set off a chain reaction of thoughts.
Like the Pitbulls, the LAVs are a two-piece model with separate wheels. The four I received were clean castings, though there was a little bit of resin pitting around the edges of the upper and lower hull sections. This pitting was either hidden when the hull sections were glued together, or easily filled with a bit of polyfilla and sanded smooth.
Profile of the LAVAs can be seen from the profile picture, the LAV originally had quite an aerodynamic profile. Then, one assumes, soon after the first RPG brewed up the first LAV, someone bolted some extra armour plates on the outside as an ugly, but effective, answer to that problem. This gives the vehicle a slightly rough-and-ready feel about it – a work in progress as it evolves and adapts to the changing battlefield. Even the placement of the spare wheel became a part of this exercise. The roof and rear both have access hatches moulded in them and, it seemed to me, a spare on the side of the vehicle would make a perfect aiming point. So, under the bow the spare went, where it was less likely to be shot up, could act as a buffer when parallel parking, and provide a bit of extra protection for the driver’s feet.
As part of my Alcovia-inspired vehicle dressing ideas, I picked up some SSO181 Soviet DSHK AA MGs, some GSO183 2.8cm Anti-tank rifles and some German Halftrack stowage from Battlefront, a pack of seated NAC infantrymen and Generic Vehicle Crewmen from Ground Zero Games, as well as the stowage included with the vehicles from Combat Wombat. The end result was a troop of armed, mid-tech rides for a mercenary unit serving on a low-to-mid-tech world – probably with an F-type star given that the vehicle camouflage has a decidedly blue base colour. And I am very pleased with the final result.
To base or not to base a vehicle was a debate I had with myself for a while.
Initially, I was against basing, more from a traditionalist point of view than anything, but this viewpoint had storage and transport issues. Then I noticed that Robin at 15mm SciFi Wargames based his vehicles and that they looked quite good. It also occurred to me that I could quite easily use magnetic sheets to hold vehicles in place for transport by either attaching a thin piece of metal, or by attaching fender washers, to the underside of the base. I decided to use plastic card for the vehicle bases, as it’s stronger than cardboard, and textured it with polyfilla. I used a small rubber paper-feed wheel from a photocopier to indent wheel ruts into the polyfilla and then painted and flocked.
The 8x8 LAV from Combat Wombat is one of those models that gets released without a great deal of fanfare, and then sits in a catalogue, cruising along just under the radar.
I remember Scotty posting the first WIPs of the vehicles he wanted to make a few years back on The Miniatures Page. As I recall, he was cooking up resin on his stove and casting figures in his kitchen while his lady was out of town – sure hope he remembered to scrub the pots out before she got back! Amongst his first releases was a stumpy little 6x6 ATV, later known as the Pitbull. The design was simple – two piece hull and a set of wheels to stick on, and then paint. I had never assembled a resin kit The Pitbull prior to assembly - the LAV comes in a similar number of pieces
before, but these vehicles went together very easily, with just a little sanding.
When I came to consider vehicles again, Scotty had brought out the 8x8 LAV. I really liked the look of the LAV as there was something Traveller Book 4: Mercenary about it. As I was ordering a troop of these, I kept seeing pictures of vehicle-riding troops – including in the masthead of the Crisis in Alcovia blog – and these pictures set off a chain reaction of thoughts.
Like the Pitbulls, the LAVs are a two-piece model with separate wheels. The four I received were clean castings, though there was a little bit of resin pitting around the edges of the upper and lower hull sections. This pitting was either hidden when the hull sections were glued together, or easily filled with a bit of polyfilla and sanded smooth.
Profile of the LAVAs can be seen from the profile picture, the LAV originally had quite an aerodynamic profile. Then, one assumes, soon after the first RPG brewed up the first LAV, someone bolted some extra armour plates on the outside as an ugly, but effective, answer to that problem. This gives the vehicle a slightly rough-and-ready feel about it – a work in progress as it evolves and adapts to the changing battlefield. Even the placement of the spare wheel became a part of this exercise. The roof and rear both have access hatches moulded in them and, it seemed to me, a spare on the side of the vehicle would make a perfect aiming point. So, under the bow the spare went, where it was less likely to be shot up, could act as a buffer when parallel parking, and provide a bit of extra protection for the driver’s feet.
As part of my Alcovia-inspired vehicle dressing ideas, I picked up some SSO181 Soviet DSHK AA MGs, some GSO183 2.8cm Anti-tank rifles and some German Halftrack stowage from Battlefront, a pack of seated NAC infantrymen and Generic Vehicle Crewmen from Ground Zero Games, as well as the stowage included with the vehicles from Combat Wombat. The end result was a troop of armed, mid-tech rides for a mercenary unit serving on a low-to-mid-tech world – probably with an F-type star given that the vehicle camouflage has a decidedly blue base colour. And I am very pleased with the final result.
To base or not to base a vehicle was a debate I had with myself for a while.
Initially, I was against basing, more from a traditionalist point of view than anything, but this viewpoint had storage and transport issues. Then I noticed that Robin at 15mm SciFi Wargames based his vehicles and that they looked quite good. It also occurred to me that I could quite easily use magnetic sheets to hold vehicles in place for transport by either attaching a thin piece of metal, or by attaching fender washers, to the underside of the base. I decided to use plastic card for the vehicle bases, as it’s stronger than cardboard, and textured it with polyfilla. I used a small rubber paper-feed wheel from a photocopier to indent wheel ruts into the polyfilla and then painted and flocked.
We Read You Loud And Clear
Hello all you DH fans!
First of all, let me extend my personal thanks to all of you for the support and well wishes you've shown the new crew and for Mark as he retires the Dropship to our unworthy hands.
In the interest of opening Dropship Horizon to the community at large and to better help the new crew keep the old bucket running to the best of her ability, I've added an email link to the side bard (graced by the lovely Ripley).The purpose of this contact link is to let you, the readers and fans, share your thoughts on the site. If you've got a comment, idea, even a submission or request, drop us a communication and we'll check it out.
I cannot guarantee that every email will be answered or that we can fulfill every request, but like many a popular letters column from the days of old, we'll do our best to give our readers a friendly and interested ear. Who knows, maybe you've had a great idea we haven't thought of. Perhaps you have some nifty news that we can help you share. Whatever it is, our lovely communications officer is standing by.
Take care all,
-Eli
Sunday, 5 June 2011
New Crew for Dropship Horizon
The sci-fi wargame & blogging community was left in shock last Wednesday following the unexpected announcement by Mark - that he would no longer continue to update this popular blog. For the last three years Dropship Horizon has been the go-to source for news and information about 15mm science fiction gaming and miniatures for fans, bloggers, and manufacturers alike.
Mark's departure creates a void that is difficult to fill, but a few committed bloggers within the 15mm sci-fi community are determined to do just that. With the blessing and encouragement of Mark, we have signed on as the new crew of Dropship Horizon. This crew is composed of no less than seven primary contributors from all corners of the Earth, so we hope to provide a wide variety of future posts.
Our goal is to uphold Mark’s excellent reputation as a resource dedicated to 15mm science-fiction wargaming. Expect news, reviews, tutorials, interviews and useful links to blogs, manufacturers, publishers and gaming resources. We sincerely hope that you choose to stay on board as we continue the journey of Dropship Horizon.
Cheers,
David B., Auckland, NZ (Waystar High Port) (Editor-In-Chief)
Eli A., Washington, USA (I See Lead People) (Associate Editor)
Matt E., Scotland, UK (The Closet Gamer) (Contributor)
Steve H., Texas, USA (FIREBASE-SPARTAN) (Contributor)
Chris K., Iowa, USA (Basement Gaming Bunker) (contributor)
Thomas R., British Columbia, Canada (Peabody Here!) (Contributor)
Martin T., Sweden (FIRE BROADSIDE!) (Contributor)
Saturday, 4 June 2011
The End... or was it?
After nearly three years of faithful combat service, the Dropship Horizon made its final return to Mudd Eisley. Her missions had taken her throughout the galaxy and beyond, through good times and bad, and she had always brought her crew home. Her final run was completed. The passengers disembarked, the cargo bay cleared, and the Horizon was taxied to her hangar for a well-deserved rest.
At least, they thought they had cleared all the cargo...
The ship powered down, and all the lights went out. A ground chief made one last sweep of the ship, noticing his team had missed one rather large crate. He shined his light directly on it, and saw that it was marked ROTTEN FRUIT. "Oh well," he grumbled to himself. "It's not like they'll get any fresher. Someone can deal with that later." He left the ship, sealed the hatch, and closed the hangar doors.
An hour later, the crate opened from the inside. Seven dark figures emerged. One moved quickly to the engine controls, as the others raced to the bridge. One of the men coughed. "Beggin’ yer pardon, Cap'n, but did we need to cover ourselves wit’ real rotten fruit? We'll smell like it fer weeks!"
"Be silent, or I'll lock you back inside." The captain looked out the forward viewport. "I can't believe they were just willing to leave a ship like this in storage. Are you certain we will be able to fly her?"
A third man stooped down and sat at the helm controls. "Of course, sir. There are seven of us. The Horizon’s last Captain only had the MasterChef and Dropship Bunny for a crew." He flipped a few switches and adjusted several controls, but to no effect. He sighed. "Has anyone seen an owner's manual?"
Stay tuned...
The ship powered down, and all the lights went out. A ground chief made one last sweep of the ship, noticing his team had missed one rather large crate. He shined his light directly on it, and saw that it was marked ROTTEN FRUIT. "Oh well," he grumbled to himself. "It's not like they'll get any fresher. Someone can deal with that later." He left the ship, sealed the hatch, and closed the hangar doors.
An hour later, the crate opened from the inside. Seven dark figures emerged. One moved quickly to the engine controls, as the others raced to the bridge. One of the men coughed. "Beggin’ yer pardon, Cap'n, but did we need to cover ourselves wit’ real rotten fruit? We'll smell like it fer weeks!"
"Be silent, or I'll lock you back inside." The captain looked out the forward viewport. "I can't believe they were just willing to leave a ship like this in storage. Are you certain we will be able to fly her?"
A third man stooped down and sat at the helm controls. "Of course, sir. There are seven of us. The Horizon’s last Captain only had the MasterChef and Dropship Bunny for a crew." He flipped a few switches and adjusted several controls, but to no effect. He sighed. "Has anyone seen an owner's manual?"
Stay tuned...
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