I've had X-Wing for a week now. It has been a huge success. Not only has Rhys been asking to play but Owyn has played a couple of games. They both love the models and understand the mechanics. They are a little hazy on the maneuvering part but they love rolling dice and moving their ships. They smoked me in one game and much rejoicing, and dancing, ensued.
Rhys still wants to learn Lord of the Rings, but he is in love with X-Wing.
This one is definitely going in the Win column.
Showing posts with label Sci/Fi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sci/Fi. Show all posts
Friday, October 05, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Star Wars X-Wing
This is not a game that I had any interest in playing. I have not been looking forward to the release. It has not been on my radar at all. Lots of the guys were excited about it. Not me.
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| A box of pure gaming fun. |
Boy was I wrong ...
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Halo Terrain
Walking through Target the other day I ran across the latest toy in the Halo franchise. I've never played Halo. I'm not a console gamer. It has some awesome vehicles in it though. This caught my eye because it is scaled at 15mm. Brilliant! Says I. Pre-painted 15mm sci-fi terrain for $25. I'm in.
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| The doors open and close. There's a tower that fits on the left side (picture side that is). |
Monday, September 24, 2012
Sci-Fi Monday - Firestorm Invasion
Studio Sparta is preparing to release three games set in the Firestorm Armada universe. Spartan has spent the last few years developing the background for this system, and there is plenty of scope for them to add to it. There has been speculation about what scale their long promised ground game would be in. The two most common scales discussed were 28mm and 15mm with 10mm and 6mm thrown out as ideas from time to time. The surprising thing is not the choice they made but, rather, that they didn't choose...
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| Dindrenzi and Terrans face off in a tank knife fight. |
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Sci/Fi Monday - Gruntz card building
Gruntz is my current ruleset for 15mm sci/fi. Having said that, I haven't played a real game of it yet, but that's beside the point.
Gruntz uses cards to depict the units. The cards have all of the stats and can have a picture as well. You can play without the cards, of course, it is a mini game not a card game, but the cards make it a lot easier. There has not been a good way to make unit cards. Some people create them in PhotoShop. Some use Xcel, some use PDF forms, word templates, etc. All fiddly and not very user friendly.
Gruntz uses cards to depict the units. The cards have all of the stats and can have a picture as well. You can play without the cards, of course, it is a mini game not a card game, but the cards make it a lot easier. There has not been a good way to make unit cards. Some people create them in PhotoShop. Some use Xcel, some use PDF forms, word templates, etc. All fiddly and not very user friendly.
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| Looking sharp, but very fiddly to build. |
Monday, August 20, 2012
15mm Sci/Fi Manufacturer Links
My links have gotten a little bit out of control. In order to remedy that I'm creating link posts that will go under a page tab at the top of the blog. Click on the page tab for links, click on the genre you are interested in and there they will be. Boom! Bob's your uncle. Nice, clean and organized.
This week will be the 15mm Sci/Fi Manufacturers. I've actually been keeping these on another page, but this will be a lot easier.
(edit) Barks gave me a list of several others I hadn't heard of. I was not able to find Armies Army but the rest are below. I have Oddzial Osmy under fighting 15's. There is also a US distributor and if I can find them again I'll add that link. Thanks Barks.
(edit 2) I added Black Cat Bases with their new releases (28 August 2012)
This week will be the 15mm Sci/Fi Manufacturers. I've actually been keeping these on another page, but this will be a lot easier.
(edit) Barks gave me a list of several others I hadn't heard of. I was not able to find Armies Army but the rest are below. I have Oddzial Osmy under fighting 15's. There is also a US distributor and if I can find them again I'll add that link. Thanks Barks.
(edit 2) I added Black Cat Bases with their new releases (28 August 2012)
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Federation Marine AIFVs
I recently placed an order with CMG for three of their mercenary Bastion AFV's. The Traveller also ordered a platoon of Protolene scouts, his first miniatures purchase. As soon as we can get those based we'll be in a position to throw down some Gruntz.
The three Bastions will support my Federation Marine Corps infantry, serving as one platoon of a Light Armored Recon company. More details on that later.
The three Bastions will support my Federation Marine Corps infantry, serving as one platoon of a Light Armored Recon company. More details on that later.
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| Bastion Grav AIFV with canon and heavy machine gun. |
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Hawk Wargames Newsletter
Hawk Wargames, makers of Dropzone Commander, put out a weekly (or so) newsletter. There have been some complications with their initial production and this has caused some angst among eager customers.
This week's Newsletter lays out the reasons for the delays in product and the small number (two) of distributors.
As far as I'm concerned this is a class act. They are upfront about the issues and what they are doing to fix them. This company has been one man and his girlfriend. That he has accomplished all that he has is amazing. I'm looking forward to picking up a copy of the rule book this year, and models next year.
We wargamers tend to think of games company's as giant GW size corporations, or at least as medium sized businesses with a couple of dozen employees. The truth is that most companies, especially in the smaller scales, are just one or two people. Folks can rant and rave but it is what it is. If you want a company to get bigger, push their game, buy their products and get them the money to expand.
Additionally, there is a new review of the game, in some detail, located here. If you've been thinking about it, read the review.
This week's Newsletter lays out the reasons for the delays in product and the small number (two) of distributors.
As far as I'm concerned this is a class act. They are upfront about the issues and what they are doing to fix them. This company has been one man and his girlfriend. That he has accomplished all that he has is amazing. I'm looking forward to picking up a copy of the rule book this year, and models next year.
We wargamers tend to think of games company's as giant GW size corporations, or at least as medium sized businesses with a couple of dozen employees. The truth is that most companies, especially in the smaller scales, are just one or two people. Folks can rant and rave but it is what it is. If you want a company to get bigger, push their game, buy their products and get them the money to expand.
Additionally, there is a new review of the game, in some detail, located here. If you've been thinking about it, read the review.
Thursday, August 09, 2012
Sci-Fi Monday - Caliphate drop ship
The Caliphate of Martel, much like the Federation, uses mostly imperial designs. Their standard small drop ship, carrying a squad, is the Sabre design, called the Scimitar in Caliphate service. The Scimitar is the most common assault dropship model for Caliphate light infantry formations.
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| The Scimitar. This is about the size of a current Blackhawk. |
Sand Vipers
I have completed the two Sand Vipers for my Caliphate Infiltration Battalion (Rebel minis Sahadeen and Vipers). As stated before, these are great little models that go together quickly, paint easily and look great.
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| Sand Viper of the Caliphate of Martel |
Sunday, August 05, 2012
Sci/Fi Monday - Terrain
My foray into 15mm is very recent, this year in fact. As such I had no terrain for this scale. Everything was scaled for 28mm. When it comes to hills and trees, this is not a huge problem. Man made structures, on the other hand, have to be the right scale.
I have been, slowly, adding to my 15mm terrain. On the fourth of July GameCraft Miniatures had a 20% off sale and I jumped on the chance to add some 15mm buildings to my table.
On August 1st my order arrived and the fun began.
I have been, slowly, adding to my 15mm terrain. On the fourth of July GameCraft Miniatures had a 20% off sale and I jumped on the chance to add some 15mm buildings to my table.
On August 1st my order arrived and the fun began.
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| The possibilities are endless. |
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Product Reveiw - GF9 Blood Crystals
I've bought a fair amount of GaleForce nine Battlefield in a Box terrain. There were the two hills earlier in the year and now a box of Blood Crystals. In all three cases I've been very happy with the product. The hills are works of art. I had to move them out of my office because I'd just sit there and stare at them. My wife even liked them.
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| The blood crystals box. |
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Sci/Fi Monday - Federation Marine Corps
The Federation Marine Corps is one of the elite forces of the Federation of Neu Normandie. Formed out of elements of the Imperial Marine Corps, immediately following the declaration of the Federation, there are two main missions for the FMC.
The first mission is that of ships guards. There are Marine detachments on all vessels of cruiser size and above. These ships guards serve in two roles. They guard against mutiny by the sailors; rare now but not uncommon in the days immediately following the withdrawal of the imperial forces. In this role the Marines are billeted between the crew and officers with two Marines in power armor always manning the one hatch that separates officer's country from the crew.
The second role of the ship's guards is to serve in boarding actions. The Marine detachment will both defend against enemy boarding attempts and, much more to their tastes, board enemy ships, capturing them for the Federation.
The second major mission area for the FMC is to secure a planet head on an enemy planet. The transition from space to terra firma is, by far, the most difficult of all military missions. The FMC specializes in dropping to a planet and securing a planet hold which can support the landing of larger Army forces.
The nature of the mission demands that the FMC be equipped with grav vehicles. While grav technology is mindbogglingly expensive, it is the only way to reliably accomplish the mission of seizing a planet head. The FMC uses dropships for follow on forces, primarily logistics and mechs, but the main force will be dropped from low orbit in grav vehicles.
The FMC is task organized into mixed air/space/ground task forces of battalion strength. There are Marine Divisions but they are administrative rather than operational organizations. The divisions are force providers for the fleet and the strike elements.
The basic building block of the combat force is the Marine Planetary Assault Unit (MPAU). The MPAU, (pronounced M-POW), is built around a rifle battalion. To this is attached a command element, an aerospace element and a logistics element. The MPAU is capable of capturing a heavily defended spaceport and holding it long enough for the Army's forces to arrive by drop ship.
The MPAUs serve aboard ship, located close to the action. As such they are often the first force available when a crisis erupts. This fact has resulted in an additional, unofficial, mission being added to the mission set of the FMC's MPAUs. They are often called upon to land on a planet under attack and add some firepower and elite skill to the local defense forces. While this is not an official mission the pragmatic nature of the Corps means that all MPAUs are trained to conduct training of indigenous forces.
The FMC is the go-to force in the most trying of circumstances. When the Federation needs forces on a planet immediately they turn to the FMC and it's aggressive infantry to accomplish the mission, whatever it is.
The first mission is that of ships guards. There are Marine detachments on all vessels of cruiser size and above. These ships guards serve in two roles. They guard against mutiny by the sailors; rare now but not uncommon in the days immediately following the withdrawal of the imperial forces. In this role the Marines are billeted between the crew and officers with two Marines in power armor always manning the one hatch that separates officer's country from the crew.
The second role of the ship's guards is to serve in boarding actions. The Marine detachment will both defend against enemy boarding attempts and, much more to their tastes, board enemy ships, capturing them for the Federation.
The second major mission area for the FMC is to secure a planet head on an enemy planet. The transition from space to terra firma is, by far, the most difficult of all military missions. The FMC specializes in dropping to a planet and securing a planet hold which can support the landing of larger Army forces.
The nature of the mission demands that the FMC be equipped with grav vehicles. While grav technology is mindbogglingly expensive, it is the only way to reliably accomplish the mission of seizing a planet head. The FMC uses dropships for follow on forces, primarily logistics and mechs, but the main force will be dropped from low orbit in grav vehicles.
The FMC is task organized into mixed air/space/ground task forces of battalion strength. There are Marine Divisions but they are administrative rather than operational organizations. The divisions are force providers for the fleet and the strike elements.
The basic building block of the combat force is the Marine Planetary Assault Unit (MPAU). The MPAU, (pronounced M-POW), is built around a rifle battalion. To this is attached a command element, an aerospace element and a logistics element. The MPAU is capable of capturing a heavily defended spaceport and holding it long enough for the Army's forces to arrive by drop ship.
The MPAUs serve aboard ship, located close to the action. As such they are often the first force available when a crisis erupts. This fact has resulted in an additional, unofficial, mission being added to the mission set of the FMC's MPAUs. They are often called upon to land on a planet under attack and add some firepower and elite skill to the local defense forces. While this is not an official mission the pragmatic nature of the Corps means that all MPAUs are trained to conduct training of indigenous forces.
The FMC is the go-to force in the most trying of circumstances. When the Federation needs forces on a planet immediately they turn to the FMC and it's aggressive infantry to accomplish the mission, whatever it is.
Painted Federation Marine Corps Vipers
I've completed two more Vipers for my Federation Marine Corps. These are the fire support variant. They use the same color scheme as the first two. This gives me a full platoon of four mechs. Two are the infantry support version and two are the fire support version.
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| FMC fire support Viper (Rebel Minis) |
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Dropzone Commander
I've been looking at this game for awhile now. I mentioned it in this post, in fact, as one of the games I'm hoping to check out in the next four months. As launch gets closer I'm getting more and more excited about both the models and the rules.
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| The cover looks like it really captures the flavor of the game. |
Monday, July 16, 2012
Sci-Fi Monday - Star Drives
The Kang-Smith Jump Drive.
Extra solar system human space travel became feasible when the Kang-Smith jump drive was developed at the University of Colorado at Boulder, USA in 2237. The KS drive allowed ships to disappear in one location and reappear up to three light years distant, instantaneously. Later improvements to the KS drive allowed jumps of up to seven light years.
The jump drive, as it is called, is powered by a battery system, the Twitch Battery, which discharges all of its energy in one giant release. The battery is then recharged via the ship's fusion engines. Initial battery/engine combinations took up to three days to recharge, limiting the speed of a ship to approximately six light years a week. Later developments allowed two battery sets to be carried, and recharged in only two days, enabling a jump per day, or two in rapid succession. When combined with the longer jump distances, of seven light years, this improved the speed of a jump ship from six light years per week to 49 light years per week.
Extra solar system human space travel became feasible when the Kang-Smith jump drive was developed at the University of Colorado at Boulder, USA in 2237. The KS drive allowed ships to disappear in one location and reappear up to three light years distant, instantaneously. Later improvements to the KS drive allowed jumps of up to seven light years.
The jump drive, as it is called, is powered by a battery system, the Twitch Battery, which discharges all of its energy in one giant release. The battery is then recharged via the ship's fusion engines. Initial battery/engine combinations took up to three days to recharge, limiting the speed of a ship to approximately six light years a week. Later developments allowed two battery sets to be carried, and recharged in only two days, enabling a jump per day, or two in rapid succession. When combined with the longer jump distances, of seven light years, this improved the speed of a jump ship from six light years per week to 49 light years per week.
Sunday, July 08, 2012
Sci-Fi Monday - The Fury Reach
This is the first of Sci/Fi Monday articles.
This post is going to be a long one. No pictures, just a wall of text. If you don't want to read it, no worries. It's the history of the Fury Reach, the background for my sci/fi campaign area. Once I have this out of the way I can start working on the fun stuff. Fun for you that is, I like this sort of thing.
The Fury Reach was colonized during the Fifth Wave of human expansion.
More after the jump.
This post is going to be a long one. No pictures, just a wall of text. If you don't want to read it, no worries. It's the history of the Fury Reach, the background for my sci/fi campaign area. Once I have this out of the way I can start working on the fun stuff. Fun for you that is, I like this sort of thing.
The Fury Reach was colonized during the Fifth Wave of human expansion.
More after the jump.
Friday, July 06, 2012
Sci/FI Monday
Now that I'm back at work I've been having a much harder time finding both time and desire for hobby. Working two jobs just kicks my butt. By the time I've gotten the boys to bed it's all I can do to read everyone else's blogs.
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In an effort to kick things up a notch I'm going to devote Mondays to science fiction. Every Monday I'll have a post about Sci/Fi. I was going to start this last week but I had food poisoning and just wasn't up to it. I was so sick that I was throwing up things I haven't even eaten yet.
The first few posts will lay out the background for my Sci/Fi setting. I don't know about the rest of you but I need to have a context to put my games in. Even if I'm not playing an actual campaign I can still place the battles into a campaign like context.
I've written the first post, and it's a doozy. I won't blame you if you can't wade through the whole thing. I'll be posting it up on Monday morning, if I can remember before I head off to work. That will get it up in prime time for my UK followers and it will be waiting for the lunch crowd here in the States.
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In an effort to kick things up a notch I'm going to devote Mondays to science fiction. Every Monday I'll have a post about Sci/Fi. I was going to start this last week but I had food poisoning and just wasn't up to it. I was so sick that I was throwing up things I haven't even eaten yet.
The first few posts will lay out the background for my Sci/Fi setting. I don't know about the rest of you but I need to have a context to put my games in. Even if I'm not playing an actual campaign I can still place the battles into a campaign like context.
I've written the first post, and it's a doozy. I won't blame you if you can't wade through the whole thing. I'll be posting it up on Monday morning, if I can remember before I head off to work. That will get it up in prime time for my UK followers and it will be waiting for the lunch crowd here in the States.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Four month plan +
There's a lot I want to do this year, since I'm trying everything that catches my fancy for twelve months. I've called it the year of rules but I'm also dabbling in scales, mediums and genres. The only real rule I have is that all of my gaming activities have to be games.
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| This year I'm deliberately being a gaming magpie. |
Thursday, June 07, 2012
Product Review - Sabre Dropship from Rebel
I took advantage of Rebel Minis sale, last month, and picked up a couple more Sahadeen weapons teams as well as four more Vipers and a Sabre drop ship. It was quite a bit of swag for not much money.
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| Image from Rebel Minis |
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