Q13 Army Lists: The Quar

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Originally posted 20th June 2014

I have been so busy with Bashnya or Bust! that I missed the next wave of Zombiesmith's 15mm Quar releases.

This introduces some very welcome additions to the range, including the much-needed basic company support weapons for both the Crusader and Coftyran forces. It also includes Coftyran officers, new tractors and a great looking Weedl scout kite. Finally, there is a new nationality of Quar released, the Kryster: desert raiders equipped with fast-moving three-wheelers and their own tractor. I have immediately ordered about a metric ton of these, and can't wait to get them on the painting table.

 New figures means a revised army list, so the Quar list now contains all the new releases plus details of the Fidwog forces as well. My thanks to Josh of Zombiesmith for the free pdf.

Q13 Army Lists: The Gitungi Revised

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Originally posted 9th May 2014

One of the most annoying things about sci-fi gaming in 15mm is the way some manufacturers never properly complete their ranges. The standard release is an infantry squad of 4-6 different troopers, with maybe the odd officer or support weapon: not nearly enough to make up a proper company-sized force. 

Sometimes this is down to economics (the original release didn't sell, so no throwing good money after bad), sometimes down to real life interfering. Whatever the reason, it's jolly annoying all the same.

Well one alien race has just been saved from a similar fate: Micropanzer are just about to release a second wave of Gitungi figures featuring a whole series of new troop types and support weapons. This almost makes up for the change in OB and the fact that some of their original support drones have mysteriously migrated to another manufacturer's range!

The new troop types are just what you'd expect from Micropanzer: beautifully sculpted, imaginatively realised alien troopers. And there are some cracking concepts in here too. In addition to some powered armour types, some jet packs that can be added to exisiting figures, and some more tripodal support drones, are a nice little anti-tank tracked support gun; some really nicely whacky tech guys (these are brilliant: why can't more manufacturers release the same sort of tech crew); some powerlance-armed snail-slug riders; and a specialist mole mine operator complete with mole mines. I could feel the chrome!

Here, then, is the revised Gitungi army list, taking into account all the new releases. Should mean the birdmen get stuffed next battle!     

Q13 Army Lists: The Chuhuac II

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Originally posted 4th May 2014

One of the most exciting things about sci-fi gaming in 15mm is the speed at which new ranges of figures are becoming available. Along with prolific incumbents such as Khurasan, Critical Mass and GZG, new manufacturers are appearing almost on a monthly basis...and one such is Loud Ninja Games with their first range, the Chuhuac, available exclusively through 15mm.co.uk.

These are fantastic models, full of life and animation, that paint up really nicely as well. I have painted one 'platoon' in a jungle-type camouflage, I'm half way through another in desert camouflage, and my special ops teams will be in an urban camouflage.

Here, then, is my first stab at a Chuhuac list for Q13. Their prime attribute is the ability to move quickly (well, they do look like velociraptors!) and each platoon comes with its own spotter as well, so good EWSO technology. As they are light on vehicles, I've statted  the battlesuits as armoured car-like individual vehicles rather than superheavy infantry. I see them as a fast-moving light infantry force that overwhelms quickly through speed rather than firepower.

And if you disagree, then fine, that's the beauty of Q13: you can design as you wish to design them. Just send me a pdf of your list, and I'll add it to this site.

Q13 Army Lists: The Chuhuac

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Originally posted 20th April 2014

My latest alien race for Q13 are the Chuhuac: velociraptor-like beings from Loud Ninja Games (available in the UK from 15mm.co.uk). Full Q13 army lists and a gallery soon, but here are some pictures of the first infantry squad:

Q13: Vornid Army List

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Originally posted 6th January 2014

I've mentioned before that one of the frustrations of 15mm sci-fi gaming is the fact that some brilliant ranges are incomplete, in that they might have a good selection of infantry, but they have no support weapons or vehicles.

One range that is a case in point is Khurasan's Vornid range of plantmen. Great infantry, nothing else. People weren't buying them, so the range wasn't expanded. Fair enough, but it means it's difficult to use them on the tabletop, as more rounded opponents take them apart too easily.

I've already expanded the Vornid army list with the addition of GZG support weapons crewed by Fungoid mushroom men (also from Khurasan), and Slishian Big Men and gunners from Hydra, and can now report I've found a source of vehicles as well in the form of Ravenstar Studio's Horrid range.

These are, well, horrid, as you'll see from the first additions, below. Ordering them involves e-mailing Ravenstar, but if you want a source of most unpleasant sci-fi creatures, with guns, then the Horrid are worth the trouble. Just to give you an idea of scale, the tanks below are over six inches long: this is Starship Troopers territory!

To the left are links to the updated Vornid Army List, the updated Vornid Gallery, and the updated 15mm Sci-Fi Manufacturers list (where you'll find a link to Ravenstar Studio's blog). Below are the Chitin Two-Gun tanks!

Q13: Praesentia Army List

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Originally posted 3rd January 2014

I've finally got around to completing the Praesentia army list for Q13, based on the superb range of figures from Critical Mass Games.

I've been wanting to do these for some time as I am strongly tempted to make them my next sci-fi army purchase. They are the first Tech 4 army to be included within the lists, and have some excellent chrome to make them complete. 

Here's a picture of the box set showing the basic robot infantry force with Praesentia Big Men and various drones for support.

Nova Respublik Army List for Q13

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Originally posted 25th November 2013

A new army list for Q13 based on  Khurasan Miniatures range of futuristic Soviets: the Nova Respublik.

This is a very nice collection of figures with plenty of options. There are some good, solid infantry backed up by proper support weapons and a brilliant high command set. Four variants of the same basic medium tank chassis, two APCs, one general transport, and the absolutely super Doe gunship. Add in walkers and robot guns, and you have everything you need to build a rounded company and supports.

Here's the gunship:

Five Planets Scenario Pack for Q13 Published

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Originally posted 19th November 2013

I'm pleased to announce the release of my latest scenario pack: Five Planets.

Five Planets is a campaign and scenario pack for Quadrant 13 (Q13), the company-sized, sci-fi wargame rules from the TooFatLardies.

The pack contains twelve scenarios set within the Pankova solar system, with two adversaries fighting over its priceless resources. The action begins on Peach, the outermost planet, a most desolate, moon-like place but the gateway to the system, then moves through the asteroid belt to Cheteria, the ice planet. After Cheteria comes Three, the garden world that feeds the system, followed by D’Var, the desert planet whose sands conceal vast seas of valuable oil. Finally the campaign climaxes on fiery Adeen, closest to the sun, but the source of limitless power.

The campaign is designed to be played through twice: with each player first taking the part of the race invading the Pankova system, the Attackers, and then taking the part of the incumbents, the Defenders. Be warned, sometimes the Defenders are attacking, and sometimes the Attackers are defending: as first one side then the other gains an advantage.

Although written for Q13, Five Planets can be easily adapted for any sci-fi rules system. Each scenario contains a full game briefing, a map, and then a briefing for each player, including a description of the forces available. All players need to do is print off the appropriate pages for the scenario that they want to play, set up the battlefield, break out the figures, and away they go. As the army lists given are generic, players can use them to play any sci-fi army that they choose: whether based on a particular range of figures, background from another ruleset, background from a film or book, or even a background that they have made up themselves.

So set your weapons to exterminate and prepare to do battle: there’s glory to be won on the Five Planets!

Grav Transports for the Hauk

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Originally posted 8th November 2013

the start of my Hauk troops: avians from Khuarasan who will support Mad Robot's Harook as their airmobile arm. 

First to be finished are the Aerie grav transports. I'm particularly pleased with the cockpit canopies: carefully copied, albeit in a different colour, from the examples on Khurasan's website.

These are arriving just in time to be used in the final playtesting of my Five Planets scenario pack for Q13, which is due for publication before the start of December. Although designed for 15mm Q13, it can be used with any sci-fi rules, so start saving your pennies now!

More Clockwork Goblin WWW2 Americans

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Originally posted 26th July 2013

The support walkers for the Weird World War 2 US army from Clockwork Goblin. Very nice figures, as I've come to expect from CG, which go together very easily, and paint up well. 

On the right, the Kodiak Walker; on the left, the Ursus Walker:

Ursus

Kodiak

Gallery: The Gitungi

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Originally posted 25th May 2013

I have added a gallery for the Gitungi: one of Micropanzer's really innovative ranges of 15mm sci-fi figures. Heavily armoured bipeds reminiscent of the aliens from The Fifth Element or even the Sontarans from Doctor Who, the Gitungi range is currently quite limited, but Jason Moore, the force behind Micropanzer, has promised more support weapons soon.

The Gitungi on the Micropanzer website are painted in a desert yellow colour. That looks good, but I wanted something more extreme. Mine are painted in three shades of gold (paints from Games Workshop) with the Scouts then washed with a light green wash. I think the Scouts look best of all, with the extra shading from the wash, but I'm going to see if the pure gold main force grow on me before I do anything else. I need to get them onto the tabletop and see what they look like there!

Here are the Gitungi as shown on the Micropanzer site:

and here are my Scouts:

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MAKO System for the Felid

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Originally posted 27th April 2013

I have often raved about Khurasan's range of 15mm sci-fi figures: Garn, Felid, Stikk, Kingdom of the Jasmine Throne, Karkarine...a seemingly never ending list of top class models. Now, however, Jon has broken even better new ground by launching the MAKO range of 15mm sci-fi support equipment.

The range consists of a gun tractor and cruciform stand onto which fit a range of different support weapons: currently an autocannon and a heavy mortar. So far so good, you say: cool idea, but not incredibly novel. The new bit is the fact that Khurasan are producing crew figures for each of their alien races to go with the support weapons,  so that you can use the MAKO equipment with whatever range or ranges you happen to be collecting, with the possibility of two opponents on the same table top using the same equipment to fight each other.

Although the Kark crew aren't launched yet, the Felid are (along with other ranges I'm not yet collecting) so here are the current Felid MAKO units in all their various combinations:

Mako Autoguns with Felid crew on mixed mounts

Mako Autoguns with Felid crew on Mako Gun Tractors

Mako Heavy Field Mortars with Felid crew on Mako Cruciform Stands

Mako Heavy Field Mortars with Felid crew on mixed mounts

Q13: The Ursids Updated

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Originally posted 15th April 2013

I have updated the Ursid army list with details of the Lesser Ursids: slightly smaller bear-like aliens from Stan Johansen Miniatures. In my Ursid army list, the Greater Ursids (from Khurasan) are pure mercenaries, soldiers if you like, and the Lesser Ursids are miners who fight as militia armed with a variety of sidearms and converted mining equipment, including triple-barrelled mining lasers mounted on grav platforms. Tasty!