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!
Some more transport for the Felids: the excellent Wombats from Antenocci's GOT range of 15mm vehicles. I've renamed them Pumas, to fit in with the Felids.
"Grizzly" walkers for my Weird World War II US army. More to give the space bugs something to contend with.
The promised update to the Garn/Felid list as I add the Mako weapons system just released by Khurasan.
I've also added a picture of the Mako figures taken from Khurasan's website, showing how the system works. You buy the guns (a mortar and a twin-barrelled piece) with the crew you want (there are crew figures available for most of Khurasan's main ranges), and then choose the mounting you want: either a static stand or a small tractor. This multi-race approach really has to be the way forward for multi-range, sci-fi figure manufactures.
I've finally had time to varnish and photograph my Khurasan Stikk troops that I'm playing as Space Bug larvae for my Hive army. They bring a much needed depth to the Hive forces, with support weapons and the Skuttler tank.
A new army list covering the Gitungi from the Micropanzer Wargame Studio. There's something just so right about these aliens: now all I have to do is decide how to paint all mine up.
I do love Zombiesmith's 15mm Quar range of sci-fi figures, and cannot wait for them to work their way through releasing the entire range.
In the meantime, here are the latest additions to my collection: a Crusader Cavalry Wedge. Note the way that each Squad's cadiers are of the same colour; the wedge-shaped formation with leader in the middle; and, of course, the trooper that I have placed on the photography table facing the wrong way!
As an example of how Q13 army lists can constantly evolve, I have also re-organised my Space Bug, Hive and Stikk army lists.
The Space Bugs are now the pure Highlander Studio range, unpolluted by other figure manufacturers.
Now that I've actually built and painted a Skuttler tank from Khurasan's Stikk (Entomol) range, I've realised that the antennae on its, er, rear end are just crying out to be defined as having an EWSO function. So the list has been changed to reflect that.
Finally, I've now gathered together all my red bug-types into one mashed together army list called The Hive. This contains Highlander's Space Bugs; some of Khurasan's Stikk range; and a few other bits and pieces. We'll see who wins next time we play "Invasion Earth"!
The Felids get a couple of, well, jeeps, I suppose, to help their Big Men get about. These vehicles are from the Antenocci's Workshop GOT 15mm range and paint up beautifully. Highly recommended.
Reinforcements for the Space Bugs in the shape of some Odonate Gunships from Khurasan's excellent Stikk range. Regular visitors may recall how the Bugs were soundly squished by WW2 Americans in my last Q13 "Invasion Earth" encounter. These flyers will hopefully address the balance!
Just before Christmas, those fine chaps at Zombiesmith released some more 15mm Quar: Crusader cavalry and snipers, and the first of the Coftyran Royalists.
All I've had a chance to paint so far are the Coftyran light tanks and the Crusader snipers, but I have had a rather good idea for a battle or two. Rather than have the Crusaders and Coftyrans fight it out, I'm going to pit a combined Quar force against Space Bug invaders: what better than ant-eaters to fight what are effectively giant ants!
I've updated three Q13 army lists on the site: the Space Bugs from Highlander Studios (a few tweaks following the game, below); the Quar from Zombiesmith (to take into account their new Coftyran releases); and WWW2 Americans with experimental weapons from Clockwork Goblin (tweaks and new releases). I've also added the Stikk (a.k.a. the Entomal) range of bugs from Khurasan.
Space Bugs
The Quar
WWW2 US
The Stikk
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The first game of the new year: World War Two US troops desperately try to repel an invasion from Space Bugs!
Clockwork Goblin are a relatively new miniatures company who produce a range of 15mm figures based on the alternative history premise that WW2 continues into an age of powered armour, walkers, zombies and super-boosted humans.
I am going to use the US forces to combine with my existing WW2 US forces for Invasion Earth! style scenarios using Quadrant 13. Here's a review of what the Clockwork Goblin US range consists of so far.
Here's the blurb about the launch from The Miniatures Page:
Lovers of science-fiction gaming are in for a real treat with the latest arrival from TooFatLardies. Penned by Robert Avery, Quadrant 13 are rules for company-plus-level actions in a science-fiction universe, using 6mm to 15mm figures. So, what are they all about?
As lovers of science-fiction gaming will know, the boom in the last couple of years has been the explosion of superb ranges of 15mm and smaller sci-fi figures and vehicles from a whole swathe of new companies with great ideas. What has been missing, for us at least, has been a "generic" set of science-fiction rules which can allow us to create our own worlds and cultures which we can then populate with these great new ranges.
But what do we mean by generic? Well, over the years, we have seen lots of sci-fi rulesets which are tied to a specific backdrop created by the publishers. Often this has involved a large slice of background "fluff" which is really only relevant to that particular universe. What we wanted to create was a set of hard sci-fi rules which were totally generic, allowing the gamer to develop his or her own setting using whatever races or technology levels they wanted. And Robert Avery was the man for the job!
Robert has worked with us to produce many scenario supplements in the past, and has been a long-time sci-fi gamer with a leaning to the hard side of the genre. He wanted to put together a set of rules where the gamer was in charge, and where the mechanisms were there to allow them complete freedom in their game design. Quadrant 13 is the result.
Borrowing the game engine used for Charlie Don't Surf, our Vietnam rules, and I Ain't Been Shot, Mum!, our WWII rules, Robert took Quadrant 13 and applied a whole new layer of technological detail and sci-fi feel. Now you can field forces of differing technologies with a whole raft of settings. Quadrant 13 is a stand-alone game: no other rulebooks or supplements are necessary to play. The rules contain a guide to creating your forces as well as a scenario generator and several army lists.
What is more, there are plenty of other lists are available on the author's own site.
Quadrant 13 is available in printable PDF formt or as a navigable PDF designed for use on the iPad or similar tablets for just £9.50 GBP. If you'd like both, the bundle for both editions is £12.50 GBP.
My latest sci-fi army added to the Tentacle gallery. The Harook are six foot tall birdmen, ably supported by grav tanks from Top Gun Marketing.
A battle report featuring the bird-like Harook versus the dog-like Protolene Khanate. Read about how my seemingly unstoppable Harook came very much a cropper!
As I have often mentioned, one of the problems with some figure ranges is that they don't include any infantry support weapons. Plenty of men-with-guns, sometimes plenty of vehicles, but very little in the way of things such as the sci-fi equivalent or mortars and medium/heavy machine guns.
I accept that argument that in the future that sort of weapon might be redundant (firepower supplied via enhanced personal weapons, battle suits, different sorts of vehicles etc) but it's still nice to see that Khurasan Miniatures provides "full" ranges rather than just the grunts.
Here's my latest bit of painting: Pouncer Portable Missile Launchers for the Felids, and the other great thing is that the mortar operators can also double as drone operators for the Snaggletooth attack and Whiskers scouting drones.
With the forthcoming launch of my IABSM-based, company-sized, sci-fi rules, I also spent a lot of time painting sci-fi figures. The biggest holiday project was painting up the Chewks from Khurasan: they are cracking models a bit like the Jawas from Star Wars.
One of the best things about Khurasan is that they make an effort to produce figures that will give you more than just infantry squads: as a rule, each of their ranges (and they have many!) have infantry, command, support weapon and vehicle models...and lovely models they are too. Particularly good are the Chewk drilltanks: vast tunnelling AFVs which come with option to have a chewkannon artillery piece mounted on a boom arm. Here they are in troop carrying mode: click to go to the gallery to see the whole range.
Other manufacturers are also realising that they need to produce entire ranges rather than just infantry squad models. Highlander Studios, manufacturers of the excellent Space Bug range, have augmented their basic offering with anti-tank, anti-aircraft and flamethrower teams: also painted up over Xmas.
Finally we go back to Khurasan again for some APCs for the Karkarine Landser "shark-headed" infantry from their Pelagic Dominate range. Called, appropriately, Karkwagons, these are all plastic kits that are really nice to paint. They seem a bit small for the size of the Karks themselves i.e. it looks like it would be a tight fit to get a squad of seven inside...but they will look good on the tabletop anyway!
​So that was Christmas 2011: a couple of cracking games of IABSM3 (see the AAR below) and a load of painting. About 150 foot and nine vehicles: not Kev standards, but not bad! Roll on 2012!
Felid jetbikes from Khurasan Miniatures. Absolutely fantastic figures, although I'm afraid the photo doesn't really do them justice. Paint up really nicely as well...I can't wait to get them onto the tabletop.
Vis Lardica is a website devoted to wargaming and military history, with a special emphasis on the company-sized rulesets produced by the TooFatLardies: I Ain't Been Shot Mum (WW2); Charlie Don't Surf (Vietnam); and Quadrant 13 (science fiction)
Welcome to Vis Lardica, a not-for-profit website mostly dedicated to the company-sized wargaming rules produced by the TooFatLardies, but encompassing my other gaming interests as well.
If you need to contact me, you can do so at:
vislardica@gmail.com
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