Tomorrow's War meets Battletech Update

Sometimes you'll find out that even wargaming can be "try and error". The Macross models I ordered in 1/100 scale stand about 15cm - 17cm tall. WAY TOO BIG for what I want them to resemble (tank equivalents). :-(
Now I spent an endless night searching the internet and found the exact same models again, but this time in roughly 1/200 scale. This means they are going to be about 3 inches tall. About three to four times a 15mm miniature in height/width. Perfect!! (that is like an M1A1 Abrams proportions compared to his crew, so that's exactly how I imagine my war walkers)

There is also the old Wizkids Mechwarrior "Clix" system, that has some Battletech designs in a size that would fit a medium or light class "Armoured Battle Suit".
I got myself two "Targe" from those for bargain off ebay. They are also so cheap, that I'll get some designs just to kitbash their arms and missile racks for conversions. This way one and the same Mech chassis will suit different gaming needs (like modern IFV chassis often come with different weapons for different battlefield roles). Once all the stuff (there are about 12 different items from around the world on their way to Germany at the moment) has arrived I will review them and show a comparison before painting them up.

Tomorrow's War meets Battletech

aka Battletech's "Warhammer" Mech

aka Battletech's "Longbow" Mech

aka Battletech's "Marauder" Mech

aka Battletech's "Rifleman" Mech


Since I got into the tester team for Ambush Alley Games' "Tomorrow's War", I was wondering how my own forces were going to look like and what I actually wanted to field. TW (=Tomorrow's War) comes with its own made up fluff section that you can use or settle your conflicts in. The game itself is generic - it allows you to do any Sci-Fi background universe, be it stuff like Star Wars, Halo, Aliens or god knows what.

For myself, inspiration for troopers, vehicles and their look came out of many different media, but mainly Anime movies and video games. I always loved "Mecha" style stuff and having watched animated series like "Saber Rider" or "Gundam Wing" and having played games like the later volumes of "Command & Conquer" or "Mechwarrior" for sure influenced my decision:

I want War Walkers!! Or as it is called in TW: "Armoured Battle Suits" instead of tanks. I am going to use the above shown "Macross" in 1/100 scale to make up my own faction for the conflict settled in the TW universe. Of course there will be tanks, infantry and other stuff, too. 15mm sized miniatures are the way to go - and there is many of them (mostly looking like the master chief out of HALO for some reason).

For that reason I ordered 7 of the above shown plasitc kits from Japan, plus some more (smaller) resin kits (drop ship and smaller walkers) from the US.

I am not yet decided on fluff for my forces or an actual name, but they will be a mix of stuff inspired by the background universes of StarCom, Battletech, HALO and Command & Conquer.

Sneak Peek - Osprey Publishing "Operation Enduring Freedom" pics

The first pic above is Piers' favourite. An exclusive sneak peek of the work that is going to be included in the forthcoming Osprey releases. This one goes into "Operation Enduring Freedom" - one of the supplements coming next year. The pic has been giving to me exclusively to be shown in my blog - thank you very much, mate. I really appreciate that and I am sure so do you guys out there, too!

I just received two pictures of Ambush Alley Games' senior In-House-Painter and Miniature-Photographer Piers Brand (aka "Big P from GMG"), showing what you can imagine to get in Osprey Publishing's forthcoming Force On Force Supplement "Operation Enduring Freedom". These are an exclusive sneak peak for all you supporters of the game out there!

Oh boy - and what outstanding eye candy they are! Well done, Piers!

"Operation Enduring Freedom" - coming to you in 2011.

Miniatures shown from Elhiem Figures (see my blog listing of sources for 20mm goodies), buildings in the background from Britannia.

A milestone: Ambush Alley Force On Force by Osprey Publishing now off to the printers

The forthcoming release of Force On Force by Osprey Publishing has made one huge step forward. The final version of the tester's drafts, including all corrections, additions, reviews, playtester's opinions etc. has been compiled into the final product by the authors and sent off to Osprey for print!
Not only that, but the first supplement "Road To Baghdad" also is close to being finished.

EDIT 03. Dec. 2010: "Road To Baghdad" has been finished and is off to the printers as well.

Furthermore, the team currently works on two more supplements that also will be released in 2011!

April 2011 - I cannot wait to get my copies of the books.

PS: amazon.com (USA) has the books up for pre-order already. Just type Ambush Alley Osprey Publishing into the search machine.

Into the Ancient world... or: a small update

Hi there,
just wanted to chime in and tell you that I am not dead, nor did I stop painting and assmebling anything. :-)
Actually, I recently just had enough of painting camouflage and assembling tanks and needed a change of the wargaming subject. While I will of course and without a doubt continue to show off with "moderns" I have now also to announce another project I got into: Warhammer Ancient Battles (aka WAB).

Again, just as with my ongoing "moderns" my Ancient armies will be entirely consist of 20mm miniatures. I have found that plastics available from Italeri, Zvezda, HäT, Esci etc. are brilliantly detailed, have little to no flash and look just awesome when painted.

So, stay tuned - there will be pics soon from Early Republican Romans and Celtic Tribes (mostly Gaul and Germans) in 20mm.

Bringing the battlefield to life: volume 5 - Prime Time news from downrange

The news team from Brittania miniatures. Nice little figures. The single based one I painted to look like Ross Kemp - who went to Afghanistan twice with the British Army. There are two DVDs available that I can only recommend!

The news team's van is out of Hasegawa's 1/72 "Ground Crew Set" and only got a little satellite dish added.

Bringing the battlefield to life: volume 4 - the market

A group of ladies selling or buying goods at the local market. Nothing special to be honest. The little cart comes from Forces of Valor, the market goods I got from S&S and the miniatures are from Stan Johansen.

Modern US Army: Avenger HMMWV + Cargo Carrier

Latest addition to my growing modern US Army force: The Avenger HMMWV variant. The Avenger carries a small one-man-operated turret, sporting a .50cal HMG and two boxes of four FIM-92 "Stinger" Surface-To-Air missiles. Although basicly intended to fight enemy helos or low altitude jets, it is a common sight deployed in a ground support role.

Avengers have strong thermal vision, night vision gear, a laser range finder and their HMG - a perfect array of tools for overwatching intersections or valleys at night.

The model shown consists out of an OOB built HMMWV from Revell and the resin turret from Shaun (S&S). I made the turret removable, allowing myself to add the canvas top to the back - this way I get the Cargo Carrier variant.

The Guild Forum Big Game 2010: Red Tide! In-game photos

WarPac support
FV107 Scorpion
NVA squad

M113 mortar carriers and ammo dump

WarPac MTLB and Soviets with gasmasks

NVA squad

Bundeswehr MILAN team

The "disguised" WarPac troopers with Western M48 and M113 vehicles

Bundeswehr Jagdpanzer Rakete "TOW"

Soviets in full NBC gear

Artillery preparing to fire

OH-58 Scout Helicopter lasers targets

Russian GAZ with ZSU-23-2 anti air gun in ground firing role

BAOR units in Minden

Soviet Katyusha unit

BAOR on advance in Minden

Russian VDV airbourne assault troops

BAOR tanks on advance

A-10 "Warthog" tank buster diving on attack

strafing runs of the USAF A-10s

Mil Mi-24 "Hind" on approach over the Minden Canal

Rapier SAM site

BAOR mortar unit firing

Soviet casualty collection point/first aid station

sneaking through industrial areas

In position to engage with recoilless rifles

Urban fighting

German Autobahn occupied by endless numbers of Russian T-72 tanks

ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" , MTLB and T-80 tanks

The Guild Forum Big Game 2010: Red Tide! NATO forces 1

Above: West German spotter tank for artillery (Artilleriebeobachtungspanzer)
Above: NATO ground forces

Above: More NATO forces

Above: "Tank Busters" A-10 Thunderbolt II

Above: West German border police (Grenzschutz)