Colonel O'Truth's Miniature Issues: The Walls Are Closing In...

Colonel O'Truth's Miniature Issues: The Walls Are Closing In...

Prussian Dystopian Wars

   Just a few pictures of my first Dystopian Wars fleet as it gets finished. This is part of the Prussian Empire Naval battlegroup boxset. I am working on the bombers and the tiny flyer tokens still, and six of the frigates are nearing completion.

The battleship, preparing to fire on some giant amphibious jeeps.

Perfidious Albion! (note drivers on the right hand side)

A squadron of frigates.

Should I band the stacks? There is a German flag on the portside funnel.

Cruiser squadron.

More cruisers. Note the planking. Kind of a pain to paint.

Ochre yellow bands on the funnels look far more yellow in these pictures.

Armoured Ursine Cavalry

   Ramshackle Games is now selling a set of five (5) armoured bears. The models are resin, and have legs already modeled on them. You just need torsos, arms and heads. I was thinking some of the Victoria Miniatures Full Dress torsos and either lancer arms or sword and pistol arms, with a dress cap head. Bingo! Russian Imperial Armoured Ursine Cavalry!

What do you think?

New (to me) from Ironclad Miniatures

   As those of you who have been following for a while know, I occasionally just go strolling through the catalogs of some of the fine folks who make toys designed for Victorian Science Fiction gaming. I just pop in, see if there's anything new about the place, you know the sort of thing that I mean, right?

   So today, after returning to the lair following a grueling day administering tests to the children, I hopped on the interconnected differencing engine system and visited Ironclad Miniatures. And, lo and behold - something new! Actually, a couple of things that I do not recall having seen on their site previously. I thought they looked awfully interesting, and so I thought I would share them with you. Enough blathering, here they are.

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The Mole Emerges!

   Listed under the innocent title of Steam 16, this is the emergent version of the tunneling machine. I think it is quite the thing, and Professor Otto Maton may simply have to obtain one.

A Martian kite!

   A native Martian flying craft, fitted out with sails and stabilizing rudders aft. I will have to get one of these soon. I would like to add a set of sails to the lower hull as well, in order to more efficiently catch the hot, dusty winds of Mars.

Armed Staff!?!?!?

Just the thing for when Johnny Mrtian the Rioter comes calling, at any other time this is  a downright unsettling sight! 

Butler: "Mrs. Skinner, could you send down the potted meat, please, and how is that pie crust coming?"

Cook: "Be a bit late today, Mr. Burnes. Seems the locals had a bit of dustup over the placement of our dustbins. Had to sort them out, you see. Thomas and Amelia helped, of course."

Beastmen Update

Torgo's Trench Raiders

   Now available to pre-order in metal from Victoria Miniatures' shop, a set of six modular Broolian beastmen, with weapons which make them nicely suitable for VSF, I think. I have previously mentioned how they fit in with my VSF universe's fluff. Think genetic manipulation in Victorian era. On Venus. Secretly, and under the noses of the German colonial officials.

 

 

 

 

   $29.90, in US funds, with free shipping worldwide. Not bad for six figures these days (which is a sad comment on how expensive this addiction/madness/hobby is getting). After payday I will order two sets. Maybe three.

 

   I don't have the official fluff, but I plan on writing up something for myself when I add these to my forces.

Stop! In Her Majesty's Name!

   I just placed my preorder through Brigade Games. Color me happy. Society of Thule, Servants of Ra, Lord Curr's Company, and the rules, of course. Plus the free goodies.

 

   Plus, yesterday, I got the survey for my Empire of the Dead Kickstarter pledge. So I got that sent back, too.

 

   Oh, it is a wonderful week for toy buying. Hooray!

Varduvian Beastmen on the Horizon

   If you have been following the storylines I developed here, you will know that I have two mad scientists in my VSF universe. The first, Herr Doktor Professor Otto Maton, is a Mechanickal genius and a would-be Emperor of the Solarian System. He uses automatons to do the majority of his dastardly bidding, though there are some human minions working for him as well. Maton is hiding and plotting somewhere on Mars.

   The other evil genius is Professor Vardu. Vardu lives on Venus, where he is an established member of the German Venusstaadt colony's scientific team. His specialties are biology and medicine. He has discovered that all life is started by what he calls 'threads' of proteins, woven in such a manner that each individual combination creates each unique individual creature. Certain groups of combinations create humans; others create plants, others animals, and so on. Vardu has become fascinated with experimenting in ways to combine the weaves of different creatures to create new beings. In modern terms, he is manipulating DNA sequences to create chimeras. His first success came with various plants. He has since moved on to animal/human chimeras.

   His first speicmens were created from drunken aethermen and goats. The results are powerful and horrifying. And I finally have a source (almost) for purchasing these figures. Victoria Miniatures is  working on a set of beastmen that I will be buying at least ten of, and probably twenty. Perhaps even thirty. I like them very much. Here are the preview (green) photos:

Captain Torgo, part of the swag for Adeptiocn 2013

I sincerely hope she will sell some afterwards - I need one.

WIP Shot. I will need several of these.

   It looks like the line will be produced similarly to the rest of the Victoria Miniatures, where you order it by pieces and assemble as you like. Works for me!

[Editor's Note: These images are not mine. I will, of course, remove them if Ms. Victoria asks, since the products are hers. However, they are just too nice not to share in the meantime.]

2013: A New Dawn for VSF?

   I am sitting here, having just finished a paper for my professor about the failure of the Mau Mau revolt in 1950s Kenya, and the thought that comes to my mind is this:

"Man, 2013 looks like a great year for Victorian Science Fiction gaming."

Hear me out on this: 

1. Empire of the Dead, which though marketed more as Gothic Horror is arguably still VSF, as it is certainly Victorian and has many science fiction elements in it, is doing well. The Requiem expansion's Kickstarter success shows that. I bought 54 (or so) minis and the rules.
2. Dystopian Wars/Dystopian Legions seems to be going strong still. I bought some Dystopian Wars minis and the rules, plus a fleet for a friend. I would buy Legions minis if they were in 28mm scale. May still get those Prussian armoured infantry.
3. In Her Majesty's Name is being released, and seems to be successfully racking up the Nickstarter pre-orders. I have not yet put in my $140-ish, but I plan to in the next week or so. That's another thirty odd 28mm figures and a set of rules. Hurry! April 18 is coming soon!
4. Victoria Miniatures in Australia is producing some fantastic new minis that are very suitable for VSF gaming, though designed for proxy Imperial Guard in 40K. I need to order some more from her, and one of those cool t-shirts.
5. Curious Constructs in England is also producing some new stuff, and I am supporting the Kickstarter for a trio of heavy weapons that are very steampunk/VSF, although again, intended originally for proxy IG.
6. The Aethergraph. I hope to have a new issue of "the best free VSF gaming e-zine ever published" ready to read by mid-May. School, work and family permitting. I have some great stuff that has been sent to me. I would still like information on any VSF setting you are using. The theme is "Many Worlds of VSF."
7. One downer: When the Navy Walked is no more. You can still purchase PDFs, I believe, but no additional supplements are planned at this point, and Rob (great guy, by the way) has announced the company is ceasing active operations. I enjoyed working with Rob on these projects, and I am rather proud of some of the mechanics for fleet and sailing that I wrote.

What do you think? Have I missed anything so far this year?