From the Horizon: Harold's Patent Aetheric Interface Assault Craft!

   Mr. Harold has designed a new type of aetheric craft. Intended to rapidly introduce troops from an aethership orbiting the planet, these Aetheric Interface Craft (known to Tommy Atkins as a 'drop pod') can carry an entire squad of Her Majesty's Loyal Servants in splendid comfort [not really-Ed.] and complete safety [hardly!-Ed.]. Her Majesty's Royal Navy has ordered the construction of hundreds of these disposable units for the Aethermarines, Skywalkers, and even a Naval Brigade Artillery Group. They can also be utilised for the resupply of troops in distant areas!

   To date, attempts to use the Harold Patent Interface Craft to land cavalry have been a dismal failure. The horses, you see.

Seems to have lost its parachute somewhere...

[Editor's Notes: Okay, these are really cool, and pretty inexpensive. You can find out more about them here. And here. I am going to add a parachute draped over the side, and paint them in a lovely Victorian scheme. 15mm, and quite good, really.]

Kickstarter Received!

   Actually, by the time you read this, it will have been a few days ago, and I will be somewhere in the midst of the Gulf of Mexico, on a rather large ship, heading for tropical climes. No, the feds and the revenuers are not on my trail (yet...). Just taking the memsahib on a well-deserved break from work and kids. However, I would hate for all of you nice folks to have nothing to read about, so, as a public service and a sign of what a heck of a guy I am, I scheduled this post.

  But it is a short one.

  What you see below is the deck of cards I received from Nat Iwata, a rather good artist. The plan is to use them for Victorian Science Fiction games using a card activation system.

Da Box

Reverse of the Cards

King of Hearts

King of Clubs

King of Diamonds - Steamthulhu!

King of Spades - the Great Elder One Itsself

   And, just to prove what a Prince of a Guy I am... here's a little song...

   For the record, I chose this one because it was a good audio version of the tune...

Traveling to the Coast

   Not Brighton, old boy - Mexico! Actually, the memsahib and I are off on a vacation, just the pair of us. To be honest, I believe it is the first 'just us' vacation we've been on in almost 18 years. So, the boys off to grandmothers' houses and us on a bloody big ship, headed to the south.

  So you won't be lonely and bored whilst I am away, I have scheduled a post or two. Enjoy, and see you all next week.

Interesting New Steampunk/Horror Game on the Horizon

   Ghost Train Games is creating a game based on an Alternate Civil War, with steampunk-y (Sorry, OFM - I know you hate the term) gadgets and a mystical powers and supernatural vibe as well. Below is a sample of a WIP green for their upcoming line of miniatures - 28mm, in case you wondered. It's called an "Improved Mechanical Locomotive Steam-Engine."

The South Shall Rise...

   And, a member of the Franklin Experimental Brigade, armed with a "Coil Cannon."

Damnyankee Gadgets...

[Editor's Notes: As usual, these images are not my own, but were obtained from the website of Ghost Train Games. I mean no challenge to their intellectual property, I just think they look cool and should be shared with a wider Victorian Science Fiction audience. Thanks to Tango001 of TMP for putting me onto these.]

A new Feldwebel reports for duty

Feldwebel Heydrich

   I finally painted up an NCO for my Aetherbattalion troops. Now I just need to paint more of the troops for him to help command. And a Leutnant or Kapitan for him to follow.

New German Terror Weapon!

Das Hellanzekanonen-88

   The above pictured weapon was seen by our intrepid reporters and loyal agents of the Crown as it was displayed for the German Imperial General Staff. Developed by the nefarious KFG (Kaiserlich Forshcungsanstalt fur Geheimewaffen (KFG), or Imperial Research Institute for Secret Weapons), this device focuses an intense beam of energy at a vast range. Thankfully, its destructive powers are limited to a direct line of sight! It is powered by an interchangeable galvanic storage unit mounted at the rear. A trained crew is supposedly able to exchange a depleted unit for a charged one in a matter of moments, at roughly the same speed as the loading of a conventional breechloading cannon.

 

   One can only hope that this new and dangerous development does not presage an aggressive move on the part of the German Empire.

 

[Editor's Notes: Obviously, this is an old GW lascannon. The big difference is the wheels. I got these from Nic at Eureka Miniatures (Thanks, Nic!) about two years ago. Or was it three? Any rate, I finally got around to painting it and putting it all together. I think it came out splendidly. The name, by the way, is supposed to mean "The Bright Lance Cannon, Model 1888). Now, if I could only find the crew for it, I had them here somewhere...]

Paul´s Bods: Medieval Bombard (working scale model)

This is an idea. I love it. I was thinking it would work for my Martians, with their primitive artillery. Watch the video.

Paul´s Bods: Medieval Bombard (working scale model): I had the Zvezda bombard set but the Barrel I´d sent to Simon ( Je Lay Emprins ). His blog is full of Medieval  Burgundian loveliness...we...

Space: 1889 Re-launch

   In case you have been living under a rock for the past couple of weeks, I thought it would be prudent to make it known that the classic Victorian Science Fiction roleplaying game, Frank Chadwick's Space: 1889, is in the midst of a revival on Kickstarter.

  A German edition of the setting, complete with new rules approved by Frank has done quite well in Europe, it seems, so the good folks who made it are porting it over to English for us. Financing is being done via Kickstarter, as I mentioned, and is going very well.

   Yes, I already pledged my part. You should, too!

Space: 1889 Kickstarter Link

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