New Martian Surface!

  Some nice American chaps who work in a cigar store have, for some strange reason, created this rather lifelike representation of the surface of Mars. The whorling red and ochre hues capture the essence of the deserts on this dying planet with startling accuracy.

  The product is available in a 4' x 6' configuration, for the quite reasonable sum of  about sixty-nine of your American dollars. Something every true aficionado of the Red Planet should plan to purchase, I should think.

  You may direct yourself to their telephonic store HERE.

[Editor's Note: I own a Cigar Box Battle Mat already, and like it a great deal. I will be ordering this as soon as funds are available. The material drapes well and is quite color-fast. It's also lightweight and doesn't seem to hold creases badly. I give it two thumbs way up.]

All Quiet on the Martian Front: Nell

All Quiet on the Martian Front: Nell: A Headless Body Production All Quie t on the Martian Front In troduction : Nell   Game : All Quiet on the Martian Front Writer : Phi...

HMLS Dreadnought by Captain Darling

Captain Darling has slipped through my network of reporters previously, but this time, we have him! His report on the new landship HMLS Dreadnought, can be found here.

More information about landships and the arms race between Britain and the Russians can be had here and here. I shudder to think the Russians may be able to use this information in their own quest for imperial domination...

[Editor's Note: I like the photo effect used here. Nice looking bit of kit, and I am now following this blog, which had in fact escaped my attention previously.]

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Or, as I like to call it, Mexican Import Beer Day!

Great cartoon, though I prefer Dos Equis myself.

   Figures from Shadowking's Blog, shamelessly stolen and ported here just for today. He did a really nice job on these, however. You might be interested in taking a look over there. This is a Mexican/French Adventuring Company for In Her Majesty's Name.

Canine Automatons

   Found these whilst perambulating aimlessly across the telephonic interweb of differencing engines. This blighter has some canine automatons for sale. An American chap, obviously, selling them off at 3 for the price of $7.00. He's some cats as well, but I'm an Englishman, not my spinster Aunt Amelia.

28mm scale

Crossover Miniatures Robo-Dogs

Another Kickstarter Project

   Rob Angell of Curious Constructs is taking part in another Kickstarter for 28mm heavy equipment suitable primarily for a Game of Grim Warfare Set in the Far Future.

   However, his focus in that game is on the troops of Praetoria, who exhibit a distinctly neo-Victorian aesthetic. And so, they are quite nice for fans of Victorian Science Fiction, such as myself.

   I had been aware of this project for a few weeks, but had not really looked into it. Then I saw a posting about it elsewhere with a piece that I simply had to have. So I am now backing this project. The usefulness of the pieces - for me, in particular, the non-weapon pieces - is just too much for me to not order. In particular, I mean the searchlight and the barrage balloon winch. I envision these as a galvanic heliograph and an airship tether respectively.

  Should you be interested, the Kickstarter project has still a few more days until it funds. You may find it at this location.

Bleaseworld: Land Ironclads: Sprue Fortress I

Bleaseworld: Land Ironclads: Sprue Fortress I: A little break from 6mm - here's some 2mm! :-) Busy day today with work and trying to get Saul's stuff ready for his first gig tom...

Clock-a-dile?

   Just a quick post tonight. I've been eaten up with grad school work the last week or so, and no time for much fun stuff. But I took a look around the internet tonight before i run off to bed and saw this. It is for Spartan Games's Dystopian Legions game. I still think the decision to make them in 32mm scale was a bad one - it puts them off my purchase list, for the most part. But the mechanical alligator here might be fun for any VSF game, and well, how big is a mechanical alligator, anyway? Scale neutral. You could even use it for 15mm or 6mm (!) games.

   Picture is from Spartan Games's website. You can order the fellow there. And he's on sale right now (1/3 off - not bad).

Clockwork Goblin Products

   I found these sort of randomly, while reading Eli Arndt's I See Lead People blog. I thought they looked interesting. Photos are from the Clockwork Goblin webstore.

15mm US "Grizzly" Walker

I'd remove the Ma Deuce for VSF, and add a boiler and smokestack to the back.

Maybe shorten the gun barrel a bit.

15mm US "Hyena" Light Jump Walker

Might re-work the right hand into a gripper of some sort.

This says 'Armoured Combat Aethersuit' to me.

15mm German "Thor" Mechpanzer

Again, needs a bit of Victorian and steam-y flair, but I like the six legs.

15mm German "Spinne" Light Mechpanzer

I really like this one for an Imperial German Scout.

3 for 13 GBP, too...

28mm British Automated Infantry

I'd go with the water-cooled MG for VSF.

Reminds me a bit of the Parroom Station Clockwork Soldier.

Like the labels say...

The RPG armed one reminds me of the upgraded Ogryn from the Imperial Guard.

And last, a concept sketch I think is interesting...

"Shreckwulfen 1"

Victorian Conversion Ideas

   Mark, the chronicler of the Winter of '79, has put up some interesting thoughts regarding Foundry's Zulu War uniformed British Officers and NCOs. Besides that, his blog is quite entertaining as well.

http://winterof79.blogspot.com/2014/01/quick-zulu-war-conversions.html?showComment=1388643354131#c359768018577941167

   That should get you to the post in question, but do take a peek about the place, if you haven't already. Certainly worth the cost of admission and a few hours of your time.

Steam Armoured Dwarves?

   I happened on these whilst researching items of critical importance on the interconnected differencing engine. Produced in Poland (Grand Duchy, I think), by a company known as Scibor. Some sort of short but powerful man, heavily whiskered, and wearing an ornate suit of what appears to be steam-powered armour.

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.]

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.]

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...

An Interesting Airship Model

http://www.shapeways.com/model/298649/airship-frigate.html?li=productBox-search

   I particularly like the twin ducted fans on it, and the heavy broadside armament. Possible for Dystopian Wars, or just 6mm VSF in general.

An interesting 15mm Shield Gunner "how to" conversion

   One of the cooler troop types for Martians in the Space: 1889 universe is the Oenotrian Shield Gunner. I have a unit of ten in 28mm that I am slowly getting painted, but there are none available in 15mm.

RAFM Miniatures' Martian Shield Gunners
(Sadly, not mine.)

   Until now.

   Major General Clive G. has come up with a simple and good-looking conversion of Black Hat Miniature's Imperial Guard Halberdier, which he has kindly posted on his own blog. I shan't steal his thunder, so if you would simply follow this link, you can see what he did.

I am the very model of the Modern Major General...

   Thanks to Tango on The Miniatures Page, I have a new link to the archive that contains the classic Colonial / VSF wargames website: Major General Tremorden Rederring's Colonial Wargames Page. That site is very fondly recalled by many of us VSF nutters.

   In other news, I am painting some 28mm Prussian line infantry. Not done yet, but here's the in progress eye candy. Figures are Parroom Station.

Herr Leutnant

Gefreiter Schimdt

Zeppelin of Zombies!

Good for either Pulp or VSF gmaing, and inspired by photos of this 28mm zeppelin table:

It's quite big, isn't it?

Notice the model of the zeppelin - epic touch of detail!

The Scenario:

  On your way home from an safari in the picturesque highlands of Bongolesia, a problem arises aboard the zeppelin carrying your group. One of the servants was apparently infected with a terrible tropical disease, and has died. Sadly, he did not stay dead, but has risen as a zombie. Infecting several passengers and crewmembers, the plague has spread throughout the vessel. Now, they all suffer from an insatiable hunger for flesh. Your flesh. Your tasks, in order, are:

1. Gather weapons. Luckily, you have just returned from safari, so there are guns in the baggage.
2. Keep the control cabin zombie-free until the pilots land the airship.
3. Make your way out of the zeppelin.
4. Finally, to prevent the spread of the infection, you must destroy the zeppelin and kill any zombies which escape the burning wreckage.

Good luck. You're going to need it.

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.

Terrain for Hippos

   I found out about this awesome terrain making blog via I See Lead People, my buddy Eli's excellent gaming blog - which you should be following if you are not already! They just had an entire month dedicated to Victorian Science Fiction terrain in January, and some of it is really great looking. You should run over and take a peek. Here's a link.

An example of one of their simple projects:

The posts are funny and informative. I give it two thumbs WAY WAY up!