28mm Scale Comparison Shot for Modern Wargaming

I hope this might be helpful- here are some caparison photos of some of the figures in my collection.

Scale is a weird thing, as many different manufacturers have different ideas f what a 28mm figure should look like- as you can see these minis are all roughly the same size, but the difference in sculpting style, bulk and weapons size makes the world of difference- at the end of the day it's just down to preference. 

(R to L) Eureka, converted form Studio Miniatures plastic zombie, Black Cat Bases, Spectre Miniatures, Britannia Miniatures. 

Copplestone Castings, Warm Acre, EM4 Miniatures, The Assault Group, BritainiaMiniatures, Fenris Miniatures

Fenris, Spectre, Coppleston Castings, EM4, Warm Acre, Hasslefree

Empress, Hasslefree, Spectre, Eureka, The Assault Group,

I hope you fight this helpful.

Spectre Miniatures Goes Live!

Just a quick heads up, the Spectre Miniatures Kick Starter went live today, and I am already a backer- I have pledged at Contractor level, but will be looking to increase this if more cash becomes available.

The prices are good, averaging about £2 per model, and that includes postage. The KS is set up so that you can order the number of packs you want, and not that you are tied in to buying any particular bundles, so if you only want say Special  Forces, PMC or CIA, then you can buy exactly what you want. This is sensible because their will be many collectors who don't need the African troops (obviously I do) then they can tailor the KS to their own needs.

There are a few stretch goals that look rather interesting too, and a KS exclusive mini called 'deniable asset' and anyone who pledge get a PDF version of the rules too- so that's handy. 

More Spectre Miniatures: Kick Starter Approaches!

Here are a few more pictures of the forthcoming figures for the Spectre Miniatures Kick Starter due to start 1st May. As you can see, they are rather nice. If I could have commissioned someone to make a range of figures for my personal amusement, then it would have probably looked a lot like this range, the more I see the more excited I get. 

Here is a link Spectre Miniatures

CIA Operator In Seatown, Northern Zugando

Chuck 'Mustang' McLean is a CIA intelligence operator in Zugando. He travels under the pretence of being a freelance photo journalist: something the other photo-journalist resent because they believe- quite rightly- that it puts them in danger. His job is to handle a number of local intelligence assets in Northern Zugando, and in particular in the PRA held city of Seatown. It's dangerous work, and Mustang never travels unarmed. 

This model is 

from the new company Spectre Miniatures...as yet unreleased. I managed to pick it up at Salute 2014, just last week, off the guys form Spectre, who were promoting their new modern African wargaming Kick Starter (due to start 1st May). I just did a quick 30 minute paint job on it to get it ready to photograph, because I am busy with the Lead Painters League. 

It is a lovely model- well sculpted, realistically proportioned and without any tag or casting lines on any sort: I literally painted it as it was- no prep at all! 

If this is the standard of Spectre's work- we are in for a treat!

Spectre Miniatures News

Spectre Miniatures have just published a new picture on their Facebook page of a PMC- very nice!

Also- I have to issue an apology for giving duff information- The Spectre Miniatures Kick Starter is starting on 1st May (not 31st as I said in the previous post). This is bother good and bad news- good because it means I wont have to wait as long, and bad because that means I have less time to scrounge the money I need to max out on this Kick Starter!

Salute 2014 and Some Exciting News

Yesterday found me at Salute 2014. 

I had a great day spending too much money on little bits of lead and plastic. For my Zugando stuff I picked up some T34/85's from Bolt Action which will be ex-soviet union army surplus in the service of the PRA and Zugandan army (something for the Nigerian Army T55 to shoot at!). In addition I bought two African Militia operating a DshK HGM on an AA mount- which should deter those pesky I-COZ helicopters- from Eureka Miniatures. I have also just received  (in the post) a lot more PRA 'regular troops' from the Assault Group, so it looks like the PRA should be receiving an influx of reinforcements soon.

A DshK HMG- not helo friendly!

Salute gave me the first opportunity to play Skirmish Sangin- I only played for about 1/2 hour, and the pace was a little slow as they demonstrates had to explain the rules, but it seems quite fun for a small scale skirmish game (about 6-10 models aside). It is something I would want to try again and there is certainly nothing in the rules that are specific enough to the Afghan Theatre that would mean I couldn't transfer the Action to modern West Africa. 

Skirmish Sangin now has a UK distributor lined up and will be producing their own range of New Zealand army figures that look very comparable with Empress Miniatures modern range. 

The guys from Skirmish Sangin have come over from New Zealand to promote their game at Salute and rather than ship a game table across the world they knocked together a quick table form carpet tiles and mats the bought from B+Q. I think it has worked a treat- a quick and easy method of getting a gaming table together. 

I saw some very lovely gaming tables there- no quite as many as previous years perhaps, but this one stood out as excellent. It was a battle from Red Star Miniatures representing the battle of Dien Bien Phur- in Indochina, 1954. It is an excellent example of a jungle board- and I would love a board like this for Zugando.

I can dream...

In Other News..

A new company announced it's presence at Salute- Spectre Miniatures are going to launch a Kick Starter, starting 31st May, to produce their range of modern wargaming minis. They have 70+ minis sculpted and ready for casting. Like an idiot I forgot to photograph them but I can assure you they are lovely- they are comparable in site and sculpting style to the modern being made by Empress and Eureka- so that is cool. This is a Kick Starter I will certainly be backing to the hilt- I better get saving!

Here is a link to their Facebook site. 

CIA "Wet Team" Operative In Zugando

It's been a while since I posted, but mainly because I am waiting for my USMC to arrive from the Empress Miniatures Kick Starter. In the mean time I had this figure in my to-do pile an thought it was worth getting done. 

The CIA are active in Zugando, attempting to gather intel on the PRA and terrorist groups who might threaten the US and their allies. They also have an undisclosed number of 'Wet Teams' operating in the country. These specialist operators are nearly all ex-special forces, and can be called in when the CIA need to get their hands bloody. They work independently, but in support of, the US Special Forces, and their actions are highly classified and covert.

This figure is from Hasslefree, and is just exquisite. I knew I had to have one- unfortunately the HF figures are expensive, and so I can't afford to do many- my plan is to do a fire team of four. I painted it in a fairly generic colour scheme- no badges or identifying features. I chose a muted colour scheme inspired by Strike Back and Call of Duty. 

The rather cool atmospheric photograph was a total fluke, as I took it in my lounge in just the electric light as the sky was so grey it might as well have been night time.