Khurasan Polecat Armoured Light Utility Vehicle

I couldn't resist this. I've ordered one even though I have a pile of figures waiting to be painted. Available here.

15mm Scifi Miniatures Comparison Pt4

The in the last comparison I mentioned a difference in size with the new "Nostromo" crew figures compared to some newer 15mm scifi and a few commented that they didn't see a size difference. Here's another pic showing those alongside both Khurasan's Federal Army, Critical Mass's Arc Recon, and Oddzial Osmy's New Vistula Legion. The Federal Trooper shows clearly the difference I was meaning.

15mm Scifi Miniatures Comparison Pt3

Today I received an order from Khurasan. I've come to expect the very best from this company and I wasn't disappointed.

I'd ordered a pack of Control Battalion Infantry, a pack of Control Battalion Command, the Commercial Freighter Crew (the crew from Alien), and a pack of the new Government Forces in Power Armour. 

The first packs I opened were the Control Battalions. These are great, crisply designed figures, perfectly in scale with the newer and larger 15mm scifi ranges. Obviously these match with the Sepulvedan Resistence figures - and they are armed with the same weapons - so I plan to use these as the same faction.

Next I opened the Commercial Freighter Crew. My first thought was the oppisite of when I opened the SHM aliens from 15mm.co.uk earlier this week - where those were bulky, large figures, these were really quite small. I had to grab an old Traveller figure to compare right away. And these ARE small, with the figures shorter than the old figures I had from 20 years ago - I'm not sure why Khurasan have opted for smaller figures when so many they produce are that little bit bigger. Size aside, they are great figures, and I'm looking forward to watching Alien again to get the colours for these.

Lastly, I opened the Government Forces in Power Armour figures... now these guys are BIG!! And I don't mean that the look out of scale. I mean they look like how GWs Space Marines should look compared to other human figures in the same scale. They are fantastic, absolutely stunning, and I'm hoping that Khurasan expands this faction. These armoured troopers are going to be perfect for the security forces of my Fyoder Industries faction - tough, heavy, and intimidating - just great for supressing the locals.

Here's a comparison shot of these figures alongside some others from various other manufacturers...

Left to right, these are: Laserburn Crewman, Khurasan Control Battalion, Traveller Militia, Micropanzer SAS, Khurasan Freighter Crew (x2), Khurasan Government Forces Power Armour, and a Traveller Mid-Tech Trooper.

**Oops - I've just noticed the "Ripley" figure is facing the wrong way**

Eastway City Militia Part 1 - Commanders

Eastway City Governing Council assigned the command of their Militia forces to the veteran soldier, Colonel Etevino Cassado. Assisted by his ever-present Aide-de-camp Maria Zadgorski, he aims to form the undisiplined Militia units into a cohesive fighting force. He also has ambitions of becoming a political leader and has his sights set on control of the Governing Council. He is a firm believer in independance for the people of Forsey and openly speaks out against Fyoder Industries stranglehold on the planet. He has also show a distrust of the Federal Peacekeeping forces, who he believes are only there at the bequest of Fyoder. Cassado is always accompanied by armed guards wherever he goes.

Cassado and his entourage are from the old Traveller range of figures. I picked these up recently from eBay and they were in great condition for their age. These are still available from RAFM in the Space Vixens, Planetary Militia, and Crewmen sets.

Llumm Assa, Kardul Bodyguard

Llumm Assa has journeyed to Forsey to seek employment as a bodyguard. After travelling throughout the inner worlds of the Federation in the employment of various Trade Lords and Corporate Princes, this aging Kardul has found work harder to find. He had hoped that he would find employment with Fyoder Industries, but as that corporation has it's own Droid security forces in place, Llumm is hoping on of the planets many local militia groups will employ him.

This miniature is a Kardul Bodyguard (SHM35) from 15mm.co.uk's SHM range available here.

15mm.co.uk's SHM Range New Releases

This morning I received a much anticipated order of a selection the new 15mm scifi figs from 15mm.co.uk's SHM range. I only ordered a day or two ago so the service was great. When I opened the box my first impression was that I was a little surprised how large these guys are. They're all a lot bigger or taller than a regular 15mm figure. Not that that is a complaint, they are aliens after all. After a closer look I really like these, and I'm looking forward to getting them painted.

In the meantime, here's a comparison pic with an old Traveller figure, which is smaller than current ranges, and a Khurasan Federal Trooper which is a good indication of the size of most newer humanoid figures.

You can find this range at 15mm.co.uk in the SHM Range.

I also received an old cheap Star Wars toy that will be converted to a cargo ship. Here it is along with a couple of figs (and a curious kitten) for scale...

I think this needs a fair bit of work. One of the engines is loose and I'll need to box in the open areas, but hopefully this will look pretty cool when done. The old traveller figure in the pic is one I finished last night. I've just picked up a pile of these old figures and they are just as good now as they were 20 years ago.

15mm Laserburn Mercenary in Dreadnaught Armour

I first got into 15mm scifi way, way, way back when I was in school, when I ordered some figures that I had seen advertised in White Dwarf (before it only had GW products). I remember asking my mum for a cheque and having to hand over my savings. A couple of weeks later I had a copy of Laserburn, the Assualt on Hanger 13 (I think that was what it was called) scenario pack with figures, plus a selection of other minis. I still have all those figures, even though many others I've bought over the years have since been sold off. Even now, with so many great companies producing fantastic figures for 15mm scifi, I still think some of the Laserburn figures can stand up against newer figures and look as good.

My favourite figure must have been the dreadnaught armoured mercenary. It's a little short by modern figure standards but it looks great. It's one of those armour designs you could imagine being able to take a pounding and still keep coming. It's still available from 15mm.co.uk.

I painted this years ago, and since it's 1st coat, has only had some slight retouching. I hope you like it...

Individual Basing

After deciding to base my figures on multiple bases I have suddenly changed my mind and decided to go with individual bases. I'd planned on individual bases originally but was never happy with the size of coins that were easily available, ie 1p and 5p pieces - 1p being too large and 5p too expensive.

Now thanks to warbases I have the perfect size bases. Only thing is I now have a load of painted figures that will need rebased.... so it's off to work!!

The bases come in various sizes. I opted for 15mm circles, 2mm deep. These come in packs of 30 and at £1.20 a pack, that's great value. They are made from laser cut MDF so are quite lightweight but not so as to cause any issues. Here's a pic of the bases with coins for scale...

I've started basing some figures that were already needing bases, rather than those already based. Here's a comparison pic of three minis, all from Khurasan - the first is a Federal Trooper on a 1p, the next is their bounty hunter based on a Euro 1 cent, and the last is a Selpuvedan Rebel on a new 15mm base. I found that I had to use the thicker Super Glue to stick the figures as the more fluid glue is absorved by the MDF. I'm not sure if a strong PVA wood glue would hold the figures, that's something I'll need to try out.

And here's the work in progress of the newly based figures, glued to the bases and sand added using PVA glue. Once these are dry I'll paint the ground with Games Workshop Graveyard Earth, then drybrush the same with added white, then some grass and tufts etc, and I'll post the finished figures soon.

Distractions!!

I really need to get back to this project. A not-so-brief foray into 18mm napoleonics and then finishing off some 28mm greek/macedonians means that my 15mm scifi stuff has been sitting way too long untouched. Plus I'm on the verge of rebasing my figures onto individual bases!!! All I need is bases that are the right size, cheao and easy to come by.

Edit: Since posting this I've ordered a couple of packs of 15mm circular bases from Warbases. Once these arrive I'll be popping some of the painted figures off there bases and individually basing them.

Also, I've just received a pack of Alien Civilians from Brigade Games. These are great little figures, full of character, that will be getting painted and stuck onto the new bases when they arrive.