[Firestorm] Taskforce

Yep, it seems Spartan is back on the horse with producing new games!


Kraggi at the Varcan Cluster and the guys at Element 270 has the official press release, so I'll just link to them:

Personally, I think that this is just what Spartan should be doing when producing new games: Looking at what their existing minis could be used for, produce a rule set for that particular instance, perhaps with some accompanying support in the form of new models (like these).

Interest generated in the new game, interest generated in the parent game system, and with some small conversion work regarding rules a large model base with little effort (I'd actually assume that a few Armada ships will have Taskforce rules upon release, but I know what happens when I assume...).

I've already ordered a few sets (two starter sets get me enough to field full squads in Armada, and choose how I want to equip the Medium Squadron in Taskforce (Two Cruiser-carriers? No problem!)

Even with terrain setup, a game of Taskforce should play nicely in about and hour, a rare sweet spot in mini gaming...

MMXVI - Project planning and task management

So, with the summary of the year left behind done, what is the aim going forward?
Suffice to say, this blog is doing what it is supposed to do, but I feel that it could be further developed....

MMXV AAR

So, back about a year ago I made a some attempts at a plan for my hobby year, and indirectly this blog.
With my posting frequency reduced of late, I'll at least make a summary of how well my crystal ball musings held up (warning, wall of text lying in ambush behind the cut!):

Tis the season...

Strangely enough, it's been a bit busy with holiday preparations here at the Hobby Front, but I've managed a little bit of hobby time in the calm before the storm:

[Antares]: Campaign part 1

So, it seems that Antares has really picked up locally, the usual gulli... sorry, 'easily enthused' have started armies, and a few more are leaning in to see what the fuss is about.
There is even talk of starting a campaign, in a slow grow format, allowing people to get their bearings in a controlled manner:

[Antares] C3 progress

 So, despite real life rearing its head and throwing spanners in the works, I've managed some progress towards having a playable force of IMTel citizens:

The seventh age of Mankind...

THE SEVENTH AGE

Humanity has spread throughout space, to new worlds and distant galaxies, to places and realities undreamt of by our distant ancestors. Interplanetary civilisations have flourished and fallen six times over, collapsing and rising anew over countless centuries. Humankind’s first home – the planet Earth –was destroyed long ago during the forgotten wars of the Prime Imperia. Of humanity’s early history, the colonisation of space, and evolution into numerous and diverse species, little is now remembered. Today is the The Seventh Age: the last and greatest age of humankind.

As mentioned previously, I've started working a bit on a set of new 28mm minis. Some of you might have recognized the models on the painting table as a Concord NuHu Mandarin and Drop Trooper, from the new game Beyond the Gates of Antares (or simply 'the Antares game').

I've been following the development of the game ever since the failed kickstarter last year (it is still the only Kickstarter I've ever backed!), and I must admit to being very happy that the game now has a public release!

I've tested the beta rules a little bit, and they are about what I like from a large-scale game; enough detail that a game has enough options with 15-20 models on the table, while still having a nice flow and not getting bogged down in minutiae (during one of the test games we had trouble remembering which turn it was, because we'd gone through so many activations without thinking about it!)

I'm currently painting up a small force of Concorde Combined Command, or C3, a high-tech human civilisation (or The human civilisation, if you ask them) being ruled over by the Intergrated Machine Intelligence, IMTel, a giant Artificial Intelligence.

Here are some WIP shots:

My small force assembled and primed, Drop Troops and a Medium Weapon drone, as well as some flyer bases.

Colour scheme tester, from what I had lying around at home. Gray primer, turquoise chest piece, metallic weapon, and some Army Painter Dip to finish it off. 
As a proof of concept, good enough, but the actual Antares models will have more work put into them.






WIP C3 Drop Troops (with a NuHu Mandarin in the background). Basically the C3s invasion forces, goes in first (using Grav Chutes, whatever that is), to establish a beachhead for the regulars to fill in to.
I've attached them to 30mm hex MDF bases, to have something to hold on to when painting.

Test base (for my Medium Weapons drone). The idea is a arid Mars-type landscape, with some brighter cliffs.







Thats it for now, but I've got a feeling there will be more updates coming soon....