Let’s start this Wargaming Week, covering the 20th through to the 26th of August.
BLOG STUFF
This week’s post was all about the GRU OPERATIVES currently available from Spectre. I really like this range although the promise of new figures were just the kick I needed to get them finished off. I’m definitely going to plan some more missions using these guys.
The older figures I think could do with a repaint – it’s a nice feeling to see how much I’ve improved since I first painted them in 2015 (back when my photo taking was even worse). Fingers crossed I can tweak the paint jobs without stripping them entirely
NEWS
Special Artisan Service Miniatures now has a UK stockist in the form of Infamous JT. You can find the various SASM products at their site (DISCONTINUED).
For people looking for some Chinese focused figures, there is currently a kickstarter running. Offering a lot of CAD designed female PLA forces, this could be an interesting project. Not for me (seeing as I’m not working on a Chinese force) but you can find the project at on Kickstarter
Red Vector, whose buildings’ have looked at previously, has just finished a move and is now back to his usual tricks. I also think he’s up to some madness as he’s announced a cargo ship (inspired by the picture) coming soon. He’s mentioned it’s going to be 5ft long which is one hell of a centrepiece. If you’re looking for a way to use this, it will be perfect for one of the scenarios in Plausible Deniability.
Table Top Tactical Simulations have shown off the painted version of their Flat Bed HEMTT truck. As you can see it looks pretty great, although it is only 1/56 rather than my preferred 1/50. By the sounds of it this will avaliable for pre-order soon, with delivery aimed for the fourth quarter.
Okay so this week we have had a pile of new updates from Spectre. First up, lets kick off with some releases! Friday evening saw a pile of new stuff, including the stowage that has been previewed before (such as earlier this week). Rather than the previously released single pack, the stowage has been broken out into smaller themed sets, letting you pick up elements you need. It also adds some new items, like the Javelin rounds and some bergens (including the return of some from the old SAS Recon Patrol). The only items missing are the sand tracks but Spectre have said they will be coming soon. Additionally, these packs are now being cast in resin rather than metal, which may help to fix supply concerns.
These packs (Launchers, Coolers and Fuel, Containers and Ammo, Bergens and Daysacks, and Comms And Countermeasures) are available now on the Spectre site
Just as I published my article on all the Russian figures available from Spectre, they decided to release a brand new pack! Luckily these guys are FSB rather than GRU so would have missed the cut anyway (at least, thats the excuse I’m going for).
This killteam is dressed up for covert action but the guns are anything but. All the weapons designed for defeating body armour, from suppressed ASh-12.7 bulpup assault rifles to heavy hitting suppressed pistols. I really like these guys – with balaclavas and civilian clothing (as well as the massive rifles) they are perfect for shenanigans. Also the baseball cap + ear defenders look makes anyone cool. They match the same pricing as other squad packs and you can find them on the Spectre site when you’re ready to kick some doors.
Finally Spectre put up their Q&A video! As well as showing off the wall of cool in their office, they also managed to answer plenty of questions, drop a pile of hints and even fit in plenty of interrupting dog. If you want a hint of what’s coming next from Spectre, it’s well worth a watch!
PURCHASES
No pictures but you can probably guess what got in my cart from Spectre. As well as the FSB kill team, I also grabbed a few other bits for building Humvee 3. This is going to be a regular Humvee (with the sloped back) and with an automatic grenade launcher up top, as well as the FLIR camera from the new stowage. Of course, I’ve also grabbed the rest of the stowage so I can make them look a bit more used. And of course… the minigun was back in stock so I just had to add it to the cart.
Also not technically purchases but one of my friends has been cleaning out his old warhammer collection. While I mule the bulk of it to my wargames buddy in York, I did get a chance to pick a few figures out for my own collection. I was able to resist the pile of easy fit Space Marines (as they are tiny compared to the Primaris) but I couldn’t help but pick up the Dreadnought, some easy fit Termiantors and (a figure I’ve wanted since he first appeared) the downed pilot figure from Battle of Macragge box. The pilot is going to be a great character for Kill Team (possibly as an objective marker) while the others could be fun to house rule into Kill Team. For when things go very wrong.
HOBBY
I managed to get some wargaming in this week! A quick trip to the wargames club saw me tempted in by a dusty plain and so I found myself in control of some of the Boers as the horde of the British Empire appeared on the horizon. I’m going to do a write up on Wednesday as I have quite a few pictures and it gives me a chance to talk about “The Men Who Would Be Kings” and playing pre-WW2 wargames.
In terms of actual hobby work, it’s mainly been moving things forward. I assembled a few more Primaris marines for Killteam but most of the work has been on the Humvees. You’ll see more in this week’s post but I’ve finally broken out the paint.
That’s it for this update, expect more updates next week!