Category: News

One exciting thing about Modern Wargaming is seeing a new company coming online doing something new. Anthalonica Wargaming is one such new company, coming out soon with a release of brand new range focused around police action in the UK. They have already shown off a few sculpts and I have to say, I’m pretty interested in seeing the final product. Based off some of the Facebook posts, I think the 28mm range is (in part) done by Anton at Flytrap Factory. There are definitely some similarities to the Contiki guys done by him in the past and he does do some good work. But enough hypothesizing, let’s take a look at the models.

First up, we have a pair of Authorised Firearm Officers. These guys have full kit – fast helmets, body armour and a shitload of other kit. Weapon wise, we’re looking at SIG MCX rifles and sideams, as well as potentially a taser to deal with non-lethal situations.

You can also see a nice size comparison to the Empress US Infantry in this picture which is promising. They seem to be pretty similar proportionally.

The second pair shows some variations in the range. Another figure with an MCX, although this one is wearing a baseball cap (while being listed as a headswap figure) while the last is armed with a G36C for a bit of variation. You can see plenty of details on them which is cool, showing just how much kit they have on.

Finally, the other element of the range being shown so far is some upcoming western civilians. This is definitely a gap in the market, the rise in Special Forces/Zombies games not quite matching to the additional units needed for it. There is a nice variety to them, from the well dressed to the local street slummers. Even better, some of these figures will have armed doubles, ideal for any situation where the action has a chance to kick off on the roll of a dice.

We’ve also got these two previews of the masters for the four armed officers. As you can see, they are looking pretty good, with a lot of the detail maintained. I’m looking forward to seeing more of them in the flesh (well metal) and how well they paint up.

Overall, this is an interesting looking range, and it will definitely be on my to buy list when they come out. Not especially because I plan on doing some police action, but I think most of these guys would still work really well in other roles in modern wargaming – perhaps as non-government private military groups or something similar. I’ll be keeping an eye on them, and will probably pick some up when they are released.

Well it’s the spookiest time of the year, and with things coming back to life, what a better time for Spectre to release it’s new figures! Following on from the previews earlier this month, we now have all four of those releases as well as a special halloween release!

This fighter is wearing basic and outdated off the shelf CBRN kit. Unlikely to give meaningful or long lasting protection from hazardous environments, what ever job he is doing, he must do it quickly.

He is armed with a stripped down MILKOR grenade launcher, intended for use in relative short distance and to cause maximum panic and destruction, the optics have been scrapped as precise aiming is not needed.

https://www.spectreminiatures.com/collections/all/products/copy-of-aftermath-kill-team

As I guessed, the Aftermath crew now has some long range 40mm support. Should be a useful addition to your CBRN team when they get up to no good.

Another guess I got right as well! The AMG is a cool looking MG, and I’ve really enjoyed using it in Call of Duty. It’s also a featured weapon in the new hypernotes from Black Powder, Red Earth, so it’s definitely a weapon keeping an eye on. The Tier 1 guys now have two different LMGs, ready for some fire and move.

This FSB operative is using the Belarusian made Groza-R quadcopter killer. Produced in large numbers for export, this is the perfect deniable anti-drone weapon. The weapon works by forcing the drone to land, or moving it at high speed into an object. Both outcomes have the same effect!

He carries a suppressed MA compact assault rifle, chambered in 5.45mm for personal protection. Under his civilian clothing, he is wearing a concealable anti-fragmentation vest, with an apron which can be stowed under his jacket.

https://www.spectreminiatures.com/collections/all/products/fsb-groza

This figure I guessed wrong! Although the range and weapons were correct, the upper half as were I got it wrong. The Groza-R weapon is something really cool, perfect to fight off the hordes of drones a modern insurgency might have got their hands on. Definitely a new aspect for the game.

This operative is carrying an MGK Bur Grenade launcher. Touted as the smallest grenade launcher in the world. It is a disposable variant of the RPO thermobaric launcher – technically described as a flame thrower, although it can also fire fragmentation warheads. Equipped with thermal sights, this weapon is a very versatile addition to any Russian force.

He carries an unsuppressed MA compact for defence. In addition to his fragmentation protection, he also carries a helmet with ballistic visor if extra protection is required.

https://www.spectreminiatures.com/collections/all/products/fsb-bur

Finally, time for the RPO thermobaric launcher. I’m really looking forward to getting this painted up – I can already see a small FSB kill team using this weapon to remove a fortified position during a raid before the main force arrives.

Finally, we have the special Halloween figure. You only have until Monday to get this one!

Rule the streets with this anarchist, criminal element leader. Style is far more important than function for this hardened fighter. Confusion of your opponents is a more effective defence than armour ever could be!

Equipped with a customised Minimi Para LMG – this model is perfect for accompanying criminal element gangs, or in a post apocalypse setting, fighting our Agent models. 

They will underestimate you. Use it to your advantage.

https://www.spectreminiatures.com/collections/all/products/minimi-mouse-halloween-limited-edition-figure

…Look okay, it’s Halloween, it’s time for silly figures. I’m sure lots of people will like this but it doesn’t quite fall into my interests, and I struggle to see how I’d tweak it into something more in line with my collection. And yes, I have locked the collector in me into a box and told him to shut up.

Spectre is back! These new figures add some cool capabilities to your collection, as well as containing Spectre’s focus on ultra modern and new technology. I’m looking forward to what comes up next.

I’ve got news to share! So, with the death of Wargaming Week, my opportunity to share news has been limited to only Facebook. And, as much as that site is useful, it is still a hellsite that I perfectly understand why people avoid it. So, as we slowly return to having news to share, I’m going to be posting it here so that everyone can see the news.

So Spectre, who has had to act rapidly to get the fulfilment issues under control, has just shown off some new and upcoming releases (now they are getting the stock levels under better control). With four new figures on their way to extend/support existing ranges, it’s time for me to break out the handy magnifying glass and some internet sleuthing to try and ruin everyone’s surprises! However, I am not an arms expert – these are all rough guesses so take them with a pinch of salt.

Up first, we have a relatively easy one. The gas mask and chemical suit gives him away as a new member of the Aftermath team (released earlier this year).

The addition of a Milkor 40mm grenade launcher probably means that the Aftermath set is one of the heaviest armed, with an RPG, PKM and now an MGL to really ruin anyone’s day.

Figure 2 I think is taking us back to one of Spectre’s most popular (and one of my favourite ranges), the Tier 1 Operators. The cap, lightweight clothing and belt mounted pistol are the main signifiers.

As for the gun, I think it’s one of the Knight’s Armament LMGs, something addicts to Modern Warfare will recognise as the Finn. I’m not 100% sure if it’s a 5.56 light MG or the 7.62mm medium MG but based on the size of the mag, I’m leaning towards the Medium Machine Gun (as seen above). This will give you a nice chunky base of fire gun for a Tier 1 team, especially if paired with the Mk46 they already have.

Now, we get onto the interesting one. Spectre have these listed as “supports to an existing range” but I don’t recognise this one. The most obvious addition is the line launcher linked to the backpack, ideal for getting your team up to high places. The figure is possibly wearing a bump helmet (ideal for climbing) and has the look of a high tier merc team from a Nolan film. However, the interesting bit is the gun. It has a very AK look to the curve of the magazine, as well as some Valmet/Galil features but it’s also very modern and tactical. There has been some great discussion in the Chargeblog Research Group (aka Twitter dms) trying to guess what it is. I’m thinking it looks very much like the guns from the Chinese Special Forces Assault Squad but it’s not quite 100% the same. Either way, this is going to be an exciting release.

EDIT: Stop the presses! Thanks to the tireless work of the Research Group, they have managed to find a possible contender. This is the AMB-17 from Kalashnikov, a suppressed assault rifle that is similar to the classic VAL in function. If this is the gun on the side, it seems like the Russians will be getting another assaulter ideal for getting the drop on the bad guys.

Now for the final figure (and the reason for the title of this news post). He’s a very interesting setup – civilian clothing but heavy body armour, a head covering and something held in his hand… Oh and the rocket launcher. After looking around, I’m pretty sure this is a new addition to the FSB line. Let me explain why.

This is an RPO PDM-A Shmel-M. It’s a thermobaric launcher used by the Russian Military as a “rocket assisted flamethrower” – basically bunker busting/room clearing with a longer range punch. This is ideal for close quarters battle (especially if you’ve read the rules for thermobarics in the Spectre rules). As for the rest of the figure, the mix of armour and clothing is very similar to the puffy coat wearing FSB Kill Team CQB Specialist. The helmet (which looks like a visor carrying Russian one) would be handy if you’re firing the launcher. It’s also good to see he isn’t just a single weapon figure – if you look closely at his right leg you can see a piece of metal that is probably a weapon slung over his shoulder.

That’s my coverage of this preview. It’s a really interesting set of figures, perfect for some releases to add to your existing teams to give you a few additional options in your games. We’ll have to see if these are the only specialists we’re seeing or maybe a few extra figures not quite ready for primetime. If there are, you can be sure I’ll be covering it on the news posts!