Category: News

News: Games Workshop – “The Dead and the Divine”

Posted on by Michael Charge

Look.

It’s very hard to get away from Games Workshop as a hobbyist. For all of their flaws (and by god there are many of them), they have continued to make some of the best-designed models in the industry as well as useful hobby items (if you find them for the right price). It’s also definitely the main entry point for most wargamers, with the shops on the high street providing a one-stop point of corruption for many.

This weekend saw the latest of their major previews and the first for 2021. Taking place on Twitch and the Warhammer Community websites, these replace similar preview events at conventions such as Adepticon or Warhammer Grand Tournaments that haven’t been taking place due to the current situation. These previews usually cover a wide range of products that will come out over the next six months and oh man, did we get some cool stuff.

First up, Sisters of Battle… sorry Adepta Sororitas are getting themselves a war suit. Similar to the Dreadknight the Grey Knights got (which look incredibly dumb), these warsuits will provide an alternative to Penitent Engines that are a bit more Cool Battlesuit and a bit less “horrifying punishment machine”. Its definitely not for everyone but I think the idea is really cool – the sisters are portrayed as Knights in a way, so seeing them armour up to take the fight to the monsters is suitably gothic.

The model however, I’d personally have added some more intricate detail on the armour panels – it looks very much like the Primaris releases, with large panels with no detail. They mentioned this in the preview as a way to allow people to add their down free-hand painted artwork (as Sisters fans often do) but for the less skilled amongst us, having the extra texture helps.

On the other hand, I have had several people plan on removing the armoured plate, swapping the Sister out for a guardsman, mounting a lascannon on them and using them as a Sentinal alternative. I think this sounds great but frankly, it just needs a big knife to finish the touch.

Now, this bit is one of Games Workshop’s little sneaky tricks. Last year, they showed off the Heavy Intercessors back in September as part of the preview for the 9th Edition Space Marine codex. As someone who likes heavily armoured chaps with guns (and especially guns held like a chain saw), I’ve been looking forward to adding them to my Deathwatch collection. Except, despite being included in that preview, the kit is yet to appear. Despite the statlines being in the Space Marine codex, no sign of their release. Fast forward to Saturday and what should be part of this kit? The Heavy Intercessors (and their Captain) have arrived!

The good news is that this box is pretty exciting – Heavy Intercessors and Flayed Ones, cool characters, new Necron terrain and a complete set of stuff for getting into Killteam (including rules for figures from last year’s 9th Edition starter set). The guys at Goonhammer have made some comments on how unsuitable it is for getting into the game (based on points of the two forces included) but I’m more interested in knowing how many people will be buying this box purely to strip it for parts and sell off on eBay. I’m sure GW likes getting the number of sales that this tactic works, but I would love to know

No release date yet, but I’ll be keeping an eye open for the armoured boys on eBay when this box is released.

There is a new titan coming for Titanicus! This isn’t really on my radar as a game but based on the reaction of the Titan fans in the chat, people are quite hype to add a new Titan.

Age of Sigmar continues to release models that makes me sit there going “how the hell did you design this?”. I’m not the biggest fan of the Lumineth Realm-Lords line of figures but I can definitely appreciate the work and technical care used to make them come to life. They are also making models that fit their fantastical world, rather than simply rehashing Warhammer Fantasy design in new armour. Some of the shadows in the video below are very interesting, including what looks like some new Elven Swordmasters.

Despite being someone who just picked up some Witch Elves from GW, I’m not that fussed about the new battletome that the Daughters of Khaine are getting. However, I do very much like the Endless Spells. While designed in the game to be the effect of a mage at work, I think that giant blood snake is a really good looking model. I might end up picking this stuff up as my legion of villains for fantasy skirmish expands.

And speaking of fantasy villians, god damn am I picking up these figures. Warhammer Underworlds as a game is yet to get it’s snares into me but I think it continues to be one of Games Workshop’s best ranges. By only needing a very small number of figures per group, they can go all out making some cool and dynamic ranges. These vampires do a fantastic job of both harking back to the day of Warhammer Fantasy, while also feeling like the Age of Sigmar times. I also like how each vampire feels like a unique hero but all the group fit together thanks to a few similar features. Sadly, I think this set has already booked out some space on my shelf (and in my figure database).

Speaking of ranges that let Games Workshop show off (and has found a slot in my wallet), the secret reveal in the preview was the announcement of a brand new Warhammer Quest game, Cursed City. Warhammer Quest is a board game with a pile of miniatures, letting players (between 1 and 4) take their heroes on missions against the insidious enemy (be that the game or the person controlling the villains). There have already been three other Warhammer Quest games (two in the Age of Sigmar setting and one in 40k) and each brought with it a set of exciting and unique hero miniatures (apart from Shadow over Hammerhal that bundled existing models together), often that stepped away from the existing release to bring you other elements of the setting.

And oh boy, the first hero shown off is definitely new, yet also familar. This is a Vampire Hunter and the “pop-off” in the voice chat I was in when he was shown was immense. I really like this the design of him – sure it’s over the top, but he has that real Van Helsing look to him, covered in his tools of the trade including the long rifle with underslung stake launcher.

Key Art

We also have some guesses from looking at the Social Media artwork at the top. The website lists 8 heroes and the previews have shown us 6 so far:

  • Jelsen Darrock – the Witch Hunter (previewed model + appears in the title art and the key art above)
  • A human captain in plate armour with sword and wolf pelt over their shoulder (appears in the title art)
  • One of the Dwarfs of AoS armed with a giant harpoon (appears in the title art and the key art)
  • Some form of mage/priest (as shown on the left in the title image)
  • What appears to be some kind of Elf with Antlers (centre frame in the key art)
  • A bulky Ogre looking brute with a carved face on his shoulder (right side of the key art)

Of course, heroes need villains. The setting of Cursed City is a location in the Realm of Death so we’re going to be fighting a lot of undead – including this rather fantastic looking model. He is one of five Overlords the heroes will need to fight, as well as presumably a pile of horde figures you’ll need to fight past before they overwhelm you. Gorslav is perfectly gribbly, looking like something out of Pan’s Labyrinth. I’m looking forward to seeing who else we’ll be going up against.

With just these first two figures, and as well as the trailer that announced it, Games Workshop is going for very Gothic Horror feel to the game. It is also VERY heavily reminiscent of the game Darkest Dungeon, with the stark colours and ominous tone. Perhaps our heroes might have more to contend with in the Cured City than simply survival of body?

Also yes, I am already signing myself up for this. These figures would probably match up with more grounded fantasy and would be ideal for setting up some Frostgrave gangs.

Overall, a pretty good preview. A nice mix of models and ranges, giving most players something interesting to look at. Even if you weren’t excited for anything in particular, there is still some really nicely designed kits coming and a new Warhammer Quest is definitely a high point among them.

And then on Sunday, GW announced next week’s pre-orders. As well as Dark Angels and the required Primaris releases, the new warband for Underworlds is coming. I have a soft spot for the Chaos Warriors in their plate armour and frankly, it’s a good set if you just want a few heavily armoured figures to pick up.

News: Sarissa Precision Compound Releases

Posted on by Michael Charge

Way back in March of 2020 (you know, back when I made Wargaming Weekly and we could meet people for wargames shows) I mentioned that Sarissa Precision was releasing a version of the Alamo (snore)… and then they showed us this.

And I suddenly realised just how useful a board full of small corridors and huts just waiting to be fought through, especially in small scale skirmish games. I haven’t yet managed to paint mine (although it is now assembled) but honestly, the main thing I thought while assembling is that “man this is great for the Alamo but I need more bits to make a proper compound setup”.

Well in good news, Sarissa is now releasing the Alamo and (even better) it has produced several packs designed for Modern Wargamers. There are currently three packs available. However, before we take a look at them, there is one thing to mention. All these buildings rely on Sarissa’s terrain tile system – the buildings actually clip directly into them. I was pleasantly surprised to find the tiles fit together rather well, snug enough to hold together without being impossible to remove and tidy away. However, the tiles do make it harder to assemble on boards that don’t use them… or have things such as “elevation changes”. Just a warning, your mileage may vary.

Skirmish Compound Alpha gives you two l-shaped buildings that can be fit together in several ways. These buildings are the core of the full Alamo kit and make for some really cool setup. For example, take a look at the image above – that dog leg between the buildings just screams for an ambush or a squirter making a break for it from an assault elsewhere.

Skirmish Compound Bravo comes with two buildings and a wall section, with an example layout above. The wall is taller than most characters and, I noticed, is not one of the destructible walls included in the main set. I can definitely see it being useful when assembling a compound by offering a larger area to play around in.

Finally, if you want both packs together, Skirmish Compound Charlie packs both in giving you the ability to set up a nice dense urban area to fight through. In fact, with a few of these, you could really make a great 4′ x 4′ urban maze, filled with chokepoints, ambush sites, small buildings to hide bad guys in and everything else required to make your players take one look at the board and curse the lines in the scenario saying “Rules of Engagement” and “No Fire Support Available”.

As well as the Modern themed sets, you can also pick up the rest of the Alamo sets if you want to be more historical. There are three options – the two compound packs I picked up (giving you most of the important buildings) or go the fully monty and also get the various gun positions and defences needed to build the actual fort (for the low cost of £235).

I’m already looking at the skirmish compounds as a way of extending my existing set, getting it ready to make an impressive CQB maze. The kits are the usual high Sarissa standards, well worth the asking price. I would definitely recommend giving them a look.

News: Spectre – Delta Release Overview

Posted on by Michael Charge

The D-Boys are here! As mentioned yesterday the Delta models from Spectre were released at 10pm yesterday. Spectre is putting a two week lead time on sending out these orders based on some comments on the Spectre Operations group but even so it’s still worth going over just what’s included in the range.

The first point to make is something I think a few people have missed – all the descriptions for the Delta range explicitly mention  “This is a multipart model and required some assembly”. Now, at first you might this is generic copy inserted by the Spectre website – however, I’ve been chatting to Stephen from Spectre and he smuggled out a secret preview for me (that I’ve been cleared to share).

Yep, we’re about to see the return of two part figures. Ironically, the last time I saw figures like this was way back in 2014 with the original Delta figures. Since then, most Spectre figures have been one piece, even as the sculpting has pushed the borderline of what is possible. However, the decision to go back to multipart figures has come (as Stephen said in our messages) from issues with guns breaking or bending in transit. This (as well as the stock issues) has been one of my biggest annoyances with Spectre so it’s good to see this being mitigated through the design work.

Also interesting to note this figure is from Spectre’s new casting partner. Cleanup was (apparently) minimal to none so hopefully we can go back to figures rolling off the production line with less need to spend time clipping waste pieces off them.

But okay, enough setup lets look at the range. To steal from the marketing copy:

The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta (1st SFOD-D), more commonly known as Delta, The Unit or CAG (Combat Applications Group) are arguably the most elite, secretive unit in the world. With almost unlimited funding and access to extremely advanced technology, these models really epitomise what Spectre Miniatures are all about – SOF on the bleeding edge of modern warfare.

With guidance from advisors and after extensive research, we have very carefully decided how to represent this miniature.

These operators wear Arcteryx clothing and a mix of covert plate carriers, with light weight chest rigs and belt kit which carries extra magazines, chemlights, flash grenades and scalable frag grenades.
A mixture of Opscore and Crye Airframe helmets are also worn.

A key element of these miniatures is the integration of the Future Warrior program. Their Sig MCX Virtus SBRs are chambered for 300 Blackout and equipped with Wilcox BOSS XE optics. This next generation ‘smart’ optic monitors the performance of the weapon, counts shots and shares the information with other users in real time. Each operator also wears ‘Smart’ devices that monitor heart rate, blood oxygen and other vital statistics, which again can be viewed in real time with the unit commander and other operators. This information can also be viewed when the operator uses Enhanced night vision goggles, available as Smart Goggles from Spectre Miniatures. These enable complete integration with the other smart devices, as well as IR/Thermal hybrid and Augmented reality features.
Modified Glocks, with suppressor, red dot and light are worn as sidearms.

Key members of the unit also carry the revolutionary Slingshot communications system. To further enhance situational awareness for each operator, a smart phone is carried in a Juggernaut hard case on the chest and advanced in ear, low profile ear pieces are worn.

Spectre Marketing, Delta Assault Squad

The weapons may change based on the figure but the basic details are the same. These guys are some high end special forces tech, playing with all the latest toys. The use of Smart optics and AR is definitely bordering on the edge of Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter territory – remember when we thought Quad Eye NVGs from the SEALs was the cutting edge?

Weapon wise, we’re definitely beyond the realm of M4s and 5.56 – the assault rifles are SIG MCX variants (be they normal or the cut down Rattler) and all in .300 Blackout, a round that can be loaded subsonically and still hit with the energy of a 7.62mm AK round while keeping the STANAG mag’s capacity.

The first element of the release is a six person squad pack, giving you six shooters armed with the SIG MCX in variety of poses. This is going to be the core of your squad and it’s cool to see the variety – some in battle dress tops (even if it’s the fancy ones) while others wear softshells.

The first of the support options we’ll look at is perhaps my favourite – I have a soft spot for figures who have switched to their secondary (be it for desperation or sensible purposes). This Scout is definitely designed to be your pointman – he’s rolling a short and suppressed MCX Ratler but to be REALLY quiet he has a Glock out as his primary. It’s definitely a rather gucci one – mounting a weapon light, suppressor and (sighs) a red dot mounted on a bridge over the slide. He’s also got an AR eyepiece over his glasses, ideal for a scout to keep an eye on his teammates.

Of course my other soft spot? Breachers. Shocking I know, the man who goes airsofting covered in armour with a slung breaching shotgun likes breaching. The D-Boys get a really nice combination of gear for their Breacher – a SIG MCX Ratler as his primary and the suppressed SIX 12 ready for breaching work. The SIX 12 is an interesting gun, using removable revolver cylinders in a bullpup format to create a relatively compact shotgun that can be relatively easily swapped from separate weapon to underslung format thanks to it’s modular design.

Of course, you can’t entirely focus on close range fighting and so you’ll need some longer range support. The Marksman is rolling a full-length (and very nicely detailed) MCX Patrol with the magnified optic and MAWL laser/light box. Much like some of the other specialists, he has an AR eyepiece in place as well. I do like this guy’s pose, and I’m sure he’ll look great providing suppression while in cover.

Of course, if you prefer your suppression a little more in volume rather than precision, than the MG is the go to. Much like with the Tier 1 MG Bravo from last year, this guy is armed with the Knight Armament AMG, a medium machine gun with some rather good shooting characteristics. It also has a suppressor, laser/light unit and a holographic/magnifier combo, ideal for getting all those extra To Hit effects.

Of course, it’s not the future until you have your drones up and what better. Another Rattler user, he also is in the process of deploying a quadcopter drone ready to scan up ahead. If you bought the drone pack from a while back, you actually have the perfect model to go with this guy after deployment is done.

Finally, we have the big dog – the Commander. I really like this guy, Rattler held at a high rest while checking his smart device (which, as a neat detail, is not modelled on his vest because it’s in his hand). I think this figure might actually end up being used away from the rest of the squad as the perfect advisor model, combined with local forces or militias to provide them with training advice, and connection to the big guns.

As you can see, Spectre is kicking it’s way into the new year with a rather cool range. There are lots of cool bits of kit that will be fun on the tabletop and I’m really excited to see just people do with these models in terms of paint schemes and getting them on the table. Mine have been ordered and we’ll see them once they arrive!

News: Spectre – Updated Delta Previews

Posted on by Michael Charge

By the looks of it, between this and yesterday’s news, we have some new figures inbound. Further details tomorrow at 10am, so get those wallets ready.

Today’s preview at shows off two new figures that were not in the group shot yesterday. These look more like support choices – one holds a pocket UAV in their hand, the other seems to be checking something in their outstretched hand. I do like how the UAV operator has the chest-mounted phone holder that everyone seems to love. Interested in seeing what other support options we’ll be getting in this pack of releases – luckily we don’t have long to wait.

And of course, I jumped the gun doing a preview so early – since just after the post went live, we have more details and more photos.

Our highly anticipated new Delta range are hitting the store at 10am GMT Saturday 23rd January ’21. As with all of our figures these have been designed to represent the bleeding edge of modern warfare. The new Delta range comprises of 6 individual support figures and a 6 man squad, to allow for game flexibility. 

Spectre email – 22/01/2021

So as you can see, we are getting a full range out of these guys – 6 standard rifleman in a single squad pack and then 6 support figures separately. We’ve already seen two of these support options painted up (the two in the Instagram post at the top of the page) and another in the 3d preview (armed with the handgun and with some gear on his back) so there are three unaccounted for. Maybe some more specialist weapons (such as LMGs or marksman weapons). We’ll see the full line up tomorrow.

There are a few comments about the size difference between some of these guys. I’d say that the guy in blue is a little larger but not outside the realms of possibilities. There is some variation within the team itself, giving you a mix of guys. I think it will also look pretty good next to the partner forces, making the corn-fed American quarterbacks stand out among the locals. We’ll have to see when they come out (which we’ll see tomorrow).

News: Spectre STLs and New Releases

Posted on by Michael Charge

Two pieces of news regarding Spectre Miniatures.

Okay well actually three – the first being that they are still alive. Having had a chat with the team at Spectre, last year was just a whole host of misfortunes added together into a perfect storm. I’ll leave it to them to say however much they wish to but after talking to them, many of the issues in the last year (issues with models requiring more clean up than usual, a lack of stock on the site) should mostly be in the past… hopefully.

However, lets focus on the actual news. Fitting for me seeing as I’m writing a post on it, Spectre have entered the 3d printing game. Last week they put up a pile of STL files for sale on their website for personal use. Priced pretty reasonably, these cover a wide selection of pieces from weapons to put in your HMV to scenery items and stowage. I know this is something a lot of people have asked about and it’s great to see them release them. I’m also intrigued to see what will come next – maybe the HMV turrets would be a useful addition.

It’s important to note that they are not planning to release their vehicles through this system which… is fair. There is a lot of work and design details in their 3d modelling and STLs are an inheritably open system – selling models this way would be asking for piracy and unlicensed selling. I would like them to be sold as STLs (you can never have enough humvees) but I think the maths to make it worth doing would probably make them incredibly expensive.

Hescos – Spectre Resin on the left, my own 3d printed version on the right

I had a little play with the files I picked up. They are nice STLs but arrive unsupported, so some work may be needed. As you can see above with the hescos, the ones bought from Spectre are going to have much more detail than the one printed by an entry-level 3D printer. That said, I was impressed that the 3d printed model actually maintained some of the texture detail, such as the netting on the corners of it. If you’re willing to accept these differences, and of course have the printer to make them, then you’ll be able to crank out hesco outposts at a fraction of the cost.

The STLs can be found on their website at https://www.spectreminiatures.com/collections/stl-files

Next piece of news – Looks like we have a release incoming. Spectre put up this on their Instagram earlier today showing off some new figures. These are the brand new Deltas that Spectre had announced were on their way.

Interesting to note that this is a pack of 6 figures all armed with assault rifles (SIG MCXs based on the previews. They also look like an updated version of the Task Force Operators (as you might expect) – new gear, new guns.

You may recall that last year we saw the previews of them in 3D sculpt form. Only one of these figures are in the preview image, while the pistol wielding operator and drone controller are missing. The ChargeBlog Reasearch Group did throw around the idea that we might see the riflemen released as a squad pack, while the specialists are added later in smaller blisters. Or these might have just been the figures that were ready for previewing. Either way, I’m excited to see how these releases will go.

News: Anthalonica Wargaming

Posted on by Michael Charge

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.

News: Spectre Halloween Releases

Posted on by Michael Charge

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.

This operator carries the Knight arms company AMG, Chambered for either 7.65mm or 6.5mm cartridge. The weapon is extremely light and compact for a large calibre weapon.

Equipped with optics, suppressor and MAUL, this weapon is a very serious threat in games of Spectre Operations.

The operator wears tactical clothing and covert body armour, as well as pouches containing grenades and other equipment.

https://www.spectreminiatures.com/collections/all/products/tier-1-operators-mg-bravo

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.

News: Spectre Previews 13/10/2020 – Potentially Thermobaric

Posted on by Michael Charge

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).

Aftermath Kill Team

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!