Infestation; a Clash on the Fringe AAR

Ever since I painted up my space bugs, I've wanted to run a scenario around them. When a friend had do cancel on the days plans, I decided that today was the day!

Some background:
In a remote part of PMR-21. A small research base was founded by Omni-corp, a subsidiary of Sanada. The location was chosen for it's appearent lack of neighbours and prying eyes, so that whatever research was being performed would stay secret. But when the weekly check-in with the local HQ didn't come through, people in high places started to worry.

A call was made to the mother company, the Sanada Mega-corp. Their assessment was that the critical research was not to end up in the wrong hands and fearing another spectacle like the earlier attack on a Union base, they decided to send in the Grey Wolves.

The order was given, and Greyson and his team suited up and got ready to get the critical data-drives out of the facility. 

The stats for the different forces were:
Gray Wolves:

Grayson
Sp  5
Su  6
Di  6
Mo 7
Tr  6
Ld 2
Armed with an assault rifle and pistol.

Pope
Sp  5
Su  6
Di  6
Mo 7
Tr  6

Armed with a plasma rifle and pistol.

Wild Bill (gunslinger trait)
Sp  5
Su  6
Di  6
Mo 7
Tr  6

Armed with 2x Man-stopper pistols

Booth
Sp  5
Su  6
Di  6
Mo 7
Tr  6

Armed with a LMG and a pistol.

Farley
Sp  5
Su  6
Di  6
Mo 6
Tr  5

Armed with an assault rifle and pistol.

Grayson was a hero character, while the others all carried one stimpack each for increased survivability.
All the wolves also carried demo-charges, in case they needed to destroy any of the evidence they couldn't carry.

The Swarm drones
Sp  7
Su  5
Di  8
Mo 9
Tr 7no ranged weapons, 2 cc weapons pen 4

The Swarm crawlers
Sp  7
Su  5
Di  8
Mo 9
Tr 7Tail spikes (count as assault rifle), 2 cc weapons pen 4

The Swarm Xeno Alpha
Sp  5 
Su  8
Bu 6
Di  5
Mo 8
Tr  5
Bio acid gun (counts as incinerator), cc weapon pen 4

The Xeno Alpha is built with a monster template for a base, and the crawlers were made from the standard swarm profile, but given a ranged attack as well. The Swarm will roll to activate as normal, but beginning with no forces on the table.
Instead, each time they won a roll, if there was no swarm unit on the battlefield that hadn't already been activated, one was generated using a d10 and a d6. The d10 was rolled only to see if the Xeno Alpha would appear this time, and if not, the d6 indicated the number of drones in the unit. I limited the Swarm to 3 activations to give the Wolves a chance.
I didn't observe point-values in this game, since the Swarm was going to spawn new units most turns.
The Wolves had til the end of turn 6 to complete their objective. 

The scene as the wolves arrive:

The wolves, getting ready to enter the compound. 

The compound. Everything seems quiet, too quiet. And what is that thing that has broken through the north-eastern wall?

Moving up cautiously, they approach the gates.

A strange shriek is heard from the east side of the compound. The wolves tense up, what could that be? "Probably nothing good" remarked Pope.

Some crawlers creep along the outer edge of the wall, getting ready to attack.

A hail of razor-sharp spines comes flying at Bill, he manages to dodge the worst of it, but is forces to go heads down.

The start of turn 2.

Wild Bill quickly regains his composure, and returns fire on the crawlers. His heavy guns blows the creatures away with ease.

The gate breaks open as the first group of drones charge, only to be caught in crossfire, killing 2 of them. The last one just manages to hug the ground quick enough that it isn't hit. (I can see that I forgot to remove the heads down tokens on Wild Bill after he shrugged them off when activating)

The swarm doesn't relent, both the Alpha and another 5 drones comes out of the nest, intent on defending their new home. Farley lays down some fire, and manages to take down 2 more drones.

Start of turn 3.

More fire from Farley kills another drone, creating an opening for Grayson.

Slipping into the compound, Grayson finished off the stunned drones.

Wild Bill is charged by the last drone remaining outside the compound, and a fierce stuggle ensues.
In the end, both the drone and Bill goes out of action.

Pope smokes a few more bugs with his plasma.

Start of turn 4.

Another swarm of drones appear, 6 in number!  They assault Pope, but he manages to activate his stimpack and fall back behind the wall.

The grey wolves didn't panic though, and through carefull application of fire, they picked of 2 and made a few duck down to avoid their fire.

Grayson searches the complex, looking for the all-important data drive. (He needed to roll below 5 on a d10, a standard task I felt. But it took him longer than expexted).

Slowly, withering fire brings down 1, then 2 drones. At the same time, the Alpha is driven back, his wounds causing him to fall back behind the nest.

The start of turn 5. Time is running out, and the wolves know it!

Grayson keeps searching, amassing all the data he can find, but still no drive. Farley tries to fend off a lone drone, but he is knocked out.

Finally some luck when Booth moves up to help Grayson, he finds the drive in no time!

Start of turn 6, the last chance to blow the compound, now that the data is safely in hand.

The last drone charges in an attempt to stop the unit, unaware of the coming explosion. Booth crushes him with a blow of his own tough.

Once everybody is safely out of the blast-zone, the explosives are triggered, taking the compound and swarm nest with it.

The remaining wolves at the end of turn 6.

The lone Alpha, out for blood.

The mission was accomplished and the game technically over, but I felt that I couldn't just leave it here, either the Alpha would have his revenge, or the wolves would get away..

And as it turned out, the Alpha missed his acid spray attack and the barrage of fire coming his way blew him into a million pieces!

A win for the Gray Wolves!

The swarm was an interesting type of unit, and having something like 30 of them facing you down is a terrifying idea. The scenario worked out fine I think, partly due to lucky rolls from the wolves. A few low initiative rolls could easily have seen them swamped by the entrance, luckily it turned out more interesting than that.

Having planned a terrain-workshop with a friend this week, I'm hoping to share a few more terrain pieces along with some test paints of some units for what could be my next 6mm sci-fi army.

Til next time!

Something to fight over pt.1

I have made some more progress in my quest for a more interesting battlefield, and I thought I'd share with you here today:

First off there's some 6mm pieces:

Groupshot of the 6mm buildings completed during the last week. 

This first one is a Stonehaven Compound set from Michael over at Angel Barracks. I've had this piece for a long time, so I've felt guilty for not completing it sooner, especially since I just received another set of buildings from the very same man! 

A good sized secure compound, might be home to some local warlord or a hiding gang of outlaws, laying low until the lawmen's sweep of the sector is finished.

I also got these drill-worm nests from AB, but I painted them up as alien flora or somesuch, using the same base color as my space-bugs. So there's a reason for the color choice..


I recently decided to re-paint all my 6mm buildings from brigade, no small endeavour since I have amassed a few packs. At the same time I realized that they look much better (and somewhat more useful) in small scenes, so I started to arrange bases of 2 or 3 buildings on some 80x80 mm plasticard pieces.
 These are the ones I've mounted with additional bits and re-painted so far:

A shop of some sort, with a external fuel tank to power the generator if the grid goes down. A small dwelling sits across from it.

A bigger stucture for gatherings and announcements, kind of like a community center, with a small dwelling/storage building next to it. Some supplies stand in the yard.

 A set of dwellings.

I haven't abandoned my pico scale battlefield either, with my order from Pico Armor shipped, I will soon have more troops and vehicles, along with more material for building as well! This is a few things I cobbled together while I'm waiting:

Groupshot. The last piece was photographed this morning, so it's not in this one.

A landing pad, with service and re-fueling capabilities.  

A few grow-domes, agricultural operations shielded from the less hospitable climates on whatever colony they end up on.

A multi-purpose area defence installation. These networked guns are all controlled from the tower that sits in the middle, ready to take on both atmospheric and orbiting targets.

That's the small update for today. I am working on more of the brigade re-paints, I have a few ideas for some 6 and 3mm terrain that's probably getting cast today and also a few 6mm sci-fi troopers that needs a test painting. I'll share more as soon as it's ready!

Til next time!

Invading Demons and tiny buildings

As has become custom of late, I work on serveral different and fairly unrelated things at the same time. 

That is also true for todays update, featuring some new fantasy minis in 6mm, and some 3mm and 6mm terrain.

We start with the new demon army from microworld, probably my favorite of the 6mm stuff in todays post:

Obligatory group post.

The Pit Lord. Vicious and powerful, these towering demons use their might and craft to keep their lessers in line. Ax'braxxas is no different.

Largest of the demons to leave the infernal realm yet, this abyssal giant carries a lesser demon lord on his shoulders.

Reveling in death and dismemberment, the Juggernauts are a particularly large breed of demon. Not known for great intelligence, and prone to infighting, these massive killers are no doubt effective as both line-breakers and keeping the discipline in the ranks of lesser demons.

The abyssal rambeast is a twisted and mutated beast, with a foul temper to match. Charging like a rhino, the blade demon rider is there to try and prod the beast in the right direction.

The fallen are what remains of an ancient race, beguiled by the promises of the abyssal lords. Over the aeons their numbers have been swelled with only the most powerful warriors, forsaking what they once were in exchange for power beyond anything they had before.. And are then forced into service in the abyssal armies by demons even more powerful than they.

When a demonic incursion finaly happens, some of the first true demons to step out into the world are blade demons. Loyal followers of the abysses lord of war, they live to steal souls for their master by the blade of their swords.

Another common sight when the demons invade are the cyclopean demons. Spreading foul plagues and a terrible miasma, the servants of the lord of death and disease are more common in smaller raids than the larger warhosts.

Finally there is the flame demons. Burning brightly in a neverending inferno of different hues, these demons delight in destroying what the mortal races have built, reducing it to little more than ash.



I mentioned that I got some proper leaders for my dwarven warband as well, so they got some attention along with the demons:

The heroes and even a cavalryman. and not any sort of cavalry, but Bear cavalry!

The lord of the High Peaks, Erblas Stoutshield. Being one of the few dwarven chiefs still holding his ancestral halls, he is attended by 2 shield-bearers as is proper for a man of his standing.

From the high passes comes Woin, atop a great white bear. A dangerous warrior on foot, his ferocious mount only adds to his danger.

Bearing the standard of the High Peaks this standard bearer is a veteran warrior of the dwarves, entrusted with such a prestigious task.

Trusting his axe and his shield, Borka wyrmkiller is man of reputation amongst his people. Once in his youth he slayed a wyrm that had getten into their mines singlehandedly, and he has grown no less skilled with the years since that say.

Finally there is the runepriest Farun, carrying his enchanted anvil. He can work almost any metal, and uses these to make the runes needed to focus his power.

There's also a few barbarians, for various characters in dungeoncrawls and as warband personalities:

Group shot.

Known as the Crow-man, he is a man from the wilds. Skilled with both spear and shield, it's also rumored that he is knowledgable in the ways on magic. But surely that is only rumors?

A clansman warrior, dressed in chainmail. Wielding his trusted axe and shield, he will charge his foe.

Infused with magic from the shamans of his people, Kurt is a warrior feared in the north, for few have stepped into combat with him and lived to tell about it. They say he fights like a man possessed, and that the magic from his shamans are acually forged the blood of his previous enemies.

Bannerman of one of the northern tribes, an honor bestowed on few.

On the 6mm terrain side I only have a very old piece I finally managed to finish, since the rest just got re-sprayed to fit with my other pieces:

And on the pico side of things I did little more, but I have a few pieces awaiting completion, will share as soon as they are presentable! In the mean time:

The Stern Corporations local headquarters. One of the bigger players in the fossil fuel business, Stern Corp is courted by both the CSA and the Solar Bloc. The recent conflicts have seen them upgrade their security a little bit, and rumours are abound that they've even met with the Outer Colonies..

I've been needing an alternative to O8's trees, so I tried making some bases that can double as bushes for my 6mm games as well. Not that pretty, but objective completed at least I guess!

To finish off the update there is something not necessarily mini-related, but just quirky:

Some Hattifnattar from moomin. When we saw this on a site we usually order model kits from it just said "lots of Hattifnattar" so naturally I had to order it!

More terrain for 3 and 6mm sci fi is on its way, and as soon as I get my order from Pico Armor the 3mm sci-fi forces will have a few re-inforcements too!

Til next time!