New GZG Spider Drones

I noticed recently that my 15mm sci-fi collection had a glaring omission; the spider drones. They are lovely, iconic little models that crop up everywhere, except on my own table, so with my Christmas GZG voucher I decided to put that right and ordered a few along with some other wheeled and tracked gun carriage drones.

Jon got in touch to say that he was re-working the models, and would I rather wait or receive the existing models? This was a no-brainer, and about a month ago I received some beautiful little spider drones and mobile weapon platforms.

[edit: all the new items will have new code numbers, including those that are direct replacements for the old versions. The old codes will be referenced so you will know what they’re replacing.]

I'm pretty sure these have been digitally designed and printed, much like a lot of the weapons on the newer ranges such as the New Israeli. The detail is quite astounding and very sharp, as befits this kind of sci-fi hardware. The photos above are the new 84A pack; the standard spider drones with what looks like a plasma cannon. Below are the replacements for 84B, with rotary cannon.

The detail on the underside of those is quite amazing!

A new version next; what I assume will be 84C. These are recon spider drones, an excellent and welcome addition to the line.

I think the next model excited me the most about these new spider drones. Jon sent a sample of another new model to the range; large eight-legged spider drones. It never occurred to me that the spider drones may have been slightly mis-named, having only six legs, but now we have some proper spider drones!

It looks like these are modelled with heavy auto-cannon and heavy plasma cannon options and are significantly larger than the six-legged version.

I have also heard rumour of a scorpion drone with an elongated body, a turret at the head and a ‘sting in the tail’!

Next up are the wheeled drones. First with autocannons (69A), then with missile launchers (69B). The new chassis appear to be lower and sleeker than the previous models. Possibly slightly larger, but I don't own the previous models, I'm just looking at the pictures of those on the GZG website. Again these appear to have been digitally modelled and printed and are much better for it.

 

Finally, I received a few samples of the drone with tracked chassis. It will come with autocannon, missile and rotary cannon variants. The tracks are really nice and are mounted on a similar chassis as the wheeled drones. The rotary cannon is incredibly slender and unfortunately is proving tricky to cast so may need to be beefed up a bit before it makes it into production, which is a real shame.

The new models will undoubtedly be a part of the Remotes, Bots and Drones section of the website, and I imagine Jon will be keeping the moulds for the old versions available when these replace them on the website, in case you need to purchase drones to match any existing ones you may have.

Ideally, you'll want to replace them all with these though, surely!

Keep an eye on the GZG website for when they become available.

Click here for GZG website homepage

Click here for Remotes, Bots and Drones section of the GZG website

GZG Survey Team

It’s been a long time since I posted, so I’m dipping my toe in gently with a new Blogger app to see how this works.

These are my first completed figures of 2020, a pack each of S15-V17 survey team personnel in vacc suits and S15-V10 space-suites crew in light-duty vacc suits.

If you know of any interesting scenarios that I can use them with, please let me know.

Unarmed Xar

I've been rather busy painting figures for Cthulhu Wars recently but I made time to paint the latest Xar from Ground Zero Games.

A great addition to the range, I love the kung fu poses! I'll need to watch Falling Skies soon, I think...

Xar Heavy Weapons Teams

Two new packs of Xar heavy weapons from GZG: a launcher/mortar team and a heavy beam cannon team. 

Really good fun to paint, with their brain/walnut-like heads and all the legs! I do like a good alien figure, and these are up there with the best. Lovely models, as we've come to expect from GZG.

Hopefully that keeps me up to date with this range, but I understand these went on sale at Salute at the weekend, so I'll have to make sure Jon hasn't sneaked any more out!

Painting competition entry

I've entered my first painting competition over on Facebook.

The idea is to paint a pair of opposing squads and post 3-5 photos in the group that's been set up for the competition. The post that gets the most likes by the end of March wins. 

Here's a bonus photo of the alien mercs by GZG that wasn't entered in the competition. If you'd like to look at the others and perhaps even vote for me by liking the main post, I'd be extremely grateful. The link is below the photo.

Thanks for looking!

Here's the link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/528055864043233/

Xar preview

I received some advance samples from Jon at GZG this week for his Xar range.

Two packs; a launcher/mortar team and a heavy beam cannon team. I was hoping to get them painted, but Mother's Day ate into my time a bit! Seeing as I don't get a lot of painting time during the week, it may be next weekend before I can finish these beauties, so here's a sneak peek.

The Xar ("Chitters") from GZG

The Xar - often known to human troops as "Chitters" from the rapid clicks and chirps of their speech - are an eight-limbed exoskeletal insectoid race, with six walking limbs ending in three-clawed feet and an upright torso with two manipulating arms.

So says the GZG website, and who am I to argue?

Each Xar miniature consists of 2 parts, a 6-legged lower body and integral base plus a torso/arms/head casting with weapon or other equipment as appropriate.

Continues the site, and it's all true!

I confess; when I first got the figures and held the torso parts to the leg parts I thought they looked a bit awkward and odd. The torso fits at the central point where the legs meet. I was expecting an off centre join with some kind of abdomen like an earthly insect. I was wrong, and I'm glad. 

These guys have really grown on me. Their foot/claw arrangement makes them look highly mobile and the join doesn't look unnatural at all, especially when painted up. The detailing around the face is not perhaps as sharp as I'd like, but that's just me looking for fault where there is none.

I'm going to use these as a light mobile force for my Kra'Vak. I really need to get my Kra'Vak painted.

Ive just realised; this is possibly the second time I have painted a full range! I'm pretty sure Jon has more of these up his sleeve though :)

Xar with beam rifles:

Xar leaders with beam pistols:

Xar command and comms:

(Well camouflaged against the roof top!)

Xar with grenade projectors:

Xar with heavy beamers:

Edit - I have been asked to provide some comparison shots to show how big these guys are. The bases are 20mm in diameter, which is a good fit for the pennies I usually use. I think UK pennies are 20.3mm.

The figures used for the comparison shot are from (L to R): Brigade Games, Armies Army and GZG.

I also thought I'd take a shot of them from behind. I tried to make their backs look a bit fleshy and unappealing.

Chinese Lunar Troops (People's Liberation Army Space Force)

The other pack of 15mm Moongrunt figures from GZG, the People's Liberation Army Space Force.

I like this Moongrunt range. It could be used for so many things; near future sci fi or spy fi, fighting aliens on the moon or Mars, or just plain old space nazis. Or the Chinese/US mining wars, as seems to be the intent here.

I've no idea what special rules you'll need for fighting in spacesuits, but it could be enough to make your blood boil.

Linky: http://www.groundzerogames.co.uk/index.php?_a=category&cat_id=140

US Marine Corps Extra-Planetary Expedition Force Luna

The first unit painted in 2016 is from GZG's Moongrunt range.

Things of beauty, I'll let the sculpts speak for themselves. 

Next up: the Chinese unit from the same range.

Ground Zero Games NAC

Took a few photos of some of my NAC force recently. These were among the first 15mm Sci Fi figures I bought and painted. I didn't take any shots of the main part of the army, the grunts, who are stored in a separate box. I'll have to take some of them later.

Still trying to find the best way to photograph my minis, but I think I'm getting there.

New GZG Kra'Vak

On Monday morning I discovered that Ground Zero Games had released re-sculpted Kra'Vak miniatures. Better still, for a limited time each pack of eight minis comes with two bonus support chaps.

I'd been waiting for the right time to buy some Kra'Vak, so it seemed like this was the time. At 10am that same day I sent off my order for four packs along with a grav APC for the Kra'Vak and a Paladin for my NAC.

That was yesterday. Today I got home from work to find them sitting on my doormat! I know Jon is quick, I sometimes think that he and Gavin at 15mm.co.uk are in competition to see who can get orders out quickest, but you really can't get quicker than that unless you live within walking distance. Yesterday morning I didn't know these had been released!

So what to do? They're not going to get painted just yet; there's a queue. Jon says on his site that the new boys are a bit bigger than the previous sculpts, so here are some hastily prepared comparison pics.

Above L-R: 15mm.co.uk Prang, CMG Protolene, new GZG Kra'Vak, Khurasan Neo-Arab, Armies Army SKOV.

Above L-R: Khurasan, Armies Army, New GZG Kra'Vak, GZG NAC, Clearhorizon HADES Ghost Team (sans head).

Above L-R: GZG, Clearhorizon, White Dragon Miniatures MTU, New GZG Kra'Vak, Brigade Games (former Armies Army).

The Kra'Vak APC came with a little guy to stick out the top, so here's how he compares with the new chaps.

Finally, here's a close up.

Lovely. 

Thanks Jon for your continued excellent service and these great little minis!