Long before I even came onto the Gunslinger project, Anton was hard at work making the figures to introduce the Gunslinger concept to the wider world. Picking a first range isn’t an easy thing – it’s going to be the benchmark that future releases are held up against, needing to give you enough space to really show off what you’re trying to do while also being a popular enough topic to get people to actually buy it. As much as some loud people might express their interest in something very specific and unique such as modern Peruvian Special Forces, the market of other people actually wanting to buy them means it’s unlikely to lure the masses in.
The ubiquitous look of “Fast helmet, NODs, plate carrier and AR-15” is not exactly an underserved market, with most sellers offering a smorgasbord of possible figures for that look (with many giving you specific figures for the multiple arms of the SOCOM as well as other friendly nations with tweaks between the models such as clothing variations or additional face protection). However, the look is a feature of the modern combat space, as iconic for the Ultramodern era as the M1 helmet and M16A1 was for Vietnam. And as someone developing a range, you’re always trying to be there to grab the newcomers but also want to grab the attention of the old hands by giving them a twist on the old and familiar. After all, it’s ubiquitous for a reason.
The question was… how do we make it fit Gunslinger?
Before we look at the figures, we should probably ask an important question – who is Black Sector?
Well, that was a question I also asked when I joined the project. Seeing as these figures were being designed and developed before the world around them had really crystalised under the pressure of that first meeting in York, this set would also be a prototype of the world we were about to design. There were a few basic concepts and design elements which had already been chosen (such as the equipment and weapon choices) but the rest was waiting for us to play with.
The world of Gunslinger is a future where the landscape of military power is augmented with a wider variety of private armies, ranging from small-scale teams of specialists up to forces capable of providing combined arms and logistic services for a price. Black Sector is on the larger side of this spectrum, with multiple different subunits that can provide a selection of services. Static site security, training for national forces and groups around the world, and even close protection details all fall under their portfolio. We’ll be covering some of the other subunits in the future – for example, a team providing static security in parts foreign is already in the design phase. But for now, though, let’s talk about our raid team.
The Global Interdiction Group is one of these subunits. It provides a rapid response Direct Action force for its corporate and national clients, taking advantage of the experience of many of its veteran operators hired out of SOCOM or similar organisations. Setup by a former DEVGRU Commander, the GIG was formed to replicate that organisation and its capabilities in the private sector. This move was controversial within the SOCOM community, leading to the Global Interdiction Group having a poor reputation with those still serving. However, the paycheck for going private is enticing, as long as you’re willing to be blacklisted.
The Global Interdiction Group finds itself deployed all over the world depending on its employer’s mission, either with the prep time required to properly practise the operation or as a rapid reaction force should the situation demand it. For those in the know, their arrival in an area is usually a sign that any and all operations are about to be disturbed by an unstoppable force that lets little get in the way of its objectives.
With the lore out of the way, let’s take a closer look at some of the design features on the models themselves. The inspiration for the figures themselves is, as you might guess from a glance, heavily inspired by the portrayal of Seal Team Six over the last few years. It’s safe to say that Zero Dark Thirty did a rather good job of marketing the look that people associate with the Tier 1 Operator now and it’s a visual we’ve taken inspiration from – however, there are other elements that are much more up to date, such as every figure having a tactical display on the front of their plate carrier. These guys would be great if you are making a team of highly trained and equipped special forces guys.
We have also done a few adjustments to maybe show that even though they have some gucci kit, they aren’t exactly the Tier 1 operators, mostly on the heads as you can see above. The older model of IR strobe (the MS-2000 rather than the more recent Manta Strobe seen elsewhere) helps to change the visual of the helmet while still being a piece of kit that is in regular use. We also decided to go with the more common dual-tube NODs rather than the fiendishly expensive panoramic systems. However, the mounting system does allow for one of the tubes to be swung up and out of the way, allowing operators to still use magnified optics.
Clothing-wise, all the Black Sector guys are running combat trousers with integrated kneepads and combat shirts. Lightweight plate carriers are festooned with all the equipment they might need, with dangler pouches adding additional space on top of the packed mag pouches. Belt kits have Glock sidearms in a retention holster, as well as grenades, gloves, additional mag pouches and chem lights.
In terms of weapon systems, the iconic 416 is on deck here for the Assault Team. They are all equipped with the attachments needed for fighting at night, with all weapons suppressed and mounting IR laser/illuminators and torches. While these figures are uniform in terms of their clothing, we decided to add some variety to them by giving each one their own arrangement of forward grips and optics. The holographic and magnifier combo rules the roost but a couple of the guys are running T1 red dots or just the holographic by itself.
As well as the attachments on the weapons being adjusted for each operator, we also adjust some gear positions on the figure’s belt kits. Additionally, some of the mag pouches on the belt kit already have magazines removed to show them in the thick of it. We’ve also mixed up the packs on the back, giving you a mix of guys running low profile rigs while others have additional kit in their tactical packs.
The Breacher element is split in two, giving both some CQB punch and some longer-range firepower. The four figures armed with MP7s have the same level of variety to their attachments as the 416s in the assault pack, with both red dots and holographic optics with magnifiers in use. Additionally, the presence of the Mosberg M500 with MEK upgrades provides you with a weapon ideal for door breaching before returning to the MP7. There is also a breacher bringing up a sledgehammer ready to take the door if needed, the stock on his MP7 collapsed to make aiming in close quarters combat easier.
The longer-range firepower mentioned above are the two figures with the SR-25 E2 marksman rifle. Suppressed and with all the equipment needed for night fighting, both marksmen also have their NVGs adjusted to allow them to use the magnified optic if needed
Of course, all the renders in the world won’t get you very far if you can’t print the STLs you’ve been given. These are some examples I supported myself (I missed a few of the NVGs) and then printed on my Elegoo Saturn. As you can see, even on a 4K printer a lot of the details in the renders have been maintained (including the hole in the magpuls), all ready for painting up.
I haven’t painted the entire force, but I did get a chance to try out these two test models. Thanks to doing some pre-shading, I was easily able to hammer these two through relatively quickly, taking a look at just two of the schemes that Global Interdiction Group might find themselves wearing.
If you’d like a set of these for yourself, today (31/07/2023) is the last day where you get them via the Flytrap Digital Patreon, available at the Gunslinger level or above. If you miss out, then from 15/08/2023, they will be available from the Flytrap Digital My Mini Factory or Cults3d.
In addition, anyone who has bought these models will be finding an update email them coming (hopefully) later this week. After feedback, Anton has managed to add a ball and socket connection to the Black Sector bodies, meaning easily swappable heads are going to be an option for all the poses shown above. In addition, modular heads will be standard with most releases going forward (there may be a few cases where it is just not practical). In this case, the modular heads will be ideal if you prefer to run your operators for both day and night missions with NVGs stowed.
However, that’s not all. If you join the Flytrap Digital Patreon in August, you’ll be receiving two more Black Sector teams releasing on 15/08/2023. For those of you wondering where all the firepower was in this first release, no fear! The Support Team will come with all the special weapons a Black Sector Assault Team needs, with light machine guns, grenade launchers and even disposable anti-tank launchers. The Command Team will give you a few additional specialists to lead and support your assault, including a very good boy to assist in clearing rooms. The Command team will also include Gunslinger’s first Character figure, who is on-site to oversee Black Sector’s operation for her employer.
Looking into September, we’ll get another Black Sector set designed to let you use your assault for another type of operation. And just in time… the first OPFOR Character Team will be making landfall that month as well, giving you all the figures you might need for a sneaky midnight clash somewhere on the Georgian coastline. Stand by for more details next month.
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