It’s a Gunslinger release week, so I’ve been rushed off my feet a touch. However, this hasn’t stopped the rest of the industry from deciding that this is the time to show off plenty of stuff. So here we are with this week’s News Stand!
Kojoti Joins The World of Gunslinger as Phase 2 Kicks Off
You’ll excuse me for tooting my horn but this week is the first release of Phase 2 of Gunslinger, bringing Kojoti to your tabletop. Full details are in the release post but these 10 figures are some of the best we’ve released so far from Gunslinger, pushing us forward with a level of details and dynamics that are going to make them stand out. The initial pitch document for these guys was to make them aggressively grubby, ripped and ragged but still effective fighters – safe to say Anton nailed the brief.
If you want a set of them yourself, the Flytrap Digital Patreon is the only place to get them for now.
Black Powder Red Earth Reveals The Next Faction – SPEAR
From Echelon Software, we have some updates on the next expansion Spearhead. It’s looking like it will be released in December 2023 (a slight delay from the intended release time) but in better news, we have some first looks at one of the new factions. SPEAR Brigade is a unit from the Republic of Qasra, the neighbour to the main setting of Awbari and a nation courting the favour of the Hongbin. More details are in the hypernotes but it definitely looks like the war is about to escalate.
SPEAR is an elite unit, and these guys are covered in all sort of modern gear, from the heavily modified AK platforms to the helmets with mounted NVGs and a very interesting little device on the helmet that we started seeing within the last year. Having had a sneak peek at the rules for these guys, it’s incredible how much actually seeing the figures ties it all together. These are definitely going to be a fun force to hit the table with, giving you a different style of play in comparison to Aayari Guard.
The fact both are wearing gas masks is a little concerning though…
Spectre Shows Off Test Castings, A Couple More Operators AND Rules Updates
We’ve seen the 3d printed prototypes but, this week we have seen the first castings of the new Task Force Operators from Spectre. These resin pieces are looking pretty damn crisp, with lots of visible details on even the smallest piece. It also shows off some of the variety we’re getting in this range, with little things like the trouser designs and pouch layouts giving you small touches to your team.
We also got a look at two more figures in the range. This pair include some gear we haven’t really seen before, which is very much Spectre’s MO. The figure on the left may appear to be armed with an AR15 but is actually armed with a short-barreled high-calibre rifle (something such as .50) intended for close-quarters work and armour penetration. The other figure is carrying the Hero 30 loitering munition in its deployment tube. For all things I may have said about Spectre, they definitely do a good job of finding the latest and greatest kit to show off, especially with this release.
The final item for Spectre, this week saw an update come out about the upcoming rulebook for V3 of Spectre’s rules. With the pre-order window now closed, it sounds like they are going full speed ahead on getting the beta PDF ready for users, with Black Site Studios doing the layout and internal design work. They are also already talking about additional supplements, we shall see what these entail (especially once the rulebook comes out) but it definitely sounds like they are intending to put a much greater level of ongoing support behind it than V2 got.
The Lazy Forger Gives a First Glimpse At His Next Set
The Lazy Forger has been hard at work on the next set of “I can’t believe it’s 6mm” 6mm terrain, this time looking at industrial oil and gas infrastructure. Ideal for anything from mid-century onwards, these tall structures and long lines of pipework are ideal for filling in a board, especially if you’re playing in a desert setting – nothing is more iconic than desert plains with an endless array of pipes and storage towers as a backdrop.
From talking to the designer, one of the big things is making sure that all the parts of the set can interconnect with pipework, to really tie into the sprawling nature of the industrial installations. You can see above (along with the level of detail on the top) the connection points for the pipes…
And then on the printed version you can see a pipe/walkway all linked up! Lazy Forger’s stuff always looks incredible once printed, with the tiny yet sturdy railings and the little surface details. You can also see a gas storage tank as another item in the release, showing you’ll have plenty of things to build up your refinery with.
Combat Octopus Reveals The VIP
Combat Octopus is continuing on with its next release, focusing on some modular VIPs and bodyguards. After last week’s group carrying SMGs, this week’s work is focused on pistols and the big man himself. There has been plenty of chat in the channel on the Discord, including a few more figures still in the WIP stage. As always, both of these figures are designed for modular design, with the VIP’s pose potentially leading to some wild pistol-waiving ideas.
Miska Miniatures Launches “Le Coup”
Good news for all the African Wargamers, the Miska Miniatures Kickstarter “Le Coup” kicked off on Friday and has managed to land incredibly well. At the time of writing, they’re at £6,516 out of an initial £1,300 target, which means they are storming through the stretch goals. The set is actually pretty varied, giving you a set of African Commandos, an armed motorcycle, BTR-60 and Land Cruiser with the BTR-60 turret as the starting point. The stretch goals have already added a few additional troops (such as an RPG team and some additional BTR parts) and it looks like we’re about to add some government troops. There is also a French Special Forces add-on with its own set of stretch goals AND some goals based on sharing the project. Potentially, by the time the project ends, you could have quite a considerable pile of figures on your hands.
Miska also got some of the figures painted up before release, and you can see the end result above. These have definitely turned out nicely, so it’s going to be great to see what the entire range looks like once the dust settles on the Kickstarter. It still has another 29 days to go, so plenty of time for them to hit more stretch goals.
Turnbase Miniatures Confirms The Gangers Are On The Way
Finally, Turnbase Miniatures has confirmed this month’s release is going to be a set of gang minis (ideal to go with last month’s set of police). The first figure in the preview is a pretty classic visual (vest, trainers and AK) while the second rolls shirtless with the Uzi, so we’ll see what the rest of the group are armed with soon.
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