It’s the start of a new month so we have a pile of new things to look forward to from a wide variety of people. New previews from Spectre but also releases from Modern Miniatures, Empress and Combat Octopus, meaning we have a good month ahead!
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Spectre Miniatures Previews Armoured Dudes and Armoured Vehicle
First up from Spectre Miniatures this week we have some first prints of the new and improved Criminal Heavies. Spectre mentioned a while ago that they were planning to update some of the older 3D-designed figures and refresh their designs with the benefit of several additional years’ worth of experience. We had also seen a WIP preview but now we have some actual physical versions. You can already see some changes over the originals, such as the heavier armour given to the team, replacing the lightweight chest rigs the original figures have. Reading the preview, it seems these guys will have separate heads as well to make the neck and head protection fit more a first for Spectre. As someone who loved the original figures, I’m very interested to see how these guys will look once they are done.
Speaking of heavy armour, Spectre has shown off even more vehicles coming soon. Following on from an original preview a few weeks ago, we now have some more images of an upcoming T-55. Seeing as these vehicles are still in use around the world (including with various non-governmental groups), they are kind of ideal to make as they can be used in a wide variety of roles. These can range from spearheading rebel assaults against prepared positions or performing rear-guard/counter-insurgency roles under the control of more regular forces. In previews this week, we got both the physical print of the original base model but also a render of a version with additional protection, such as side skirts and piles of ERA blocks. No release date on these figures yet but stand by as it may be relatively soon.
Empress Miniatures Expands Modern Ukrainian Range
Empress Miniatures has extended its range of Modern Ukrainians, adding four new packs to the online web store. While the first releases were marked up as Civilian Militia, these sets are Regulars and Special Forces from the earlier part of the war, giving you a group of more military-styled figures armed with a wider variety of gear.
As I said when the first set was previewed, these are a good set of figures for anyone wanting to play games in Eastern Europe. The mixture of weapons would be fantastic for militias in the region, with both AKs and other Western equipment mixed together. I could also see mixing the Civilian Militia and Regular together to make some larger teams, ideal for building up your squads.
Urban Scatter Gaming Releases Subway Entrances
Urban Scatter Gaming has continued his releases, this time adding more pieces for your urban street scenes. His Subway Entrance pack includes four different versions of the entrance point (including both opened and closed variants) as well as a collection of signs, maps and bollards ideal for building up your entrance points as you need them. This style of terrain can be used in a whole host of locations and games (the previews are especially focused on zombie games) and, if you feel the need for them on your tabletop, you can find them on Urban Scatter Gaming’s Gumroad.
Combat Octopus Releases NAWE Combat Octopods In Combat
Safe to say, this release has been one of the sets I’ve been the most excited about seeing Combat Octopus release. And with the post today announcing that Combat Octopods NAWE Part 2 is now available for Patrons, I think that this is one of the best sets that he’s done. Contain four modular figures with both heavily armoured and carrier versions as well as multiple weapons per figure this set is ideal for anyone looking to get some Operators on the table. In fact, I’d say this is one of the best entry points if you want to start wargaming Ultramodern figures and need an Operator team.
As you can see from the layouts of each figure, there are plenty of options on each figure – every figure has a variant with the MK46 machine gun, most have a SCAR with ELCAN variant and then a mixture of Masada, M4 CQB and the tiny MCX Rattler. All the figures also have the molle loops for kitting out how you want to or, if you just want to get them on the board, each also includes a non-modular variant that just needs a head selecting for them. If you want a set of these for yourself, you can find them on the Patreon.
With this theme completed, the next theme up is currently being voted for. At the moment the winning option is a set of marksmen with a selection of weapon systems and in more static firing poses – so perhaps ideal to expand a force assembled from this release.
Modern Miniatures Releases Police Officers and A WHOLE PLANE
Modern Miniatures continues his run of releasing as close to the first of each month as he can and as usual, we have two sets to dig into. First up, to counter the criminal sets from the last two weeks we have a four-man team of US Police officers. With 4 bodies and 7 separate heads, this pack is ideal for getting some patrol officers on the board, with two armed with pistols, one with an AR-15 and another with a semi-auto shotgun. These guys are depicted without visible body armour, making them ideal for low-risk police, highway patrol officers, armoured car or bank guards.
On the terrain side, we have a small light airliner complete with interior details. I know that’s a simple sentence but this is a kit we haven’t really seen available anywhere else, with only a few I vaguely remember having some pretty major issues with making them usable on the tabletop, meaning they usually ended up looking more like Playmobil toys (often because they were Playmobil toys). This set by Modern Miniatures seems to be a lot more sensible – designed for printing on a regular FDM printer while still looking to scale with 28mm figures. I’m looking forward to seeing one of these things on a table but this is going to be great for anyone building themselves an airport and needing some terrain to fight through.
Both sets are currently available to June patrons, so join up now if you’re interested in getting your hands on these two sets.
Turnbase Miniatures Previews April and May Releases
Finally, Turnbase Miniatures has shown off updates for the April and May releases. April brings the African militia and a ZPU-1 Technical for the Tier 2 and Tier 3 releases respectively. The Militia fighters look like they’ll be bringing with them a selection of support weapons, all with fatigues and vests. These figures are almost done according to the update and should be out very soon.
May patrons are getting some Middle Eastern fighters, with Tier 2 giving you the older insurgent look with a mixture of locals in traditional civilian clothing and limited equipment. The first image in the preview is what’s coming for the Tier 3 set, a much more take on the insurgent groups around the world complete with web gear, body armour and rucksacks to help keep them in the fight for longer. These should also be coming within the first week of June.
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