It’s a brand new week, brand new edition of The News Stand. In fact, this week is all about new stuff – we have releases from Combat Octopus, Modern Miniatures and USG, we have ongoing projects and stretch goals from BobMack3d and even a return of a game under a new company. Read on for this week’s dose of all the stories I’ve grabbed from the Ultramodern sphere.
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BobMack3d Launches Lionheart… And Is Already Storming Through The Goals
BobMack3d has launched its latest Kickstater Lionheart, bringing five vehicles from the British Army of the Cold War in stowed and unstowed variants to your 3D printing collection. The good news is that the project has already smashed through its original target and is already heading for the higher end. We’ve already seen the Gulf War era Challenger and Warriors goals get hit, as well as a litany of other vehicles such as the Spartan, Sultan, and even an improved model of the FV432 from the previous British Kickstarter.
And speaking of the Challenger from the 1st Gulf War, here is the initial preview model of it with all the extra armour pieces. I’m really excited to get my hands on this and the Warrior – both of these vehicles are among my favourites so will look great on the tabletop.
If you want to get your own hands on this set, the Kickstarter is still due to run for another 11 days or so from this post going live. You can find it over on Kickstarter and I heartily recommend it as these vehicles won’t be sold this cheap for a while.
Echo Dark Studios Announces Ownership Of InCountry
Good news for fans of InCountry who may have found things a little quiet these last few months. InCountry is coming back under the ownership of a brand new company EchoDark Studios. I’ve included the transition FAQ that was published below but the main news is that new figures, updated rules and more will be coming soon.
Is INX Active?
Yes, Alive and well!
What is EDS?
Echo Dark Studios LLC, is a new company taking up the helm for INX as well as having a large amount of ambition for future projects spanning a multitude of genres.
Who runs it?
EDS Tanner is the official owner of Echo Dark Studios, along with Death Ray Designs Handling Production and Distribution.
Will the same designer be working on the models?
Yes, Scale will also remain in the 32mm range.
When will INX 2.0 Rules be available?
Shortly after Adepticon (March 2025), Physical and digital rules will be available at inxcountry.com.
Is INX Recon still being supported?
No, Think of it as now feature complete as the new rules have drastically changed.
Who will be the vehicle designer?
We have partnered with ModernMiniatures.eu, to which they have fantastic sculpts that we will only be offering physical prints of.
Will there be a subscription based service to get access to exclusive models?
Not at the moment, Possibility in the future.
Can I still use my older INX models with the new releases?
Yes, an Army builder type PDF is in the works; however we encourage you to pickup the new models and sleek new unit cards for quick play and ease of access.
Will there be STLs available of the infantry models?
No, however this is a thin line to walk and we are considering it in the future.
Will there be international distribution?
Yes, We currently have a distributor lined up in the EU and are in talks with an Australian Distributor.
How can I sign up to be a play tester for future releases?
Contact an Admin or Mod.
However, the team at Echo Dark have been kind enough to let me show off the full versions of a set of previews we’ve had before. As you can see from the images above, one of the first new sets is going to be Counter Terrorism SAS, complete with the KS1 and respiratory gear. The original sculptor of the INX models is sticking around and you can see his style is on full display.
If you want to keep up with what InCountry is up to, the new Echo Dark Discord is now open and the team will be at Adepticon in March, with more details to follow.
Fire! Modern Combat Shows Off The Stretch Goals
Fire! Modern Combat has its Kickstarter fast approaching in February and as such has been releasing some more teases as to what is coming soon. In this case, we have seen the Stretch goals that Fire! is looking to hit. There are plenty of the usual ones (markers, scenario packs, all you need to help you play the rules) as well as a few additional figures for the US and Insurgent forces coming in the Kickstarter. There are also a few additional force lists, covering regions from European NATO nations, to the Asia-Pacific and more. The Fire! Modern Combat Kickstarter will kick off next month and you can sign up now to be alerted when it launches.
Urban Scatter Gaming Releases Accessories Galore!
Urban Scatter Gaming has continued his releases for the MENA theatre by giving you a few more details to make all his previous releases look even better. As you can see above, this accessories pack cover the whole swathe of details you’ll need to make your building look lived-in. This includes a set of rooftop details (air conditioning, solar panels chimneys etc) a set of utility fixtures (for everything water and electricity-related) and finally a set of larger pieces that will provide obstacles to fight around such as the water tanks.
As you can see on the two examples above (MENA Building 1 and MENA Corner Building), the packs’s items, shown in the darker grey) really do fill in the last few bits of details for each piece. Making buildings look lived in is the final thing needed to take tables from good layouts to awesome visuals. I will definitely be using them on my own USG buildings.
If you want a set of your own, you can find it over on the USG Gumroad page.
Combat Octopus Releases Muddy Deniables
After a chunk of work, Combat Octopus has released his latest set, the Deniables in Mud. These bring the style of figure we saw back in October and November to a slightly wet and cold theatre, outfitting them with winter clothing compared to their tracksuited brothers. Instead, we have puffy jackets and vests, softshell jackets and sensible footwear. Weapon-wise, we’re looking at a set of classic AKs, with both the 74 and the AKM for rifles, grenade launchers, a tuned-up AK if you prefer some more gucci elements and (something I was part of the group asking for) an RPK-74 to provide some long range fire support. There are also two sets of heads, the basic ones with clean-shaven faces under their watch caps or the others with more scraggly beards. Additionally, each torso comes with both covert and overt bodies
Personally, casual guard posing aren’t always what I’m looking for. However, I think this set is a great addition to the range. It can be so useful for a variety of games, from Stalker bandits to post-apocalyptic survivors watching their stash to all manner of unsavoury persons guarding their wintery base against every type of military group, local law enforcement or even codenamed agents. The weapon combination also lets you run a wide selection of forces depending on how well you want them equipped.
If you want a set for yourself, you can get them by signing up for the Combat Octopus Patreon before the end of the month. The next release will be continuing this theme, except with a slightly more assaulter-vibe – we’ve already seen the sign of some small ballistic shields on the Discord, so I’m looking forward to the full set next month.
Modern Miniatures Releases Kitbashing Sets
Finally, we come to Modern Miniatures. As well as preparing for next month’s Patreon release, he has also been been hard at work on a set of kitbashing pieces. These are designed for both digital and physical modding but will help you upgrade your operators with some extra tools. The GPNVG set lets you print both the panoramic night vision everyone wishes they were rocking and the oversized battery pack needed to keep those four tubes going (it should be noted there is already a similar set for regular NVGs if this is too fancy for you). Meanwhile, the Breacher kit comes with a pile of options for your door kickers – this includes several pieces of kit (shotgun, circular saw, ram, halligan bar and bolt cutters) as both individual items and mounted to panels that can be attached rapidly to other figures. Both sets can be used either within something like 3D Builder or Blender or arrive support to be printed and attached traditionally. These are a great set, ideal for adding those extra touches.
Empress Miniatures Releases Arnhem Heroes
Empress Miniatures has now released their Arnhem Kickstarter projects onto their web store and will soon be bringing them along to their usual wargames shows. It is the complete range, including all the heroes individuals previously only available in the large bundles. As I’ve said in the past, these are some of the best Paul Hicks sculpts he’s ever made and so giving everyone a chance to get hold of them is great. There is also a tease that a third Kickstarter coming soon, releasing German troops to go up against the already-released Paras.
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