I’m glad that this week everyone seems to have the Post-Salute hangover with everyone being on the quieter side. However, that doesn’t mean it’s silent – we’ve got updates from Spectre, Echo Dark Studios, Combat Octopus and more. Also, a friend of the blog is back!
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Spectre Miniatures Delivers The Magi, Drops The Quick Play and Prepares Reinforcements
Spectre Miniatures had a very busy weekend, running a stand that was busy the entire day. I think one of the reasons was the Salute Exclusive Figure, The Magi. Another entry in the Task Force Nomad exclusive range (following on from the V3 pre-order Operator figure and the Frontlines Drone Controller figure), this time we have a mounted figure… on a camel. And much like his namesake, he comes bearing gifts as he is rolling with a pile of armaments and equipment; In his hand he has an MRAD boit action rifle with a night vision optic for long-range engagement, while the mount carries a SIG MCX LT (much like his squadmates on foot), an M72 LAW, a pair of M136/AT4 launchers and (for when combat isn’t the goal, his gear that is ideal for long range recon such as a camera, communications gear and rucksack. If I’m honest, I’m not sure how I’d fit such a unique figure into the average game (by the time the action kicks off, I feel like a camel is the last place I’d want to be) but as a sculpting piece, I think this is one of Steve’s best – the level of detail and composition is showing off what you can do, providing a really evocative figure. Sadly, it is no longer available as it was a limited edition during the Salute weekend, but I still think it’s something worth taking a look at. Hopefully, we will see it again during one of the sale periods.
However, that wasn’t the only thing that Spectre had at Salute on the weekend. There was also a set of more permanent additions to the range that were available for the first time. I managed to get in a take a quick look at them
- Aftermath
- Set of four figures (all of whom we’ve seen previewed before)
- Flamethrower
- Insurgent
- Technical Gunners
- Agent QRF
- Dog Team
- Breacher
- Shotgun
- Carl Gustav Gunner
- Task Force
- Dog Team
The Dog Teams came out at Adepticon, but the rest of the figures are new. There were some cool details on the guys I looked at, such as the Carl Gustav gunner running with a Flux Raider as his secondary, so I’m looking forward to getting a better look at them once they are released. After talking to Steve and Jess at the show (before the horde claimed them), this is basically down to a stock issue, with them being unwilling to put the figures on general release until they had built up a better supply for posting out to people. They should be up later this month, and you can expect me to grab many of them for the STL collection
The other release from Spectre last week was their Quick Play Guide. Available for free on the Spectre website, this booklet is designed to be a free introduction to the core mechanics of Spectre Operations V3. It includes some updated pages for elements such as the various actions, reactions, stress tests (something that a lot of people have struggled with) and the basic weapons you’d need to get started. I saw plenty of people walking around with the booklets on the day, so hopefully this will provide a better intro to the ruleset.
Echo Dark Studios Rolls Out The STL Range
When I wrote last week’s post, Echo Dark Studios had dropped only a small amount of the InCountry STL sets. Well, good news! Since then, we’ve seen them add plenty more of the figures that ESS released over the years as STLs from both their Kickstarter and through their website. If you’re looking to expand the base game (or add to the collection) this is a great place to take a look, and it’s great to see them still available to new collectors.
Combat Octopus Updates Loyalty Rewards
Combat Octopus has kept us in the loop, by announcing a minor change to the Loyalty Rewards program he has been running. After the next loyalty rewards release (details on that in a sec), CO will be moving away from rewards based on a users time in service in favour of 3-month cycles – this is due to Patreon’s less than stellar back end system (something I’ve also seen) making it a pain in the ass to track members. Additionally, rewards will be dropping from a pair of figures to a single one, letting CO focus on quality and making them special characters. However, the good news is that we’ll be seeing a Covert/Overt Female Operator figure for the 12-month reward, combining civilian clothing with a selection of compact weapons. I look forward to seeing more!
Goggles Miniatures Reveals April Releases
Goggles Miniatures has given us a good update to show off this month’s releases. It’s a good month for those needing mine-resistant protection with both the Cougar and MATV available for the monthly patrons. For the Seasonal Trove, the Bandsvagn 206 and Swedish Stridsvagn 103 will be available for those whose taste is a little more wintery.
Desk Ops Returns From Hiatus With A Vengeance
Finally, friend of the blog Desk-Ops is preparing to return from an unwanted hiatus and get back to work. Run by Dan, it is 3D printer based in Germany and can supply Combat Octopus, BobMack3d, Black Hills Games and more. With his return, there is going to be some major updates for those ranges and more – for example, if you want the Combat Octopus Gothic Serpent range, this is one of the few places you can get it. Additionally, Urban Scatter Gaming’s range of terrain will soon be available from Dan’s site, freshly printed from the high-quality Bambu Labs printer and ready for you to get to work. There is also going to be some Desk-Ops exclusive figures coming soon as you can see in the second image, which will only be available from him. Having seen some previews of these guys, they are going to be a great addition to the range.
If you’re interested in taking a look, keep your eye on the Desk-Ops site.
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