Every week, I say to myself, “Man, I bet this week is going to be a shorter post”. Spoilers, it never is – the new month kicks off with an avalanche of new updates from pretty much all the usual suspects. Spectre, Combat Octopus, Flank March and more are all here, with releases, previews, teases and more!
As always, thanks to the members of the Special Projects and Logistics Group, News Fans and all the other patrons over on the ChargeBlog patreon – they buy my time to make this wrap-up each week, letting me take the time to gather all the news, check the details on them and prepare them in one single place. If you like these roundups and find them useful, why not chip in on Patreon and help to keep them going?
Spectre Miniatures Asks For Feedback and Expands The Patreon
We’ll get to the big Spectre Miniatures news in a second, but for now, let’s talk about a request for feedback they have put out. With the stock of the initial print run almost at an end, it’s time for a reprint. Spectre is using this as a chance to implement the collection of errata and clarifications they have built up since release but also a chance to add some additional tweaks that they may have missed. The good news is that everyone who owns the current version of Spectre Operations will be receiving an updated PDF copy as well once it’s all been adjusted.
The bigger news, however, is that STL releases are returning to the Spectre Patreon. Now, I can already hear the pitchforks and torches being prepared and there was most certainly a response inspired by what happened the last time Spectre delivered STLs via Patreon. It is perfectly understandable for users to have some doubts.
However, the plan this time is very different. As opposed to crafting custom figures for the Patreon, the monthly cost of £15 + VAT gives you access for the new Direct Action tier will deliver each month’s infantry files for a single low cost. This covers both Mythos and Modern content, with links provided to the webstore as the figures are released, with a single collection at the end of each month. For transparency, a rough list will be provided at the start of the month (although potentially subject to change). In addition, you also receive a welcome pack of the four Aftermath figures above, giving you a chance to get printing. To help entice in former members with some reluctance, Spectre is offering a free month and welcome pack, letting you give them a shot to see if it works.
Kicking off in May, we have already received the list of what is intended for this month, including some previews. Some of these have already been released at Salute (I saw the flamethrower and technical gunners on the rack), while the others have featured as previews on this site.
- Russian Kord Gunner
- Russian ATGM operator
- Ukrainian NLAW
- Ukrainian HMG gunner
- Insurgent technical Gunner with DShK
- Insurgent Technical Gunner with M2
- Aftermath Killteam Flamethrower
In addition, a text post has announced that we will be getting a remaster of the old FSB Kill Team set, giving six figures armed with more than just the .50 cal rifles and pistols of the original while still keeping the overall look. These figures will also be included with this month’s Patreon pledge, helping to add to the overall deal.
Editor’s note: I’m not going to editorialise too much (that’s something I will probably be doing more in the SPOT-REPS that will be coming for higher tier patrons soon) but I think it’s worth it in this case. It is perfectly reasonable to approach a new Spectre Patreon with some doubt, I was very much not impressed with how the last one slowly struggled to the ending. However, this plan seems a much more reasonable one, providing an alternative release method similar to other companies within the wider Patreon space such as Last Sword and Highlands Miniatures (where you pay monthly for a massive saving as opposed to ala carte purchasing of individual units). Spectre has already managed to provide a reasonable release cadence for over a year, having ramped up massively since their return in 2023. If they can provide consistency and communication to avoid patron frustration, then this could end up being a very good deal for STL fans.
Echo Dark Studios Releases Blackthorn
Echo Dark Studios has announced a brand new faction for InCountry 2.0, bringing Blackthorn out of the shadows. The initial release includes eight figures with a mix of weapons suited for a higher-tier PMC force, with plenty of neat little details for the tabletop. These figures are out now via the InCountry store, and will be coming soon to the EU stockist (and friend-of-the-blog) Desk-Ops. In addition, the main store is also stocking older InCountry figures now available as print-on-demand, such as the Groundbranch set or the INX Operators. EDS seems to be pushing a pretty hard release schedule, so it’s worth keeping an eye on them.
Flank March Shows Off US Army Infantry
Flank March Miniatures, hot off surviving Salute and demoing games all day, is back at the sculpting table with the new US Army Rifleman that will be coming soon to a Kickstarter near you. Reforger is going to focus on the US Army in the early 1980s, but enough parts will be included for US Army figures during the rest of the era, with the addition of PASGAT helmets as well as the older M1. When I talked to the sculptor at Salute, he was very excited about the possibilities of a US Army release and you can see it in the first three figures he’s shown off. They are currently in the testing stage (along with three additional ones), with painted figures hopefully being shown off in June (assuming it all goes well). In fact, if you sign up to the Flank March Miniatures newsletter within the next 24 hours of this post’s release, you’ll be receiving a sneak peek of the sample US Rifleman figure, all in celebration of Flank March’s second anniversary.
But wait! That’s not all! As an exclusive for ChargeBlog, I’ve been passed over a render of the Squad Leaders that will be included as part of the core platoon for the Regorger Kickstarters. It’s great to see the variety in the posing, and someone has been taking a look at the hand signals used by the US Army. Keep your eyes open on the Flank March Miniatures page for more details coming soon!
White Dragon Miniatures Returns!
White Dragon Miniatures has been away from The News Stand for a while but good news! For those not in the know, the Product Safety Information sheet is something required by EU regulations (something we mentioned earlier this year and causing havoc). There isn’t any additional information on the post, but it’s safe to say White Dragon isn’t out of the game just yet.
Urban Scatter Gaming Drops Patreon Preview
Following on from last week’s exclusive announcement in this very article series, Urban Scatter Gaming has released two more images of the upcoming MENA Building 3 over Patreon, showing off some more variety that can be made from the set (as well as showing off the other pieces USG has for sale). This set is going to be a really useful one for those looking to build up their board into some truly dense urban areas with a selection of storeys available for whatever you’re trying to do. No firm release date yet, but as you can see they are looking REALLY good.
Black Hills Games Releases The PMC Remaster
For his April release, Black Hills Games has released the remaster of the Private Military Contractors set. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because this is a remaster of the very first BHG set released all the way back in 2022. The set contains the same 2004-2010 eta of Contractor, complete with plate carriers and railed M4s, as well as a para-stocked SAW for bringing the pain. It’s quite impressive to see how far he’s come since then, and definitely worth picking up – contractors such as this are always useful. These figures are also available over on Gumroad as well if you don’t want to pay monthly. BHG has also opened up a poll for the patrons to choose what comes next, so we’ll see what they decide soon.
Combat Octopus Releases Female Operators and Roadmap
After the usual round of previews (and a last-minute tweak to release order), we have this month’s release from Combat Octopus – Female Operators. Originally intended to be members of the Cultural Support Teams the US military used during GWOT, a late-game decision was made to swap them out to be female operators more generally. This does give them a US-focused feel with the M4 as the primary weapon, but as always, it’s best to consider the core release as more of a guideline (arr) for the modular assets.
As you can see in the slideshow above, each of the four poses comes with 4 weapon options (M4, G36, AK-74 and SCAR-L), with each pose having different versions of each. The poses have the usual split top and bottom for more options. Heads wise we have a selection of military styles alongside some more sneaky types, including a pair of headscarves for the CST look. And, in a move that will bring forth a lot of rejoicing, an M320 grenade launcher in holster has been included in the extra parts pack, complete with quad and single shell pouches. It also includes a cool set of retention mag pouches with the elastic over the top – I especially like the quad pouch with one empty slot, perfect for making your figures look a little more in the thick of things.
Speaking of release confusion, it’s time to catch up on the plans for the rest of the year. A set of more CST-focused figures will be coming in June, moving away from the more theatre agnostic appearance of this month’s release in favour of a more Afghan-focused set, including both Afghan clothing and non-combat poses. July will extend last month’s SSO theme with some specialists – a pair of figures for a sniper team, an ATGM gunner and an air observer (a role that people who have read up on SSO operations in Syria will recognise the significance of). August and September will focus on the Navy SEALs in Iraq (inspired by a film I’m very much looking forward to watching) and will hopefully provide a good companion set for the previous US Army release. Finally, October, November December will bring the Arabic Freedom Fighters release, going for three months to give a pile of figures in non-armoured vests and a mixture of military and civilian clothing. I feel like this is a good plan for the rest of the year, providing more complementary ranges for the already existing ones without feeling like it’s the same thing month in, month out.
That said, I am very much looking forward to October’s figures, so let’s shuffle along with the year, shall we?
Modern Miniatures Takes Us To The Arctic
Finally, for this week, Modern Miniatures has kicked off the month by releasing his Arctic set, having braved Internet loss to bring us the latest goodies.
For the miniatures tier, those guys will be receiving a five-man Arctic recon set with western arms and equipment, ideal for stomping through the snow to assault an enemy position with their suppressed weapons (all with optics to help with longer-range engagements). All five figures are also laden down with all their equipment on their backs and come with a selection of heads to give you options during assembly.
On the terrain side, the centrepiece is obviously the modular Submarine, including all of it’s various parts and alternative layouts to give you every style you might need for a game (including some ice pieces). The rest of the set also includes the radar dome, Ecosphere domes for your researchers to live in and two snowmobiles. Overall, this is a pretty great starting point for getting your arctic base setup (well apart from the lashings of fake snow and white paint)
Both of these pledges are available now over on Patreon, either independently or as an all-in pledge.
However, that’s not all that Modern Miniatures released. Over on MyMiniFactory, Modern Miniatures has released 12 items (the new minigun set sadly missed off the image due to the way the store lays things out) all ready for your wallets (and that Patron 40% discount code). These 12 items are a shotgun blast of new items. High points include the new multi-part Helipad and the Downed Pilot in an Ejector Seat. However, perhaps of interest to the patrons are the five pieces that also relate to the arctic theme – The Assault Team had already been mentioned to be released as separate from the Patreon but some of the others had been glimpsed in the previews delivered to patrons, especially the Snow Cat. If you’re interested in these as a Patron, don’t forget to use the 40% discount code that is delivered at the start of each month.
Editorialising again: Something I found a little concerning about this month’s release was that it was practically impossible to work out before release which sets were included in the Patreon release and which would require additional outgoings (even with a 40% discount). I’m not going to sit here and say that people running Patreons can’t also sell individual products or run second income streams such as a Tribes, but mixing in the Snowcat with the rest of the Patreon releases during the preview stage gave the wrong impression that it was going to be included. Hopefully, in the future, it can be a little clearer about what is going to be part of the pledge and what is an extra before money changes hands.
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