A day later but not a single dollar short! This week’s edition is packed full of all the good stuff you expect from the end of a month – new releases from Spectre’s Patreon, previews from all the Patreons you can shake a stick at and even a time-limited offer if you’re reading this when it’s released! So get to it and read on!
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Spectre Miniatures Launches Patreon Releases for May
First up – Spectre Miniatures!
Good news for all the patrons who are on the Direct Action Tier, you should have a full folder of STLs ready for printing. All of this month’s releases are now up there, including both the pile of models announced at the start of the month and the FSB Kiltleam we got previewed during the month. Having grabbed the files myself, I see these look like great additions to various existing ranges, as well a very successful update to one Spectre’s most popular releases.
The question is, when are these figures going to be available on general release for those who don’t own a 3D printer? I’m assuming these will be out before the end of the month, the gap giving time for Spectre to get the painted images together. So I guess they will be appearing in next week’s edition.
We’ve also seen another use for Spectre’s Patreon – buying Spectre vehicles for half price. As announced when the Patreon updated, the Direct Action Tier only includes infantry releases which seemed reasonable based on what was promised. However, Spectre has taken advantage of the Store feature to sell you STL files for the upcoming vehicles for a massively reduced price. The first vehicle to be offered this way is the Titan MRAP (based on a newly developed Russian vehicle), along with a trio of weapon systems to mount on the roof. As well as a hull that can be best described as “we need a generic MRAP for a PS3 game”, the set also includes the remote-controlled 30mm autocannon turret, the Aduonk B3 remote system with both HMG and grenade launcher, and the Arbalet DM2 with HMG. These weapon systems are used across several Russian vehicles, so if you want to kitbash a modernised Russian vehicle (maybe you want to see what a BRDM looks like with a modern weapon system), this is a great place to start.
Overall, the kit ends up being a pretty good deal at £18 (£15 including VAT). I know that vehicle STL pricing from Spectre has been considered on the high side but I personally was more than happy to purchase the post. I’m hoping this system continues and we see what else Spectre has in the kit locker. This vehicle will also be getting a physical release soon.
Continuing on the theme you may have seen in the releases above, we have a preview of two upcoming figures designed to help you deal with enemy drones. One is a Russian fighter equipped with a system that frankly reveals my lack of research into this particular topic, while the Ukrainian fighter has (along with his slung AK) a Ukrainian-made system you can see in action on YouTube. What’s also interesting is that you can see the WIP process – the cut outs on the arms show they have been reposed, maintaining the key details and just needing touching up on things such as elbows, knees and clothing creases.
These will be included in next month’s Patreon release along with several others that haven’t been shown yet. There has been some polling on the Patreon as a guideline, but nothing concrete yet. I expect we’ll see more details by next week’s additions (or within 24 hours of me posting this).
BelloLudi Kalashnikov Is WarGameVault’s Deal of the Day
In a screaming fast piece of news that came in while I was writing this, BelloLudi is pleased to announce that their modern set “Belloludi Klalashnikov” is going to be WarGameVault’s Deal of the Day on the 29th of May 2025. At 10 am US Central time, the ruleset will drop down to $5.97, which is an absolute steal for the set. I was lucky enough to meet the guys at Salute this year and, as well as getting to understand more about the rules and how they captured modern wargaming with their system, I also came away with my own copy waiting for a good read-through. This is a deal definitely worth taking a look at – however, if you missed the deal, you can find it in the main store for $9.95.
Black Site Studios Open Last Chance To Buy
Black Site Studios has good news for people looking to add to their MDF collection. Several pieces have entered into Last Chance to Buy and many of them are interesting for Ultramodern gamers. Many are more sensible, such as MENA Walls and Gates or the New Horizon bank, but I’m more interested in the big ticket items – the MV Australis cargo ship, the Arklight Subway Bundle and the Northwood Mall. These three are definitely some of the most unique sets from Black Site, so if you want them for yourself you should probably get them now. You can order them until June 20th, at which point they will be gone.
Flank March Shows Off The Brass
Another week in the run up to a Kickstarter, another preview from Flank March Miniatures. As Flank March likes to produce sets designed for building a platoon, these week’s previews show off the Squad Leaders and Platoon HQ. The Squader leaders are all posed ready to direct troops with hand signals, while the Platoon HQ includes the pointing NCO, the Platoon Commander on the radio and the RTO who is currently looking at his helmet and the shrapnel hole in it. These figures all capture the vibe we’ve seen in the other releases, ready for the early 1980s. We’ve also had some updates on what’s coming next week, as Flank March is taking advantage of his friendship with Bobmack3d to outfit some’s vehicles with newly sculpted crews. We’re also going to be getting another platoon guide to cover the Us Army Infantry Platoon, taking the details from Battle Order’s fantastic video (seriously, if you like my stuff and aren’t following Battle Order, I have failed). I really liked the platoon guide that was released for the last two Kickstarters (and still available on the Flank March website), as they delivered all the information you’ll need to build your force and understand how they work
No update on when the Reforger Kickstarter is going to launch, but as you can see, the pieces are looking good. More details as they are announced.
Anvil Digital Forge Breaks Down the Snipers
After previewing the upcoming loyalty reward last week, you can now take a look at the Multi-shell details for the post-apocalyptic Russian snipers coming from Anvil Digital next month. As you can see in the preview post, there are plenty of pieces that can be toggled on and off, making it simple to adjust quite how apocalyptic you want them or if you want to ditch the hoods for more customisation. I feel like this is a unique selling point for Anvil’s figures and it’s always great to see them extending out what is in the range. If you want these figures, be an Anvil Digital patron during June and you’ll even get a free set of WW1 British Trench Fighters (which, to be fair, does include the L42A1 so it’s maybe useful for the bits box).
Black Hills Games Delivers a Road Map and Prepares for a Break!
No previews from Black Hills Games, but we do have a roadmap showing what Black Hills Games has planned all the way out to May 2026. There is a real mix on the list, with a healthy mix of realistic and cinematic (including the Mosul Police unit that I’m still waiting for a good set to cover). The other news is that there will be no release in June 2025, with no fee charged to subscribers as BHG takes a break. Good news, there will be no
Editor’s note: I hope that Black Hills Games enjoys his time off, but I will also admit personally that part of me hopes this break is going to let him start working a month ahead. BHG is one of the Patreons we often don’t see previews of until right at the end of the month (with releases at the start of the next), meaning when you pay at the start of the month, you’re basically gambling based on a theme. But, this concern hasn’t stopped consistent releases so this may be the worries of the hyper-focused – if he needs a break, he should take it.
Combat Octopus Previews The CST Team
After last month’s switcheroo and a little bit of side work at the start of the month, Combat Octopus has now been hard at work on the Cultural Support Team to be released in June. The CSTs were groups of female soldiers designed to help US Special Operation Forces when interacting with the female population of Afghanistan, something that was not culturally appropriate for a male soldier. For us, this means we’re getting a set of female operators from the 2010-2014 era, mixing US tactical clothing and local dress. These figures are also in a mixture of more relaxed poses, ideal for placing next to the selection of civilian figures. As you can see above, we have three of the poses finished (with the fourth well on the way) as well as additional heads. Previews on the Combat Ocotopus Patreon have also mentioned we’ll be getting scarves as separate digital assets for kitbashing, as well has heads with scarves over the head and shoulder. The exact weapons have not been decided (please ignore me chanting SCAR just off camera) but the set should be out next month.
Modern Miniatures Previews Winter OPFOR and A Hillux
Modern Minatures has been busting out the details, giving us a double bill of a preview for June’s releases. Above you can see the infantry figures coming this month, winterised OPFOR, ideal to deal with this month’s release (both the recon team in the Patreon and the assault set on the store). The set will include five different poses (four of which you can see above) armed with a mixture of AKs and PKPs. However, in a pattern you may have spotted, Modern Miniatures will also be releasing (with a discount for patrons) a version of these figures on the MyMiniFactory store armed with QBZ 95s in case you prefer your Winter trips to be to Tian Shan rather than Sibera. More details when we see the previews of these alternatives.
For the vehicle and terrain tier, June will deliver a Hulux technical with gun options after winning the public vote. You can see the chassis above, while two weapon systems will be included (the Recoiless rifle and one other) – any additional systems will be sold on MMF with the usual Patron discount.
Modern Miniatures is usually a pretty safe bet with deliver, so I expect we’ll see them very early in June if you need some pickups for your Winter OPFOR to ride around in.
Turnbase Miniatures Deploys May’s Figures
Finally, Turnbase Miniatures has managed to get back on schedule, releasing May’s figures in May. At Tier 2, you receive “Tactical Troopers”, high-end modern soldiers with Star Wars-inspired facemasks and armour. For Tier 3, you get a strangely familiar theme with a pair of commandos on camels (giving you three wise men if you picked up Spectre’s Magi around Salute). These figures should be out soon over on Patreon.
Editor’s Note: You may have noticed that Turnbase has been missing for a few weeks. The last few sets haven’t quite matched to the focus of the News Stand, so I didn’t include them. I still have my issues with Turnbase’s output as someone trying to game rather than collect, but I thought these were worth mentioning.
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