The new month starts and we have a pile of updates for you all. Print your own Commieblock, prepare the MENA Militia or even stand by for a Cold War Gone Hot in Germany, this week’s edition of The News Stand has something for everyone. Read on for more!
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Spectre Miniatures Deploys The Militia And Previews What’s Coming Next
We showed off the STL releases from Spectre Miniatures in last week’s edition but this week we have the store releases. If you’re wanting to pick up the new militia and UGVs printed for you (or just want to avoid Patreon), they are now out in the store.
We’ve already covered the contents of the release multiple times over the last few weeks (three packs of MENA Militia for fighters, command and support as well as a Western UGV and an Eastern UGV), but we do now have them shown off after being painted up (and the Marker UGV is correctly named this time). As much as renders are good for getting the initial idea across, seeing them painted up (and especially seeing them pose in the little vignettes that Spectre does) are even better for getting the creative juices going. The good news is that the Patreon release also managed to snag a few print failures in the initial files, so current releases should be even more reliable when printed.
The question is now, what’s coming out in July. The full list is coming soon, but we have a little sneak peek thanks to the Spectre Patreon – these two kitted-out AKs are going to be used by a CIA Special Activities Element that Spectre is working on. They have also warned there will be less figures this month than the pile we got in the last few months, but I’m excited to see what Spectre is up to.
BobMack3d Shows Off One Of My Favourite Tanks
Bobmack3d’s next Kickstarter AirLand Battle launches on Friday (appropriately on the 4th of July), bringing you a whole bunch of toys for a Cold War Gone Hot. We’ve already seen some of the other toys (including the dune buggy) but this week we see one of my personal favourites – the M551 Sheridan (specifically the TTS variant with the thermal imager). Ever since I saw a video of one of these things being dropped out the back of a C130, I’ve loved this light tank (to the point of having a force in the ChargeReal use them). Backers of the Kickstarter will get four versions of the Sheridan, ranging from the original European setup to the Air Assault versions designed to assist the 82nd Airborne if they need air transportable armour in the hot zone. Bobmack3d has previously released a Vietnam-era Sheridan as part of the original Kickstarter they did, but the updated version will see extra details and reworked suspension.
If you want your own collection of air-droppable armoured vehicles, you can sign up for Kickstarter right now, all ready for when it kicks off on Friday.
Flank March Miniatures Shows Off Box Art
Speaking of Kickstarters launching on Friday, Flank March Miniatures is launching Reforger to bring you a whole platoon of US Infantry, all ready for the Cold War gone hot. And to REALLY get you in the mood, Flank March has even got some custom artwork ideal to set the scene. Painted by Marco Capparoni (whose work you’ve seen on publications and boxes from Osprey, Warlord, the Perrys and more), this piece is perfect – the troops wearing the three different head options and showing off the main weapons while the background fight for an airfield is inspired by the action from BattlegroundHD’s Fulda Gambit scenario pack that is also coming on July 4th. This project is definitely looking exciting and this key art is the final touch to send it out.
However, there is one last piece of social media bribery for the Kickstarter. Based on how many followers the Kickstarter gets before it launches on Friday, each backer will also receive additional STLs for the various icons of US forces in Cold War Germany. And the good news so far is that we have already unlocked two of the icons (8th Infantry Division and 3rd Armoured Division) with the Black Horse well on its way.
If you want to sign up (and help the campaign unlock more icons), the Kickstarter preview page is already up, meaning you’ll know the moment it launches on the 4th of July.
Anvil Digital Forge Shows Off Team Outlaw
Good news from Anvil Digital Forge – we’re getting another custom team for modern operators. Similar to Team Phoenix released last year, Team Outlaw is going to give you the OPFOR. Inspired by a certain popular game franchise, this set of heavily armed and armoured operators is digitally kitbashed from many of Anvil’s digital sets (as well as with a few custom pieces) but formed into a unit that is ready for the tabletop. If you’re looking for a quick way to jump into Ultramodern gaming with a slightly Tech Thriller vibe, this is definitely a set worth picking up. It will be released on the 15th of July as both physical and digital releases on the Anvil Industry store.
Combat Octopus Releases The Commie Block
Usually at this point I’d be showing off the latest release from Combat Octopus but there has been a minor thing possibly slowing things down.
Say hello to the COMMIEBLOCK – a new modular wargaming terrain project that Combat Octopus has been working on and has now been released over on MyMiniFactory. This kit lets you assemble a Series 121 style accommodation block, a piece of architecture that can be found all over the former USSR in varying states of decay (something the kit will let you model). By pulling together pieces for the walls, floor and features (including doors, entrance ways, staircases and more), you can build anything from a partial facade, a single full floor or a multistorey fully playable block (or two or three). For anyone looking to do anything in Eastern Europe (or with a few tweaks beyond), buildings assembled from this campaign are perfect to set the scene. And even better, there is a readme included so you know what pieces to use where.
As you can see on the images above (all assembled and painted by a friend of the blog Desk-Ops), this is a sizeable structure and one packed full of details. It’s also very much designed to be playable, rather than merely a shell as some of the other options. The modular nature also means you can do as much with it as you’d like (although there will be some work to get it all together). I can confirm I have my own set to look at, so once I get the printer warmed up, you’ll be seeing more soon.
If you want to build your own kit, you can buy it off the MyMiniFactory campaign page and get the files right now.
Modern Miniatures Shows Off This Month’s Releases
As you might expect from Modern Miniatures, it’s the start of the new month, and he already has his releases out. The miniatures pledge has unfortunately been delayed until later in the week, but for those on the Terrain Tier on Patreon or on the MyMiniFactory Tribes, it’s new vehicles day!
In a long-awaited release that has been often teased, the Terrain tier will be receiving a UH-60 Blackhawk set. Coming in both resin and filament versions, this set is packed full of details and clever design decisions to make it suitable for the wargaming tabletop while also being easily printed on most printers. The Resin Blackhawk, for example, has separate seats for the inside, ideal for customising the type of aircraft you want. It also comes with a flight base (for the practical side) and the M240Ds for close protection.
Over on the MyMiniFactory Tribes page, this month’s release is the Cougar MRAP, available in both the 4×4 and 6×6 versions. As seen on a certain Narco-focused board at Conflict Rhineland 2024, the Cougar is probably THE MRAP design of the GWOT for many people and so is a very useful vehicle for a whole host of nations. It uses the same turret as the rest of the Modern Miniatures vehicle range and so is a great addition to any collection.
Skull Forge Studios Expands Rubicon With American Remnants
Finally, Skull Forge Studios returns with more releases for the Twilight 2000 adjacent range, Rubicon. The set above shows off some American remnants, survivors of the escalation, but now a little more “rough and ready”. There are some great poses among the set, ideal for anyone playing Twilight 2000 or similar games and needing some troops far from home.
This set is still JUST available in the Grace period (that will last until before July 4th), along with an M113. This does however illustrate the crippling flaw with Skull Forge’s distribution and planning method – sure you get a lot of stuff for your money but they they are often dropping off releases on the last day of the month, forcing way more admin for everyone involved.
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