Infinity Cardboard Terrain

A few years ago, when I was getting into Infinity, there was a scenery pack included in a box set (Moto.Tronica) plus I picked up another one in an Arianna large starter box (Navajo Outpost Pack). They provide the same number and sizes of easily put together cardboard buildings and containers, four large and six small. I decided to put together these for extra scenery for multiple miniature game systems.

    Below is a three by three mat with both assembled terrain packs. As you can see it covers an appropriate amount of table area. It just needs some scatter terrain. The only minor quibble I have are that not many metal models should be placed on the top of the larger buildings, but extra cardboard lightly glued inside will reinforce the roof.

    For 32mm models, like the Batman Miniature Game, the size is perfect. Although the look of them are futuristic it still fits, but the smaller containers would work well in a warehouse or dock themed scenario.

    For Battletech: Alpha Strike they can be stacked as buildings and work extremely well for city terrain.

    40mm Marvel Crisis Protocol models also fit well. Same issue as with the Batman game, in that the theme is futuristic. Would work well in an alien world themed table.

    These sets are not sold on the Infinity Corvus Belli's website, but several others are here in particular on page two. A similar assortment, with different art, is the Dawn-02 Aplekton scenery pack for a reasonable price. Two other good sets for the price are the Neon Lotus scenery pack and the Daedalus scenery pack.

Badlands Terrain from GF9

 I picked up some GF9 Badlands terrain boxes recently and am very glad I did. I had plans to build some, but these were already made, prepainted, and solid. Also, even though they are labelled as being for 25-35mm models, I have found they are useful for any scale models from Dystopian Wars/Uncharted Seas 1:1200 scale to Marvel Crisis Protocol 40mm scale (1:43).

Out of the four the company sells, I picked up these three. Here they are with Marvel Crisis Protocol figures...

...Malifaux models...

...Battletech models...

...and Batman Miniature Game models.

I intend on using these in any outdoor scenario or setting as they are very handy and much better then my carved styrofoam "rock" escarpments.

Hardwar - Modiphius Edition Kickstarter and Free Quickstart Rules

Modiphius is releasing their Kickstarter for the new edition of the Hardwar Game. Previously owned by Strato Minis, Hardwar was a licensed offshoot of the first edition of Horizon Wars, expanded and modified, which is now in its 2nd edition called Horizon Wars: Midnight Dark.

    Hardwar is a skirmish miniature game using 6mm scale models. It is set in the near future where mercenary companies take contracts and fight for those who hire them, except they do so with remote controlled mechs and vehicles.

    Many of the same mechanics of Hardwar seem to be included in the 24 page quickstart rules, available for FREE as a pdf from Modiphius. I am sure there will be some tweaks in the full edition of the rules. They have also cleaned up all of the Strato Minis models included in the Kickstarter and if the product sells well I expect the rest of the Strato Minis line to get a facelift and rollout under the Modiphius banner.

    I like the quickstart and its little tweaks as well as its clear presentation of the rules.0 My only criticism in the Kickstarter is that the stretch goals are currently focused on the terrain models and the main benefactor of them is only those who choose the highest reward tier. Currently I will likely get a lower grade tier, like Corporate Commando, with some add-ons.

    There is a Facebook site, run by Modiphius, here. You can still download some Hardwar items from Strato Minis website here.

Horizon Wars: Midnight Dark

Horizon Wars: Midnight Dark is a miniature agnostic skirmish ruleset that can be used for any small scale miniatures. The setting is near to far future and although there is a written history Mr Robey Jenkins said that people are free to come up with your own background and the reason why there is conflict. I really liked the original Horizon Wars rules and also the licensed Hardwar rules made by Strato Minis. Here was the review I did for the first edition of Horizon Wars.

    So using any miniature you want is one of the big draws for me. People who have been playing miniatures for a while probably have some small scale miniatures for a game that doesn't get played very much anymore. Games like Games Workshop 40k Epic or Battlefleet Gothic, Spartan Games' Dystopian Wars/Firestorm Armada/Planetfall, Gear Kreig/Heavy Gear, Dropzone Commander, Battletech, All Quiet on the Martian Front, Wizards collectable Axis and Allies minis...the list goes on. Even Lego! The Horizon Wars: Midnight Dark rules works well from 2mm up to 15mm. There are also three small scale miniatures coming out from three big companies: GW Legion Imperialis, Mantic Epic Warpath, and Warcradle Dystopian Wars. In the pictures below are a few that I have in that scale and some that are space combat based.

    I've primarily used my old Wizkids Mechwarrior plastic miniatures to use with the Horizon Wars system. They are a perfect scale, around 12mm, and provide variety. I also bought a lot of them on clearance from several online warehouse stores about 15 years ago. Repainting them is also easy to do. Some examples of my United Faction are Infantry, Vehicles/Special Units, and Mechs/Aircraft. Most of the different units I have painted for my United faction are shown in the picture below.

There are still only four stats for each unit: Agility (A), Defense (D), Firepower (F), and Movement (M). You can still react to enemy model actions, which is one of the highlights of this game for me as it adds to tactical decision-making both for the initiator and the potential reactor. 

Weapons still have unlimited range and still used d12s. Range is measured, agility stat added, and cover level added to get the target number. Attacker rolls d12s equal their Firepower stat, target rolls dice equal to their Defense stat and removes attacker's dice for each one that matches, attacker combines remaining as they wish to equal or exceed the target number, and every group of dice that equal or exceed is a hit. Target allocates hits to their stats as they see fit as damage and the same hits are allocated to fatigue, reducing that unit's effectiveness. There is more, like taking a recover action to reduce damage (not fatigue), but you get the basics.

This new edition of the game also cleans up parts of the original rules and adds some interesting changes:

    -New fatigue mechanic linked to damage taken, order tokens that cannot be placed, and units getting exhausted. 

    -Reduced the amount of critical results when rolling a 12 result to only one. 

    -Upgrades have been expanded and updated.

    -Air units, missions, and solo play rules have been updated.

    -New leadership, hero, defense, utility, and mech pilot upgrades.

    -New unit quality upgrades (green, untested, veteran, elite).

    -More, more, more!

    Another great thing about the game is cost. Once you get the rulebook you can start with cardstock paper chits, dollar store toys and blocks, used toys, or whatever you have around. Then you can pick up miniatures cheaply as you go to replace or expand your army. 

I recommend getting this new edition and trying out Horizon Wars: Midnight Dark. It is available from Wargames Vault here.

Epicast Tek Archway

 Epicast once made Games Workshop 40k items under license until Forgeworld started in 1998. No idea when this Tek Archway was made but it has been a decade or two since I bought it. Primed black it was painted with cheap gunmetal and silver, then small conduits painted Rhulic Gold and large pipes and knobs painted Pig Iron. Because it has no controls or scale indicators on it, it could be used for just about any miniature game.

Planetfall Objectives

 For the Spartan Games Planetfall game, I picked up an objective pack online last year. The company went under but the license and IP was purchased by Wayland Games with no date to re-release it. However, the objectives will work very well with my small scale games, as they are 10mm scale. They were painted with various cheap and Privateer Press paints.

As you can see, from left to right, the Horizon Wars/Hard War heavy troopers, Bot War Ageis and Tyranosaur, and Aquan Planetfall models fit with the objectives nicely.

Bot War Card City/Airport Terrain

 From Trader's Galaxy I bought the Bot War card City/Airport terrain. It was on sale, which is nice, and instead of glue I used cheap masking tape as it was less temperamental. The results are great! It came in a flatpack and comes together just great. Scale is 10mm, which fits in with my models for Horizon Wars/Hardwar.

The Airport tiles and terrain.

Here is the city tiles and terrain.

They also fit in medium sized totes very nicely, with room for more terrain.

Enlightened / Covenant of Antarctica - Land Based units

Here are my land based units of the Enlightened/Covenant of Antarctica forces, for the Dystopian Wars game. From smallest to largest are: 44 Xenophon walkers, 12 Colossus walkers, three Janus Infantry portal walkers, Nine Orpheus Drone Controller tanks, 16 Socrates bombards, 24 Atticus Medium walkers, 12 Scorpios Tank Hunter walkers, four Archimedes Heavy walkers, one Callimachus Time Dilation orb, and one Herodotus class mobile airfield. The SAS planes were already painted before. Here are my Sea (older Spartan and newer Warcradle), Air, and Fortifications that I have built in the last few months.

It is unknown what Warcradle, the current holders of the Dystopian Wars IP, will do with the land based game but have hinted at it being 15mm scale (1:100) once they make it. Unfortunately the older models are 1:1200 scale so unless I change the scale for playing the land game, with friends who have the same models I might have to use them for something else. I can use them for my Horizon Wars/Hardwar tabletop games and role playing games though. Its also nice to paint something different. The older second edition rules, when made by Spartan Games, are available on the Warcradle website here: https://blog.warcradle.com/spartan-games-archive

Covenant of Antarctica - Orpheus Drone Controller Tank

For the Covenant of Antarctica/Enlighted faction in Dystopian Wars, I have painted nine Orpheus Drone Controller tanks. They were painted the same as my Xenophon small walkers with the addition of Arcane Blue for the windows. There are no rules for them in the third edition of the game.

In the second edition, they had a turn radius of zero, decent broadsides could launch one SAS fighter each, and could grant excellent abilities for its SAS squadrons. One of these can be attached to any non-small unit.

Covenant of Antarctica - Janus Infantry Portal Walker

 For the Covenant of Antarctica/Enlighted faction in Dystopian Wars, I have painted three Janus Infantry portal walkers. They were painted the same as my Xenophon small walkers. There are no rules for them in the third edition of the game.

In the second edition, they had a turn radius of zero, no weapons, and are elusive and small targets. One of these can be attached to any armoured unit. They can set up two portals to allow tiny units to move between them, with some risk determined by a die roll.

Covenant of Antarctica - Colossus Walkers

These 12 Colossus walkers are for the Covenant of Antarctica faction, known as the Enlightened in the third edition of the Dystopian Wars game.

They are painted the same as the Xenophon small walkers. They are quite powerful at point blank range but slow. Otherwise similar stats to the Xenophon walker. 

Covenant of Antarctica - Xenophon Small Walker

These 44 tiny models are Xenophon small walkers for the Covenant of Antarctica faction of Dystopian Wars, known as the Enlightened in the third edition of the game. 

The models were primed black, rough brush of cheap silver paint. Metal then lightly drybrushed with Privateer Press Radiant Platinum. The bronze parts were painted GW Retributor Armour (I ran out of the PP Rhulic Gold I used for my Naval forces) and entire model washed with GW Nuln Oil. Cygnar Yellow used on the bulbous tops of the walkers and the inside of the engine funnels painted PP Necrotite Green. The base was painted cheap silver around the edge, inside painted cheap dark brown, GW gravel affixed with craft glue, then twice Gal Force snow was applied in clumps. Because the models are so small, I put the flocks on so that clear channels were in frount of the model to the edge of the base. Even though they have a turn radius of zero, it helps to know where they are pointed.

In the older edition of the game, they had great movement, decent forward firing gun, tough, and deployable in squadrons of two to five models. They are also all terrain and hard to hit.

Enlightened/Covenant of Antarctica - Massive Bunker Complex and Towers

The massive bunker complex and towers are solid defenses for the Covenant of Antarctica faction in the Dystopian Wars game. There are no rules for them yet for the Third edition of the game under Warcradle. If there are no rules made for these models, I can still use them for my Horizon Wars, Hardwar, or Gaslands games or really any games where I need a structure like these. They were painted the same as my Kepler light carriers, minus the blue dazzle camouflage. 

The towers had options from left to right of: flak, shield, special faction weapon, communications, and gun. 

Enlightened/Covenant of Antarctica - Air Units

Here are my finished Dystopian Wars pre-third edition of models, for the Enlightened faction. There is an Epicurus Sky Fortress, two Daedalus Large Fliers, two Hyperbius Control Fliers, five Icarus Medium Fliers, ten Ptolemy Mine Layer Fliers, eight Pytheus Bombers, and forty SRS tokens. I am hoping in 2022 that there will be added rules for these models in the third edition orbat.

For those interested in my naval units, the pre-third edition models are here and my 3rd edition Hunt for the Prometheus models are here.

Hardwar

 The miniature rules for Hardwar were made from the Horizon Wars rules by Robey Jenkins and added/changed by Strato Minis personages Rafal Zerych and Krzysztof Raczynski by license. Although Robey Jenkins will eventually be coming out with a 2.0 version of his Horizon Wars rules, the Hardwar ruleset is an incredible successor. Especially for under $20 Canadian funds!

The rules have been tweeked/added to with:

1. First initiative being bid upon with action tokens and by lowest action tokens available after the first turn; 

2. Electronic Warfare turn which creates an interesting game within a game that can disable special actions for the turn, as well as calling in reserves and strategic assets;

3. Deployment and deep deployment changes; 

4. Additional actions including aimed shoot, guard (for later reaction), duck & move for walkers, area bombardment, suppressive fire and special actions (combat drop, relay coordinates, reload, and embarking/disembarking);

5. More robust Close combat including nearby walker/vehicle charge interception;

6. Aircraft rule changes/additions;

7. Lots more terrain and environment options and rules;

8. Decision based tree based mission paths or use missions randomly;

9. Incredibly robust infantry/vehicle/walker/aircraft creation rules and can incorporate pretty much anything you can think of for future combat units. For organic models, the "Over the Horizon" Horizon Wars expansion can fit the bill for kaiju and gribblies with slight modifications.

The models that Strato minis makes are quite nice if you do not have any small scale models. They do terrain too.

I am amazingly happy with this Hardwar next generation ruleset based on the Horizon Wars ruleset. The options will make the United, Insurgency, and Sovereignty factions play differently beyond the basic units. It will also enable me to use other models for different eras and flavors of future combat so I can use my Monsterpocalypse, Robotech, Dropzone Commander, etc models using this ruleset. Even 15-32 mm models could use this ruleset with some creative design creation. Time to finish painting my basic factions, play some games with this ruleset, and start on other models for different themes/genres.

Space Horizon Wars - Generic Units

 Continuing the project for my Horizon Wars in space units for United, Sovereignty, Insurgency, and Unknown factions (Unknown might be creepy but some are desperate or greedy) I have made some generic units. They will be used mostly for scenarios but can supplement factions as Q-Ships.

The bunch.

Generic Tug, for scenarios (P2 Mech with lots of armour and special movement or modified for repair or minelaying)

Generic Satellite (P1 Mech having lots of armour and no movement. Could have options like an automated weapon station with stealth suite)

Generic Small Transport (P1 mech or aircraft with 1 firepower and rest in the other three stats. Could also be a converted Q ship)

Generic Medium Transport (P2 Mech or aircraft with 2 firepower and rest in the other three stats. Could also be a converted Q ship)

Generic Large Transport (P4 mech with 3 firepower and rest in the other stats. Could also be a converted Q ship)

Generic Mining Tow Vessel (P3 Mech with repair abilities to represent techs and riggers onboard)

Generic Police Cruiser for when military ships are too much or cannot do the job (P3 Mech and thinking of it having assisted targeting, short extended range, and assassin upgrades to incapacitate ships)

Generic Civilian Transport (P4 Mech or Aircraft as a scenario unit although could be a Q Ship)

The back of it.

Generic Exploration or Ship (P5 Aircraft/Mech for scenarios although could be a Q Ship)

The back of it.

Space Station (P5 Mech with 1 or 2 movement and the rest in firepower, armour, and defense with repair capability and whatever else I need for the scenario)

Well, that's it on this topic for now. It was fun using what I already had in storage and reliving my younger days and purchases from my early 20's. Just goes to show you can combine fun, creativity, memories, and serious wargaming business in one bundle. Might try some solo scenarios and detailed stats in some sort of campaign pdf. Stay tuned.