Today I spend a few hours planning out two more HOTT 2nd Edition 24AP Armies for 15mm.co.uk.  A follow up to the HOTT1018 Empyre Army that came out last week.

15mm.co.uk has many different HOTT armies and they have proved really popular over the past five years, indeed they were one of the first sections on the fledgling website way back when.  In fact almost all the miniatures in the HOT 15mm Fantasy range appear in these armies and with these new codes so will the majority of the classic TTF 15mm Fantasy range.  Anyhoo…

Here are the listings I have worked out using my old copy of the vintage A5 book…now rather rare as even 15mm.co.uk cannot get stock of it to sell!

I think these will appear in a few weeks time; more on it nearer the time.

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HOTT1019 Army of Evil 24AP Army

God @ 4AP 1 (One Arch Demon) (C1)
Behemoth @4AP 1 (A Balrog) (B1)
Sneaker @ 3AP 1 (Three Gargoyles) (D1)
Lurkers @ 1AP 1 (Three Liches and Ghouls) (C1)
Knights @ 2AP 2 (Three Chaos Knights on Horse) (C2)
Blades (General) 2@ AP 1 (Three Chaos Lords) (E1)
Blades @ 2AP 2 (Four Chaos Knight on Foot) (E2)
Spears @ 2AP 1 (Four Human Spearmasters) (E1)

This Army Pack contains the following miniatures from the TTF range.

535 Arch Demon (1)
526 Balrog (1)
548 Gargoyle (3)
542 Liche and Ghoul (3)
537 Chaos Knight (6)
538 Chaos Lords (3)
539 Chaos Knight (8)
MDA22B Human Spearmaster (4)

HOTT1020 Orc Tribe 24AP Army

Artillery @ 3AP 1 (Catapult with two Orc Crew) (B1)
Magician @ 4AP 1 (Orc Shaman with two Guards) (B1)
Warband (General) @ 2AP 1 (Orc Hero with two Followers) (C1)
Beasts @ 1AP 1 (Four Manticore Young) (B1)
Riders @ 2AP 2 (Three Orc Boar Riders with Sword) (C2)
Riders @ 2AP 2 (Three Orc Boar Riders with Spear) (C2)
Spears @ 2AP 2 (Four Mountain Orcs with Pike) (E2)

This Army Pack contains the following miniatures from the HOT and TTF range.

HOT90 Orc Catapult with crew (2)
HOT91 Orc Magician with two HOT91 Guards (3)
HOT91 Orc Hero along with Standard, Drummer (3)
550 Manticore Young (4)
HOT89 Orc Boar Riders with Sword (6)
HOT89 Orc Boar Riders with Spear (6)
MDA20C Mountain Orc with Spear (8)

GBS

Way back in the way back when…well 2009..a new pack of miniatures was added to the HOF 15mm Science Fiction range over on 15mm.co.uk.  This pack was HOF54 Rim Mercenaries and though fairly plain it has many uses and has been a good seller for the company.  You can see a picture of this pack below (the pack contains ten pieces mixed from three poses).

15mm.co.uk and I choose which new miniatures to make based on the main upon customer requests.  I get many messages saying ‘can we have variants of this’ or ‘some new that’ or ‘this would be cool’.  So I tote them up and the top two or three get commissioned and become white metal reality!

This time has come again in time for April 2012 releases and this time it is the Rim Mercenaries who are up for expansion with a possible eight new poses being considered.  Here an an extract from a conversation between myself and O.G.Joel (author of UM003, UM004, UM007 all in USE ME ).

One thing I’d love to see in 15mm.co.uk’s miniature range is some expansion for the Rim Mercenaries and Post-Apocalyptic Survivors (my second and third favorite ranges, respectively, after the Greys of course). They’re excellent figures, and I could very easily fit them together with my QRF BTR-70’s (the Mercs look Russian, after all), but what they’re missing are good command and heavy weapon packs to spice them up. I think that their expansions should be relatively conservatively armed with low-tech weapons – RPG-type rockets and heavy machineguns for the Heavy Weapons pack; a Merc Commander, Comms Officer and maybe a few Squad Leaders for the command pack.

By the end of this chat we had all decided upon a Command and Support Pack to be designed the sculptor who created the original three, Elton Waters.

I will keep you all informed of progress.

GBS

It might not be the flash and bang of the second world war or the steady ranks of a Greek phalanx but there is great wargaming potential in the period often referred to as ‘the Renaissance’.  While you can study the period for yourself, the Renaissance, has been the subject of many sets of rules along with many ranges of miniatures since in the 1970’s.   Its not the most popular period but it has many charms not the least of which being the infamous Landsknecht’s of the Germanic states and the Swiss cantonments along with the varied forces of the Italian City States including the jewel in that crown; Florence.

I have had a number of emails and messages from USE ME players who think that a version of the engine suited to quick play massed formations in the setting of the 15th to 17th century Europe is more than possible when the likes of USE ME American Civil War and USE ME Fantasy already exist.  I have to agreed.  Formations of pike, of great swords, plate armoured cavarly, archers, crossbow and more led by lords carrying mighty banners are very appealing.

15mm.co.uk has a great many 15mm scale miniatures in the Altuous range from this period.  I have some images too of a tiny number of these, see below.  From the top MR6 Swiss Light Pike in full then close up, MR9 Swiss Crossbow and then MR11 English Billman.  All super stuff and painted by David Sheppard.

I have decided that there is most certainly scope for a ‘USE ME Renaissance’ title in the range.  As to what it will contain…who can say at this time but with my project deadlines tied up until this summer any work on this would have to be after that.  As always if anyone reading has notions for what to include then do contact me here or at 15mm.co.uk.

GBS

For those who know and who do not a few years ago I created a gaming series of titles called USE ME which stands for ‘Ultra Simple Engine for Miniature Engagements’.  This series now has nine titles written by four authors including myself and a couple of its titles are now in their second print runs as well as being in download format too.  More on the latest titles elsewhere but here I want to fill you in a little on my idea for another USE ME.

I have told the trade and several gamers who are friends that there will be three more USE ME releases in April 2012 in time for Salute 2012 in London.  I am committed to penning one of these titles.

So left to my own devices (I have a total free hand this time to create a title that I want to see out there) I thought and thought…what to do.  It came to me that solo gaming is more popular now that it ever has been and that though the USE ME range has many war settings it has no speciality settings.  So it would be solo and it would be special.  I have always liked the notion of hunters and dangerous prey plus when you add in science fiction another of my personal favourites it took me to something great:  Alien Safari.

*

This USE ME title will therefore concern itself with several facets of being a human being or an advanced alien on an dangerous world. Firstly the notion of a Death World where the planet itself will try to kill your characters by use of its own flora and fauna. The second is an Alien Safari where a group of hunters will attempt to flush out and capture or kill alien creatures for a reward or sport. These combine into a rules set that focuses upon a small group of characters who enter a gaming area that is Unknown containing threats that act Solo according to a developed engine of mechanics.  Take your party onto an alien world full of mystery and peril. Walk the surface not knowing what the next step will bring. Death or Fame. Compete for fame, bring back trophies by collecting them in play.

I have had a lot of feedback on this so far as an idea (thanks to Bob, Omer, James, Craig, Rob etc) and intend to begin work on the manuscript for it really soon.

So keep ’em peeled for more information on this website.  If you have input let me know too, my virtual door is always open.

GBS

* This piece of art was created by Edward Jackson based on a chat about this idea.  I like it so much it will be the cover art for the title!