Hide, Stone & Bone UK 15/18mm choices - and North Star unboxing

 Our American cousins have Splintered Light, Rebel Miniatures, huge ranges from Khurasan in true/smaller 15mm and Battle Valor for the bigger 15/18mm.

At time of writing Dada Emperor had just been told "no tariffs anymore".  Costs in the UK for US stuff is - pay for figure, pay same again for tax and again for postage.  Yet I can get stuff from China in a week with no tax or postage.  Go figure! 

Big shout out to Dragonfrog Games, he was the European distributor or Battle Valor and still has some stock.  Worth a rummage, I've just got these boars from him.  In the past I've an amazing Triceratops, tents and lions.

Undercoated with white gesso (don't do sprays) then generous wash of Rownay Burnt Umber ink.  Not finished!  The odd one out in Alternative Armies.

In this scale we are spoilt for choice, and plastic dinosaurs fit right in.  Giant ape?  No problem.

Alas, Irregular Miniatures is closing and the Tusk rules and figures will be gone.  They were smaller in scale, so ideal for juveniles.

Pendraken technically 10mm but some useful stuff including the wooly set - ideal for the young of many species,  Terror birds and lots of animals.  

https://www.pendraken.co.uk/10mm-12mm-fantasy-monsters

Brigade didn't expect them, did you! They have occasional sales, good time to stock up on yurts! 

Tree dwelling anti vehicle specialists or dwarf Homo Habilis in a cold climate?

https://brigademodels.co.uk/product-category/15mm-sf/tolero-15mm-sf/

https://brigademodels.co.uk/product/uniformed-starship-crew-pack-of-4/

https://brigademodels.co.uk/product-category/15mm-sf/creatures/

Checkpoint - loads, go explore!  LOTS of alien plants, scientists - https://www.checkpointminiatures.co.uk/product-category/15mm-ranges/

https://www.checkpointminiatures.co.uk/product-category/28mm-ranges/28mm-night-terrors/monsters/

https://www.checkpointminiatures.co.uk/product-category/28mm-ranges/28mm-sci-fi/alien-plants-28mm-miniatures/

Alternative Armies has regular sales and special offers.

https://www.alternative-armies.com/products/hot74a-fell-beast

https://www.alternative-armies.com/products/vnt52p-wee-beasties-mega-pack-10-pack-with-saving

https://www.alternative-armies.com/products/hot127-savage-lizardmen-spears

https://www.alternative-armies.com/products/hot143-terrorsaur-flying-creature-pack-of-two-or-single

https://www.alternative-armies.com/products/hot137-iguanosaur

https://www.alternative-armies.com/products/hot29-eagle-lord

https://www.alternative-armies.com/products/hot107-encampments-15mm-fantasy-scenics

https://www.alternative-armies.com/products/hot31-war-mammoth

https://www.alternative-armies.com/products/eh04-gore-worm-15mm-or-28mm-scale-use

https://www.alternative-armies.com/products/hob2-15mm-orc-starter-saver-settlement-5-buildings

https://www.alternative-armies.com/products/567-rhinosaur-monster

https://www.alternative-armies.com/products/sn13-krampus-35mm-tall

https://www.alternative-armies.com/products/sn03-abominable-snow-monsters-optional-xmas-hats?pr_prod_strat=e5_desc&pr_rec_id=eb61210d0&pr_rec_pid=10010602442&pr_ref_pid=15150879736194&pr_seq=uniform

https://www.alternative-armies.com/products/iaf122-prydian-xenobiologists

This is my favorite "early style" T Rex.  https://www.alternative-armies.com/products/sf0-giant-lizard-with-saurian-rider-and-hydraulic-saddle-pack-or-parts?variant=29942908911695

Everyone has terror birds!  These you can mount your scientists! https://www.alternative-armies.com/products/iaf129s-skrak-terror-birds-birds-only-no-riders

RPE has seasonal sales.  using larger size as their mega fauna ancestors. https://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/shop/animals-and-prehistoric-c-59/?sort=20a&page=2

https://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/shop/demonworld-15mm-c-76/demonworld-universal-18-c-76_147/isthak-c-76_147_162/u184207-snow-barbarians-12-p-3329.html

https://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/shop/demonworld-15mm-c-76/demonworld-universal-18-c-76_147/thain-c-76_147_150/u184513-garnarog-thain-beast-rider-p-3052.html

https://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/shop/demonworld-15mm-c-76/demonworld-universal-18-c-76_147/thain-c-76_147_150/u184514-garworgar-p-3053.html

https://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/shop/demonworld-15mm-c-76/demonworld-universal-18-c-76_147/thain-c-76_147_150/u184515-garmorrigu-p-3054.html

https://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/shop/demonworld-15mm-c-76/demonworld-universal-18-c-76_147/thain-c-76_147_150/u184518-gararryd-cavalry-2-p-3057.html

North Star  https://www.copplestonecastings.co.uk/prod.php?prod=218

Copplestone had this rance of Conanesque Roman Conquest era Britain.  He was going to make "Romans as they should have been".  Dragon Rampant 3nd ed has army lists--.

Cave Bears.  You need the bear facts.

These are straight out of the box, uncleaned.

75p each is a bit steep. £7.50 for 10.  But it's the same price as 4x28mm.  4.  Crom.

I'm not good enough to try photo cropping and effects.

Trolls!

https://www.copplestonecastings.co.uk/list.php?cat=18&sub=68&page=1

https://www.copplestonecastings.co.uk/list.php?cat=18&sub=41&page=1

Ice Tribe.  Like many of these I'm going to need to change some weapons for spears.  War party.  Good for me, all these are going to make Dunlanders and Puckle men for LOTR.

Picts.  These are my Neanderthals.  Second pack of these as I need more females and fire hardened spear.

Size comparison Ice Tribe and Pict.

Mace Face These are not Copplestone.  Any similarity is pure coincidence Centurian! 

Savage tribe and bog persons.:

//www.northstarfigures.com/list.php?man=338&cat=871&page=1

Savage Tribe

Bog Tribe - at last more females!

That horse head on a spear is going to make the Rohirrim  all upset?

The final comparison. Lots of Homo Sapiens.  Bog tribe are slimmer, more females so possibly one of the not-quite-Homo Sapien? 

Picts are big, slouched with big weapons and less clothing so ideal Neanderthals.

Made for Venus, but causeways over swampy ground go way back.

Terrain made from Temu/Shein bits (OK. not field) 

Xenos Rampant. UNIT circa 1980

 

BIG shout out to https://www.butlersprintedmodels.co.uk/  and at time of writing they have a 15% sale on.  PLUS they do everything in a gamut of scales, so take this and run!

Oh my Gossips.  Many of you may have noticed that I use UNIT Recon for my e mail.  This is because in their hey day I was the right age to have been there.

I'd idly thought that I'd like to have this force.

Then, last year they brought out the right figures.  Vehicles are no great problem, but the figures are pretty sparse.  Now order in, vehicles, figures and decals for just over £100.

This wasn't the army's best time.  Most troops bided their time in barracks, with some patrolling (and violence) on the streets of Belfast and Hong Kong.  Playing silly buggers in Canada and Germany.

Then there was the Falklands where a near bankrupt UK just managed to scrape a force together.  Some (the Para's) were amazing, but a later inquiry https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C11760221  found that some units were not mentally prepared for combat. 

Meanstwhile, the UNIT troops drawn, possibly all volunteers from the same British army (but I surmise not commonwealth or Gurkhas)  They are going to be classed as an auxiliary unit and will get the older equipment that will fit their operational requirements as an UK based, air transportable quick response unit. 

Lettuce discuss my selection:

Elite command unit, probably over-officered, able to call in artillery or air strikes and bombing around in a lightweight (air portable) Land Rover.

You will note that there is no science team.  I may add later or part of the HQ section.

Infantry I've classed as heavy infantry as they are a bit above the normal.

Recon I've classed as veteran and also capable of fire support.

Transport I opted for the Spartan, just going out of service.  It's light, small and not bothered by narrow British roads and old bridges.

The FV120 Spartan MCT,  armed with MILAN anti-tank missiles. adds anti armour punch.

I've added a Scorpion and a Scimitar as recon units.

Lastly, a Country unit of Light Infantry as they're the poor sods (well and the local police) with a Bedford truck for transport.

10p UN E.I Com.  2 as 5	1	Move 5+ 8”		Attack free (5+)  Attack V4 DefenceV 4
Courage 3 Armour 4		Shoot Free (5+) 4+ 18”		Firefight. Back into fray. Ranger   Fire Support .
5p  LW Landie Soft Skin.	2	Move Free (6+) 12”		Attack 6+  Attack V6 DefenceV 6
Courage 4 Armour 3		Shoot 7+   6 6”		ATV. Transport 10
5p UN H.I  5	2	Move 5+ 6”		Attack 6+  Attack V6 DefenceV5  Blades ½ armour
Courage 4 Armour 3		Shoot Free (6+) 6+ 18” Tgt-1 arm. 6=2		Firefight.  Go to ground.  AP HW.
8p Recon  2 as 5	1	Move Free (5+) 8”		Attack 7+  Attack V6 DefenceV 6
Courage 5 Armour 1		Shoot 7+ 5  12”		Firefight. Hard to T Armour 2-12”  Fire support  Vet.
6p  Spartan APC 1 as 5	2	Move Free (6+) 10”		Attack 6+  Attack V6 DefenceV 6
Courage 4 Armour 5		Shoot 7+   6 6”		ATV. Transport 5 Line breaker.
6p  Spartan MCT, 1 as 5	1	Move Free (6+) 8”		Attack 6+  Attack V6 DefenceV 5   Blades ½ armour
Courage 3 Armour 5		Shoot 6+   4 18” Vec ½ armour		Lt vec. ATV. Transport 5 Line breaker.   Vet crew no-1
5p County LI  10	1	Move Free (5+) 8”		Attack 6+  Attack V5 DefenceV4
Courage 4 Armour 2		Shoot 6+ 5+ 18”  6=2		Firefight.  Go to ground.  Increase squad.  HW
5p  Bedford 4x4	1	Move Free (6+) 10”		Attack 6+  Attack V6 DefenceV6  Blades ½ armour
Courage 4 Armour 5		Shoot 6+   5 12”		Transport 10
6p  Scorpion 1 as 5	1	Move Free (6+) 10”		Attack 6+  Attack V6 DefenceV 6
Courage 4 Armour 4		Shoot 6+   5 18” no cover		ATV. Armour Technical.  Engulfing
6p  Scimitar 1 as 5	1	Move Free (6+) 10”		Attack 6+  Attack V6 DefenceV 6
Courage 4 Armour 4		Shoot 6+   5 18” -1 armour		ATV. Armour Technical. AP.