Laserburn was a set of rules and miniatures for science fiction figures in 15mm. The rules were written by Bryan Ansell and figures apparently sculpted by him as well and sold under Tabletop Games banner. The vehicle range is limited but reasonable. The vehicles have a comic book flavor to them and are still available online. These do not have the fine machined surfaces of vehicles like the GHQ line but work well with Traveller which also initially used 15mm figures.
Monthly Archives: November 2014
Megaforce
Mega Force vehicles by Kenner. These are part of a larger series of vehicles for two opposing armies. Small vehicles are metal with plastic detail. Larger vehicles were plastic. These can still be found for sale at nominal prices.
On some occasions, a toy company produces something unique and Kenner’s Megaforce toy series certainly qualifies. Two countries, V-Rocs and Triax are represented by equivalent ranges of vehicles (alas, no infantry) from tanks and helicopters to enormous command bases and flying platforms. Series 1 was released in 1989 and another series was meant to follow but the line languished and ended up on the racks of Kaybee Toys and Hobbies where old toys went to die.
The smaller vehcles are diecast metal, larger are plastic. All were packaged with some sort of bonus piece. The vehicles seem to mesh well with 6mm figures though I have yet to do much with them. Vehicles can still be found for sale at nominal prices even in the original packaging. For someone looking for a quick inexpensive armor force, these are ideal. All are prepainted and marked. It is one of those nice instances where wargamers can make ready use of off-the-shelf toys.
Arab-Israeli Wars
WWI Fleet
These tiny slightly out of focus ships are as small a scale as I have encountered for gaming so of course it was immediate unconditional adoration. They do not have the level of detail one could hope for in this computer age but the scale makes them just right for some of the Clash of Arms games where counters show vessels at 1/6000.
The small scale also allows their use in older games like Jutland or Battlewagon. It would even be possible to incorporate them in something like SPI’s The Solomons Campaign. At a scale this small, there are a lot of possibilities. Just do not try it on a thick carpet.
Figurehead Miniatures has had a number of distributors in this country so it is a good idea to check The Miniatures Page for whoever is selling them at the moment. Prices for these tend to fluctuate with some people selling them as if they were cast in gold so it is a good idea to purchase through the distributor.
The Houston Quilt Festival
The Houston Quilt Festival just passed. It is an enormous festival dedicated to quilts and quilt making. It fills an monstrous convention center in the heart of downtown Houston. I visited in 2009 and the crowds were overwhelming. I have never been to a gathering of hobbyists as large.
Miniatures wargaming will never achieve that level of support and acceptance. HMGS conventions may seem big but they do not come close to the quilt festival. My own sense is that quilting affords a level of respectability and relevancy that miniature soldiers lack. A finely made quilt is a work of art or at the least a display of quality craftsmanship. It affords its users a facility for expression whether it be through abstractions or sad eyed cats. Quilting is a form of communication.
Miniatures wargaming is a rather bizarre form of conflict clinging to the most violent forms of physical interaction while summarily distancing itself as much as possible. Supposedly, there was a club that once tried to simulate war by smashing any figure that became a casualty. The experiment ended quickly. Violence, real violence has no place in wargaming. Miniatures wargaming is about play. One can admire the brightly painted armies, the historical accuracy, the flights of pure fantasy or simply the madness of being in a room with thousands of toys. But violence is viewed from a very safe distance and the casualties swept up from the table are lovingly packed back in their boxes to await the next conflict.
There is one odd thing about the quilt festival. Almost all the people visiting were women. By contrast, if one strips away the RPGs, wargame conventions are mostly visited by men. Perhaps this is a holdover of sexual stereotypes imposed by a culture that places too much stock in them. Hard to say. I cannot recall a time when I was not attracted to toy soldiers but even now could not sit through a football game. I do not feel myself bound by any cultural constraints on my behavior. It is also unlikely that I will start a quilt anytime soon.