Sierra Foxtrot - Jan 2021 Review

Some new models arrived yesterday, which means it's time for a review of the Sierra Foxtrot armies. I've decided to aim for six unit types for each force, and I'm getting close to achieving this. I figure two more orders (one already placed, plus one more after that) should do it. 

(Links below BTW are the sites I ordered through; some may be online re-sellers, not direct from the manufacturer.)

Going through army by army...

Zhaleed Empire

The Zhaleed Empire is complete, with the target six unit types, all fully painted.

• The core Shadeen infantry platoons (Rebel Minis) with transports (BTR-60's from Battlefront).
• The Devout Guard, an elite tank formation (KV's from Battlefront).
• The High Templar command unit, with Zealot bodyguards (both Alternative Armies).
• An Ataxs rocket artillery battery (SA-13 Gopher from Battlefront).
• The Sand-Krakens, with their primary and secondary tentacles (Alternative Armies).
• Ground attack fighters (IL-2 Sturmoviks from Battlefront).

The Malroid Swarm

The Swarm is very close to complete, with 5 unit types fully painted and the last unit assembled and in progress.

• Scorpion assault mechs (Rebel Minis).
• Banshee attack skimmers (Aries Games & Minis).
• Reaper infantry drones (Shalur mercenaries from Rebel Minis).
• Apollyon artillery drones (Soriog "Gundogs" from Khurasan Minis)
• The Tactical Node (A Ground Zero Games Outrim Coalition Heavy Cruiser type-B).
• Ground attack aircraft (Ground Zero Games Chalutz Chalal class Heavy Battleship. I've chosen to leave off the metal pieces for the rear engines.)

The Serpents

Serpent ground forces are complete and painted up. While they already have 6 unit types, I want to include air support for all the Sierra Foxtrot armies, and I've found a model I think fits. This is on order and awaiting arrival. 

• The Serpent Warrior infantry units, with transports (the Astragar range through Ral Partha, and Sirrus APC from Alternate Armies).
• Viper Battlesuits (also from the Astragar range).
• Serpent Warrior direct fire cannon unit (ditto).
• Serpent Warrior mortar unit (ditto).
• Anaconda assault mech ("Skuttler" centipede mech from Khurasan Minis; I just left off the legs).
• The Nest-Queen (plastic toy Cobra from Hobby Lobby, repainted).

The Southern Commonwealth

The Southern Commonwealth force currently has 5 units, all painted up and ready. Except for the air support (which are Panavia Tornados from Battlefront) these models are all from Rebel Minis.

• Lion Main Battle Tanks.
• Infantry platoon with their transports.
• ATGM variant of the transport.
• Rocket artillery variant of the transport.
• Ground attack aircraft.

For the last SC unit, I debated the option of adding a humanoid mech (this guy was being considered), but now I'm leaning towards some sort of scout/recon unit. Maybe something like a humvee or a dune-buggy type vehicle.

The Wolf-Knights

The army probably furthest from being finished is the Wolf-Knights. Being generous, I'm counting the cannon-armed, missile-launcher armed, and Black Wolf mechs as separate unit types. So with the Outriders that's four.

So two new unit types needed, and it's straight-forward enough what they should be - infantry and air-support. And models for both have been ordered. 

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year all! Fingers crossed that 2021 is less crazy than 2020, and going back to in-person gaming is possible. 

One small bright spot from the last days of 2020 - I made a new gamer friend. One of my neighbors noticed that a package for me was labelled "miniatures" and mentioned that he painted models as well. A couple of hang-out-painting evenings have seen rapid progress on projects that had previously been moving along very slowly. I'm almost ready to have to order some more models.

First units finished were the Reaper drones for the Malroids. Both units of these are now fully painted and based up. 

Next up is some minor additions for the Zhaleed Empire. I've finished some elite Zealot infantry (who for now will serve as bodyguards for the High Templar), and a couple of ground attack aircraft stands. (Anybody who recognizes the retro ground-attack aircraft type... congratulations Comrade, you earn 20 Great Patriotic War geek points).

But the addition I am most pleased with is a snake-mech for The Serpents. 

The model is a Skuttler centipede mech from Khurasan Miniatures. A purchased it with the intent of probably not using the legs, and this has worked out quite well. 

So I have now caught up with basically all the 15mm sci-fi models I had sitting around... so its time to order some more. :-) My thoughts for next expansions at this stage (in rough order of priority); 

• Some infantry with transports for the Wolf-Knights. There are quite a few ranges of human(oids) in full power armor, so I just have a select which design I like. 
• Air support for each army. The Zhaleed have theirs, and I've found a model I like for the Serpents. So I just need to find suitable models for the Wolf-Knights, Malroids, and SC. 
• At least one other type of infantry-scale combat drone for the Malroids
• The "Tactical Node" command stand for the Malroids. At this stage my thought is actually to look at starship combat miniatures, and in particular at space stations or spherical ships. 

Also Sprach Zarathustra

 Recent painting project has been touching up some final details on the Zhaleed Empire army.

While I was at it I put a bit of though into the army's background...

History of the Zhaleed Empire

During the First Expansion humanity discovered dozens of unclaimed, habitable worlds. In this first wave of colonization many minority groups (whether religious, ethnic, or ideological) chose to claim territories on these new worlds, creating homelands for themselves among the stars. Many of these colonies failed. Others disappeared, their fate unknown to the rest of humanity. But a few thrived. One of the most successful of these colonies evolved into what is today the Zhaleed Empire.

Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest religions on Earth. But by the mid-20th century it was on the brink of extinction, with only a small number of followers in the Middle-East and Central Asia. When interstellar travel was discovered, a few Zoroastrians decided to create a colony in the new frontier.

Both of the infantry Sahadeen units are fully based and looking good. In the end I decided to mix the heavy weapons (MMGs and missile launchers) in with the rifle stands, making an 11 stand unit. So on the large end for a platoon, but probably not big enough to call a company.

I also decided to add an armored unit, because why not. 

One update that I'm not happy with is the banners on the High Templar stand. The intent was to look like religious iconography, but it turned out looking more like college football mascot. The symbols on the banners are actually Phoenician (I googled and did my homework on that) but they just look too much like the modern Latin alphabet. I'll probably paint over these and see if I can find some other symbols to get the look I want. 

For Shai-Hulud!

 Progress has been made on several of the Sierra Foxtrot armies lately. But the major focus for the past couple of days has been the Zhaleed Empire. The overall force is coming together quite nicely. 

The core units are the two infantry platoons. These are now basecoated and washed, but still need drybrushing, detailing, and to texture the bases. 

The army commander is a priest on a levitating grav-dais. I've decided to make this guy a named special character - High Templar Mul-Dhoon (in-joke for my New Zealand friends). 

The Sand-Kraken units are now fully finished, including the human Callers who direct them.

 

A late addition to the force is a unit of rocket artillery. The models are Battlefront SA-13 Gopher SAMs, but since I haven't included any air support for Sierra Foxtrot armies (yet) it made more sense to make them rocket artillery.

Other Progress

Apart from the Zhaleed Empire, progress has been made on a few other bits and pieces. For the Malroid Swarm a third Scorp-Mech has been assembled and painted. 

Additionally the red markers in front of the Scorps are DIY force-shield tokens. The red plastic is from some supermarket packaging, which was glued to some cardboard and based up. Very basic materials, but the end result looks quite good. 

With the Zhaleed force close to completion, the last Sierra Foxtrot army still in progress right now is the Wolf-Knights. 

The Wolf-Mechs have been assembled, so next tasks are to complete the light-cycles (which I'm referring to as "Outriders") and the infantry. The infantry stands are a bit of a mixed bunch right now, including 2 or 4 stands each of different infantry models. All of them fit for the Wolf-Knight force, but it would be nice to have enough of one type to form a standardized platoon or two. Oh well. 

Sierra Foxtrot - Fall Update

OK, latest batch of models has arrived, so time for an update. 

I forgot to mention last post that the Alternative Armies order also included a few of the Sirrus APCs. The very distinctive (but clearly sci-fi) look of these appealed to me, so I grabbed some as transports for the Serpents. They are now nicely equipped as effectively a mechanized infantry formation. 

The sandworm models are also coming along nicely - just some highlighting and texturing the bases to go and they'll be done. In setting I've decided to name these animals Ahzi-Dhaka, or Sand-Krakens. The assumption is there is an armored body which remains underground, and the primary and secondary tentacles emerge to attack. So I guess maybe more similar to the Graboids from the Tremors movies than the Sandworms of Dune. Each Sand-Kraken formation will include a unit of "Callers" - the humans who in some manner are able to guide and control them.

(As a minor aside, it wasn't until I was painting them that I realized quite how phallic some of the sandling models are. But I'm choosing to look on the bright side and remember that laugher is good. Even juvenile snickering about formations of "sand penises" (penii? ... oddly enough, not a word I have ever needed the plural of much). )

But the most recent arrivals (and last items I have ordered for the moment) is a second batch from Rebel Minis. This was a mix of new models, and extras of things I already had. In the box was; 

• The second Sahadeen platoon to round out the Zhaleed Empire force
• Some Sahadeen heavy weapons, which will be assembled on BF medium bases. Then the question is whether they should be distributed as teams in the infantry platoons, or formed up as a separate heavy weapons platoon.
• Three more Wolf animechs to expand the Wolf-Knight force
• And a few other random models to be blogged about at a future date

Wormsign!

Latest batch of random 15mm sci-fi models have arrived, from Alternative Armies based in the UK. 

The main purpose of this order was to expand out the Zhaleed Empire force. The Greater Sandworm and Sandworm Swarm models were perfect for this Dune-themed army. On top of that they had some figures in robes that will fit nicely as a priestly Templar caste, which I'll scatter through the force as officer/HQ models. 

 

So the models for the initial Zhaleed Empire force are mostly received and assembled. A second platoon of Sahadeen infantry is still on backorder, but once those arrive the force will be ready to put on the table. 

In terms of expanding the force, I have enough of the robed figures I could base them up as a full platoon (maybe an elite "zealot" unit or something). And since I'm already using the BTRs, any modern Soviet equipment would fit in. The ZSU-23 is one of my favorite armored vehicles (why are AA vehicles always the coolest looking?) so I might add a unit of them.