+ Madness – an exercise in 15mm +
+ The PCRC met up for our first tabletop wargaming in a long time – and longtime PCRC droog Lucifer216 very kindly presented Bob Hunk and I with a gift of thirty-odd Space Marines and tanks each. The title of the inload has probably given away the ending, but they're 15mm. +
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+ Theoretical: Gaming plans +
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| + Teeny-tiny (but not as teeny-tiny as Epic-scale) Space Marines + |
+ A whim? A bit of fun? Who can say, but the possibility of 15mm gaming is a tantalising one. I'm keen to try out the now model-agnostic Antares rules, which are freely available from their new home at the Antares Nexus [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+]. Partially that's because I have really enjoyed the smooth lines and gameplay of Antares, and partially because it's an opportunity to explore the intriguing idea, presented by the authors themselves in the foreword to the core rules:
'[...]it was suggested by several of our play testers that the Core Rules, this file you are reading right now, could form the basis for a game set in almost any futuristic universe and not just the Antarean Nexus peculiar to the Beyond the Gates of Antares background. Although the core rules are designed to cover the sophisticated technologies and machine-centred forces of Antares, all the elements are there to enable players to adapt the game to any background and any model ranges they please.'
[Rick Priestley and Tim Bancroft]
+ I think the Antares 2 engine will be suited to a Horus Heresy-style game, as the game works really well at reinforced platoon-level (that is, about thirty infantry plus a supporting tank or two). The fact that we both have almost identical forces should also help: mirror matches circumvent some of the problems that can skew specialised forces. Basically, you're less likely to have balance outliers if both sides are identical. +
+ I haven't put a huge amount of thought into adapting things, but my current musings include:
- Using the (relatively) low-tech Algoryn as a basis for the Space Marine stats
- A wholesale conversion from inches to cm
- A basic squad size of five
- Keep things as simple as possible to begin
- Consider the use of Army Options to differentiate Legions
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+ Practical: why 15mm? +
+ This picture demonstrates the size of the Space Marines. In the foreground is a multi-based set of Epic-scale (~6mm tall), and on the right a modern (i.e. Primaris-sized) 40k piece. The 15mm tall ones are in the middle. +
+ This scale will – I hope – hit the sweet spot for me of visual impact in-game (something that Epic loses) with practicality of company-size gaming (something that 40k struggles with). 15mm infantry is large enough to be interesting to see and paint, but small enough to allow meaningful manoeuvring on a typical game board. +
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| + A better comparison with the 32mm marine + |
+ Secondly, while I love Epic dearly, I find the infantry dispiriting to paint. They're individually quick to do, but the multiple models on a base makes the practical side of painting them frustrating for me. To that end, I've based these individually. I've used pennies for the bases: cheaper than washers(!), and heavy enough to give the lightweight resin some resilience against table knocks etc. The base is relatively larger than that of a 32mm figure, but fits neatly proportionally between the base size of 40k and Epic. Much smaller and I'd be concerned about stability. +
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| + A group of Astartes advances in the wake of armour + |
+ You'll notice I've also based the tanks, using 50mm round bases for the Rhinos and a 60mm for the Land Raider. The small size of the vehicles is one of the big appeals for 15mm for me. At 32mm scale, tanks just have too large a footprint to 'feel right' with the 40k rules, but here they're chunky enough to look cool, but slight enough to allow for that elusive 'meaningful manoeuvre' I mentioned earlier. +
+ You'll notice I've also based the tanks, using 50mm round bases for the Rhinos and a 60mm for the Land Raider. The small size of the vehicles is one of the big appeals for 15mm for me. At 32mm scale, tanks just have too large a footprint to 'feel right' with the 40k rules, but here they're chunky enough to look cool, but slight enough to allow for that elusive 'meaningful manoeuvre' I mentioned earlier. +
+ Basing vehicles is something I've been experimenting with for a while. I find that it helps to place the vehicle both in the army (by giving it another element that matches the force), and in the broader setting. The base acts like a picture frame, making it clear that this is part of the same game. +
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+ Force plans +
+ Bob Hunk has decided to roll once more with Imperial Fists, so a Horus Heresy setting seems appropriate. To complement the bold yellow of the VII Legion, I'm going to give the mighty Emperor's Children a spin. +
+ The only Emperor's Children marine I've painted in the past couple of decades was a casualty under Ferrus Manus' foot [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+], but a vibrant purple is opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so will stand out nicely in battle. Secondly, purple paints tend to have quite good coverage, so I'm hoping that means the force will be quick to paint. +
+ A squad of Emperor's Children emerges from their Rhino armoured transport. +
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2 comments:
Most awesome project ever! I do need to see them painted!!
15mm is a great scale for actual game play, although less good for conversions and characters. For a Heresy era game, where the setting is about massive armies grinding each other to death in bitter fratricidal battles, it is perfect then!
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