Friday, December 21, 2018

A new Alien Race for Tomorrow's War

I posted this a long time ago on the late, lamented AAG Wiki page, but I felt these articles should ride again as it were.

So without further ado, here are the Shontari.


The Shontari


The two Alien Mercenary Packs from Ground Zero Games work very well for the Shontari! Image taken from GZG webpage.


  The Shontari are one of the older slave races of the Darghaur. Even the Shontari themselves do not know how long they have served the Darghaur. Their coming is worshipped on the homeworld, the name as yet, unknown to Human intelligence agencies. The Shontari are a race of contradictions. They will kill armed enemies with little mercy asked or given, but will unerringly spare women and children of any race, and consider the act of child murder as a sin against their religion and faith.

 They are a race that seeks battle, but yet, individual Shontari are known to strike out on their own from the war host and seek more “mundane” work that can range from longshoresmen, to florists. The Shontari have no word for “deserter” and this decision can come, even in the midst of a campaign. But no Shontari will make this decision in the heat of battle, as no Shontari worth his lineage will ever willingly abandon his war brothers and sisters under such circumstances.

  The Darghaur mainly use the Shontari in the roles of assault troops to back up Marshborn troops (for reasons unknown, the Mashborn and Shontari hate each other) or as garrison units (The Shontari behavior amongst subject races is well known).  But, their use tends to differ from horde to horde. One thing is known, the Darghur give the Shontari wide latitude in how they conduct themselves.
 
  Shontari, fully grown, are anywhere from two to three meters tall, they are bipedal with bilateral symmetry, with two arms and two legs.  Sexual dimorphism is present, and the Shontari reproduce sexually, with a Shontari mother typically giving birth to two or three live young.  There are no sex roles in Shontari society, and both males and females can be found in the war host.  Shontari grow up quickly with age 6 being considered the beginning of adulthood. The Shontari have extreme muscle mass by human standards, and most Shontari can perform everyday feats of strength that would give human body builders trouble.  There is a recorded case of a Shontari lifting and flipping over a DRPG APC during a skirmish on Glory, but such a story could also be an example of the Shontari Battle Rage, which will be better explained later on. Shontari skin pigmentation ranges from dark grey, to an almost cyan and is tougher than human dermal layers and it will slow down a blade or spent fragments.

    Shontari physiology is both complex and simpler than human norm. One good example of this is the Shontari heart analogue, which in some cases, can actually continue to pump in a reduced capacity even in the event of major damage to the organ and can in some of those cases, actually regenerate the organ if the Shontari manages to rest for a period of time. Most Shontari organs (the Brain being a singular exception) have many of these same capabilities. Furthermore, the Shontari circulatory system can “re-route” the Shontari blood analogue around damaged areas to help prevent exsanguination.  Some Shontari, masters of the aesthetic religion of the Shontari, known as Khelshelkesh (translates roughly to Master of the Battle Rage), can consciously shut off part or all of their pain receptors.  All of this makes Shontari very hard beings to kill, and Shontari weapons are designed with large calibers designed to literally tear their targets apart and ensure their target is dead.
 
   A word about the Shelkesh or as human militaries call it, Shontari Battle Rage (Some wonks in the ranks call it “Shontari SPAZZCON – 1”). Shelkesh is a voluntary state any adult Shontari can enter, but the younger a Shontari is, the less control he or she has over their actions in that state. Younger Shontari will seek close combat with their foes, their war cries hooting and seeking to quench their rage in the death of their enemy. Older Shontari use the Shelkesh to keep going and keep up with the younger members of the war host.  A Shontari’s first experience with Shelkesh is the onset of puberty at Age 5, and often, the Shontari will go out of their way to keep males and female 5 year olds apart until such time as the young Shontari learn a measure of control, as Shelkesh is also triggered by Shontari sexual arousal and Shontari mating rituals often resemble hand to hand combat, with accidental deaths common. Most sanctioned mating thus occurs under very controlled circumstances with “death gifts” given to the war families of the mating Shontari before hand in case of an accident.
 
   An exception to this is the aforementioned Khelshelkesh. They are the closest thing the Shontari have to Human Special Operations troops.  They are aesthetics, never take mates and spend most of their time meditating on what it is to be Shontari. They are one of two known religions among the Shontari, and neither religion believes in anything resembling an afterlife, believing that all Shontari should seek a life of battle and fulfilling death when their time arrives. The amount of control a Khelshelkesh can maintain over their bodies is legendary, with some surviving massive head and chest trauma that would kill other races and even other Shontari.  They can ignore pain, hunger, thirst and many other forms of discomfort with a whim that would make human practitioners of certain martial arts jealous. They can delay the onset of Shelkesh far easier than other Shontari, yet they never mate with any Shontari for reasons that befuddle even the Shontari themselves. They live aloof from the rest of their race, their dark cloaks being all that announce their presence. It is said their arrival presages great battle, and the Khelshelkesh have a knack for showing up just when a big fight is about to occur.

   Shontari psychology is far more difficult to explain. The Shontari are best described as “happy fatalists”. They believe their lives are predestined from the moment of birth by the forces of the universe. This is not a religious belief, or even a philosophical belief, but more of a seeming instinctual thing. This instinct is seen at times, such as their battle rage, or the mating of Shontari, or even when a Shontari strikes out on his own for a while. Shontari are nothing if not enigmatic.

   One thing that will upset Shontari is the deaths of non-combatants, especially children. The Shontari do not speak on why they have this cultural taboo, considering the role of their own females, but the death of a Shontari child in a war family is enough to bring that war family, or even host to a halt while the Shontari are paralyzed with grief. As near as some xenopsychologists can speculate,  the Shontari religion(s) believe that all lives are predestined, and children still have much of their lives left to live, and come to understand their place in it. If a child is killed, it is because someone upset the balance of the universe, and as such, that person must die. This prohibition applies to all races, sometimes much to the chagrin of the Darghaur. The reproductive controls of the Darghaur have made this prohibition more pronounced, and the Darghaur are careful not to “cull” the offspring of other races in front of their Shontari troops. Many a Darghaur liaison officer found out his “oafish” Shontari troops moved well enough to show said Darghaur their own internal organs as they died by breaking this taboo. 

   Shontari parents are also very attentive, and go to great lengths to educate, and protect their children.  This prohibition has also led to some odd situations in combat with human troops, with the Shontari fighting to the death to protect Human children in schools and day care centers from Human troops. It was only after the humans promised to not hurt their own children that the Shontari would surrender (a foreign concept to the Shontari, as most other races the Shontari encountered have neither given nor asked for any quarter, thus the Shontari had to be taught how to surrender in some early engagements).

  Shontari society is one of several war families numbering from 18-21 making up a War Clan. Several (usually 4-6) make up a war host. There are at least 10 known war hosts. These hosts are the decision making body for the Shontari. They elect a Shontari Warrior King, or Btar. No human has actually met a Shontari Btar and it is thought they never leave the Shontari homeworld.  The Btar is advised by and rules with the consent of the heads of the War Host and their delegations, though, if the Btar feels that there is an issue with a particularly pesky host leader, he can call for a Kilmek (translates to “stand test”) where the rest of the delegation must stand as a whole with their host leader, or the Btar may take his life, on the spot, and appoint a new Host leader. This works both ways, as a coalition of Host leaders can also challenge the Btar, and force him to fight their champion to the death. That champion is not automatically named Btar if he wins as the Host leaders will often have other choices in mind, and thus a lot of debate and some combat will occur. If however, the Btar survives the challenge, he may again call a Kilmek against all the host lords who called for his head.

  As for the Shontari on campaign, rarely will an entire War Host depart on campaign anywhere, except to fight another host on the Shontar homeworld. If the Darghaur need Shontari troops, the request is made through the Btar. He then asks for bids from the hosts for how many clans is he willing to send away to fight.  The Host lord then returns to his clans, and announce the levy asked for by the Btar. The Clan elders will then consult and choose how many clans will answer the levy. If the levy cannot be filled, then the entire campaign is called off, as the Shontari believe it was probably predestined to fail anyhow.

  As for the War Family, which is the organization most Human soldiers will encounter, it is some 18-21 individuals analogous to a Human platoon. This is usually subdivided into three alkars (roughly translated to “fingers”) of 6-7 Shontari each. There are no defined roles in a Shontari unit, no specialties. All Shontari seem to know how do to any job at any time. Again, this isn’t something easily explained by the Shontari themselves.

  As for Shontari captured by Human forces, oddly enough, many have settled on a marginal world near Albion, and have begun to setup a mirror society of the one left behind. Some of the new Shontari war families forming there have begun to form mercenary units and have offered themselves out to smaller, beleaguered colonies in return for seemingly odd forms of payment (One Shontari War Family defended a small colonial town on Glory to the death when one of the residents promised to share with the head of said War Family her prize winning Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe). Some well-meaning species rights and development organizations, such as the Interstellar Bank, and Doctors Without Borders have attempted to help the Shontari discover such a thing as a modern economy and health care, but the Shontari politely listen, and then go back to their own ways once the well-meaning humans leave.

  In short, as one human soldier put it “Shontari fight like hell, but they’re weird.”

Attributes for Shontari in TW:
    Hard to Kill (D6 for most Shontari, D8 for Khelshelkesh)
    Animosity towards Mashborn (it’s mutual)
    Berserkers (involuntary for most Shontari, for Khelshelkesh its voluntary)
    Intimidating
    Poor Initiative (Shontari are very dependent on their leaders when not in the grips of Battle Rage)
    Natural Weapons
    Old School
    Pain Resistant (Khelshelkesh only)
    Unpredictable (versus Humans)           

Friday, December 14, 2018

6mm Science Fiction - What's Out There (Certainly Not an Exhaustive List)

Hello everyone, I wanted to do these list articles first because I felt all of us 6mm lovers of games like Dirtside II, Future War Commander, Strike Legion, and Iron Cow, just to name a few, could use a comprehensive (or as comprehensive as I can make it) list for where to find 6mm Science Fiction miniatures, and more importantly, whether they are a good "bang for the buck".

This list isn't an endorsement of anyone, just my own observations and thoughts about what's out there for the 6mm Science-Fiction gamer. This article, by necessity, will be a "living list" so as to cover things as I become aware of them. If there's a manufacturer I missed? Let me know and I will do a blurb and link for them.

So, let's get started:

Ground Zero Games:


Wombat APC taken from GZG's Future War line, picture from Texas Wargamer's Blog

Ground Zero Games has been around for a long time, and they're still a pretty prolific bunch in their 15mm and Starship lines. Their 6mm has been stagnant of late, (but I think they've produced everything there is to make) but the models they put out in both their Dirtside Miniatures, and Future Wars lines (I own a bit of it) are downright nice. Prices for those of us in the US are a bit high, with the conversion to the pound, and shipping, but the nice part is Jon at GZG runs a lot of specials, and he's mastered some sort of wormhole that gets anything you order to you within two weeks, which considering the usual wait I have had for things ordered from overseas, it arrives faster sometimes than some domestic shops. Quality of the miniatures is uniformly good, and I have never been disappointed with a GZG sculpt from any of their lines. Their website is easy to navigate and order from, all marks of a top notch company.

Brigade Models:


Hammer's Slammers in 6mm from Brigade Models, image taken from Brigade Models website

Brigade Models also has a nice, prolific line that supports both the Hammer's Slammers Crucible rules, as well as the Iron Cow 2103 rules/universe as well. You don't have to use either rules sets with the miniatures, and many of the designs are varied, and unique. I have several of the AmRep and ONESS miniatures, as well as a horde of Hammer's Slammers vehicles I got second hand, and I am impressed with the quality of the sculpts. Pricing is given in US Dollars, British Pounds, and Euros, and shipping is not very painful at all. In short, I also recommend them for someone looking to build an army, and the AmRep and ONESS figures are pretty awesome.

Sjg10-0503
Galahad GEV from Ogre, image taken from Steve Jackson Games website

Steve Jackson makes a small line of miniatures to support the Ogre game. I haven't had a chance to see/touch the new plastic lines that come in the sets, but I have seen the older ones (and have a few incomplete GEVs, does anyone have a supply of the "H" shaped blower units?) but SJG also markets individual metal vehicles (but not Ogres, sadly), for between $3-5 a pop. I will admit it's a bit pricy, but if you've got an army of the older Ral Partha Ogre lead miniatures, and you're looking to fill in some holes, it's not too bad for a small buy. If you want larger armies, buy the sets. They're a bit pricy as well at $50 a set, but you get a lot for it. The website is simple to navigate and order from, and SJG's customer service is among the best in the industry. 



Demolisher Tank
Demolisher from Battletech, made by Iron Wind Metals, image taken from Iron Wind Metals website

Iron Wind Metals is an outgrowth of the old Ral Partha miniatures line, and they make most, if not all of the lines Ral Partha did. Their 6mm line is strictly focused on their Battletech efforts, and if you want large anime-style walkers, then look no further. Their vehicle selection is a bit sparse, and some of the vehicles look weirder than others. The minis themselves are also not cheap, with the above pictured Demolisher going for almost $12 for one miniature! To be fair, some of the other vehicles are packaged two to a pack, but it still breaks down on average to $6 a vehicle. But, you do get a nice sculpt for the price, and the website is fairly easy to navigate and order from. It's a source of 6mm here in the US (but not the only one) and thus, you do save on shipping. Ral Partha UK also carries these miniatures, so our cousins across the pond aren't going to have the same problem we would ordering from a UK manufacturer. You can also get them at reduced prices at Aries Games and Miniatures, or second hand at BV Traders. I recommend both companies highly.


Puma LODAV from Darkest Star Games, picture taken from Darkest Star website

I cannot say I have purchased anything from these guys, so I cannot comment as to what they're like, but I must say, they have a neat 'Hard-Sci Fi" look that I really, really like. They have two humanoid races (the Federation and the Venturians and the Khiff). I detect a lot of "Traveller meets Albedo" sort of armies here. Prices are very manageable, with 3 vehicles for $7.50, or $2.50 a vehicle. Infantry runs $ 0.40 a strip of 2, so $5.00 would get you a lot of infantry for any rules set. The website is a snap to navigate, and as a US based company, shipping would be a snap, I don't know about how it would be for folks across the pond, but I suspect not cheap at all.

Irregular Miniatures:

Selection of Irregular 6mm Sci-Fi, picture taken from Irregular website.

Irregular has its fans and detractors. The sculpts are of average quality, but they are on the cheaper end of the spectrum, with the most expensive vehicles being $3 a vehicle for the most expensive vehicles, but there are Combat Walkers at $15 and a Dust Worm at $22 (Anyone for Dune in 6mm?). The UK wesbite is setup to take Paypal, but most Americans should probably do business with Silver Eagle Wargame Supplies, they're in CT and I've bought some Irregular 15mm stuff on occasion.

Scotia Grendel:


Abrams 2000 from Scotia Grendel website

The Scotia Grendel line is mainly re-manufactured historical miniatures, with a few new items, but a lot of it looks pretty good, the guns are sometimes a bit over sized for my taste, but a lot of the 2000 line would work for "near future" stuff. The 3000 is air cushion, and the 4000 is Grav (Not nuts about the 4000 stuff at all). I have bought from the website with little trouble, but they did send me a couple of wrong pieces on occasion. Prices are $1.20 approx per vehicle, with infantry being cheaper. For those of us in the US, we have BV Traders beginning to carry the line as well.

Bradley Miniatures:


Stalker Missile Tanks from the Bradley Miniatures range, Taken from the Alternative Armies website

I don't know too much about Bradley, except that I rather do like the look of them. They have the hard-sci fi look I prize, they look like logical progressions of today's tech, and could fit into a variety of sci-fi universes. Prices are $12 for four, a bit pricey, but the quality of the sculpts looks good, and they are a stateside concern, so shipping won't be too bad. The website is a snap to navigate, but sadly, many items are, at this time, out of stock (Perils of being a small company).  But, as they restock, I will give them a try and tell you all more about them later. In the UK, they are marketed through Alternative Armies.

UPDATE: Alternative Armies asked me to let everyone know that they do have a full stock at all times of Bradley Miniatures products.

Khurasan Miniatures:

Red Eagle MBT, Taken from Khurasan website

I do rather like Khurasan's 15mm Science Fiction stuff, as I have a shed-ton of it, but I have never tried their 6mm kit. Their stuff looks really good for what's out there, and at $2.29 a vehicle, it's pricy, but not overly so. Ordering via the website is a snap, they seem to paint up well as the website and my friend, Ty Beard, on his Texas Wargamer Blog demonstrates. Shipping might be a bear for those across the pond, but if the 15mm vehicles are any guide? I'd say get some, especially the Nova Respublik stuff, as I really like it.


Pathfinder Recon Vehicle, Taken from CP Models Website

I know CP well from their 20mm efforts, of which I enjoy greatly. CP Models does a fairly decent sized range, with some (GASP!) civilian models! I was impressed to see that, and from the website, they paint up well, especially the Regional Defense Force models, and the Grav VW bus! I don't own any, but they are on the "to-do" list, though shipping is probably a killer, and at $2.82 a vehicle, it's a little pricy if you throw in the international shipping (The GBP does a number on us in the United States). But, I really like the looks of some of this range, and as I get things filled out on the sci-fi end, these models will be looked at. The website is really easy to order from, and I can vouch for their customer service and friendliness personally.

Scarab MBT, Image taken from Strato Miniatures website

Strato Miniatures is a newcomer, part of the brave new world of 3-D printing that is taking the miniatures world by storm. They're based out of Poland, and they got their start doing some rather neat "reinterpretations" of various Battletech 'Mechs with different names. I've bought a bit of their stuff, and I have yet to find something I've hated. Sculpt quality has been good, and the prices for vehicles, at $3-4 per, is pretty reasonable for what you get. Give them a shot, especially if you're looking for Mecha for your 6mm armies! The website is a snap to order from, and the owner is really easy to track down on FB and on email.

CinC Miniatures:


Heavy Hover Tank, image taken from CinC website

I can't say I have a ton of CinC's science fiction line, except for some Renegade Legion Grav Tank hulls that are in need of turrets that I got second hand in a junk bin. I do have quite a bit of their modern micro armor. The molds are as a rule, crisp, utilitarian, and affordable. The gun barrels are a bit brittle, but if you're careful, they should not be an issue. Prices run about $1-$1.50 a vehicle, and their line for Renegade Legion should give you all the Grav Vehicles you could want. The website is easy to use and order from, and I think you'll like what you get from them. Give them a try!

Vanguard Miniatures:


Eloi Elevated Infantry figures, Image taken from Vanguard Miniatures website
The Vanguard Miniatures line can be summed up in one phrase "Warhammer 40K in 6mm". It's not my cup of tea personally, but I do think the sculpting quality is nice, and the website is easy to navigate. The price point is $8.19 for 40 figures and 4 heavy weapons for your average infantry pack and $10.08 for three vehicles. It's a bit pricy, and with shipping not too bad, but compared to Citadel prices, it's probably a whole lot cheaper.


Terran PPF Enforcers, image taken from Onslaught Miniatures website.

Onslaught Miniatures has some really neat looking stuff. It has some stuff that is very "5th Element-esque" along with some other even more fantastical stuff. Their alien infantry lines would do well for any aliens with a more low tech bent, but I really like the above Enforcers as well. The line is a bit on the costly side, at $6 for 25 infantry, and the vehicles being an average of $12 to $14 for three vehicles, but I do like the sculpt qualities. And, shipping for those of us in the US is pretty easy on the pocket, so it should not be too hard on the wallet to build a small army from some of these lines. All in all, it's worth me looking into it.


Scarab APC platoon
Scarab APC taken from Microworld Games website

This line has a lot going for it, affordability, a neat "hard sci fi" look, and it's in the US, so for us 6mm guys, it's a real boon for us. I don't own any sculpts, but they look pretty nice and are probably a hoot to paint up. The website is easy to navigate, and with prices ranging from $8-$13 for a pack of three (breaks down to about $2.50-$4 a vehicle, which is comparable to most lines out there). In short, probably cannot go wrong with these guys.