Dark Skies

This is clearly a Crimson Skies inspired reboot of WW2 aerial gaming, but I think a few of these craft would make a fantastic  basis for some VSF style platforms.  Have a look at the Kickstarter page to see all the potential offerings.  One hopes that if the project is successful, individual craft might become available in the future.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1768803006/dark-skies-1942-a-15-mm-aerial-wargame

HMLS GLADSTONE

Hot on the heels of the release of the lovely Hansom Tank (see here), Westwind presents the HMLS GLADSTONE. 
A lovely bit of kit to be sure, but one does have to wonder why a Royal Navy landship has a crew in Army uniforms...

Not to be outshone by the Army and its dammed Tankovsky, the Royal Navy commissioned the Jerusalem Iron Works to construct a new class of Ironclad - 'HMLS Gladstone!' It was the first in this new class of Land Battleship. ''We will take the Navy to the enemy wherever he hides, the lack of a sea will not be an obstacle!'' so said First Sea Lord and Admiral of the Fleet, Sir Arthur Hood.

HMLS Gladstone first saw active service in the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879. However it did not distinguish itself in combat as it became stuck fast in the Buffalo river close to a small outpost known locally as Rourke's Drift. What became of the crew is unknown!

http://www.westwindproductions.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=204_242&products_id=1924

Spiffy Machinegun Carrier

Saw this little gem the other day thanks to the Space1889 mailing list (thanks for posting the link Terry) - a splendid Canadian WW1 Machine Gun Carrier.  Comes with 3 crew and 2 Vickers MGs - perfect to provide a bit of hard hitting support to any IHMN companies (or on the Red Planet for that matter!)
http://www.1stcorps.co.uk/buy-online/p/ww1v16-canadian-armoured-car/
US Stockist here: http://www.scalecreep.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=3723_1479_3403_3404

First Corps have a fantastic array of other WW1 vintage armoured cars in their lineup too, well worth your time perusing.
Warning - this will be hazardous to your wallet!

Gashants,Sandrunners or ?

Righto chaps, its time for you to help solve a dilemma of mine...

Trencher Character pack - pic from the Hinterland's website

Having been a longtime fan of Hinterland Miniatures (http://hinterlandminiatures.weebly.com), last year I bought a brace of the excellent trencher figures to be my Sturmfraulein detachment. I also got some of the Lancer cavalry figs, sans horses so I could put them on something a little more exotic

Trencher Lancers - pic from the Hinterland's website

So what choice of mounts?  I have these two in mind but would love to hear about any other options 

First up is the Gashant, the classic Native Martian mounts on the Space 1889 setting.

These are the Royal Mounted Gashant Corps from kmfrye's excellent Burning Sands of Syrtis Major blog here.  

Alternatively, these caught my eye long ago but I never had a use for them.  Urban War's Junker faction have these excellent looking 'sandrunner' mounts, which are available in these three variants sans riders.

Love the way these are painted

So what do you think chaps? Help me solve this concundrum!

The Queen's (24th) Martian Rifles

Direct from the North Star Military Figures FB page (here), this simply demanded to be reposted! No credit to me at all.
Figs are scheduled to be released soon....

Very reminiscent of this artwork which they posted back in July:

Hansom Tank

Cracking new release from WestWind this month for EotD, perfect for any VSF setting.
Looks just the business for a sojourn on Mars I think!

Jedadiah Tankovsky built the first Hansom tank in 1875. Originally conceived as a mode of transport for important dignitaries and people of well-to-do the Hansom Armored Conveyor was an unarmed two passenger and driver machine, driven by twin three horse power Infernum compression engines built by Harrison & Harrison of 36 Leather Lane Holborn. However Lord Howell of Keffbourne Master of the Queens Armories saw another application for this most wondrous of machines. By the addition of a Gatling gun and a gunners seat he created the worlds first Tankovsky or Tank as the lower classes came to call it. Another excellent model designed by our master model maker Andy Rawling to add to your Empire of the Dead world!

http://www.westwindproductions.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=204_242&products_id=1923

Long May She Reign!

Today Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II surpasses her great-great grandmother's record of 23,226 days to become to longest reigning British monarch in history.  Splice the mainbrace with a bumper toast!

I wonder; in a hundred years time will wargamers be playing ESF genre games?
I think there are some things in which Queen Victoria cannot be eclipsed.

Long Live the Queen!

The Anglo-Martian War of 1895

You may not have seen this upcoming release from Osprey. Looks like November will bring more WOTW goodness!

War of the Worlds

THE ANGLO-MARTIAN WAR OF 1895

DARK OSPREY 9

• Author: Mike Brunton
• Illustrator: Alan Lathwell
• Short code: DARK 9
• Publication Date: 20 Nov 2015
• ISBN: 9781472811561
• Format: Paperback
• Number of Pages: 80

On one terrible night in August 1895, the world changed forever. Grey metal cylinders, launched from Mars and hurtled through space, came crashing down in southern England. The next 15 days were marked by courage and despair, hope and shock, defeat and fleeting victory as Queen Victoria's army struggled to contain the terrible alien threat. The war, man against machines from space, was fought without mercy on both sides. And the outcome would be decided by the smallest of things… 

This book covers the whole of the Anglo-Martian conflict, beginning with a look at the relative strengths and weakness of the two armies, both English and alien, and comparing the different strategies employed. It then takes a detailed look at the actual military struggle, covering all of the major engagements between the tripods and Victoria's army.

https://ospreypublishing.com/war-of-the-worlds-pb

US Naval War College Museum

I recently had the opportunity it peruse the Museum of the US Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.  The Museum itself is housed in the original War College Building, which was adequate for the student body in 1884 but new facilities were soon built to accommodate the expanding program.

As the original college building, there is where Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan, USN, second War College President (1886-1889) and subsequently a renowned naval historian, first delivered his lectures on sea power—lectures which were first published in 1890 as the epochal The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660-1783.

While relatively small, the Museum has some great artefacts, particularly noting that Newport was also the US Navy's torpedo facility and training school.  Here are a couple that caught my eye:

The US Navy Protected Cruiser USS Chicago. 

The USS Stiletto (1885) - wooden torpedo boat used for experimental torpedo development 

US Navy Torpedo Boat No 1: USS Cushing (1890).  The first steel hulled, ocean going TB

USS Cushing

Newport has been key in USN torpedo development

Full size Fish and Howell model torpedoes - nose aspect.  Quite different to the better known Whitehead design

Full size Fish and Howell model torpedoes - stern aspect

And finally, some interesting relics from the War Plan Orange wargaming which was conducted at the US Navy War College.  In fact, all the Rainbow series war plans were developed, gamed and refined here.  It is truly the home of Naval Wargaming in the US.

https://www.usnwc.edu/About/NWC-Museum.aspx

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_War_College_Museum

Early Machine Guns

To add to my earlier posts of real life VSF period weapons, I offer the following early model machine guns:

Colt model M1895 Machine Gun (USMC Museum)

German Maxim Gun: note the padded knee rests on the rear of the tripod for gunner comfort and correct positioning (USMC Museum)

A different Model 1910 Maxim Gun with Gunshield and wheels which saw service in the Soviet Army of WW2 (NRA Museum)

French Machine Gun (USMC Museum)

Flying Airfield takes off!

Brigade has released a new Nef, and a monster it is!

Today we’re unveiling a new Aeronef model, and our largest to date in this range. The Langley is an American carrier which supports up to 18 fighters in its capacious hangars. It’s well equipped with anti-fighter batteries for self-defence, although with nothing in the way of offensive armament.

The model has been computer designed and 3D printed, but styled to fit in with the existing models in the US fleet.

The Langley is available on its own, or in a pack complete with escorts, fighters and bases. The new anti-fighter turrets are also available in a pack of 12, along with a second circular AA turret – ideal for conversions or upgrades to your existing models.

Nemo's War - Art Sneak Peak

The artist for the forthcoming release of the second edition of VPG's Nemo's War has released some sneak peaks of some of the artwork.  These are samples of the Adventure Cards for the new game.  Those who have played the first edition can see what a vast improvement these are, and I think the new version will have a great aesthetic.

The Never Were Ships catalogue

Found this brilliant collection of old B&W drawings of Italian ship designs which has some great ideas and inspiration for one's Aquanef fleets.
http://xoomer.virgilio.it/bk/NWS/Regia_Marina/Piani_Ferrati_et_altri/index.html

This submersible Battleship is one of my favourites!

More from other countries at the main index here: http://xoomer.virgilio.it/bk/NWS/index.html

The Expedition must continue!

I haven't shown much artwork around here lately, but I really like this one which is titled "The Expedition must continue!"  http://voitv.deviantart.com/art/The-gone-expedition-194954266

USS Nautilus and the Nemo connection

I recently had the opportunity of visiting the US Navy's Submarine Museum, which includes the historic ship USS Nautilus: the world's first nuclear powered vessel and the first submarine to transit across the Arctic and the North Pole.

Its always wonderful to visit a historic vessel and Nautilus was no exception.
During the visit I made three key observations:
- Submarines haven't really changed in design at all since WW2, and even then there only was modest evolution from WW1
- Some of the exact same equipment in Nautilus is still used today (e.g. sound powered telephones)
- In 1957 the French Navy presented the Nautilus with a unique gift which is displayed in her main deck passageway:

And yes, its an authentic version...in French!

Captain Nemo and a certain French author would be proud I think!