Warhammer 40K Alternatives by Victoria Miniatures

If you are on the lookout for some alternatives to Games Workshop Warhammer 40k miniatures, Check out Victoria Miniatures. They offer some fantastic vehicles which we'll focus on here, but they also have a nice line of figures. Here's the Matilda Fury Assault Tank!

For those who play Bolt Action or other World War Two games, this is a nice hybrid of historic and futuristic! Most of the Victoria products are are sculpted by Victoria Lamb, the owner, and cast in fine resin. Jake Schneider does the designing and sculpting of hardware, weapons and the vehicles. All of the kits are 28mm Heroic scale so will blend well with any Warhammer 40K armies.

The Matilda Fury kit includes 4 turret cannon options: Gatling Cannon, Plasma Cannon, Laser Cannon and the Bombard. Also 2 hull gun options included: Laser Cannon and Heavy Bolter.

The Matilda Boss Battle Tank has the distinct early war style riveted turret and armour plates.

The Boss kit includes 4 turret cannon options: Tank Slayer Cannon, Battle Cannon, Nuclear Fire Cannon and Twin Auto Cannon. Also 2 hull gun options included: Laser Cannon and Heavy Bolter.

The Matilda tanks have insets to accept magnets 1/4 inch diameter x 1/32 inch thick. Two can be used for the turret mount and four can be used for each of the removable sponson side panels.

There is a Matilda tank swappable sponson Panel set available separately.

It includes left and right interchangeable sponsons with Plasma Cannon, Heavy Flamer, Heavy Bolter and Fusion Cannon options. An extra Turret Cannon set is also available separately.

If these two beasts weren't enough for you, the Kangaroo APC is now available!

It's a highly detailed alternative transport option for you troops. So check out Victoria Miniatures regiments of the Galaxies Finest figures!!

Have A Great Battle!
The Old Crow

Warhammer 40k Space Marine Squad: Customized for The Lost Legion

Here is the beginning of our customized Warhammer 40k Space Marine squad to go with the Lost Legion Dreadnoughts. Did a great deal around the house today and finally had an hour to squeeze in a few conversions. These were a set of 10 Space Marines picked up used, cut up a bit and converted to fit our "Lost Legion" feel. If you missed the Dreadnought post, these guys have been stranded out on the edge of space and living off the land.

They have a hodge podge of weapons scavenged off the battlefield. Our squad leader is packin an orc shoota and has a choppa slung over his jump pack. He also is sporting a sidearm and plenty of ammo pouches.

Next is our rifleman. He's taken up a Necron sniper rifle and has held on to a few grenades. He also has a charging pack slung on his back belt under the jump pack

This Space Marine is carrying a traditional bolter but has also scrounged up a Tau weapon converted from a downed drone.

There is a heavy weapon specialist, you can see above, who received a standard rocket launcher, extra sidearm and grenades Then there's this guy.

We wanted something a little more dynamic so we gave him an orc shoota and an outstretched chainsword arm to look like he's on the attack. Using Necron bits a destroyed warrior was mashed together and the Marine positioned like he was running over top of the fallen enemy. We added ammo pouches, a sidearm and other extras.

Seeing the big rings on the side of the shoota, we decided to hook on some grenades., He can sling the gun over toward his left hand grab, shoot and throw! We'll post more as they get finished.

Have a Great Battle!
The Old Crow

The Joy of Bits

Well I thought there would be time in July to continue the flurry of miniature modelling fun. Life events and work projects keep interfering with modelling. We had started this band of Space Marines to go with the Dreadnoughts from the last couple posts but have not had time to get back to them. I don't think things will let up much until late in October but I am determined to keep everybody updated on anything that gets done.

Anyway, on to modelling mayhem.

The Joy of Bits. As you have probably seen from posts here on Battleground Hobbies, we love to recycle and use bits n pieces of anything and everything. Old computers and printers provide a never ending array of phenomenal pieces parts. Model bits are no exception to this rule. Recent acquisitions for the current projects have brought a plethora of Warhammer 40k bits into our hands!

A local shop in the Pittsburgh area allows hobbyists to unload old armies and bits for store credit and then resells them in their Bits Bin.

You can find single figures, parts, whole squads and even armored vehicles! In the batch we picked up, there are Necron, Space Marine, Tau and Imperial Guard bits.
(Have I mentioned how I hate when Blogger rotates my photos?)

These will all be put to good use as we continue to build our battle weary "Lost Legion" units. These are the first Space Marines to begin the process and some of those grand bits.

So how do you store your bits? Leave them on the sprue? Or do you categorize them in boxes? This is one of the several organizers filled with bits and pieces, mostly recycled parts.

Yes there are bits in organizers too. And if you doubt, we have plenty of sprues in boxes too.

Have a Great Battle,
The Old Crow

Projects On The Workbench - Dreaming Big!!

Life is always crazy and thus impedes the crafting of armies and miniature paraphernalia. There is no exception here at Battleground Hobbies. We have many a project either dreamed up, planned or underway.

First, there is another building to go with the Half Timber Houses we created during the Miniature Building Class. There is also a Tower and Gatehouse combo planned too.

Then we have some British Napoleonic era cannons started...

A Warhammer 40k Space Marine army is also on the table. We picked up some Dreadnoughts and a squad of marines off eBay and started cutting. We'll be modifying these guys and adding another vehicle of sorts.

Then we have some terrain underway. This will be part of a painting tutorial in the near future.

Lastly, we were able to recycle a large printer and came up with this batch of lovely components for an In Her Majesty's Name steampunk project.

One, some or all of these should wind up here on the blog! So til then...
Have a Great Battle,
The Old Crow

Space Marine Stalker/Hunter New Release for Warhammer 40K

We missed this one from last month, the new Warhammer 40K Space Marine vehicle box set can build either the Stalker, or the Space Marine Hunter.

With the plethora of new aircraft for Warhammer 40K this new kit will create an anti-aircraft tank to be reckoned with. The Space Marine Stalker can target multiple enemies, stitching the skies with a hail of armor piercing bullets.

The Space Marine Hunter, meanwhile, scours the enemies from the skies with its surface-to-air missiles.

The main weapon of the Space Marine Stalker is the Icarus stormcannon array; whilst the Skyspear missile launcher is the primary gun of the Space Marine Hunter.

Whichever version you choose to make, there are options to include re-enforced armor on the sides of the tank, as well as pneumatic pins along the base.

Both variants are built upon the Space Marine Rhino hull which is included in this set. This includes a back ramp which can be left unglued so that it opens and closes; interior detail including a control panel with spare boltgun; and 2 side hatches that can be glued open or closed.

Also included is a sprue of vehicle upgrades with which even more detail can be added to the model. There are a choice of 2 top hatches 1 of which has the option to mount a storm bolter.

You get enough parts to make either a Space Marine gunner within a turret, or an automated weapons system; a hunter killer missile; a pintle-mounted storm bolter; a sensor array; a searchlight; 2 smoke launchers; 2 towing hooks; and a name plate for the tank.

The Space Marine range is designed so that all of the plastic parts can be swapped between different kits.

The Space Marine Stalker is no exception, as it uses the Rhino hull in its construction many of the parts found on other Space Marine vehicles can be added to this, allowing the opportunity to create truly unique collections of miniatures.

Have a Great Battle,
The Old Crow

New Release - Warhammer 40,000 Dark Vengeance, Coming Soon

There's been a lot of talk about the coming release of the Warhammer 40,000 Dark Vengeance box set. If you ordered it by today (Wednesday) it'll ship on Friday! So let's see what you get?

To start you get two astonishingly detailed armies - Dark Angels and the Chaos Space Marines of the Crimson Slaughter. 48 miniatures in all, 49 if you are lucky enough to get the limited edition box set. All of the models are snap-fit plastic, so glue is optional.

As if the models weren't enough, Dark Vengeance comes with:

• A 168-page full-color mini Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook
• A complete Assembly Guide
• A quick-play reference guide 
• An army roster sheet
• Dice and Templates
• A how-to-play booklet including six scenarios to enact on the tabletop.

The limited edition includes an exclusive Dark Angels model, Interrogator-Chaplain Seraphicus, a full-color double-sided reference sheet and assembly guide.

The Dark Vengeance box set contains enough miniatures to start a Dark Angels army, including a Company Master armed with power sword, bolt pistol and combi-weapon...

and Librarian Turmiel, who carries a bolt pistol and force sword.

You also get Veteran Sergeant Raphael and his Tactical Squad...

and Sergeant Arion and his Ravenwing Bike Squadron who are equipped with twin-linked boltguns.

Lastly you receive Deathwing Terminator Squad Barachiel.

All are resplendent in the iconography of the Dark Angels. From the finely crafted purity seals to studded power fists, to the Librarian with codex, keys and ornate sword, through to the Bikes with angel-wing panels, they are some of the most resplendent Space Marines ever sculpted.

To oppose the Dark Angels is the Crimson Slaughter. These Chaos Space Marine models contain attributes that will leave you slack-jawed in awe. Warp distress shows through on every detail of armour on the models.

The full Crimson Slaughter line-up includes: Kranon the Relentless, Chaos Lord - armed with power sword and plasma pistol; Mortis Metalikus: Helbrute - armed with multi-melta and power fist; and Draznicht's Ravagers: Chosen.

They stand alongside Chaos Cultists made up of Sect Anarkus, which carries close combat weapons,

and Sect Tetchvar, which carries ranged weapons such as autoguns. Both units are garbed in sinister-looking cloaks, masks and hoods.

The Dark Vengeance box set is not a bad value for the money. You get all the above mentioned items for only 99 US dollars! That's only about 2.00 each. So whether you want to start a Dark Angels or Chaos Space Marines army, want to add to your existing collection, or simply gape at the beautiful miniatures, this is a great purchase for you.

                                                                           Have a Great Battle,
                                                                           The Old Crow