Tag Archives: sally4th

Four 28mm Sci-Fi vehicle kits have been added to the Albedo Miniatures range.

AV8 – Early version APC – Sloping Sides
AV8F – Early version Fires Support Vehicle – Slopping Sides
AV8b – Late version APC – External Stowage Bins
AV8Fb – Late Version Fire Support Vehicle – External Stowage Bins

Each kit retails at £28.

The vehicles are also available as part of combined vehicle and miniatures deals based around the Mechanized Infantry Squad and Mechanized Infantry Platoon.
Available now from Albedo Combat Patrol Kick Starter.

The kits (but not the combined deals) will also be available from Albedo Website in early December.

The AV8 series APC – Background Information
The standard EDF AV8 APC is a tracked, low profile vehicle, capable of carrying eight fully equipped infantry and a driver. Powered by a small fusion plant, the vehicle provides protection against small arms, as well as limited protection against missiles and large-calibre weapons. The AV8 has firing ports to allow the passengers to use their sidearm if required, as well as a post mounted 10mm M2-50 HMG, which is fired by a critter from an open hatch.

The early AV8 units were very reliable, but were intended for use in short, sharp engagements, not as the mobile dwelling for eight critters for weeks at a time. Consequently, these early vehicles were usually festooned with kit bags, boxes and other paraphernalia, which made them inefficient to work, and very messy to look at.

After Beii, a refined version was introduced, (the AV8B), which had stowage bins mounted along the length of the hull, above the track guard, as well as other minor improvements, but the basic vehicle was reliable and offered enough protection to be useful throughout the war, so long as you didn’t try to go anyplace really dangerous.

The basic AV8 hull was subsequently adapted to create a range of specialist vehicles, most of which are not covered by this model. One variant that is included is the AV8F.

The AV8F is a fire support vehicle, usually referred to as a FIre Support Team (FIST) vehicle. The FIST vehicle is fitted with a turret that replaces some of the crew compartment, leaving space for four armed critters as well as the driver and commander/gunner. FIST vehicles are used two ways, either as a reconnaissance vehicle, carrying a half squad of critters for recon on foot or to provide security; or as part of a mechanised infantry support platoon, carrying a heavy weapons crew.

Typically, the single person turret mounts a 30mm liquid-fuelled cannon and a 10mm HKMA 2-50 machine gun in co-axial mounts. However, some variants sport two PML tubes as well as the cannon – but it is not known if this was standard, or a field modification. This variant is referred to as AV8F2.

Later War Improvements
In Phase IV, the AV8G became standard, mounting a remote turret with an HAKW 2-50 fitted. The remote turret helps to minimise crew exposure, and is controlled by a limited AI that is tasked by the driver – this reduces crew work load overall, while allowing every vehicle to be armed and still carry a full complement of troops.

The FIST vehicle was also updated, using the laser technology fitted to the Aero 4 Aerodynes to replace the cannon in the AV8F3 variant. AI was retrofitted to many vehicles in Phase IV and after ward, performing all manner of tasks to support the crew and commanders, and making the vehicle and force more effective.

Regards,

Chris Abbey

LINK

ACP164 is a 28mm miniatures game based on the ‘Albedo Anthropomorphics’ comic written by Steve Gallacci. The product line includes a campaign sourcebook, rules system, a miniatures range, vehicles, buildings and terrain items.

Timings & Approach
The Albedo Miniatures Game is live on Kickstarter today (15th October and runs until 19th November). We have many pledges available including early bird discounts for combinations of rules, miniatures and terrain.

We are, however adopting a slightly different approach in that the miniatures we have already developed are available for purchase from Sally 4th (https://wargamesbuildings.co.uk/Albedo-Patrol) , so gamers can begin exploring the Albedo Universe immediately as well as being able to participate in the play test of the rules.

Background
The series is sophisticated and thoughtful, blending hard science and practical military weaponry with cute furry creatures. There are no blasters or zap guns, no clone armies or death stars, just critters trying to make sense of their existence amid a starry backdrop. The opposing factions in their universe are the Independent Lapine Republic (ILR), who are engaged in a war of expansion against everyone else, which has forced the creation of the ConFed, or Confederation of Planets. The ConFed is represented by two different forces, the Home Guard, who maintain security on individual planets, and the Extra Planetary Defence Force, an elite force dedicated to defending systems and recapturing systems taken by the ILR.

Rules System
The Albedo Combat Patrol rules have been written by John 'Buck' Surdu. They feature innovative, fast play, card-based combat mechanisms that bring out the detail of tactical ground based combat operations.

Miniatures Range
These have been digitally sculpted and the figures are supplied as multi-piece metal castings to allow a wide variety of troop types to be depicted.

Terrain Range
Albedo is based on a rich comic book heritage which has a very different look and feel to it than many of the dark, gothic brands of sci-fi miniature gaming that many of us are used to, so we wanted to create a complete gaming environment that captures this. We have designed and developed a complete range of detailed sleek, modern, plexi-glass and steel urban buildings with solar panels and air filtration units. The range includes a Hab Block (apartments), a Biz Block (shops and offices) and a Fab Block (factory / workshop, where things get fabricated).

LINK

The first batch of Albedo Miniatures plus terrain set are available to pre-order from 24^th September, to ship early October. We are making the first two unit packs available prior to running the Albedo Kickstarter for two reasons.
Firstly we would like gamers to be able to check out the quality of this new range of miniatures prior to backing its development through kick starter.
Secondly we want people to be able to start gaming using the free introductory rules that will be available to download once the kickstarter is live.

We are also making available nine different packs of anthropomorphic heads and tails to enable figure converters to transform a wide range of existing miniatures into 'critters'.

What is Albedo:

Albedo is a world invented 30 years ago by Steve Gallacci in his comic series, Albedo Anthropomorphics. This world is populated by sapient mammals and avians.  There are two main factions: ConFed, whose forces include Extra-Planetary Defence Force (EDF), (These are peace loving, socialist societies made up of a wide range of species) and the Independent Lapine Republic  (ILR),  a ruthless, capitalist, expansionist grouping of rabbits and hares.

Albedo Miniatures:

Albedo Miniatures are 28mm Heroic Scale miniatures designed to be used with Albedo Combat Patrol miniatures rules or with a wide range of role playing games such as Albedo RPG, Traveller, GURPS, Gamma World etc. The miniatures in the range have been designed as multi-part metal castings consisting of a body (torso and legs combined), a pair of arms (where possible a pair cast onto the weapon), and a head & tail sprue.

There are a range of body types in development including EDF Heavy Infantry, EDF Light Infantry, ILR Skirmish Order, ILR Special Assault Order.
Each body type is then converted into multiple poses such as Male:Patrolling, Female:Patrolling, Female:Running etc.

Each faction has a number of weapons available that their troops can be equipped with. At the moment we have made the following weapons for the EDF : LAKW  1-56 (a powerful assault rifle), MPKW 2-18 (SMG type Machine Pistol), MAKW 3-60 (versatile machine gun that can either be set up as LMG on bipod or on tripod as a sustained fire MMG). We have made the following weapons for the ILR: ML 199 Carbine (a short barrelled basic carbine), AW 191 Assault Carbine (with underslung Grenade Launcher), MG 202  (versatile machine gun that can either be set up as LMG on bipod or on tripod as a sustained fire MMG).

Finally, the miniatures are designed to accommodate a separate head and tail. A growing range of heads have been sculpted including EDF uniform helmets (Cat, Dog, Fox), ConFed Home Guard style berets (Cat, Dog, Fox), ILR forage caps (two rabbit variants), ILR Garrison peaked caps (three rabbit head variants), bare headed (Cat, Dog, Fox, two Rabbit variants). The head & tail sprue also contains a square patch. This is because critters can elect to have their tail inside the uniform,  in which case this represents the Velcro patch on the uniform and is glued on in place of the tail.

The last point to note about the miniatures is that they have been designed to be easy to glue together. Prior to designing this range, I have not been a fan of multi-piece metal castings, as I have had bad experiences of pieces that have flat joints which are difficult to align and move when you hold them for the glue to dry. We have overcome this problem by casting arms with a pin at the top that matches a recess in the shoulder. Similarly, heads are cast with a pin at the bottom of the neck that matches a recess in the body. The miniatures have also been digitally sculpted so the fit is very accurate.

Using the components that we have manufactured so far, it is possible to construct over 160 unique miniatures by mixing the components together.  We are planning to add many more uniforms, poses, weapons and head / tail combinations both through our Kickstarter and as monthly new releases.

Miniatures are supplied with 25mm round MDF slot bases & 25mm clear bases. Unit packs include a unit reference card.

Pack 1 EDF Heavy Infantry Unit Pack RRP £30 for 8 figures

The pack contains 8 Heavy Infantry Bodies in 3 different poses, 8 head & tail sprues, and the weapons to make a standard EDF Squad (6 x Rifle, 1 x LMG, 1 x SMG).

Pack 2 ILR Skirmish Infantry Unit Pack RRP £26 for 7 figures

The pack contains 7 Skirmish Infantry Bodies in 2 different poses, 7 head & tail sprues, and the weapons to make a standard ILR Half Squad (6 x Carbine, 1 x LMG, 1 x Carbine with Grenade Launcher).

Figures will also be available in one, two and three figure blister packs.

Availability:

Initial release of miniatures including these unit packs is October 2018.

Kickstarter runs from 15^th October – 19^th November 2018 to fund the next wave of development of miniatures, rules and campaign source book.

LINK