Servants of Pruflas. (15mm Sci-fi)

The Outer Rim's farthest reaches are full of rumor and paranoia, sometimes these ghost stories are the far fetched tales of settlers living hard lives of little comfort on the edges or society. Sometimes however, the tales of old shanty town drunkards prove to be more terrifying fact than fiction...

The stories always begin in the waning days of the Rim Wars, between the colonies and the great alien empires on the galactic frontier. A colony called Etaris Summit, was lost to unknown forces.  When PGCC security details descended to the planet, they too were mysteriously lost.   The corporation, not wanting whatever entities resided planet-side to spread; Proceeded to bombarded the planet from orbit for two days. leaving the colony a shattered expanse of ash and brown mud.

Thinking Etaris Summit to be erased, the planet was withdrawn from official maps,  and the Rim went on, leaving the colony a distant memory.  Until a few years ago.

A nomadic merchant fleet, passing by the lost colony, picked up a looping transmission, garbled and broken.  They went to investigate.

The lone vessel that limped back to "civilized space" told of a cadre of madmen, calling themselves "The Servants of Pruflas" who appeared to wear heavily modified corporate and alien equipment soaked in blood and oil.

When the PGCC Security Teams first moved to secure Etaris Summit, they found the colony a wreck,  its population laying dead in the streets,  but little evidence other than a thin greyish green mist hanging low to the ground, as to alien involvement.

As the teams crept along through the obliterated colony, operators began to complain about severe cluster headaches,  and strange noises coming from within their helmets.

As the mist of spores stealthily filtered into the Security Teams's lungs, the men began to go mad,  turning on one another.  The confusion and madness was so sudden the orbiting investigation fleet cut their losses and glassed their planet.   

The fires of orbital bombardment incinerated much of the alien spores, but some still clung to warehouse cellars, and caverns, or in the bodies of the hundred or so Security Personnel that survived the firestorm.  Convinced now that they had awoken anew in the scorched wastes of Hell itself. 

Their minds influenced by an alien bio weapon,  the survivors began to worship Pruflas, a Duke of Satan's army and a Prince of Hell according to demonology.  To them, they were angels, cast down from civilization to live in ash and death, in their spore addled brains they were daemons now.  

In the years that followed the various tribes of survivors fought for nutrient recyc paste and clean water.  Until the merchant fleet arrived.  It had been decades since their last contact with civilization.  In their insanity their fell upon the merchants' dropship. Many of the merchants were sacrificed to Pruflas ,and Lucifer. Some however, pledged servitude to their attackers.

In the wake of the massacre, the merchant ships began to reappear across the Rim. Packed within were hundreds of spore infected cultists, primed to slaughter or convert every colony that misguidedly allows them entry.

A fear of travelling merchant flotillas has spread across the fringe of Rim space, causing economic recession, and further isolating Human worlds from one another. Some believe this tale is real, others would suggest its a far fetched explanation of economic downturn that has been occurring in fringe space for years. 

Neptunian Sepoy (VSF)

Just a couple of pictures of a Neptunian I painted from one of the alien sets off of Old Glory.
I've got 5 like him, for use as Neptunian Militia for my Italians, in a variety of VSF endeavors.

The Gun is a Shokgun, and contains an electric eel which (when properly agitated) zaps the jelly its encased in and the electrified ooze is spewed out the end!

The Fatigues are essentially the same as my Italian units.

the shoulder guards are carved bones,  with charred designs, denoting his family, deeds and schooling.

Thanks for Reading !

-Your Favorite Madman-

Siege of Lychke. Assault on COC Firelight

At the height of the battle, with the twinkling of the Fleets battling in orbit above me.  

The roaring firestorm of the SecMass offensive, massacring my friends around me. 

I finally understood the ancient phrase "There are no atheists in foxholes". 

For all the teachings of society and politic, I had come to the religion of war.

Been baptized in the holy waters of oil and blood. 

In the martyrdom of my comrades, I was born anew, 

A Prophet of War. 

- Cpl. Alych Gomez.  Survivor of the Siege of Lychke, 

 later interred in the Opalheart Advanced Care Facility for severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Sector: Lychke Military District [ 2 km from City Center ]

Strategic Situation: The Gray Knight, with newly arrived corporate fleet assets has begun engaging the Conclave and Provisional Fleet blockade. Coinciding, with a large scale combined arms attack by SecMass ground elements on the Orbital Defense guns, specifically  COC Firelight,  which controls the largest cluster of defense guns.  The 5th CMI Mechanized Brigade holds the position, and is exhausted, having fought much of the Siege. However, the grav tanks of the corporate army, have allowed them to encircle these beleaguered souls, separating them from the 10th Scout, and 3rd Prov. Infantry Regiment. by about three blocks.   Some reinforcements from these two regiments did reach the 5th to bolster these critical positions. But they may not be enough. 

Tactical Situation: A Bolstered Platoon of the 5th Mechanized is situated in prepared defenses around COC Firelight,  with defense centered around the main control station. A Grav mounted Scout team from the 10th, just made it to the AO, before the encirclement.  Their new CGS-1 may prove invaluable. The Infantry are backed up by several CT-8's  and a CT-7 MLRS variant. SecMass is launching their assault with heavy grav tanks, and large groups of corporate infantry.

Layout of COC Firelight, the green circle representing the fire control center, and arrows representing corridor of approach.

The only asset of the 10th to get to COC Firelight before its encirclement this gravmech grenadier squad represents the pinnacle of Conclave training and weapons technology.

Exhausted recruit squads fight tenaciously from their positions, dealing a good toll on the approaching Corporate troops,  the CT-8's  deal an avalanche of 40mm autocannon hits on the SecMass tanks reducing their effectiveness, but not destroying them.

The Grenadiers secure the southern gun battery, as the recruits in the west, east and north die for every inch of the gun battery

The CT-7 MLRS launches the first of its limited stockpile of missiles into the Corporate infantry, and the entire assortment of Conclave vehicles pour lead and fire in behind.  The slog across the marshlands into the hard cover of the city is proving slow, and while many die; the corporate soldiers (either through raw mettle or as a result of fanatical indoctrination) continue to push into the COC.

A larger overview of the last shot.

An elite squad of Corporate stormtroopers, makes it across the killing ground and rips into the western recruits.  

A view from one of the western squads, towards a SecMass MRAP.  These men would fight from this position for the entirety of the engagement.

A view of the Corporate forces as they wade into the position,  for much of the early stages, they had a very difficult time coordinating their attack, either due to enemy fire or disruption brought about by the fleet battle above.

But, soon they begin to mass behind a small housing complex, and a large rush of troops into the central command station seems imminent.

Corporate Squads finally arrive and silence the northern gun. immediately setting about establishing their own terminals to use it against the Conclave fleet.

Also in the north, SecMass vehicles blaze down the main highway, but it is critically disabled by the fire of all the north defenses. The crew bailout of their shattered hulk, casually walking back to their lines, with the cover of a company of SecMass Marines.

The crew of the MRAP, controlling an assualt drone to try and break through the western defense

The firefight between the infantry is interrupted by the divert of the CGS-1, which uses its mobility to spray a few bursts of large caliber machine gun fire into the Stormtroopers, before returning the help the eastern line.

Recruit Corporal Mal Cezarno, rallying his squad at the climax of the battle, as SecMass Marines charge across the road into the trenchlines. 

A view from the defenses as the marines charge.

An image of the forces on the west and north defenses as they are met with a brutal SecMass charge.

The surviving Corporate Stormtroopers cut into the eastern recruit squads.  The melee would last the rest of the engagement.  Nearly all the recruits would give their lives to hold the western line.

As the marines begin to move, an Autocannon round rips the lead soldier in half, suppressing the squad and halting the charge.

But the corporate MAT has their own rebut 

Which has potent and deadly effect,  but their actions proved to late.  The CGS-1 is able to catch the charging Marines in the open, cutting them down in the street along with heavy fire from the Recruits. causing the attack to falter and eventually sputter out.

In the end. One CT-8 burns, another sits, its crew half dead, its workings all but shattered,  The CT-7 is out of ammunition,  many recruits are dead or wounded, either of heat exhaustion or enemy fire. The CGS-1 patrols the perimeter of piled corporate bodies and empty hulks of fire licked corporate tanks. The guns of COC Firelight were held, by only the slimiest of margins.  Skirmishing around the battery would continue for several days, until the APA reached the position. 

In the end, the guns would mean that the Corporate fleet could not land more soldiers. But no grand victory was won. the Siege of Lychke was over for the moment, but the Campaign of Lychke Province had only begun...

The Siege of Lychke. Fight for Gran Lagoon.

"In those first weeks, we didn't really know what to expect...  We'd never fought troops from the Interior systems before.  Rumors spread all over the place, that they had nightmarish machines of death that defied rational explanation by a rough man.  When they finally hit our line,  we learned that they were tough as nails, tenacious, and well equipped. But they' ain't no damn nightmare. That'd happen a bit later..."  - Excerpt from RSgt. Louis Ominov's  "Marshes of Lead"


Sector:   Western Lychke. [ 20km Outside of the City. ]

Strategic Situation: SecMass, elements of unknown disposition are advancing en masse, into small prepared positions along the "Gran Lagoon Highway", being held by the 5th CMI Mechanized Brigade. This road offers the best avenue for quick ground force movements, and is a critical supply artery into the city.


Tactical Situation: On a smaller Company and Platoon level,  groups of inexperienced recruit squads, and CT-8 Armored Support Vehicles hold the road from mobile defense positions,  in places backed up by Tank destroyers, and larger MBT's. These forces will be going up against forward assault elements of the Corporate Army, such as MRAP's, Basic Infantry, and superior officers, which would be attempting to effect a breakthrough.

A section of the Gran Lagoon Highway.

CMI (Left)    SecMass (Right)

Conclave Platoon Command. Directing his units fire.

Effectively, just Trained militia, the plucky men and women of the recruit squads were found far from wanting during the fighting across the highway. 

SecMass Infantry cross the Highway and shelter in the edge of the woods from sporadic CMI fire.

A CMI CT-5 Tank Destroyer firers into a SecMass MRAP across the marshes 

Secmass Troops advance on the western edge of the map, trying to get an advantage.

They advance just as recruits get to the top of the hill. A fierce but brief firefight erupted as the two units tore into one another. The recruits, coming out worse for wear. But not without hampering the SecMass advance significantly. 

On the Eastern edge, The command team and other recruit squad, charge the forest, to dislodge the enemy infantry there. 

Ultimately failing to get to the forest,  the Infantry go to ground and initiate a prolonged firefight with the corporate units. 

Conclusion:  SecMass Victory. 

Despite having initial success in disabling SecMass vehicle support, CMI units had a much tougher time dealing with the well equipped and disciplined Corporate Squads, as they advanced through ditches and tangled patches of foliage.   The Conclave suffered casualties in the form of its Recruit Squads, while these units acted with valor and, in many cases fought to the man, their inexperience and lack of high tech equipment would prove the ultimate deciding factor. The 5th CMI Mech. Brigade, has initiated its fighting withdraw to its fallback positions in the cities military district.  

The Siege of Lychke. Pre Campaign.

A mini campaign myself and JD, played in the Angelshearth Front of our 15mm Gen Sci Fi setting, towards the beginning of August.

Belligerants:  Low Western Entertainment Corporation's "SecMass" Group.  vs. Conclave Military Initiative
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Sir, picking up a blip on the lower left bow. Coming round Orbital pre point V-102.”

“Probably the damn commie Volocheks again. Cycle the laser reflective mirrors, and arm the railguns, get Gomez up here, we need everyone on deck.”

“Sir, the ship doesn’t match the Volo’s.  Computer bounceback is absurdly sophisticated,  i think its corporate…”

“Oh fuck… Get this goddamn bridge sealed, full alert, summon the rest of the fleet to our location. I want full reverse thrust towards pre poin….

“ Sir, computer is reading power draws on their ship.”

“Bring up my mirrors!  NOW!

A searing bolt of light ripped into the bridge of the CNI Ardent Stallion at 0600 Hours, as it was on monitor duty above one of the provincial capitals of Angelshearth,  called Lychke [Lie-Ch-K].  The Attacking force, has been identified as a vessel belonging to the LWEC corporations’ military arm, SecMass. The CNI Ardent Stallion, withdrew under 25% power, to a fleet staging area. The Reserve ships, the CNI Winged Pride ,  CNI Brutal Jackboot, and CNI-APF Celestial Fear, move at full power, to the SecMass vessels last known location.  

The Battle for Quadrant Crown.

The Reserve ships found the vessel in low orbit in a spatial quadrant of atmosphere called the “crown” as it sat in a sweet spot in Lychke’s Orbital Defense Guns, the ensuing battle was enough to dissuade the SecMass ship from continuing to launch landing craft.  but it left the CNI Brutal Jackboot critically damaged,  The SecMass ship, now, popularly being called the Gray Reaper, by the superstitious Naval Initiative men.  Distanced itself from the planet, and flotilla’s of Conclave Naval Initiative and Provisional Fleet ships formed a skirmish line to ensure that they stayed there.   

The Ground Threat to Lychke

SecMass units had landed, not in the quantity they might have liked, but certainly enough to wrestle control of the capitals defensive lasers and railguns for long enough to allow for more of their forces to land.  The SecMass units are moving quickly and rapidly to the cities outskirts, with the intent of overwhealming the CMI [Conclave Militant Initiative] and APA [Angelshearth Provisional Army] units holding the city.   

The Cities defenders,  the 5th CMI Mechanized Brigade, 10th CMI Guard Scouts Brigade,  and 3rd Provisional Infantry Regiment, make up the modest “Army Lychke”  which has fallen under the command of Magos Ruiz Polochenkov, from the 2nd Army Group’s general staff.  He is a tough dependable front commander with a history of actions during the war for Sellas.

In the morning the Conclave troops, and APA would begin a fight against indoctrinated and tough corporate soldiers, all across the sector, the mettle of raw conscripted troops and their officers would be seen.  Would they be found wanting?

Col.Uriah Merda. Commander Yurien 3rd

Colonel. Merda,  known also as "Rust's Bulldog."  Is a older man,  of 52 years,  and one of Antilo Rust's most tenacious, and senior of Army Group Commanders. He is vicious, known for lightning quick armored offensives and the liberal application of Mechanized Infantry assets.

As a young man, Uriah Merda was a fiercely independent member of "The Brass Hegemony" a volatile economic sect of the Imperial Government on the Hive World of Cauldron's Gate. There he was responsible for overseeing the discipline and punishment of illegal mutant slave laborers, that provided much of the workforce for the Hegemony's obscenely high product quota. Cauldron's Gate, was eventually shifted into the zone of reinforcement for the Astra Militarium war against Orc Pirates in the sub sector.  Merda's, natural talents as a disciplinarian proved very helpful for his career, and he was placed in the 4th Cauldron Infantry's regimental command staff as an adjunct Commissar.

In his tenure with the 4th, he learned the trade of the political officer, and soon relished the work, putting the fire of battle and will to succeed into the hearts of the infantrymen under his direction.  After nearly a decade in service with his home regiment. Merda was given the rare promotion to the rank of full Commissar, by his mentor, and was to be transferred to a special Schola in the Segmentum Solar for indoctrination of the just right of Imperial Law.   However, as is sometimes the case with the Departmento Munitorum, he was prematurely transferred to the 3rd Yurien Regiment as a Senior Political Officer, to assist with the Cyrian Civil War.

Upon making planetfall on the dusty flats on Yuria. Merda, assisted for sometime in small scale anti guerrilla operations, becoming familiar with the mechanized blitz tactics of the tankers.  Eventually, late in the war, only a few months before the Pilgrims would arrive and liberate the world.   The Governor issued  Edict 001,  to all loyalist regiments,   the systematic annihilation of all resistance units, their families, their families relations, and those relations' relations.   When the 3rd heard of this, their fury and outrage was absolute, armed terrorists was one thing, but few had been prepared to enact a full purge. Loyalties were tested, and it looked like even the PDF would rip itself apart.  Merda, spent much of this time brooding, thinking about his true place.  He decided, that the only proper thing to maintain discipline in the regiment would be to execute the acting Colonel Tamhander,  and place the regiment in a state of total neutrality until the wars end.

The 3rd, would be encountered at the central Tram station, holding off the 2nd Yurien "Loyalists" by the 11th Rallen. The stress, and lapse of imperial law, had let the temptations of Chaos slip in, and the 3rd were just starting to build bloody alters to Al'shata Kharone (The Blessed War Father).  Merda acting as their defiant new Colonel.  

Soon, Merda, would be promoted to the rank of Lex Commandat in the Pilgrims,  and be in command of the entire 2nd Army Group, some 1.8 Million Souls.  but for all the titles of distinction, he chooses to be called Colonel and thinks it more "homely" and "down to earth".   While he spends a lot more time in command rooms, and briefings than he would like, Merda still finds plenty of excuses to extol great feats of courage, and fight alongside his "Tough Bloody Boys" .

-Your Favorite Madman-

Grave For Angels. (15mm Sci-fi)

Why they called this hell-hole Angelshearth was beyond him. It may have been known for its hospitality and its cuisine before the Rim Wars; But that was almost a century ago, and all that went away after those commie Volochek's took charge.

 More of a Grave than a hearth now... he thought   A place where all the goodness, and hope of a vibrant colonial age is lost.

 The Angels of this place are dead.
  We Killed them.

-Major Kemmnis  CMI 526th Shock Infantry Platoon.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Game Group has returned to 15mm Sci-fi with a furious vengeance.  This time the conflict flashpoint, is a world called "Angelshearth"  the sight of multiple wars between myself (The Eisenhorn Conclave) and the Volochek Respublik ( Chris McCollumn, from Fabricators Workbench) over its pivotal location in the shipping lanes, mineral assets and to prove our upstart border empire is better than the others.

Its marshy, and the sporadic mobile warfare necessitates the use of barges and naval craft by the Conclave, in order to move bodies of troops through the difficult, often waterlogged terrain, to various slum villages and cities. 

Once festive and well maintained corporate holdings, have decayed and turned into slum cities.

Under the cover of the Volo-Conclave Wars for the planet other forces, have descended to Angelshearth. The Trans-Humanist commune, (played by Chris from Sippin' on Paint Water) utilizing their advanced technology and tactics, have infiltrated the worlds underbelly. Eager to deliver their message of a universal collective.

We've tried PMC 2640, and are planning on trying Tomorrows War soon.  Other GGoP members are tooling up armies to play in the setting as well,  We have already played a few games on Angelshearth, and its been engaging as most have sizable painted and converted forces, that we have yet to see hit the tabletop more than a few times.  We have a wealth of background material and army fluff for everything, it pains me not to share it all here. but it might be unmanageable. 

Regardless, i will posting the engagements im able to record, and tell you as many stories as i possibly can!

15mm Imperial Fist Tac. Marine

Hey all, the Orion Heavy Infantry from Blue Moon arrived the other week, along with some necessary Westarc minis.   I've tried my hardest to replicate a space marine in this scale, let me know your thoughts,  i plan on bulking up his legs.  I also have a platoon of British FV432's that will serve as Razorbacks.

yesterday, i had a whole gang of guys over for a minis' day.  Owen, JD, and newcomer Kaleb,   we worked on 15mm Sci-fi,  played a small skirmish with those,  myself and JD played a 1500 point Orc v WoC battle in WFB,  and there was a lot of talking about possible manufacturers for Orks, Dark Eldar, and Tau for 15mm 40k.  Hopefully we may soon see several Ork Units WAAAAGHING across the games table.

The one on the far right was done by Chris.