Flotila pro Full Thrust

Menší ragtag projekt, nedávno jeden ze znamých mě oslovil kvuli wargamingu vesmírných lodi,
přičemž full thrust stále považuju za hru která ty souboje velmi dobře reprezentuje na herním stole a zaroveň umožnuje si designovat vlastní lodě a použit tak jakékoliv lodě které jsou dostupné na trhu či použit modely uplně odjinud nebo scratchbuildnout vlastní.

V připadě Hecaté jak jsem nazval rasu kterou tyto lodě reprezentují jsem použil modely Grav vozidel z Firestorm:Planetfall které jsou skvělé v měřítku vesmírných bitev a nápadně se podobají lodím Shivanů z prastaré herní serie Freespace.

Podobně budou i stylizované lodě Hecaté - rychle, dobře manevrujicí a velmi dobře vyzbrojené uvidíme jak dopadnou střety proti flotilam z Battlefleet Gothic, Battlestar Galactica nebo třeba HALO.

Současná podoba flotily - 1 bitevní loď, 1 Carrier, 5 křižníků a 5 destroyerů

Bitevní loď třidy Ravana

Křižník třidy Aeshma

Těžký Carrier třidy Mara

Destroyeři třidy Rahu

Nyní musím do flotily zakomponovat malé stíhačky ale jinak se jedná o plnohodnotnou flotilu do hry Full Thrust.

5150: Fighter Command where to get fighters, and some capital ships ideas

As i was little sceptic about Two hours wargames 5150: Fighter Command, reading through rules (after some solo playtest i will post review) i am getting more and more excited about it , though my friends are hooked with Xwing maybe i can convice them for some game especially when they see that really big Columbia-Class Battlestar right in the middle of table and them fight off every cylon attack - i think that will be very convincing. Any way as i am big fan of Space Combat sims (shame that genre died with Starlancer - but recently we get fix in form Wing Commander Saga and Diaspora) i will not end with BSG setting. so i wrote this "guide" for everyone intersted.

We will start with fighter/bomber minis and move up to Capship ideas


EM4 Plastics
propably most used set for space dogfighting, EM4 have set of plastic fighters from Metal Express Silent Death game - it contains 12 different space fighters, but for price less than 3 pounds (2.55 is i checked recently) you can have squadrons build up in no time. this is only set i am aware that is sold in hard plastic detailed review you can find here (unfortunately in Czech http://battlefieldpilsen.blogspot.cz/2012/08/em4-spacecraft.html)

Metal Express
Speaking of Silent Death, Metal Express still selling its fighter/gunboat range counting over 140 individual fighters. Alien ships, Human ships you name it while some designs are little retro, there are ships which fits into many settings (WC-like and so on) , and they are planning release more fighters soon.

CinC
Company which is know more for their 6mm miniatures but they also selling range of space fighters . but these fighters are little big so you can use them as corvettes or other cap ships .

CinC Fighters in scale with Metal Express ships

Reaper miniatures
Well known miniature maker of Fantasy and Scifi 28mm (his aquatic monsters are known to be fielded as bio ships in Fleet scale games) but also maker of forgoten game CAV which has scale 10mm, this range have few VTOLs which can be used as transports, bombers or even smaller CAPships but maybe even heavy fighters.

Reaper minis/Robot Supply Depot range Baron APC

Hawk Wargames/Dropzone Commander
Also well known 10mm wargame but again suitable for dogfight gaming before ordering you should check diameters of ship for which want to use but big dropships can be used as transports(in case of PHR as cruisers) and smaller ships maybe for fighters

Dropzone Commander PHR Athena Air supperiority Fighter can make very nice Cap Ship

Studio Bergstrom

Best reseller of fighter scale miniatures in my book. miniatures you are getting from this vendor have top notch quality control, almost no mould lines and defects. If you are looking for setting specific fighters this is the place where to come - non-BS G , non-Star War s, and even old Wing Commander machines worth of checking out. but beware the photos on his shop are bad, but in reality his minis are top of the line.

Wing Commander Confederacy Fighters by SB

Brigade Models

Brigade models have their own range of scifi fighters specially designed for their game and world - Squadron Commander the game is free but not my cup of tea. you should also check 6mm rangfe VTOLs , i personaly want to use angelsharks (i own two for my 6mm army) as assault boats/ small transports

Iron Wind/Aerotech

Durning golden ages of FASA and games like Battletech there was supplemental game called Aerotech, which simulated aerial combat in Battletech universe. this miniatures are still sold by Iron Wind, and while most of larger ships are not usable in FC the fighter are top notch. however some larger ships are still usable as transport frigates

Various 6mm Scifi retailers

Most of 6mm scifi retailers will sell VTOLs while not every model is usable most of them are in some way for few examples: Microworld, GZG, Plasmablast games, Dark realms miniatures and so on. DRM for example have very nice range of small and big aircrafts , alien and human alike.

Shapeways

Another great sources is Shapeways,many people established shops there and selling their 3d models as miniatures via shapeways. worth to try if you are looking for something specific however little pricey.

Another good sources of models  fighters are collectible miniatures like Mechwarrior Dark Age, Statrek or Star wars everything from Wizard Of The Coast

Capital ships are different beast, they didnt have dedicated models, there is no reseller of Capship models in fighter scale, so we need look into few sources

1) Collector models like Mass Effect ships, Terminator, Serenity, Star Trek and so on.

good source for these are Ebay or Amazon

2) Scifi Plastic and Resin Models in various scales for Example Battlestar Galactica from Revell,Moebius or Timeslip creatious, or even Japan Anime series ships - Battleship Yamato, Gundam and others. good sources for these models are Hobby Link Japan

3rd Option is scrathbuilding, kitbashing and so on, there is lot of various options here but with Mad mecha containers its fairly easy to build up cargo haulers. here is pic of what of what one member of 5150 FC facebook group build up

Hopefully this guide will be usefull to game in fighter scale and if you are not yet in our 5150 Fighter Command facebook group you can join us here 

5150 Fighter Command - Battlestar Athena (set in BSG universe)

thank to one of the kind members of Full Thrust Facebook group i was introduced to 5150 Fighter
Command from two hours wargames. normaly i am not big fan of two hours wargames, since their system is bit strange but fluid and give great narrative games/battles - have experience with Nuts! and All things zombies.

Anyway what is 5150:FC about? well about scifi space gaming on fighter squadron scale, everething you ever seen in old scifi space combat sims is here - patrols, cap ship hunting, good ol´ defense, escort missions but players can devise their own scenarios like search and rescue, recon missions and propably more.
unlike many "competive" games i encounter here in Czech THW are different and FC is same.

I will start campaing on my own playing few patrols to learn the rules and then introduce to my friends.
Storywise the campaing will follow the Battlestar Athena which mission last four months was to guard red line so she didnt have CNP module yet installed and can bring everything on Cylons.Unlike Adama and his Battlestar Galactica the Athena will make last stand at Colonies.

I ordered some miniatures from Studio Bergstrom, and now my complement of fighters are ready for battle (have to arrive and paint them thought) but i will got 8 Viper mark VII, 4 Viper Mark 2.5 (this will be proxying Assault Vipers from Diaspora) 2 Raptors, 16 RS Raiders, and 3 Heavy Raiders which gave me enough smaller crafts for start of campaing. The BSG 89 Athena would not be problem too, there is nice Revell Kit of Battlestar Galactica, so i must assume that Athena is Columbia too and as one of the original Battlestar, she represents Libran colony.

While at this point everything is okay but then i started running to the problems, first is Cylon basestar which is currently out of my budget options, but that will sort out and second is colonial civilian ships my Battlestar and her Viper and Raptor pilots will encounter durning their voyage across Colonies. but hopefully i will find some solution soon. (Got some 15mm scalled containers, so if i found some nice cockpit and engines i may create transport ship from it - we will see)

Battlestar Galactica:RS Wargaming

This is the Commander. Moments ago, this ship received word of a Cylon attack against our homeworlds is under way. We do not know the size or the disposition or the strength of the enemy forces, but all indications point to a massive assault against Colonial defenses. Admiral Nagala has taken personal command of the Fleet aboard the battlestar Atlantia following the complete destruction of Picon Fleet Headquarters in the first wave of the attacks. How, why doesn't really matter now. What does matter is that as of this moment, we are at war. You've trained for this. You're ready for this. Stand to your duties, trust your fellow shipmates, and we'll get through this.

I am big fan of Battlestar Galactica series - either Reimagined,Original or stand alone pilot Blood and Chrome,  and least but not last Diaspora:Shattered Armistance pc game.   Full thrust IMHO is well suited for BSG gaming althought maybe Colonial Battlefleet will be suit better but i dont like Hexes anyway  first decision was easy first or second Cylon war. While first war will be easy on backstory as war rages on. The second in truth is easy too, only thing which is problem is CPN backdoors that Cylons used prior to attack on Colonies. Easily this could be say that Battlestar/s are returning from training maneovers and new system will be installed after return, like in Diaspora.

I looked into Studio Bergstrom miniatures line which features stylised non-BSG miniatures , new and old Battlestars, Basestars, vipers, raiders, Raptors and so on. There are others vendors that sells non-BSG minis namely Ravenstar miniatures,B3 Designs and Novastar. these vendors also make starbases, and civilian ships along with non-canon Cylon and Colonial Fleet ships.

Jump complete. Reading debris in low orbit and multiple nuclear explosions on surface. Virgon is gone, the Fleet is gone..... Incoming DRADIS contact!Single Cylon Raider!

So where to start, If you want to start Full thrust BSG you will need capital ships - i would suggest two Battlestars, and three or four Basestars for this reason i will choose two Battleships (they looks like Columbia class)for economical reason i would start with smaller complement of Vipers four of Vipers and one or two raptor flights to count as torpedo bombers . for Cylons choice was similiar Two Heavy cruisers and two smaller Deuce light crusiers, fighter escort will be 4 wings total with respawn - when wave is destroyed Cylon player can launch another.

Galactica has seen a lot of history, gone through a lot of battles. This will be her last. She will not fail us if we do not fail her. If we succeed in our mission, Galactica will bring us home. If we don't... it doesn't matter anyway. 

to the storyline we will be following two Battlestars conducting patrol along the Red Line BSG Athena and her sister ship BSG Rhea has been sended to emergency beacon set up by Armistice station, upon discovery that Armistice station is destroyed, and receving reports of massive assault againts Colonies they racing to rescue, unlike Galactica or Pegasus their Commanders decide to make a stand.

Since we aquired place to play Full thrust in local board games store with tables to play, we possible can aquire some new players, i am wishfull thinking we can make campaing called Fall of Colonies

Capital ships space combat

While various players prefer historical or modern battlefields, there those - and iam sure that there are lot of us who love the epic battle scenes where space capital ships firing and destroying itself in deadly gauntlets.

you see it in various movies and shows - Star trek, Star wars, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly,Stargate series, Babylon 5, Battleship Yamato  and many others. same goes for books - Warhammer 40.000, Honor series, Battlestar Prometeus,Crimson worlds or even classics like Enders game. Even Pc games starting from EVE: Online, Homeworld series, Nexus to even less known games like Flotila or  Stellar Impact

There are lots of gaming rules for space combat, Firestorm:Armada, StarArmada, Task Force Zeta, Battle Fleet Gothic  to A  Sky full of Ships. but ruleset that far most popular around world is old Venerable Full Thrust which comes through various reedition and remastering by players, and with cooperation there is 3rd Edition of FT on way.

so apart from famous ranges (Babylon 5, Star Trek TOS and other official ranges) we will look on other ranges what they have to offer to casual new player.
Brigade games created ships for their own universe called Iron Cow now featured in game Stararmada X: Brigade. their range contains 10 different nations , two of them are aliens. personally i dont much like design of the ships they lacked deepth of GZG models but now the new range called british came out i changed my mind these new ships are more than good (and germans or american rep. aren´t bad either

Ground zero Games, IMHO the best and largest ranges on market up today. Created specially for Tuffleyverse which is featured in Full thrust,Dirtside II and Stargrunt II games. the Full thrust range contains 16 different nations, four of them are alien - two of biological origin, one your typical warlike aliens and lastly hightech crusties ships which were long labeled as mysterious fleet. also the models are some of the best on market , and Jon from GZG is good bloke and always there to help you out, the postage is little higher but you get your stuff here in europe really fast - in matter of days. (cca up to three days)

Zandris IV one of the smallest vendors in space gaming wargaming currently offering 3 different ranges , two oftem resambles ships from famous space combat game, there was fourth alien race but it is discontinued and offered only two ships but they were closest to the Shivans from Freespace series i have found yet. i personaly own ships from them,  and they were flawless, quick delivery worth money.





Antenocitis workshop got FATC Hiigarian fleet  that means if you join not-Vaygr forces from Z4 and these Hiigarians you can wargaming battles from HW2, the miniatures are really nice somewhat big but really nice, however you can buy them only in deal packs which is shame also the price tag isnt much player friendly.

Ravenstar miniatures got some archaic style of buying, pics of things showed on blog and you must order via
mail, pretty strange but otherwise great service. lots of non-BSG ships from Battlestars( of various size and classes) through Basestars to civilian fleet, essential for every BSG fan. he also selling his Cold navy range which are greatly designed.  they also selling some 1" scale non-BSG fighters for those who are intersted in dogfighting




Studio Bergstrom had some nicest ranges based on movie or pc series. like Ravenstar they also produce 1" Scale fighters, and few original ranges like Hive or ORC, ever want to field Rodger Young cruiser? here is your chance.

B-3 Designs is old sculptor of B5 ships for Call to Arms: Babylon 5, he got his range of his own for B5 and BSG while it is not big there are many original designs even with backstory excelent. also got range for fleetscale ST fighters and range of B5 1" scale fighters still itching to get some Star Furies and Nials for Tacship/BSG Mass combat and do some dogfighting.

Agents of Gaming aren´t sculptors, they are selling old aging ranges from fallen games like Babylon 5 Wars or GROPOS. for B5 gaming you got everything here.


there is big Star ranger comunnity where not only players gather but also sculptors and vendors lots of various talk, battlereports, advices inspiration and so on. Mechworld.de is another page where some players gather but mostly Full thrust ones, MW created Full thrust Lite rulebook. and lastly there is The Miniature Page which have they own Space combat board

so still interested in epic space battles? lets gets some ships and start fighting!

Zandris IV vesmírné lodě

Před nějakým časem se my dostal do pracek Terran diplomatic corps patrol pack od Zandris IV, obsahuje
dva heavy destroyery (dlouhé 4,5 cm) a jeden Heavy cruiser (ten je trochu delší a větší 6,5cm). Z4 je firmou jednoho muže který vydáva modely v měřítku Squadron scale (pro hvězdné bitvy), 6mm vozidla a nakonec armoured suity/mechy pro 28mm, spekuluje se i o možných strojích pro 15mm
Všechny modelové řady maji velmi přiznívé ceny i když některé věci jdou sehnat i levněji. Jejich lodě patří mezi ty lepší na trhu (rozhodně bych řekl že jsou o kategorii výše než GZG a určitě jsou na tom lépe než lodě od Brigade). V současné době obsahuje 4 různé typy/rasy lodí první je zbrusu nová řada Diaspora obsahující dva typy stíhaču, dva typy destroyerů, jeden typ cruiseru a jeden carrier.
další opoznání menší řada je Imperial obsahující dva typy lodi cruiser a battleship, třetí řadou tvořili pouze jeden typ lodí mimozemského vzhledu (původně byli dvě křižník a fregata a mohli být skvěle na vytvoření ras typu Shivan ze serie Freespace) poslední tvoří Terran diplomatic corps které brali inspiraci ve skvěle hře Homeworld 2 (rasa Vaygr) ačkoliv mají reprezentovat lidské lodě což se jim daří. tato poslední řada obsahuje 2 typy fregat,3 typy destroyerů, 3 typy křižníků,2 Carriery,jeden typ stíhačů a jednů obří loď třídy Superdreadnaught.
Z4 také nabízí různé deal packy pro všechny rasy (kromě Nemesis) které vám umožní sestavit standartní flotilu do her ACTA nebo Full thrust velice rychle (Do FT startovní Patrol pack bohatě poslouží)
pro své lodě TDC které používají jméno Taaiidan Confederation jsem zvolil toto schéma

Většina lodi od Z4 je zpracovana v kovu (až na některé vyjímky jako je superdreadnaught který je v resinu) a velice kvalite samozřejmně několik drobnosti bylo potřeba začistit ale jinak svou cenu si určitě zaslouží, určitě si časem pořídím další lodě od Z4.

v jednom z dalších članků se zaměříme na Full Thrust:Crossed dimensions a zbrusu nový online designer lodi z Mechaworldu.

Enemy fighters jumping in!

Díky vyměnemu programu na TMP, se my za pár miniatur které se my tu váleli doma podařilo sehnat cca 48 stíhaču do hry Silent Death a nějaké Mechy od firmy EM4.

 pro tyto modely jsem hledal pravidla,podíval jsem se na několik typu pravidel ale většina používala hexy,čehož nejsem uplně fanoušek.
nakonec padlo rozhodnutí na TacShip od Jona Tuffleyho majitele firmy GZG. tento ruleset byl napsan pro časopis Ragnarok někdy v 90 letech. I přes svůj věk jsou pravidla jednoduchá,rychlá a hlavně zábavna návíc je zde prostor pro modifikace.

Pravidla jsou více než jednoduchá
Pro pohyb jsou duležité tři vlastnosti - kurz(Course),rychlost(Velocity) a tah motorů (Thrust), pomocí thrust měníte rychlost a kurz a manévrujete do pozic aby jste mohli vystřelit na protivníka, střílet s palubních laseru mužete kdykoliv během kola a navaděné střely,miny a ECM musíte aktivovat na začatku kola a odpalit na jejim konci, poškození ja zajímavě řešené a jeden štastný zásah muže poslat stíhačku do věčných lovišť i na první výstřel.
samozřejmostí jsou i pravidla na vytvoření vlastních strojů

podívejte vyzkoušejte
http://www.sfsfw.org/a/03/tacship.php

Flotily Full Thrust

V připravě na flotilu lodí do Full thrust jsem udělal lehké seznam i pro ostatní kteří by chtěli postavit flotily z jiných lodí než Battlefleet gothic.

Zandris IV
Tento výrobce disponuje několika řadami inspirovanými serii Homeworld 1-2. Vyraběl i řadu lodi podobných Shivanům ze hry Conflict:Freespace ale ta už je delší dobu mimo produkci
zde by v uvahu přichazeli lodě diplomatic corps na obrázku níže .
firma také vyrabí 28mm battlesuity a 6mm bojovou techniku

 Fate Amenable to Change
Můj asi absolutní favorit Higgaranská flotila z hry Homeworld 2 jsou zde nějaké modely které se nevyskytovali ve hře přesto se jedna o jednu vůbec z nejlepších Fleet scale modelu  IMHO.

Brigade Models
Modely pro hru Starmada X: Brigade ze světa Iron Cow velký výběr , ačkoliv mě osobně přijdou modely dost jednoduché, na druhou stranu vítězí cena která je bezkonkureční.
vynikající je také jejich řada 6mm vozidel,letadel a pěchoty pro systém Iron Cow a dale vyrabí 15mm vozidla (bohužel true scale takže jsou drobet menší než je standart)

Full thrust 
Originalní modely pro hru Full thrust přes 200 modelů a vychazí nové a nové lodě.
k dispozici pro pozemské mocnosti i mimozemské rasy.
samozřejmně nejen Full thrust modely vydavá GZG takže naleznete i 15mm pěchotu a techniku,6mm modely a 25mm pěchotu (bojovou techniku proto měřítko převzala firma Deamonscape)

Ravenstar miniatures
u této firmy naleznete vše pro hraní Battlestar Galactica (tzn jak síly 12 kolonii tak Cylonů), a lodě z různých her a serialů všemožné Anime, lodě podobné Normandy atp.
také se věnuje vyrobě vozidel v měřítku 15mm

 Ninjamagic
Velice zajímavé modely firmy Ninja magic k dispozici celkem 3 národy. Mnohem zajímavější však je doplňkový prodej adaptéru na basky které umožní vám umístit lodě na base v dynamických "pozách"

Armoury Hobbies
Výrobce lodí ze znamých serialů Stargate SG1 a Stargate Atlantis,Babylon 5 ,BSG, Star Trek TOS nebo Třeba Buck Rogers.

Studio Bergstrom
velice zvlaštní firma připomínající pejsek a kočička vařili dort , mají mnoho různých lodí a stíhaček z různých settingu ale zda se že žadná z řad není kompletní - krom toho mají několik vlastních řad jako třeba Hive fleet,
ORCdef a Terran které jsou kompletní.
co je však zajímavé naleznete tu lodí ze Star Treku,Starship Troopers ale i například stíhačky z PC hry Freespace,Stargate(včetně Puddle Jumperů)  ale i lodě ze Starwars 4-6.
 Čím je však Bergstrom unikatní jsou modely stíhaču ve velkém měřítku ty příjdou vhod až two hours games vydají svou dlouhodobě připravovanou hru 5150:wing commander

Spartan Games - Firestorm Armada
FSA je relativně novou hrou z dílen Spartan Games, v současné době má 6 základních národu hotových (vyjma stíhaček) a další nové vydává, oproti lodím ostatních výrobců včetně GW jsou lodě Obří (průměrná Velká Battleship/Dreadnought má 10-13cm Terranská Battleship má 17cm! Oproti ostatním modelům je hlavní výhoda i to že jsou k dostání i u nás.

Samozřejmně se nejedná o všechny výrobce, spoustu věci jde sehnat třeba na Shapeways a někteří menší výrobci také vyrabějí vesmírné lodě