Foundry Hardwire Troupe

The five figures that I'm reviewing today come from Foundry Miniatures' set SV017 - The Hardwire Troupe, which are part of the Street Violence range. This team of hardasses are heavily armed, well armoured and ready to take on any challenge. My first impression when I saw them was "Black Ops." Interestingly enough, there is a supplement for GURPS 3rd Edition called Black Ops, in which players are part of a five man team made up of specialist characters from the following five departments - Combat, Intelligence, Science, Security and Technology. A typical Black Op agent is built on 700 points, meaning they are very high-powered characters. Below, I describe my own GURPS Black Ops team.

I have given them all names, some of which are based on the Christian names given to them by the Foundry folk, whilst the rest are my own inventions. At the far left is Penelope Meilinger and she is from the Technology Department. Note that all agents wear flak vests, black coveralls, black leather dusters (long coats) and mirrorshade sunglasses. Penelope carries a 5.56mm Steyr AUG Assault rifle with a modified scopesight and folding bipod. She is also armed with a pistol in a holster on her left hip and who knows what is in her reinforced briefcase?
Next up is Miranda Ramirez, who has dyed her normally black hair bright orange! Don't be fooled by her quirky look - she is a member of the Intelligence Department. She is armed with a pair of 9mm Heckler and Koch MP5A2 Sub-Machine Guns. Note that with both guns she has taped two ammo clips back to back to facilitate a faster reload time. She also has a pair of pistols in holsters on both hips. She is unique in wearing thigh-length boots. These aid her in stealthy movement.
In the centre of the group is Curtis Quint, the Combat specialist of the team. He carries a 5.56mm M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW). On his belt are two holstered pistols, a Flash-Bang grenade and a High Explosive Grenade. Curtis is slightly taller than the rest of the team and I painted him as an African/American. All Black Ops agents are black belt martial artists, but Curtis really excels in melee combat.
Fourth in line is Fabian Tancredi, the Science Department agent. He has very long, natural blond hair, which makes him stand out as much as Miranda. He is holding a 9mm Heckler and Koch MP5A3 Sub-Machine Gun in his hands. He has a Pistol in a holster on his left thigh, and possibly one on his right thigh. If so, it is hidden by his long coat. He wears a back pack, which like Penelope's briefcase, could hold just about anything.
The fifth and final member of the team is Sean DeSanto, the Security Department agent. He is armed with the very rare 5.56mm ATK-Heckler and Koch M29 Individual Combat Weapon - a combination Assault Rifle and Grenade Launcher. He also has at least one BA Pistol in a holster and a Flash-Bang grenade. Security agents are meant to be a jack-of-all-trades and are expected to know a little bit about everything. This probably explains why he is carrying such a large flight bag across his back.

I have described these as part of my GURPS Black Ops team, simply because they are such a perfect fit, but they need not be. These could be any group of professional monster hunters or just a group of mercenaries, working together to survive a zombie apocalypse. If you are looking for something more cinematic in scope, like a team of vampire slayers or werewolf hunters, then look no further. Any one of these figures would make a great player character in the likes of ATZ. However, put them together and you have a formidable team of fighters, capable of taking on the toughest of foes, be they human or supernatural.
Foundry Miniatures sell this set of five figures for £10.00 on their webstore. Incredibly, I wrote this review without once mentioning The Matrix. D'oh!