Bolt Action German Panzer Grenadiers HQ

As I have mentioned in my recent Monthly Musings, I have started a new project - WW2 skirmish wargaming using the Bolt Action rules produced by Warlord Games. Having bought the excellent Band of Brothers starter boxed set, I am sticking with the two forces contained within it - the German late war Panzer Grenadiers and the US late war 101st Airborne force. I have painted a few units for both sides and so I'll review the units I have finished painting starting with my German Panzer Grenadiers HQ units.

Each platoon is centred upon a core that includes a headquarters unit in the form of a first lieutenant (Oberleutnant) or a second lieutenant (Lieutnant). Other HQ units can be added to the force, including higher-ranking officers, as well as medical units and supporting observers. German officers were capable and often experienced leaders. Junior officers were trained to undertake the role of their own immediate superiors, enabling them to use their initiative to take control of situations when necessary.

An officer unit consists of the man himself and can include up to two other men acting as his immediate attendants. Because of the high quality of the majority of German officers they are rated as regular or veteran. From left to right are a first lieutenant, his attendant, a second lieutenant and his attendant. The two officers are Warlord Games figures but the two attendants were produced by Crooked Dice Games.

The field medic presents the wounded soldier with his best chance of surviving serious injury and can ensure that lightly wounded soldiers are returned to fighting fitness as rapidly as possible. Junior medical staff such as stretcher bearers can accompany medics in the field. All medical staff are rated as courageous, befitting their calling and hence, veteran.

Forward observers are liaison officers responsible for coordinating the attack of heavy artillery batteries from behind the lines or aircraft strikes. They are likely to be accompanied by a radio operator and other immediate attendants. These officers are rated as regular or veteran; those of lesser ability being unlikely to find themselves in such a position. All of these figures were produced by Warlord Games. The two figure diorama set at the far left was a free bonus for buying the Armies of Germany supplement.
Note that as a change to my usual basing technique I have added tufts of grass, which I'll be doing to all of my Bolt Action figures.

Crooked Dice Games UFO Aliens 01

Of all the Gerry Anderson TV series produced in the 1960's and 1970's my favourite, by far, was UFO. Made in 1970, the series lasted for 26 episodes. The series' premise is that in 1980 (a date indicated in the opening credits), Earth is being visited by aliens from a dying planet, who are abducting humans and harvesting their organs for their own bodies. The alien incursions may also be a prelude to a possible full-scale invasion. The series' main cast of characters are the staff of a secret, high-technology international military agency called SHADO (an acronym for Supreme Headquarters, Alien Defence Organisation) established to defend Earth and humanity against the mysterious aliens and learn more about them, while at the same time keeping the threat of an alien invasion hidden from the public.
Crooked Dice games have recently released three of the UFO aliens, which I was most pleased to see. I like these a lot!

The three figures each come with a choice of two heads - bare-headed or helmeted. For this alien who is abducting a young female, I chose the bare-headed version. Note that his green skin is an effect of the life-sustaining fluid that fills his suit. A similar concept was used in James Cameron's film, The Abyss for the deep-sea divers, but that didn't have the green staining.

The other two aliens are wearing their helmets. Their rifles are ballistic weapons with scope-sight.
It has long been an ambition of mine to recreate UFO on the gaming table. I do hope that with the release of these aliens that CDG will release more figures from the show. They already have a figure for Commander Ed Straker, the commander in chief of SHADO. I want to see more SHADO personnel, the other named heroes, the SHADO troopers and most especially, the Moonbase personnel.
The alien carrying the female hostage costs £6.00 and the other two cost £4.00 each. Rather peculiarly, CDG offer a "deal" where you can buy all three for the price of £14.00, which is exactly the same price as buying each one individually. I don't see how that is a deal!

If you're interested in what the actual UFO from the series looks like, here's mine, along with a SHADO Interceptor, which operates from Moonbase. These 28mm scale die-cast models were produced by Product Enterprises and are exceedingly rare. They came together as a boxed set and I bought mine from a model shop in Newcastle that closed down quite a few years ago. There is a set currently available for sale on Amazon UK for the staggering amount of £325.00! I paid nowhere near that for my set. That said, they are incredibly detailed models made and painted to a very high standard.

Crooked Dice Spectrum Agents 02

I recently backed the 7TV Apocalypse Kickstarter by Crooked Dice Games and that got me looking back at their range of figures. So, I ordered a few figure sets to plug gaps in my current collection of their figures. One of those gaps was for their not-Captain Scarlet inspired figures, whom CDG call Time Lift Security. For me, however, I'm using them as Spectrum agents, the organisation created by Gerry Anderson for the 1960's TV series, Captain Scarlet.

At the far left is Lieutenant Lemon, a female agent. When I first ordered my Spectrum agents a few years ago, this particular figure was out of stock, and I've been meaning to buy her ever since. Lieutenant Lemon is a character created by me. She did not appear in the TV series and indeed, the only female agents in the series were the Angel pilots. Nevertheless, I'm pleased to finally have her, and I have no problem with including female agents in Spectrum.
Next to her, is Lieutenant Lime, another female agent. She is part of a set of three specialist agents and she is armed with a Netter, which obviously fires a net for capturing enemies. This is something that CDG have devised as it never appeared in the TV series, but I can see it being a useful weapon in Spectrum's arsenal. 

Second from the right is another specialist agent, Captain Brown. I do have a vague recollection of Captain Brown appearing in the TV series but he was not a regular character and he may have appeared only once. He is armed with a heavy assault gun. The weapon appears to be a beam weapon as opposed to a ballistic weapon, so perhaps it is a heavy electric gun as Spectrum's enemies, the Mysterons, are very vulnerable to electricity.
Finally is the third specialist, whom I have named Captain Turquoise. He is wearing a jet pack, which definitely did appear in the TV series, although Captain Turquoise did not - he's another of my own creations.
If you can remember my review of the first batch of Spectrum agents, well done! If not, or if if you just want a reminder, you can check it out here - http://vampifansworldoftheundead.blogspot.com/2015/08/croooked-dice-spectrum-agents.html
The specialist agent with jet pack costs £5.00 and the other two cost £4.00 each or you can buy all three for £12.00. The female agent with the pistol costs £4.00. Spectrum is green!

7TV2e Cameraman and TV

A slight change of pace here. I wanted to show you a couple of 7TV2e figures that go together very well - the TV set and the TV cameraman.

The television set comes with the boxed starter set for 7TV2e by Crooked Dice Games. Its purpose is to represent a Maguffin, an objective of some considerable value that may be found during the course of a game. Full rules for using the Maguffin can be found on page 18 of the Producer's Guide. The Maguffin counts as a normal objective token apart from the following -

1. The player whose side gains it can add one random gadget from the unused cards to their gadget pool.
2. The Maguffin is worth 1d6 Victory Points at the end of the game.

For those who like narrative play a list of items that the Maguffin could be are listed by genre in this section of the Producer's Guide. Of course, the TV set also makes a nice furniture item to add to a building's interior.

The TV Cameraman is a Neutral Extra usable in any genre and with a Rating of just 1. Among his abilities, he cannot be the subject of any strikes for any reason and he cannot gain any statuses and counts as passing any Spirit tests. In addition, his owner may select one friendly model within 6" of the cameraman and activate him for free providing he has not already activated this turn. He's a useful character to have although he is very slow with a Move of 2". The figure comes in three parts - separate arms and body, whilst the camera is a two-piece casting - camera and stand. The figure is supplied with a 40mm diameter base, which I discarded and replaced with a 25mm by 50mm rounded corners cavalry base made of MDF. This is a much better base, in my opinion. For the figures. I simply copied the colour schemes of the camera and cameraman from the Crooked Dice games website. For an interesting alternative colour scheme do check out this version by Colgar 6 - http://colgar6.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/7tv-cameraman.html
He went for more muted, natural colours, which I really like. The cameraman is a great figure and I hope that Crooked Dice games produce more TV crew members to use. There is a quite a list they could choose from.

The TV Cameraman with his Camera costs £5.00 from the CDG webstore (you can find the link for him  here)and you can get the TV set Maguffin for £10.00 if you order the 7TV2e plastic counters set. It is not available separately.

7TV2e Criminal Masterminds 01

Having concentrated on the Police figures I plan on using in my 7TV2e games these past few weeks, it is now time to look at their opposition, starting with this post concentrating on the criminal masterminds - the Villainous Stars and Co-Stars.

At the far left is Tony "King Tut" Tuttle, who bears a close resemblance to the inimitable Arthur Daley (played by George Cole) in the TV series of Minder. I might have named him Arthur Daley, but Crooked Dice Games gave him a much cooler name, in my opinion, and so I have stuck with that. In 7TV2e I see "King Tut" as either an Underworld Boss Star or as a Faithful Lackey Co-Star. He appears to be unarmed but there is a good chance he's carrying a concealed pistol. He costs £3.50 on the CDG webstore.
In the centre of the group is another CDG figure who bears a close resemblance to yet another well known villain from TV - "Genial" Harry Grout (as played by Peter Vaughan) in Porridge. "Grouty" as he was also known as, was feared by prisoners and prison guards alike. Upon his release from prison he returned to his life of crime and eventually died of a heart attack. This time, I have decided to keep the name as CDG have not named him, simply referring to him as Underworld Boss to tie in with his Villainous Star status. On the CDG webstore he has been painted with a white shirt and black tie. I decided to swap the colours round and it works very well, in my opinion. He is quite expensive, costing £4.00.

At the far right is Charlie Slater, a crime boss made by Killer B Games. He'll be making an appearance in my first 7TV2e scenario, either as an Underworld Boss Star or as a Jackbooted Sadist Co-Star. He's a vicious bastard who specialises in violent crime, notably armed robbery. On Killer B Games' webstore you'll find him listed as KB006 In Scarf with Pistol, where he costs a mere £2.00.
All three are full of character and great sculpts and each one makes for a great Mister Big. "King Tut" and Grouty (doesn't he just ooze menace?) are more sophisticated villains; both share a love of expensive cigars. Slater, on the other hand is one of the new breed of criminals, violent, hot-headed and unpredictable. I'm going to have lots of fun running these guys.

7TV2e UK Policemen with Helmets and WPCs

I have more UK-based policemen in helmets to show you and a small selection of Women Police Constables (WPCs). Once again, these are a mix of 28mm scale figures from Crooked Dice Games and Killer B Games.

The three Police Constables shown directly above and below are from Crooked Dice Games' range of Heroes and Allies - Coppers sets 1 and 2. All are wielding their truncheons in an aggressive manner. The figure at the far left is from set 1 and is Copper with Truncheon.

The other two figures are from Coppers set 2. The one in the centre is Copper Running and the one at far right is Copper Kicking. All three figures cost £3.25 each. As with the other CDG police constables I showed last time these come with separate helmeted heads, which you can replace with other heads from the CDG webstore.

Next, are the Women Police Constables. At the far left is WPC Cathy Black, one of three figures found in CDG's Tough Detectives set. If you want to buy her individually, she costs £3.50. She is a one-piece casting.

The other two WPCs are made by Killer B Games. In the centre is KB040 WPC Standing. I have named her Annie Cartwright as she looks remarkably like this character from the Life on Mars TV series. Annie was played by Liz White and she became the girlfriend of DS Sam Tyler. Annie was far more intelligent than she was given credit for by her male colleagues. Only Sam saw her true potential and it was he who helped her gain eventual promotion to Detective Constable.
At the far right is KB041 WPC Walking, whom I have named Juliet "Bravo" Bartley. She gained her nickname from the 1980's TV series, Juliet Bravo, a cop drama that starred Stephanie Turner in series 1 to 3 and Anna Carteret in series 4 to 6. Note that Juliet Bravo was not a character but a radio call sign for the Police Inspector played by the two leading actresses.
I'm sure that CDG's Cathy Black was meant to represent Annie Cartwright but I think the Killer B Games version is a much better likeness. The two Killer B Games WPCs cost £2.00 each.

7TV2e UK Policemen with Helmets 01

Having previously looked at a few 1970's and 1980's style police detectives I'm now switching my focus to the beat patrolmen from the United Kingdom, or as DCI Gene Hunt so delicately calls them, "the plods!"

At the far left of the two photos directly above and below here is an unnamed Police Constable from Crooked Dice Games. He is one of three figures from the Coppers set 1. He is holding a torch in his right hand. He comes with a separate helmeted head but you have the option of using alternative heads for him, the most obvious choice being the peaked cap version. I was quite happy to leave him with his helmeted head. On the CDG webstore he is available to buy with a police dog for £4.50 for them both. I've painted the dog but I'll show it later.

The other two Police Constables are made by Killer B Games. In the centre is KB-032 British Bobby Advancing and at far right is KB-031 British Bobby Tapping Truncheon. Unlike the CDG coppers, these are all one-piece castings. They cost £2.00 each.

Moving on, at the far left is another Police Constable made by Killer B Games. He is KB-033 British Bobby Standing. He also costs £2.00. I haven't named any of my Police Constables yet, but I'm sure I will once I get round to using them in a batrep.
The two remaining policemen are from Crooked Dice Games. In the centre is Police Sergeant Tony Sykes (I figured he deserved a name because of his rank). He is easily identifiable by his bushy beard and, of course, by his sergeant's stripes. He is part of the Coppers set 2 and he costs £3.25. He comes with the separate bearded, helmeted head.

Finally, is a Police Constable from CDG's Coppers set 1 and he is known as Copper with Whistle. The whistle is held in his right hand. He also costs £3.25.
All of these will be used as Extras in upcoming games of 7TV2e. All are very nicely sculpted and are worth having if you want to use UK bobbies on the beat in any of your games. Next time I'll be reviewing yet more bobbies on the beat from Crooked Dice Games and Killer B Games.

7TV2e Detectives 01

I wasn't sure whether to call this post "7TV2e Detectives" or "Crooked Dice Games and Killer B Games Detectives." The latter might be accurate but it is long winded and besides which, all of these figures will feature predominantly in my 7TV2e games. What I have for you are two sets of figures based on the BBC TV series of Life On Mars (2006 to 2007) and Ashes to Ashes (2008 to 2010).

These five 28mm scale figures are part of the Crooked Dice Games range of 7TV2e Heroes. They are very clearly based on the detectives from Life On Mars and Ashes to Ashes, although CDG have got round copyright problems by renaming them. Not so me! For me, these ARE the heroes of two of my all-time favourite TV cop series.
Life on Mars tells the fictional story of Sam Tyler (played by John Simm), a policeman in service with the Greater Manchester Police. After being hit by a car in 2006, Tyler awakens in 1973 to find himself working for the predecessor of the GMP, the Manchester and Salford Police, at the same station and location as in 2006. Early on in the series, it becomes apparent to Tyler that he awakes as a Detective Inspector, one rank lower than his 2006 rank of Detective Chief Inspector. As part of the Criminal Investigation Department, Tyler finds himself working under the command of DCI Gene Hunt (played by Philip Glenister). Throughout the two series, the plot centres on the ambiguity concerning Tyler's predicament and the lack of clarity, to both the audience and the character, whether he has died, gone mad, become comatose, or actually travelled back in time.
Ashes to Ashes tells the story of DI Alex Drake (played by Keeley Hawes), a police officer in service with the London Metropolitan Police, who is shot in 2008 by a man called Arthur Layton and inexplicably regains consciousness in 1981. The first episode of the series reveals that, in the present day, Drake has been studying records of the events seen in Life On Mars through reports made by Sam Tyler after he regained consciousness in the present. Upon waking in the past she is surprised to meet the returning characters of DCI Gene Hunt, DS Ray Carling (played by Dean Andrews) and DC Chris Skelton (played by Marshall Lancaster), all of whom she has learned about from her research, the trio having transferred from the Manchester setting of Life on Mars (Manchester and Salford Police) to London.
Tension between Drake and Hunt is built through the unsatisfactory explanation of Sam Tyler's absence and the perceived underhandedness and shoddy work of Hunt in contrast to the methodical, ethical and thoroughly modern Drake. Continuing the theme of Life on Mars, throughout the series, it is ambiguous to both Drake and the audience whether the character is dead or alive in the present day and to what extent her actions influence future events.

From left to right are Detective Inspector Sam Tyler, Detective Inspector Alex Drake, Detective Chief Inspector Gene Hunt, Detective Sergeant Ray Carling and Detective Constable Chris Skelton. The likenesses to the real life characters are spot on and even their poses capture the personalities of them quite brilliantly. Note that Sam and Alex never met but as a "what if?" scenario it would be intriguing to play where they do meet up. On the CDG webstore these figures are listed as Tough Detective Lenny Kennedy, The Duchess, Tough Detective Frank Skelton, DC Drew Falstaff and Beat Detective.

Moving on, we have the main cast from Life On Mars as imagined by Killer B Games. From left to right are alternative versions of Sam Tyler, Gene Hunt, Ray Carling and Chris Skelton. I prefer the CDG versions to these, although there is nothing wrong with either set. For the Killer B Games detectives I decided to name them after the characters from 7TV2e's own fictional cop series, The Beat. So from left to right are Detective Sergeant Lenny Kennedy, Detective Inspector Frank Skelton, Detective Constable Drew Falstaff and Detective Constable Matt Jordan (whom CDG did not name). On the Killer B Games webstore these four are listed as KB-050 Wimpish DI, KB-049 Tough Northern DI, KB-037 Mr. Polyester (I converted him by adding a revolver in a holster to his right hip), and KB-035 Young Geezer (I converted him by giving him a revolver in his right hand).
The Killer B Games detectives cost just £2.00 each. The Crooked Dice Games detectives are more expensive at £3.50 each.

I plan on using the CDG cast for Ashes to Ashes (i.e. Alex, Gene, Ray and Chris) in my first game of 7TV2e. They will be accompanied by four uniformed coppers in an ambush against a gang of violent robbers. I hope to showcase this batrep next month as I still have a lot more cops (and villains) to show you.

Life On Mars and Ashes to Ashes were two of the best cop dramas to appear on TV. Having modern day detectives like Sam and Alex go back in time to the 1970's and 1980's respectively was a work of genius. Their modern policing methods were very much at odds with those used by Gene, Ray and Chris. Different times, different attitudes. DCI Gene Hunt is a legend and unquestionably the star of both shows even if he is a monster. He is tough, uncompromising, hard as nails, misogynistic, frequently brutal and always politically incorrect. The contrast between Gene and both Sam and Alex is marked but over time they develop mutual respect. The shows contain some cracking dialogue, which at times are laugh out loud funny, including this classic gem from Gene, "No one move! You are surrounded by armed bastards!"

The main cast of Life On Mars. From left to right are DC Chris Skelton, DCI Gene Hunt, DI Sam Tyler, DS Ray Carling and WPC Annie Cartwright. I'll be showcasing my 28mm scale figure of Annie very soon in a separate post. Once again, both Crooked Dice Games and Killer B Games make a version of her.

The main cast of Ashes to Ashes. From left to right are DS Ray Carling, DCI Gene Hunt, DI Alex Drake and DC Chris Skelton.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Heroes 01

I respectively dedicate this post to my friend, Andy Nash, aka da Gobbo Grotto. It was thanks to his wonderful blog posts about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT), their friends and villains that inspired me to collect my own versions of these iconic characters from comics, film and TV. Andy and I both agree that the best 28mm scale figures of the four "heroes in a hard shell" are produced by Russian  company, My Way Miniatures. Their customer service is first rate.

From left to right are Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael, all named after Renaissance artists by their rat sensei, Splinter. From their home in the sewers of New York, they battle petty criminals, evil overlords, mutated creatures and alien invaders whilst attempting to remain hidden from society. Note that these are all multi-part figures made of resin and are rather fiddly to glue together.
Donatello (or Donnie) is a scientist, inventor, engineer, and technological genius. He wears a purple mask and wields a bo staff. Donatello is perhaps the least violent turtle, preferring to use his knowledge to solve conflicts, but never hesitates to defend his brothers.
Leonardo (or Leo) is a tactical, courageous leader and devoted student of his sensei. He wears a blue mask and wields two katanas. As the most conscientious of the four, he often bears the burden of responsibility for his brothers, which commonly leads to conflict with Raphael.

Michelangelo (or Mikey) is the most stereotypical teenager of the team. He is a free-spirited, relaxed, and often goofy jokester and known for his love of pizza. Michelangelo wears an orange mask and wields a pair of nunchakus. He provides the comic relief, though he still has an adventurous side. The least mature of the four Turtles, he shows characteristics of a "surfer" type and is often depicted with a Southern Californian accent.
Raphael (or Raph) is the team's bad boy. He wears a dark red mask and wields a pair of sai. He is physically very strong, has an aggressive nature, and seldom hesitates to throw the first punch. He is often depicted with a very pronounced New York accent. His personality can be fierce and sarcastic, and often-times delivers deadpan humour. He is intensely loyal to his brothers and sensei.

Next up are two very important characters in the TMNT world, April O'Neil and Splinter.
April O'Neil is a former lab assistant to the mad scientist Baxter Stockman and is the plucky human companion of the Turtles. April first met the Turtles when they saved her from Baxter's Mouser robots. She embarks on many of the Turtles' adventures and aids them by doing the work in public that the Turtles cannot. Originally, April was a television news reporter. Later, she and her friend and TMNT ally, Casey Jones, worked for a shipping firm. My version of April is clearly based on her role as a TV reporter. The figure is a conversion of the Crooked Dice Games second version of Pandora King. I snipped of her pistol and made it into a microphone. I also cut off the holster from her right hip. It was a very easy conversion.

Splinter is the Turtles' sensei and adoptive father. He is a Japanese mutant rat who learned the ways of ninjutsu from his owner and master, Hamato Yoshi. Originally, Splinter was Hamato Yoshi mutated into a humanoid rat instead of being just Yoshi's pet. In the IDW comics, he is Hamato Yoshi reincarnated as a mutated rat. The figure I used for Splinter is by Mantic Games from their DreadBall set of three team trainers (the other two are human and dwarf). In DreadBall, he is a Veer-myn team coach. He is such a good match for Splinter that I didn't have to convert him at all.

Andy knows far more about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles than I do and I recommend checking out his own post for the four hero Turtles here. He covers April and Splinter in this post here. Note that he has chosen different figures from me to represent both characters. Finally, in yet more praise for my esteemed blogger friend, he has created stats for the TMNT and friends to appear in the 7TV2e game, which is exactly what I want to use them for. Check out his 7TV2e stats for them here.

Finally, before I leave, I'd just like to point out these are the first photos I took with my brand new Canon EOS 1200D camera. It took me no time at all to get the hang of it and transferring the photos to my computer so I could edit them and show them on my blog was a doddle. I couldn't be happier with my new purchase and I look forward to many years of hassle-free photography.

7TV 2nd Edition

For a long time now I have thought about buying the 7TV skirmish war-gaming rules produced by Crooked Dice Games (CDG). I have bought quite a lot of figures from CDG over the past few years and I really like them but I kept putting off buying the rules. Things changed earlier this year when 7TV 2nd Edition (7TV2e) was released. Spurred on by excellent reviews by bloggers like Blaxkleric and Brummie (aka the two Simons), I finally relented and sent away for the starter boxed set last week. Two days later it arrived!

The front cover of the new boxed set.

Department X boxed set. Not painted by me.

I also ordered the Department X boxed set of 12 figures at the same time. In hindsight I should have ordered an extra set of counters and tokens but I'll add them to my next order. The Department X set consists of Dr. Hugo Solomon (who is instantly recognisable as Jon Pertwee in his role as the third Doctor Who), Pandora King (aka Emma Peel from the Avengers (UK series, not the Marvel superheroes)) and 10 Department X Commandos including a heavy weapons team. I mainly wanted this set for the figure of Pandora King, who I've converted into April O'Neil, the reporter friend of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. So why didn't I just buy her separately? Well, she is currently out of stock as a single figure option. Not that I minded because the other figures are very useful.
So, for those not in the know, what is 7TV2e all about? This is a simple skirmish game designed to recreate classic spy and sci-fi films and TV series from the 1960's and 1970's, or you can come up with your own ideas of appropriate genre TV shows or films. Films like Austin Powers, Ghostbusters, and James Bond, and TV series such as Captain Scarlet, Department S, Doctor Who, Scooby Doo, Space 1999, The Avengers, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and The Sweeney heavily influence the game. Fans of any of these classic shows will recognise many of the figures that CDG use for 7TV2e. To avoid copyright problems, CDG created their own fictional studio, 7TV, which made such cult TV series as AKA, A.R.C., Department X, The Beat, The Daredevils and The Man From 2000.
Film and TV terms abound in the game. The player characters and non-player characters (heroes and villains) are defined as Stars, Co-Stars or Extras. Combined, these make up your Cast. A single game is an Episode, split into three parts - Act 1, Act 2 and Finale. A campaign would be a Series.
The game length is determined by a deck of Countdown cards split up into the three Acts of the Episode. Players draw 1 or 2 cards per turn until the deck runs out, indicating the end of that Episode. Episodes can also end if one side is wiped out or loses more than half its cast. The Countdown cards vary from Act to Act. In Act 1 they mainly focus on movement, whilst in Act 2 the focus shifts to attacking the opposition. In the finale, anything can happen! Games are best played on an area 4 feet square but this can vary up or down.
Cast members are either heroes, villains or neutral and all come with their own Profile cards. Each cast member costs a number of Ratings Value points, which are usually 9 or 10 for Stars, 5 or 6 for Co-Stars and under 5 for Extras. The stats of Stars and Co-Stars can be changed if you want to alter any to come up with how you feel that cast member should appear. Changes will invariably alter the Ratings Value.
Game play is simple and the rules themselves are easy to learn. Obviously, the more figures you use in an Episode, the longer it will take to complete. But there is no limit to the size of your cast providing heroes and villains share the same overall Ratings Value. A starter cast might be 20 Ratings, a small cast 30 Ratings, a standard cast 50 Ratings and an epic cast might be 100 Ratings.
Activated characters can take any two of the following actions per turn - Move, Strike, Special or Free. Move is obviously movement, which also includes changing facing; Strike can be a Melee action or a Shoot action; Special includes anything not covered by Move or Strike, such as administering first aid or picking up an objective. Free actions do not count towards your limit of two actions per turn. They cover things like making a statistic test, using a star quality or a gadget.
Both sides acquire Plot Points at the start of every turn, which can be used to activate a character or group of characters, enhance combat rolls, use some of their special effects or gadgets, or to recover from a debilitating status. Unused Plot Points can be carried over from turn to turn.
At the end of a game, both sides add up their Victory Points total and the side with the highest score wins.
I am very much looking forward to playing 7TV2e and already I am thinking up scenario ideas and Casts I want to use. Seeing as my blog is primarily dedicated to the undead, is there an option for including undead creatures in 7TV2e? Yes, there is, although not in the basic set. To date, there are three supplements available for 7TV2e, all of which are downloadable PDF files. These are guides for using characters from Ghostbusters, Scooby Doo and Star Wars. The Ghostbusters guide costs £3, but the other two are free. Ghostbusters includes stats for zombies. Hopefully, further undead types will be covered in future supplements.

The basic boxed set costs £50 and contains the following items -
The Director's Guide (the core rules of the game)
The Producer's Guide (rules for building a cast, customising Stars and Co-Stars as well as 6 scenarios)
2 decks of Profile cards (heroes and villains)
45 Countdown cards
20 Gadget cards
20 Plot Point tokens
27 Status and Objective counters
A Blast and Flame-thrower template
A pewter 28mm scale Maguffin figure (it's a TV set used as a vital objective)
6 six-sided dice
I know nothing about the rules for the first edition of 7TV, which I've been told is a good thing as I don't have to unlearn them to play 7TV2e. This is a game that looks like a lot of fun to play and if you want to check it out further take a look at Blaxkleric's first 7TV2e batrep here.

Crooked Dice Games Spectrum Angels

There is a woman behind most great men, and behind every organisation there are great women who fight for success - to prove their equality in a world of men. Here, I review five exceptional women who belong to the global security organisation known as Spectrum. Following on from my previous post that reviewed twelve Crooked Dice Games not-Captain Scarlet figures I now turn the spotlight on the five ace pilots of Spectrum, known as the Angels. They fly the deadly Angel Interceptor jet fighter with extreme skill and courage. Note that the figures of the Angels are supplied headless. You get to choose which head to attach to which body.

At the far left of my first two photos is Destiny, leader of the Angels. Juliette Pontoin was born in Paris, France in 2038. Upon graduating from Rome University with degrees in telecommunications and weather control she joined the World Army Air Force. She worked in the Intelligence Corps, where she really excelled. The W.A.A.F. promoted her to Commanding Officer of the Women's Fighter Squadron and she soon became their ace pilot. When Spectrum heard of her faultless military career, they offered her the job of flying one of the Angel Interceptors. She accepted happily and quickly proved to be a totally efficient member of the Spectrum organisation. For my figure of Destiny I used the head with the twin ponytails to represent the blonde-haired Angel.
28-year old Symphony Angel was born in Iowa, USA as Karen Wainwright. She graduated to Yale University when she was 16 and attained the title "Student of the Year", before leaving with seven degrees. She was contacted by the Universal Secret Service and passed their comprehensive training course to become one of their top agents. For one particular U.S.S. mission she trained to become a pilot and discovered her true vocation. With five years active service under her belt she quit the U.S.S. and joined an airline company where she proved to be an outstanding pilot. Spectrum recognised she was just the type of person who would be a valuable asset to them. Signing onto Spectrum, Symphony became a happy and well-loved member. She normally keeps her long, light brown hair free but in the absence of a suitable head, I used the head with a pigtail for her figure. It is still a good match for her.

Born on a cotton farm in Atlanta, Georgia, Magnolia Jones, later to be known as Melody Angel, was the tomboy of her family. She was a rebellious youth and got expelled from school. After discovering a passion for flying she enrolled with the W.A.A.F. Achievement followed achievement and due to her iron nerve, she became the organisation's best test pilot. When she eventually left the W.A.A.F., she set up a luxury flying taxi service. Her amazing stamina and flying ability was soon noted by Spectrum. They asked her to become an Angel, a decision neither have had cause to regret. Melody's close cropped black hair was a perfect match for the short-haired head I used on her figure. However, I was not too keen on her holding a wrench, so I clipped the offending hand and tool off and replaced it with a hand holding a pistol.

Moving on to the helmeted pilots, I start with Harmony Angel. Chan Kwan, the only daughter of a wealthy flying-taxi owner was born in Tokyo, Japan in 2042. Educated in London then Tokyo University, she realised her only ambition was to fly. She spent all her spare time at the Tokyo Flying Club. She bought a second hand single-seater jet, which she redesigned and converted to her own requirements. Her goal was to fly solo around the world. Her first attempt ended in failure but six months later, she succeeded. When her father died later that year he left his flying-taxi business to her. She developed it into the fastest flying-taxi service in the world. Spectrum recognised that with her skill, courage and determination she'd make a first class Angel pilot. I chose the Daredevil Pilot Head wearing glasses for Harmony's head. Note that I have re-positioned her left arm.
Born in Chelsea, London, Dianne Simms is the daughter of Lord Robert Simms, one of the World Government's officials. When she left London University, she was thrust into the world of the débutante. This soon bored her, so when she met Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, she gladly accepted her offer to join the Federal Agents Bureau. Dianne and Lady Penelope became close friends. When Lady Penelope joined International Rescue, Dianne took over supreme command of F.A.B., a post she handled highly efficiently. When F.A.B. was forced to close, Dianne joined the Euro Charter Airline Company as Chief Security Officer. Spectrum realised her potential and invited her to join the Angels as Rhapsody Angel. I used another of the Daredevil Pilot Heads for Rhapsody but added Milliput to lengthen her long red hair.

Crooked Dice Games sell the Angels (they are actually called Daredevil Pilots) for £3.50 each or a set of three different bodies for just £9.00. They all come with separate heads, all bare-headed. A set of three Daredevil Pilot Heads wearing helmets are available for £1.60. So, I bought two sets of three figures along with the helmeted heads. This, of course, leaves one figure spare. What to do with her? Essentially, you have two options - invent her as the sixth, previously unseen Angel, or use her as a non-Angel. I chose the second option. I named her Katarina Dare (from the CDG website) and will most likely use her as a Mysteron agent. I used the third of the three helmeted heads on her figure.
I love the Angels and the Angel Interceptor is such a cool design (see the painting below). It is common amongst fans of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons to have a favourite Angel. Mine was (and still is) Rhapsody Angel - a true English rose.

Two Angel Interceptors take off from Cloudbase at dusk.

Croooked Dice Games Spectrum Agents 01

If this month's posts have a theme then that theme must be diversity. I bring you the first of three posts showcasing the men, women and some of the vehicles from the futuristic organisation known as Spectrum. Those of you of a certain age will recognise the name Spectrum as being the organisation featured in the 1968 TV series, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. Captain Scarlet was the eighth of ten puppet series produced during the 1950's and 1960's by Gerry Anderson. It came after Thunderbirds and before Joe 90. Set in 2068, Captain Scarlet presents the hostilities between Earth and a race of Martians known as the Mysterons. After human astronauts attack their city on Mars, the vengeful Mysterons declare war on Earth, initiating a series of reprisals that are countered by Spectrum, a worldwide security organisation. Spectrum boasts the extraordinary abilities of its primary agent, Captain Scarlet. During the events of the pilot episode, Scarlet acquires the Mysteron healing power of "retro-metabolism" and is thereafter considered to be virtually "indestructible", being able to recover fully from injuries that would normally be fatal.
Crooked Dice Games make a range of 28mm scale figures they have named Time Lift Security (TLS), presumably to avoid copyright problems, that are dead ringers for the characters who appeared in Captain Scarlet. In this post I'm going to review some of the Spectrum agents, starting with the Command Section.

At the far left is Colonel White, the commander-in-chief of Spectrum. His real name is Charles Grey and he was born in England. Spectrum is a global organisation and thus has agents from all over the world. Prior to joining Spectrum, Colonel White had a glittering military career in the World Army. He runs Spectrum from its HQ known as Cloudbase, a flying aircraft carrier. His figure is straight from the packet.
Next in line is Doctor Fawn, an Australian whose real name is Edward Wilkie. He is head of Spectrum's Analysis and Research Centre on Cloudbase whose primary role is to study everything about the Mysterons with a view to destroying them. He also oversees the Cloudbase medical facilities. This figure is based on the walking agent holding a pistol (see Captain Black below) but has had his pistol replaced with a high-tech Mysteron Scanner, which can detect if a person has been  retro-metabilised or not.

Third in line is Major Viridian, head of Spectrum's Research and Development department. Major Viridian never appeared in the TV series, but his name is mentioned in the Captain Scarlet Annual of 1968, which I still own, so I consider him canon. Born in Switzerland, Viridian is a top class engineer. He is a conversion of the figure of Captain Grey (see below) with his head replaced by a helmeted head. His rifle was replaced by an experimental Mysteron Gun, which fires beams of electricity. Mysterons are highly vulnerable to electricity (incidentally, bullets and explosives will also kill them). Finally, I gave him a jet pack with the straps made of Milliput.
At the far right is Lieutenant Green, aka Seymour Griffiths from Trinidad. Lieutenant Green is Colonel White's assistant, Cloudbase Computer Operator and public announcer. His figure is a conversion of Captain Blue (see below) I repositioned his right arm and converted the pistol into a communications device. These four agents rarely see action in the field but they all play a vital part in the war against the Mysterons.

Next up are four Spectrum agents armed with pistols. First up is the eponymous Captain Scarlet. His real name is Paul Metcalfe and he hails from England. Captain Scarlet becomes Spectrum's foremost weapon in its fight against the Mysterons after the events of the pilot episode, in which the Mysterons threaten to assassinate the World President as their first act of retaliation. The original Scarlet is killed in a car accident engineered by the Mysterons and replaced with a Mysteron reconstruction.  However, when the Scarlet duplicate is shot by Captain Blue and falls to his death from a tall structure, it returns to life with the consciousness of its human template restored, and is thereafter free from Mysteron control. Scarlet's ex-Mysteron body possesses two remarkable abilities: he is able to sense the presence of other Mysteron duplicates in his vicinity, and if he is injured or killed, retro-metabolism restores him to a state of top health. Now able to deploy suicidally reckless tactics to thwart Mysteron threats, Scarlet repeatedly braves the pain of death in the knowledge that he will recover to face the Mysterons once more. The figure of Captain Scarlet is the same as that of Captain Ochre (see below) but has had the pointing right hand replaced with a hand holding a pistol.
Captain Blue accompanies Captain Scarlet on most missions and the pair are close friends. Blue is an American called Adam Svenson. As mentioned above, Captain Blue played a pivotal part in Captain Scarlet becoming indestructible. The figure is not a conversion.

Captain Ochre, along with Captains Grey and Magenta, were the three agents, after Captain Blue, most often seen accompanying Captain Scarlet in the field. Captain Ochre's real name is Richard Fraser and he is also an American. His figure is straight from the pack.
Captain Black (real name, Conrad Turner from England) is the primary agent of the Mysterons. He was leader of a team of astronauts sent to Mars in 2068 on a mission to investigate unidentified radio signals emanating from the red planet. The source was discovered to be an extraterrestrial base, which was attacked and destroyed when the explorers mistook a harmless sensor device for a weapon. The inhabitants of the settlement, the Mysterons are sentient computers that form a collective consciousness. They are the remnants of the original Mysteron race, extraterrestrial life forms that originated in a galaxy other than the Milky Way and maintained their colony on Mars for 3,500 years before abandoning the planet at the turn of the 20th century. Possessing partial control over matter, the Mysteron computers draw on their power of "reversing matter" to rebuild the complex before vowing revenge for the unwarranted aggression.
Reversing matter, also described as "retro-metabolism", allows the Mysterons to re-create the likeness of a person or object in the form of a facsimile that is under their control. This ability is used to conduct a "war of nerves" against Earth, in which the Mysterons issue threats against specific targets (from world leaders and military installations to whole cities and continents) and then destroy and reconstruct whatever instruments are required (whether human or machine) to execute their plans. The presence of the Mysterons is indicated by two circles of green light (the "Mysteron rings") that trail across scenes of destruction and reconstruction. Although the Mysterons are able to manipulate events from Mars, their actions on Earth are usually performed by their replicated intermediaries.
Captain Black was the first human killed and reconstructed during the ill-fated encounter on Mars. The figure of Black is similar to that of Doctor Fawn, but I gave him a peaked cap instead of leaving him bare-headed.

The last four figures are all Spectrum agents armed with pistols and assault rifles. At the far left is Captain Grey, an American whose real name is Bradley Holden. The figure comes in two parts - the full body minus hands and a pair of hands holding an assault rifle. Alternatively, you can have him holding the Mysteron Gun wielded by Major Viridian, which is an optional extra.
Standing next to him is Captain Magenta. His real name is Patrick Donaghue and he was born in Ireland. He is aiming his assault rifle and he is another non-converted figure.

The final two agents are something of an anomaly. The only female Spectrum agents shown in the TV series were the five Angel pilots, whom I shall review next time. Still, I see no reason why Spectrum wouldn't employ females in other roles. So, I have named these two field agents as Lieutenant Tangerine and Lieutenant Pink. Reflecting the ethnic diversity of Spectrum agents, I see Lieutenant Tangerine as coming from Tangiers in Morocco and Lieutenant Pink as being born in Stockholm, Sweden.
I am a huge fan of Gerry Anderson's work. As a boy, I grew up loving Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and later when he moved away from making puppet shows, to the sci-fi series of UFO and Space 1999. So, when I saw Crooked Dice Games producing a range of not-Spectrum agents I knew I had to have them. Although I have had these figures for quite a while it is only very recently that I got round to painting them. You may well ask what are they doing on a blog that is apparently devoted to the undead? My reply is that the Mysterons can bring the dead back to life to do their bidding. Surely that's some kind of zombie-ism? Right?
Currently, you can get all of these figures from the Crooked Dice Games webstore. The TLS Commander (Colonel White) costs £3.50. All of the other TLS agents cost £3.00 each. In addition you can buy a number of accessory packs. The helmeted head and rifle used by me on Major Viridian cost £1.60 for the pair. The jet pack and scanner also cost £1.60 for the pair. Three alternate capped heads are on sale for 60p, as are four hands holding pistols.

Crooked Dice Doctor Who Figures 02

I recently finished painting three Crooked Dice Games 28mm scale Doctor Who companions, although for copyright reasons, CDG has renamed them. These were a lot of fun to paint.

First up is Daisy Taylor, whom Doctor Who fans will instantly recognise as Rose Tyler (played by Billie Piper). She has been sculpted in a very casual pose, standing with her hands on her hips.
In the centre of the group is Miss Freeman, who appeared as Martha Jones (as played by Freema Agyeman) in the Doctor Who series. She is also standing in a casual pose with her arms crossed.

Finally, is May Killan, who is better known to Doctor Who fans as Amy Pond (played by Karen Gillan). This is CDG's second sculpt of May/Amy. The first one had her dressed up a Woman Police Constable with a night stick. This figure is much more casually attired and she has been sculpted in a walking pose with her hands in her coat pockets.
I imagine that most people would buy these figures to use as Doctor Who companions. But they work equally well as normal civilians and civilians are a lot like zombies - you can never have too many of them. Each one costs £4.00 from the CDG webstore.

Crooked Dice 7TV Agents 01

I recently showed you my Savage Schoolgirls and not-Doctor Who figures that I'd bought from Crooked Dice Games (CDG). This review completes my round up of figures that I have bought from them but it certainly won't be my last as I plan on buying yet more figures from them. This batch can be classed as 7TV Agents. 7TV is the name of the rules set devised by CDG for use with their figures. It has spawned numerous spin offs and supplements. Despite me being very interested in their rules I have yet to get any of their rulebooks or supplements. I expect that will also change later this year.

First up is someone whom CDG have called the Man from 2000. Fans of Gerry Anderson's 1970's TV series UFO will instantly recognise him as Commander Ed Straker. Ed is in command of the Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organisation or SHADO as it is usually known as. This organisation is tasked with defending Earth from alien invaders. The figure is standing in a casual relaxed pose but he holds a pistol behind his back. I was a huge fan of UFO and I'd love to see CDG make more figures from the series, especially the female Moonbase crew. I had a huge crush on Lieutenant Gay Ellis played by Gabrielle Drake. With their metallic purple wigs they were very striking.
I'm not sure why, but I received two versions of this figure. I guess it was just a thank you gift, seeing as I did place a rather large order with CDG. CDG have given the Man from 2000 a name, Darius, so that is what I shall call this figure. Note that the figure comes with a choice of three heads and the option to give him a pistol in his right hand. I see Darius as some kind of business man, probably the CEO of a successful company. He makes a fine addition to my growing collection of civilians.

The third figure in line is called the Man from 3000 and he can be purchased with the Man from 2000. Collectively, they are known as the Men from the Future. He is instantly recognisable as Number Six, Patrick McGoohan's character from cult TV series, The Prisoner. I was not a fan of this show so it seems highly unlikely that I'll use this figure as anything more than a civilian.
The final figure of this group is Melissa Temple. CDG call her Ms. Temple, so I added her first name. CDG describe her as a fiery redhead with quite a temper who works in an office. It has only just occurred to me who she is based on - Donna Noble (played by Catherine Tate), one of Doctor Who's many female assistants. I can't believe that I have only just spotted that one! So, technically, I should have posted her when I did my review of CDG Doctor Who figures. Once again, she works well as a generic civilian character.

The next batch of figures come in two pairs. First up is Pandora King, a martial artist and agent for Department X. I suspect she is based on the character, Annabelle Hirst as played by Rosemary Nichols in the TV series, Department S. Alternatively, she could be based on any one of Tara King (Linda Thorson), Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) or Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman) from the 1960's TV series, The Avengers.
Her male partner is Hugo Solomon, who is unmistakably a not-Jason King (Peter Wingarde) from the TV series Department S, as well as spin off series, Jason King. He was always a debonair ladies man, as well as being good in a fight. In CDG's alternative reality, he is also an agent for Department X. He is armed with a pistol.

Next up is the head of Project Time Lift, Benton Troad, a well-meaning, somewhat overweight man who cannot shake years of immersion in ministerial bureaucracy. I think he is a character unique to CDG's 7TV universe, although the fact that he is wearing a badge with the number two on makes me wonder if he also appeared in The Prisoner.
Troad's assistant is Bambi Gascoigne, whom CDG describe as being cool-headed and an all round good egg. She is dressed in casual but smart clothing. Both her and Troad could double as ordinary civilians.
These are a nice collection of figures with multiple uses, making them quite versatile.
They all retail at £4.00 each if you wish to buy them separately, However, the cheaper option is to buy them as two-figure sets - The Men from the Future, Hugo Solomon and Pandora King, and Benton Troad and Bambi Gascoigne. Each set of two figures costs only £7.50. At the time of writing the figure of Ms. Temple is out of stock.