Why 15mm Gaming is the Best by Golgothaprime...

A second article from a talented painter and tabletop fictioneer of Instagram with the handle @golgothaprime who has not only a lovely set up of 15mm science fiction miniatures (which you can see on our BLOG in the first article) and gaming table but also a notion of why 15mm scale is the best.  The last article featured miniatures from the 15mm Ion Age Range, the 15mm HOF Science Fiction Range and the SHM 15mm Range . This time its Loud Ninja Games Range from which all the figures in this article are taken (Mutants, Aliens and Road Warriors).  Enjoy!

Why is 15mm gaming the best?

As we all know, the choice of miniature scale all comes down to preferences and what you are trying to achieve with your hobby. With that said, I will now tell you why 15mm is the best scale!

(Checking the cargo as a Merc the Planetary Militia Female Officer of The Ion Age 15mm)

1. The miniatures themselves

Neither too big and detailed, nor too small and fiddly, 15mm miniatures strike the perfect balance between size and detail. The minis are beautifully sculpted, it's clear what each miniature is supposed to represent, you can easily see what kind of weapon they have, and still they do not have an abundance of details which will take an eternity to paint. Mounted on 20mm bases, they can be used in skirmish wargames, multibase them and they can be used for bigger battles. There is an enormous width of miniatures available and since a lot of rulesets are miniature agnostic, you can mix and match with different producers. In one of my Five Parsecs from Home crews I have five models from four different ranges (all made supplied through Alternative Armies), looking great standing side by side.

2. The cost

There is something really satisfying with being able to get half a 15mm army for the same cost as a 28mm squad of ten basic infantrymen. Playing crew-on-crew skirmishes or RPGs, you can always add a new adversary or encounter for a couple of quid. This doesn't mean that 15mm in the end is a lot less expensive than larger scales, just that you get a whole lot more!

3. Easy to paint

I thought that miniature painting was for other, more talented people than me. Turns out that 15mm models are a lot easier to paint than I thought! You just need to undercoat, then block in the colours you want. Wash the different areas with appropriate washes, then repaint with the original colours, leaving the wash in the recesses. To finalize I add a couple of highlights with lighter colours and done! Remember that 15mm miniatures look great with bold highlights!

4. Size and storage

A 15mm miniature takes up about 1/8th the space compared with a 28mm miniature. If you have limited space to store your collection, 15mm is for you. You could also use this fact to have several terrain sets, since they take up less space (this is what I have done and you see in my pictures).

5. The terrain

It started with a 2x2' city board for zombie apocalypse games and sci-fi guerilla war. Then I just had to have a badlands board (a brown 2x3' board) for games set in the wilderness. I got some MDF buildings, then realized the wonders you could do by scratch building terrain yourself. The city got buildings, the badlands got a pine forest and a sci-fi container colony. I wanted a jungle, so I built one out of plant-looking soap holders, realized that the soap holders themselves could be turned upside down and with some plasticard and greeblies be turned into a military base. The jungle had to have some ruins, so I built some out of cork board. I was gifted some starport terrain, as well as another container colony (the one that inspired me to build my first one) and I thought that the spaceport ought to have some spaceships, so I built some. Then I thought that I perhaps needed a bigger starship that could be used to play on, and so on and so on. Now I'm thinking about building some new terrain without basing, so that I could get a desert and an ice planet board to game on... And while I have told you about all this, you should know that it all fits in a couple of boxes on top of a bookshelf.

6. The community

I don't think that I ever have encountered such a friendly community as the 15mm one. I think that the community is one of the best things about the scale. My beloved spaceport terrain was gifted to me by the legendary Spacejacker (as he couldn't bring it as he moved abroad). Shortly after, @tmcllghnpaints gifted me his container colony (which he never played with). I know that there is a group of hobbyists in Canada who send care packages with minis to each other. I've gotten to learn hobbyist across the globe who has helped me with my actual work, when we didn't exchange hobby tips. When I built my first spacecraft from scratch, a fellow hobbyist asked for the plans, which I gladly gave him. A while after, he sent me an STL-file and some pictures of his own craft that he printed. 15mm proponent and creator of Five Parsecs from Home, Ivan Sorensen, is always nice and helpful if you reach out to him.

Overall, my experience of the 15mm community is utterly positive. It's a community which lifts its members, where you are often cheered on, where you can get advice when you need, where people are friendly and helpful. Without the community, I wouldn't be where I am today. 

...and that's why 15mm wargaming is the best!

New Chuhuac Flyers 15mm from Loud Ninja Games

The famous Space Raptors get some new flying releases with a Gunship and a Transport added to their array of codes.  In 15mm scale Loud Ninja Games now has over fifty different packs to choose from.  The Chuhuac as well as the Ikwen, the Yandrassi and various mutants, aliens and others too.  From the mind of Eli Arndt to your gaming table. 

If you are intent on conquering a planet you will need air support and the cold blooded space raptors know this all too well.  Fly in the troops and strafe the foe!

RAP052A and RAP052AP the Charka Rav Flyer which is a Troop or Cargo Transport with underslung compartment.  One kit or three with a saving.  It is about 170mm wingspan and 95mm long.  Resin and metal with load out options.

RAP052B and RAP52BP the Charka Kas Flyer which is a Gunship armed to aid ground troops.  One kit or three with a saving. It is the same vehicle as the Charka Rav but lacks the underslung compartment but has additional weapons including spares for your bits box meaning load out options galore.

RAP051 Raxa Light Attack Ship goes well with the new releases and can be assembled in flight or with wings up and landing legs attached for ground placement.

RAP004 Chuhuac Herd Master.  The most senior officer of the space raptors.  There are six packs of Chuhuac to choose from as well as saver bundles, platoons and battlesuits and bikes.

Here you can see a line up of 15mm scale miniatures to show you the size of a typical Chuhuac.  They are from left to right HOF53 Octopod, SHM99 Red Planet Princess, RAP004 Herd Master and lastly from the classic Laserburn range 305 Senior Imperial Officer.

Ikwen are primitive and fierce fighters who aim to rid their homeworld of alien invaders.  Originally a few packs and expanded to include characters as well as platoon set plus riding beasts and more.  A really unique force for your table.

These are the last Loud Ninja Games releases of the year.  We hope you like them.

Thanks for Reading,

GBS

By Request scale compare 15mm Raxa Attack Ship in 6mm and 28mm too

Following last week's release of the new Raxa Light Attack Ship there were requests from the wargaming community for more information about this 15mm scale kit. Specifically how would it compare to miniatures in the smaller 6mm scale and the larger 28mm scale. Would it work for them? We like to think that this article gives a response firmly in the affirmative. 

 

 

Above an example of all three scales. In 28mm scale this is a big drone for your tabletop. In 15mm it is a two crew light flyer for air support. In 6mm scale it is a dropship which can carry a platoon of armoured infantry or several light vehicles. 

 

As you can see next to the Bradley Miniatures 6mm Science Fiction vehicles and our 6mm Arid World Terrain range the Raxa looks like a platoon carrying dropship much like the BR027 Corvo Dropship which is about the same size but with less of a wing span. Perhaps the Raxa is a lander used by an alien race invading a Human world. 

 

 

Now this is interesting. In 28mm scale next to an Ion Age Betrayer and the Space Rangers Officer from Alternate Stars range the Raxa becomes an automated machine used to soar over the enemy and record their movements. Perhaps it is a one man recon flyer? 

 

 

In its native scale the Raxa is a two crew flyer which belongs to the Space Raptor aliens the Chuhuac. Seen here next to the Security Force Alpha (from the HOF 15mm Science Fiction Range) trooper and the Bulldog Anti-Grav APC it fits in well in military terms. When placed with the Octopod Aliens and Corporate Ashigaru it seems more like a civilian flyer or a corporate armed drone. 

 

We hope you enjoyed this little alternative view of the new vehicle. 

 

 GBS

Raxa Attack Ship 15mm Chuhuac Flyer release by Loud Ninja Games

There are more than seventy codes to choose from in the 15mm scale range by Loud Ninja Games which is manufactured by Alternative Armies. From the mind of Eli Arndt.  The famous Ikwen as well as the Yandrassi, Wasteland Mutants, Archon Mecha, Aliens and vehicles.  A new release adds the Raxa Light Attack Ship to this array as flying or landed back up for the Space Raptors named the Chuhuac.

The Chuhuac have infantry as well as command and grav bikes, battlesuits and ground vehicles all of which make for a really different 15mm force.  There are value packs too which give ready made platoons with a saving baked in.  There is also a 'herd' which gives you a bigger saving with a mighty mega lot of miniatures.  See all this on the Loud Ninja Games pages.

RAP051 Raxi Light Attack Ship:  This 15mm scale resin and metal vehicle kit gives you all the pieces to assemble a Chuhuac flyer in fight or landed on the ground.  A total of 34 Parts!  This gives many weapon load out options as well as in flight and landed legs.  Extra weapons can be added to the model or put in your bits box.  When assembled for flight the model has a 170mm wingspan, a 95mm length and 55mm total height.

Here is a look at all the parts which are supplied.

If you are looking to get started with the Space Raptors then we recommend RAP001P Chuhuac Platoon which gives you the infantry and from there you can add in vehicles and so forth.

Not often mentioned there are actually six different 28mm scale Chuhuac Space Raptors which are great for any game system.  These go really well with the Alternate Stars range for games such as Rogue Stars and Stargrave.

This is our last news for June 2023 and we hope you enjoyed it.

Thanks for Reading,

GBS

BEAST Mutant Bulls 15mm scale from Loud Ninja Games

Now released at Alternative Armies the fiftieth pack in the excellent and different 15mm Science Fiction range of Loud Ninja Games.  See the range HERE.

"The wastelands of the blasted future are a dangerous and crazy place where sanity and even life itself have been challenged and often destroyed by the powers that brought the world to its knees. These miniatures are designed to be used in any post-apocalyptic or science fiction setting where wasteland peoples and creatures have developed."

RAP050 BEAST Mutant Bulls: This pack contains three different Mutant Bulls from BEAST (Bovine/Equine Agricultural Security Trust) in 15mm scale metal.  Each is about 23mm to the eye line. You can choose from a pack or select poses from the pack.  Below you can see a scale line up with these new miniatures along with Ikwen, SFA Human, Space Brain and Bear Cat Battlesuit.

These bullish fellows are not the only bovine miniatures we have.  Part of the Grey Alien array in the HOF 15mm Science Fiction Range are the Uplifted Cattle and these cyber ladies might well like the company of the BEAST's.

Loud Ninja Games expanded earlier this season with a host of new for the Ikwen.  These aliens are well worth checking out if you want a more 'militia' looking force in your collection.  More than twenty codes and all have 'pack of pose within' choice.  The Rhunth riding beasts are awesome!

Thanks for Reading,

GBS

Ikwen Uprising event 25% off ends 3rd Sep now painted pictures online!

One week remains (ends Friday 3rd September) in the 25% off the brand new and the entire Loud Ninja Games 15mm science fiction range in the Ikwen Uprising Event.  The discount is on screen and you need do anything but add to cart (plus if you have an active discount code you can use that at checkout too!) and orders containing the new codes are shipping from Monday worldwide. 

We are delighted now to show you our professionally painted pictures of the new codes RAP042 to RAP048 (very large images on the site plus if you scroll though the pictures on the product pages large images front and back of each pose in the code too) and a useful scale image of Ikwen against other 15mm sci-fi ranges Alternative Armies produces.  Go HERE for the Loud Ninja Games Range.

Here are the pictures of each of the new codes.  Those riding beasts look super sweet!  Click on these to make them full size.

There are other Ikwen codes such as the value platoon pack and hardened fighters all in the range.  As well as these Loud Ninja Games also has the Yandrassi Empire, the Chuhuac (Space Raptors), Alien Encounters and Wasteland Mutants too.  There are the six different mighty Archon mecha kits too (the value set which gives you all six including one free is also in this event with the discount) have a browse.

Alternative Armies manufactures many different 15mm scale science fiction ranges and we have been asked if we could show the Ikwen alongside some examples so we have!  Bradley Miniatures (Chariot Armoured Car kit with equipment supplied too), HOF Penal Legion Guard (part of the mighty Security Force Alpha), Evil Space Emperor (in the unique SHM range), Diodine Sparrow of the Quarrel Company (a hero of the massive Ion Age space opera range).

Our congratulations to Eli Arndt on getting the new Ikwen to the world.  We hope you enjoy and we will see you all in September!

Thanks for Reading,

GBS

Ikwen Uprising event is on 25% off new and all Loud Ninja Games range

Now online all of the codes in the second expansion for the Ikwen by Loud Ninja Games. These new packs are in production in Scotland and we have made a bit of an event out of it!  From now until Friday 3rd September 2021 there is Twenty Five Percent (25%) off all of the new Ikwen AND the entire rest of the LNG range.  This discount is on screen and already applied. Your chance to get in on the awesome.  Go HERE or read on for full details.

You can place as many orders as you wish and in every package mailed out a free Hann Merchant (worth 3.50GBP) will be automatically included.  Perhaps the Hann is a large alien (30mm tall) allied to the Ikwen?  See the free HERE. We will be shipping out orders which contain the new codes at the end of August 2021.

Who and what are the Ikwen?

"If you are new to the Ikwen or its been a while, let me introduce you to a race that is fighting for its own freedom and the preservation of its species. Envisioned as a range of miniatures to represent one side of an asymmetric conflict the Ikwen are intended to be pitted against any other species or faction 15mm players might have in their collections. To this end, the miniatures are depicted with mostly mid-tech weaponry, the sort that might be cobbled together or acquired in great numbers from sources outside the conflict much in the same way that we see the AK-47 used in modern day warfare. I have worked hard to make sure the Ikwen show some sort of specific culture in their sculpts, even if that is just the minimal cloths they wear between their legs and the sorts of gear they carry. The Ikwen are miniatures designed to tell a story." -  Eli Arndt (creator of Loud Ninja Games and the Ikwen)

What new codes have been released? A total of eleven new packs. Go HERE.  Every code can be had as a pack or as single poses within it in any quantity.  Here they are!

Any chance of seeing these Ikwen painted up and in scale shots? Yes!  That is in progress right now. Our lead designer Sam Croes (prime sculptor of the 15mm Ion Age range) and professional figure painter is brushing up a full array of the new codes.  Once these are complete we will show you the results.

How about some rules for Ikwen? While the miniatures in the Loud Ninja Games range can be used with any game system you want Alternative Armies we will have an article with game rules for Iwken in Patrol Angis.  If you fancy pitting them against the Prydians, the Khanate or the Prang you will be able to. Written by Gavin Syme.

What else is in the Loud Ninja Games range? Many strange and interesting science fiction creatures, aliens and mutants.  The Yandrassi Empire as well as the the Chuhuac Space Raptors and Wasteland selection too.  More than sixty packs to choose from including vehicle like the Vasseth Strike Tank below.  Have a browse. A real feature point of the range are the six Archon mecha kits each very posable and standing 60mm tall.  You can see the Guardian Archon with its energy sword and shield above.

We hope you enjoy this event which turns a nearly successful kickstarter campaign for the Ikwen into a reality with a good saving.

Thanks for Reading,

GBS