Cranid Space Brains in Patrol Angis free article

“Look, I’m no ‘Vaulter. I just happen’ta be one of them lads who make sure them ships keep move’n ‘cross the stars right’n proper. But let me tell’s ya somethin’: Ya don’t need’a’be one of them “High’n Mighties” up on the bridge to know that the Dolo Cloud’s where sanity goes out the hatch and skip’s away in’ta the void… 

An example? Sure. Ya seem’ta have the stomach fer it. Let me send’ya over the wall... Let’s talk about those giant floating brains. 

Yeah, ya heard me: Giant. Floating. Brains…” 

Vincent“ Southpaw” MacCabe, 133rd Engineer corps, assigned to the “Radiant Light” 

 

It is my pleasure to bring you the last news for the month from The Ion Age. It has been an excellent and fun month with three new Grey Adder APC's plus Midsummer Madness (ending this Friday at 9am GMT) as well as free rules for the new Adders in play and of course the month long offer of 20% off the mighty Tohlic Armoured Crawler and our new pack of 40mm Round Bases. All worth a look and a read. We end with a great free article by Aris Kolehmainen which brings you a new tongue in cheek faction for Patrol Angis..among the Dodo Clouds are something rather different. The Cranid Space Brains! Read on for more. 

Minds without Measure Craniads in the Ion Age rules by Aris Kolehmainen 

This six page free expansion article for Patrol Angis gives you game statistics and force buildings rules plus background for an alien civilisation in the grip of devolving. These aliens are floating space brains and a fine if rather odd enemy for your Prydian Army or Khanate Legions. Click HERE to download the article from our web hosting. We have many other free articles on our 15mm Publications page plus the game books and a starter game pack. If you wish to field the Cranids then you can with the miniatures for them from Alternative Armies now on our website in the Resource Wars page. Here are some pictures used in the article which were taken from our play testing of the new force. We faced off with the Cranids using a two mixed lances of Retained Knights, Grav Bikes and Battlesuits. Great! 

Many thanks for Reading and if you have not placed your order for the month with us as yet then now is the time as offers end soon and all our releases are made for June 2018. See you in July! 

 GBS

The Quarrel Company a free article for Patrol Angis

Thanks for your time and I hope you enjoy this one page free download taken from 'Baron' and featuring the 15mm scale personality miniatures from IAF158 released this month. You will need your copy of Patrol Angis to make use of this download. Additionally this weekend from now until 16th April there is Free Worldwide Shipping on all Ion Age orders placed of 15GBP or greater plus Three Free Miniatures in every order (worth 2.50GBP) as well as your Reward Points; see this blog article HERE for this in detail. Our new releases for April are now online and they are three packs of personalities, nobles and marcher barons for your Prydian Army or other forces see them on our website HERE. Thanks! 

The Quarrel Company and Diodine Sparrow Download this one page extra from the in progress forth book in the Patrol Angis series 'Baron' from our website by clicking HERE. Field Diodine Sparrow with this article containing background, organisation and Patrol Angis Game Statistics for the most famous mercenaries in the Precinct; the Quarrel Company. 

Use miniatures from the Prydian Army HERE or Prydian Vehicles HERE for your Quarrel Company force plus the new IAF158 pack of named personalities. 

The Quarrel Company is my own personal force in the Patrol Angis game which I field in play. To that end I have amassed two lances of Retained Knights and Afara Striders to use. Here are pictures of them and they were painted by Sam Croes (I can barely hold a paint brush!). 

If you want to hear about our other news for April thus far please look HERE on the blog for information on Patrol Angis being back in stock as well as our month long 25% off deal on 20mm round bases and being able to get the great poster 'Uniforms of the Prydian Precinct' as a paid for download now (Quarrel Company is number four on this poster). 

Later this month we will have a free full length Patrol Angis scenario. Here is some information upon it. 

In the Name of the Roaz - 26th April. 

This free full Patrol Angis scenario sees the Quarrel Company travel to Mallum IV on the request of the reclusive Baron Abbo for a mysterious task only to be dropped into the midst of a new planetary war between the League of Yordan and invading League of Canlaster forces. Abbo is dead but it turns out there is a data slate of incredible value which the small Quarrel Company detachment must sneak out of the Baron's underground hab complex..but will they escape before the Leagues bring the place down around Diodine's head? 

Thanks for Reading, 

GBS

An Alliance between Prang and Man against the Khanate

The trust was young and it was fragile but in its actions it would gain the nourishment of trust and through that it would gain vital strength. It had been only three standard year cycles previously when Ambassador Throaq of the Prang had offered peace and a pact to act alongside Humanity in defeating not only the raiders of his own species but also the looming menace of the Khanate. General Canvarus, formally of Faercycle II was promoted to knightly rank by the Reord who spoke for the Council of Addan in this and given the quest of managing the military affairs of the two space faring armies in the Camarthen cluster. At first the alliance came near to faltering when unaware Condots in the service of the Throne fired upon detachments of the Prang Army on the nightmare world of Mim II while hunting raiders who had carried off goods and more importantly the retro-psychotics needed for life upon that world had burned the domed settlements to the purple razor grass. Apologies were made for this and accepted. Next came the pitched battle in orbit and then upon the soil of Draff where the raider fleet of Captain Vozer was decisively defeated by the Dogat-Cenga of Commander Rotza alongside the 159th Knightly Regiment of Prydia in a fusillade of beams and bullets at the aluma mines of Draff III. Celebrations were had afterwards and friendships of fire and threatened death forged. 

In 4334 IC contact was lost with the populous world of Myrdan III which had been a target of Prang raiders in 4328 IC and thus had been given a garrison of a hundred Dogat-Quals of Prang Army, some two thousand soldiers with their supporting vehicles and equipment. This garrison was joined by the ten thousands of the 807th Muster Regiment and the 712th Regiment as some two hundred thousand veteran Planetary Militia all centered around the city of Yellatan upon the Vale of Down; a natural wonder. It had been mostly quiet in the intervening years and the garrisoned Prang had formed bonds with the local Humans offering their great physical strength for farming and industrial tasks and teaching lessons of their music and crafts. Regular contact was lost as several fast ships moved in system. A transmission was made by emergency Ancep Generation which gave the dragon rampant warning. The attackers were of the Shia Khan Empire. It took two weeks for the joint fleet of Commander Rotza and General Lord Canavarus to make the transitions needed to arrive into Myrdan space. 

Upon the arrival of the stellar vessels of the joint fleet in system contact was restored to a besieged Yellatan which was desperately holding the line again four full Khanate Legions and an estimated Malig horde in the hundreds of thousands. Myrdan III a jewel of a world could not be allowed to fall into the hands of the Shia Khan. Reports had been filed from other worlds in the greater Camarthen cluster which told of isolated or small scatterings of Dragonships wreaking havoc having evaded the space blockade around Camarthen Prime. Few had been this far away from the site of the Matter Gateway and they had all been stopped by harassed Prydian forces often at great cost. This would be a larger task. 

While most of the planetary landings took place aboard Cassillis and Moat types of portable castles dropping from the skies on columns of fire Commander Rotza offered the opportunity to try a more exotic means of reaching the fields of Myrdan III. Discovered on Progea the home world of the Prang race and having been there for eons beforehand an ancient device which could transport matter instantaneously was located on Rotza's flagship. Though it used similar principles to the Ancep Drive it was far, far more advanced and precise. It was not understood by the Prang. Its expansive raised floor grid could hold over a hundred armoured Prang troops and then deliver them in a blinding flash anywhere within a direct line of the ship to a high degree of accuracy. The exotic teleportation device was used to great effect to place Retained Knights as well as Desteria into the vulnerable rear of the alien foe and to put Prang down into the besieged city directly through the raised Hurwent Shield. Despite repeated requests Commander Rotza did not allow Prydian fabricators and experts to examine the teleportation device despite Starvaulter imposed asking. 

The fighting is well under way for control of the lush farming world and with further Prydian and Condot regiments arriving it is expected that the Khanate will be expunged from the Mrydan system soon. Prang and Human fight side by side and despite their different methods of war, weapons and physicality they are allies. This will matter all the more in the war again the Khanate as well as all the other threats that lurk within the Dolo Clouds and the vast expanses beyond the Prydian Precinct. 

General Lord Canavarus, Myrdan III, Myrdan Stellar System 4334 IC 

 

This month from the talented hands of Eli Arndt will come two more packs and a platoon set of the mighty alien Prang Army. These have been eagerly awaited. The codes which will be release next week on the 13th July at The Ion Age for the Prang Army are as follows and are all our releases for the month. 

IAF137 Prang Army Command (5) 

IAF138 Prang Army Leaders (5) 

IAFP10 Prang Army Platoon with Unique Miniature (20 +1) 

The platoon pack will include all twenty of the poses from the four Prang Army packs plus an extra, only found in that platoon code, character miniature. 

We will give you large photos of all of them next week but for now here is the platoon special miniature Prang character who could be anything from an officer to a pilot or vehicle crew or technical support. Fantastic! 

These are adding to the codes already on the Prang Army page of the website which cover the army and the Prang Raiders. 

IAF0129 Prang Troopers (5) 

IAF0130 Prang Trooper Support (5) 

YOC4 Prang Ambassador (1) 

IMP47 Bin Bot, IAFP10 Prang Character, IAF006 Legionary (17mm) for scale.

IAF110 Prang Raider Support (5) 

IAF111 Captain Bozar and Sherag (2) 

IAF112 Prang Raider Command (2) 

IAF109P Prang Raider Force (14) 

Towards the end of this month we will be updating the free PDF download for Patrol Angis which gives you game statistics and force compositions for the Prang Army. This update will expand upon the vehicle list for these aliens as well as their bike, battlesuit and portable weapon options. All of this working towards the day when the children of Progea get their own full all arms force! So not long to wait and the molds are spinning now getting the stock ready. 

Thanks for Reading, 

GBS

Patrol Angis expanded QRS by Jason Smith

With the core book in the series Patrol Angis of fast paced skirmish space opera warfare now in its third print run it is my great pleasure to present to all the players of the game out there a new Quick Reference Sheet (QRS).  Created by Jason Smith who is a big fan of Patrol Angis this QRS locks in with the core game and gives you an in depth tool to aid in playing.

Download the QRS from our Dropbox folder for free by clicking HERE.

If you would like to learn more about the Patrol Angis game system as well as getting more free files and links to reviews and other articles please visit the website on our 15mm Publications page HERE.

You can begin in the game with the book in print or as a digital download or as a book with a game pack for excellent value.  See the contents above.  The game pack also gives you a special miniature only found in that set.  A Retained Knight Errant with an Angis 12.5mm AP Pistol.  Excellent!

Thanks Jason for putting together this excellent resource for the game.  May the D8's always roll true for you!

GBS

The Red Dragon Company by Mark Burgess

It is my great fortune to be able to share with you the 'Red Dragons' collection and force for use in Patrol Angis which belongs to long term IonFan Mr Mark Burgess.  A mercenary formation of infantry, heavy infantry, bikes, battlesuits and vehicles of some four Lances (or platoons).  Here follows a short account of the Red Dragons as well as a link to download their pre-filled rosters for use in the game and also some really nice images of the collection too.  Enjoy and thank you Mark! GBS

The origins of the Red Dragon Company goes back to the war against Baron Reff

When Baron Bradshaw Reff rebelled against King Cyon III and the Council of Addans in 4302 IC, Baron Culhwch of Caledfwlch answered the call to arms from the King.  Personally leading the bulk of his army, comprising of both Retained and Muster, he left his home world in the care of his brother Bedwyr.

Culhwch and Bedwyr had never been close. While Culhwch was a natural leader Bedwyr was selfish and cruel; this often caused tension and fighting between them as they grew up. When their father died he granted them joint rule over Caledfwlch in an attempt to bring them together. This however ultimately had the opposite effect. Resentment had been gnawing at Bedwyr's heart he thought himself the only rightful ruler of Caledfwlch and no longer would he share with his brother.

When Baron Culhwch returned home after the death of the King he found much had changed in the years he had been away.  Bedwyr had raised his own army and bolstered the fortifications around the planet. As his fleet approached Caledfwlch, without warning, the orbital defences opened fire. Unprepared his fleet lost three frigates before they could raise their own defences with many other ships in his fleet badly damaged as well.  After the initial shock of the assault abated, Culhwch, normally a quiet and reserved leader flew into a wild rage. He vowed to crush his brother and all who served him, for this betrayal. Once awoken the fire-power of his remaining fleet made short work of the orbital defences. Then he unleashed all of his forces to the ground assault of the capitol. He was taking the battle straight to his brother.

The battle was short and bloody with campaign veterans against Bedwyr's untried Planetary Militia and Muster. Such was the rage of Culhwch and his forces that the Code Gallant was all but forgotten. A grievous crime indeed. Baron Culhwch who personally led a lance, breached Bedwyr's castle defences, cutting down retreating Muster on his rush to face his brother.  Bedwyr was found cowering in the reception hall his bodyguards having deserted him. Without a word or a warning the act was carried out. Culhwch strode up to him and cut his head from his body. He then looked around shocked at what he had done, his armour, once yellow, was now red with the blood of his kinsmen. Turning in silence he walked away.

Ashamed at the destruction that he and his brother had caused his homeworld Culhwch left the planet vowing never to step foot there again.  He took his forces to a small mining planetoid off Khartuum which his family had owned and settled there. Renaming his company The Red Dragons after the flying beasts on Khartuum and repainting their armour red as a reminder of the day they broke the Code Gallant, they now hire themselves out as a Condot.

If you would like to download the rosters for Patrol Angis for this Condot Company you can do so from our dropbox on this link HERE.

Here are pictures of the Red Dragons force in the elements it appears in the rosters.  Click on them to make the images larger.  I have added a comment to each photo.

The whole Red Dragons force!

Converted senior officers of the Red Dragons

Four Retained Knights from mixed IAF packs

A Noble leads Retained Knights from IAF codes.

A superb standard from IAF014 and officer from IAFL02

A melee focused demi with IAF057,63 and IAF002

IAF042 Mullo AFV medium vehicles

Mullo's with their infantry cargos

Desteria Demi!  IAF009 and IAF010

A Desteria Lance which you can get in IAFP03

Desteria Demi led by Murdo and Guliane!

IAF030 Duxis with Fretan Rail Gun

Fallen Duxis marker!

Duxis Battlesuit with Retained knight kneeling

Snipers from the YOC1  Year One Collection!

IAF081 Taranis Runner Drones

The lord of war.  Taranis Tracked Command Tank with its drones.  See IAF100.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed what was shared here.  You can see more of Mark's miniature adventurers on his BLOG.

GBS

Condot of the Red Hand Mercenaries by Christian Cuello

It is my pleasure to present an article set in The Ion Age by Christian Cuello all about his Red Hand Mercenaries that make use of the special Rewards Points reward Commander Murdo Taranis Tank (read about that HERE) or see our range of super heavy 15mm tanks HERE.  Enjoy the article and well done Christian!  GBS

Condot of the Red Hand Mercenaries

Villains. Pirates. Scum. Mercenaries - in every sense of the word. The worst of the opportunistic guns for hire of the Prydian precinct can be found in the ranks of the Red Hand, a mercenary condot under the leadership of the self-appointed Count Roderic of Ispalia XII, one moon of the many planetoids condemned to oblivion by the Civil War that continues to tear the galaxy apart. Now almost totally uninhabitable, the husk of this devastated home-world lives on only as a fragment occupied by the fortress city that provides safe haven for those escaping Prydian authority.

Simply put, the ranks of the Red Hand are filled by criminals, the appellation earned by their inconspicuous attire and reputation. And for this reason there is no shortage of opportunity for employment. A constant stream of envoys vies for the services that the Red Hand provides: perhaps an ambitious Baron seeing to expand their rule, or a usurper seeking to surreptitiously obtain a measure of power for themselves, or a merchant seeking protection while undertaking dubious transactions on the fringes of inhabited space. And yet, even the most powerful warlords of the galaxy may be surprised to find themselves looking down the barrel of a laser rifle held by a blood-red gauntlet, betrayed at the last moment by a mere matter of credits.

As long as there is conflict in the universe, there will be individuals like Count Roderic who seek to profit from the discord. And should peace be realised, it would be short-lived. For there is no shortage of antagonists - human or otherwise - in this theatre of war.

My forays into the world of the Ion Age is by way of my mercenary force, the Red Hand. It has been an enjoyable experience, and after a bit of muddling about in the early stages (as with any game) it was very easy to get into. Everything is just too good not to paint and play with! The rules lend themselves to creative and scenario driven force composition so I’ve literally picked out the figures that I just thought looked “coolest”. You may recall this post on the Ion Age BLOG a little while ago.

Keeping the paint scheme relatively simple I’ve been able to churn out something close to a mixed infantry and vehicle platoon in game terms. I will probably go into more detail about the platoon in another write-up but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to get stuck into the Taranis. The king of the battlefield in the Ion Age, I was fortunate enough to receive the special variant available through the reward scheme through the Ion Age store. I can tell you now it was surprisingly easy to work up the points!

The Commander Murdo special variant of the Taranis has two mighty hi-explosive Ron cannons, a rotary Moth 88, and a pintle-mounted machine gun. For the uninitiated: it’s a beast. 

I’d had the model for some time before working myself up to building and painting it, and I wish I’d had it done sooner. The tank comes in six pieces which may require a bit of tidying up. Fortunately the resin it is made from is high quality and is very responsive to cutting, shaving and sanding, so it shouldn’t be a problem for a slightly more than beginner level modeller. Here it is in pieces just after tidying up and before putting it together:

And here it is before a base coat. You’ll notice some space between the tracked sponson and hull. This was fixed with a very small amount of wood putty which sanded down and blends right in to the rest of the model. Here you can see it with a black undercoat:

And here are some progress shots:

At this point I’ve left the tank at a “showroom” condition paint job, but really do want to try my hand at some weathering. I’ve kept the paint scheme relatively simple but it really is a blank canvas for all sorts of camo, battle-damage, and squad markings.

This was a great kit to put together and I’m really looking forward to fielding this in our games.

As the harsh Sun beats down on the surface of Mars (or a planet very like it...since Mars is deep within the heart of the dreaded Imperial Commonweath), final diagnostics on the Taranis are carried out…

PIA007 Prydian Precinct Starmap poster and download released!

Our last release for January 2017!  When we released the Uniforms of the Prydian Precinct poster we were really happy with the reaction to Aris's efforts to show all the outfits of the Marchers Barons and Mercenaries and more of The Ion Age.  That was about the time we began to get requests for a star map of the stellar geography of the Precinct.  As you can imagine to create this in full is no small undertaking and so Sam Croes set aside some time and now the result is available for you all to enjoy. My own print is already on my wall.  We present PIA007 Prydian Precinct Starmap as an A3 poster and a digital download!  See all our posters HERE or read on for more.

Prydian Precinct Starmap

A thousand years before the outbreak of the civil war that would pull Prydian space apart the last Khanate war forced the detonation of a universal potent bomb.  This bomb called the 'Aldan Crucible' ended the Shia Khan incursion in this part of the galaxy by destroying not only their Matter Gateway but also the entire Aldan stellar system.  In the dark centuries that followed the detonation savage and exotic Dolorous Clouds formed across Prydian space which hid entire star systems and made travel in or near them very dangerous indeed.   This star map shows more than one hundred stellar systems as spoken of in our titles as well as the regions held by the League of Canlaster and the League of Yordan in the pivotal year of 4330 IC.  Great for your wall and for planning your campaigns in The Ion Age.

Digitally drawn by our lead designer Sam Croes this sixth of our poster prints was made locally here in Scotland on high quality 200gsm paper using rich inks.  Its a premium product to grace your wargaming walls with.  Bare or in a frame.  Supplied in a purpose designed postal mailing tube.  The image is exactly A3 size (300mm by 420mm) while the full post it sits on has a white framing border making the total dimensions 320mm by 450mm.  Go HERE.

As with all of our other products we offer you several purchase options.  You can purchase one poster print at a great price or three of the same one and automatically save 10% on screen.  You can also get the poster print signed by the artist.  Additionally with this work of art you can purchase it as a digital download of the hi-rez poster for half the price of the print.  Select this option on the drop down menu.  Go HERE.

Information Burst! 

This month's free miniature is a superb character by Sam Croes.  Standing 20mm to the eye line it is male baron in noblesse armour with fur cloak and powered mace. Baron MacCauld who is a dynamic leader for your veteran knights. There is a growing page on the Ion Age website where the current and all former IMP series free miniatures are shown so that you can see what came before. Enjoy looking at what came before.  This miniature is worth 1.00GBP.  This figure is free in all orders until the end of January 2017.   

Our other new release for this month is the crazy Malig Orba Bike set.  The ball bike which is a scaled down vision of their other insane creation the Infernus Ball Tank.  This new pack fits right in with the 15mm Shia Khan Empire codes in our range as we build towards the next expansion book for Patrol Angis which will feature rules for this new bike in play.  We have Malig infantry and now they have not only the tank but also this bike too.  Go HERE to see all the Malig Space Goblins.

Lastly we have a new month long special offer...this time it is on the super heavy hitter of the Desteria Knights with 50% off the list price of IAF013 Murdo and Gulaine who go great with Baron MacCauld.  Remember you also make a saving and get a special additional free miniature in the IAFP03 Desteria Lance platoon pack.  See all the Desteria HERE.

Thanks for Reading,

GBS