IAF015E Landing Pad and New Top Mounts Released!

The Anda turret rotated smoothly and then paused before making a correction to its facing.  Two 60mm guided missiles streaked away from its housings into the pale green sky.  With a roar the missiles streaked off towards a blood red Skylark hovering in the distance.  The patrol flyer belonged to the Vangelias Condot Company and the hired troops had been threatening the small settlement of Drovers Edge since the day before.  Prydian Army formations on planet were stretched thin against three Condot company's and the normal ranks of the Yordan League.  It only took seconds for the projectiles to cover the distance from the platform mounted turret to the  Skylark and through the 'lark threw out countermeasures and gunned its four engines wildly to evade they had come too close in their eagerness.  

Captain Frederick Wildermann of the 104th Prydian Regiment had his head out of the landing pad's access hatch and a viewer held up to his eyes.  He smiled as one of the 60mm missiles detonated against the hull of the enemy Skylark.  The other missile had missed and flew on into the distance.  With smoke pouring from its smashed hull the flyer wobbled and then turned tail and limped away.  Pieces of its titanium body were falling to the dry grass below and fluids fell like rain.  In his ear the captain heard the tower's commander asked for permission to loose again.  He ordered a cease fire knowing that the Vangelias 'lark would be lucky to make it back to base and besides he had only eight missiles left and little chance of more coming in a re-supply.  He would keep his armour cracking fists intact for the moment.

Wildermann stepped down the ladder and pulled the hatch closed.  There wasn't much room inside the landing platform's body but he preferred it to the rigid tents that his troops were encamped in around the three towers and several domes of Drovers Edge.  There was a narrow bunk and an impressive comms suite along with the hydraulics that cushioned the impact of landing vehicles stopping them harming the towers structure.  He wiggled into the bunk and lay down intent on a quick nap but the captain knew the lay of the land and kept the key coded channels of his helm open.  The condots would be back soon enough.

Captain Frederick Wildermann, 104th Prydian Regiment , Leicester IV , 4327IC

IAF015E Landing Platform

Our largest resin item designed thus far for The Ion Age supplied in two pieces of grey tone resin.  The lower portion of the platform which acts as a support for the upper platform and features a universal ring mount to attach to IAF015 Hab Dome or Tower Module.  The upper portion is a highly detailed area for light air vehicles to land and features a blank mounting for a top mount turret.  Total width 75mm and depth 20mm. You can also leave the lower portion separate if you wish to use the platform upper on its own at ground level or use the lower portion as a blank top for your Hab Dome in a use of your own creation.  This is a superb resin model.  Have a look at the concept blog post we did on it a month ago.

There are three choices for purchase and those are IAF015E Landing Pad kit only, IAF015E1 Landing Pad kit with Flak Cannon and IAF015E2 Landing Pad with Missile Pod.  You can also choose on these options to 'buy three save 10%' as normal.  Prices range from 7.00GBP to 9.00GBP depending on your choice.  Go HERE. 

IAF015F Flak Cannon

A twin barrelled rotary cannon anti-air weapon made of grey tone resin and white metal. Supplied in four pieces including a separate turret ring for fitting to the Landing Platform or larger mounts or without for use on IAF015 Hab Dome or Tower Module.  You can choose to buy three and save 10%.  The Price is 3.00GBP. Go HERE.  This new top mount works well with IAF015A,B,C as well as they have the same fittings.

IAF015G Missile Pod

A two block missile pod for anti-ground or anti-air use. Supplied in two pieces of grey tone resin including a separate turret ring for fitting to the Landing Plaform or larger mounts or without for use on IAF015 Hab Dome or Tower Module. You can choose to buy three and save 10%.  The Price is 3.00GBP. Go HERE. This new top mount works well with IAF015A,B,C as well as they have the same fittings.

Information Burst!

We are now into the Skylark Patrol Flyer bundle offers period which lasts until 20th March 2014.  We would like to thank everyone who has taken advantage of the 25% saving on the bundles thus far and we hope that more of you will get in on the action.  Every bundle and every order placed gets this month's free miniature IMP07 Female Muster Patrol Officer (odd that eh!) which you can also purchase if you want more castings of it.  Come 1st April the current IMP miniature vanishes.  The release of the Landing Pad and new Turrets means a lot more options for your Ion Age terrain collection and we look forward to seeing your painted versions so send in your pictures.  

We will be having our first special convention offer to tie in with our appearance on Alternative Armies trade stand at Salute 2014 in London more on that once the Skylark promotion is over.  By placing an order with us you will sign up for an account with the website and that means you get Reward Points in all purchases. These points can be used any time to get free products and discounts on orders.  

Thanks for Reading.

GBS

IAF029 Skylark Patrol Flyer - Early Supporter Offers!

Since before the outbreak of the Prydian Civil War the various marks of the Type 41 Skylark Patrol Flyers have been part of the Muster regiments of the Precinct. Based on a designed from the era of the Ban of Prejudice the Type 41 was put into renewed mass production on seven worlds before the Battle of Fenway Prime. While the Adder Combat Car fulfils the needed role of a multi propulsion ground transport for Muster Platoons there was a need for an armed transport that could move in three dimensions. The Skylark fulfils this role well with the objective of moving troops from a staging area to the combat zone with no intervening stages. Capable of dramatic bursts of speed with its four jet engines the howl of an incoming Skylark is common to the ears of friend and foe alike. The Type 41 was given the name Skylark during its testing on New Glastonbury with a hint of humour. That species of ancient Terran bird was brought to New Glastonbury during its long ago original colonisation and its swooping grace is very much at odds with a vehicle that puts ascetics well behind protecting itself and its occupants.

There are five common marks of the Type 41 which are broadly as follows. The Type 41A Skylark Patroller is the most common of the flyers and is used as an armoured transport capable of carrying two crew and a fire-team of four Muster usually of the Patrol. Its armament is composed of a belly mounted rotary Moth 88 cannon and a top mounted Anda 60mm Missile Pod. Less common but often seen is the Type 41B Skylark Battle Bus which retains the belly mount but has an upper hull modification adding more internal space and an upper exit hatch which means it can carry two fire-teams into the fray at the cost of some protection and fire power. Speed is the aim of the Type 41C called the Skylark Screamer where the upper turret mount and internal space is given over to an additional jet engine mounted on the top of the hull. The Type 41C is used for rapid response and to give ground fire support in open terrain. Rarer is the Type 41D Skylark Big Lift which is unarmed but is fitted with a low slung rig for lifting cargo pods and pallets. But rarest of all is the Type 41E Skylark Eye which is a command and control flyer which features extensive top and belly slung sensor packages; this mark usual belongs to a general or other top ranking officer. All Skylarks have a titanium composite hull and are rated to extreme altitude though without extensive drive modifications it is not capable of reaching low orbit.

Enter the next sequence to access basic flight training for all marks of the Type 41. Proceed now...

Academy Auto-Trainer Series 12, New Glastonbury, 4326IC

After a week of previews and anticipation (notice not months or promises) we present the Skylark ESO Bundle Offers!

The Skylark series of codes comprises three different codes all of which are featured in these Early Supporter Offers. You can find a lot more information on each of them in three previous postings on the Ion Age blog. The IAF029 Skylark Patrol Flyer and the IAF033 CrashedSkylark and lastly the IAF034 Skylark Cradle. Have a look and then please come back here. Read them all, enjoyed them and the pictures...good! Here are the details of the three different excellent value bundles which are on our website from the 3^rd to the 17^th of March 2014.

Skylark ESO Bundle One – The Cradle. Three IAF029 Skylark Patrol Flyer vehicle kits plus a IAF034 Skylark Cradle structure free. Total Bundle Value 28.00GBP price is 21.00GBP save 25% off release price! Every order placed automatically gets the IMP07 Female Patrol Officer (worth 0.60GBP) included free automatically!

Skylark ESO Bundle Two – The Crashed. Three IAF029 Skylark Patrol Flyer vehicle kits plus a IAF033 Crashed Skylark model free. Total Bundle Value 28.00GBP price is 21.00GBP save 25% off release price! Every order placed automatically gets the IMP07 Female Patrol Officer (worth 0.60GBP) included free automatically!

Skylark ESO Bundle Three – The Air Fleet. Ten IAF029 Skylark Patrol Flyer vehicle kits with a massive saving off release price. Get your whole air arm for the Muster in one go. Total Bundle Value 70.00GBP price is 50.00GBP save actually over 25% off release price! Every order placed automatically gets the IMP07 Female Patrol Officer (worth 0.60GBP) included free automatically!

GO HERE for the web page with the offers which are valid for two weeks from today. All orders placed with bundles in them will ship on the 17th March worldwide.

The Skylark and its supporting codes along with all of the 15mm white metal Muster miniatures are all working towards the release of Patrol Angis our 15mm skirmish science fiction rules system. In the game the Skylark will perform many duties including strafing runs, rapid insertions, pick ups under fire and the delivery of vital supplies while in combat.

Here are some images of the models in use in play with captions (we had some fun with this!).

Skylark with deployed Muster Patrol Fire-Team

The coming soon Muster Patrol Command claim a crashed 'lark

A Skylark landed on a tower with the coming soon Landing Pad

We think that the Skylark is a fantastic and original model and we hope that you do too. Thank you for your support of all of us here at The Ion Age in allowing us to pursue our dream of a space opera future that is wholly its own.

Thanks for your Time.

GBS

Skylark Patrol Flyer - Preview Part 3

So here we are part three of the Skylark preview and you know what they say its from the Cradle to the...well you know the rest.   As this is the final part of the preview series I would like to thank the near thousand of you who have viewed each of the posts and thank you for the comments and emails all of which have been positive.  This time we look at the IAF034 Skylark Cradle along with its role on your table and the original concept sketch that kicked all this off.  Lastly a wee look at the bundles that are nearly upon us.

In the last posting I spoke about the importance of adding depth to a miniature range and the role of battlefield terrain.  The Skylark Cradle carries this on from the Crashed Skylark.  Purpose designed, as you can see from the image above, to hold the Skylark for repair and or restock during the campaign.  This allows you to integrate the Cradle into the actual game as part of the mission how cool is that!  

The Cradle can be used in your wargame collection in many ways starting with as I outlined an actual part of the game being played.  You can then use it as an objective and moving on it is a stream lined and same themed piece of structural terrain as with the rest of the Ion Age terrain.  This model sits ideally next to IAF015 Hab Dome and the Fabricator Spire plus the other terrain still to come this season like the Landing Pad.  Its finely detailed with a high level of appearing functionality layered onto its surface.  Even without the Skylark the Cradle is useful for any 15mm science fiction setting you would put it to.  Rural and City terrain both, civilian and military.

Rounding off the three codes in the Skylark package the Cradle means that you can use the flyer in play, you can show it destroyed and you can land it mid game.  A super bundle of codes that bring the 15mm space opera fun to your tabletop.

Sam Croes original digital sketch for the Skylark

Above you can see the original concept sketch that we did during the meeting to decide just what that Skylark would be.  The final model changed only about 5% during the design process.

With the articles about the concept, ideas and theory of the Skylark now at an end (I hope you enjoyed it and if you would like the next ESO to be done this way please tell me) I would like to tell you what the bundles will be on March 3rd 2014.  There will be a full post with glorious painted pictures and slides on the day but for now here is what you can expect to see:

Skylark ESO Bundle One – The Cradle.  Three IAF029 Skylark Patrol Flyer vehicle kits plus a IAF034 Skylark Cradle structure free.  Total Bundle Value 28.00GBP price is 21.00GBP save 25% off release price!  Every order placed automatically gets the IMP07 Female Patrol Officer (worth 0.60GBP) included free automatically!

Skylark ESO Bundle Two – The Crashed.  Three IAF029 Skylark Patrol Flyer vehicle kits plus a IAF033 Crashed Skylark model free.  Total Bundle Value 28.00GBP price is 21.00GBP save 25% off release price! Every order placed automatically gets the IMP07 Female Patrol Officer (worth 0.60GBP) included free automatically!

Skylark ESO Bundle Three – The Air Fleet.  Ten IAF029 Skylark Patrol Flyer vehicle kits with a massive saving off release price.  Get your whole air arm for the Muster in one go.  Total Bundle Value 70.00GBP price is 50.00GBP save over 25% off release price! Every order placed automatically gets the IMP07 Female Patrol Officer (worth 0.60GBP) included free automatically!

Thanks for Reading.

GBS

Female Patrol Officer - IMP07 free miniature for March 2014

"So we know there are ladies in the Retained and that the Muster Patrol is on the up...do they have female officers?  Yeah, sure they do.  Lets make that the free miniature for March then.  March will be a big month for the Muster what with the Skylark coming out too."

On Christmas Eve 2013 we released IAF022 Muster 1st Patrol and we followed up on it this week with IAF028 Khamel Tracked Bike set for the Muster too.  In fact we have a command set for Muster Patrol soon too so it made perfect sense to give this month to the Muster.  After all with a Skylark or three in your collection you will want this lady too and you would get her free to boot.  With a Moth Type 6 Rifle slung across her waist she is shouting orders and has her hand held up signalling a halt to the patrol.

The Female Muster Patrol Officer is the white metal 15mm miniature in the above image and until 1st April 2013 she is FREE in each and every order placed with us at the rate of one per order placed. After that date she will be retired and replaced by the next free miniature and of course you earn reward points on all orders too.  We realise that some of you may wish to purchase the current free miniature to get multiples of it without placing a lot of orders so you can do just that.  Visit this page on the website for the miniature at a fair price.  Yours for the next thirty days....

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 and go HERE.

GBS

Skylark Patrol Flyer - Preview Part 2

Welcome to part two of the Skylark preview posts.  If you missed the first part, well it showed you the Skylark Patrol Flyer itself and you can read it here on the blog.  But now we are moving on to the next item that will be a part of the next Early Support Offer bundles on 3rd March 2014...a Skylark that can no longer fly.  IAF033 Crashed Skylark!

The Crashed Skylark is a sad reminder that even the mighty can be laid low by well some well aimed shots or a bit of luck.  Embedded in the rocky terrain of Camarthen Prime or any other world of the Prydian Precinct the broken hull of the 'lark is now nothing more than well machined scrap.  Or is it?  Its a large one piece casting some seven centimetres long and the same across with a lot of fine detail from the rocks and ground to the shattered engine mounts and exposed cables along with peppered impacts from low calibre rounds.  Its a great piece of battlefield terrain to add character or as a mission objective.  It adds to the strength of the Skylark as a vehicle by presenting it downed for use in your wargames if your flying one is destroyed in play.

Quite often wargame companies will overlook the depth of their settings but that is not the way that The Ion Age intends to operate.  You might have seen that our Havelock Battlesuit and our Duxis Battlesuit both have 'fallen' versions which can be used as mission objectives or battlefield terrain.  These add to the depth of the battlesuits for players and this crashed skylark does the same.   As well as this the Crashed Skylark fills the void often left by games that are purely points driven.  Narrative matters.  Tense scenarios can be had with terrain that can be made interactive.  Battlefield terrain can make your gaming table look even better than it otherwise ever would. 

But where did the Skylark come from as an idea and as a model?  Well it has great space opera pedigree behind it.  Back at the start of this year when the design stage of the Skylark was underway everyone involved named one item of classic wargaming from our own lines that would be an influence on the design. The original 15mm scale Ion Age white metal vehicles like HOF18 (now retired and to be re-introduced upgraded in resin as the Adder Combat Car later this year) gave shape to the core hull of the Skylark.  It would match up with those models on the table as part of the Muster.  But it was to be a flying vehicle and there was nothing like that in the existing Ion Age, but Laserburn provided inspiration there.  The jet engine mount on the V106 Law Officer Air Raft (see image below) is 80's perfection so we multiplied it by four and added its influence to the Skylark for motive power.  Lastly the reaction to the Hab Dome and its top mounts including the IAF015A Sentry Gun gave the 'lark its belly gun and the missile pod from the Havelock went on the turret ring. So from the classic and old school ideas came a combined design that took them all in and came up with something new and retro at the same time.  The Skylark is a unique flyer; just look at it.

V106 from 15mm.co.uk

So that's it for part two of the preview and that means one part left.  In the third part I will show you the last part of the Skylark ESO's and outline the bundles for March 3rd.  I hope you are enjoying these short articles about our process and ideas.  Feedback is most welcome.

GBS

IAF028 Khamel Tracked Bike Set Released!

“Those Maligs can be a real nuisance.  Keep on sniping at you and throwing the odd grenade from places you thought were clear.  Like at Paradvar Hill when the rear elements of the 76th Regiment were about to climb to the summit the little sods appeared.  They had hid in dug outs while the bulk of the troops marched past.  They had sense enough to keep their heads down with Skylarks in the air and two super heavy Taranis tanks in support they would have been smeared soon as they popped up.  Even Khanate Warlords don't mess with Taranis, least not head on.   So there we were, three platoons of us, about to walk up Paradvar Hill when they appeared and laid it on thick with laser and apollo fire.

No chance of support, the regiment was engaged all up front with the Minotaur Legion for Paradvar Central about ten miles off; so we were pinned.  Too steep to climb under fire and the Maligs had set up remote mines.  Not big ones but they would take your foot off.  Maligs are cruel like that.  We lost four troopers initially and then we hunkered down and had a ponder.  I scanned the local net and found out that a a couple of fire-teams worth of Khamels were coming up on us.  They must have been patrolling the rear; lots of rocky and rough ground about here.  I pinged them and got an affirmative.  Their Emeritas had been dealing with other Malig Tesserans left behind to slow us up.  He said to sit it out and let them run up the hill.  Sure, I said.  No problem.  Better to watch than to catch a beam in the bonce.

Took about ten minutes for the bikes to arrive.  We all heard them coming.   The Khamel ain't the biggest bike in the army but it is real loud and its got presence that the Retained just don't get with their grav-bikes.  Being from the Patrol these guys just saluted as they passed us and went straight up the slope.  We gave them supporting fire but it was a sight to see I tell you.   Mines went off continually under the Khamels but they just rolled on up the hill.  Maligs shot at the bikes and the rounds just did nothing.  I had expected the riders to dismount when they reached the dug outs but then I remembered the tracks on the Khamel and I kinda lost my appetite.  They just rolled on, onto and into the dugouts.  It ended quick then but when we climbed up the Paradvar Hill I had to clean my boots on the way down again.” 

Emeritas Gill Manning, 76th Prydian Regiment , Camarthen Prime, 4331IC

IAF028 Khamel Tracked Bike Pack

We are super happy to release the second bike code for the Ion Age 15mm Range.  Following on from the Canthus Monocycle (IAF007) we have code IAF028 Khamel Tracked Bike pack!  A tracked beast that can really scare the enemy.  This code contains three white metal miniatures which are the Khamel Bike with Muster Rider, Khamel Bike with no rider and Muster bike rider on foot.  This means you can field your Khamel with great flexibility and three different modes.  The Khamel comes with a choice of two separate weapons (Moth Type 12 and Ron 32mm) which can be left off or mounted on the front of the bike.   

As always this code can be bought as a pack or as single miniatures or select the three packs and save 10% option on the page. Due to wargamers feedback we are also offering a 'buy three and save 10%' option on the riderless bike too. Go HERE.  Price 5.00GBP per pack.  You can read about the origins of the Khamel in this concept posting.

IAF003 Muster 1st Squad

Your core troops for a 15mm Muster force in the Ion Age is IAF003.  This code contains ten different white metal miniatures composed of troopers with Moth Rifle, lesser officer with Moth Rifle and troopers with Anvil 888 launchers as well as an ammo carrier trooper and a trooper with Moth Rifle and Hobbe's Bomb too.  A whole Muster Squad. As always this code can be bought as a pack or as single miniatures or select the three packs and save 10% option on the page. Go HERE.  Price 5.00GBP per pack.

Information Burst!

Time is about up to get the IMP06 Zin Envoy!  On the 1st March the miniature will be retired and replaced with the next free monthly miniature and while the Zin will appear later in 2014 this miniature will not.  Any order placed with us gets one of this miniature free and if you wish to buy more of the Zin Envoy you can until the 1st on our website. By placing an order with us you will sign up for an account with the website and that means you get Reward Points in all purchases.  These points can be used any time to get free products and discounts on orders.  We have begun the run up to our next Early Supporter Offers too with the first preview of the Skylark Patrol Vessel our first full resin vehicle.  Its space opera awesome and will be with you all on 3rd March 2014.  Have a look at the Ion Age blog for the posts starting here and then after this posting.

Thanks for Reading.

GBS

Skylark Patrol Flyer - Preview Part 1

Those who follow this blog will have noted back a couple of weeks ago in the Landing Pad concept post that the fiction intro spoke of a flying vehicle for the Muster called the 'Skylark'...well it's more than fiction it now exists!

Back in February this year when we were designing this 15mm resin vehicle kit we wanted to come up with something modern but also totally space opera and pretty unique too.  I think we have.  Its a mantra of mine that what makes sci-fi wargaming, especially in 15mm scale, one of the most fun places to be as a wargamer is its originality.  The Ion Age is doing and will continue to do things to make the scale more diverse.  Its the core of our March releases and its a four engined wonder.  The Skylark is brand new and its old school too; best of both.

Above you can see a picture of the super new (this is the first one!) IAF029 Skylark which will be one third of the March 2014 Early Support Offer (ESO) bundles which will begin on the 3rd of March 2014.  But what is the Skylark?

The Skylark is a flying patrol vehicle used by the Muster and its our first full vehicle release in the 15mm range.  While all Muster make use of the Skylark it is the Patrol that are famous for using it.  Most Muster use the ground travelling variants of the Adder vehicle.  Carrying a pilot and gunner along with a four man fire-team which can deploy from hatches in its armoured hull.  It carries an underslung mounted rotary cannon and can have an optional centre hatch or missile pod on a top mount. Propelled by four jet engines it is very speedy and excellent for recon and getting in and out fast.  The rear engine pods can be rotated for landing and take off.  Deployed all across the Prydian Precinct its a child of the civil war and is now being put into use against the Shia Khan too.  It can sit on its own props or be mounted on a white metal flight stand that will come out later as a release (not pictured).

There are two more posts coming about the Skylark which will show the other items which go with this vehicle and will be parts of the ESO's as well.  Stay tuned!

Comments most welcome.

GBS