IAF021 Muster 1st Patrol Command Released!

“You sure you want this promotion Patrol Superior Trooper Hanson? Going up to Emeritas will change things for you.”

Trooper Hanson dropped back from the crisp salute he had given Sarj Lyatt Jones and into a more easy pose. He has anticipated this question and indeed he wanted it asked. He had survived the vaccing of his home moon Rikergast and then enforced closure of the outlawed droid works on Farnborough VII where had a gotten two scars from the experience. As it that was not enough he had been with the 903^rd on Hakke in the initial war against the thinking robots of the M.O.R. How he hated machines. He had survived all of that and gotten into the prized ranks of the Patrol. Now here on Canaveral II in the ongoing war with the League of Yordan for the system he had proven himself again in a number of firefights. The promotion was more than earned. Things would change, but didn't they always. That was the sick joke that passed for life these days.

  
“Yes Sarj. I am. You know I earned it. You know I want it. I also know that you got sent here for a reason you are keeping quiet about.”
Sarj Jones bridled at this but his face remained impassive. He had enrolled Hanson into the Patrol from the regular Muster two years previously back at a cosy recruiting office on New Glastonbury. He was pushing sixty year old now and if had not been for money owed he would have retired. Damn his son, damn him and his gambling. Danger pay was good on active duty for the Patrol. It ought to be, you had to earn it. Jones needed the money and he was right in the thick of it now.

“Fair enough Hanson. Come with me and we'll go and see the Captain. See if you can fill Merther's boots.”

The Sergeant turned on his heels and began to march towards the command post some hundred meters away. Troop Hanson smiled and then marched behind him. There was nothing of home left for him, no family or possessions. The Prydian Army was his life and he had set his aims at joining the ranks of the Retained as a Varlet. This was the only way a man like him could make it. He had to rise, to rise and survive.

“Don't want his boots Sarj. They got snuffed just like he did. Nothing left after the impact. But it will mean that you will be calling me sir....”

Hanson saw the Sarj's shoulders tense if only for a moment. Whatever had happened to make Jones leave New Glastonbury must have been bad. He was too old for this game now.

“If you get the promot' Trooper, if you get it. But then I known you long enough ain't I. Seen what you can do. Wouldn't surprise me if you made it all the way to Varlet.”

Sarj Layatt Jones. 874^th Regiment, Patrol, Canaveral II . 4328IC 
(this is the second part of this story, you can read the first part HERE)

IAF021 Muster 1st Patrol Command

IAF021 Muster 1^st Patrol Command
Got to have leadership for your lads eh! This week we present the Muster Patrol Command pack. This command set has five poses of brand new white metal 15mm miniatures suitable to lead The Patrol. Composed of a middle ranking officer with Tumbler SMG, a Patrol Trooper with Comms Gear and a Moth Rifle, a Patrol Medic, a Standard Bearer and lastly an unfortunate Patrol Trooper who has died in combat. Wearing Aketon Armour and Patrol helmets this is a great command pack for any Muster Patrol force such as IAF022 up to and beyond the Platoon level. 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 2.50GBP per pack.

IAF021 Rear View

This is our second Muster Patrol new release and we are planning more. For example to get to a full platoon of unique poses we will need a Support Patrol Squad with heavier weapons but should we also have a special command pack (like IAF005 Balthazar and Jerome for the Retained) and a squad of female Patrol Troopers? If you have suggestions then drop us a line we would love to hear from you.

IAF022 Muster 1st Patrol

IAF022 Muster 1^st Patrol 
The first release into the most glamorous and dangerous arm of the Muster; The Patrol. The Patrol is a vast number of regiments of troopers who all have time served combat experience and act as a front time aid to Retained Knights and also in their own right. This squad of ten white metal 15mm poses is composed of a low ranking officer with Moth Pistol, several poses of trooper with Moth Rifle, with Tumbler SMG and a couple of with heavier weapons the Anvil 888 and Charlatan 22mm Launcher. Wearing Aketon armour and Patrol helmets this is a central squad for a patrol platoon. 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.

IMP07 Female Muster Patrol Officer

Information Burst! 
We are into the final week of the Skylark Patrol Flyer early supporter offers. These now end on the 20^th March 2014 (extended three days by customer request). So if you want to take advantage of a 25% saving and free items on a bundle at the same time as getting the brand new Patrol Command pack then now is the time! Remember you also automatically get this month's free miniature IMP07 Female Muster Patrol Officer (appropriate!) which you can also purchase if you want more castings of it. Come 1^st April the current IMP miniature vanishes. 

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 your Time.

GBS

House of Kroy at Wargaming Pastor's Blog

Knight Commander of the House of Kroy

There is an excellent blog post just up by the Wargaming Paster.  He is a big fan of what I do in The Ion Age and the background story in Firefight 2.0 inspired him to get back into our miniatures in 28mm scale.

The House of Kroy is assembled to stand against the invasion of the Khanate Empire both in the Prydian Civil War and perhaps a thousand years earlier during the Ban of Prejudice before the activation of the Aldan Cruicible.  There is more on this in the posting.

I really like the uniform of the Kroy Retained and Muster.  Using the red and white colours that feature in the standard Prydian Army uniforms there is more emphasis on the red for Kroy with white being used to pick out raised areas.  See more pictures in the posting.

An excellent post and I look forward to seeing the House of Kroy in battle!

You can find all of the Retained and Muster in 28mm on our website.

GBS

Digital Downloads both free and paid on the blog

We have a page on the Ion Age blog which holds all of our downloads.  That is files you can either get free or you can pay for.  The free files are support documents for our game systems what give you rosters, examples, scenarios and more to aid in your wargaming.  The paid files are purpose planned digital versions of our print rulebooks for those who prefer to have electronic rather than paper books.

If you are interested in any of these files then visit the Digital Downloads page of the blog and have a browse about.   Thanks for Reading.

GBS

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