The Alternative Armies Blog

Welcome to the Alternative Armies blog. This blog tells you all about what we are up to and it is where we post our latest tabletop gaming news and articles.
We cover Flintloque and Slaughterloo, High Fantasy, Other Ranges as well as our 15mm scale fantasy, science fiction and historical ranges.
Our game systems and free content such as PDF downloads and reading articles. Enjoy and do dig back in time to see what was going on before now.

Feel free to comment and ask questions. We are always happy to help gamers with their hobby.

Thursday 28 May 2020

Five Day Thank You 15% off all orders

It has been a tough old time for us all.  In light of that and all of the heart warming and lovely messages sent to Alternative Armies over the past eight or so weeks wishing us well and relating tales of staying at home and gaming we are saying we really appreciate it to everyone with a “Five Day Thank You”.  For five days (ending at 9am GMT 3rd June 2020) there is an automatic discount of 15% off your cart during website checkout.  This covers everything on the website.  All ranges, all books, all miniatures, all paid downloads, all pro-painted stock; if it is there it is included.  


Go HERE or read on for details on the free gift which will also be automatically included in your package when it ships out.  For you see we offer a freebie each month lasting the entire month and this five day event straddles both May and June.  So depending upon when you order you will get either May or June's free item.  We are always fair so here are both of these so that you can time your order to get the one you want.


Until the end of May you automatically get a pack of ten miniatures OH1 Nilbogs Backwoods Goblin Band.


For the entire month of June you will automatically get the CA1-01 Magical Youth in your package.


Check out our Events and Bundles page for the biggest savings and also our Slaughterloo page if you fancy a new Division pack.  All with the extra discount coming off in checkout.

Our sincerest thanks to all of our customers for their support during the last two months.  The entire team here in Scotland sends you its best wishes. Thanks for Reading.

GBS 

Wednesday 27 May 2020

Patrol Angis books all out of stock!

Well...not expected..all three of the Patrol Angis books went out of stock today!  


Trade order and a run over the weekend.  We will get them into print again soon as we can once things are back to normal.  If you wish, the digital download versions are still there at 20% less in the meantime.  Go HERE.

Thanks!

GBS

Friday 22 May 2020

Alternative Armies Gift Cards

We have a new service to offer our customers.  Gift Cards!  Go HERE or read on for more details.


If you want to get a truly special present for your significant other or your friend then look no further than an Alternative Armies gift card!

Gift Cards can be used on any of the thousands of miniatures or other tabletop gaming books and items on our website.  Give them the gift of choice!

Choose from 25GBP, 50GBP, 75GBP and 100GBP values.  Upon purchase the card will be delivered to your email address with instructions to redeem.  You can use use it or pass it to the person you wish to gift it to. Once purchased a gift card is valid for one year after that date.  It can be redeemed in one or more orders until its total is used up with partial payment beyond that which the sum remaining on the card covers.  Gift Cards apply to the TOTAL of an order once all items are in cart and any discounts are applied and shipping choice has been made meaning that as long as the card covers the final total the person using the card makes no payment. Gift Cards have no additional processing fees. If we can assist you further with any questions please contact us on sales@alternative-armies.com.

Thank you for Reading,

GBS

Thursday 21 May 2020

Free Download: Deep Freeze Toad Flintloque Scenario

Laying nearly complete since 2012 it is our pleasure to present to you a full size Flintloque scenario as well as a Uniformation article both featuring the 777th Croaked Line; Undead Todoroni. Originally meant for publication in the Barking Irons Magazine they have been finalised and prepared for free download.  Links to download are below plus details.  


You can find all of our FREE FILES on the website in one place or go to the UNDEAD OF THE WITCHLANDS for the miniatures.  Enjoy Flintloque fans!


Deep Freeze Toad
An ad hoc group of Todoroni have banded together to escape the Witchlands and they took finding an abandoned keep as dusk fell to be a sign of good omens.  Sadly it has turned into an ambush as a larger force of Undead Todoroni led by a Vampyre are about to attack them.  Can they hold out or is it the end of the adventure?  Find out in this full size three page scenario.  Play solo or with two players. CLICK HERE to download from our website storage. 


Uniformation - 777th Croaked Line
A two page article giving history, uniforms as well as game rules for Flintloque and for Slaughterloo.  Update from the unpublished 2012 version this article sits alongside the scenario 'Deep Freeze Toad'.  CLICK HERE to download from our website storage. 

Thanks for Reading,

GBS

Wednesday 20 May 2020

Free Download: Bio-Constructs in USEME

It Should Not Be! Made in a lab by mankind or by an alien race.  Evolved out of a data constructs nightmares or stitched together from bits and pieces.  A Bio-Construct is a life form which did not come about naturally and rather was designed for war or terror.  


It is my pleasure to present to players of USEME 15mm Science Fiction, Eldrich Horror, Cyberpunk a free one page download article with optional rules for putting creations of gene modding into your scenarios.  You will need a copy of the rules to be able to use this article and you can get it from our secure website storage by CLICKING HERE.


If you would like to learn more about USEME then you can by going HERE on our website.  The 'Ultra Simple Engine for Miniature Engagements' is really easy to learn and you can play a full game in less than thirty miniatures with any miniatures in your collection.  Every title in the range exists in print and as a paid digital download all at great prices.

Thanks for Reading,

GBS

Tuesday 19 May 2020

Free Download: Towering Mecha in USEME

Encased in armour and towering over the battlefield a mech or mecha is a giant humanoid machine typically with a pilot which can take on the mightiest of other war machines such as tanks.   It may also be a sentient artificial intelligence or programmed robot too. Optional bolt on rules for the tallest bi-pedal or quad legged  models in your games.


It is my pleasure to present to players of USEME 15mm Science Fiction or Modern Warfare rules a free two page download article with optional rules for putting giant robots into your scenarios.  You will need a copy of UM001 or UM004 to be able to use this article and you can get it from our secure website storage by CLICKING HERE.


If you would like to learn more about USEME then you can by going HERE on our website.  The 'Ultra Simple Engine for Miniature Engagements' is really easy to learn and you can play a full game in less than thirty miniatures with any miniatures in your collection.  Every title in the range exists in print and as a paid digital download all at great prices.

Thanks for Reading,

GBS

Friday 15 May 2020

Landsknechte Doppelsoldner 120mm model now in the Vulcan range

A second kit has been added to the Vulcan Models range on the website.  A second 120mm scale figurine for collectors and painters or those keen on history.  You can see the range HERE.


Some Landsknechte were schooled in the use of the Zweihander (two-hander) a two-handed sword were entitled to double pay and thus qualified as Doppelsoldner. The fencing guild of the Brotherhood of St. Mark had the monopoly on the use of the Zweihander after Frederick III the Holy Roman Emperor granted it to them in 1487. The Zweihander was used by the Doppelsoldner to break through formations of pikemen by either being swung to break the ends of the pikes themselves or to knock them aside and attack the pikemen directly.  Typically one Landsknecht in four would be a Doppelsoldner.

Landsknechte Doppelsoldner
V120-02
120mm Scale


This resin and metal military figurine kit is presented to you in 120mm scale. It is composed of twelve pieces. These pieces assemble into the form you see in the images. Assembly from the supplied sprues is not complex and has been designed for easy use. Durable and rugged it will be ideal for display or use on table. 


Assembled as per the images the figurine is approx 120mm from sole of foot to the eye line with a total height of about 160mm to top of plume.  Sculpted by Bob Naismith.


This model was used as the basis for the cover art of the Furioso game system book and we have a great 15mm Renaissance range to go with these rules which includes several Landsknechtes as well.  Go HERE for this.

This is our only new miniatures release for this month and we will have some free files for you and a great offer to end the month as well as outlined on our BLOG.

Thanks for Reading,

GBS

Thursday 14 May 2020

Furioso Renaissance Warfare reviews and new print run

Written by Steve Danes the excellent multiple scale set of wargame rules for the Renaissance called Furioso has sold out its print run.  We have ordered up a new print run and it is due in soon!  Until the 28th of May 2020 we have a pre-order on the new print run HERE with 15% off the normal price.  Of course most of our titles are also DIGITAL DOWNLOADS which are 20% less than in print if you want something to read right away.


We have a large 15mm historical range for wargaming in this time period and we have buildings and walls as well as ready made army packs.


You can read an article about the rules written by the author on our blog HERE.  Files for the game on our Free Downloads page HERE.  Read about the Mega Bundle and the free beginners scenario on our blog HERE. An article about the new expansion book is HERE.  Furioso Alfresco in Devon go HERE for a first playing account.  Review of Furioso in Wargames, Soldier, Strategy magazine No97 see our account HERE. Free QRS (Quick Reference Sheet) on our BLOG by Tony Cane.  Ottoman Empire playtest army sheet download HERE.

Video play through of Furioso the Italian Wars kindly linked from the Yarkshire Gamers blog onto our own for your viewing. Renaissance wargaming with or without the fantastical inventions of Da Vinci. Playable in 15mm and 28mm scale with your armies. They go into some depth which is great. Original links to the articles are also included. Go HERE.

I want to thank everyone for their support and for reading,

GBS

Wednesday 13 May 2020

Nilbogs Goblins scale shots 28mm and 15mm

All this month of May 2020 every order shipped out from Alternative Armies automatically gets a free gift included. The gift is a pack of ten miniatures.  OH1 Nilbogs Goblin Band which are great for many different uses.  See them HERE on our Orc and Goblin Horde page.  While meant for 28mm scale tabletop gaming they can also fit in with other scales such as 15mm and after being asked to give some examples of these we are happy to present the following pictures.  


As with all images on our blog you just have to click on them to make them larger.  All of the codes featured in these fifteen pictures can be found on the website by typing the code as it appears into the search box.  Enjoy!
















Now that is a lot of miniature fun right there!


If you want to read the article about Nilbog and the month long offer you can find it HERE.

Thanks for Reading,

GBS

Friday 1 May 2020

Nilbogs Goblin Band ten miniatures free in every May order plus May News

Welcome to the new month and what a strange time we are living in now.  April saw twenty new codes in 28mm, 15mm and 6mm scales across many of our ranges all now in our NEW RELEASES page of the website.  The annual March to War event is now over and we wish to thank everyone for their custom.  Alternative Armies is open and working within the guidelines laid down in the UK for social distancing.  As our regular customers will know we like to offer something extra for free.  All this month you will get TEN free little Goblins automatically included in your package as it mails out.  Go HERE to see Nilbogs Backwoods Goblin Band or read on for more.


“Swarm is not a word I use easily lad. A swarm of animals of insects and things that crawl or fly and take to nests yes, those be swarms. But swarm is the word used when talking of Nilbog. That Goblin vermin is weak but he is strong in numbers and that makes him dangerous. The Backwoods Band swore their loyalty to the warlord Karnok back when we were amid the ruins of Talno. Goblins were to face us, we knew that. But had we known of the swarm then perhaps we would not have fought among the ruins. When the Backwoods Band arrived they surely outnumbered us a dozen to one perhaps more. With sword and spear we made short work of each Goblin leaving them pulped at our boots but one by one my men were brought down by many hands and daggers. So a swarm. I would rather have faced a Wyvern...at least we would only have had to look in one direction for death!”

OH1 Nilbogs Backwoods Goblin Band
This code contains ten different 28mm metal miniatures.  Goblins armed with a variety of weapons including Sword, Dagger, Mace, Polearm and Bow with each model approx 19mm tall.  Go HERE to see our entire Orc and Goblin Horde.


Ending 9am GMT 1st June 2020 we will automatically add a pack of OH1 (worth 11.50GBP) to every order shipped out from here in Scotland.  You need do nothing but place your order and we will put one in for you.  Of course you can order from OH1 as normal as well and if you do you will get the free pack as well.  Please note this offer applies to any order placed by webstore, by phone or by email and post which requires shipping (Digital Download books only does not count sorry!).  Supplied unpainted and without bases.

News from Alternative Armies for May 2020

You might have just read the above in this article and thought..wow!  Ten free Goblins.  I will tell you how we choose our free code for the month to explain this and as I have been asked as well.  We have a list of six possibles and we roll a D6 to choose it.  True and very wargamer eh!  Next time around the selected code is removed and another added and the roll is made again.  So we never know for sure what it will be and it means something possibly radically different each time.  Typically there will be a Fantasy, Flintloque, Science Fiction, 15mm, 6mm and Ion Age item on the list of varying value. So now you know and why we are offering ten free little Goblins!


Due to the Corvid19 pandemic we have suspended our new print title releases and publication re-print runs as well (and thus the digital versions will also be held back).  This means any title on our site which is out of print will remain so for the present time. The World of Valon duelling game En Garde and two USEME titles planned for May 2020 will happen later on.  If you wish to be informed of when new titles will happen please contact us on sales@alternative-armies.com and we will let you know.  


This month we will have free content for you to enjoy.  Several articles and scenarios for our game systems.  Among these will be optional rules for giant mecha in USEME as well as Bio-Constructs in USEME and a Flintloque scenario which was meant to be published back in 2012 too. 


Across the last weekend of this month we will have a special offer which will reach just into June.  A chance to stock up for summer for four days only.  If you would like to be notified by email then contact us on sales@alternative-armies.com.  We will have some releases during the month too.  We have also updated our Collected Bundles page where the biggest savings are to be found.

Thanks for Reading,

GBS