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| XQ platforms for Star Wars "Armada" - models by Mel Miniatures. |
After a multi-week run of 30k projects during the current edition of the 13th edition of Curt's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, my brushes took some time away from the grim darkness of the far future and switched over to some things from a long time ago in a galaxy far away. Up first are two "XQ" series space platforms, intended for use in the Star Wars "Armada" game. These are 3D prints from Mel Miniatures on Shapeways.
"Armada", you ask? Well, when I like a setting, I tend to collect it multiple scales - Star Wars "Armada" is the fleet scale Star Wars game from Fantasy Flight. The ship models from the game are pre-painted (and are quite awesome). I fell into collecting fleets for "Armada" last year, and now have fleets for the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance.
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| Some bright landing markings for this platform - it is the smaller and sleeker of the two, so maybe it's just a research station? Or up to no good? |
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| Better scan that thing, just to be sure... |
So how do these platforms fit in?
Well, the "Armada" core box set comes with assorted 2D markers to use for terrain, including one to represent a platform. Space platforms are not only fun terrain, but great plot devices and objectives for scenarios, and I much preferred to have models to represent them. Thankfully, the amazing universe of 3D sculptors and printers who clearly love Star Wars has this covered!
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| A little more going on with this one - including some more obvious weapons for defence. |
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| Could be a harmless observation outpost...right? I mean, room for a squadron of starfighters, sure... |
These are intended to be generic stations - they can be Rebel stations, Imperial stations, neutral or even a mercenary location out somewhere in Outer Rim! I hope they will help bring games of Star Wars "Armada"more life on the table! The sculpts were very nicely printed, easy to paint, and designed specifically to fit with the large bases from the game "X-Wing" (which are square). Maybe my only quibble is how hard it is to get extra bases for either "X-Wing" or "Armada" - but that is a knock on Fantasy Flight Games more generally, and not Mel Miniatures!
"Armada" is an excellent game, and I find the fleet combat setting is much more tolerable for the hordes of chits and markers that Fantasy Flight tends to burden its rulesets with. That said, it is vulnerable to the power gaming sorts as it features a byzantine array of upgrade cards and characters that can really twist and exploit gaps in the rules - the best cure for this is to keep the upgrades and character nonsense to a minimum, in which case, it is a lot of fun.
Stay tuned for more Star Wars stuff, and, as always, for more Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge submissions from all of the Conscripts!
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