Ion Age 28. Lithic Assumption 4

…INQUIRY

…Access location Stamp from recovered Black box

…LITHIC ASSUMPTION SPACE.PLANET FATE

…run Holo log

Ensign Castr pulled himself up toward the exit hatch that gaped open several metres above him while all around The Redsea Wanderer burned.

The Exploration ship Redsea Wanderer had been hit by debris in low orbit and was forced down onto the rocky surface of the new planet. With the main engines offline to avoid total destruction, the ship had dropped on antigravs before they too had overloaded and the final distance had been like a falling tower.

Clear of the wreckage, Ensign Castr looked around as the ship's security forces took control and assessed the situation.

"Can you shoot?" one of the armored figures approached and questioned him, thrusting a Moth Automatic Rifle into his arms.

Shaking away the smoke from his thoughts Castr looked down at the rifle and then to the trooper

"Do you need a medic?" the trooper responded to the silence and look of confusion on Castr's face, pulling back the weapon.

"Yes. I mean sorry. No Medic but I can shoot" Castr's head cleared as habit took over

"Fire Team Alpha, 72nd Platoon, Redsea Eastern Militia. Retired." Castr reached over and took the rifle, the cold metal triggering old patterns and a wash of memories from a former life.

"Good" said the Trooper, noticing the Ensigns new focus and change in his stance. 

"Welcome back to the line"

A quick catch up on my Lithic Assumption forces.

With the theme around the survivors of a crashed exploration ship, I wanted to add some civilian survivors. The majority of these would be armed, military service is compulsory within the Lithic Assumption. but I wanted a change in appearance and uniform. The Cold Climate Militia was perfect with small change, filing away their fur hats to make a Shako and fulfilled my idea of a crewman.

Ensign Castr

Lithic Assumption ExSec forces.

Four more Muster troops and another crewman left to paint..

Ion Age 28. Hades Legion 2

The bay doors of the Anvil of Suns opened, the ship's inner light sliced out as if the very night had been cut like cloth, and three Pinna transport barges slid out into the void toward the planet below.

Engines flared and the Anvil of Suns pulled away from the barges. Debris fields from ancient space battles encircled the planet and even in high orbit, the risk of damage was too great. The last of the exploration force has been deployed and now it would withdraw and carry on in the system to survey the rest of the planets before returning.

Aboard the lead Pinna, Anvils Shield,  Sub-Legate Atarr watched the descent counter roll down with one eye while his other watched the location markers of the other Pinnas maneuvering through the twisting ruins all around

Proximity alarms sounded as Anvils Eye moved too close and then swung away as its pilot attempted to avoid a collision, but too late and dived into a wreak fragment that might have once been exhaust post. 

"For the Khan" the radio burst from the Anvils Eye before filling the cabin with static as the transporter was destroyed.

"Anvils Will. This is Anvils Shield"

"Copy Anvils Shield " the radio crackled back into life.

"Reduce decent by 10% and follow our vector. Respond"

"Anvil’s Will in compliance"

‘Signal the Anvil of Suns’’ the Sub-legate instructed the Comms officer

‘Anvil of Suns. This is Shield. Mission update, Eye is broken. Shield and Will on the final approach. Request reinforcements’

The planetary analysis had reported a planet cut off by the heavy debris, preventing communication reaching into or out of planets surface while travel down was high risk. On the surface, the environment was in turmoil from the wreaks that periodically dropped out of orbit, ruin scattered the landscapes. Urban areas had been identified but the majority were in decline with evidence of decay, civil unrest or inter-faction warfare while others showed impact damage. Data fragments had identified three possible sites and the Malig Drop Spears had made bridgeheads but it would be for the Legion to lead and coordinate the search for clues to the long-hidden Hades Vaults that had been scattered across the galaxy an eon ago.

‘"Anvil of Suns acknowledged. No longer within planetary range. Proceed with the mission. Hades Demands"

Sub-Legate Atarr had not expected any further support and began to replan with the forces left to him, Praying that both barges would make planetfall and not follow Anvil’s Eye’s fate and resolve his challenge another way.

"Shield and Will in Compliance. The Khanate Advances"

Shia Khan legions form the backbone of the Khanate forces and I had acquired several as part of a job lot as well as some recent reinforcements from Alternative Armies website. The figures were painted in Hades Legion livery.

Legion Tesseran with Sub-legate Atarr and Pioneer armored bodyguard

Legion infantry armed with Juno Laser Rifles

Legion Infantry with Juno laser Rifle. Legion Assaulter with Maia Mpi. Legion Support with Janus Blast Gun Team

Legion Officer and Legion Pioneer with Maia Mpi

Warlord with Juno laser Cannon

Warlord next to Metaborg

Nox Trooper with Janus Blastgun

Size comparison.

left to Right - Malig. Legion Infantry. Legion Pioneer. Nox. Warlord. Metaborg

Hades Legion 

Alternative Armies

Ion Age 28. Hades legion 1

It was sun time by the planetary rotation but the dust clouds that wrapped the city kept everything in endless dusk. The orbital bombardment that had heralded Hades Legions' arrival had reduced Oxen City to rubble, they had not come to colonise but to remove, to sweep away in preparation for the Khanates return.  

The Malig Ordos divisions were the first to make planetfall, Drop Spears falling from the sky and digging deep, like pins to a map, securing Hades to the world.

Captain Myroc signaled his Tesseran forward, it had already lost two troopers to PFD fire but was determined not to lose momentum. He served the Legion with pride, but it did not suffer failure well and he would see his orders fulfilled no matter the cost. 

Rifle and pistol hummed into life and the Hades line moved forward again, white uniforms blossoming to red and falling to the grey earth.

Continuing with working through by 28mm Ion Age miniatures,  I picked up with the Malig Space Goblins. These were sculpted by Bob Olley and show his usual style, personality and attention to detail, some of these remind me of his original Adeptus Mechanicus Servitor sculpts.

The Maligs have been painted in the purple livery of Hades Legion like their 15mm counterparts.

  

Three troopers armed with Juno Laser rifles and a Cupid Laser Pistol. I painted the end of the pistol in off white to give the impression it was a ceramic material

A Malig officer with twin Cupid laser pistol and two more troopers armed with a Cupid Laser Pistol and a Juno laser rifle

Group shot. 

Maligs supported by Metaborg Proauctor Belial

Scout elements of Hades Legion encounter Lithic Assumption forces within the ruins of Oxen City

Ion Age 28. Lithic Assumption 3

...INQUIRY
...Lithic Assumption Civil Structure.
...ACCESS DIRECTORY
...Exploration Section/Brief
...Department of the Lithic Assumption governmental structure. Departments are titled a Major or Minor Sections depending on budget and Committee. ExSec was designated Minor Section and has been redesignated Major Section with oversight of ColSec and level 2 requisition access for DefSec.
...INQUIRY
...expand listed Sections
...ExSec...Exploration Section
...ColSec...Colonization Section
...DefSec...Defense Section.
...INQUIRY
...resume brief
...The ExSec was established as a scientific unit with access to AdSec and level 2 requisition to Defsec. Year 1 - 5 records log 12 off-world deployments and explorations attached to DefSec.
Year 6-10 records 38 off world deployments with 6 DefSec support.
...INQUIRY
...Public record scan/Brief
...'Contact with the wider galactic Civilisation and increasing Spacer influence within the House of Prefects has seen significant changes within the Civil Services, most notably with ExSec. What began as a small scientific unit has become a major Section and has become the instrument of Spacer expansion. ExSec now has oversight of ColSec and with it Colonial Outposts, Corporate Contracting. With DefSec status moved to High Alert, ExSec as Section Major has established its own security forces
...INQUIRY
...ExSec Security Forces
...ExSec security forces draw from Militia and Muster level for the defense of ExSec and Corporate holdings, Explorations, and Colonial Outposts. ExSec personal retain the teal of the civil Service livery as opposed to DefSec Red.

Coming back to my 28mm Alternative Armies Ion Age figures with a mind to use them for trying out the Planet28 ruleset created by Nicholas Evans

Blood and Rust Blog

Available here to download from Wargames Vault

Wargames Vault

The figures could also be used for other games like Rogue Trader, Kill Team, Inquisitor, Necromunda, etc and also allowed me to expand on my realm, The Lithic Assumption.

My first planned piece was a gun drone converted from an engine from Ramshackle Games (a fantastic site for miniatures and parts!)

Ramshackle Games

The design style for the Lithic Assumption is for a vertical asthetic.

Engine with plasticard and twin heavy bolter slung underneath

I went for quite minimal design with heavy weathering to add detail and would fit in with the narrative of the Warband as a group of crash survivors

I went back over the first four Militia I had painted and added the stripe and weathering

A Muster Majoris Officer and Muster Centaris Officer 

Warband so far. 

I plan on adding some more Muster troops and transport and possibly another Drone

Prehistoric. Homo Erectus 1

Four pathways.

Four pathways were all that the tribe of Damaa made, there had been more, 

but they were gone and now only four remained.

There had been a time when Damaa had been a part of many pathways and his father had guided the Tribe of Maa, but he was impatient to rule and could not wait for his father's path to stop. 

Damaa has returned from the Hunt full of heart and breath from the kill and he had challenged his father for control of the tribe. 

But Maa was still strong, the hearts and breaths of many kills within him, and Damaa was beaten and his plans undone.

Maa has been merciful and had forgiven his impetus son but Damaa could not forgive nor bare the shame so in the dark he had called his hunting Hand to him and left...

the start of my  Homo Erectus tribe was a chance Facebook acquisition and was bought to give me some practice for my other tribes but the figures have such character I have decided to expand them into a full tribe. The figures are four of a five pieces set made by the Honourable Lead Boiler Suit Company and are currently OOP but they are planning on bringing them back.

Honourable Lead Boiler Suit Company

Damaa wields a hand axe and jawbone.

Painted collection to date