"Slammers 15mm Blowers" Topic

The wait is almost over!

Available from Ainsty Castings ainstycastings.co.uk the new 15mm Slammers vehicles will be available from Salute 2013 salute.co.uk (ie 20th April).

Bear in mind that these vehicles are 1/100th scale exactly, based on the dimensions in The Crucible and agreeed by Dave Drake.

These shots are of the pre-production vehicle – the tribarrel and main gun are in resin, as is (obviously) the rest of the vehicle.

On the production version, these elements, along with the anti-mine rocket launcher on the front glacis (with the option of it being open or closed) will be in metal. Stowage (in a turret-rear basket) will be in resin.

The tanks are around 110mm long, 73mm wide and 32mm to the top of the turret (with the hatch/cuppola being slightly proud of that). They have a one piece cast hull and a separate turret (obviously…)

The Combat Cars are just finishing the sculpting process now and should be with Ainsty by the end of the week. They will be around 75mm long and have an etched brass roof (on this model). They should also be avialable to buy at Salute but I'll leave all of tht news up to Ainsty themselves.

Sculpting is by Steve McGuire and all are original sculpts.

Next up planned are the Command Cars and Command turreted tanks. Following that will be the up-armoured cars and tanks (as used by later Slammers and the post Slammers Friesland Defence Force).

Also in the pipeline for later in the year will be the other Slammers specific vehicles (Hogs, tank destroyers, jeeps – maybe even the Combat Car transporter if we can) all in 15mm.

Remember that GZG are also on schedule for new infantry and skimmers for Slammers by Salute as well.

Here's a shot with them in context with other vehicles:

Happy Hammering: see you on Route 66 at Salute!

John Treadaway
hammers-slammers.com

Not seeing pics in this post or at Ainsty

-Eli

This is great news John!

Looking forward to seeing what the up-armored ones look like too!

In terms of the new GZG infantry (and I really like the old ones too), do you think they'll mix n' match with the old ones, or are they pretty different?

Allergic as I am to most resin, for these I'd put on an NBC suit!

Niiiice!!!

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

Eli

I was just fiddling with the pics so could you have another go?

They certainly aren't upon his (Ainsty's) website yet: he's only just finished the production mould so he's not going to be selling them for a month.

I just wanted to show everyone what they looked like!

John T

I can see them, just FYI

I think they may be posted on a site that my work computer doesn't like :)

-Eli

Leland

Thanks – I hope they bring you out in a sweat rather than a rash (if you see what I mean!)

Mr H – Jon has not shown me anything finished yet but – as they're ll new sculpts from martin Baker – I'm assuing they will compatable with but just better than the originals.

There will certainly be more of them!

John T

Eli – that's wierd: they are on the Slammer's server (along with the rest of the Slammer's site…) but in a hidden directory.

I can see I'm going to have to put a page up on the Slammers site (which I assume you can see!)

John T

PS – what I will have to do is take some pictures along side some other big tanks (the Fayre of Khurasan and Critical mass spring to mind!)

John,

It's not you, it's our damned net nannies at work. Might also be useful to take pics of them next to the old Slammers tanks too.

-Eli

Eli

Good point

John T

John T is Jez going to still carry his or did he sell the range to Ainsty Castings?
John

@ARMY Strong

I hope Jez will continue selling his 28mm and 6mm Blower range and all other (non specific Slammers) 15mm models he makes.

And he will have my full support in that.

The Ainsty range is a new range.

John T

John T thanks for the quick response I had bought a bounce of his 15mm Slammers so was hoping this new line will match up.

Any chance the 6mm line will be reborn too?

@Army Strong

The thing you're going to really notice will be the tanks: see the pic below – it's about 20% plus. The combat cars, not so much (but the new ones will be bigger and a little sleeker). The jeeps: you'll be ok.

Anyway: see here link (hopefully that link will work for those at work who's nany stops them looking at some images…)

However, here's a direct link to some of the comparison pics:

They are only quick snaps (it was getting dark in the studio (read 'conservatory'…) but it makes the points raised.

More shots are on the site. link

Allen – I'm hoping Old Crow will carry on with the 6mm line (and the 28mm line, for that matter)

John T

That is a tremendous difference in size. How disappointing that they won't blend with the Old Crow models. Not even a little bit.
It's a shame that Old Crow won't be continuing with the 15mm line I liked them quite a bit. Sigh…

I know these designs were approved by David Drake, but what bugs me about all of them is having the fan intakes on the side of the vehicles in a universe where direct fire weapons have almost unlimited range and lethality provided they have line of sight.

The original designs the Warlords had GZG make in 25/28mm where the fans were on the top deck made much more sense given that plunging fire is highly unlikely given the Slammer's ability to intercept artillery rounds.

I know the designs are popular, but it bugs me that they make no sense at all. Why on earth would you want to invite a powergun round to flash detonate inside your iridium hull??

110mm long? Wow, that's as big as a 28mm Stryker. I like that size! In my mind, tanks should be big and scary. 110mm in 15mm size is dang good!

@Captainquirk:
IIRC the lift fans themselves sit much lower in the hull and the draft tube is armored, so hitting the intake wouldn't do much other than possibly restrict the flow a little. AFAIR they could also keep on running with 2 or 3 fans knocked out, but had to watch out for hanging up on anything sticking up.
(though it's been a while since I read the books…)

Very nice. I def want a few!

@chasseur it's simply a chance to get the sizing right (at last). The Old Crow models of the blower tanks in this scale have always been way too small (just look at them in comparison to the other, non Slammers tanks: this is meant to be a 170 ton monster!). This is an opportunity to get the sizing correct and – with an increased level of detail (the combat car, for example, will have etched brass gun shields for the tribarrels and a comms box) so it just too good a chance to miss.

@captainquirk: what Darkest Star Games said (typing on this Kindle is so slow!) I've always assumed that the intakes have a kink/shell trap inside to catch stuff that would normally interfere/ricochet down into the duct. But yeah: I've always thought it a little strange (even though it is what Dave visualised).

I think that's why the very flat oval intakes were specified. Probably makes it really difficult – what with the thickness of the iridium hull at that point (probably almost a metre) – to actually get a shot down one of the intakes.

John T

@Darkest Star Games: 110mm is 11 metres. Compare that to a Challenger II or an Abrams in 1/100th. The older model was smaller than either of those real world tanks.

This one is right – and far better matches in with the 28mm and 6mm models, both in terms of size and proportions.

John T

So, how does these compare in size (length and width) to the Old Crow models?

Is the last photo indicative of the two different 15mm ranges, or is the one on the left a different scale model?

Absolutely stunning! I for one am glad you are getting them "right", and even happier I didn't yet buy any of the "too small" ones…

@John T

Yeah… at the end of the day, it's David Drake's universe.

It just seems to me from all his descriptions that a shot there would vaporise the intake grill, and then a lot of the energy would be channelled by the iridium down to the fan assembly. And if I recall correctly, the fans are steel. So goodbye fan.

I guess it's no worse than a current day tank taking a suspension hit. But you'd think by the thirtieth century or whatever that designers would have got the hang of NOT building shell traps into their tanks.

Not really worth debating too much over a vehicle that doesn't actually exist though. From a personal perspective I still much prefer the top deck intake mountings.

John the pics came through fine at home!

Those are some serious beasts!!!

-Eli

@captainquirk – like I said: I don't disagree with your thoughts on this. I guess whatever angle they are at means they are vulnerable to fire from one angle or another but – I would agree – some are probably more vulnerable than others.

As I said before, in a slightly 'handwavium' way I grant you, I'm assuming there's a suitable narrowing of the slot/thickness of the armour thing going on as can be seen from this low angle:

and I guess there's some sort of kink that stops the defection damage happening too often. Or something…

@ Eli – glad you can see the pics!

@ Mako: no they are both meant to be the same scale. As I said in another thread on TMP, although I was pleased with the 28mm and 6mm Old Crow models of the blower, the 15mm 'scale' one has never been what I wanted and – as 15mm has grown in popularity over the last three years especially (and – at a time when the availability of the Old Crow product has been, umm, 'problematic' over the last three quarters of a year or so) it seemed the right time to address the two other issues with the tank model.

The OC 15mm model not only too short at 82mm (a 61 tonne Abrams in 1/100th should be about 80mm, a 62 tonne Challenger 2 is 83mm) it's proportionately wrong as well (too tall for the length and too wide for it as well) plus the intakes are too big, the turret's too small etc etc.

So now seemed the right time to fix all of the issues along with the supply problems as well.

Ainsty will produce them in (he tells me) boxed sets for detachments that actually fit in with the rules and offer more variants, and have them on a working web site, take them to Wargames shows (he does at least a dozen a year, I think) plus offers a newly sculpted, right sized tank with extra details and other vehicles following up to suit.

With Jon Tuffley's new Slammers figures coming out (along with new vehicles and figures for the Diviision Legere) it seemed the right move to make.

And I have to say, the new models – even though they were pre-production (and therefore had a couple of kinks that I fixed) produced a really nice, dominating, impressive model: just like a 170 tonne tank ought to be.

John T

John – this is great news! And the revised dimensions are much more sensible. An M1 Abrams is 8m long (hull) and weighs 60 tonnes. Even accounting for the increased weight of iridium, the Old Crow blower never seemed like 170 tonnes worth of tank. Looks like my Old Crow one will simply become a medium scout tank in that same family of vehicles.

I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the vehicle range. And the infantry. :)

-Chris K.

Edit: we simulposted the Abrams info. :)

Just what I need to stand up to a Siler. My GZG armor is too small compared to the new releases.

Look Great!

I'm very fond of the OC range, but these are pretty freaking good. There's a fair bit more detail on these new models too, grills on the intakes, headlights etc.

I would definitely advocate for the combat cars to be much larger (the GZG hover ACAV comes to mind as a good size) – even though the current models may be close to the proper scale I've always found the models to be pretty small. Hasn't stopped me buying a heap mind you.

I would definitely advocate for the combat cars to be much larger (the GZG hover ACAV comes to mind as a good size) – even though the current models may be close to the proper scale I've always found the models to be pretty small.

I'm with you on the increased detail – it will really help the new range compete with the rest of the 15mm vehicle market. But… you think the 65mm-long OC Combat Car is small compared to the 60mm-long GZG ACAV?

The OC one isn't as wide as the GZG one, but I actually think that helps in urban environments. Other than heavy tanks and mecha, I prefer it if my vehicles are able to fit a standard road lane (40mm on my tables).

-Chris K.

John…the armor…the paint jobs…the city scape terrain pieces…dear lord…

My level of jealousy knows a new level…just amazing.

Re: Combat Cars, good point about the length of the GZG kit, but that extra width…

It's all opinion, but I've always felt this looked meaner than the HS combat car.

Thanks people

The newer combat car will, I hope, be a bit longer and meaner looking (around 75mm long but with around the same width as the earlier model): ie exactly what it looks like in the illustrations in the rules.

My hope is that it will be a little more Hanomag 251 and a bit less Adidas but it is an unusual shape, I will accept, and not what – post WW2 we armour gamers think of (being more attuned to the all enclosed modern ICV type thing). My argument is always that it worked ok for the Panzer Grenadiers…

I think the up-armoured ones are going to look cool as well. This was my original drawing:

think the extra surface detailwill help.

As for size, my GZG stuff looks fine in context, I believe. The world is not short of 30 tonne and 50 tonne lighter and medium tanks and I believe that they represent those fantastically well, as do a lot of other manufacturers products as well – I'm still half way through my Brigade Models Terrans, just awaiting the decals:

But having some big stuff as rivals to the new blowers – like Khurasan's Siler – just, for me, confirms the decision to sort these models out, IMHO.

Happy Hammering!

John T

Please don't take this as a critisism, I've just always wondered… How do these tanks, and any other hover vehicles, deal with any uneven terrain? Or anti-tank obstacles?

They are great looking models, and I now the Slammers background is very popular, but I just keep thinking that these things would be less able to travel over any obstacle than a 1960's era Dalek.

@ Chris K

Looks like my Old Crow one will simply become a medium scout tank in that same family of vehicles.

Good approach!

@ 28mm man

John…the armor…the paint jobs…the city scape terrain pieces…dear lord…

Many thanks – and thanks to all of you for the feedback on this.

John T

EDIT: @ EB – I think it's a combination of things:

First off The vehicles are extremely robust – the tanks for one can simply bulldoze many objects out of the way by sheer mass added to a three inch (or so) thick steel plenum chamber with a sharp edge to it.

Secondly, they can fly. Sort of… The Combat Cars especially can get up to over a metre in height on thrust alone, the tanks a little less. This is because they are really low flying helicopters rather than hover craft (the engines vector to flare and steer etc). So they can go over some stuff that they can't go through.

Lastly, they can go round stuff or – to be brutal – simply blow it up to get it out of the way!

But there are a fair number of instances in the books where the tanks are simply not suitable for enclosed or heavily wooded environments and so the cars are used as an alternative. And – when even that isn't acceptble – the individually mounted infantry on skimmers are used instead of armour.

John T

All looking good John….I think we are going to have to do a massive photo shoot of our 36' table at Salute for those folk that can't make the day. For those interested, and sorry I haven't had as much time to photograph this stuff as WIP, the table is basically made up of a loooong piece of the Route66 highway,(running the length of the table), with three major areas,nodes, war zones….call um what you like coming off it, a space port with landing pad and dropship, and large delta/swamp terrain feature, with a big town/shanty area, docks and drilling platform, and finally, a densely populated city section. All will hopefully, provide, interesting areas for the players to blast though as they 'thunder run' down Route66.
It's all been a long time in the making…..and I never want to see another piece of 4' long highway to build!…..but we are hoping it will provide all the Hammer's fans with some entertainment on the day.

We a bit of luck lots of photos to follow post Salute….for now…….back to building scenery!

Great stuff. Going to get a couple of those monster Blowers. Love 'em!

What Can I say ? … but … "ROLLING HOT" !!!!!!

Shut up and take my money!

Oddly enough there is a side effect of seeing these new bigger tanks.

I now have permissions to build some tanks off of food containers I've had that I always thought were too big.

-Eli

Now, the big scary question. How much money?

@ Po1000 (and indeed everyone else)

I leave those sort of things to Andy at Ainsty Castings.

I suspect he hasn't even weighed the resin yet, but he'll have to have worked it out by Salute (obviously…)

John T

Jon has not shown me anything finished yet but – as they're ll new sculpts from martin Baker – I'm assuing they will compatable with but just better than the originals.

There will certainly be more of them!

Interesting. Vaaaairy interesting. There was a thread a short while ago about 15mm 40K Imperial Guard stand-ins – I suggested that the current slammers infantry are quite close to old-school Rogue Trader imperials, but there aren't really enough poses for a large force. If they're getting new sculpts, more poses etc. that might not be a problem any longer.

Gee, Think of this If a M1 Abrams tanks hull was made of Iridum it would be around 170 tons…..

So a significantly larger hull at 170 tons would probably be much easier to penetrate….

I am just sayin' if you give a solid measurement then your size is dictated…

Looking great! Nice to see them back and in full production.

Thanks Jon for the explanation. I think I need toi have a read of the books, though that may end up costing me a fortune when I get converted and need some of these minis.

@ Eclipsing Binaries

The books are the best thing about all of this: I think they are a great read for anyone interested in Military SF providing one accepts a number of 'givens' about the author's backgrund and personal experience.

Being allowed to 'play' in the very rich background provided by Drake has been a real treat for me and i'm glad to be a part of giving people the opportunity to do likewise.

@ infojunky – A Blower tank's only 2 metres longer than an Abrams so… I dunno. Not the sort of volume/mass maths my head does well… :)

John T

Any combat car or skimmer infantry pics yet?

My wallet is lined up and ready for action!

Not yet Poi000 – the combat car is with Andy at Ainsty for casting for Salute and the infantry is moving on apace – as you can imagine the manufacturers in question (Anisty and GZG) are both working flat out to get them in production in time for Salute. The tank Command Turret is also ready for production (though I've only checked out the master)

I do know that – detail wise – the Combat Car will have extra detail in the shape of separate etched brass gun shields so I think it's going to look really nifty.

John T

PS – I've seen the new Division Legere Tank Destroyer from GZG – also ready for Salute – which also looks excellent! Pics when I can!!