"Help Me Decide 3 Questions" Topic

I am trying to make some important decisions about my fledgling 15mm sci-fi gaming. I figure right now I need to make three decisions, and I am paralyzed by over-analysis. I need outside opinions, please!

So, please check out my blog, <url=http://thescattergungamer.blogspot.com>The Scattergun Gamer</url> and vote on the three polls. There is a discussion post here: link

Thanks for your help, ladies and gents!

I did vote but would rather not comment with my google ID. So here's commentary:

For rules, give Tomorrow's War a look if you haven't already, I'm quite taken with it. Go with single basing. When things get really hugebig scale for me I'll load my single bases onto a card or something to slide around the table as a team, but I tend to keep to max around 60 or so miniatures in a game.

I'm really partial to Khurasan's federal army line. The infantry is well cast, they paint up quite well, and the spread of support weapons is pretty darn good.

Also for tanks and tanklike vehicles I think the federal army ones are pretty much spot on for being science fiction without losing the "tank" look. Be sure to check out all of his tank types just because he's got like three lines of main battle tank type tanks with varying options, and then an ultra-heavy tank that's pretty awesome/if you want to go big, there's your ride.

Same deal with the PCs. Although for a C3 vehicle, once I get around to painting it I've just got a tank I'm going to add antennas to, so that's my solution. I also prefer tracks as:

1. I was once a tanker IRL, so to me, a tank without tracks just feels heretical.

2. My science fiction setting is very inspired by the Aliens series of movies, which is to say it's closer to the 80's, only in space. So stuff that's too high tech seems a bit out of place

That said:

1. You are totally right about his shop closing. And it can feel pretty random. I don't mind it too much simply because he does have another job/a lot of stuff going on apparently, so it's more of just an accepted hazard. On the other hand when he's open he's quite responsive, and his stuff is usually worth the wait.

2. Pretty sure he doesn't do bikes. He's got some small scout buggies if you'd prefer those. However if you're really set on bikes and you go Khurasan infantry, your bike dudes are going to look weird.

Just as a suggestion, perhaps go for GZG or CMG for infantry and the bikes (if that's what you're set on), and wait for Khurasan for the tanks if they're what you're looking for. No way in heck you'll be able to paint that much infantry in the time Khurasan is usually down for whatever it's down for.

Like I use him for my USCM/US Army IN SPACE/Commies in space forces (they're not big, like a squad or two and a handful of tanks), while GZG is where I source all of my civilian/colonial militia/corporate security dudes/actually some random odds and ends I think are cool from. It helps in that it means I'm never really waiting for someone to open back up.

It hurts though because dear jebus I'm buried in lead and resin at this point. I've sworn off buying anything more (minus using a GZG 15% off coupon I got with my last purchase) until I've cut down on the lead mountain a bit.

FUBAR is like what? 2 pages? 1? Great place to start and if it turns out later you don't like it so much, it's not like you invested weeks figuring out the rulebook :-)

I'd be happy to tell why you should totally buy my game, but if you're just starting out, grab something free like FUBAR or Stargrunt and get painting :)

and absolutely base individually. Almost all the scifi games out there that aim or are suitable for 15mm use individual basing.
I'm sure there's something to prove me wrong but it's the majority for sure.

If you want to go for a company-ish per side, I think I'm going to have to recommend Stargrunt. (Note that I haven't played Gruntz or FUBAR or the others, only SG2 and Ambush Alley).

As much as I love Ambush Alley, it doesn't really work for the company+ per side scope of game you want to play.

You could also take a look at The Crucible, which is the Hammer's Slammer's rules. They're pretty slick and will work for a company per side or more.

For basing, I've started shifting from the FoW standard 4-5 guys per base for regular infantry and instead base 3 per medium base like was suggested back in Flames v1 for veteran troops. Then I base roughly 1 platoon per company singly to make change if I'm playing an individual-model-removal game like SG2 or Tomorrow's War. The 3-per-base greatly speeds up movement of Soviet numbers of troops. Or Space Demons.

As far as minis source(s) goes, my answer is ALL OF THEM! No, seriously, I have minis from Khurasan (Exterminators and Space Demons, probably some others lurking), Rebel (Titan Marines to use as Kerberos Capital Police, Earth Force in helmets to serve as Space: Above and Beyond troopers, lots of moderns, too), Zombiesmith's Quar, the Chu-huac from Loud Ninja Games, Flames of War (who says AKs and M16s aren't still in use in 2150?), Eureka (Scifi German Stormtroopers to use as the 101 Panzer Jager company in Stalingrad), Ground Zero Games (LOTS), Irregular (I think), Minifigs, Blue Moon, etc. And the beauty of 15mm is that you can have them all on the same field! I could probably even justify AB's Napoleonics as Feldpolitzei from the Starfist novels.

As the good lion says, once you start collecting 15mm scifi, you won't stop at just one company, though you may start there :)

Quadrant 13 by Too Fat Lardies is the only sci fi game aimed at 15mm that is specifically marketed as company level (afaik).

No there is also critical mass games rule set Critical Mass which is also company level granted it's mainly set up for their own miniatures but there are rules on their forum to use any miniatures.

Got a chance to play a demo game of Critical Mass a few years back, not a bad rules set.
Basically, imo,Critical Mass is to Flames of War what Gruntz is to Warmachine, more or less the same core rules but more streamlined. Both of them ,Gruntz and Critical Mass, are well worth checking out.
As for basing, Brigade models sells magnetised sabot bases that fit one eurocent pieces, that way you can have your cake and eat it to ;-)
Check them out here link