"Astro Guards" Topic

Hi all. I just received the masters for my retro 80's Astro Guard figures. I'm intending to extend the line with a heavy weapons team, but wanted to solicit suggestions from you about additional figures. What weapons or poses do you look for in a sci-fi miniature range?

Do you have pics of your line that you can post?

Sorry about that! I've edited the photo in my first post so it shows up for everyone now.

They are great! Excellent work.

Nice models!

Most skirmish lines can do with one or two wounded figs, with a medic/tech to go along. Also a Comms specialist.

Looking forward to seeing more.

Regards,
Keith F.

I usually try to set up 10-man squads when I build units. A typical squad for me would be a sergeant, a corporal and eight troopers in two 5-man fireteams. Most of the troopers would have a standard weapon, whether it is an automatic rifle, pulse rifle, cone rifle, etc. Here is a possible mix:

1 Sergeant: standard weapon or lighter version of it
1 Corporal: standard weapon
5 Troopers: standard weapons (possibly 1 man with comms gear)
1 Trooper: heavier support version of standard weapon
1 Trooper: anti-armor weapon (RPG or ATRL)
1 Trooper: HE/frag weapon (grenade launcher or bomb thrower)

Going beyond the basic infantry squads, support squads would have heavier weapons on tripods, wheeled carriages or small tracked vehicles; or mortars, etc.

They look like the security guards from the game paranoia

bandit86 beat me to it!

I took inspiration for these "Astro Guards" from Battletech uniforms from the 80s, Paranoia armor, schlocky sci-fi uniforms from forgotten movies like Time Guardian and the New Barbarians and a variety of pulp comic and novel covers.

You can see more info about this project at my website: starschlock.com

I like them a lot! I would definitely find a use for them in Traveller and StarGrunt (or Traveller setting with StarGrunt rules).

I agree with the comments above about support weapons, commo, and medics. Don't go overboard with dead and wounded -- one or two should be plenty.

You might consider adding some realistic female troopers (that is, boots with flat heels, and the same armor, uniforms, gear, and weapons as the men).

What about a robot? I'm thinking something like a floating Tau gun drone, but put the weapons on top, where they belong, not slung underneath so that the poor robot has to expose its entire body to shoot over the top of something!

Thanks! Those are all great suggestions!