Dystopian Legions PE Teutonic Knights + HMG

The new wave of Dystopian Legions models from Spartan Games adds some serious firepower to the might of the Prussian Empire. Teutonic Knight are upgraded and the infantry get the help of a Mobile Heavy Machine Gun.

Teutonic Knights ArmsmenVeteran Section

Over nine feet of steam driven metal piloted by one of the feared Teutonic Order, these hulking mechanical Knights are a terrifying sight to behold. With poses that convey the weight and power of the Knights, these models make an imposing centre piece to any Prussian force. But if the Armsmen were not scary enough, the glowing Tesla Lance and the Unter Marshall's distinctive winged helmet will definitely make an impression! A terrifying weapon in the arsenal of any Prussian Commander, the Teutonic Order are a force to be feared.

The packaging of the Teutonic Knights is impressive. The full colour render on the front of the Unter Marshall draws you in and points you to the info about what is included.
On the back there are renders of all 3 models taken right from the models themselves. These show every little detail and next to them is even a little bit of background about the Knights.

Inside the box you get 3 resin and metal Teutonic Knights, 3 40mm bases, 2 blank Activation Cards, 1 Game Card and a DL Collectors card.
The Teutonic Knights are a Veteran Section for the Prussian Empire forces. They bring the best of almost EVERYTHING! Although they are slow they are covered in very think armour that contains a 'power' fist to crack open any Ironclads. The basic trooper and the Marshal are also armed with a powerful machine gun each that has no problem with enemy infantry. The Specialists sports a huge Tesla Lance that, while a shorter range than the other guns, cuts through tanks like butter.
The Marshal is also an officer that helps with your command points pool and lets the Section use and special actions without having to be near a force leader.

The Knights each come in several parts as you can see above and below. The main body is highly detailed resin and the extras are all in metal.
The body does have a mould line running around the edge but as it is resin, the back of a hobby knife can remove this very quickly.
The metal add ons do have some vents and tabs from the moulds but all are easy to clip off. The mould lines on these parts are quite small and could even be totally ignored if you wanted to.
The basic Knight is the same as the Knights in the PE Starter box but the Marshal and Specialist have several different pieces.

The Teutonic Knight Specialist is armed with the massive M4 Schocklanze instead of a machine gun. The fist arm and the funnel are the same as the basic Knight but the head has an Iron Cross / Templar look to it. The shoulder pads are also more decorative.
These different parts are still good quality castings with great detail. Not many vents or mould lines to clean up.

The Teutonic Knight Unter Marshal is the leader of the Section. The weapons are the same as that basic Knight but he has a very impressive and decorative helmet and shoulder pads to make him stand out as a commanding officer.
Once again, the extra parts are a great quality.

To the weapons factory..................

The Knights are quite simple to put together. I would suggest cleaning off the resin in warm soapy water first as it is a little slippery in places. I didn't! I then found out that the arms kept falling off as soon as I thought they had stuck. The weight of the arms compared to the area they attach to means they could probably do with pinning just to be on the same side.
When they are made thought they look VERY imposing and impressive!

Price - These are on pre-order from Spartan Games and local / online game stores like Troll Trader
and Wayland Games (to the right)
From TT these come in at £21.60. You may thing that sounds a little expensive but look at the size of those things! And they are mainly resin!
I have recently seen 3 models in a box that are similar and plastic for £50! £7 a piece is a price I would more than happily pay.

Overall - The Teutonic Knights are stunning pieces. The model quality is good, the detail is fantastic and they just look so stupidly cool! Try them once in a game and I'm sure you would never leave them behind again.
I hope they do the add on parts as a separate blister so I can upgrade the starter Section to the same size.

9 out of 10 Badger Points!!!!

Time for even more firepower. The Infntry get support in the form of a

Heavy Machine Gun Team

The unrelenting, thunderous  retort of the Maschinengewehr '64 provides continuous fire support for the hammer strikes of the Prussian Grenadiers. Highly efficient at carving through swathes of infantry, these Maschinengewehr '64s can cover the Grenadiers as they swarm forward to decisively eradicate the foe. Any enemy who risk emerging to deal with the oncoming infantry will be cut down in short order.

The box for the Prussian Empire (PE) Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) Team is the usual Spartan standard. ON the front you have a full colour render of the HMG and details about what it is and on the back you have renders of everything included taken directly from the models. This lets you see every tiny bit of detail on them.
The box says the HMG Team is a Section AND a Section Upgrade. This is because they can be taken in 2 different ways.
You can choose to upgrade 2 Grenadier Infantry to a HMG team in any Section. If you do this, you can not take the other Specialists.
Or you can take a Battalion Support Section of 1-3 HMG teams. With a very good range, great dice vs Infantry and even good dice vs small Ironclads, I prefer the second option. They can then cover your own Infantry Sections and thin out the enemies ranks on the approach.
The full rules for the HMGs can be found in the Downloads area of the Spartan Games site

Inside the box you get 2 metal crew, 1 metal HMG, bases for both and an blank Activation Card.
Below I will take a closer look at the crew and gun separately.

The HG Crew and dressed in the same way as the PE Grenadier Infantry. This is a nice touch seeing they can be included in the Sections if you want to.
The Loader on the left looks ready to go with extra ammo. The Gunner on the right in knelt aiming the HMG ready to fire. He has separate hands that also attach to the gun.
Both of these models are very highly detailed. Everything from the folds in the coats to the chin straps of the pointy helmets is crisp and clean. They do have a couple of small vents from where they were moulded but these are easy to remove and are in areas with less detail so nothing gets damaged.
There are a couple of small mould lines around the edges but they are barely noticeable.

The HMG comes in 6 main parts with an additional ammo box to help fill out the base.
The detail is less than that on the crew as this is a machine of war but it does include nice iron crosses on the front and rivets all over. The parts are very clean and all the edges are good.
There are a couple of little vents on the model but they come off easily and the small amount of mould lines are on the flat edges of the pieces.
The middle section of the gun body did have a small bit of metal that had to be cut out of the groove that the barrel sits in for it to fit. Nothing major though, clipped out in seconds.

The Loader sits on the base very nicely and being a single piece model he was simple to build.

The HMG was a little more complicated obviously. I would suggest making the tripod first and sticking that to the base. Then stick the shield to the body and the barrel on last. Before gluing the gun onto the legs, you can line it up with the gunners hands that fit in the back. The ammo feed needs a little bending to fit so be gentle and slow to make sure you don't break it.

All the parts did go together very well though and nothing even needed holding in place. A simple build if done in the right order.

Price - You can get the HMG from the Spartan Store or from online or local retailers like Troll Trader or Wayland Games (on the right of this page)

From TT the team comes in at £8.10. For a standard and large model I think this is an amazing price! Cant beat it!

Overall - I really like the PE HMG. Took a bit to put it together but it looks brilliant and I know I will be picking up 2 more for a full Section. The style fits perfectly with the rest of the PE releases and wouldnt look out of place in many WW style games.

I highly recommend it and it will be getting a nice-

8 out of 10 Badger Points!

Tomorrow we will be heading to the Far East for the skilled Empire of the Blazing Sun.

Hendybadger awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Dystopian Legions KoB Sky Hussars + HMG Team

Its time for a new release wave for the awesome Dystopian Legions by Spartan Games.
The March releases (end of Feb in LGS)  include a full Veteran Section and a Heavy Machine Gun team for each Nation. To top it off there are also some game objectives.
The wonderful guys at Spartan have given me the chance to have an early look at these new goodies, so over the next 5 days I will be reviewing them all 1 Nation at a time.
Today will be the-

Kingdom of Britannia

Sky Hussar Veteran Section

 The renowned Sky Hussars take to the skies above the battlefield, putting Britannia's foes to flight with skilled sabres and flame-hurling pistols. Held aloft on billowing plumes of smoke, and resplendent in their bright, clean cut uniforms, these models are as dashing as their reputation demands. From their goggles and flying caps, to the distinctive Flame Belcher pistols every detail picks out their iconic status. Piloting Sturgicite-fuelled 'Ratpacks', the Britannian Hussars tear through the skies at unmatchable speeds.

Lets start by having a look at the packaging.
On the front you have the details and names of what is inside plus a colour render of the Hussars Captain.
The back of the box gives you a little bit of background about the Section and shows renders of all the models included. If you have read one of my Dystopian Legions (DL) before you will know that I love the fact that Spartan use renders taken directly from the models. Some companies try to make models look appealing with stunning paintjobs but Spartan show off the exact details of each and let them speak for themselves.

Inside the box you will find 5 metal Sky Hussars with 'Ratpacks', 5 resin smoke plumes, 5 40mm bases, 2 blank Activation Cards, 1 Game Card and 1 DL Collectors card.
I have covered the cards and how they work in previous posts HERE
In the game this Section is counted as a Veteran Section of Aeronauts. This means they are the Kingdom of Britannia highly trained strike force and can move across the game boards at very high speeds compared to the land troops with the help of high powered rocket packs.
The Hussars are armed with Flamebelchers that give make them dangerous to opponents grouped up. The Specialist wields a Flamethrower that is as dangerous to Ironclads as the smaller versions are to Infantry.
The rules for all of the KoB Sections can be found in the Downloads area of the Spartan Games Website

Above you can see 3 of the Sky Hussars closer. 2 standard troops to the left and a specialist on the right.
All of the models come with a metal body, metal jetpack and resin smoke plume.
You may have seen these 3 before as they are the same as the models in the KoB Stater Box with only 1 little difference (which I will get to in a moment)
The tabs on the base of the feet are easy to clip off and leave almost no sign they were there as they attach to the bottoms of the boots. The bodies to have a couple of little vents (where metal escapes the mould) and a little mould line (where the halves of the mould meet) but these can be cleaned up on each model very quickly. No more work than any other model on the market to be honest.

Here we have the 2 new models in the box that don't appear in the Starter. On the left is the Captain and on the right is the Corporal. The Captain gives a huge advantage to this set as he can spend Command Points for all the special actions and even adds more to your pool.
A closer look at the resin smoke plumes shows the fantastic detail that captures the feel of rocket exhausts perfectly. The bases of these do have a tiny bit of extra resin on them. This could be cut off with a hobby knife or just covered over over with the basing materials you use.

The Captain and Corporal models are very nice additions to the Section. The Captain on the left has brought his own blade along and has a much smarter and more detailed uniform.
The Corporal on the right is marked with shoulder pads and the one thing that makes and Britannian Officer stand out. A Very British Moustache. What what! This seems to be a mark of rank in the troops, the bigger the top-lip facial hair, the higher the level of command.
The casts are as good as the basic troops with very few vents or mould lines and sharp, crisp details.

I mentioned above that something was different from the Starter box. Its the 'Ratpacks'.
These now much more detail on the outside of them with cables, dials and more. The bottom of the rockets have little tabs that you should NOT remove! These are how they attach to the smoke.
These pieces have a couple of mould lines and vents but no more than the other parts.

Sticking time!

The Sky Hussars were SIMPLE to build. The pack fits perfectly on the body and the rockets just slip into the tops of the smoke. You will need to hold these steady when gluing though as the body is heavy on the resin joint. Once dry they are very strong though.

Price - You can order these from the Spartan Store  or The Troll Trader. From TT they are £19.80. That's only £4 per big metal and resin model. Absolute bargain!

Overall - I LOVE the Sky Hussars. The models capture the British 'feel' perfectly and they give such a sense of speed and movement. The detail and quality is also top notch.
My favourite models in the entire game so far!
I like them that much they will be getting the rarely seen - 

10 out of 10 Badger Points!!!!!

Next up is the

Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) Team

The Brunel-Nordenfelt is a piece of engineering renowned across the world for its extreme range and withering firepower. A multi-barrelled volley gun with a thick gun shield to protect its valuable crew, this model exemplifies the sturdy, reliable nature of Britannian design. This is enhanced further by the heavy spoked wheels, and the detailed ammo crate carried by the second crewman adds great character to the piece.

The box for the HMG Section is of the usual Spartan standard. Everything you need to know including detailed renders and even a little fluff.
You will notice the box says HMG Section AND Section Upgrade. This is because they can be used in 2 different ways.
The first option is to add 1 HMG team as an Upgrade to a Linesman Infantry Section instead of the usual Flamethrower Specialist. They are slow to move so would work well with a large rifle Section taking advantage of the HUGE range they have to thin out enemy Infantry.
Or you can take 1-3 HMG Teams as their own Battalion Support Section. The range makes up for the slow speed but if you need to reposition them quickly, they have the Towable MAR (special rule) that lets them get pulled across the table by KoB Basset Tankettes.
I am going to be grabbing 2 more of these soon for a full Section!

Inside the box you get 3 metal models. 2 Crew and 1 HMG. You also have a round bases and a blank activation card. I will look at the Crew and HMG separately.

The crew are dressed in the same uniforms as the Linesman Infantry. One is kneeling to fire the HMG and the other is bringing over some more ammo. The details on these are great, just like the Hussars and the casting quality is just as good. Only a couple of tiny vents in lesser detailed areas and barely any mould lines to be seen.

The HMG itself comes itself comes in 6 parts.These do have a couple of little mould lines and vents but only on the flat edges that can be filed away. It isn't as detailed as the crew but being a mechanical war machine I didn't think it would have all the little add ons.

The HM goes together REALLY well. Each part fits perfectly. In fact the only bit I even had to hold was the small handle on the back.

My only problem was the fact that you would need to to tilt the gun forward a little to get the gunners hands to fit in the right position. I suggest a tiny bit of basing or even green stuff under the wheels to level it up so the barrels are flat.

Price - The HMG team is available from Spartan Store, Troll Trader and others that stock the DL range.

From TT the team comes in at £8.10. I think this is a really good price. I have seen single 35mm models go for this so it is a brilliant price for the team and HMG.

Overall - I really like the look and style of the HMG and crew. Apart from the tiny alignment issue I couldn't find anything else wrong with it at all. I highly recommend picking up one (or three) of these for your forces.

9 out of 10 Badger Points

Tomorrow I will be taking a look at the might of the Prussian Empire!

Hendybadger awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Deep Wars Draconid Warrior only $300 away with 6 days to go!

The Deep Wars Chip-In from Antimatter Games is almost over. Only 6 days to go.

They are also only $300 away from unlocking the awesome Draconid Warrior (above). Well $332 away but I want to order 3 of them myself.

Think they can make it? I really hope so, the Scaly Horde are the best force in the game in my opinion.

Below are a selection of the other models available for this awesome underwater game.
If you like what you see, head over to the Deep Wars Chip In before March 1st for some great discounts, free minis and to help unlock the Warrior!

Hendybadger awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!