REVIEW
An Alternative to... high prices and bad service? Yes!
In my time looking around for odds'n ends, bits and bobs, I stumbled across AA's website [CLICK], and seriously considered getting some items. So when they had a "Battle of Pavia 20% off sale" that was advertised at the [quite good] "15mm Sci-Fi Gaming" Fb page, I bopped over to check it out once again - glad I did!
I should mention that I have no affiliation with AA and this was my first order / interaction with any of the people involved as well. Don't get to bonnie Scotland very much anymore...!
BLUF:
- HUGE range of figures, vics, walkers, 'bots and buildings in mostly 15mm, but also other scales like "Fleet", 6mm, and 28mm.
- Prices on many of the lines is low, remind me of the 1990s.
- Sales occur periodically and stack with discounts!
- Service is excellent and cheerful.
- Website is well organized - essential since it has LOTS of offerings. Lots of pics.
- Ordering is relatively painless - the website was above average easy.
Summary:
A visit to AA is Strongly Recommended!
You may find some perfect additions to your ongoing project,
or you may find a brand new project.
At first, I was a bit overwhelmed as I looked through *just* the 15mm sci-fi offerings. There are several major categories, and in some of them dozens of products. But it was also kinda fun, as nearly all the miniatures have good pictures of very solid paint jobs, so there was an "eye candy" aspect to it all.
Eventually, I decided that paying $6-8 for full-sized [40mm x 80mm or so] resin vehicles was too good a price to pass up. I got a squadron / company of those with infantry. Also grabbed a bunch of other items that flesh out some needs, like crew-served weapons, useful "jeep" type vehicles [but anti-grav], and a pack of 20 Laserburn low-tech mercenary infantry.
Overall, the order was nearly $400 total, and I saved over $80 from various sales and discounts. It went pretty fast and arrived safely:
Placed Order Feb 27 --> Shipped March 3 --> Delivered March 12
Only hiccup was my credit card security measures jumped on the transaction.
This was promptly handled by...
Gavin Syme, Creative Manager at Alternative Armies.
Gavin was helpful and polite, and even interested in how I came to order from them. I was impressed that he was interested in how I found out about them and their sale. Catch him on Fb [LINK] or the AA Blog [LINK].
So, that was all a positive experience. Now, on to the products!
Note: all prices are with the 20% off sale and sometimes other discounts that stack.
These are modern size, 15mm foot-to-eye. From left, Laserburn Officer, RAFM Traveller TL15 Imperial Infantry, Martian Metal Imperial Marine [old 15mm, foot-to-head], Brigade Models / GZG Hammer's Slammers Gunner [18mm] and AA resin sprue Security Force Alpha [20mm - more below]
Laserburn Officer w'Pistol [500], Merc w'Assault Rifle [501], Merc w'Rifle [502],
Don't know if intentional or not... the pack comes to four identical teams, so two squads, each with a squad leader and a mortar team [back]. This Section of two squads has one Section Leader. Your organization may vary!
Posing in a slammer APC. If I used them for this, I'd cut the bases down and make them shorter.
V006a Support Bolt Cannon, and V006b Light Mortar
6a looks a lot like a recoiless rifle, and can easily be futuristic weapon type or a traditional CPR weapon or rocket firing bazooka. The stand can be shaped easily, which I've done on the left.
With RAFM and Martial Metal "crew" for xomparison
HOF153 Grey Alien Portable Weapon Platform with 5 Weapon Options [barrels] is top left and center. The hole takes any of the barrels. Variety is nice, from funky zap rays and hair dryers to a traditional CPR gun looking thing.
To top Right is HOF45 Robot Scout Drone which I couldn't resist. Looks like it has lenses, I might mount it on smaller piano wire so it "floats" better.
V006b Light Mortar [bottom]. Nice model - different but still obviously a "mortar".
Cannon in its pieces. You can see that the barrel has a peg, goes into the hole on the platform, and the shield is mounted with two pegs - makes for easy assembly, so "nicely done!" far as I'm concerned. Gunner goes on seat at lower side of platform.
And assembled, below.
Gunner, below - not much to him.
The gun assembled. I like that the main gun is set back and more portable. This differentiates it from modern pieces. I see it folding up quite compactly.
Door is more of a hatch, a bit small, and suits the armored pedestal of the model.
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But, if you wanted a more traditional look, no reason you can't mount it forward.
Below, some anti-grav utility vics, aka "sci-fi jeeps", a ground worm monster, and body bags [I am likely to use them as casualty markers]. These are all nicely done, inexpensive and will be useful either as "scatter terrain" or as actual vics with rules [I like to have rules and victory conditions about evacuating wounded].
HOFA01 Security Force Alpha (Core Army Set) This included two of Maginot Turret, 75 resin sprue infantry, and 6 Mark II Hover Charger APCs. All for about $82, so a nice deal. The full-sized vics work out to around $6.40 each. You can't beat that with a stick! So a no-brainer, long as you like the style.
To flesh out a full squadron, I got 6 more Charger Mk II's and 3 Scrofer Hover AFV. Each vic somes with the sprue for a closed hatch, commander, large closed hatch or turret. I think the AFV looks a bit "undergunned" and will likely buy larger turrets for them.
The Scrofa [left] is one main piece, super easy to deal with. The Charger is two pieces and will require a bit of cleaning and shaping to assemble, not a lot. View from the back [below] shows the higher AFV on right with large rear ramp.
Infantry sprues. There are 5 of the guys with a support rocket, and 10 of the bottom infantry. Lovely figs, just way too big for my collection. A bit disappointing and I wish that the description included sizing as they are nowhere near 15mm, more like 18mm and quite bulky as well. They will look great on someone else's table.
Maginot Turret is a nice model, very clean.
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I couldn't resist getting a light flyer to act as an artillery spotter / command flyer. Below, what comes in the pack, a lot of heavy metal - will need a substantial base to hold it in the air. Obviously, this would make a great resin kit, reduce weight and cost.
And below what it looks like painted [from the AA website]. Had to show it off, nice job!
Hope you not only got something out of these looks at some of the models, but also that you can see the relative price points.
Hope you not only got something out of these looks at some of the models, but also that you can see the relative price points.
- A bunch of these resin vehicles are around half the market price [they are older], and using the various sales and deals infantry can go to 50 cents apiece.
- Full price, the resin Security Force Alpha 20mm figs are around 80 cents each.
My only caution / critique is that you should carefully check descriptions and ask any questions of Gavin regarding figure size / scale. They have three in the 15mm sci-fi offerings [old 15mm, new 15mm, and super-sized contemporary size-creep 18mm] and the vic seating sometime looks a tad small. Your concern with this may vary. I am fine with the overall "look" of a model and crew unto itself, and rarely have the figures alongside one another anyway [disperse = survival in modern combat, and in the future as well, I say!].
But taking into account the entire experience, including great communication, service, and stacking discounts / sales, I think Alternative Armies is worth checking out!
