This time I have gone for another elite unit that has a more traditional style of leadership for the Ascalabotes – a military warlord. I have also attempted to demonstrate how the rules allow you to personalise your units and leaders to create your own back story.

“Tathruk” is not from the military elite, but has come up through the ranks from his days as a lowly officer cadet to now where is leadership, authority, and military prowess are second to none. He bears many scars from his leadership from the front, where he can be found where the fighting is the thickest inspiring his men with his bravery and ferocity.

Tathruk

The squad not only includes Tathruk but “Krok” who carries Tathruck’s personal banner – that of the old rebel alliance. In order to command the Tonitrua there is also “Qrolto” whose bugle allows Tathruk to order and control the primitive Tonitrua without the use of psychic skills.

The unit otherwise fights like any other Elite squad.

Krok

The standard pole comes from the Bolt Action Japanese Infantry sprue.

As Tathruk has no psychic powers, he is unable to control an Alveare Domini, so they cannot be included in an army under his leadership. The military elite would not consider serving under an “academy graduate” not “born to lead” so they cannot be used either.

Qrolto

The bugle comes from the Bolt Action Japanese Infantry sprue.

The army must also include more “Tonitrua” than traditional military units as the military elite are jealous of his victories and do not allocate a large portion of standard military resources to him. The Tonitrua are beloved by him and flock to fight for him as he treats them as “true” Ascalabotes, and not primitive savages.

To give you an example how to represent a war leader like “Tathruk using Xenos Rampart the following is just an idea:

• you could give the unit assault doctine (3+ to hit enemy) 2pts;

• Close quarters doctrine (reduces shooting to 4+/12″) -1pts;
• high powered blades (reduces enemy armour by 1) 1pt;
• and the Xeno trait of inspirational leadership for 2pts.

This makes them close combat demons with an inspirational leader, but at the high cost of 10pts.

4th member of the Squad with rocket launcher

After consideration I will change this figure as one with a close combat weapon would be more suitable.

5th member of the squad with assault machine gun.

Tathruk should also roll on the Warlord commander Trait table and given his history can re-roll once. Even if the second roll makes him “Craven” or a “Runt’ it must be kept as then is has drunk too much Ascalabotian blood wine the night before!

Helmet made by just cutting the lizard frills of one of the heads.

Tomorrow some Xenos Rampart heavy infantry.

The large planet of Tonitrua Lacertis has the largest but also the most primitive population. Living in small tribes the primitives are protected from predators by the “Alveare Domini”, a large predator that roams the surface in search of prey, but seems to have a psychic link to the Tonitrua.

The Crocosaur comes as a pair of adversaries from Zombicide with its opponent being the Abominape. See post on this.

Tomorrow more on Xenos Rampart.

Just a quick post today as I have been quite busy with new house building activities. I have finished the four remaining elite figures for that squad. I apologise for also being a bit later than normal in posting.

More Xenos Rampart tomorrow.

Regular readers will be aware that I hate putting together multi-part plastic figures. They do, however, have one great advantage and that is for “kit bashing”. I had an idea and bought a box of of Wargames Atlantic Lizardmen.

I had received a whole lot of sprue freebies with purchases and magazines over the years and would use these for the kit bashing I required. What I needed was a back story to base the army on, and so this post was born.

Travels with my Father

The year is 2073 and it is three months since we have left the fringes of the Interplanetary Alliance’s control. The planetary system of “Ascalabotes” looms large ahead of us. The system consists of a major planet with a number of moons all habitable, covered with jungles and large waterways.

The largest moon, “Civitas Lacerta” is almost totally covered by a sprawling metropolis with large jungle parks, waterways criss-crossing the city and a very high tech industrial area, known galaxy wide for its production of specialist high-end military hardware.

It is this moon that we are headed for and in particular to the space port closest to the Interplanetary Alliance’s Embassy. As usual we are to be hosted by the ambassador.

Father has indicated that we will be here for only a few days but I will need to entertain myself as we will be busy away from the embassy. I always felt it strange that as a “Political Adviser” for the Interplanetary Alliance he seemed to spend very little time in the embassies when on planet.

The planetary system of “Ascalabotes is an ideal place to see the evolution of species in action. Once thought to be totally different species the inhabitants of the system have since been found to be the same species, but at various stages of their evolutionary life cycle.

In a passing discussion with the ambassador he indicated that the Ascalabotian army was an ideal place to observe a microcosm of the evolutionary process in action. Showing me to a passageway with photos of the Ascalabotian army. He indicated that the various evolutionary stages all had significant advantages should the right role be found for them.

I was intrigued at his suggestion that higher lifeforms could be attracted to military service, which seemed to be opposite to the empirical evidence!

The large planet of Tonitrua Lacertis has the largest but also the most primitive population. Living in small tribes the primitives are protected from predators by the “Alveare Domini”, a large predator that roams the surface in search of prey, but seems to have a psychic link to the Tonitrua.

“Alveare Domini”

The figure is that of a part-painted Zombicide Crocosaur. She will be painted and based in due course. The Crocosaur will be used as a Greater Xenomorph. I have some toy crocodiles, which are still large for 28mm, that will do as lesser Xenomorphs if needed.

The Tonitrua communicate in primitive grunts and signs. It seems that the military elite, from whom the army leaders are chosen, have developed and evolved into psychic beings who can communicate with both the Tonitrua primitives and the Alveare Domini. The Alveare seems to have a hive control over these primitives. If controlled by either a Psychic leader or the Alveare Domini they could provide hordes of fierce and fanatical warriors.

I think this is a CP Models figure from their alien range. Looks like a nice “lizardy” psychic to me!

Leaders can become a separate unit, but are normally chosen as part of a squad.

I have painted up one figure of each unit as a sample. Here is a primitive Tonitrua.

These are classed as primitive Infantry and can be upgraded from a squad of five to ten or even fifteen. I have put together fifteen as they are quite vulnerable. They could also be used as Berserk Infantry as an alternative.

Some Tonitrua had progressed further along the evolutionary lifecycle and had developed the use of the common language and with their innate hunting skills were excellent scouts and recon units.

They can use primitive firearms.

The population of Second and largest moon “Lacertae Secondus” are significantly more advanced than the Tonitrua. The moon has begun to develop economically and provides excellent light infantry. There is little difference between the more advanced infantry generally only separated by their economic and scientific advancement and larger brains.

Secundian Light Infantry

Light Infantry can be fielded in groups of five or ten. I have chosen to have the option of two five man units or one ten man.

Showing me a picture of a soldier in heavy armour the Ambassador said “Gravibus Lacertae, the third and last moon has developed pressurized heavy army that it supplies to all of its citizen soldiers’.

These are you stock standard infantry. These have been equipped with missile launchers representing their “Heavy weapon” ability. Note the squad has this ability not just the figure as they are just representative of the units skills and equipment. Again they can be fielded in squads of five or ten.

The ambassador then started to describe the Elite Infantry that have the best of all equipment and training available. He said “these are not the best in the Acalabotian Army, they are the best in the Galaxy”! There role is to protect the Military Elite and to break through the enemy defences when others have failed.

Just as he finished the door thrust open and some of these “best in the galaxy” threw my father at the feet of the ambassador. “This spy says he has diplomatic immunity from the Interplanetary Alliance! Is this correct” said what appeared to be their leader. The Ambassador declared that he had and showed them documentary evidence as proof. “Then have him leave NOW and never return”.

The Elite come only in units of five.

As they are Elites I have given them really BIG guns!

With that we were bundled off to the launch bay and quickly departed. After several minutes of uncomfortable silence Father turned to me and said, “My daughter I suppose you need an explanation………….”

There are fifty figures and the Crocosaur of which only the handful you have seen are painted. I will get these finished in between the WW2 Australians.