More Objects in Space

Way back in the mists of time, well 2013 to be precise, I had a brief flirtation with Full Thrust the ship to ship space combat game.  The rules were OK although they did reminded me of a 1970s naval game I used to play a lot, called Seastrike.  This was partly because of the the hit location and damage rules but mainly because the lack of any 3D element to maneuvering.  I know how difficult it is to replicate gaming in three dimensions as my struggle with WW1 dogfighting mechanisms demonstrates.  As The Hitch Hikers Guide to The Galaxy tells us 'Space is big', so some kind of recognition that not all actions are going to be fought in the plane of the ecliptic should really be present either in the position of units or at least in terms of reinforcing from out of the plane as a sort of 3D flank march.  So the search goes on for a set of rules which really hit the spot.

Part of the fleet the rest need a bit of TLC

Being a prone to these fits of enthusiasm I have learned not to spend huge amounts on models until I am satisfied that I'm going to stick with a set of rules or a historical period.  In this case I bought a handful of Irregular Miniatures spaceships, a few fighter groups from a manufacturer whose name I don't recall and I made the rest.

Scratch built frigates and a sensor corvette

The basic technique for making spaceships is one I have used since I was an impoverished teenager.  In best Blue Peter style (if you don't know what that is ask your grandparents about children's TV in the 1960s) these were made from layers of cardboard glued together to create something that is, if not 3D, at least 2D plus.  Details are from the bits box and include furniture fixings, panel pins, cocktail sticks, match sticks and bits and pieces of textured plastic packaging.

Home built merchantmen and Destroyer escort.  Scouts are Irregular Miniatures

After a couple of solo games that were less enthralling than I had hoped I put the models back in their box and there they have stayed.  They hadn't seen the light of day from then until today when, while sorting out my office bookcases, I found the box.  The home made stands were a bit battered but all in all they haven't been to badly bashed about by relocations over the last six and a half years.

A Fleet Carrier from Irregular, fighter swarms from who knows where and scratch built destroyers!

The dark background is the floor tiles in my conservatory which I think it actually looks nicer than some specialist space themed battlemats. 

At some point in the future I may drag the rules out and give them another go or I may start tinkering with the bits I feel are missing, if I do I will report on the outcome.