Stalking Death

Painted 15m Chuhuac Special Ops Sniper

Hey folks,

Today, I had a chance to have fun with one of my absolute favorite miniatures from the Chuhuac range. The figure is the sniper from RAP005 Chuhuac Special Ops.

RAP005 Chuhuac Special Ops 

I wanted to paint him in a color scheme that was more subdued than the one shown in the catalog pictures which are designed to show the figure clearly.

Today's project was designed to really display the sniper in action. He's in cover, in a position where he can hunker down with his accelerator gun to support the rest of his team as they move forward.

 

This miniatures and others can be found - HERE

Enjoy!

-Eli

Mr. Harold's Mini Review - 15mm.co.uk Loud Ninja Games Space Raptors

Mr. Harold of ClearHorizon Miniatures was kind enough to review the entire 15mm Chuhuac range on his regular video review channel on YouTube.

Thanks,

Mr. H!

Loud Ninja Games at Salute 2014

Hey all you UK conventioneers!

We here at Loud Ninja Games are happy to announce that, while we will not be at the convention ourselves, our partners at 15mm.co.uk are going to be carrying us to Salute 2014 (http://www.salute.co.uk/salute/salute-2014/). Come see us at their stand, TF07.

So, if you haven't got your claws on any 15mm or 28mm Chuhuac, come on by and let Gavin Syme and his mates help you put some dinosaur goodness onto your sci-fi gaming tables.

Thanks,

-Eli

Loud Ninja Games Open for Business!

Today marked the opening of our LNG store page at the 15mm.co.uk site. Our partners have set us up with a lovely little home there from which we can provide our products to both sides of the Atlantic with incredible service.

From here on out, this will be the place to find all your LNG product needs, Chuhuac and otherwise. 

-Eli

Tomorrow is the Day!

Tomorrow, March 10th, we open for business on the LNG page at the 15mm.co.uk site. Please feel free to stop by and look over the entire range of Chuhuac miniatures available for regular purchase for the very first time. 

Looking forward to having you there!

-Eli

Space Raptors Spring on the Scene Soon!

We are happy to announce that the Chuhuac will soon be available for sale. It's been a long haul but that amazing time is upon us. Our partners at 15mm.co.uk will be opening the Loud Ninja Games page on their site, Monday March 10th 2014!

Here is a listing of the codes we will be putting up on Monday:

RAP001 Chuhuac Troopers (6)

RAP002 Chuhuac Leaders and Support Weapons (6)

RAP003 Chuhuac Command Section (4)

RAP004 Chuhuac Herdmaster (1)

RAP005 Chuhuac Spec Ops (6)

RAP006 Chuhuac Assault Troopers (6)

RAP007 Chuhuac Battlesuits (2)

RAP008 Sirrus APC (1)

RAP009 Chuhuac Grav Bikes (3)

RAP010 28mm Chuhuac Alphas (3)

RAP011 28mm Chuhuac Troopers (3)

There are also bigger packs that offer savings and ready made platoons and wings:

RAP007P Chuhuac Battlesuit Section (6)

RAP008P Sirrus APC Platoon (3)

RAP009P Chuhuac Grav Bike Wing (9)

RAP001P Chuhuac Platoon (28)

RAP004P Chulhuac Herd (75)

Wow! That's eleven codes and five unit pack offers right out the gate!

We're super excited to finally have made it to this point. Thanks to each and every one of the Kickstarter backers, friends, family and our partners at 15mm.co.uk for all the support and faith in Loud Ninja Games and the Chuhuac. This is just the beginning!

Sincerely,

Eli & The LNG Crew

Ikwen Progress Report

Hey folks,

Work continues on the Ikwen sculpts. I received these quickie WIP shots from Rod the other day and I think they capture the Ikwen pretty accurately. Of course this is still a vague rendition, but that is to be expected as this is a doll that the final sculpts will be finished onto.

These should be taking final form in the next couple of months.

Thanks,

-Eli

Ikwen Weapons Concepts

Developing the Ikwen weapons has been a bit of a trick. 

The Ikwen range is designed to represent one side of a conflict against an undetermined foe, making them ideal opposition force for any range of miniatures as they are not designed to fight any specific force. This is not special, in itself, but what makes their weapon design tough as a militia force is that they have no pre-made world from which they would have sourced their irregular arsenal. When considering how to arm them, the decision was made to give the Ikwen weapons that were analogous to the weapons seen in terrestrial militia forces, but not human weapons. A balance between form and function had to be reached and with the help of artist Todd Ulrich, I think we did just that.

Todd took my notes and together we came up with what you see above. With the exception of the blades (Huli) the other weapons are very much cousins to weapons we know. Assault rifles, submachineguns, shotguns, and the rest of the cast are here. All familiar, but looking like they were made in a factory far away. This will allow them to fight any force of miniatures enemies and not have to worry about having weapons that are too human or too alien.

In a lot of ways the weapons were picked based on how they would look in the hands of miniatures. I can see Ikwen swinging around their Huli or lugging around the suitcase-like reloads of their rocket launchers while they scurry around, snapping off shots with their rugged assault weapons, all in a desperate play to fight whoever players pit them against.

More Painted Examples of the Chuhuac

Hey folks,

Just a quick update to the blog to show off the latest crop of painted samples that were sent my way from my partners at 15mm.co.uk. Their resident pro-painter has done a splendid job on all of these and I think he followed my notes very well. 

Herdmaster - a company level command figure carrying a staff of office which sports the preserved toe claw of on of the unit's historical elites.

Commandos - this single pack contains six Chuhuac and includes a leader , SAW gunner, and a sniper poised and ready to lay down some hurt with his accelerator gun. The commandos where lighter armor and stealth packs that mask their biometrics as well as provide them with optical camouflage (yes, invisibility).

Chuhuac in HTH - These six minis have been posed in various crouching, slashing, biting and kicking poses and depict what a pack of these aliens would be like up close. Because they do not have weapons sculpted on them, it has been noted that they would work well as casualties, gunners, or even as possible vehicle crews. 

This picture shows how the Chuhuac scale up to one of the 15mm Ion Age miniatures. The Ion Age minis are in the larger category of 15mm figures and so you can see that the chuhuac are at a nice size to blend in with most range.

Chuhuac Battlesuits - These are a popular favorite. Each battlesuit comes with two SAW arms and two of each of three support weapons - Drone Missile Pod, Accelerator Cannon, and Heavy Plasma Gun (not shown). The chuhuac pilot is fully enclosed inside the armored body of the battlesuit and uses hi-tech sensors an micro-cams to interface with the outside. The Chuhuac use their battlesuits instead of support weapon teams, allowing them to keep their support weapons as mobile as their infantry. To the Chuhuac, speed and maneuvering is everything.

Grav Bikes - These miniatures are two-piece models with the rider's body sculpted on to the bike. There are three variant heads that can be glued on, allowing a bit of animation in the sculpts by adjusting the head positions. The pilots of these bikes steer with their tails which are in the rear section of the bike, leaving their hands free to control weapons and sensors. These bikes are used as scouts and for fast, local air support as each carries the equivalent of four (4) SAWs.

28mm Chuhuac Squad - Many folks had expressed a desire to see the Chuhuac in 28mm. While the main product line was conceived of as 15mm, I thought it would be nice to at least provide a 28mm squad. The 28mm squad is depicts a typical six-member pack of Chuhuac, including Alpha Leader, SAW, and a Plasma Gun.

These figures are a beautiful upscaling of the 15mm Chuhuac and are robust and sturdy models. All of the trooper heads are separate, allowing some minor variation by posing them. The Alpha's head is sculpted on depicts the greater amount of plumage the Chuhuac leaders display.

Here is a 28mm Chuhuac, posed next to a 28mm Ion Age miniature.

Chuhuac Preview Pics

Hey all!

This morning I received some preview puvs of the painted Chuhuac that will appear in the catalog at 15mm.co.uk. While these do not depict the entire range, they do show the potential for these critters.

-Eli 

APCs Have Arrived

Hello Raptor Fans,

The post man delivered these two lovely packages today. After a hair-raising delay, thanks to the USPS, the Sirrus APCs arrived about 9 days later than they should have with their 2-day Priority delivery. Each box weighs in at about ten pounds and was a densely packed.

The contents of the boxes were wondrous. Each box contained fours bags of 25 APCs each for a total of 100 APCs per box. This is what 200 APCs in the raw looks like. Each APC was individually packed in its own baggy with its six anti-personnel guns. Chris at Ravenstar Studios cast them up as a seamless single piece chassis fusing the separate bottom piece to the chassis with not a hint that they were separate.

The detailing on the APCs is crisp and the resin is nearly flawless with a wonderful finish that one expects in a quality gaming model. the pics below show the nifty details in all their splendor. Future note, that hexagonal roof details is likely going to be the anchor point for future weapons upgrades of the Sirrus. My hopes is to create some add-ons that will use the same sprue weapons as the battlesuits. I hope to offer them in two ways - full kits and mountings that will let you make use of un-used battlesuit weapons.

Space Raptors Invade Scotland!

I have been informed by, 15mm.co.uk, that all the metal masters have arrived and that the production molding for all the metal Chuhuac has begun. The details of the packs are set and we're discussing the retail future of the range.

At the same time, Ravenstar informs me that the molding on the resin APCs is nearly done and ready to deliver to me.

Once I have these two elements in hand, I will be able to set to the task of putting together the pledges and getting them out to your eager and VERY patient hands.

I am very excited to have finally reached this point in the project. It is long overdue and it's getting real fast!

Take care,

-Eli

Pictures of Masters

There have been some requests to see the metals being produced by this project. Currently all I have are master casts destined for the molds, so I cannot take pics of them with any sort of inking or shading on them. I have done my best, with the camera I have, to snap a few pictures that show how I have had to minimize the basing to get them to work in the molds.

I've also snapped a couple of really rough pictures of one of the trooper poses along side a few figures from other manufacturers to show their general size.

                                         

 Tacked on to some paces using adhesive putty

Khurasan Miniatures Exterminator, Armies Army Commonwealth, Chuhuac, Khurasan Miniatures Control Battalion  

GZG Crusty, GZG Daghaur, Chuhuac, Khurasan Garn, Khurasan Meso-Nai

Chuhuac Support Units (Part One)- Battlesuits

Sheshrawl felt the hum of his battlesuit around him. Eyes darted about, keying in status checks as the on board AI analyzed the battlefield below. Firmly ensconced in the carry bay, he and his packmates were on their way to the ground to assist several other packs of the Caltheed Herd. 

The herd had been pinned down by their enemies and his saurian brothers were unable to maneuver away and make use of their speed. The AI on his suit had already received drop zone data from the AI on the Chathra dropper and he was figuring the best drop pattern to deploy his pack in. He would have to make sure that they didn't drop into the field of some of those big pulse cannons but he was going to make sure the enemy would start to pay it's tole as soon as claws hit ground. Nine and one enemy packs and one hand (3) of pulse cannons would have to be dispatched for optimal effect, but there were many more on the ridges overlooking the settlement where the Caltheed Herd had been ambushed. 

A klaxon sounded inside his armored cocoon, signalling the dropper was on final approach. His battlesuit AI warbled indicating it had completed its analysis and transmitted the data to his packmate's suits. Their combined AI network would maintain constant real-time analysis of their battle, feeding information to their pilots for optimal effectiveness on the field. Sheshrawl, felt his tail twitch, housed in the tail of the battlesuit and felt the feedback systems confirming his input, despite the tail being held by carry clamps. 

With the battlefield rising in his optical feeds, the sound of his packmates began to click and whistle. Thrask, goggled and clucked one of his usual jokes and the hissing and guttering of the packmates could be heard in appreciative response. Then, as quickly as the mirth had come, all went silent, the cunning minds of the predators in their metal avatars honing in on the imminent task. 

Lurching into a tight banked turn, the dropper's engines rose up in a growling cadence that vibrated through the hull and into the battlesuits it carried. Grav drives working overtime to bring the dropper into a controlled hover. Clamps released and freed the battlesuits in their carry bays, the only grip that of their talonned feet and the molecular adhesive pads in their soles and as the bays opened from beneath them, the battlsuit dropped down onto the battlefield amid theh ail of fire both friend and enemy...

CHUHUAC BATTLESUITS 

GENERAL DESIGN

Like many other Chuhuac designs, their battlesuits capitalize on their advanced technology and unique approach to the ergonomics of their species. At first glance, the battlesuits appear to be nothing more than large approximations of the species that constructed them, and this would not be an unfair assessment.

These weapons are designed to augment the abilities of the Chuhuac in ways that even their advanced biomechanical augmentation can accomplish. Incredible strength, heavier body armor and power enough to move at a speed comparable to that of Chuhuac infantry on the ground. Sensors and an on board AI, make the battlesuits incredible agile and aware, able to take in and process data at the speed of thought,s sometimes faster. Interpretive reflex systems, help protect pilots, kicking in intuitively when the AI detects a threat missed by the pilot. 

WEAPONRY

Weaponry is made up of two standard rapid-fire plasma guns, similar to those carried by the infantry as SAWs and two hard points on the back. These hard points can be given any number of loads to carry or left empty if a lighter mission role was desired. Standard weapons include: 

Heavy Plasma Cannon - Essentially a scaled up version of the infantry weapon, this weapon is capable of rapid-fire, launching scores of powerful plasma bolts down range to pin down the enemy, chew up light cover and destroy lighter vehicles and structures.

Particle Accelerator Cannon - The heavy-hitter for the battlesuits, this weapon fires an incredibly powerful beam of charged particles moving at near relativistic speeds. The impact caused by these particles is so great that they can disrupt the molecular bonds of a target. The resulting release of energy is usually rather dramatic and produces a spectacular light show as the target is rendered to pieces. 

Drone Missile Launcher - The primary indirect support weapon used by battlesuits in support of infantry, drone missiles are guided by the battlesuit's AI. through this control, the missiles can be directed to move around intervening terrain and impact in a variety of nearly limitless patterns. The payload on the missiles is also variable and consists of a flexible sort of proto-matter that can be set for varying degrees of solidity and instability. In this way, a single drone is capable of being used for anti-armor, high-explosive, fragmentation, air-burst and other roles simply by the pilot designating the needed mix of material properties.

OTHER SYSTEMS

The versatility of the Chuhuac battlesuits is one of their greatest attributes and in addition to the more common weapon loads, there are a host of other options utilized for specialize missions. Sensors, stealth systems, even gravitic jump motors have all been utilized in one mission or another. In space, they often employ thruster packs to allow for greater maneuverability. 

New Print for Chuhuac APC

The Chuhuac APC has had a bit of a refit.

While the original printing was good, the tech available for prints has improved while the project has been developing. I took advantage of this extra time to see if a few tweaks to the design and a new print might make a difference. I think it has.

The finished print gives you a really good idea of what a resin model of the vehicle will look like. The material used in these new prints has a similar weight, texture and consistency to the resin being used in good resin models. 

Newest Chuhuac Greens

The last of the greens have been received from the sculptor. These include the battlesuits, the attack bikes and the 28mm versions of the basic squad. Also included is the newly sculpted aerial drone bioform. The new sculpt is more in line with my original concept of a small observation drone.

The battlesuits are multi-part models with the tail separate from the body and an assortment of back-mounted weapons and arms. The pictures below only show one arm and back weapon attached but you will be able to build them with two arms and various combinations of weapons. Their are two variations on the main body pose.

Missile Pod

Particle Accelerator Cannon

Heavy Repeating Plasma Gun

The new bioform sculpt is much smaller than the original and represents the sort of biotech enhanced organism the Chuhuac utilize as observation drones. This model replaces the original, larger model in the command packs with the original sculpt to be released later as a companion to the 28mm troopers.

Aerial Recon Bioform

The attack bikes are designed as a simple two-part kit. The bikes with riders' bodies will have separate heads available to glue to them. This will allow you some variation on the bike by positioning the head how you like.

Attack Bike

The 28mm Chuhuac are designed for players who like larger scale figures. The figures will represent a typical six-raptor squad including an Alpha Leader, three troopers, a SAW gunner, and a plasma gunner.

28mm Trooper

28mm Plasma Gunner

28mm Trooper

28mm Trooper

28mm Alpha