Group shot

A quick group shot for your delectation

Manchester Cavalry

The final component for my Manchester force are these dragoons.

I don't know where the figures are from, but they're originally Mexican-American war Mexican cavalry that Xander kindly forced on me, possibly to make me write cavalry rules.

The bases are, perhaps, a little too large, but I think they look good.

Flying Squad officers often wear non-standard uniforms, mostly because they can.

Probably my favourite. The paint job on the horse really stands out here.

The Flying Squad (or, The Lancers) are not a formal part of the Manchester Guard. Early in the city's history a fast mobile unit was put together to counter bandits and generally keep order among outlying settlements. At first this was little more than a posse of well armed busybodies who threw their weight around outside the walls of the citadel. As time went on they developed their own tradition and history but began to deploy regularly alongside or in support of the Guard proper.

Technically any man can join the Flying squad; the only requirements being that he must provide his own horse. In practice this limits membership to rich sons of the Houses or other prosperous individuals. Additionally the use of the male pronoun throughout the Book of Rules, the governing document that describes the responsibilities and privileges of the Flying Squad has been used to limit membership to men only. This reading of the document has been upheld at least once, making this one of the few roles in Manchester from which women are formally barred.

The preponderance of thrill seeking rich among the Flying Squad has, inevitably, created a hostile relationship with the Guard, who know them by a number of insalubrious names. In fact, while their value in providing a visible presence for Manchester's satellite communities is respected by the leaders of Manchester, their actual utility in battle is still debatable. While they commemorate a number of "great victories" their detractors are quick to point out that these were attained against what amounts to disorganised bandits and disgruntled farmers. The armies of the Karn, by comparison, are like nothing they have faced before.

Manchester Guard Weapons Team

Here are some photos of the Guard's HMG, probably the single most potent weapon on our future battlefield (unless you count mammoths...)

Manchester Guard Infantry

I was going to post some background for the City of Manchester, as it exists in our game-world, with this post, but it's late and I've got to get up early tomorrow so, for now, here are some pictures of the completed Manchester infantry.

I'm reasonably happy with how they turned out in the end. Granted they are the drabbest forces I have ever painted, including my 15mm paras in camo! They don't really scream post apocalyptic either, but that's ok as again, Manchester is supposed to be a visionary re-inventor city state. They have the textile industry to clothe their troops identically and the logistical capacity to standardize their weaponry.

In order to escape the curse of true uniformity, I tried to mix headgear up a little, adding WWII helmets, and - as shown in the forefront in the photo above - a greenstuff sculpted helmet.

I tried adding a little colour in the bases as I've been experimenting wit meadow flowers. They are a bitch to get stuck down, and the solitary bloom I put on the Highland Spring Water Traders has already fallen off. I'm probably applying them incorrectly.

The miniature above will serve as an NCO and probably my command figure for the game, unless I can find the time to put some more HQ figures together.

Left for Lead 2: Electric Boogaloo

Here's a photo of the final (entirely) unpainted unit for my forces.

Something tell me they're going to be a royal pain in the ass... It's nagging me...

I can't believe I let Xander bully me into adding mounted forces to the game, and then into adding them to my force, and then giving me some cavalry...

Seriously though, I hate painting animals, although I've found a great - but extremely involved - tutorial for painting horses.

Quick Update - Highland Spring Traders Banner Bearer

The banner is at a slight angle due to the fact that I don't want to affix it for travelling purposes.

I'm thinking of ageing the flag, maybe by putting it in some old tea? Suggestions on the back of a postcard.

Manchester Guard Veterans

More regular that Thing A Week, it's another squad of troops from the anti-nomad coalition!

The men below are the elite of the Manchester Guard, the small professional army created to defend the City of Manchester from external threats. Have some pics:

From the front

From behind

I'm actually very pleased with the way they turned out. At first, I thought the squares on their cloaks were going to drive me insane, but they seem to have paid off.

These men are drawn from among the longer serving members of the "Mud and Bloods" (I'll provide fluff for both Manchester and the Guards soon enough) and keep many of their operating procedures and weapons from before "the reorganisation".

These men are armed with SMG's, while their sergeant has an assault rifle. One of them carries a Rocket Launcher, Single Shot, Disposable, Mammoth, For the purpose of hunting.

Beneath their cloaks they are wearing the "new" uniform of the Manchester Guard. Persistent legend has it that their cloaks are made by, or bought with the last pennies of their wives or sweethearts, and there is even a song to this end, however, this is mostly untrue. While they provide their own cloaks, as with all non-standard issue equipment, they are usually not bought by doomed lovers. Veteran troops are extremely possessive of their signature look, and many regular soldier has got the boot in when innocently trying to emulate them.

While they are the veterans of many battles with raider groups and smaller settlements, they have never faced a foe as large, as experienced or as cohesive as the Karns horde.