Scored some Grenadier Traveller Imperial Marines

[Metternich]

Over the holidays the Ebay gods smiled and I was able to score an unboxed group of the old 25mm Grenadier Traveller Marines (ten of the 12-piece set, less the missile launcher and one figure) for only $30.  They were even painted quite reasonably in a gray-green that will require only minimal touch up and detailing.  Of course - as all glasses are half full - this was after I had already purchased on Ebay a complete boxed set (with all paperwork) for  $ 110 plus postage.   But now I have 2 squads of the Grenadier figures (plus a third squad of reinforcements from Ground Zero Games UNSC hardsuit figures, which are a reasonably close match). 
  Now if only I could find a few Vagr in 25mm .... 

[johnl5555]

Good for you!  I love 25mm scifi figs. I own Heritage, Grenadier, Gzg, Ral Partha, Starguard, Weg and some others. I am crazy about my Heritage Power Armor troops. I also am a huge fan of Starguard Dreenoi. I have mainly used Fubar with them.

Thanks!

John

[Hobby Services]

Good for you!  I love 25mm scifi figs. I own Heritage, Grenadier, Gzg, Ral Partha, Starguard, Weg and some others. I am crazy about my Heritage Power Armor troops. I also am a huge fan of Starguard Dreenoi. I have mainly used Fubar with them.

Thanks!

John

Dreenoi are adorable.

[Metternich]

Starguard - that really takes me back.  I had the old Starguard rules back in the early 80's (or was it the late 70's ?).  Never had the Dreenoi, but I had one of the Ralnoi lizard-like aliens (which I converted to a D&D lizardman by the addition of a spare McEwan round shield and scimitar - we had to make do with what was available back in those days).

[Metternich]

And speaking of Ral Partha, a number of the old Shadowrun figures (now carried by Iron Wind Metals) are very suitable for Traveller (particularly as crew, adventurers, security guards, and even some military units)

[johnl5555]

  Agreed about Partha Shadowrun figs. I did a trade for a load of them 10 years ago. The cover a lot of types with that range. Plus I own a  lot of the 25mm Battletech figs. The Kurita and Stiener Platoon box sets. I love them.

Forgot to add that the Starguard figs are 20% off right now. They are having a sale. I may pick up another Cockroach tank for them and a 25 figs platoon pack.

Thanks.

John

[AzSteven]

Wow - I had no idea the Imperial Marines were that pricey on EBay.  About 15 years ago I lucked into a couple of unopened boxes of them at a yard sale, and (combined with the set I already had and some GZG figures and some Bandai 1/48 kit conversions) I fielded an entire reinforced platoon.  Sadly these guys are a little under-sized compared with some of the modern figures, but I still love them and need to haul them out of storage for another battle now!

[Metternich]

Treasure them.  They are going for as much as $165 a box (plus postage).  IMHO, still some of the best "realistic" 25 - 28 mm futuristic figures out there (again, with GZG  and Denizen coming in close seconds).

[Metternich]

The E-bay Gods smiled again. Was able to score some more 25mm Traveller Figures cheaply: An unopened packet of the 25mm RAFM Traveller the New Era  Aslan Mercenaries (see first and second links) for only $11 postage included; an unopened set of the Coalition Marines in Battledress (see second link) from the same vendor for the same price; and another but opened set of the same 3 Coalition Marines for only $10 plus $3 postage.  Fairly hard to get figures as RAFM only made them for a short run beginning in 1994.  The Aslan fill a real niche in 25mm (taller and more imposing than the two figures in the Grenadier Alien Mercenaries box).  I think the Coalition Marines are meant to be from the predecessor to the Third Imperium, but I think they are quite usable as Solomani, Darrians, or Sword Worlders.

   http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~tpope/sol/rafm/5859.jpg

http://www.miniatures-workshop.com/lostminiswiki/images/thumb/7/7c/RAFM-5859-01.jpg/399px-RAFM-5859-01.jpg

   http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~tpope/sol/rafm/5852.jpg

   

[Hobby Services]

Coalition Marines were from the Reformation Coalition, the survivor organization that was trying to rebuild interstellar civilization after it collapsed throughout known space due to the rise of the Virus Fleets following the final Imperial Civil War.  You know, the last setting GDW actually produced in the 90s, widely hated and generally ignored by every publisher since then.

[Metternich]

I had stopped following Traveller by then.   The collapse of the Empire following the Fifth Frontier War did it for me. 

[Metternich]

I was looking through the Iron Wind Metals onlinestore for 25mm Shadowrun figures to use as Traveller RPG civilians with my newly-acquired Grenadier Imperial Marines, when I got the idea to look through the fantasy ranges to see what was usable.  Under Fantasy RPGs they have  range called Arcana Evolved.  There are some figures of Sibeccai which look like wolf/jackal men - the most important features are that they have appropriate heads and are digitigrade.  Two in particular looked usable as Vargr, as they aren't carrying shields, etc. and look like they could be used as-is or with minimal conversion (e.g. removing a dagger, drilling out a hand, and substituting a pistol; note, however even some of the earliest Martian Metals 15mm Vargr had cutlasses) : 

   ironwindmetals.com/store/images/arcana/67-040%20Evolved%20Male%20Sibeccai.jpg
http://ironwindmetals.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=264_294&products_id=8401

http://forum.reapermini.com/uploads/monthly_2018_04/20180402_120810.jpg.70a558394c6525ea7f1ac67577c00a82.jpg

Some of the Littorians could be dragooned into service as Aslan, but would require more extensive conversion work.  Unfortunately, without a lot of green stuff added for robes, the female Sibeccai and Littorians aren't useful (too many fan boys must think that evolved lady wolves and lionesses would have the same mammary development as Tomb Raider heroines).