Aliens & Predators for HS: 4/19 Predator update 1st pg

[Doc_Savage]

Anybody get their Predators yet? Please post comparison pics...

[Annerios]

I finally received the Alien Queen set today.




The Queen is much smaller, but nicely detailed. I'll probably make a modified card for a Queen with less Life, etc. She may fit into places on the battlefield the other Queen will not.


The egg sac fit nicely on a 7 piece hex with a little trimming. Getting the eggs off in the front was a pain though. I will probably make a destructible object card for the egg sac, so it can be used by either Queen.


Stupid human. . .


Stupid Predator. . .

The Predator figure is very cool and the scale looks perfect. Ninthdoc mentioned he received the version that is half-cloaked and it is much cooler in person than shown in the photos. It is a shame it is selling for over $50 on e-Bay!

[Rhydderch]

Originally Posted by Annerios

I finally received the Alien Queen set today.

Cool! You waste no time in rebasing that stuff, do you? Its nice to finally see what they look like on HS bases though. I'd given up on getting the Queen off her base because I was afraid I'd cut off a foot but now I'll probably have to try again because she seems to fit really well on an HS base.

[robaula]

Forgive my ignorance, but that human guy looks like a Microcorp agent - or is he from the Alien/Predator set?

[Annerios]

Originally Posted by Rhydderch

Cool! You waste no time in rebasing that stuff, do you? Its nice to finally see what they look like on HS bases though. I'd given up on getting the Queen off her base because I was afraid I'd cut off a foot but now I'll probably have to try again because she seems to fit really well on an HS base.

I used up the last of my bases on these.

The Queen was not easy to get off the base. One foot was ok, but the one closest to the eggs was really glued on well. It took me like 5 minutes of careful work to get it off. The eggs are really attached on there tight. Those took close to 15 minutes to remove without damaging them. I did not have a thin razor blade, though and I think that would have made it easier.

To all that are going to try it, beware and be careful. . .

[Annerios]

Originally Posted by robaula

Forgive my ignorance, but that human guy looks like a Microcorp agent - or is he from the Alien/Predator set?

It is indeed a Microcorp Agent. I was just using him to show how the figures compare in terms of scale/size to a HS human.

[Jim]

Microman Alien Queen: A small review...

I got the Microman Alien Queen (MMAQ) yesterday. It looks very nice, though it lacks some of the detail that the Konomi Alien Queen (KAQ) has. The two eggs (one open and one closed) are, as I expected, waaaaaaaay too small, unless an alien took over a small rabbit and a queen hatched. The Predator is also too small to use in Heroscape. The KAQ and the MMAQ are roughly the same scale, as shown in this series of pictures:









It has many points of articulation, but mine has a problem with the legs, in that they don't tent to actually hold the figure up (that's why I am holding it up in one shot, and there are hexes proping it up in others...). It comes with a small transparent base with two pegs on it. One peg is too large to fit anywhere on the MMAQ, and the other peg fits into the one foot that has a hole in it. But it doesn't fit very well, and it doesn't hold up the figure. I think the legs will support it much better if they are glued to a base, which is something I haven't done yet.

The jaws open and close, and the MMAQ's "hat" comes off to reveal a small lever which extends or retracts the inner set of jaws:



That being said though, the "hat" doesn't seem to stay on very well.

I may sound like I don't like the figure much, but I really do. The positives definately outweigh the negatives. How many other Heroscape figures have articulation? Not that this is a HS figure, but once glued to a base it can be. I'm sure with a little tweaking the "hat" will stay on better, and it really does look nice.

Jim

[Annerios]

Look at the size of that Predator! "Watcha gonna do, bite my kneecap? "


Great stuff, Jim. I had a good laugh.

I like the inner jaw feature on that Microman Queen.

[Annerios]

The location: Secret corporate lab masquerading as a geothermal research station.

The characters:





An alliance of humans cooperating to survive:

The doctor heading the research project for the "Company" and her bodyguard.

A corporate executive that sold out the location of the secret research into enhanced Xeno-acid resistant battle-suits to a rival corporation.

The hired corporate infiltration/extraction team that came to rescue the executive.

The two remaining ex-colonial marine security teams.

A trooper in a prototype Xeno-acid resistant battle-suit.



The way out for the humans. A heat resistant bridge that leads onto a platform with a path leading up to a landing pad where an escape shuttle awaits. The platform is just in range of several automated miniguns that will blow away anything standing on the platform without a special ID.



The Aliens. A Queen and her children that have been used for testing the new battle-suits. The corporate executive let her out to cover his extraction during a showdown between the infiltration team and security personnel. The Queen is very angry. . .



The Predator. A lone warrior sent on a mission to hunt down some humans that stole Yautja camouflage suit technology. Of course, the humans can only use the camouflage in a limited fashion, but the Yautja have been insulted by this theft and the humans must pay. The corporate infiltration team are all using this stolen technology.



The Aliens have rampaged through the base and almost all personnel have been killed. The base's self-destruct mechanism has been engaged and the lava is starting to rise. Secret vents opened to start destroying all of the lower levels with lava. Soon it will rise and cover this area, destroying everything.

Due to the extensive amount of damage to the base, the only controls available for the bridge, miniguns and shuttle were on an external computer on the observation platform. The doctor and her bodyguard encountered the infiltration team and the corporate turncoat as they battled for their lives in the underground base. They made an uneasy alliance to temporarily join forces and escape. Then, a comlink message came through that a group of security guards was almost on the surface with the last prototype battle-suit.

The bridge over the lava is extended and the humans have just all made it to the surface as the Aliens burst through an external door close to the bridge.

The Predator was only interested in hunting his quarry, but now there are humans with weapons, Aliens and one of their young Queens. The urge to hunt cannot be resisted. . .



The security teams barely survived the tunnels and are about to emerge into hell.



The infiltration team (HS ninjas) are out of flechette rounds, so they steel themselves with their traditional blades to face the Aliens.

The Aliens are faster than they could have imagined. In what seems like an instant, the team leader sees the face of the man to his left engulfed by a facehugger. Then, the woman to his right explodes with blue energy as a plasma blast engulfs her. He barely has time to register what just happened as he is impaled on the Queen's barbed tail.

On the catwalk, the bodyguard sees an odd shimmer, but dismisses it, until she sees the plasma burst. She tries to get a bead on the creature, but it disappears. She hears the clanking noise of something heavy landing on the platform below her.

The security teams rush in and open fire on the Queen and her children, killing a couple and wounding the Queen.



The terrified corporate executive uses his briefcase to block the faceghugger's attack.

Above, the Predator has moved to a better position and is raining plasma caster death on the Aliens.

The bodyguard catches glimpse of the creature on the lower platform and hits it with a round in the shoulder. It spins and disappears again, so with her second shot, she expertly dispatches the facehugger threatening the corporate executive.

She is repaid by being blasted in half by a shot from the Predator's plasma caster.



The Yautja warrior is eager to jump into hand to hand combat. It is shame the Queen could not be captured. He watches the Queen rush in and kill a human, but one climbs up on a ledge and empties a clip into her head. The man is consumed by a spray of acid and dies screaming.

The Queen thrashes around in pain and retreats, sending her children in to kill the security men.

The Queen is too wounded to be much of a challenge, so the Predator dispatches her with a blast from his plasma caster. Yet, as he does so, an
Alien digs its claws into his back. He turns in a rage and stabs it with his combi-stick, knocking it off the platform.



The Aliens charge in a frenzy at the security teams and the carnage is heavy. Aliens are blown to bits and their acid blood sometimes kills their attackers. The stealth armor saves a few of the guards, but they have no choice but to send in the battle-suit they were trying to protect.

The trooper has no access to any ranged weapons (they were all used up in the tunnel combat), so he grabs an Alien and crushes it with its metal hands. Instead of hesitating, another Alien jumps on top of it and manages to tear the top off the armored suit, exposing the tender human flesh within. The last thing the trooper sees is a set of teeth rushing into his face.

A muffled scream is heard from the corporate executive who tried to run to the platform and was caught by the last facehugger.



The doctor watches in terror and fascination as the Predator descends and becomes a whirling and disappearing instrument of death. He kills humans and Aliens effortlessly.

She tries to destroy an Alien below her by dropping a chemical mixture on it, but fails miserably. She knows her only chance is to make a run for the exit platform while the Predator is busy with the others.

The last two security men try to take down the Predator, but cannot hit him.

The remaining Aliens rally and rush into combat. The Predator that killed their Queen must be destroyed!



The Predator answers the angry hisses of the Aliens with a roar and engages them in hand to hand combat, remembering the time when he hunted Aliens for the first time and became a "blooded" warrior.

The remaining security man sees the doctor jump off the platform and tries to help her by firing at the Alien that is stalking her, but it is too fast.
She is on her own.



As the Alien approaches, the doctor tries to run to the other side of the platform and halts in terror as she sees a group of eggs left by the Queen.
One of them opens slowly and she screams. The Alien warrior rises behind her and the only satisfaction she has before she dies is that everything here will be destroyed in just a few minutes



Having destroyed the last of the Aliens, the Predator turns his attention to the final human. This creature has fought well, so the Predator drops his combi-stick and extends his wrist blades. The human fires a final blast from his gun, but he camouflages and evades the predictable attack.
The human then pulls a knife from his boot and they engage in honorable combat. The human fights well, but they both become aware of the ground rumbling and explosions rock the surface. The human manages to feint and stab him, but in return the Predator stabs through his chest and removes his heart.

The Predator growls in satisfaction, but is forced to flee only grabbing what few trophies he can, as the base is destroyed.

Next time he encounters a Queen, he will return to the ship with its head!

[Rhydderch]

Haha. Nice. Was that an actual game with 3 people? I had no idea those Plasma Casters would be so effective, Though it probably helps that the humans and aliens were so busy fighting each other.

Anyway nice playtest report. I still like that map too especially with all the neat little props. It was also good to see the eggs in action. Makes me want to debase mine as well :P

[LilNewbie]

Excellent job, Annerios and Jim! Enjoyed both stories and thanks for the comparison shots, Jim.

Newb.

[Raz7243]

I recently watched a set of Wizkids Predators go on EBay for $126.00!! They make the perfect addition to any H.S. custom collection. My question here is: Has anyone out there come up with a Stat card for these magnificent creatures yet? I saw the ones for the Aliens and they are absolutely awesome!! Just wondering if anyone has picked up the auntlet yet and devised some stats for their opponents.

Ray