Airfix Robogear

Someone over on the WIP boards showed a picture of a “huntsman” sentinel, which was basically a conversion of an airfix kit crossed with a standard IG sentinel. The result was pretty cool, but I was more interesting in the bits from the airfix kit. It was from one of their brands called Robogear, which as far as I understand it is basically a game not too far removed from 40k, but aimed at a slightly younger audience.

So I forked out my 30quid and picked up the starter pack. Firstly these things rock. I’m very impressed with both the build quality and the level of detail. I’d say these could be converted very easily into GW models with no obvious problems..

The set I bought was the starter set, cheapest price I found online was 30quid, so I went to argos and paid that for it. Comes with 8 vehicles, 1 funk hexagon terrain set thing, 20 troopers (1:48 scale, too big for 40k so mine are now listed on ebay!), and all the other bits and bobs you need to play. I must say as a game boxed set feels a lot better value for money than the 3rd ed 40k set did (not bought the new one so I can’t comment). Still..

The 8 vehicles, you get two each of the following:

Spider
The one that started this little trip. Very cool six legged thing. Like all these models it clips together rather than glueing. When I first heard that I thought it’d be naff, but the kits are really well designed (I suppose airfix wouldn’t put their names on something cak) and it’s not obvious, but has the added bonus that the joints are articulated.

I’ve shot all these models (not very well I’m afraid) with a Praetorian for size comparison. Although it occured to me the mordians aren’t the butchest of fellows. Oh well.

Like a lot of these vehicles the spider has 2 “real firing” weapons you can mount as options to normal static ones. Again at first wasn’t taken with the idea, but after reading the rules I quite like it. Basically in the game you can take a normal 40k type shot with rolls to hit and so on, or you can get your hands dirty, get down there and actually fire the gun. If you’re good you can do a lot more damage. I quite like that idea. Perhaps wouldn’t work too well when you’re aiming at an Imperial Guard army worth a thousand quid, but still a nice idea.

Thunder
This is the only flyer in the set. Comes with a rather star trek looking base to keep it up in the air (about 6 inches up!). I can’t look at this without it screaming ork deathkopta at me, but I want to use the wings and engines upside down in an IG lander craft (kind of like the one on forgeworld, but you know, designed rather than hewn from a brick).

I think perhaps the thunder and spider are the earlier model kits, since they don’t have alternative weapons. Or perhaps there’s a reason in the fluff, since they’re both from a different army to the others.

Hurricane
I think this one is a bit too robotwars in it’s present form to really grab me. But I think those tracks could be useful to pretty much everyone? And from a certain angle it looks a hell of a lot like an old epic chaos warmachine that I can’t remember the name of. Oh and does the buzzsaw look like it should be attached to the arm of a chaos dread?

This one, and the next, both come with a series of weapon sets that let you build different variants. Nice touch I thought..

Werewolf
The legs on this are amazing. They’re chunky and detailed and are blatantly going to be the basis for my praetorian sentinels! Cockpit is the same rather dumpy one from the hurricane.

Again fully poseable legs, which means you can get a really good stance from it before gluing the whole thing together. And again three different variants to pick from.

Overall I have to say I’m impressed with the models. And indeed with the system as a whole. Not played it, but it seems well thought out and possibly a good feeder for slightly younger kids (the “live fire” thing being a great hook) into something a little more upmarket, certainly cost wise. Well worth a look for Chaos, Ork and Imperial players I reckon.