28mm VSF Spy vs Spy

During the First Great Steam War beginning in the second half of the 1870s every nation found its intelligence gathering services were stretched to the limit. Due to the demands of a modern industrial war the leaders of these organisations found not only was there a need for traditional spies operating within their enemies territories but military operations now sometimes required the services of their discrete agents! So a new breed of ‘field operative’ with both stealth and a licence to kill (yeah I had to get that in somewhere) emerged. Most if not all of these new era agents modelling themselves on the great British Spy of Spies Edward Bigger!

Here is what your typical Spy Organisations Field Agents looked like, they blended into Victorian era crowds seamlessly...

 Organisations like…

The British Empire’s SOE (Stealthy Overseas Executive)
The United States of America’s CIA (Covert International Agency)
The Tsar’s evil Third Section
And the Antipodean ASIO (Australasian Superlative Intelligence Organisation)

…began to field agents the like of which had not been seen before; these Western Ninjas were invisible when they wished to be and lethal beyond compare! Trained in the arts of culture and death these men found themselves in situations that tested them to the limits. They were armed with all the gadgets the latest technologies could furnish. Amongst the more common items they were supplied with was equipment like: quick firing grenade launchers, Multi-barrelled repeating rifles, rose coloured glasses and they all prized their Coal Fibre Vests, these were the latest invention from the Scandinavian inventor Alfred Nobel. The armour was made from condensed coal (AKA Carbon) which protected the wearer better than steel armour at a fraction of the weight. Agents from all countries typically wore long coats so they could secrete their armoury within their many folds and back top hats well because they were fashionable! There was a wild old wives tale doing the rounds at the time that these top hats could be thrown and featured not only a razor sharp brim but the attributes of a boomerang and would return to the thrower The agents always hid their faces with scarves.

Here’s a period picture can you see the two secret agents in it…

Look again closely at this enhanced version of the same picture can you see the agents now? Wow these men's skills are astounding…

The figures are more great sculpts from the Ironclad Miniatures VSF range, my painting doesn’t do them full justice and there are several more in this Evil Henchman range including my favourite one throwing a Looney Tunes looking bomb!

In the games where these guys feature their activities and abilities will be covered by special scenario rules. But in general until a spy actually fires or attempts to complete their mission even though they are on the board they are invisible to all enemies excepting of course another spy, the have automatic activation and high skill ratings i.e. never take on one in single combat, these guys never break they just die in the line of duty trying to complete their assignments...

Anyway more stuff soonish!