Torge's Tigers arrive in Powered Armour.

After seeing some excellent jump-packs over at Puppetswar Miniatures, I decided that I would add them to some Grymn wearing powered armour.

Here they are in their primed condition:

And here they are once they have had their stripes added; Torge's Tigers:

I think that the jump-packs work perfectly and actually look like they have the oomph to lift the extra weight of the armour.

She Hulk joins the team

This week, the super-soldier program gains another member and that is She-Hulk:

This is a slight departure for the Grymn scientists as they have been experimenting with a mix of super-serum and radiation to try and enhance their volunteer. Fortunately, the experiment worked and there have been few side effects...apart from a change in skin colouring! She-Hulk is super strong, super resilient and very agile as well.

Another Superhero and some HF news

To add to the superhero group, I have been busy sculpting Puck (from Alpha Flight):

He is a smaller character with a very slow ageing process and depending on where you get your info from, has a body resembling hardened rubber. He is the 'cannonball' of the team. He's a bit of a light weight hitter but he can knock down a human sized opponent easily by barrelling into them. I chose him because he is just so full of character that he really adds something to the team.

On a completely different note, Hasslefree Miniatures are making some interesting noises with regard to Grymn Walkers. If you follow this LINK you will see some rather cool WIP pix of a completely re-vamped machine. I don't need to say how much I like it.

Building a Super-team with Grymn.

As I have already mentioned, my Grymn superhero team is being built up but what I have been thinking is 'what makes a good super-team?'

Well, one of the main things about the team is that there is a good mix of powers. Strong characters, flying ones, super-fast ones...each and every type needs to be included to a certain degree so that the team can cope with a range of tasks and also have a visual impact that keeps the viewer's enthusiasm/attention.

As well as powers, it is always nice to have a mix of male and female characters so that there can be plot twists and also to keep EVERYONE interested, rather than just the boys. How cool is it when a strong, male super villain is stopped by the power of a female like She-Hulk?

Equipment is another consideration. A bunch of lycra clad superheroes in similar kit would get tedious...so there is a need to have a mix of extra equipment, armour, weapons, decorations to add a bit more variety to the group.

Personalities must also be considered for when the models get factored into a rule set. How do they react under pressure? How well do they take orders? How well do they respond to other members of the team? How well do they keep their emotions under control (a classic example of this would be the Hulk)?

Finally, I would say that colour and decoration is a huge part of a team's public image. Are they all wearing the same colours or do they have different colours throughout? Are they existing heroes that have joined together (hence all different colours) or has the team been formed of new superheroes and tied together with a team uniform?

All these questions need to be considered before you end up with a superhero team but if you can't decide on what to include, there is always the option of gathering more heroes than you need and picking from the bunch! As a result, my list of super-Grymn has expanded a little. It currently stands at eleven but I can still see it growing:

Nick Fury

Iron Man

Black Widow

Puck

Hurricane

Juggernaut

Captain Britain (the original one dressed in red, carrying a staff)

Beast

Demolition Man (because he looks like Wolverine but doesn't have claws)

She-Hulk

Rescue (Pepper Potts in Iron Man armour)

The only restrictions on my team is that they must get their powers via a super serum or by scientific methods. There are no gods, magical or mutant characters here.

Just things to think about.

Team Leaders

Every team needs a leader and the Grymn super-team is no exception. Enter Nick Fury, special agent of SHIELD:

Nick Fury will be acting as a mediator between the heroes and the military. His main job is to decide the best time to send the heroes in, whilst liaising with the military to gain the best results.

When there is squabbling going on amongst the superheroes, it is his job to calm things down and restore team harmony.

Nick's super-serum has slowed his ageing process down and given him superhuman endurance. His skill with weapons and fighting ability has been gained over many decades of training as a soldier.

As fast as lightning!

This time around we have Hurricane. She has been given implants and a super-serum to enhance her athletic prowess to the point where she can run at a super-fast pace:

That makes two down with four more to go. Once the team is complete I will be looking into how to integrate them in a rules system and how my standard infantry can be used.

More to come soon.

Blowing the dust off.

It has been a while but it seems that there are a few more bits and bobs coming from Hasslefree soon. The two greens in my last post are going to be available at the end of November so I can finally start thinking about a higher command level for my armies.

An idea struck me a few weeks ago...why couldn't the Grymn have a secret, scientific branch of their armed forces? A branch that was dedicated to the enhancement of a Grymn's fighting prowess? A super-soldier program?

This got me looking through various sites on the WWW to see which super-soldiers would be good as a super-team for my Grymn armies. I decided that mechanical means (bionics/powered armour) and super -serums/genetic manipulation were fine but any sort of mythical/magical/mutant ways of explaining powers were not.

The first character to surface (after a few niggles with the putty) was Black Widow. Here she is with a GW Dark-Eldar, A Grymn Tunnel Fighter and a Void VASA marine:


She is a pretty normal soldier whose martial arts prowess has been heightened with a super-serum which make her far stronger and more agile than a normal Grymn. She is able to use all manner of weapons, dodge bullets and has extreme acrobatic prowess.

The super-soldier team will consist of five main members, with a liaison officer to act as a go between for the normal Grymn armies. They will have a special transport and will act as a special unit that is not part of the army but may be called upon to help in times of crisis.

Watch the skies for the next hero to arrive!

When it is just too dangerous...

...don't send in the troops...send in the robotic clones (Beetle-Bots):


Grymn are too important to waste in actions that require the 'long haul' so they have come up with a cunning solution to the problem. Their technicians and scientists have perfected a way of copying a soldier's thought patterns and imprinting them on to a manufactured neural net. This neural net can then be placed into the skull of a robot and that will give the robot the personality and ability of the donor Grymn.

The good thing about the system is that it can be done in a few minutes, the Grymn is completely unharmed in the process and, unlike a clone, the robot is battlefield ready in as long as it takes for the new programming to get used to the robot body. Add to that the robot taking on board the training and experience of an existing soldier and you have a great way of putting fully battle-ready troops on the battlefield without running the risk of losing lots of lives...

Cpl Jenssen slowly lowered his head into the headrest of the special chair. Once he was comfortable the nurse tightened the restraining strap over his forehead and asked if he was ready.

Cpl Jenssen said that he was and the seat slowly lowered to a roughly horizontal position. Once it was there, a robotic arm raised a laptop sized scanner and adjusted it so that it was about three inches from Jensses's face. There was a click and about ten seconds of a barely audible hum before the arm withdrew the scanner and the seat began to raise to the normal position.

"All done!" said the nurse.
"Was that it?" Jenssen replied.
"Yep. Robot Jenssen will be waiting outside to meet you".

Jenssen left the small room and walked into a small collection area. Standing on a big yellow spot in the corner, was a blue/grey coloured robot who looked at Jenssen as soon as he entered. Jenssen stopped and looked back at the robot.

"Now that is just weird!" they both said together.

..."This will take a little getting used to" they both thought...

There are a few things to think about though...

What happens if the donor Grymn dies?...
Once the battle is over, will the robot-clones be 'de-programmed'?...
Does sending in robot-clones lead to Grymn getting lazy?...
Do the Grymn donors meet the robot-clones or are they kept separate?...
What if the robot-clones decide not to go and fight?...
What if the robot-clones decide to take over?...

Can you imagine going to war with a bunch of robot clones...say ten...all programmed with your brain patterns? Can you imagine the arguments?

So many things to think about...not even treading the paths of the moral implications of it...but that is the beauty of Science Fiction.

Grymn Characters - Silvia and Edgar

Silvia and Edgar are two Grymn you wouldn’t expect to see together. Silvia is a picture of Grymn beauty, with stunning looks a perfect physique and eyes you could drown in. Edgar is an aging, war weary, grey-haired veteran of the Grymn armed forces. If you were to ever see them together in their civilian attire, it would not only be exceptionally rare but they would also appear completely at odds with each other. However, when they are in their military fatigues, they are as much a picture of solidarity as they are a highly effective and professional team. The reason for this is that Silvia is a natural and very gifted sniper. It was said that, during her training, Silvia could shoot the tip off a pencil at ranges in excess of 500 metres but since then her expertise has become so great that the Grymn high council decided that she needed to be protected and cosseted so they chose someone to act as her spotter and her protection. Edgar was perfect for the role. He was a veteran of many wars, had high tactical awareness, was a talented leader and also had the patience of a saint. He immediately stepped in as Silvia’s mentor, protector and spotter and since they first met they have been like a father and daughter team.

Silvia and Edgar have become a dedicated assassination unit. They have been highly trained in the use of camouflage, concealment, communications, survival techniques and the use of most weaponry. Edgar will act as Silvia’s link between the high council and the jobs she has to carry out and shadows her every move in the field. As effective a sniper Silvia is, Edgar is a bodyguard beyond compare. Once the team is in position, Edgar will spot for Silvia and keep an eye out for enemy forces while she concentrates on the assassination. When it comes to extraction, Edgar takes the lead and ensures that they escape in the required manner. They are a team beyond compare and as a result, will only be used when a specific target needs to be eliminated and it is of the utmost importance to get the job done correctly, in the right time frame and with the correct precision.

Using Silvia and Edgar in your army

Edgar and Silvia make up a single unit and must remain within two inches of each other at all times.
Silvia will have normal trooper stats and will be equipped with a Grymn pistol and sniper rifle.
Edgar will have a veteran’s stats and will be equipped with a Grymn pistol, SMG, comms and scanners/binoculars.
Both will have the ‘Camouflage and concealment’, ‘Move through cover’ and ‘Specific target’ special rules. Silvia will have the ‘Sniper beyond compare’ special rule and Edgar will have the ‘Bodyguard’ special rule:

Camouflage and concealment

When in their chosen position, Silvia and Edgar become more or less invisible. They cover themselves with camouflage netting, IR reflective material and have all manner of jamming devices that mask scanners. When deployed, you do not need to tell your opponent where they are on the table. You can deploy them anywhere on the table but you must have a map with their position marked clearly on it so that when they are revealed, you have proof of their position. Silvia and Edgar will be revealed whenever they move or fire. Once this happens, they are visible for the rest of the game.

Move Through cover

Silvia and Edgar are adept at moving through cover. They may move through wooded areas and over broken ground without any penalties for movement.

Specific Target

Silvia and Edgar are chosen to carry out specific orders and then to return safely to their designated extraction zone. They are far too valuable to be risked in ‘run of the mill’ actions. At the beginning of the game, the controlling player may choose up to two specific targets. Each of these targets can be any model on the table. If Silvia or Edgar manages to kill the target(s), they will not only receive double the victory points for doing so but must also begin to withdraw to the army deployment zone (or a pre-determined safe/extraction point). They must do this once the targets are eliminated and they must do it in a characterful manner, using cover and speed but still returning fire as they withdraw. Once in the safe zone, they will play no further part in the battle.

Sniper beyond compare (Silvia only)

Silvia is literally, a sniper beyond compare. She is able to blank out the clamour of battle and pick her targets with precision. She is able to target vulnerable spots in armour and can calculate trajectories and wind-age with the skill of a savant.
Silvia can target any model on the table without restriction. If she has a line of sight, she can target any individual model in range whether they are basic troopers or army commanders. She can also double the range of the sniper rifle she carries with no penalty. If she does this then she may NOT use the following ‘additional penetration’ rule.
Additional penetration – if Silvia scores a hit (within normal range), then role a d6. On a roll of a 5 or 6, she will get double the strength of the weapon (to represent hitting a vulnerable point on the target). If the rule set doesn’t give the rifle a strength value then this rule will give you a 5 or 6 chance of wounding in addition to the normal rules (some common sense will be required so as to not make this too powerful a rule).

Bodyguard (Edgar only)

As long as Edgar is within two inches of Silvia, he will leap in front of any shot targeted at her and will fight any opponents in hand to hand that try to attack her. Simply switch Silvia for Edgar and work out the results normally.



Footnote: I have made this unit a little bit more vague than 'Lucky' because it has the possibility of being a game winner if used in the manner it should be.

I would suggest that this unit would only be used in a game where there was a specific commander or specialist that would reasonably be considered a major target. If there isn't a major target, Silvia and Edgar wouldn't even get out of their rooms.

Once the targets are eliminated, the next objective for the team would be to get to their extraction point. It may be necessary to either reward them for getting there or penalise them for not getting there. How about making them lose the 'double victory points' if they don't reach their extraction point...or even removing all of the victory points? It is characterful for these two to act in a professional manner and once they had carried out their duty, they would move to the extraction point straight away...it is their next objective after all.

Again...it is all food for thought and any comments are welcomed.

Grymn Character - 'Lucky' Lund Thorsen

Trooper Lund, Thorsen was a soldier in the Grymn army. He was a fairly run of the mill soldier who went through training in an un-extraordinary way; only just achieving the results that enabled him to join the infantry when he graduated. In fact, you could almost have said that he was completely average in every way; almost. You see, Lund started out his time in the Grymn army with a shiny metal hand.

When he was a child, he had been playing with his friends when he was involved in a car accident that saw him dragged down the street for a hundred metres...only coming to rest when his hand was ripped from his wrist. It took him many months to get back to his full strength but his hand couldn’t be saved so he had a bionic one grafted on in its place. All who knew him, said that he should have been killed and that it was a miracle he survived; let alone returned to full strength.

Once Lund had finished his military training, he was deployed on operations in the desert regions where he saw lots of action fighting Bohkin infiltrators. Many times he fought and many times he was injured but no matter how bad his injuries, he was patched up and sent back to duty after ‘miraculously’ surviving wounds that would have seen other Grymn dead.

Over time, he gained a number of extra bionics, including an eye, an arm (the opposite one to his metal hand) and a foot but still he survived and returned to his unit. After a while Lund’s unit began to see him as a bit of a mascot and gave themselves the nickname of ‘Lucky-Lund’s Lads’ because every time they managed to rescue Lund, they managed to win victory, achieve their objectives or escape where there should have been no escape.

You may have thought that Lund was destined for greater things but all through his career, he showed absolutely no aptitude for leadership and had no wish for it either. He was happy doing his duty as an ordinary foot-soldier and completed his 20 year service as trooper ‘Lucky’ Lund, Thorsen.

Using ‘Lucky’ Lund, Thorsen in your army

Any single, normal trooper in your army may be replaced as ‘Lucky’. When you do this, he gains the normal stats for that trooper, keeps the same weapons and gets the same equipment that the trooper would normally get. In addition, the following rules apply:

Lucky

While ‘Lucky’ is still alive and able, the unit he has joined will receive a bonus to their leadership. This will add one level to the leadership of the whole unit (depending on the rules system)

Rescue the muppet!

If ‘Lucky’ falls, he is considered wounded and not killed. He has miraculously survived but plays no further part in the battle. Any member of his unit will be responsible for rescuing the poor chap and must move into base contact with him. The rescuer will not be able to shoot for the remainder of the game but will be able to defend himself during hand-to-hand-combat, if he is attacked. The whole of the unit will become immune to leadership tests and will gain an extra level of weapon skill and shooting skill while ‘Lucky’ is being rescued but they will no longer be able to advance towards the enemy. They may remain where they are or retreat but they place keeping ‘Lucky’ safe, above their normal objective. If they return to their deployment area and drop him off then the unit returns to the fight with their basic stats as if ‘Lucky’ was just a normal member of their squad who has fallen. Of course, lucky will end up being healed and will be able to return in future battles to fight as normal.

If by the end of the game, 'Lucky' has not been returned to his deployment area, the unit he is with is counted as destroyed for the sake of victory points or objective reasons. If 'Lucky' is injured, the unit he is with may not claim objectives...unless they have already returned him to the deployment area and dropped him off.

Extra Equipment

‘Lucky’ gains bionics as extra equipment for no extra cost. He has a Bionic eye, hand, arm and foot and this will need to be taken into account depending on which rule-set you are using (with the relevant bonuses applied if applicable).



Footnote: You can see from this example how easy it is to add a lot of flavour to your army by just adding a bit of narrative to a normal soldier.

When 'Lucky' is injured, you have the big decision of standing in place and getting all of the extra bonuses (risking his life in the process) or returning him to the deployment area and ending up with the basic stats again...

...that means risky, power-gaming or fighting with a narrative...

The choice is yours.

Characters.

In all stories and legends, there are great heroes, villains and leaders; those who fight beyond the call of duty and beyond the boundaries of normal endurance. These heroes instil courage and fervour in their followers; leading them to great victories and on to greater glory than they could have possibly achieved through their own endeavours.

These are the characters that add colour and a little bit of bite to any army and the Grymn armies should be no exception.

Where to start

The starting point should always be at the bottom. Why? Because there is always the tendency to have characters and leaders that are super powerful and indestructible. That is completely inappropriate and can also completely unbalance the army that the character has been created to join.

Of course; once you have started building characters, you can build up to the more powerful ones but you will do so after understanding the strengths and weaknesses of those lesser characters and that will help you build a better, higher level character that will not unbalance your army but will enhance it.

When building characters there is a need to set them apart from the normal, run of the mill NCOs and officers of the army. These characters will have unusual characteristics or be able to do unusual things that a normal leader won't be able to. Just think of the British leader, Winston Churchill. He was just a man...but put him in front of a mass of people and he could turn them into an unstoppable army just by talking to them and inspiring them to greater things. Storming Norman Schwartzkopf instilled pride in his men by being in the field and leading from the front. Montgomery, Rommel, Colonel H. Jones and many more, inspired their troops to great deeds...but they were just men. They weren't super heroes and they weren't wearing powered armour or being protected by force fields...

...but the men who followed them would follow them to the sun and fight on its searing surface as a result of the pride they held in their inspirational leaders...

Private Baharry...an inspiration to the country. He was just doing his duty but had such drive that he fought off wounds that would ground a normal man and rescued members of his unit before succumbing to unconsciousness. He was just a man...but in a word, he is a hero and would make an excellent basis for a character in an army.

I have posted this as a forward to some character ideas that will follow on. They will range from the lowly leader to the Grymn who originally escaped from the Sleiti and led his people to freedom in the stars. There will be great generals, powerful orators and strategists beyond compare.

Watch this space...

Another trawl and more words from the creator...

I had a quick look through my archives and found another chunk of text from Kev White:

"Fire teams would have a kind of mutual support thing going in, both would have bonuses due to covering fire provided by their partner when fielded against foes that would actually give a damn if hot lead (or plasma) was coming their way. Members of a fire-team need to be within 2 inches of each other to get this benefit.

At least one member of a fire-team has to be within the command distance of their commander, typically 6 inches. The higher rank/more powerful the commader, the larger the command radius.

Members of a fireteam are activated as one. Unit morale depends on the overall number of members in the unit, a fire-team that loses one of it's number (and becomes a single Grymn) continues to fight so long as the unit isn't affected by morale. Orphaned members can pair-up to form new fireteams if neccessary, and single Grymn can pair up with the commander if needed, but they need to be within 2 inches of each other.

Snipers are attached to units like normal support weapons troopers, but they don't need to be within the usual command distance. One trooper in the unit is designated as "Spotter" (which one doesn't need to be told to the opposing player, it could be the commander) and the sniper gets bonuses to hit "spotted" targets so long as they are in LOS of both models.

I'll be making a trooper that is a "Spotter" who will be a specialist type able to give better bonuses to snipers and call in artillery.

Also, max unit size is 10 models, as stated before. The maximum number of heavies is 3 models based on: One commander and three fire-teams (usual two, plus one added).

Max unit size for P.A is 7. Each normal trooper is in effect it's own fire-team, so you can have one commader, up to three troopers and one support/heavy for each of them.

Support/heavy weapons can be attached to fire-teams. If so, they get the covering fire bonuses and not the troopers. If not attached to fire-teams, the support/heavies are under the direct control of the unit commander and have to stay within half of the usual command distance.

Bear in mind that these are just ideas, not set in stone. If they work in playtesting, then fine. If they don't, they'll change."

I think that is all I have from the old Forum of Doom site...and I reckon that's it from the archive from Kev...

From the mouth of the creator...

This is taken from a post on the Forum of Doom before the site crashed and had to be rebuilt. It was written by Kev White.

Grymn: Army Composition.

Right, I've been meaning to do it for ages, so here goes.

The basic Grymn unit is four troopers plus a unit commander. The unit can be split into two man fire teams, but both need to be near the commander (I don't know if this means LOS, a set distance or whatever. Bear with me).

Unit size may be increased by adding extra troopers in pairs or single heavy/special weapons troopers. One heavy weapon trooper may be added for every "fire team".

Maximum unit size is 10. Commander and four troopers plus extras.

Light infantry: Have the Grymn SMG as basic weapon. They may have grenades as an option upgrade and it assumed that they all have a knife for getting friendly with the enemy. Typical armour is a flak jacket, knee, shoulder and elbow pads and a helmet. Heavy/Support weapons options are Minigun, Grenade Launcher, Rocket Launcher and Flame Thrower.

Heavy infantry: Basically the same as light infantry, but they tend to be of slightly better moral (combat vets maybe?) and use the Plasma Carbine (Pulse rifle) instead of the SMG. The "Heavy" designation comes from their ability to take on heavier targets with their improved firepower. Heavy/Support weapons options are the Rocket Launcher and Heavy Pulse Rifle.

Close Combat (Assault): Equipped with dual machine pistols or Shotguns. The pistols can have either barrel mounted grenade launchers underneath, or laser targeters. Shotguns have either Grenade launchers or a double shot facility. All members of a unit will have to have the same weaponry and optional secondary weapon. Most grenades used will typically be smoke rounds to cover any advance across open ground. Heavy/Support Weapons options are Flame Thrower, Grenade Launcher and Multi-Barrelled Assault Shotgun.

Powered armour: Come in units of two troopers plus commander. Standard weaponry is a Dual SMG (two linked SMGs in the same casing) and possibly a Power axe for close quarter actions.

O-Grymn: May be attached to standard units in the same way as for Heavy/Support weapons. They are considered to be standard Grymn troopers, just bigger. They are usually armed with the Battle suit minigun or a Rail gun. Other options include Rocket/Grenade/Missile Launchers and larger versions of shotguns and SMGs.

Battle suits: Fielded in stand alone units, each Battle suit operator is ranked at least "Captain" in the Grymn armed forces. Therefore they can assume command of leaderless units at a pinch. Standard armament is a minigun and rocket launcher combination.

Fire-teams and cooperation seem to be the buzz-words for a Grymn army.

Grymn armies.

Just looking at the various bits of information that Kev White has provided over the years, you will see that there are many options to choose from when thinking about how to create a Grymn army.

In the beginning there was Experiment #14. He took 1000 embryos from the Sleiti when he escaped. Some of those would have perished but many would have survived. Not all of them would be combatants but from a survival point of view, many would have to be. Obviously, it would take time for the Grymn to reach maturity so Experiment #14 would have to lay low while his charges were allowed to grow, mature and learn how to survive and defend themselves. Later in Grymn history, there would be bigger armies and maybe even settlers, traders, mercenaries and even (perish the thought) invading armies. There could also be different factions...maybe even CHAOS Grymn!?

So we have opportunities to field everything from small gangs of Grymn all the way up to a huge army. We also have the option of good and evil forces!

How about a Grymn gang in Necromunda? A small force of mercenaries in No Limits or Void 1.1? An army of Grymn in Warhammer 40k or even a huge horde in Apocalypse?

There are so many choices for so many gaming systems! It just takes a small amount of thought to make the Grymn fit in.

In Warhammer 40k, the Grymn could simply use the rules for the Imperial Guard. Alternatively, the Space Marines have scouts and they could be used to represent Grymn instead. In Void1.1, Urban War and Metropolis, the Grymn could act as marines from either VASA, Viridian or even Syntha forces.

As an alternative to using 'counts as' armies, you could use any of the available 'fan-lists' that are out there for the various systems. No-Limits has a list for Grymn and if you go to Celtos Legion and look through their downloads, you will find Grymn lists for Void 1.1 and Urban War.

Finally, there is always the option of making your own army lists and creating special rules that you think will suit the Grymn. I'm sure that there are many people out there who use Grymn in various rule systems who have come up with some ingenious special rules and army lists just so that they can use the Grymn in their chosen game system.

In time, I am planning to link to various lists and game systems but until I have permission, I am just batting around ideas.

If anyone out there has a link that they want to share to their own rules for using Grymn in their chosen system, please feel free to PM me (Inso) on The Forum of Doom - the link is on the right - and I'll put it up here for everyone to share.

More background.

As I have already mentioned, the Grymn were created by the Sleiti; an alien race that uses bio-technology for many things that other races would use standard, mechanical and electronic technology for. Here is a Sleiti in battle gear:


When the Grymn escaped, the Sleiti were furious because not only had years of worked disappeared but they destroyed the lab and its data-banks before they left. That meant that the Sleiti were forced to start from scratch with their next race of slaves. When they did eventually build a new set of slaves, they called them Bohkin. The Bohkin were made for one reason...to hunt down and capture the Grymn. If they couldn't be captured, they would have to be destroyed. The new race was happy to do this because they were genetically modified to be completely subservient to the Sleiti. Here is a Bohkin leader ready to embark on his next hunting mission:


There are other aliens out there but some are less distinct than others. The Druusch are a race that has been infected by a virus that effectively turns them into zombies. They are made up from all manner of different races but have one common trait...they are infected. There is however, one race that the Druusch infection can't attack and that is the Grymn; due to their extraordinary immune system. Here is a Druusch drone:


Adapted by Inso from original work by Kev White.

The Birth of the Grymn.

“On an alien research base hovering in orbit above the planet below, the Sleiti scientists were working tirelessly to create a workforce capable of mining the many dangerous floating through the depths of space. In test-tubes and gestation chambers, life was being created using genetic manipulation and bio-engineering. After years of careful experimentation a viable subject was created and he was known as ‘Experiment #14’.

#14 was a male who grew quickly using artificial growth acceleration. He was given all sorts of simple tasks that he was able to accomplish with ease, even though he didn’t show too much higher intellect. As a labourer he was excellent; being extremely strong with limitless stamina and a determination to finish all the tasks he was given to the best of his ability. #14 was eventually given a regular job, working with the scientists because he was deemed to be no threat due to his placid nature.

As he carried boxes and loaded vats, #14 watched the scientists. While concealing his obvious intelligence from his creators, he soon learned that they were creating a race based on similar genetic coding to him and that they were making an entirely male race to prevent it breeding if any should escape. The scientists were using a genetic marker to show the sex of each embryo and those that showed up as female were destroyed. #14 waited for his chance and when the lab was quiet, managed to swap the genetic marker for an alternative that hid the sex of the embryo on a genetic level...now both male and females would be allowed to gestate without the knowledge of the scientists.

The die was cast.

When 1000 embryos were well developed but not to a level where the sex could be deduced by the naked eye, #14 struck. He grabbed a fire-axe and went to work on the poorly prepared scientists. In a night of carnage he slew all of his creators.
A few days later the research station was boarded by security forces. #14 and the thousand embryos were gone.”

“...and that is how The Father brought us to this planet, along with the equipment to sustain and nurture our growth. Without The Father, we would not exist.” The age worn Grymn looked at the adolescent Grymnlings sat around him and could clearly see the admiration and awe in their eyes.

“Where is The Father now, sir?” asked one of the braver amongst the Grymnlings.

“Wandering...just wandering...he’ll return one day to visit his children; you can be sure of that” he replied with a wry smile and watched as the Grymnlings’ eyes all widened with surprise “now off you go...you have chores to do!”.

With that the small room emptied and the Old Grymn sat in silence, drawing on his tobacco filled pipe contentedly. He knew the peace wouldn’t last so he was determined to make the most of it...

Adapted by Inso from original work by Kev White.

What are Grymn?

Grymn are Sci-Fi Dwarfs designed and sculpted by Kev White over at:

Hasslefree Miniatures

What makes them special is the fact they are not just fantasy Dwarfs in space but they are a proper, sci-fi army that look almost plausible for future warriors. They are well sculpted, nice to paint and there is enough variety to make a decent sized force with a fairly wide range of weapons.

Another thing that is good about the Grymn is that they are not attached to any specific rule-set or war-game so you are free to come up with all sorts of ideas for how to use them without feeling like you should be sticking to the rules.

The miniatures are also good for converting and adding to other armies as allies.

This Blog will have only one focus and that will be everything Grymn. I plan on posting stories, background, conversions, rule ideas, lots of pics and links to some of the cool Grymn stuff that is out there on the WWW.

Well...there you have it. Sit back and enjoy the ride because once it gets going, it won't stop and before you know it, you'll have a Grymn horde of your own; languishing in various states of paint.

You have been warned.