Monday 4 November 2013

IAF020 Havelock Battlesuit - Early Supporter Offers!

From the 4th of November 2013 until the 14th of November 2013 you can head on over to the Ion Age website and place one or more early supporter orders for the IAF020 Havelock Type 57 Battlesuit bundles. All orders placed for early supporter will be shipped worldwide on day of release. Excellent eh! But there is more! You get treats for being an early supporter. Go to The Ion Age Website. Adding one or more IAF020 Early Supporter Offers to your order gets you the following. There is a 15% off bundle and a 25% off bundle:


The first bundle gets you a 15% saving off the list price of 5.00GBP each on three Battlesuits. Each of the Battlesuits is a single piece white metal miniature supplied with a separate Anda Missile Pod and a choice of FIVE different weapon arms included as per the concept art and images. On top of this you also get the IAF023 Fallen Havelock (one piece, grey tone resin) which is either a casualty or a piece of battlefield terrain which upon general release will be priced at 5.00GBP. That's a total product value of 20.00GBP for just 12.75GBP and an item not due for release for many weeks to come! Plus you will get the IMP03 November 'Knight of the Dead' miniature automatically in your order! If you order something else with your IAF020 early supporter offer then it will be shipped at the same time on release day.


The second bundle gets you a 25% saving off the list price of 5.00GBP each on five Battlesuits. Each of the Battlesuits is a single piece white metal miniature supplied with a separate Anda Missile Pod and a choice of FIVE different weapon arms included as per the concept art and images. On top of this you also get the IAF023 Fallen Havelock (one piece, grey tone resin) which is either a casualty or a piece of battlefield terrain which upon general release will be priced at 5.00GBP. You also get an IAF024 Fabricator Spire for use in your games and on the wargames table (one piece, grey tone resin) which upon general release will be priced at 2.50GBP. That's a total product value of 32.50GBP for just 18.75GBP and two items not due for release for many weeks to come! Plus you will get the IMP03 November 'Knight of the Dead' miniature automatically in your order! If you order something else with your IAF020 early supporter offer then it will be shipped at the same time on release day.


Havelock, Retained Knight, Fallen Havelock - Scale Picture (Retained 17mm)
Havelock, Fallen Havelock (rear) and Fabricator Spire - Scale Picture
Fabricator Spire with Retained - Scale Picture
The Havelock is our first Battlesuit release and it takes The Ion Age into the realm of 15mm scale small vehicles. IAF020 stands, legs splayed, without the optional missile pod attached at 30mm tall. The Fabricator Spire stands 42mm tall and has a request console on its front for data input. The Fallen Havelock lays on its back shattered and is about 40mm across. All three have a high level of external detailing. These miniatures add great options to any science fiction 15mm force.

The Havelock Type 57 Battlesuit 

At the battle of Fenway Prime the fledgling Prydian Army made the first of several innovations in its military technology. The Precinct had been a peace for near a millennia and many lessons had to be learned again. While the armours and weapons of the Marcher Barons were and still are based on the fabricator patterns of the second and third millennia IC and work excellently for the Retained and Muster in many ways it was found that Muster had a real problem dealing with Desteria. In enclosed environments such as those seen during the under ground colonies of the Ban of Prejudice soldiers wearing Aketon and using the Hermit and Moth types of weapons could deal with the super heavy knights of the Desteria given clear lines of sight and accurate gunnery. Fenway Prime had urban engagements but on the whole, much like many of the worlds of the Prydian Precinct, it was surface war under the open sky and in areas not at all built up. In these new arenas the Desteria could deal great harm to soldiers before they could focus themselves well enough to bring down the Noblesse pattern armour. A solution was needed and Reckart Nevall in leading the alarmed and reeling Aeddan Council found one in the remaining hard texts of Old Earth held on the New Glastonbury Tor.

In the Resource Wars of the 21st Century before the time of the Ark Ships and mankind taking to the stars a similar style of warfare combined with a lack of raw material existed. The solution of the time was to create a Battlesuit. A form of twice or three times the size of a soldier which could be piloted rather than worn. Smaller than the great mecha that were in service but capable of carrying a great deal more firepower than a foot soldier. They could be slow but they were easier to produce, transport and maintain than a tank or other larger armoured vehicle. Nevall took this and applied the fabricators to it and the results were the Havelock types of Battlesuit. Havelocks are nicknamed the 'Tall & Strong' by the infantry they fight with.

Made to walk alongside the Muster the Havelock is a sold weapons platform with varied uses. Small enough to fit into most transports and portable castles with ease but capable of hammering flat the most powerful worn powered armours such as the Noblesse of the Desteria. It was a great success and with the formation of the Leagues of Yordan and Canlaster the Havelock found its way in its tens of thousands into the armies of the rogue Marcher Barons. Capable of carrying a wide array of weapons the Type 57 fills many roles across thousands of Muster Regiments. The Type 57A is an anti-infantry Havelock armed with a Moth 88 dual rotary cannon mainly for use against Muster and other softer targets. The Type 57B is nicknamed the 'pride taker' and is fitted with a Valerin 15Mw laser cannon for melting the armour of Desteria Knights. Fire support indirectly from the Bodkin 55mm AP Howitzer is the function of the Type 57C. Taking apart armoured vehicles like the Adder and other Battlesuits with a Fretan II Rail Gun is the support role of the Type 57D. Lastly the 'knightmare' Havelock the Type 57E is fitted with a heavy Angis 25mm AP Cannon that gives the Muster the hitting power to smash Retained Knights. The fitting of an Anda 60mm five deck pod of missiles is possible to all variants of the Havelock Type 57 if a little more punch is needed. This has been an upgrade fitted to most Havelocks dispatched to face the Khanate threat. 

Havelock Type 57A
Havelock Type 57B
Havelock Type 57C
Havelock Type 57D
Havelock Type 57E
Havelock's operate in Fire Teams of typically three machines that mix and match weapons to suit their battlefield roles. In tougher campaigns Battlesuits of the Havelock and other models are placed by Regimental command at the platoon level from a central reserve. This is most welcome to the often hard pressed Muster who have to deal with much more hardy foes than themselves. Some pilots have earned a measure of fame and the title of 'Byrs' given by Knight Commanders to those who can make a Battlesuit act almost as if on instinct while at the controls. A Byrs can handle a Battlesuit like a puppet in the hands of a marionette master. While it is true that more of the these pilots are of the Retained and pilot the Duxis type Battlesuit the Muster have their own hero in Byrs Shauna McBride of the 281st Regiment. McBride single handedly took down a dozen Nox on Camarthan Prime with her Type 57B Havelock. 

Thanks for Reading! GBS 

6 comments:

  1. Definitely will have to buy a set of these.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks MMG!

      You have until the 14th if you want the freebies and special prices on the mighty Havelock.

      GBS

      Delete
  2. Wow, these look awesome, ordering now!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Mark!

      Your orders are now added to the growing mass.

      GBS

      Delete
  3. Just placed a long awaited order. It might be too early to call it an early xmas present.

    Cheers
    Paul

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Paul,

      Thanks for your order, appreciated! A bit early yes but then December will bring fun all of its own in that regard for The Ion Age.

      GBS

      Delete