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New to FedCom, need some minis advice!
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Itharus
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Joined: 23 Aug 2014
Posts: 122
Location: California

PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2016 9:17 pm    Post subject: New to FedCom, need some minis advice! Reply with quote

Hi all, my first post here.

I've played SFB for a few years now, using tokens. Due to life changes I'm having to switch to Federation Commander - there just is hardly enough time for SFB anymore.

That said, I'd like to start using minis for this game. All my miniature experience is for Warhammer 40,000, and for old 25mm figurines you cast from lead with old fashioned mail-order rubber molds from the 80s/90s, haha. My dad never did figure out what happened to his fishing weights...

So... what's the line to use for FedCom? I've noticed 2400 seems FAR more complete than 2500, but that the 2500 are also larger and more detailed. I plan on using the various mounted map panels that come with the FedCom boxed set. Those large hexes are what, 1"? 1.25"? I'd like bases that conform to, or are smaller than, those large hexes of the FedCom hex panels.

I've seen some pictures that make the 2500 seem to come with round bases larger than the hexes - blech. Would smaller bases be sufficient for those models or are they too weak?

Overall... just general help for getting into the minis side of FedCom would be appreciated. I'd also love to know where to find some decals for the 2400 line - I saw a post on the ADB facebook page that had some 2500 series ones.

Thanks much Smile
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djdood
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Joined: 01 Feb 2007
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Location: Seattle, WA

PostPosted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 5:57 am    Post subject: Re: New to FedCom, need some minis advice! Reply with quote

Welcome aboard.

That's a whole bunch of questions.

Itharus wrote:

So... what's the line to use for FedCom? I've noticed 2400 seems FAR more complete than 2500, but that the 2500 are also larger and more detailed. I plan on using the various mounted map panels that come with the FedCom boxed set. Those large hexes are what, 1"? 1.25"? I'd like bases that conform to, or are smaller than, those large hexes of the FedCom hex panels.


Yes, Starline 2400 is a more complete product line - it ought to be, it's had almost 30 years to build up to this point. Starline 2500 is less than 10 years old and is indeed produced at a larger scale that allows more detail (although newer Starline 2400 minis are inheriting the higher detail levels).

If you want to use minis on the FedCom/MegaHex map panels with no modifications, then Starline 2400 is your best direction. They were designed to work together. The map board hexes are indeed 1.25" across and the bases for Starline 2400 are hexes slightly less than that, so they fit nicely.

Itharus wrote:

I've seen some pictures that make the 2500 seem to come with round bases larger than the hexes - blech. Would smaller bases be sufficient for those models or are they too weak?


Starline 2500 do indeed come with larger, round bases. They were originally developed in conjunction with the A Call To Arms Star Fleet game, which is hexless and uses that size of base as part of the game mechanic.

The smaller Starline 2500 minis could function just fine on the smaller hex bases, the larger ones (cruisers, etc.) would be far too prone to tipping, without modifications to the base.

There are some people, myself included, who have "re-based" Starline 2500 minis onto the smaller hex-shaped bases for use in FedCom. They end up "top-heavy" but this is a an issue with some minis in various lines and can be overcome with weights in the stand base (even fender washers work). Some of the larger, heavier Starline 2400 minis can even benefit from some stand weighting.

Itharus wrote:

Overall... just general help for getting into the minis side of FedCom would be appreciated. I'd also love to know where to find some decals for the 2400 line - I saw a post on the ADB facebook page that had some 2500 series ones.


Information about decals available for the Starline minis is available here:
http://starfleetgames.com/miniatures.shtml

The company I operate with Tony Thomas, Tenneshington Decals, produces decals for Federation minis in the Starline 2500 range. We will be producing decals for other empires and for Starline 2400 minis in the future.
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Itharus
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Joined: 23 Aug 2014
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Location: California

PostPosted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 8:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the tip about the weights (no pun intended).

I can't believe I missed the link to the decals down there Embarassed .

Sounds like the 2400s then Smile
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Scoutdad
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Joined: 09 Oct 2006
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 8:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think Will caught most everything.

Just wanted to add a few things from my own experience and perspective.
The 2400 range is more complete nad does fit the Fed Comm map panels, but the 2500s can work also.

I have a few hundred of them and they are almost all we use now.
I have modified the stands to be interchangeable and swap out round / hex bases as needed for the game being played.

The 2500s do get a bit crowded on the 'stock' map panels, so we typically use a felt star map with a 42x30 hex grid in 2 1/2 inch hexes. That gives us plenty of room to move around.
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Itharus
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 9:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Have either of you ever had games where 2400 and 2500 minis were mixed on the board? If so, did it just look too weird to countenance, or was it fine?

A few hundred 2500s? Wow. That begs the question - how large are your battles? LOL!
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djdood
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 9:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tony's collection of minis is legendary.

Personally, I like to keep one scale, when possible. However, Starline 2400 and Starline 2500 minis get mixed on the playing field out of necessity, if empires like the Lyrans or Hydrans are used, as they simply do not exist in SL2500 yet. There is also the case of "general" units like freighters and bases, which are done in a scale of their own and is used for both.
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phdillman
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 17, 2016 8:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mel Kraley bought out Pomroy Productions that had lots of SL2400 sized decals. Mel's been adding some new stuff too.

http://jupiterivdecals.com/
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Itharus
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 17, 2016 8:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was browsing that and saw the federation ship names decals - do those coincide with the NCC list on the ADB page? I'm assuming they do.

Thanks for the link Smile
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phdillman
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 17, 2016 10:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Itharus wrote:
I was browsing that and saw the federation ship names decals - do those coincide with the NCC list on the ADB page? I'm assuming they do.

Thanks for the link Smile


As far as I know, they do.

And you're welcome!
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Scoutdad
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 2:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Itharus wrote:
Have either of you ever had games where 2400 and 2500 minis were mixed on the board? If so, did it just look too weird to countenance, or was it fine?

Yes. We do occasionally mix 2400 and 2500 minis, but only one scale per empire.
If I need a 2500 scale mini for Fed / Klingon / Romulan / Gorn / Kzinti / Orion that doesn't exist - I kit bash or convert one.
If using Lyran / Hydran / Tholian / Andromedan / etc (who do not have 2500 scale minis, we use 2400s.

Itharus wrote:
A few hundred 2500s? Wow. That begs the question - how large are your battles? LOL!

Typically in the 5 to 9 ship per side range... but we also run multiple games side by side, simultaneously.
And since we play test a lot of ACTASF, we also have large fleets for that as well.
And every year at NashCon, we run a 65 ship, plus freighters, plus BATS scenario using ACTASF.
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Itharus
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 12:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Huh... how many sides have you had in a single battle?
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Scoutdad
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 3:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Itharus wrote:
Huh... how many sides have you had in a single battle?

Usually, two.

Although we sometimes do Combat Rally (our last one had 11 'sides' as its every man for himself - but that was in SFB) in Fed Comm... The last time we did that, we had 14 sides.

We also do a fun, teaching/demo scenario at conventions and game stores called PF Demo Derby (in SFB) / Frigate Demo Derby (in Fed Comm) that is also every man for himself. Sometimes that can go upwards of 10 'sides'

But for the most part... it's just two sides.
A lot of the games feature allied empires fighting together... but still, typically just two sides.
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Scoutdad
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 3:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

See these photos:
http://www.starfleetgames.com/federation/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=4537
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Itharus
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 22, 2016 9:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just a somewhat random, but miniature related question that I'll put here instead of opening a new thread:

I saw the Federation Heavy Cruiser and Federation Command Cruiser look (from the pictures, 2400 line) to be the exact same aside from the Command Cruiser having a more detailed saucer. So, would one substitute for the other? Because honestly the Command Cruiser saucer looks much better, but aside from enhanced detail I can't really spot anything unique from the picture that would lead me to believe it wasn't just a normal Heavy Cruiser.

Thanks for any clarification!

Oh! And does anyone know if there are plans to shift models to lead-free pewter at any point? Because I'd appreciate the heck out of that.
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Dal Downing
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 22, 2016 9:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes same mini except for different saucers and yes, i use CC mini for CAs when I used 2400 because they were cooler.
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