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Author Topic: Credit where credit is due.  (Read 9127 times)

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Offline Clark

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Credit where credit is due.
« on: April 03, 2011, 05:54:38 PM »
Some LOS trivia.

The name for the Nachtmacher grenades was taken from a similar system used in the independent comic book release, American Flagg.  The original only involved humans but the grenades or rockets could be set at particular frequencies so that the attacker could wear a visor that could see through it. 

The UNE FTG grenade takes its name from the 80s techno song Fade to Grey by the group Visage.

The Mark I Assault Fiend almost didn't make it into the basic set.  Artist Rob Prior, who did the Black Box cover said to us that we have to include him, and then put him front and centre in the art.  The original conception had a UNE section against 12 Nightmares.

The Behemoth was originally envisioned as an armoured power-loader from Aliens or (what would later be) an armoured version of the APUs from Matrix Revolutions.  However, Tom Frank's interpretation was simply too good to not run with it.

The Fantasians were an imaginary empire created by the Canadian government to act as the enemy force for military exercises in the late 1980s.  They were obviously based on the Soviets, and found their way into Legions of Steel as a foil to the UNE.

The UNE forces are based on Canadian military organization, circa 1992.  A change of doctrine came about with the adoption of the M-16s (C7) and the 5.56mm round for the section.  It also changed the tactics.  Prior to dividing a section into assault groups one would peel off the corporal the the heavy weapon troopers to lay fire from a flank while the remainder of the section advances.

The concept of the UNE, Machines, Fantasians and Black Empire are Clark's.  The Infranites came from Marco and Dave MacKay. However, there was significant cross pollination with Tom Frank writing significant portions of the UNE and Fantasian history.

Tom Meier came to our rescue to sculpt the Trooper, Heavy Weapon Trooper, Nightmare, Mark I Assault Fiend and Behemoth.  Apparently, he has never done any other sci-fi miniatures.  When we approached him he commented: "There are two people you can trust: the Germans and the Canadians."


Offline SgtHulka

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Re: Credit where credit is due.
« Reply #1 on: April 03, 2011, 06:19:30 PM »
Tom Meier?! I had no idea. Then again, back then I wouldn't have had any idea who he was.

Who sculpted the rest of the line?

Offline sergeant_hastp

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Re: Credit where credit is due.
« Reply #2 on: April 03, 2011, 07:31:07 PM »
I loved battling the fantasians.

Every time they invaded Canada, they began with high morale, and pushed hard, but we always slowed them down with our versatile defensive positions, aggressive counter patrolling and then turned them back in the end.

But they kept coming back to try again!  That's resilience!

:D

Offline Clark

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Re: Credit where credit is due.
« Reply #3 on: April 03, 2011, 07:46:13 PM »
Tom Meier?! I had no idea. Then again, back then I wouldn't have had any idea who he was.

Who sculpted the rest of the line?

Dave Summer and another fellow.  Marco dealt with them, so I don't have a clear recollection.

Offline Clark

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Re: Credit where credit is due.
« Reply #4 on: April 03, 2011, 07:48:48 PM »
I loved battling the fantasians.

Every time they invaded Canada, they began with high morale, and pushed hard, but we always slowed them down with our versatile defensive positions, aggressive counter patrolling and then turned them back in the end.

But they kept coming back to try again!  That's resilience!

:D

When I became the unit recruiting NCO, one of your boys came to Toronto to recruit for the Toronto Scottish. 

Offline Clark

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Re: Credit where credit is due.
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2011, 10:20:30 PM »
Tom Meier?! I had no idea. Then again, back then I wouldn't have had any idea who he was.

Who sculpted the rest of the line?

Dave Summers and another fellow whose name escapes me.  Dave was tall and lean and the other fellow was short and round, if I recall.

Offline Clark

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Re: Credit where credit is due.
« Reply #6 on: April 04, 2011, 10:21:55 PM »
I loved battling the fantasians.

Every time they invaded Canada, they began with high morale, and pushed hard, but we always slowed them down with our versatile defensive positions, aggressive counter patrolling and then turned them back in the end.

But they kept coming back to try again!  That's resilience!

:D

Canada is the Great White North and we were being invaded from the north! How north is that?  How cold is that?

Offline sergeant_hastp

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Re: Credit where credit is due.
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2011, 12:36:55 AM »
I loved battling the fantasians.

Every time they invaded Canada, they began with high morale, and pushed hard, but we always slowed them down with our versatile defensive positions, aggressive counter patrolling and then turned them back in the end.

But they kept coming back to try again!  That's resilience!

:D

Canada is the Great White North and we were being invaded from the north! How north is that?  How cold is that?
And you just had to know that Fantasia was a shitty place to live when their ultimate goal seemed to be Pembroke.

Offline Nukelavee

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Re: Credit where credit is due.
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2011, 02:40:43 PM »
Jeff Wilheim (sp?) - Mark II Assault Fiend, Gremlins, Scorpion Bot, among a few others.

Offline Clark

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Re: Credit where credit is due.
« Reply #9 on: April 05, 2011, 04:54:50 PM »
Jeff Wilhelm: that sounds right.

Offline Vok Ytalinov

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Re: Credit where credit is due.
« Reply #10 on: April 09, 2011, 03:17:02 PM »
The cover artist for LOS, the black box, the original map boards and counter art was Rob Prior.  He also did the cover for Scenario Pack One based on a sketch by me.  I also did the fold out's counters.  The rulebook's black and white cover was by Nelson Costa.  The Scenario book was, of course,  "Diamond Dave" MacKay.
  The Advanced Rulebook's cover was painted by Sean Couchie, again off of my drawing.  Same with Alien Sourcebook.
  I did the new mapboards in the Scenario Packs although something funky happened with the film work that caused the registration to be off.
  Junction Point was drawn and inked by me and coloured by Kevin McGibbon.
  Planetstorm was painted by Sean Couchie from my drawing and the Planetstorm Logo was done by Wes Johnson.
  Finally, the blue box second edition box cover and rulebook were by Kevin Long.

Offline Vok Ytalinov

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Re: Credit where credit is due.
« Reply #11 on: April 09, 2011, 03:18:37 PM »
Also, I think Geoff Valley may have sculpted the UNE recce troopers, though I'm not absolutely sure.

Offline sergeant_hastp

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Re: Credit where credit is due.
« Reply #12 on: April 09, 2011, 08:51:58 PM »
Finally, the blue box second edition box cover and rulebook were by Kevin Long.

You mean that Palladium guy?

Offline Nukelavee

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Re: Credit where credit is due.
« Reply #13 on: April 10, 2011, 12:00:13 PM »
Yup, the Palladium guy.

Actually, one of the nicest guys I've ever met.

And, yeah, i think it was Geoff Valley and the RECCE troopers.

Offline sergeant_hastp

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Re: Credit where credit is due.
« Reply #14 on: April 10, 2011, 02:30:11 PM »
That's cool.

I came to despise Palladium, but I never despised his art.