Alternative Armies is a miniature gaming and modeling company located in Scotland. It produces a range of different games and model ranges, the most famous of which is the game of ''Flintloque''.

Games

Games based in the world of Valon

Third Age of Valon

* '' Darke Storme'' – fantasy skirmish game, 28mm scale miniatures

Fourth Age of Valon

* '' Flintloque'' – Napoleonic fantasy skirmish game created by Mac Coxhead and Steve Blease in 1995. Since 2002 in the 2nd and greatly expanded 3rd edition books the authors have been Mike White and Gavin Syme (GBS). * '' Slaughterloo'' – Napoleonic fantasy battle game * '' Trafalgore'' – Napoleonic fantasy naval game

Fifth Age of Valon

* '' Frontear'' – Napoleonic,

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

and Wild West fantasy skirmish game

Earth-based fantasy games

''Erin''

''Erin'' is a skirmish wargame based on the Invasion Cycle of Celtic Ireland. Its intent is to portray the feel of accurate

Celtic mythology Celtic mythology is the body of myths belonging to the Celtic peoples.Cunliffe, Barry, (1997) ''The Ancient Celts''. Oxford, Oxford University Press , pp. 183 (religion), 202, 204–8. Like other Iron Age Europeans, Celtic peoples followed ...

and is played with a range of 28 mm models. In the game world ancient magic, old gods and monsters from the mists of time are common as well as mere men and women. ''Erin'' allows the players to take the role of a Hero of ancient Myth and to lead the War band that they assemble through Legends of triumph, glory and tragedy. Their Hero and War band may one of five types: * Milesian – the Milesians are a numerous people with many kingdoms, they fight for territory or for revenge but often their Heroes will undertake a Legend of the sublime kind an 'Epic' or near impossible task. * Sidhe – the Sidhe are a whimsical race. What seems trivial to a Man they find significant, what Man mocks they cherish. To a Sidhe Hero even the pursuit of a poignant tune can be a lauded quest. * Fomorian – the Formori are the sea dwellers who come to the land to conquer, with little in the way of lofty ideals, it is for avarice and cruelty that they quest. * Firbolg – the Fir Bolg are warriors with little notion of Magic and the joys of Legend they shun the finer things and embrace the rage of the primeval. They fight for personal recognition and their wicker shields run with taken life. * Nemedian – the Nemed; now they run with the forests and creatures of Erin. The great Stags, they sing of freedom and the destruction of the vileness that continues to seek their enslavement. Nemed will fight for justice and a peaceful glade. The game is currently in its second edition.

''Typhon''

''Typhon'' is what Alternative Armies describes as a "Heroic Scale" skirmish game with 50 mm scale miniatures. It is set in the days of Greek myth and allows players to play the parts of three main types of warrior bands: * The Hoplites – men who serve the Gods of Olympus. * The Shades – those who died who now serve Hades. * The Cyclopeans – creatures with the mind of Men who serve only themselves. Many of the monsters of Greek myth are also present in the game; currently the included monsters are: * The Hydra of

Lerna In classical Greece, Lerna () was a region of springs and a former lake located in the municipality of the same name, near the east coast of the Peloponnesus, south of Argos. Even though much of the area is marshy, Lerna is located on a geogra ...

* The

Minotaur In Greek mythology, the Minotaur (, ''Mīnṓtauros''), also known as Asterion, is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "par ...

Minos Main injector neutrino oscillation search (MINOS) was a particle physics experiment designed to study the phenomena of neutrino oscillations, first discovered by a Super-Kamiokande (Super-K) experiment in 1998. Neutrinos produced by the NuMI ...

* The Chimera * The

Griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (; Classical Latin: ''gryps'' or ''grypus''; Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk ...

* The

Cadmus In Greek mythology, Cadmus (; ) was the legendary Phoenician founder of Boeotian Thebes, Greece, Thebes. He was, alongside Perseus and Bellerophon, the greatest hero and slayer of monsters before the days of Heracles. Commonly stated to be a ...

Dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...

* The

Harpies In Greek and Roman mythology, a harpy (plural harpies, , ; ) is a half-human and half-bird mythical creature, often believed to be a personification of storm winds. They feature in Homeric poems. Descriptions Harpies were generally depicted ...

* The

Cyclops In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; , ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguished. In Hesiod's ''Th ...

* The

Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; ), also called Gorgo () or the Gorgon, was one of the three Gorgons. Medusa is generally described as a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her wa ...

* The

Nemean Lion The Nemean lion (; ; ) was a mythical lion in Greek mythology that lived at Nemea. Famously one of the mythical beasts killed by Heracles (Hercules) in his 12 labours. Because its golden fur was impervious to attack, it could not be killed with ...

Science-fiction games

*''Crusader'' – futuristic skirmish game

Miniature ranges

All the games produced by Alternative Armies are backed up by their own range of models mainly in 28mm scale, except for ''Typhon'' which uses 50mm "Heroic Scale" models, which are produced under the Vulcan Models range. They also produce generic fantasy models, terrain features, accessories and a range of 15mm scale models for other gaming formats. Added recently were Grinning Skull Miniatures, a range of mutant pigmen and other creatures sculpted by Will Grundy of the Grinning Skull blog.

Publications

''The Notables''

This is a bi-monthly fanzine published by the makers of ''Flintloque'' that supports the game and the other systems produced by Alternative Armies. This printed publication in the form of a loose sheaf 18th Century English newspaper contains fiction, scenarios, information, reviews of the latest miniatures and artwork, as well as fan submissions. Currently all those who ask for a copy of the newspaper get it sent to them free all over the world.

External links

Alternative Armies web page

Gypsee Games web page
United States distributor
Gypsee Games web store
United States distributor

References

Gaming miniatures companies Miniature wargames