More background about me: The very first game minis that I ever owned were McEwan Miniatures for the game Starguard! (SG). SG was first published in ’74. I’m not aware of any sci-fi miniatures games that are older. It almost certainly is the longest running one being that is it still being published today. The SG faction if you will (the name sake of the rules system) are the heroic marines of interstellar space. They are tasked with keeping Terrans safe from the likes of the Ralnai and Dreenoi as well as from various others. More on all those at a later date. A complete SG Tactical Organization (TO) plus some extra support pieces are pictured. The game is often played with much smaller forces for each player… especially when first learning the rules. The above unit would be enough for 3 or 4 players on one side to control.
The SG miniatures are done at the same (or very similar) scale as the fictioneers. There will be some side-by-side comparison photos coming in the future. The Fictioneer/SG humans without helmets are the most different. The Fictioneer minis are a bit stockier in general and their heads are quite a bit bigger/rounder than the SG minis. The figures with helmets and aliens blend together quite nicely and have been used together by many players since the 70s. One Fictioneer faction, the Xybans, even had SG game stats included in two SG supplements: Lightning Bolts & Laser Vol. I and Hostile Contact. I plan to post game stats for the other factions eventually. I want to encourage people with these old minis to get them out of their dark boxes and get them onto the tabletop. Playing an old school game like SG with old school minis like these just seems right.
New to SG or to Sci-Fi Gaming in general? Check out the tin-solder webpage for the rules and official minis. Current prices are (USD) $10 for a digital download of the rule book and starter squads are typically $12.50 each, so for $35 (plus shipping), you get the rules and 2 factions to fight it out. A very low bar to entry. There is also a Facebook group if you have any questions or need scenario ideas, etc. Future posts will be how to round up, or craft, cheap and easy terrain pieces so your sci-fi battlefield looks great. This was my first mini game over 40 years ago and I still love it today. May you get as much enjoyment out of it as I did!
RRB Minis & More 