Damned Mauler and Harvesters: Alien Bugs in Your Games

Quick answer

If you need a centerpiece armored vehicle that can double as a troop transport, choose The Damned Mauler. If you want a ready-made alien swarm that fills the table and gives your sci-fi wargames monsters a distinct, invasive identity, choose Harvesters - Alien Bugs. Many players will eventually want both, but the Mauler is the stronger first purchase for mechanized forces, while Harvesters is the stronger first purchase for swarm or monster-themed armies.

What each kit actually gives you

The Damned Mauler is a hard plastic box set with three unique frames. It builds a versatile armored platform that can be a stripped-down technical for fast attack or an up-armored, turreted fighting vehicle and troop transport. That flexibility matters because one box can cover several roles in a mechanized cavalry list, from a light raider to a protected transport. The trade-off is that you are committing to an armored vehicle, so it suits forces that already have infantry or cavalry to carry or support.

Harvesters - Alien Bugs is a set of alien swarm miniatures with a strong narrative identity. They are described as an invasive species that plunders and culls resources and living things, and they have been part of the Death Fields Circuit for as long as anyone can remember. The kit gives you a themed alien swarm that can stand in for many names and forms, so it works for players who want a recognizable monster faction rather than a generic bug. The trade-off is that a swarm is not a centerpiece vehicle, so it will not replace armored support in your list.

How to choose by battlefield role

Start with the role you need to fill. If your list lacks mobility, protection, or a way to deliver troops, the Mauler is the practical pick. Its modular build lets you decide between a fast, lightly protected technical and a heavier fighting vehicle with a turret, so you can tune it to your points level and playstyle. If your list lacks board presence and a memorable opposing force, Harvesters is the better pick because a swarm changes how the table looks and how your opponent deploys.

Consider your existing collection before buying. The Mauler rewards players who already have infantry or cavalry to ride in it or fight alongside it. Harvesters rewards players who want a self-contained threat that can be fielded as a large unit or split into smaller groups. Neither kit is a direct substitute for the other, so treat them as different tools rather than competing versions of the same purchase.

Assembly, painting, and storage realities

The Mauler is a hard plastic kit, so it takes plastic cement, accepts normal miniature paints, and can be magnetized or converted if you want to swap turrets or weapons. Plan your sub-assemblies before gluing, because painting an armored hull around a turret ring is easier when the turret is separate. Harvesters is also a plastic set, and a swarm rewards a simple, repeatable paint scheme: pick two or three colors, use a wash, and batch-paint the whole unit so you actually finish it.

Storage is the practical difference. A swarm takes up more surface area but each model is small, so a foam tray or a magnetized box with many small slots works well. The Mauler is fewer, larger pieces, so it needs deeper foam or a dedicated vehicle case. If you are short on space, the Mauler is easier to store; if you want a force that looks impressive on the table, the swarm is worth the extra tray space.

Mixing both kits in one force

You do not have to choose one forever. A mechanized force with a Mauler carrying troops and a Harvesters swarm as a screening or objective-holding unit creates a clear tactical story: armored spearhead plus an alien tide. If you buy both, build the Mauler first so you have a centerpiece to anchor your paint scheme, then batch-paint the Harvesters to match your basing. That order keeps you from burning out on a large swarm before you have a finished vehicle.

If you only buy one now, let your next game decide. If you keep losing because your units cannot reach objectives or survive incoming fire, the Mauler solves a mobility and protection problem. If you keep losing because you cannot control the table or threaten multiple objectives at once, Harvesters solves a board presence problem.

Decision rules for buying the Mauler or Harvesters

• Choose The Damned Mauler if you need armored support: Your list already has infantry or cavalry but lacks a protected transport or a fast attack vehicle. The Mauler's three-frame hard plastic build lets you choose between a technical and an up-armored turreted transport. Buy the Mauler first when mobility and protection are your bottleneck.
• Choose Harvesters - Alien Bugs if you need board presence: Your list struggles to threaten multiple objectives or you want a visually distinct alien swarm that fits a Death Fields Circuit narrative. The kit is designed as an invasive species rather than a single monster. Buy Harvesters first when you need a large, aggressive unit that changes how the table plays.
• Buy both if you are building a mechanized alien-hunting force: Use the Mauler as the armored centerpiece and Harvesters as the screening or objective-holding swarm. Build and paint the Mauler first, then batch-paint the swarm to match your basing. Two kits, two roles: vehicle for delivery and protection, swarm for pressure and table control.
• Skip both if you need a different scale or theme: These are specific sci-fi and monster kits. If your project is historical, medieval, or a different scale, check the rest of the Wargames Atlantic range before committing. Match the kit to your existing collection, not to a discount alone.

Product facts

• The Damned Mauler: Hard plastic box set with three unique frames; builds a versatile armored platform that can be a stripped-down technical for fast attack or an up-armored, turreted fighting vehicle and troop transport. One box can cover several mechanized roles, so you can change its battlefield job without buying a second vehicle.
• Harvesters - Alien Bugs: Alien swarm miniatures described as an invasive species that plunders and culls resources and living things, and has been part of the Death Fields Circuit for as long as anyone can remember. Gives your sci-fi wargames monsters a ready-made faction identity and a reason to field them as a large, aggressive swarm.
• Giant Spiders: Giant spiders that infest mountain caves, dank forests, and lonely ruins, with solitary spiders ambushing travelers and larger clutters attacking villages en masse. Useful if you want a second monster-type swarm with a different theme, or if your campaign setting includes caves and ruins rather than alien invasion.

Who these kits are for

Best for

• Sci-fi wargamers who want a flexible armored vehicle that can transport troops or act as a fast attack platform
• Players building an alien swarm or monster-themed force for Death Fields Circuit or similar sci-fi settings
• Hobbyists who want hard plastic kits that accept conversions, magnets, and standard miniature paints

Not for

• Historical or medieval players who need period-accurate infantry or cavalry
• Shoppers looking for a single character miniature rather than a vehicle or a swarm unit
• Anyone who wants a fully painted, ready-to-play set out of the box