Showing posts with label Post-Apocalyptic forces. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Post-Apocalyptic forces. Show all posts

Saturday, January 6, 2024

Filling Out the Ranks of Survivors for Xenos Rampant Squads

    F Troop gets reinforcements to bring them up to 2 squads for 'Xenos Rampant'
My first blog post of 2024 covers what I finished over winter break. Since it is my goal to host Sci-Fi skirmish games using Xenos Rampant rules this year, I have been fleshing out some of my post-apocalyptic survivor gangs. My goal is to bring them up so I have two complete squads of five figures for each gang (my planned base 10-point squad size for my games). I selected three survivor gangs and my Planet of the Apes figures for the first upgrades.

    The Nightstalkers were one of my survivor gangs that easily transition to Xenos Rampant Sci-Fi
First up were three more miniatures for the Nightstalkers. I had only two metal Battle Valor Games miniatures that I used for this unit left over, so I supplemented the third one with a Stargrave Trooper miniature painted in the same basic color scheme. It's always a bit problematic matching colors and washes when you add to an existing force later. After their final wash, these guys look a bit darker. So, I imagine my wash is a bit heavier black than it was when I first did this force. The plastic Stargrave trooper looks close enough, and can be considered an officer figure which explains the different armor and kit.

    The Bass Reeves get 3 more troopers to beef them up to 10 figures - love those Foundry figures!
Next up were three more miniatures for the Bass Reeves survivor gang. I think these will make good mercenaries or light infantry under the Xenos Rampant rules. These figs are Foundry Street Violence metal miniatures that I picked up from a flea market vendor. I really like how they paint up and wish I had bought more of them way back when. I still have some left over, but in my opinion, Foundry are always top quality. I matched the tan duster color as best I could, and of course, made them African-Americans like the rest of the Bass Reeves. I really like how the colored metallic paints look on sunglasses. I will likely continue doing "mirrored sunglasses" like that rather than use all black frames and lenses going forward.
    I really like 'Torch' - the Wiley Games resin figure with the flamethrower

I painted two more figures for F Troop since I originally did 8 (rather than 7) gang members when I did first painted up these guys. I had only one Sgt. Major Miniatures figure left over, so I supplemented a Wiley Games resin miniature I had purchased recently. This figure is called "Torch," and wears a 20th century army helmet, which helps him blend in with the rest of the gang. I do like the Wiley Games figures. They paint up well, and have a nice amount of detail without going overboard. They look better proportioned than the Reaper Bones figures, too, in my opinion.

    F Troop assembles into 2 squads of 5 figs to battle it out on a ruined planet using Xenos Rampant
Once again, I think I struggled a bit matching colors of the original survivor gang. I used a dark olive drab as a base coat, dry brushing it with a lighter tone. After seeing the results, I am thinking now that maybe I started with a lighter olive drab? Not sure. I don't think it is a huge deal, though. Uniforms worn by different members of a unit could undergo varying amounts of weathering or sun bleaching, depending on how long they'd been in the field. Plus, I really like how "Torch" came out. The mix of various metallic paints really sets off the figure, I think.

The Basss Reeves will make good mercenaries or light troops, adept at ambushing from terrain
The final batch were from my Planet of the Apes figures. I had three chimpanzees from Eureka Miniatures left over, and three gorillas from Sgt. Major Miniatures. Note that I specify Sgt. Major rather than the current producer, Battle Valor Games, because I believe these figures are literally holdovers from more than a decade ago. My Battle Valor Games order was a couple years back (I think...? Jason, do you remember when we ordered??). The casting seems to be similar quality as Sgt. Major, so I guess I don't need to differentiate. 

    Did you know underneath the helmets, the Nightstalkers are blue-skinned aliens?
Once again, I struggled a bit matching colors. I did my best, though. I think the chimpanzee uniform matches fairly well. Not sure about the hair and skin tones of the apes, though. I like the colors I used originally, so it was worth trying to replicate them. I DO have quite a few other Planet of the Apes style figures in my unpainted lead/resin pile. So, look for more of these soon. I am particularly excited about painting up the Eureka Gibbons pack. These are really cool figures. Since they're smaller than the chimps and gorillas, maybe I will field these as Light Infantry in Xenos Rampant? In fact, I would actually like to buy a second pack of these, but likely won't see Eureka at a show again until maybe Historicon 2024 in July. So....if anyone has a second unpainted pack laying around they are willing to part with, contact me please!

    Three new Sgt. Major Miniatures Gorillas fill in the ranks of the troop
I am posting photos both of the new additions, as well as them combined with the originals into 5-man squads for XR. The Planet of the Apes figures will eventually become its own force of 4-6 squads. The Nightstalkers are combining with the Stargrave figures for the "blue-skinned aliens" force. I think F Troop and the Bass Reeves are likely to be either mercenary forces or supplement squads for a different force, though. Either way, with each XR squad readied for the tabletop, I get closer to being able to host a game for our Sunday evening gaming group!

    Three more Eureka Miniatures chimps beef up my 'Planet of the Apes' troop count
This year, I have also decided to do what I've seen others doing on their blogs -- track my miniature painting progress and purchases. Starting in 2024, I will list at the bottom of each blog entry the number of figures purchased, followed by how many painted to that point for the year. Note -- this is starting at zero, of course! The previous years' lead (and plastic or resin) pile is still there. Hopefully, I'll get around to cataloging it this year, as I have been doing for my unpainted terrain.

Miniature Painting & Purchasing Tally for 2024
  • Miniatures purchased in 2024: 15
  • Miniatures painted in 2024: 14

    A mounted gorilla officer leads two squads of gorillas through the city, searching for humans


    Yes, that's a cigar-smoking chimpanzee officer leading two squads of Eureka Minatures chimps

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

A Progression of Bots - Escalating Deployment by the Machines

3-D printed Bots (sourced from Thingiverse and a friend) stalking the streets for human survivors
When I decided to do post-apocalyptic gaming, I settled on a world inspired by the Terminator movies. To be honest, I wasn't 100% sure I'd persevere with the project. Nor was I positive that I or my players would actually enjoy the games. So, I defaulted to my usual mode of "Let's Source the Miniatures on the Cheap!" I'm sure most would agree there's nothing inherently wrong with being thrifty. Those who are painters first, players second, might choose to go with the cooler and more expensive miniatures. Myself, if I can get acceptable miniatures for my games on the cheap, I will!

    The first level of response from the Machines -- rolling Scout Bots, lightly armed and armored
So, I began by visiting Thingiverse and seeing what they had available. I picked out some 3-D models I liked and sent the links off to my friend Joe, who has a printer. He agreed to print them up for me for at an affordable cost. Joe's printer isn't the newest, fanciest, or the highest quality. So, you get what you pay for, which in his case, is VERY affordable. He asked me for some guidelines on size and then went ahead and printed them off. Thanks, Joe!

    If the Scout Bots confirm human activity, these retro-looking Sentry Bots are dispatched to the scene
My idea is that the Machines artificial intelligence has both visual and audio surveillance going on all the time. Sounds of gunfire or what looks like muzzle flashes on video will lead them to dispatch a Scout Bot. These one-wheeled automatons are lightly armored and armed. Their optics on the scene are instantaneously relayed back to the Machines AI, though, who then will usually order forward the next level of response if necessary. I painted the bodies of the Bots in metallic colors, also giving them a company logo. My rationale is the Scout Bots were designed by human companies before the machines went sentient and took over control of them. In "pre-apocalypse" times, they were meant to be deployed in dangerous sections of human cities, rolling along the asphalt roads on their solid rubber tires.

    The Sentry Bots have been fitted by the Machines AI with light machine guns and prowl the cities
The next level of response sent in by the machines are the Sentry Bots. These vaguely humanoid -- and very retro looking -- mechanical sentries are better armed and armored. I saw these prints on Thingiverse and loved them! I painted them in gleaming metallics, hoping to evoke the essence of the shining, metal-skinned Terminators in the movies. Each carries a light machine gun, and I envision them as being modular sentry robots built by human companies pre-apocalypse to be equipped in various ways. The Machines AI has converted them all to the heaviest armament available on their frame. They are meant to scour the streets, or patrol the perimeters of Machine bases. Sometimes, the mere presence of these gleaming bots arriving on the scene will cause human survivors to scatter. Besides, no one wants to be around if the next level of response is triggered!

    The Military Bots are next to appear on a scene, and have machine guns in each mechanical arm
That third level is the Military Bot. Vaguely "BattleTech looking," these machines are capable of wiping out multiple figures at one time with their burst fire machine guns housed inside their arms. In our first three games, they've appeared only once. Usually, the player gangs have high-tailed it off the table by that time. I envision these as being designed for the military pre-apocalypse. Little modifications were needed by the Machines, as they were already meant to be ambulatory hunter-killers to assist the firepower of conventional forces. 

    Woe betide the character caught still on the tabletop when a Destroyer Bot stomps onto the table!
And finally, the highest level of response is the Destroyer Bot. This is definitely in the "big stompy robot" category of weapons. For my games, these are designed to be able to target and destroy any stubborn characters who are unwilling to sensibly flee the table when the Machines bots begin arriving. So far, I have painted only one of these, as I can't envision a need for more than one in my skirmish, post-apoc games. I imagine that one day one of these will actually show up on the battlefield. However, it has yet to happen. It was probably the cleanest of the 3-D prints and I really like how it painted up. That metallic dark red is a really cool color of craft paint from Hobby Lobby. I wish I'd picked it up earlier when I first began painting up these bots!

    I really like the dark metallic red and pewter/gun metal color scheme on this big stompy robot!
One thing I haven't mentioned in this post is I actually give control of each Bot that appears to a player. It is typically given to the player who has lost the most figures, so far, in the scenario. I trigger the arrival of the Bots based on the losses the players have collectively suffered, so far. At 10%, a Scout Bot appears. At 20%, a Sentry Bot. At 30%, one Military Bot shows up. If we ever get to 40% losses suffered in a game, then a Destroyer Bot will lumber onto the table. Players begin the game controlling four of their own figures from their gang. So, if there are 6 players (24 total), the first Scout Bot rolls onto the table edge at the end of the turn in which three casualties have been suffered. 

    I staged all of my Bots I've painted onto the urban tabletop terrain I used for our third scenario
I like giving control of the Bots to players as that gives them a chance to inflict "payback," or clip the wings of a faction that is flying high in a scenario. To encourage even more bloodthirstiness, they receive victory points for any casualties inflicted by "their" Bot! I make it clear, though, they will target the closest human figure. Of course, taking out Bots themselves are also worth victory points for players. What's more, a downed bot becomes a scavenge point where figures can pry off ammunition, weapons, or even optics. All in all, I think the Bots add a nice flavor to my post-apocalyptic games. The players have fun controlling them, and there's always laughter and good-natured ribbing when a Bot appears behind an opponent's troops, stalking them.

Sunday, February 5, 2023

Green Dragons: New Post-Apoc Force

    My final post-Apocalyptic force (again!) - the Green Dragons, 28mm minis from Battle Valor Games
Okay, so I DID say that I was done painting forces for my post-apocalyptic games, right? Well, how can one more force hurt, right? When I finished painting the Barbarozas in December, I had one force for all seven of my regular players. I got to thinking, though, when everyone does show up, maybe I should control a force, too? That would enable us to split it into two games of four instead of one game of four and another of three...or one game of seven! So, for balance's sake, maybe I should paint up one final gang for me to control. Why not?

    Originally, I thought the figures were sculpted in hoodies, but they turned out to be HazMat suits
It just so happened that I also had one style of force from Battle Valor Games (formerly cast by Sgt. Major Miniatures) that I hadn't used, yet. When I purchased them, I thought they were wearing hoodies with masks or respirators of some sort. When I pulled the figures out to clean them up, it seemed obvious that their outfit was a one-piece, Hazmat suit. That fits pretty well with a post-apocalytpic setting, I thought. What color to paint them, though? I went online and found a huge variety of colors of suits under the heading of Hazard Materials Suit. I didn't want to duplicate the color of any of my other forces I'd painted up, so the tans and oranges were out the window (some of my Planet of the Apes figs wear burnt orange jumpsuits). I settled on a kind of bright, almost putrid green. I felt this might blend in more with the battlefield than the bright yellow ones I saw online!

    I debated with myself about the color to paint their suits, but chose a light, putrid green
I also decided that this would be an Asian gang, and I would paint their masks/respirators as white N95 type masks. Not to stereotype, but typically Asian cultures are much more proactive about wearing such masks than your standard American populace -- or at least pre-Covid! I decided that I would call them the Green Dragons, to go with the color of their jumpsuit and the overall veneration of the dragon as a mythical figure by Chinese culture. I selected the brightest and most putrid green color that I had (Howard Hues Light Green), and gave them a base coat of that. I then found a darker green, watered it down, and did a wash over the figure. Finally, I took a chalky, greenish-white color and dry brushed the figure with it. I liked the depth of the green this gave it, and am happy with the Hazmat suit color.

    For their logo, I used a black micron pen to write in the word 'Dragons' in Chinese script
I used the same formula for their skin as I did for my Mongols -- I had mixed up a big batch of it when I was painting my Mongol Saga army using a standard flesh with a different, tan leathery color. It begins too bright, but I put both a brown and black wash on it and I like how it comes out. It is a more weathered, tan wash than a city-dweller in a Chinese city might wear, but for a post-apocalyptic force, I figured a dirty, darker skin is more realistic.

    The green dragons explore the burnt out urban ruins of my post-Apocalyptic world
I painted a black oval on the back of the jumpsuit and then put in a tan or yellowish-white oval inside it. Inside the oval, I would later use a black Micron pen to write in the word "Dragons" in Chinese script. First, though, I finished painting all of the figures' equipment -- which was pretty much just their white masks and their weapons. This batch of miniatures went very quickly as the poses did not have much equipment festooned on them. I did the eyes -- not very happy with how those came out. The mask really squeezed the area I had to do the eyes. Once everything was completely painted, I did the final black wash. In the end, I really like how the Green Dragons look. Once I make their character cards with stats for Wiley Games' Fistful of Lead rules, I will go back and do the character names on the bases. I think the player controlling them will especially need them for this gang! Three of the figures carry pistols, while two appear to have shotguns. I'll offer one of our regular players, Andy, the choice of playing either the Barbarozas or the Green Dragons. I'll take the remaining one for my gang. 

    A Destroyer Bot arrives -- a 3-D printed miniature from Thingiverse
Since the Green Dragons were painting up so quickly, I decided to finally getting around to painting the "Destroyer Bot" miniature that my friend Joe 3-D printed for me. I'd picked out the file from Thingiverse and he'd done a good job printing this one. Some of his prints have a lot of flash, but this one was pretty smooth. When I was painting the Scout, Sentry, and Military Bots earlier, I had primed up this figure. I even put a base coast of a darker metallic silver on it. However, I decided that I wanted this one to be more colorful. So, I went back over and repainted most of it in the Metallic Dark Red craft paint which I had first used on my drones for Space Station Alpha. I really like that color, plus it covers MUCH better than the other metallics.

    Armed with multiple weapon systems, this Bot will likely cause player forces to flee the table
On the areas that I left silver, I went back and repainted them the darker metallic dark gray that I have been using for a lot of Sci-Fi stuff. I think the combination of the dark red and dark gray metallic is pretty effective. I am happy with how it looks. I did accents in a coppery gold metallic color that I have been using a lot in my Sci-Fi terrain, as well. I am not 100% happy with how the green, yellow, and red "lights" came out on the figure. I have used this technique in the past with terrain and bots and liked the effect it gave. However, perhaps these "lights" are too big, and it loses that control panel or LED indicator look to it. 

    I like the 2-tone, red and gray metallic paint scheme - though I am not sold on the colored 'lights'
All in all, he looks acceptable to use on the tabletop. That is, whenever we finally get around to PLAYING one of my post-apocalyptic games, again! My group has been hit with the flu bug of last. We have scheduled to play the second game at my place two of the last three weekends, but sickouts have reduced us below the level to make it worth playing. We're trying again next weekend, and hopefully finally get game two in. The likelihood of the Destroyer Bot showing up is low in a game. The bots arrive, attracted by the sounds of gunfire and fighting. A Scout Bot shows up first, then a Sentry Bot, then Military Bot, and finally the Destroyer. In our first game we had one or two Scout Bots arrive, and one Sentry Bot (which gunned down a character, causing the players to have the rest of their miniatures flee the table. They are programmed to arrive when players lose a certain percentage of their forces, so it may never happen. Either way, I have one ready!

Now, we just need to play a game...!

Tuesday, December 27, 2022

Post-Apoc 'Bad Guys' - the Barbarozas!

    My final (I swear!) Post-Apoc gang, the Barbarozas -- the classic movie bad guys
A staple of every Post-Apocalyptic movie are the period equivalent of the biker gang. These are the badly-dressed savages who murder and pillage their way through the film until the hero of the movie gives them their comeuppance. That's what I painted this gang up to be. Their bits of improvised armor, raggedy clothes, fur, and flowing hair made them look the part for me. Even their name in the Battle Valor Games catalog, "Space Cannibals" implies that savagery.

    Three of my biker gang-like Barbarozas - the one with the machete/sword and gun may be the leader
These miniatures were part of the line that Battle Valor Games purchased from Sgt. Major Miniatures. My friends and I put together a huge order back in 2021 and these were from that order (see how quickly I paint?). They looked cool on the website and in the ziploc packs when I received them. However, once I began to paint them, I became less enthused with them. The casting was a little rough in some places and it was actually hard to tell where the shirts ended, for example, and the pants began. I repainted portions of about half of these once it became clear what I thought was the pants was actually fringes of a tattered shirt hanging down. I actually gave up on painting these for awhile after I had done the flesh tones. They looked a mess and I was struggling to find the motivation to paint them up.

    I love the improvised bits of armor these 'Space Cannibals' (Battle Valor Games) were sculpted with
Once I finished a few other batches of figures or terrain that apparently I wanted to paint more, I sat down one day and wrote the colors for the shirts and pants on each cardboard base. I painted the base colors for these, then did a dry brush over each. That was when I discovered, as the dry brushing revealed faint details, that I had to go back and fix some of the figures. Still, by this time, working on them had created a momentum of its own. I chose faded clothes of various colors, including jeans, black paints, etc., figuring these disorganized thugs wouldn't have any noticeable uniform.

    The final two gang members with their dirty clothes and long, flowing locks of 'metal band' hair
Next up, I did the various bits of armor they had festooned all over them. Inevitable, I missed a few pieces here and there and had to step back in this stage, too. I did the armor with a metallic gray craft paint, with highlights in pewter and silver. Then I did the various leather bits in a two tone rust color and ruddy leather. I picked out the various pieces of wood next (mainly on the melee weapons), and then finally their flowing hair. By this time, I had come up with the name for the gang, the Barbarozas. I chose this for the sub-conscious sight clue of the word root "barbarian" in there, and for the reference to the medieval German king, Frederick Barbarosa. I mention this because I know the his name technically means Red Hair (Rosa = red, and Barbar = Hair, "Barber Shop"). I thought about painting them all with flowing red or auburn hair, but figured that worked against the disorganized, non-uniform ethos of this gang. So, I used a variety of hair colors, all dry brushed a highlighting color.

The guns were next, and I used Iron Wind Metals Steel as my base coat with Silver or Pewter for highlights. A dirty black wash over all of them made them look like the unwashed savages that their inspiration in the movies would have. In the end, I was happy with how the Barbarozas came out. I know that I said that I was done with painting Post-Apocalyptic gangs earlier this year, but technically I did need one more as we had an additional player over what I'd originally planned. So, NOW I am done painting Post-Apocalyptic gangs...right?? Oh wait...and my friend Jason just emailed to say Battle Valor has another 50% off sale! Uh-oh...

Monday, November 28, 2022

Rats! And ROUS's (for Post-Apocalyptic Games)

    My Reaper Miniatures rat swarm arrayed in front of some recent post-apocalyptic terrain I'd painted
Everyone has their own personal flavor for a post-apocalyptic setting. They range from raw and gritty, Mad Max type of setting to a world populated with bizarre mutants, sentient plants, and psionic powers. My preference is more toward the first, as I've mentioned in my posts before. My personal apocalypse is a channeling of the Terminator movies with a self-aware Artificial Intelligence launching a war of destruction against humanity via the various bots that humans had created.

ROUS's (Rodent of Unusual Size) ready to pounce on any unwary survivor who doesn't believe in them
So, besides Bots (and fellow humans), that leaves me in need of some "bad guys" for the players to struggle against in their bid to survive the dangerous, post-apocalyptic world. Rats are hardy creatures, and can grow quite large, so I figured swarms of bad-tempered rodents would make logical monsters prowling the ruins of humanity's cities. And why not an occasional ROUS (Rodents Of Unusual Size, for those not familiar with the classic Princess Bride movie), too? Reaper Miniatures makes a number of different rat packs in their line of plastic miniatures. They came essentially in three sizes. Dire Rats came in a pack of eight and were the smallest. Giant Tomb Rats were the next size up, and the six in the pack were appropriately shaggy and angry looking. The largest were ("ROUS's? I don't think they exist..." RAHHRR!!!) the Barrow Rats, and came two to a pack. All in all, I had two dozen rats to paint up after a few months of collecting packs from Guardtower East or Dragons Guildhall on our Saga game days.

    My two dozen rats were painted in four basic colors, dry brushed over a black base coat
I decided that I wanted to black prime my rats to give them a dirty look. I would just dry brush the fur in one of four colors - light gray, dark gray, medium brown, or a cream color. I could have done more colors, but I thought four would provide enough variety. The ears, nose, and tail I painted a base salmon color and dry brushed a lighter pink. I gave them ivory claws and teeth, along with black eyes with a red dot to give them a feral or "eyes glowing in the dim light" aspect.

    I like how the pink tails, noses, and ears make them stand out from their dark background
Once they were all painted, I applied a heavy black wash. Most of the rats had various stone tile or cobble stoned bases, which I also did in shades of gray. All in all, I was happy with how they came out looking ragged and dirty. Since I am using Fistful of Lead rules for my post-apocalyptic games, I based the smaller rats up three or four to a base as a "Swarm." The ROUS's, which are the size of a very large dog or small bear, were individually based, of course. Since base size or shape doesn't matter for this game (or most rules I play), I put them on some available oval MDF bases I'd purchased last year at Cincycon

    I textured and decorated the bases to look like a decaying urban battleground
I flocked the bases with Woodland Scenics Fine Ballast (Gray Blend). I gave this a dark wash, as well (perhaps too dark?). I also put some resin bricks on the bases that I'd purchased at the Dragons Guildhall, too. I finished the bases off with some tufts of grass for that overgrown urban environment effect.

My horde of rats painted up quickly, so now it is on to more projects!

Saturday, May 7, 2022

The Bucknuts Post-Apocalyptic Gang

    The Bucknuts, my newest post-Apocalyptic gang, scour the city ruins looking for supplies
A lot of my post-Apocalyptic groups have very unique looks. Whether the WW I inspired gas masks of F Troop to the cultist-like Blood Brotherhood. I wanted at least one or two of my gangs to look like ordinary citizens armed to survive the Aftermath. So, my 6th and final group (for now) would fit that mold. 

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The figure on the left was painted to be the leader - I love how the mirrored red sunglasses came out   
I believe most of the miniatures are 28mm Foundry, but since I bought them at flea markets, I honestly am not sure. I decided to go with an irregular look, but still wanted a unifying theme to them. So, I chose two themes! The first was that all of them are wearing camouflage pants or shirts of some sort. I painted the gamut from urban gray camo to woodland green to modern desert sand. I also threw in some olive drab, too, to give them a look like they ransacked an Army surplus store.

Love how the beer-gutted fig at left came out...just trying to figure out if he should be called Woody?
The other theme, as the title of this post suggests, was an OSU Buckeye one. I gave a few of the miniatures OSU Buckeye caps -- including the black "Woody Hayes" one. A couple also have the bright scarlet shirts on, which of course does wonders to supplement their camouflage! Their tendency to dress in OSU garb has led to their name of the "Bucknuts." I mean, you would have to be nuts to be sporting bright red apparel when staying hidden is a good key to survival in the post-Apocalyptic world!

    I was really happy with how all the camo patterns came out -- I can't even decide which I like best
I picked and chose from the figures I had to make sure these looked irregular -- from the black track suit one sports to the woman wearing police body armor. The ammo pouches and such were painted in a variety of suitable colors, from faded olive drab to tan to dark gray. The metal gun parts are painted with craft paints -- a Gun Metal base color and highlight of Pewter. A medium gray wood color on the gun stocks was also highlighted with a brighter color. All in all, I think this gang turned out good with its mix of military and civilian apparel. 

What's next? I have a handful of figures that I need to get done in time for my events I am running at Drums at the Rapids Friday night and Saturday morning, May 20-21. I'm throwing a twist into my Mean Streets game with masked vigilantes appearing out of the shadows to help the local block watch repel the street gangs. The playtest is in a week, but it is just a handful of figs, so that should be a problem. Stay tuned for more details!

Sunday, March 27, 2022

New Post-Apocalyptic 'Team': the Night Stalkers

    The Night Stalkers patrol the rubble of a ruined town in the post-Apocalyptic future
I am not 100% sold on my name for this new gang or "team" as the Fistful of Lead rules call forces in their skirmish game. Don't get me wrong, I think "Night Stalkers" sounds really cool, and it will probably be what I end up using. However, I am open for suggestions for these high-tech, uniformed fighters. They all wear helmets with what appear to be night vision goggles attached to them. There are small bits of armor, as well, including a suggestion of kevlar or something underneath the outer uniform. So, I picture these guys as being a fairly well-organized group. The members are probably former military or law enforcement banding together to carve out a niche of territory to protect their families and friends.

    The Night Stalkers are painted in matching uniforms and equipment, so they are fairly well supplied
The figures come from Battle Valor Games, and are part of the former Sgt. Major Miniatures line that I like so much. The poses may be slightly different, but they definitely have a uniform appearance. In a skirmish game where each figure may have different traits, this means that I'm likely going to have to write their names on the edges of their bases for players to keep them straight. I have been threatening to do that for awhile, and likely will go whole hog into it soon. I've seen other gamers photos where they do that and I don't think it detracts from the look of the game.

    It took awhile (and several layers) before I came up with a tone that I was happy with for the helmets
Their base uniform was done in craft paint "Khaki," and I maintained that brownish theme throughout with tan backpacks, dark brown gloves, and ivory packs and pouches. I struggled most with the metallic bits -- the helmet and knee pads. I purchased a "brown metallic" craft paint, but still thought it was too bright of a gold tone. I did two black washes over it before I pronounced myself happy. The end result in person looks very San Francisco 49ers dark gold, in case it is hard to tell in the photos. For the firearms, I used Iron Wind Metals Steel with highlights of silver or gun metal craft paint.

   The color scheme was not intended to be a camouflage, but I like how it "blends in" on the table
Some of the accents were done in brighter colors to stand out more on the miniature. The "eyes" of the goggles were done in red with a tiny dot of pink in the middle. The main part of the goggles and attachments to the helmet were in Iron Wind Steel, again. Finally, the miniatures had patches on each shoulder. I did the right patch in orange with a white vertical stripe. The left was done as a nod to the Ukrainians fighting off the Russian invasion in the news, today. It was done in the yellow blue of their flag. I'm not saying these guys are Ukrainians in my post-Apocalyptic games, just that I was inspired by the actual defenders' bravery and wanted to commemorate it here.  

    Although this is not the vision I have for my games, this supplement still has some interesting sounding rules
So, what's next? I have one more "team" of miniatures to paint up to reach my target six. We typically have 6-7 of us show up on Sunday evenings, so I shouldn't need more than that. I know a couple players may want to use their own troops, but I think for the first game I am going to want to use mine to keep a coherent look on the tabletop. Afterwards, if they want to sub in their own team once they see the "flavor" of my post-Apocalyptic world, I would be open to it. As mentioned before, my games are looking for a Mad Max meets the Terminator feel. I don't want the mutations with multiple arms, psionic powers, etc., from Gamma World or Mutants and Death Ray Guns. As such, I am still considering buying Wiley Games' "Wasteland Warriors" title, which apparently goes heavily in on the mutants. However, I hear it also has a nice section on scavenging for supplies, which is definitely the world I am looking to create for my games.


Thursday, December 9, 2021

New Post-Apoc Gang: The Bass Reeves

    The Bass Reeves - a black post-Apocalyptic force for my newest period that I am gearing up for
I have been intentionally taking a break from painting Saga miniatures lately. The pause may not last forever, but it did allow me to finish another post-Apocalyptic gang. These are figures from Foundry's Street Violence range. Most of them wear long "duster" style jackets, which remind me of what you see gunslingers wearing in stylized Hollywood Westerns. A couple of them had dreadlocks, which led me to paint them as black. That also inspired the force's name -- the Bass Reeves. Reeves was a famous African-American cowboy and was the first black U.S. Marshal in the West. I seem to have settled on painting seven figures up per group, which I hope will be enough to provide a good game in whatever rules I end up using (my own home brew or otherwise)!

    The figure on the right is my favorite - I love how his captain's hat and striped shirt turned out
 The first batch of two figures pictured above feature my favorite miniature in this group. I really like how the captain's hat and striped shirt lends him character. Stripes are never my strong point, but I couldn't imagine any color for a shirt other than the classic, stereotypical red and white striped sailor shirt. I decided to give all the poses jeans for pants in this gang. I postulate jeans would be standard apparel after the apocalypse for their rugged nature and common availability from looted stores or warehouses. For the duster jackets, I decided to use Howard Hues "Bay" horse paints color. It has a nice leather look to it, but was light enough to look like faded material. I dry brushed them khaki and washed them brown to give the jackets depth of color.

    My second favorite is the one wearing the Jamaican-inspired hair bag for his dreads in the middle
My second favorite miniature in this batch is the Rastafarian-looking guy who carries a boom box over his shoulder. Doubtless, it is playing Bob Marley or Peter Tosh for as long as the batteries hold out! I actually Googled "dreadlocks hair bag" for inspiration on what color to paint it. Lo and behold, a Jamaica-looking one popped up in my search and I had to adapt it for this figure. It mean more stripes, though! The miniature is a great casting and has a lot going on. He wears headphones, has rolled up sleeves, a vest, and of course, the boombox. Normally, I might look askance at such whimsy in my figures, but this guy was too good to pass up. Like the captain, he also has a great face. 

I debated whether I was going with too garish and bright of a color for the other dreadlocks-wearing figure to the left. I always picture Rastas in bright, garish colors, though, so I went with this bright green. I think it adds a nice splash of color to an otherwise dull-colored group. I honestly don't know what the piece of equipment is slung over his shoulder, though. I painted it in a brushed steel color, so it can be another boom box or whatever the controlling player decides! The third figure in the group has a gray suit jacket or vest on underneath his duster. He carries a high power sniper weapons of some sort. I like the variety of firearms these figures have. Not everyone carries an assault rifle or shotgun -- there is definitely an irregular aspect to their weaponry. This fits for a post-Apocalyptic force, of course.

    These guys have similar dramatic poses and sport goggles - which were a challenge to paint!
All of the weapons were painted Iron Wind Metals steel. I had realized recently that my newest batch of the color was noticeably brighter than it has always been. I was disappointed because I have always liked the dark steel look of it -- especially when dry brushed silver for things like chainmail. This new tone didn't have as much contrast with silver. So, I dug through my box of paints and found a half-used jar of the old steel color. About half of it had dried up and was unusable, but when I pried that out the remainder seemed okay. I asked Rich S of Iron Wind if its possible to get the "old recipe," and he said to bring that jar along next time we meet and he will match the color. The highlights of the weapons were done with craft paint metallic pewter. I think the two tone look of the guns really gives them a nice, weathered look -- also perfect for post-Apocalyptic!

The last two figures above have very dramatic poses, I think. They have a lot of character in their hair and faces, made even more interesting by the goggles either perched on their heads or around their neck. I wasn't 100% sure how to paint the googles, but decided on a light gray with sky blue lenses. I'm not fully sold on how they look. If I were to go back and redo them, I would have done a black line around the sky blue lens, at least. Otherwise, these two have very interesting shirts. The one on the left is loaded up with ammo pouches so much his shirt is invisible. The one on the right has a very unusual texture to it. So, I painted it a light, gray green and did a medium green wash over it to bring out the texture in the folds. I like the patch on the shoulder of his duster, so did that in bright reds and blues, wanting it to stand out. The skin for all seven figures was done with a dark brown base coat and dry brush of Howard Hues Camo Brown. The hair was painted back with medium brown hightlights. However, the final black wash I did over the figures seems to have hidden the brown highlights, unfortunately.

    Two Patrol Bots search the ruins for signs of humanity, continuing their war of eradication
Next up, are two poses of what I will use as Patrol Bots. These were 3-D printed by my friend Joe from the Thingiverse website. I love the retro look of these figures. I decided that I would mix in a gold-colored bot to go with the colored metallics I used for the Scout Bots. I really like how it came out, but then again, I like the robin's egg blue one, too! I know the prints are not as crisp as metal miniatures, but once you see the next two stages of large bots, you'll understand why I saved money going with these. Joe always gives me a good deal on stuff he prints for me. Of course, who knows? A day may come when I purchase my own 3-D printer...but it is not THIS day! Ha-ha! Anyway, I painted the bots the new Iron Wind steel color as a base coat, then added the gold or blue over it, leaving the steel in the joints and creases. The equipment festooned to the back of the bot was painted in contrasting metallic colors, and the gun was given pewter and silver highlights, as with the Bass Reeves, above. 

If you remember, my post-Apocalyptic world is modeled after the Terminator movies. The main difference is humanity is fragmented into quarreling and fighting factions. The machines have been seriously depleted in the Holocaust, and are more of a constant menace rather than an invading and organized horde. 

What's next? Well, I have decided to give Jenny a birthday present by painting up the demon models she bought for Reign in Hell. The first four Armored Demons are complete, but their bases are not done, yet. They will take priority on my painting table as I would like to finish the dozen or so figures up in time for the holidays. And her demon lord is a HUGE figure! It will easily be the largest miniature I have ever painted. So, look for some new demons in future updates. I've also laid out my next unit of Mongols for Saga to be cleaned and primed. See? Told you that my break from Saga may not last that long!