'Game Over!' - Colonial Marines for Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Corps

    Figs for 'Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Corps' which need painted & assembled

One of my friends from Indiana recommended the board game, "Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Corps" to me last year. When I mentioned it to the Sunday evening gang, Keith chimed in that he already owned it. Besides loving the movie, one of the things that intrigued me about the game is it could accommodate up to six players. We have a definite shortage of games that can take 6+ players, so another one in the stable is a good thing. Keith agreed to bring it and we played it and enjoyed it. I liked the mechanic for assigning each of the Marines (or Ripley) as a main character, but if you didn't have the full six, the others were slightly less powerful "NPCs."

    The base board game that the plastic miniatures came in

As you can imagine, it is a cooperative game with the players attempting to complete a mission (such as rescuing Newt) while not being killed by the aliens. I thought it might be a good game for Jenny and I to play on evenings when we didn't have anything planned. The fact that you can play the scenarios included in the rules as a campaign makes it all the better! So, I bought the game, got it home, and discovered all the plastic figures you use for the characters and aliens need assembled. Ugh! I did some reading, and apparently the alien figures that come with the board game are super-fiddly! So, instead I decided to use the 3-D printed aliens I'd purchased from JS Wargamer Printing for the game, instead. I would have to get around to painting up Ripley, Newt, and the Colonial Marines, though. Because...well, you know! That's the way I roll...!

    Newt & 'Ripleyyyyy!' - I think the Newt figure is my favorite...love the saluting pose from the movie!

We actually played the game a second time on Sunday night, as well, and I still enjoyed it. So, a couple weeks ago, I decided it was finally time to paint those miniatures up (except for the aliens -- I have two batches of those already painted up). They assembled very easily, actually simpler than the various Stargrave boxes that I am now somewhat comfortable with. Many come with a peg and hole to help you determine the best position for an arm. Most come with the heads on already, too. I decided not to use the textured bases that came with them, though, as I wasn't crazy about the character name being printed so prominently in raised letters on the base. I had some 3-D printed Sci-Fi bases that I bought at Advance the Colors 2024 from Diabolical Terrain, so I super glued them onto those. So far, so good!

    Vasquez (with headband & heavy weapons), along with two marine buddies

After priming them with white Gesso, I began painting them. I looked online to confirm the colors, and decided to follow what I saw and do the marines' uniforms in a camo pattern, but leave the web belts and torso armor olive drab. After doing the flesh, I painted the uniforms a dark olive and dry brushed them with a lighter tone. I use Camo Brown, black, and tan for the irregularly-shaped splotches. The web belts and pouches I did in a light olive just so there would some variety in color. The weapons were done in Iron Wind Metals Steel with pewter highlights. 

    Gorman and one of his squad - the figs are okay, but the detail is a bit muddy, especially the faces

The boots were done in a dark gray and then highlighted, and after finishing them and the bases (more Iron Wind Steel with Pewter highlights), these figures were just about done. I did my usual brown wash on the flesh and black wash over the rest. They were now complete. Do I like them? Well, the detail is a bit muddy on the figures, in my opinion. It is sometimes hard to figure out what all the equipment festooned all over the marines actually is, even under my magnifying glass. The faces are kind of a blob, too. Still, the board game will look MUCH better with them painted up! Will I use them for other 28mm Sci-Fi miniatures games? Possibly, but not likely. Still, they'll be stored with my Sci-Fi figs, along with my two packs of painted aliens ready for the next time I play. I also picked up a white opaque "paint pen" that I will attempt to write the names of the Marines on the base edges with. May not come out well, but we'll see!

What else is on my painting desk? I have my two test figures for my 28mm Vietnam project base coated. I'm either going to do the U.S. uniforms in a dark olive with light O.D. drybrush. Or I am going to paint them a light olive and do a Dark Olive Drab wash over them (to settle into the folds and recesses). Once I have the two figures painted up, I will make the call which I like better. I am thinking the wash process will be a LOT faster, but we shall see which looks better. I have had inconsistent success with this method. Otherwise, I am almost done with the 3-D printed stuff I bought from Sword & Scabbard Games. So, you will likely see that post next.

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 119
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 60 

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 10
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 19

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 53
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 50