Xenos Down! Crashed Alien Spacecraft Holds Dangers & Treasures

    Multiple factions advance & investigate the smoking sections of the downed alien spacecraft

When the strange alien craft entered orbit around Tatooine, it failed to answer communication from the Imperial Star Destroyers. Fearing a Rebel Alliance trick, they fired on it and sent it plummeting into the atmosphere, disabled. However, just before impact, thrusters fired, slowing the ship's fall. The craft broke up into a number of sections on impact with the desert sands, though. Remarkably, long-range scans showed signs of power still operating on the ruined craft, though. Even more tantalizing were sensors picking up what appeared to be lifeforms moving amidst the wreckage.

    Table setup with the 9 spacecraft sections & six smoke clouds obscuring the center of the board

Immediately, word got out and a number of speeders raced across the desert to investigate. Only the Empire and their Corporate Security partners had official clearance to approach. The Rebels, though, could not pass up the chance to perhaps beat the Stormtroopers there, and scavenge alien technology that might be useful in the rebellion. Two other craft that refused to answer imperial commands to break off course could belong to any of the various criminal syndicates, and perhaps even the mercenaries of the Bronze Legion. As the half dozen speeders neared the wreckage, clouds of smoke and haze thickened and visibility dropped rapidly...

    My 6 players bring their squads onto the hexagonal battle mat I created to represent Tatooine

"Xenos Down!" would be the fifth scenario of our Star Wars skirmish campaign using Space Weirdos rules. Each of the six players controlled a faction along the political spectrum from the Empire to Corporate Security to Mercenaries to Rebel Alliance. We played on my four foot wide hexagonal board, with each of the six factions entering near the center of their own hex side. In the center were nine sections of crashed spacecraft that I had recently built, along with a scattering of glowing pieces of alien technology I had also just made. The factions would receive victory points for having those under their control, as well as knocking figures of the opposing factions out of action.

    Rebel Alliance leader Ylena takes aim from atop one of my canyon rocks from Diabolical Terrain

My Canyon Rocks and Desert Rock Formations from Diabolical Terrain broke up the battlefield, as well as smaller outcrops of rocky areas that gave cover. Six large areas of smoke (also recently created) would drift across the battlefield randomly as the game progressed. These blocked line of sight entirely, while the entire tabletop itself was considered smoky and would reduce firing. The greater the distance, the more negative modifiers the haze would produce. Also, each turn, two alien creatures would emerge from randomly determined pieces of wreckage. They had no ability to shoot, but would charge any of the player's forces and attack with their horrible claws and teeth. Think of the alien xenomorphs from the Alien movies and you have a good idea of their nastiness and danger.

    Criminal Syndicate members, Trumonkar & a battle droid, advance towards valuable alien tech

Still, the lure of possibly valuable alien technology lured in all six factions. There was some degree of cooperation among the various looters, but there was also firing between them almost immediately. In particular, Darth Pylor and his Stormtroopers opened up on the nearby local rebels and Rebel Alliance operatives. The animosity between the Bronze Legion and Foxhurst's Criminal Syndicate flared to life again, despite the peaceful ransoming and prisoner exchange they'd managed last scenario (TIE Fighters Strafing the Streets of Mos Eisley). Essentially, each faction wanted to claim a certain number of the alien tech tokens as their own, but this was disputed aggressively by their neighbors. Even if a player's figure had already spent two actions to disconnect it from the spacecraft and was actively moving it towards their area, they were often fired upon by their neighbors who sought to poach their find.

    But what lurks within the smoky center of the board? A very angry alien emerges, looking for prey!

Cooperation most often happened when aliens emerged and charged from the wreckage. The Corporate Security troopers often fired on the beasts even if it was a Rebel they were racing towards. The Rebels returned the favor occasionally, as well. Still, Darth Pylor was known to use the force to pick up an alien and deposit it next to a group of rebels to let them deal with it! Foxhurst used the Force to snatch alien tech from the grasp of the Rebel Alliance, too. When an alien did manage to contact a player's figure, it often knocked it out of action. I maximized the alien's stats for speed and melee ability (Prowess) under the Space Weirdos rules. They had only average defensive abilities, though, and were eventually dealt with one by one. At game's end, there were still three aliens prowling the battlefield, with players dodging around to ensure another faction's figure was the closest to it and would receive its wrath. Apparently, being fired upon by a Star Destroyer and crashing onto the surface of Tattooine made them a little angry!

    Taking what cover they can, Toms Local Rebels advance towards the smoking spacecraft

The players said they had a great time. There was lots of laughs as aliens appeared next to opponent's figures (usually Tom's Local Rebels!). Or when a figure took refuge from enemy fire in one of the smoke circles only to have it drift away from them at the end of the turn, leaving them out in the open, exposed. Players did a good job of either reviving their out of action figures with medical kits or carrying them to safety off the field. Only the disabled hulk of the Criminal Syndicate's battle droid was left in the center of the table when players began to retreat off the table. Most factions had taken one or more pieces of alien technology off the table, with the Mercenaries securing three.

    One of the aliens emerges from the wreckage & prepares to charge Rebel Leader Zimeon

Space Weirdos rules works well, even with such a large group (counting the aliens, we really had seven factions playing). The rotating activation system with Initiative re-rolled every turn keeps everyone involved. The command points that allow players to respond during an opponent's turn (Dodge out of sight, interrupt and fire from Overwatch, or get First Strike in a melee) means players can act even when it is not their turn. The system of opposed pairs of dice rolls to resolve combat keeps players in the game, too. Time seemed to fly by and when I announced that it was 9pm and we'd been playing for three hours, everyone was surprised.

    Bronze Legion trooper and leader being stalked by one of the aliens on the others side of the smoke

By that time, most factions had one or more figures withdraw off the table edge with alien technology or carrying injured friends. Their other figures were beginning to edge away from the center and contemplating leaving, too. We called the game a short time later, and I had everyone count up their victory points and write them down on the back of their leader's card. Since it is a campaign, I am allowing players to improve the stats of their squad in a limited way after each game. Rather than track victory points and spend them on particular advances, each faction can improve one of the five stats of one of their figures one level after each game. I know this seems a tad artificial, but it keeps all squads progressing at a relatively similar level. I have seen campaigns become one-sided when the victors get tougher faster than the losers, which allows them to win more often, and improve even more than their opponents. Eventually, the campaign games break down, with one or more sides seem fated to win while the others to lose. I am trying to avoid this with a more equal situation, yet still allowing character improvement. I mean, haven't we all heard that Defeat often teaches more lessons than Victory?

    'Look out, sir - there is one behind you!' An alien charges & makes contact with the Legion captain

The players said they're having fun with the games, so I will keep running the skirmishes for them. I just need to keep thinking of more, hopefully interesting scenarios to toss at them! Apparently, Xenos Down was a success, and now it's time to get creative and devise the next challenge to throw at the Empire, Rebels, Mercenaries, and Criminals! The Bronze Legion mercenaries handily won the scenario, scoring a dozen victory points (3 alien tech pieces, 3 aliens knocked out of action). That puts them in the lead for the campaign, now, ahead of the Rebel Alliance (2nd) and Local Rebels (3rd).

    Local Rebel leader Zimeon is taken out of action by an alien, while his crew rushes to his rescue

As far as my Acquired vs. Painted totals below, I decided to count the nine spaceship sections and six smoke clouds as "Terrain." The eight alien tech pieces are "Scatter." By the way, I HAVE been purchasing things, and will hopefully do an update soon to show them off. Weirdly, just as I was typing that sentence, the mailman arrived with one of the packages...! Stay tuned to see what it was...!

    All across the battlefield, aliens charge while players attempt to secure the glittering alien tech pieces

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Miniatures acquired in 2026: 6
  
• Miniatures painted in 2026: 24

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Terrain acquired in 2026: 0
  
• Terrain painted in 2026: 17

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Scatter acquired in 2026: 0
  
• Scatter painted in 2026: 24 

Imperial leader Darth Pylor shelters behind a canyon rock while the aliens prowl, looking for foes    

SCENARIO VICTORY POINTS 

CAMPAIGN TOTAL VICTORY POINTS 

TIE Fighters Strafing Streets of Mos Eisley - Chaos on Tatooine!

TIE fighter begins his strafing run over Mos Eisley as both inhabitants and the various factions scatter

We played our fourth game in our Star Wars skirmish campaign using Space Weirdos rules. After being fired on indiscriminately by the residents of Mos Eisley, the Empire planned to strike back at the treacherous locals. A TIE fighter squadron would strafe the streets, letting the locals know who to fear on this planet. Knowing their operational security was porous and possibly compromised, they waited till the last minute to inform local patrols to withdraw from the streets. Unfortunately, a corporate security patrol and a squad of stormtroopers led by Darth Pylor were unable to get off the streets in time after their transport vehicles were blown up by the rebels.

    7 players gathered around for our 4th Star Wars campaign scenario using 'Space Weirdos' rules

Seven factions were caught out in the open when TIE fighters began roaring overhead and blasting away indiscriminately at anything moving in the streets. I used my hexagon shaped board. Most factions had to escape to the location of their bunker off the opposite board edge from where they started. They received +2 Victory Points for each of their four figures they got off-board. In addition, they received a bonus +1 VP for killing knocking their enemies out of action. Two factions, though, had completely different objectives. The Criminal Syndicate and the mercenaries of the Bronze Legion were trying to conduct a prisoner ransom and swap in the center of the board when the TIE terror broke out. The Bronze Legion had two members of the syndicate they had captured in the last scenario. Their goal was to get them to the criminals who would pay +4 campaign victory points to get their leader and trusted associate back.

    Darth Pylor & a squad of Stormtroopers advance towards the central square in Mos Eisley

Each turn, though, a TIE fighter blast would strike randomly on the board. I worked out a system to randomize where the blast would hit and all figures within two movement sticks would suffer an attack. The closer to the blast location, the more deadly the attack, of course. The players did not know where or when they would come, only that one would arrive somewhere every turn. It gave them incentive to get the heck off the board. Being gamers, though, they couldn't resist the opportunity to fire at their foes, though. I had counted on that. It made for a chaotic and deadly scenario. Darth Pylor lost all three Stormtroopers in his squad, while their Corporate Security also had three of their force taken out of action. Admittedly, they were a bit outnumbered. Their normal allies the Bronze Legion were not technically hired for this mission. They were in full self-preservation and "get the ransom!" mode. Keith did little to help either Mike S (Empire) or Corporate Security (Joel), unlike normal games, when he is fairly bloodthirsty in his pursuit of the empire's goals.

    Allen moves is patched-together Criminal Syndicate force towards the meeting point with the Mercs

Surprisingly, neither the Criminal Syndicate nor the Bronze Legion double-crossed each other. TIE fighters struck close to the Bronze Legion on the very first turn. By the time Keith's troopers made it near the central square, it was a battleground and deadly crossfire. The Bronze Legion called out and motioned to the criminals to cross to their side of the square where they could make the exchange under less fire. Like an evil game master, I had arranged the various faction's missions so that nearly all of them would likely meet in the center. Allen, controlling the Syndicate, sent his battle droid across to the mercenaries to make the exchange. 

    Joel moves up Corporate Security, keeping a wary eye on his brother's Syndicate thugs

I told both players that once any of their figures made it into base contact with each other, they would each receive a bonus, out-of-turn order action. They would need to roll for initiative again, and could choose to go first or second. The two players in contact had four possible choices for their action: (1) Do nothing; (2) Exchange the item/prisoners; (3) Shoot the other figure; (4) Melee the other figure. Both chose to honorably fulfill the exchange -- Keith even handing over the remote which controlled the Taze-cuffs the prisoners were wearing AND the detonator to the bomb he'd planted on their bodies! Like I said, I was surprised by Keith -- who is known for saying, "Shoot the prisoners!" -- and his honorable conduct. 

    The first blast from a TIE fighter lands dangerously near the mercenaries -- who sprint for cover

With 20,000 untraceable credits in hand, the Bronze Legion quickly and orderly exfiltrated the tabletop. Another TIE Fighter strike hit the streets near them, but they were unharmed. Keith was the first to leave the table. Mission accomplished, plus several Mos Eisley citizens who fired on him were gunned down, as well. Allen had a much longer path to return to his original board edge and escape. Time after time, TIE fighter blasts knocked down or staggered his criminal enforcers. The battle droid tucked each of the ransomed prisoners, who'd obviously been drugged, under an arm and sped across the table. His metallic boots rang across the central square as he crossed to the opposite side and disappeared down one of the side streets. Three of the four criminal syndicate's enforcers were able to escape off the board edge, with only Sluggr left lying unconscious in the main square. 

Firing line of Mos Eisley citizens, Syndicate thugs, & Rebel Alliance troopers pour fire into the Empire

Both the Rebel Alliance and the local rebels were stoic in the face of the TIE fighter strafing runs. Neither appeared to be in a hurry to get across the table. Instead, the found good firing positions and fired at the imperial forces. When we decided to call the game, we reasoned that barring an unlucky TIE fighter blast, they should be able to escape. On the other hand, the outlook was not so rosy for Darth Pylor's Stormtroopers or the Corporate Security agents. Both had only one figure escape off-board. The rest lay, unconscious where they'd been shot by either of the rebel factions or perhaps the enraged Mos Eisley citizenry. 

    Explosions and chaos rocked the streets as seven different factions ran for cover & shot at each other

The Mos Eisley residents were a late addition to the game, as Andy was able to make it. I started his four armed and angry citizens inside one of the buildings bordering the main square. He needed to escape to a bunker complex, as well, off the same table edge as the Bronze Legion. As the TIE Fighter blasts rocked the homes around the central square, Andy's fighters quickly emerged and began a running firefight with the Imperials and the Bronze Legion. They sought cover behind the barricades around the radar array in the square or behind the walls of some of the buildings. Seeing they had similar goals, the rebels and citizens joined forces to pour fire into Mike S and Joel's forces. Andy continued firing and moving, though, effectively skirting the edges of the square and taking cover behind the buildings surrounding the square. Once behind them, his forces sprinted towards the board edge and did a good job getting off.

    As the blaster fire on the Stormtroopers builds, they begin falling -- some revived, only to fall again!

All in all, the players appeared to have a lot of fun. There was some grousing by the imperial forces, perhaps justifiably. However, with seven factions each with their own goals, there were a lot of "moving parts" in this scenario. A more aggressive Bronze Legion could easily have negated their disadvantage. Additionally, a less bloodthirsty Rebel or citizenry faction would also have lessened the hail of fire that rained down on them from both above and below. The game played fairly quickly with seven players, as well. When things were winding down, and figures began to escape off-table, I looked at the time. We had only played for two hours at that point. We called it a bit after three hours, though if we had decided to play out the last turn or so, it wouldn't have taken long. Most factions were in "run for cover" mode by that point and not as many shots were being fired. 

TIE fighter streaks just above the rooftops of Mos Eisley -- yes, I had them hanging from the ceiling!

The winners of the scenario? The Rebel Alliance (cue Star Wars music...!) with 17 points. Interestingly, the normal player (Mike W) was out of town so Jenny stood in and played his faction. I've been teasing Mike W that his rebels are way too concerned for their own safety and tentative in the games. Jenny was more bloodthirsty, as I imagined she would be -- downing three enemy troops. Here's the chart showing the scores for this scenario.

    Jenny's cool efficiency gunning down enemies & getting her rebels off-table scored her the victory!

    Another shot of the players gathered around my 4' across hexagon mat that I made for free-for-alls

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 306
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 269

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 62
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 72

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 144
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 212 

    It's very close at the top of the total campaign VPs with 3 factions separated by 3 points! 

    Criminal Syndicate thugs escaping off-table with their rescued members, Foxhurst & Quiddo

 

Star Wars Mission #3: Save the Captives!

    Stormtroopers & Corporate Security escort three captured rebel hackers through Mos Eisley

The third mission in our continuing Star Wars campaign using Space Weirdos rules was played last Sunday evening. We had a seventh player show up -- Andy, who joins us from time to time when he doesn't have to be at work really early on Monday. I decided he would play the part of the armed and dangerous citizens of Mos Eisley, who are upset about the Empire's takeover of their city. So far, the rebels had won both scenarios, so this one would see if the Empire could "Strike Back," so to speak. 

So, listen to the Star Wars musical score and imagine the following paragraphs in a pyramid shape, receding into the distance...

    The players gather around the tabletop depicting the main square and alley ways of Mos Eisley

Stung by the raid on the TIE fighter base, the Empire has ramped up efforts to find the rebels responsible for hacking their defense systems. Darth Pylor and his imperial agents have tracked the transmissions down to a house on a narrow street in Mos Eisley. Mobilizing a force including Stormtroopers, Corporate Security, and the redoubtable Bronze Legion mercenaries, they have raided the house and captured three rebel technicians. Taking a few moments to download data from the rebels' systems and to secure the technicians with Taze Cuffs, the force exits the Rebel hideout. Stormtroopers toss incendiary grenades behind them into the house, and Darth Pylor's force begins its march back to the main square.

The time taken and the large imperial presence in town has alerted both the Rebel Alliance and their local Tatooine allies. Desperately, the rebels have mobilized a force to try to rescue the captives. If nothing else, they will make the Empire fight its way out of Mos Eisley. Back in the main square, the Bronze Legion calls in to report they have spotted members of Foxhurst’s Criminal Syndicate operating in town. Are they going to help the Rebels in the rescue attempt? Or do they have some other nefarious plans afoot...?

 

    Column of Stormtroopers & Corporate Security outside the rebel hideout begin to move out

The imperial side deployed first, their forces augmented with two large Imperial City Walkers (to counter-balance the Mos Eisley force, and incidentally, the walkers were the Criminal Syndicate's objective). The Bronze Legion stayed in the square to guard the people mover vehicles, which they planned to depart on. The City Walkers also stayed behind in the main square, as both they and the vehicles were too large for the narrow alleys. Figures from the other four factions would move onto the board with their first action. They were not permitted to deploy within 2 stick lengths of an Empire or Corporate Security figure, though. Space Weirdos uses 5" movement sticks, so the rebels and their allies would enter at least 10" away from imperial figures.

 

    A citizen's eye view of the people mover vehicles parked in the square before the shooting breaks out

When Keith, playing the Bronze Legion, saw the setup and heard the deployment rules, he knew his forces would be going through the wringer early on. On their first action, the Mos Eisley figures could deploy in any of the buildings surrounding the main square, which meant they'd likely be targeting Bronze Legion troopers. Tom's Local Rebels showed up in a far corner of the board, in what I assumed would be an attempt to cut off the Stormtroopers escorting the captives. Initially, they were too far from the captives and captors to see them, so they also immediately started shooting at Bronze Legion troopers. The situation got worse for the Legion when the Criminal Syndicate arrived in the main square, half of its force driving on in a truck and the others coming in on foot. Before long, blasters were zipping back and forth across the plaza, sending citizens scattering for cover.

 

    Two rebels move past some droids wandering the streets & close in on the Stormtroopers

Mike W's Rebel Alliance arrived behind the captors and began sniping at the trailing Stormtroopers immediately. However, the rebels hung back a bit, staying in cover, and did not press too closely. Their plan was to shoot down the Stormtroopers and corporate security agents from a distance, and then dash in to rescue the captives. As Corporate Security, Joel heard the blaster fire from Tom's forces ahead. So, he detached two men from their column to block off the Local Rebels. They blasted away at them, forcing Tom's figures to take cover and engage in a firefight. This allowed the captors to continue moving slowly with their three captives towards the main square. Darth Pylor tried to keep the force moving briskly, although he was also targeted by blaster fire from angry citizens, as well.

 

    One Stormtrooper goes down (green sticker on bottom) & the column reacts to fire from their rear

Beset on all sides, the Bronze Legion held off their adversaries as best as they could. However, once the Criminal Syndicate's truck pulled into the main square, the mercenaries when on the attack. The mercenaries had been frustrated by Foxhurst's enforcers the last several games, and wanted payback. Keith switched to targeting the criminals with most of his force. The first imperial casualties began to fall, though -- the heavily armored City Walkers. One went down to the persistent and repeated blaster fire from Tom's troopers firing from across the square. A cheer went up when the first, towering warbot fell with a crash. 

 

    A Mon Calamari rebel snipes at the captors' column, hanging back in case "it's a trap!"

As the other walker advanced on the rebels, Foxhurst suddenly darted forward. The syndicate leader sprinted up to the walker and slapped a briefcase-sized metallic device onto its leg. It stuck with a magnetic clank. Immediately, electrical sparks flew from the device, running along every limb, shutting it down in midstride. Foxhurst waved frantically to the truck, signalling it to back up next to the disabled walker. The criminals planned to steal one of the imperial walkers!

 

    Criminal leader Foxhurst takes advantage of the chaos in the square to rush up & disable a walker

However, it was not to be. Bronze legion troopers poured fire into the truck, first knocking out Quiddo who was riding in the truck bed. Next, another mercenary charged the truck, ripped open the passenger door, and dove across the cab and began pummeling the driver, Sluggr. Initially, the slug-like Hutt slumped over the wheel, the truck coasting to a stop. He recovered quickly, though, and shoved the trooper away with his massive tail. He looked out the window to Foxhurst, only to see his leader dodging intense fire from the mercenaries, and sprinting towards him and leaping into the back of the truck. Blaster fire followed Foxhurst, though, and he too was soon slumped in the truck bed next to Quiddo. Seeing this, Sluggr threw the truck into reverse and began heading towards the square's exit. Things were not going as planned for the criminals, again! The Hutt decided it would be best to get his comrades off the table.

 

    One of the Bronze Legion mercenaries exchanges fire with an angry (& armed) Mos Eisley citizen

Sluggr's plans were dashed when the Bronze Legion trooper still inside the truck's cab fired several times. Howling in pain, the Hutt opened the door and rolled out, slithering away into a nearby open garage. The armed Mos Eisley citizen in the garage watched him go past, then darted out the back of the building, not wanting to mix it up with the infamous syndicate. Chuckling, trooper slid over, took the controls of the truck, and sped off with the two unconscious criminals in the back of the cab. The remaining criminal, Trumonkar, continued to fire away at the Bronze Legion troopers, but was unable to change his syndicate's fortune.

 

    With Corporate Security providing flank protection, the imperial column gets closer to the square

Between the Corporate Security officers holding off the local rebels, and the Stormtroopers fighting a rearguard action against the Alliance, the captors steadily progressed towards the main square. Both people movers waited on them there, engines idling. Soon, the captors had bundled all three captives into the closest vehicle and climbed aboard themselves. Both the Local Rebels and the Alliance were simply too far away and their fire was too ineffective to stop the progress of the captors. Once the captives were secure inside the mover, the vehicle began accelerating. It weaved between the combatants still struggling in the square. Then, reaching an open street, the vehicle went to full power and disappeared from the square.

 

    The unfortunate rebel hackers & their guards are whizzed off-board in an imperial people mover

The departure of the captives did not lessen the intensity of the fighting, though. One of the Bronze Legion troopers was down, victim of fire from angry citizens. Another was engaged in a furious gunfight with Mira, the owner of the shawarma shop on the square. Angry at the departure of the captives, the Local Rebels blazed away at any imperial targets they could get in their sights. The disabled walker had been rebooted back to life when Darth Pylor used the Force to yank the disabling device off of its leg. Rebel fire poured into it, though, and soon it crashed to the ground next to the other smoking city walker. 

 

    Bronze Legion mercenary reverses the truck off-board with 2 unconscious criminals in the bed

Darth Pylor shouted to the remaining Stormtroopers, corporate security agents, and Bronze Legion troopers to get aboard the remaining people mover. Fire in the main square was slackening, as first the Rebel Alliance, and then next the Mos Eisley citizens, took cover and withdrew from the fight. This allowed the remaining imperial forces to leap aboard the mover and soon they were speeding out of the square, as well. The citizens still around jeered at them as they left, but the rebels were in no mood for celebrating. Their hackers had been taken prisoner and spirited off the board in imperial custody. Many of their secrets might be uncovered. It was time to head back to their hideouts and try to minimize the damage done to their cause this day. 

 

    Enraged by the capture of its technicians, rebels pour fire into the square, downing the last walker

So, the Empire's "strike back" ended in triumph, just as in the original movies. The three imperial factions scored a total of 20 victory points, doubling the other four factions. The Mos Eisley citizens acquitted themselves well, tying for second with 7 VP. However, the two rebel factions managed only 3 VP combined, while the Criminal Syndicate scored 0 VP. If their fortunes continue to fail, how long will it be before a new criminal syndicate emerges to replace them? With Foxhurst and Quiddo captured by the Bronze Legion, what will the other members of the syndicate have to pay the mercenaries to get their leaders back? Plenty of fodder for new scenarios was harvested in this game!

 

    Victory point totals for Mission #03 - Save the Captives! - a comfortable imperial victory

In the campaign standings, the Local Rebels played by Tom are still in the lead -- barely! Behind them (by one point) are the Bronze Legion mercenaries. The Empire (played by Mike S) are also close behind at two off the lead. Only the Criminal Syndicate is having a truly lackluster campaign. Otherwise, the Empire vs. Rebels total victory points are fairly close, by my count.

 

    Campaign standings by victory points after 3 turns -- Local Rebels (Tom) are winning!

I think the campaign itself is going well, and the Space Weirdos rules are definitely a success. They're easy to learn, and create wild and woolly action on the tabletop with sometimes unexpected results. I haven't noticed our games being as lethal as some other Space Weirdos players online say their matches are, but I don't mind. As long as the players are having fun, it doesn't matter if the body count is lower than anticipated. I hope you enjoyed the reading the battle report, though. If you're interested in checking out Space Weirdos, they're available for download inexpensively on Wargame Vault!

 

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 288
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 180

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 36
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 61

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 115
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 159

Some Sci-Fi Civilians Using 'Stargrave' Kits

    6 Sci-Fi civilians assembled from the plastic Stargrave kits using various arms, heads, & equipment

One thing that I am a little short of for my Star Wars skirmishes is figures I can use as civilians. Most of the 28mm miniatures I've painted up are carrying some sort of weapon. I heard on the Lead Adventure Forum about folks using the various Stargrave plastic figure sets to kitbash unarmed figures. So, I gave it a whirl. I'm not the greatest at converting figures, and believe these six miniatures show mixed results.

    The Fishman alien on the left was probably my favorite, even though he has nothing in his hands

The biggest problem was finding suitable arms. There are enough carrying briefcases or tablets or whatever to shove into empty hands. It is the other arm/hand that tended to look a little odd. The lengths of the arms are usually sized to be a supporting hand for a weapon. Sometimes, they empty handed-arm ended up looking too long, I felt, and other times too short. All six of these will do in a pinch, of course, but I wouldn't pronounce myself thrilled with how they came out. 

    Also in the running for my favorites of this batch are the Caucasian man and the ape alien

I do love the various heads the Stargrave boxes give you to customize the figures. I decided to go half and half, with three alien heads and three human ones. Not surprisingly, I like the alien ones the best! My favorite is probably the "Fishman" looking one with green skin and darker green "freckles" on his head. His big beady black eyes give him a lot of character, and the breathing apparatus over his mouth makes it obvious he's from an alien culture. I tried to match the blue one's skin to the Anadorans that I painted up for both my skirmishes and my Xenos Rampant! games. I know it isn't exactly the same alien head that I am using for Joel's Corporate Security faction. Still, it evokes their look a bit. And if there are enough to be Corporate Security on my Tatooine, then there should be enough wandering the streets as civilians.

    The dark-skinned lady & blue alien prove that, in the future, we will still be attached to our devices!

The humans I did in various skin tones -- a Caucasian style one, Asian, and darker skinned. They came out okay, but I've noticed some Stargrave faces look cartoony with their softer, plastic detail. Otherwise, I thought the detail on the clothes turned out okay. I did my usual 28mm painting style -- base coat and dry brush for highlight on virtually every color I put on them. Their clothes I painted in a wide variety of colors. Even though most of the torsos are meant to be wearing uniforms (I have two of the Stargrave Crew boxes and one of the Mercenary ones, in addition to the Troopers). I like how they came out not screaming "uniform!" 

    The civilians wander the streets of Tatooine, which are also populated by some of my droids

The various tablets and electronic devices in the figure's hands turned out okay. I painted them different metallic colors, using the Curacao Blue from TurboDork for the screens and the ape alien's briefcase. I will need at least three of these for my upcoming Star Wars skirmish using Space Weirdos rules at the end of the month, maybe more. Otherwise, you will likely seem them on the streets of Tatooine in various games. I keep meaning to buy some figure packs of Sci-Fi civilians, but since I have so many of the unassembled torsos from Stargrave, I figured why not try them first?

So, what else is on my painting desk? Currently, it is overrun with resin pieces from Miniature Building Authority that I picked up at Historicon. I bought two former Acheson Creations bunkers for Vietnam, as well as a couple of sniper positions. Unlike most Acheson pieces, these are a bit more time consuming to paint up. They should be done in the next few days, though, as I'm making good progress. I also have the base coat done on my last five Fantasy "Fishmen" from Beldolor Studios and Reaper Miniatures. After that, I'm not sure what I will be working on!

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 288
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 167

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 36
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 57

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 115
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 150

3-D Printed Canyon Rocks & Stacks from Diabolical Terrain

    Battle droids prowl the canyon lands of Tatooine among 3-D printed pieces from Diabolical Terrain

A big part of my advance purchase that I picked up at Historicon from Diabolical Terrain were these desert terrain pieces from his Canyon Rocks & Stacks range. I wanted them to supplement the Desert Rock Formations that I had painted up awhile back. I now have 17 of these printed in 32mm scale, so should be set for any of my Star Wars skirmishes that I set out in the outback of Tatooine! 

    These canyon rocks and stacks certainly evoke desert terrain out west, such as Arches National Park

They are incredibly easy to get ready for the tabletop, too. I began -- as I did with the first batch -- with sand-colored Camouflage spray prime from Menards. I must not have sprayed it on as thick as I did with the first batch, because I did have to go back and do a base coat on top of the priming in a craft paint khaki color. Or maybe there are more grooves and crevices in this batch than the first. Who knows?

    I love how the erosion lines paint up quickly with a simple base coat, dry brush, and wash

Either way, I let them dry overnight after that. Next, I did a white dry brush highlight with a wide, stiff-bristled brush. If this is sounding familiar, it is exactly the same recipe as for my Tatooine buildings! Some of these are fairly big pieces, so I had to be careful to not smudge the areas I'd already dry brushed as I went all the way around each piece. Once again, I let them dry overnight before the next step.

    The contrast between the two styles of pieces -- stacked rocked look and eroded look

The final step besides a clear coat spray was to go over them completely with my Vallejo brown vehicle wash. I was worried that the massive surface area of the eight pieces would deplete my bottle completely and force me to mix up a new batch with the restock I picked up at Historicon. However, it did not -- there is still some left in the pre-mixed (watered down) bottle I made last summer. Now, the problem is that I don't actually remember what my ratio or formula was for Vehicle Wash to Water. Maybe I'll go back and read some of my blog posts to see if I mention it? I looked on the bottle cap (where I usually write these things down in Sharpie), but there's nothing there. 

    Few things are more Star Wars iconic than creatures riding huge beasties -- so this fig was a natural

Anyway, I really like the effect this dark brown wash gives on these pieces. It gives  the surface a nice kind of glow that you sometimes see in photographs of the desert southwest. Speaking of which, some of these are dead ringers for the terrain you see in Arches National Park. I'm sure that is intentional, so these pieces would also look great in a Western game set in the appropriate desert lands. The pieces actually break down into two types of surfaces. One is very craggy and like piled rocks (stacks?). The other is smooth and eroded with parallel lines carved into them by wind or water. Geologically, I'm not sure which it is -- I just know I've seen some amazing photos of these types of rocks out West!

    These battle droids are on the hunt for the Empire's enemies, tirelessly trekking the sandy planet

I really like how these turned out, and now I'm wishing my next Star Wars scenario was set in Tusken Raider land or something. Instead, it is a city scenario using the additional "Tatooie" (as the website calls them) buildings I bought from Diabolical at Historicon. Oh well...next game! Still, if you are currently doing Star Wars skirmishes with your group, you can definitely use some of theses for your games! They are reasonably priced and you can scale up or down what size you want them printed in (with the price going up or down, too, of course!).

    No sign of the Rebels here! Terrain pieces like these are where 3-D printing excels, I feel...

So, what's next on my paint desk? Well, speaking of Star Wars, I'm working on a batch of six civilians that I pieced together from the various Stargrave plastic sets I've purchased. They're about half done and will be needed for the upcoming game near the end of the month for our next game of Space Weirdos. The resin bunkers and sniper positions from Miniature Building Authority are still primed and awaiting their first coat. After that, I would like to polish off those five additional fishmen I primed up awhile back. Otherwise, if I jump from here into painting my Dragon Rampant fantasy troops, they'll be giving me the stink eye the whole time: "Hey, Bub! What about us? Youse said we's was next...!"

    A final look at the atmospheric 8 Canyon Rocks and Stacks that I just painted up

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 288
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 161

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 36
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 57

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 115
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 150