Urban Development

It has been a while since my last post, but I haven't been entirely idle on the modelling front. I wanted to create some urban terrain  for regular wargaming, and I thought I might try a little zombie bashing, and 5150 New Beginnings. I have had a number of buildings from Mad Mecha Guy, pictures posted before, but I wanted to make a bit more of them. So, I attached them to some 150 X 150mm  MDF bases (from Warbases) to give a little uniformity, and the appearance of a prefabricated colony. I also wanted a scruffy and neglected look, so used a few washes, yet this isn't apparent from the pictures.

First up, a single storey commercial establishment with a suitably unspecific name. All the bases of these buildings were marked out with a fine permanent marker, then the joints dry-brushed with GW's Bestial Brown. I think I may have been a little over-enthusiastic here, as less is probably more.

Now a two storey 'shop' with posters printed out from a quick trawl on the internet, and the sign on the roof made from an offcut of MDF that came with my order from Mad Mecha Guy- Joseph doesn't waste much, and sent me a nice selection of bits and pieces with my order.

A two storey habitation block with a feeble attempt at some graffiti....

and Quite obviously a severely un-secure banking establishment. I couldn't think of anything clever for the name so stuck to the obvious. These rooftop signs aren't glued in anyway, just held with a couple of 'pins' so I can change them when and if.

Another two storey commercial property with different window configuration.

I could have done a bit more with this 'shelter' but by this time at night my enthusiasm is waning!

Police Department- very utilitarian. I used the aluminium mesh that you can buy from car part shops for mending bodywork in all the windows- maybe for a 'Precinct 39' type scenario.

And so to 'Kelly's Bar and Grill'. I thought it would probably have obscured windows, what with the pole dancing and all, so covered them over with some picture mounting card.

These two buildings are from Warbases, but I've tried to dress them up with broken 'tile' pieces which I bought some time ago and never used, plastic girder, plastic tube for pipework etc. It wasn't until I'd put them on a base that I made more of an effort with them.

I just took one of the bases and threw a few things on to make a scruffy vacant lot. Exotic future crate from Atenociti, skip from The Scene, but I can't remember the origin of the vehicle.

This is just another improvised base, with a plastic container for the column, a mini from CP Models, I think, an MDF 15mm base for the plaque and some walls I picked up at a wargame show. Very simple stuff I know, but good cover nevertheless.

This is my first attempt at zombies. these are from Rebel Minis, but I also have some on order from Khurasan. I'm fairly happy with the result. I painted the flesh a sort of mid grey and highlighted it, then picked out top detail with Vallejo Game Colour Dead Flesh. I've seen much better on your blogs out there, but this will do.

Finally, I have seen pictures posted of various bloggers work spaces, so I took a quick picture of my own chaos.....we're all the same!!

Thanks for stopping by.

A Few More Armies Army..........

I have to confess to having taken the day off work today as it is my birthday (don't ask, it's too embarrassing) so I have taken a few self-indulgent hours to paint my other new Armies Army figures, the PLA/Sino forces.

Since I started this blog, I have agonised over the standard of my figure painting, as a lot of posts I see display a level of competence that I cannot possibly emulate. However, I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that if I want to move some of the enormous backlog of minis I would like to paint, then I will have to compromise a bit, so these figures, and the Unknown Enemy figures from my previous post have had a fairly simple treatment, using washes and dry brushing. For the wargames table, I guess they are good enough!


So, here are the minis I have painted today, the PLA/Sino Forces from Armies Army:

Brush-on grey undercoat from Vallejo, base colour of GW Dheneb Stone, wash of Army Painter Strong Tone, then dry brush of base colour again- that's just about it, apart from boots and weapon details.

I also finished the rest of the Enemy Unknown, so here is a collective picture of these minis too:

I have made a start on the 'Hab' units I bought from The Ion Age recently. As usual, I have sort of pinched their colour scheme to a certain point, but it looked so effective! I like a well-weathered look, so plenty of staining and washes. They fit beautifully on the Warbases hexes I use for my terrain as well, so that's a bonus!

All the above items need varnishing and static grass adding in order to hide the lack of attention to detail in the basing, but as I'm away for a few days from tomorrow, I wanted to make a quick post before I go.

Having seen Eli's preview of some of the new releases fron Jon at GZG, I committed a few measly quid on 4 packs of the new sculpts. They are really good, and Jon was kind enough to send me a few samples of upcoming ranges too- they are all great sculpts- and so my determination to cut back on hobby spending will be sorely tested. However, thanks Jon, I'm really looking forward to painting these guys too!

Thanks for looking in as always, and helpful comments are welcome!

Whilst digging in the lead pile.....

I quite often sit in front of my desk, eager to get painting, but for some reason stall, and so I pull over boxes of unpainted stuff to mull over, trying to whip up some inspiration. Last week I found some GZG figures I purchased a long time ago that had slipped way back in the queue. These are from the Free Cal-Tex range, and upon closer inspection, I thought the detail suggested some sort of Police or Paramilitary Police Force. Decision made, I wanted to depict something that was fairly obviously police, but with a bit of a difference. What I have finished up with is something a little more Space Opera then Hard Sci Fi, but I was reasonably pleased. What's that you say? Pictures? Oh all right then, you've persuaded me.

A very simple colour scheme of Vallejo Prussian Blue, highlighted with the addition of increasing amounts of white, GW Codex Grey body armour/equipment/helmet, picked out in white, weapon is Vallejo German Grey, details picked out in Codex Grey.

Here they are, sneaking up on a suspected terrorist holed up in the building to the right, while one of his accomplices is held under guard. Buildings from Mad Mecha Guy (I love 'em!).

That bloke in the window is asking for it- a pistol against all that firepower!!!

Here they are with the paddy wagon!

The other figures I have painted this week are more of the new GZG power armour figures. I added a picture of one of these minis last post, so here are the others I have done recently.

Nowhere near as nice as the camouflage painted versions of these minis that Mr. Harold displayed on his blog 'Clear Horizons' but I'm quite happy. Once again a simple colour scheme- Vallejo Russian Green base, Army Painter Strong Tone wash, highlights in base + white a couple of times, equipment in Vallejo German Grey, again highlighted by the addition of white. Weapon is German Grey detail picked out in GW Codex Grey. Visor is Vallejo Gold (996).

Sneaking through the woods, power armour whirring smoothly.....

Having tried various varnish options, I am using a paint on gloss varnish from Games Workshop, followed by a spray coat of their 'Purity Seal' (almost) matt varnish. I have been reasonably happy with this solution, although I am running out of the brush on gloss varnish, so would welcome some suggestions for an alternative, but having heard so much about it, I made an order to Atenociti for some Testors Dullcote. Well, I tried it this morning, and I have to say I am rather impressed. I quite like the finish- in fact, all the above figures have been coated in this stuff. Usually I post pictures of minis pre-varnish rather than post, as I tend to think they look a little better, but I thought I would risk it, and it seems to have paid off!

So, that's it for now. As I say, if anyone can suggest a good protective gloss varnish, and I am gradually moving away from GW stuff by the way, I would be most grateful to hear from you. Well, it would be great to hear from you anyway!

All the best 'til next post. Now, where's my barbecue mitt...........

Armies Army gets a Commander!

In between my weekend chores, grass cutting and other such domestic boredom, whilst watching the Lions, I managed to sneak in a few minis as no-one was looking!

It's a mixed bag, back to Sci Fi from the Napoleonics, from 3 different manufacturers:

First up, my Commander from Armies Army's Neo-Brits:-

This is a quirky figure- perhaps not anatomically correct- but this style is what draws me to these figures, they have a certain charm.

To back him up, another Armies Army mini, toting, as you can see, a vicious looking minigun. Any miniature with a minigun is all right by me! I believe this figure is in power armour, judging by the improved carapace armour and the exo-skeleton support to the legs....

Following that, here is another figure in power armour (I believe), from GZG, one of their latest releases. I saw some of these painted up on Mr. Harold's blog, Clear Horizons (and if you don't follow it yet, do yourself a favour and trip along there- fantastic blog) and it motivated me to trial a paint job. Nice mini with plenty of detail.

Lastly, a figure I've had for a while, primed and based but sadly neglected, from Khurasan, I don't recall which pack, but it's a nice simple paint scheme for a robot- Vallejo oily steel, black wash, oily steel drybrush, and a little white detailing.

So I've assembled them for a group shot, though no-one seems to want to smile for the camera!

There we are then, I'm just off to stoke up the barbecue- lovely weather here in the UK at the moment, so I shall be looking for something frosty to drink while I cover the washing in smoke. Adios Amigos!!

A Slight Diversion

As I mentioned in my last post, I thought I would make an attempt to paint something different, just to shake me out of a bit of a rut, so I bought just a few 15/18mm AB Miniatures Napoleonic range from 'Fighting 15s' here in the UK. I put up some pics of some of them unpainted, but having spoiled a few with paint, I decided, possibly against my better judgement, to post some pictures for your amusement (and probably 'abusement'!). I know that there will almost definitely be historical inaccuracies in both colour and uniform adornments, but for those of you out there who have a much greater knowledge of uniforms of the period, be kind- these figures merely represent a little diversion from the norm, but I have enjoyed painting them.

First up, some reclining marksmen from the 95th Rifles:

I still have to varnish and apply static grass, so the bases look a little bare.

There were 3 poses of Riflemen in the prone position in a pack of 9 minis- the other was a mixture of these two- reaching for a cartridge to reload, but wearing a shako and not bareheaded.

These other two pictures are, obviously, Royal Artillery. This was in small part a labour of love for me because it was my father's regiment in WW2, although I believe he had weapons that were slightly more sophisticated! RIP Dad.

I think the challenge of painting something completely different was good for me. I had to be more disciplined to get close to something historical, and it was nice to use some brighter colours. One of my sons bought me the Vallejo Napoleonic paint set for Fathers' Day, so that is all I used, apart from the brass on the barrel of the 9 pounder.

I think I will go off on a tangent every now and then and try something different- I have some WW2 vehicles and figures, Peter Pig Moderns, and I took advantage of the offer from 15mm.co.uk and ordered their Use Me ruleset for zombies, which included a set of zombie figures. It seems that my blog is incorporating more than Sci Fi, but only in a very small way.

I have an idea for running some solo Sci Fi games, and writing them up as a running narrative with pictures from the games, to produce an ongoing story- would there be any interest in that do you think?

Thanks for reading!