Having finished the North American Combine models for Dragonmeet I need to think about starting work on the next wave. I have three trays worth of miniatures that need assembling and painting.
The first tray is the next lot of Pan European Federation models. I acquired an early lead Mark 5 Ogre and later pewter Mark 3 from eBay. Both will be modified to distinguish them as Pan European variants. The Mark 3 by shortening the tower, while the Mark 5 will have its secondary batteries replaced with Doppelsoldner castings that I bought as spares, back when you could.
I also bought three more Jagers and four light tanks to make up the numbers I need for my renamed French inspired armoured force – 7ème Brigade Blindée Force et Audace. I still have a largish amount of Pan Euro miniatures, mostly GEVs, maturing in my shoebox while they wait to be assembled and then painted once I've finished the current tray.
The next tray is most of my remaining Combine Ogre miniatures with just a handful of extras sitting in the shoebox maturing. The unidentified casting centre-rear is an old Stan Johanson vehicle that I'm repurposing as a Mobile GEV Command Post
Finally, I sorted out the models I want to paint up to go with my Mark 4 Ogre that will represent my Nihon force (I have no idea what I'm calling this force yet, but the title will probably have the words Self Defence Force in it somewhere). These are largely old BattleTech miniatures from Ral-Partha with the mobile howitzers converted using turrets from other sources. I had a bunch of the old Battledroid Pegasus GEVs that are lovely looking models that will be perfect with the Mark 4 raiding scenario. One of my old Pegasus miniatures had been a victim of a conversion to a command variant and my intent is now to rebuild it as a GEV-MCP – mobile command post (it's the one front and centre in the picture above or not as I might change my mind).
Some of you may remember seeing a bunch of other Ral-Partha BattleTech miniatures I had painted up, but stripped the paint off of when I decided to use official miniatures for both the main protagonists for my Ogre games. Well I'm thinking about putting all the wheeled vehicles and tanks together and use them for a Chinese force. Also my two custom home-made Ogres will in due course be stripped and repainted as independent cybertanks. So all very exciting.
This afternoon I may well be playing my first game of X-Wing.
You have such an awesome "lead mountain." Enjoy getting them battle-ready!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you'll enjoy X-Wing - it's a very good game.
Thank you, my lead mountain means I'm a true wargamer, or just that I can't resist the shiny. I can already feel the urge to buy more X-Wing miniatures, and of course I'll want to do some repaints too, just because I can, and it's the way I roll.
DeleteBeautiful stuff, and I think the Pegasi, in particular, will look great.
ReplyDeleteAll that conventional armor would cost you 12 pounds in 3mm, however... ;)
You're right, but I've had some of this stuff 20 years sitting in my maturing box waiting for me to get around to paint it, or in the case of the old Ral-Partha stuff, stripped down from when I first painted them 20 years ago. Hobbies keep you occupied like that. Today I reviewed the maturing collection, which consist of three boxes of miniatures: one full of Peter Pig 15mm moderns, another of 10mm Pendraken WW1, and the third full of BattleTech mechs (including seven classic unseens). Not boasting, just reflecting on how I've managed to squirrel stuff away.
DeleteThen there is all the terrain stuff like flock, trees and I have five tubs of static grass. Not to forget a box of detailing parts for my town boards, and I found a box of painted 6mm buildings I thought I'd lost too. So I'm blessed with an abundance of stuff, and I still want to buy more! It must mean I'm still passionate about my hobby, which is what's it's all about at the end of the day.
And not forgetting the shoebox of Ogre/GEV miniatures I have left too.
DeleteYeah, I have a bunch of 6mm Ogre stuff squirreled away somewhere, too. Back in the day, it wasn't too expensive. Today, however... And I didn't buy enough stuff for a decent game then.
DeletePity, but eBay can be your friend if you shop smart.
DeleteI recognise the big double-gun Battletech tank on the right in the last picture – Devastator? I still have one or two myself.
ReplyDeleteThey say that if a wargamer ever has no unpainted lead left, she dies that same night. Don't risk this happening to you!
It's a Demolisher, though there is a mech called the Devastator. I'm not likely to run out of models to paint any time soon.
DeleteA lot of work here to be sure.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read "North American Combine", I thought of heavily armoured and armed futuristic farm machines - comes from having a rural background. :)
I played X-Wing once this summer and enjoyed it. It seemed a bit like a WW1 flying game, like Wings of War, but with some SF bits bolted on - none the worse for it. It was certainly beautifully produced.
Best for the coming year, if it's not too late to say so.
M
It's not to late to say all the best for the New Year, thank you.
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