RAFM Combat Armour Suit Conversions

I thought about calling the title of this piece, Oh look... Shiny!

Yesterday I sat down at my workbench, and instead of continuing with the cybertank I've been working on, I got out my box of old RAFM Heavy Gears.

I made the decision that for games it is easier to source infantry in 15mm, and therefore I need bigger mech models for gaming. Yes, that decision has some ramifications for my future purchases, but after 8 years of trying to find good power armor infantry in 1/144th or 12mm I've decided that 15mm is the way to go to bring my Gate Walker universe to the playing table.

I want to make up six APE suits (acronym for: Autonomous Pilot Expert-system) to represent half of CASDA 5136 from my second novel Strike Dog. I only need six models as the others would be identical, as in carrying the same sort of loadouts. My thoughts being that each half of the detachment was a mirror of the other.

I took my Heavy Gear Northern mechs, which I had been working on, and changed the heads to those from the Desert Sharks. I then took three of the Desert Shark Hunters I had to fill out the squad. I have a Jaguar for the commander.

I plan to do a weapons conversion for my character Espera's ride who carries the big recoilless rifle, though fat lot of good it does him, but to say more would be spoilers.

After sorting through a load of packets for weapons etc, I decided to make up a Marine Corps Dog squad (acronym for: Dispersed Operation and Guidance System).

After much mumbling I decided to go with Heavy Gear Southern Jagers, and use a Black Mamba to represent CASE-2XC command suit. Here I had to improvise because while I have plenty of complete Northern mechs, a lot of my Southern forces are partial acquisitions; missing heads or back packs.

And then I decided I'd make up an Assault Grizzly for Air Force Master Sergeant Ferretti's  Buster suit, a Stone Mason for Corpsman Keith, and a Bricklayer for Combat Engineer Sergeant Pearson.

Now all I have to do is clean up the castings and assemble my new squads. How hard can that be!

First Game of 2020

  

Went down to Brighton to celebrate my Godson Dylan's 18th birthday. He wanted to play a game of X-wing, and so his wish was granted. Much fun was had.

Dylan set up a three way game deploying: Scum & Villainy; Rebel/Resistance; Empire/First Order fleets.

After the first turn where Scum & Villainy mixed it up with the Rebel/Reistance before everybody remembered that the goal to winning was to pick up a package adrift in space.

So a race to the center began.

By the end of the game ships had been blown up. In the final turn Alix's Millennium Falcon, with Rey piloting got the token. It was then was promptly blown to smithereens, which meant the game was a draw.

A lot of fun, and next time Dylan has promised to set up an Epic scale battle with two big ships. I think my work as Godmother has turned out well with this one.
  

Russian Object 490 Boxer

  

I found this Russian Object 490 Boxer, Obyekt 490 Боксер, on YouTube, as one does when one is browsing.

This tank was a concept never put into production caught my attention for obvious reasons. It kind of reminds me of SJG's Doppelsoldner, and you may all remember my doodles for a cybertank I had back here,  Panzer Jäger Mark One – PJM1-M1.

And I've put out the bits I was working on to make a cybertank onto my workbench in the hope I will be inspired to start working on it again.

With these bits:

  

A Light Ahead

 

My Xmas present; an electronic microscope to see the smallest details.

 Well, what a year that was.

The least productive year I've had since I started this blog in August 2009. And I missed celebrating 10 years of blogging back in August too!

This has been down to a number of issues: pain in my joints, and the side-effects of medication, which has meant not being able to either hold a paintbrush in one hand or a miniature in the other at the same time.

If you want the full litany of problems of the last 10 years, go to my other blog for all the gribbly details.

Finally, I'm not one for making New Year resolutions, because by and large that's setting oneself up for failure, which can be useful if you "go large" and fail, but not so useful for a hobby that's just meant to be fun.

So let me wish everyone happy modeling and gaming for 2020, and I'll catch you all on the bounce.