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!