Russian Quad Mechs WIP

It has been a moment too long since I last posted any what's on my workbench. What can I say? I've been distracted by real life. It is what it is.

So, as slow as I am, I've managed to work out what was niggling me about the scheme I'd used on my Russian combat walkers aka Pokhodnaya Boyevaya Platforma. And above is where I'm at, below is where I was.

Obviously, duh, this is me we're talking about, they're not finished. But, proof of life. Given the adverts I've been seeing on YouTube, the algorithm seems to suggest otherwise.

Catch you all on the bounce.

Russian Quad Mech Repaints

It has been a year since I posted anything about my Russian four legged walkers. I seem to be suffering from the time loss equivalent of the MCUs Infinity War snap. Instead of half the population disappearing, it's time.

I start writing something, get distracted by something else, then look around to find the whole day has flown by.

I was going to apply decals, but I wasn't happy with the paint job. I wanted more contrast and to also make the models look sharper. Make them pop. So here's a comparison shot of the revised paint on the left versus the old paint on the right.

And I'm still not convinced this new look is the look I want (edit to add first version of this scheme).

My painter's lament, sigh...

Russian Walkers

Hard to believe, but it's all true, I started assembling these Heavy Gear walker back in 2016. They are suitable for both 10mm as large crewed mecha, and when used for 15mm games as smaller crewed mecha and robotic drones.

I drybrushed them first with off-white/light grey.

It's hard to see in these pictures but I've blocked in the grey on the undersides with GW Contrast Apothecary white (which is also a light grey). Then I applied brown on the sides, then green for the top surfaces.

I'm going for a simplified version of the scheme I did here.

These are meant to be what the Russian's use as combat armor in the Gate Walker universe. So I'll be using these as Russian Walkers for my Big Little Wars games. Makes sense, huh!

My intention is to paint up some power armor infantry to go along with these to make a playable army.

One Step Back

Woe is me. I varnished my current models yesterday, ready to apply the decals, and dropped them. Clumsiness of old age

Patience is a virtue, virtue is a grace. Grace had dirt upon her face.

So, I let the varnish dry before assessing what damage had been done. Examination of the miniature revealed a crack in one torso piece.

Lucky it was just the one model, but damnation, I didn't need this.

That'll learn me... I guess.

So superglue applied, now all I need to do is file the surface smooth and refinish. I may be some time...

Damn.

More Tufts for the Tuft God!

And now I've gone back and added tufts to my insurgent force, and in a stroke of madness, re-based some of my exoskeleton power armor and enlarging my American MARPACE platoon.

It is the way.

This is also good because I have had thoughts that will improve the rules I've been working on. So expect an article or two on Big Little Wars in the near future.

Subatduku Repaints

Yep, I repainted these figures because I wasn't happy with them. I know, I know, but I'm picky about my toys, and they have to feel right, and they just weren't working for me. Anyways, maneuver squad and two support squads are redone.

What can I say? Nothing. If something is worth doing then it's worth doing it right. Not perfect, but good enough, and the scheme just wasn't good enough.

Now I think they pop. I might even add some grass clumps?

Much happier with the colour scheme. They look sharp without being over the top. And now all I have to do is paint the other maneuver squad to complete the force.

And of course I've not forgotten about the combat armor suit to go with this force.

Combat Androids

And the first post of September to make up for the dirth of posts during August, here are my finished combat androids (X29 Blockhead Battlesuits from RPE). Sixteen figures in six different poses.

Tempted to get some more of these to be able to field two 12 figure squads, but I'm currently brassic (that's broke for my American readers who don't do British slang).

And just added a picture showing the six different poses.

I also made two jump off point bases. These will come in useful for the next stage of play testing Big Little Wars. And look, tufts. Will the wonder never end?!

Blog Anniversay

Little did I know in 2009 when I published my first blog post that  I would still be creating posts in 2022. But here we are. I had intended to show some progress with making trees for my jungle, but it was not meant to be.

So instead, some work in progress (or lack of progress) shots of of what I'm currently painting.

Still, thirteen years of blogging is a thing. My blog is now a teenager, so that explains the erratic posts as articles hide away sulking until pictures look right.

Catch you all on the bounce.

Painting WIP of Current Projects

Here's a series of pictures showing where I've got with  painting this set of models. Above is my running CASE-2XC Mod 2 command Dog.

Below is the rebuild of my CAS-1-Mod-1 Ape that I previously painted, but wasn't happy with. Quelle surprise.

And because I want enough Dogs to form a squad the second basic CASE-2X combat armor suit that will bring my current model count up to three.

My bunch of combat androids is coming along nicely too. Twelve to accompany Ferretti's Buster, or two groups of eight for squads.

And finally, my Toyota Technical conversion of the Peter Pig two door pick up into a four door crew cab variant.

I managed to get a white finish that I can live with, I think. I've already stripped this model back to metal twice, but part of me that now I've mastered how to shade white that perhaps I should strip it again and get a better finish.

OMWB: New Year: New Figures

 

 Bugs Mr Rico. Lots of bugs.

These are still a work in progress. The big mother bioweapon I had to strip and redo, but the models below only need a little more work to finish.

 

These figures are the Entomal aka Stikk aliens from Khurasan.

They are beautiful castings with enough variety of poses, but with reasonably consistent weapons and battle rattle to satisfy my needs.

Spoilers, these are the models I will be using as aliens in Big Little Wars, which have yet to appear in any novel.

Yet...

OMWB: Something New, Something Old

 

This last week I have been busy writing Big Little Wars. Roaring along with 3,250 new words added to the running total of 28,456 words. But still a fair bit to do.

The Scenarios are the next big job ahead of me.

Meanwhile, lurking on my workbench is an ABS filament print of a Bob Semple WW2 tank that I'm making into an insurgent improvised armoured fighting vehicle. Wants to be a tank when it grows up. Not happy with it yet, but I will prevail.

I bought some liquid Green Stuff to smooth out the printing ridges. After that, I'll tart up the barrel and maybe add a TOW missile or some thing to jazz up the model.

And adjacent is my long overdue armored exoskeleton suited infantry project.

Spent a long time procrastinating on how I wanted to base them, and another long period of neglect as I painted other models. But they are nearly finished. In the home stretch with one more glaze and some some drybrushing to finish these.

So that's all until next time. Catch you all on the bounce.

WIP: Insurgent Platoon

I've been busy working on the rules! Got a whole bunch of words written last week. I'm deep into the infantry construction process, which at points was doing my head in as I noodled different ideas and running numbers.

Edit: to add a close-up of my insurgents. 

I finished sculpting the seats for the Gunstriders. These are my idea for near future equivalent to Technicals.  Highly improvised walking platforms converted from Nakamura Robotics product; The Oshiguruma SDR: Search and Delivery Robot.

Slow going because it seems to take forever and a day for Kneadite or Milliput to harden.

So I've spent more time making other odds and ends, and stuff, as one does. In this case making a couple of tracked drones. One for my insurgents to use. The other a robotic fork-lift truck.

Here's another thing I made. A Jump-Off point for the rules, which will mark where troops can come onto the table.

An idea from Chain-of-Command that adds something to playing wargames that can be difficult to achieve: hidden movement, ambushes, and reserves.

And, whilst rebuilding my Toyota Technical I showed previously,  I found myself cutting apart another RAFM Gear, which was a surprise as I hadn't intended to start another conversion until I finished rebuilding the open cockpit crane mech.

So much for discipline.

That's all for now. Catch you all later.

Catastrophic Delamination

Well that's a first. While blending the paint, I overworked the surface, and the paint delaminated. I tried to fix the problem, but more paint peeled off.

Oops! A very big oops.

Ooh, what a horrid mess I made.

Then I tried to clean the area, but only made it worse. And as you can tell this is a very sad story that ends with me stripping the model back to bare metal.

However the arms turned out well, so there's that to be grateful for. Count your blessings.

Not a brilliantly sharp shot, handheld, but hopefully you can see the blending?

And because I knew I was entering uncharted territory, trying out new techniques, I still have the other three models to practice on. I'll try not to overwork the paint and avoid making the same mistake twice.

I see myself rewatching a blending tutorial again, paying closer attention to how to not delaminate the paint.

So that all from my workbench for this time. Catch you on the bounce next time.

An Acquisition & Taking it to the Next Level: 2

Still shading these, and this picture is mostly for record keeping, and illustrating my painting process.

In other news, my beloved bought me this kit.

Didn't realize it was a kit, but no big deal as it will just make the conversion into a Panzer Jäger Cybertank – from my The Last War: World of Drei stories – that much easier.

Yes I have plans. Cue laughter...

Taking it to the Next Level: 1

I've moved my next four conversions forward one more step.

This has been a bit of a journey, learning to put techniques together in different ways, and I'm certainly coming up with a different way of getting to the look that I want.

Refining the process so that next time, hopefully, I will be able to get the unpainted model to finished quicker. But, no guarantee, because art is art.

OMWB Next Batch WIP Update

A quick update. Dog on the left has had the lining/shadows done. Dog on the right painted with a different shade of green. Picture below, is the same Dog after the ink wash/glaze.

This project is still very much an ongoing learning process as I integrate new techniques into my painting and weathering repertoire. Still several more stages to go.

I have bought some texture products to go back over the bases of my first two models too.

MARPACE First Squad Primed

Taken with my Olympus 7-14mm F2.8 Pro, at 7mm, F8, 1.3 secs, ISO 200. Crop from 64 megapixel Hi-Res shot.

And beside doing K'kree Centaurs,  I've also gotten one MARPACE squad primed and black lining done for the shadows. These are the Clear Horizon 15mm Epsilon base and heavy support squads miniatures, which are absolutely gorgeous miniatures.

Finding time, or more to the point when I have a spare hour I don't always have the inclination to paint, so things are going very slowly on my work bench. And, at this point, I seem to be in that 'everything is in the process of being finished' rather than things are finished. There's probably a German word to describe this state of being.

And for those of you who don't follow my writing blog, it's the writing and publishing that has taken up all my time. Currently, I'm writing what started off as a short story about a cybertank, which is turned into s series of novelettes about what I'm calling the second Russian civil war, set circa 2038.

It has cybertanks, power armour, General Winter, vodka, and depression. I jest, it's all fun.

K'Kree Primed

  

Taken with my new Olympus 7-14mm F2.8 Pro, at 7mm, F8, 1.3 secs, ISO 200. Crop from 64 megapixel Hi-Res shot.

As I have alluded, in other posts, my time at the workbench painting models has had to be sacrificed for the greater good cough–my writing–cough. But, it's Xmas, and while I've still been working on the cover for my first novel, I've managed to get a few models one step closer towards completion. These old Martian Metals K'Kree have been primed and lined black for the shadows just now need me to decide what colour to paint them.

I'm thinking orange, because orange is the new black, or so I'm told.
  

Reflecting Progress 1

One of the interesting things about writing a blog as being a metaphor for having a conversation, is that you can readily check your hit stats and comments. The former is like how many people think you are interesting to talk to, while the latter gives you a fair idea of whether what you are saying is a conversation or a monologue.

I tend to view post with no comments as monologues, while those with comments are conversations. I prefer conversations to monologues, if only as a nod to the evil villain trope of monologuing.

Cue evil laugh...

I've also been looking at my work bench recently, at as importantly, looking at the growing expanse of unfinished figures, in various stages from being based on the road to becoming fully painted units. It is hundreds of figures that stare back at me.

I've been working on some Peter Pig AK47R 15mm Somalian militia. Two companies, each of four platoons with four squads each; based at nine figures per squad, which is not AK47R compliant.

Why did I do it this way? Well, for me, I like my toy soldiers to be something more than just a token, otherwise I might as well just use a token. Therefore I like my single toy soldiers to represent a single soldier on the table.

I know it limits the scale of the conflicts that one can realistically manage, but when I want to play strategic, or grand operational level games, I'm not fussed about using toy soldiers anymore.

Anyway, Somalia is an interesting modern conflict that causes a lot of upset with wargamers, because it is modern, yet they would not flinch at Rourke's Drift, or the tribal wars associated with Africa at that time.

For me it's all about the toy soldiers on the table top. When people ask me "Hey Pip why you do play wargames, are you some kind of war junkie?" Nowadays I don't say a word. Why, because they don't understand why wargames are fun to play. People don't understand why we do it, because it's all about the game and toy soldiers you play with and paint. And that's it, that's all it is at the end of the day is people playing with toy soldiers.

So I'm fairly open to playing "black" wargames, assuming you agree that such a thing exist, one of the reasons I am driven to playing Science Fiction games is that it allows me to play games inspired by modern conflicts; without the baggage associated from the reactions from people who bristle at modern wars from Vietnam on.

Of course, one then gets the reaction of "I don't play Sci-Fi Fantasy games as they are not real" response. Funnily enough, as an aside, I don't play fantasy wargames anymore either, and by fantasy I mean games with creatures from mythology, folklore and involving magic.

I asked myself why do I avoid fantasy games?

For the same reason I no longer play ancient historical wargame, because for me their technology is too tactically limiting. The reason I like modern warfare, as in WW1 and on, is that the technology drives the tactics, though arguably that is always the case, but that the selection of "toys" is greater in modern periods.

Not just siege artillery, or mobile artillery, but self-propelled artillery too! One can even mix traditional horse, camel etc cavalry, with modern mechanised versions of same. Then there are the extra bells & whistles of main battle tanks and helicopters functioning as cavalry too. 

IMNSHO what is there not to like about this kind of variety?

T&CA, E&OE, YMMV.

Militia & Technicals Part Deux

Not only technicals, but the two Company's of militia to go with my Somalian regulars too.

First off are the Toyota conversions I did. Both have the rear gate dropped down, as Martin of Peter Pig suggested that this was quite a common sight to see. In addition to the gate in the down position, I ordered some spare wheels from him and added those against the outside rear wall of the cab. I've seen this done, and I liked the look.

Finally, for the right hand pick up, I added double wheels at the back and sculpted wide wheel arches for it. This might be a bit too technical for an African Technical, but it is a common conversion when you want to put large payloads in the back of your pick-up, or pull loads. If I'm lucky someone may send me a link to a picture of something similar?

The Mercedes is for the Taxi I need for my Blackhawk down scenario, and as you can see I've not only primed it and the Technicals, but dry-brushed them ready for the main body colours to be applied.

One of the Technical's is going to be painted grey with red doors, while the other is going to have a three colour small round splodges scheme applied. The taxi will be white and blue I think? Not sure, might go for silver?

Above is the mostly fully organised 1st Company of my militia, though I'm missing two RPG and one general AK47 armed infantry stands to complete the unit.

I've bought all the figures for the above units, but have not as yet had time to sort them out, clean them up, base, texture and prime. I plan on just getting the 1st Company complete and start painting that, and catch up later with the 2nd Company in due course.

I also bought another two Peter Pig Toyota's at Salute to use as the basis for an extended crew cab version. The spare parts will go into making a cow drawn rear half, based on a photos I have of such a vehicle in Africa.

After that I have two Gaz jeeps for recoiless rocket launcher technical's.

Once I get all that lot done then I can start painting on the USMC Company I have.