This very sad looking RAFM King Cobra came up on eBay at a keen price, that forced me to acquire it. Okay, maybe forced is over-egging it, but it's King Cobra, and I don't have one.
Missing one arm, which is a problem that means either finding a spare, or making a replacement.
I don't know what I'll do yet. Anyway, the first thing to do is throw it in some Nitromors and strip all the gunk off it. Happy, happy.
Catch you all on the bounce.
I was able to snag an an old RAFM DP9 Azure Devils set off eBay a little while back. It comes with one set of running legs for a Jager, which I really wanted.
Amongst all the spare parts was the command head variant casting, which I already had, but another is always useful.
Along with a sheet of instructions etc. Eureka, or something like that.
I have set these aside for later, because I'm still neck deep in the ongoing painting odyssey that is the bad boys on my work bench, which are taking me longer to paint than any other model I can ever remember painting.
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| Two Azure Devils Jagers, A Grizzly, and Support Cobra. |
Thanks to the kindness of Jeff Racel I received a some more DP9 RAFM Gears. These additions will plug a couple of holes in my collection.
Also, expanded my weapon selection and accessories, which was a total bonus win when it comes to my conversions, because you can never have too many choices to choose from.
A bunch more weapons and spares for stowage.
And there's more... Moooaar I tell you!
Jeff very kindly sent me two Jaguars that I will strip and rebuild, which was a totally unexpected bonus.
The green Gear with an axe might be the Predator Jaguar variant.
Finally, a Matchbox HEMTT PLS, which was super kind of him to part with. Now I have plans. Cunning plans to turn this into a representation of the trucks that appear in both my Strike Dog and Ghost Dog novels.
M1120A4 HEMTT LHS precursor to 10 wheel PLS version.
Muwuhahahaha! Catch you all on the bounce.
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!
Until recently I only had two Mambas. One a brawler variant and the other was less than complete: no head and engine. Now I have two more: a Black Mamba, and a Snake Eye Mamba. So, it looks like I have the elements of support squad.
Having taken the above pictures, because pictures are proof, you will have to take it on trust that I find I now have a shoe box size box full of Heavy Gear miniatures. I am blessed, and clearly going to live forever, because that's how long it will take me to assemble and paint all of my acquisitions at the rate I work.
PS: It has been hot this week and I've felt drained by the heat, which must be a sign of something, like the need to be on a beach enjoying the sun, going for a swim in the cool sea, and afterwards having a cool drink.
And just when you think you have enough, along comes the chance to buy more! I couldn't resist these, especially as the bundle included spare weapon packs, which will mean I can play about with the weapon loadouts on my collection of Heavy Gears.
What's interesting, and therefore exciting, is the options this opens up to me when I assemble the next batch of Gears. And, furthermore once I've taken a picture of it, I have one broken bazooka that has snapped in half, which is not something you see everyday.
Still, it has got me thinking about repairing it and making it into large missile launchers.
Beside that there's the two tanks, which means that I now have tanks for both my Northern Guard and Southern Milicia forces too. Given that I didn't go to Salute again this year, this and the other eBay haul have salved my need to spend money on wargaming paraphernalia.
Enjoy.
I have scored seven Southern Jagers and one more Northern Hunter off eBay. I've gone from not having enough models for a full squad to being able to make up two squads, which means I now have a Southern Milicia force to face my Northern Guard.
I can't begin to tell you all how insanely happy this makes me, and here I was thinking I'd never get into Heavy Gear, what with being the old BattleTech grognard that I am.
And here are the other pictures from the RAFM catalogue of Southern Gears I found online, with a list of all the models issued. Again, those listed in bold are those I've managed to get hold of.
Jager 1300
Blitz Jager 130
(I have two)
Black Mamba 1302
Long Fang Black Mamba 1303
Iguana 1304
Blitz Iguana 1305
Spitting Cobra 1306
Striking Cobra 1307
Stone Mason 1308
Fire Jager 1309
(I have two)
Snakeye Black Mamba 1310
(I have one coming)
Support Cobra 1311
RazorFang Black Mamba 1312
King Cobra 1313
Light Artillery 1314
Number apparently not used 1315
Standard Infantry 1316
(not shown)
Heavy Infantry 1317
(not shown)
Recon Infantry 1318
So as before, I have a plan, which is to finish painting my Northern Guard before moving on to make up a squad of Southern Gears. After that I'm thinking of going back and making up my Grizzly, Jaguar Firestarter and Mammoth Northern Gears.
I now have a box full of old RAFM Gears, a veritable lead mountain, stashed away for a rainy day.
I've done a bit of blitz on acquiring RAFM Heavy Gear miniatures, and these three Gears were acquired through the kindness of wargaming friends: Godfrey Sherridan for the two Recon Jagers and some essential spare parts I needed that he was willing to part with, and Adam Harrision for parting with the Flame Jager he had acquired as part of another lot.
What can I say, but thank you again guys.
Now I have one question for those who read my blog and know more about these Gears than me.
What on Earth is this spade/pole thing?
I scored off eBay four, pretty much pristine, packs of RAFM Heavy Gear models. I now have a Northern Guard White Cat and artillery, and Southern Milicia Stone Mason and artillery.
Don't have any plans for the artillery at this moment, but the two Gears area nice addition to my growing collection and fit my ideas for the two forces I'm planning.
Still need a Kodiak. Just saying in case anyone know of any going.
Just look at the sprue! They don't make them like that anymore.
So had to take a picture and post it. And now I have five Southern Gears.
It is the kindness of friends that makes life fun. Thanks to Sitzkrieg for expanding my Southern Gear collection. Left to right: Mamba Brawler, Jager Blitz and Armored Jager.
For a long time there was no hints or signs that I would ever get into Heavy Gear, such things were musings, or the mad thoughts of un-sane Elder Gods from another dimension waiting for the stars to be right.
Top left to right: Bricklayer, Fire Jaguar, and Jaguar. Bottom left to right: Hunter Commando, Hunter, and Assault Hunter.
These above six Northern faction RAFM Gears mark my downfall, and the start of my slide into insanity, after a chance find in the non-euclidean space, called eBay, there were six RAFM Gears that merited a token bid.
And then the stars turned, and I became the owner of the basis for a Northern Heavy Gear squad. From there, further searching, and with the help of kind friends, I have doubled my haul. In the process I've also acquired some incomplete models that will be good for spare parts.
And then another three RAFM Gears did appear.
Left to right: Southern Iguana, Northern Desert Sharks Hunter, and a Cheetah.
This means I now have eight Northern and four Southern RAFM era Gears.
Now the madness has taken hold, I want a Kodiak to round out my Northern Gear squad. For my Southern squad another Jager, Mamba, and a Cobra would be nice to have too. Then I could then make up two squads for games.
So, now all of the new acquisitions are in the process of having their paint stripped in Nitromors, and you can all expect to see progress reports, like this one, as I assemble and paint them in the months ahead.
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