Heavy Gear Hunter Prop

A couple more new pictures of the full sized Hunter prop appeared on Facebook. Low res, but, myself, Susan, and Jason Frazier we managed to clean and upscale the images with Photoshop and upscalers.

The first new picture.

And the second new picture, taken from a different angle, was burnt out and this is the best I could do to punch it up.

Then, as an experiment, I took the old triple montage shot from before, and split it into three separate pictures. 

Tweaking each shot to bring out the details.

Then Jason Frazier sent me one of the pictures that he had improved using AI, seen below, which extended the dynamic range of the shot.

 

And finally, I ran this last one through an upscaler, which made it much better than it looked before. 

So, I hope all the Heavy Gear fans enjoy these.

Russian Combat Group

Just a quick post of the Russian quad mechs I've been working on. You can see the old scheme here. I call these walkers Pokhodnaya Boyevaya Platforma, but I'm still noodling the nomenclature I'm going to assign them.

All for now, catch you later.

Bad Dog Marine Command Mech

And the final macro shots of my RAFM conversions. This is Tachikoma's CASE-2XC Mod 2 command Dog variant, loaded for Bear from Ghost Dog.

The Mod 1 variant only has one hard-point on the backpack. So, if I need to field that version I just swap the body from one of the standard CASE-2XC Dog's. 

Run Tachikoma, run, side view. 

 

 

And from the otherside, still running for her life.

 

And, the respective magnetized sub-assemblies, laid out to show how the model comes apart.

And as always, catch you on the bounce. 

Bad Dog Army Communications Mech

And continuing my promise to my friends here are another set of macro shots, showing off my RAFM conversions. 

Here's an Army CAS-3-Mod-2 Ape 4CISR mech: Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance.

Front view.  

Three-quarter rear view.

 

And, again here's how all the parts are magnetized, allowing me to have different poses to use as a reference for a book cover artist.

Catch you all on the bounce. 

Bad Dog Air Force Security Mech

And keeping my promise to my friends about posting macro shots of my RAFM conversions, here's the rebuilt Air Force CAS-4CP, meant to control a whole bunch of security androids as used by Ferretti in my story Ghost Dog.

Total bad ass side view. 

 

 

 And rear view.

 

And, here it is showing all the magnetized parts, which allow different poses for a book cover.

Catch you all on the bounce. 

Bad Dog Army Combat Engineering Mech

 

I promised some friends I'd post some macro shots of my RAFM conversions. Here's an Army CAS-1-Mod-1EV Ape, engineering mecha.

Rear view. Towing cables to go.

Below side view.

And, here shows all the magnetized parts, which allow me to take pictures of different poses for reference for a book cover.

 Catch you all on the bounce.

Combat Armor Groups

I had a mega photo shoot, which despite my best intentions, I still managed to forget to take some different angles on some of the models. Anyway, after so much time has passed, here they are.

Below, starting from left to right. 

My original CASE-2X conversion, running light with just a basic load-out. Main weapon is a 20x170 mm M41-AC230 autocannon, with under-barrel 40x53 mm Mk 30 grenade launcher. The left arm mounts a NATO 7.62 mm M240LC sustained fire machine gun.

Next is the CASE-2XC command variant, loaded for Bear from Ghost Dog. This adds a shoulder mounted 20 mm M21-A8 gauss rifle, and carrying a three pack of 70 mm MGR-170 Direct Fire Missile's to the basic load-out.

And the last CASE-2X has a shoulder mounted heavy-indirect-fire pack with a 15 pack of 140 mm MGM-240 Precision Guided Missile's, as mentioned in Bad Dog, which mounts a 12.7 mm GECAL Rotary Autocannon.

Model sans an arm, because I forgot to paint it, Oops. And below, again from left to right.

The rebuilt CAS-3-Mod-1 Ape weapons specialist with a M75 80mm lightweight high-velocity recoilless autocannon, a M134 GAU-2B/A 7.62 mm minigun on the left arm, with a shoulder mounted 15 pack of 70 mm MGR-170 Direct Fire Missile's. Espera's load-out from Strike Dog.

Next is a CAS-3-Mod-1 Ape with a basic load-out with a 20x102 mm M26-AC autocannon, and a shoulder mounted pack of four 70 mm MGR-170 Direct Fire Missile's

The kneeling CAS-3-Mod-1 Ape is communications variant with a M47-Mod-1: 40 x 53 mm Automatic Grenade Launcher (belt/drum fed). I might add a shoulder mounted NATO 7.62 mm M240LC sustained fire machine gun at some point. As and when I get round to it.

And finally, a CAS-1-Mod-1 engineering variant. It has a M121A: 120 mm Heavy Mortar for demolition work. I'll put up some close-up shots soon.

Catch you all on the bounce. 

Still Alive!

Catching shingles for the New Year is not the kind of present that anyone wants. A surprising amount of pain is utterly discombobulating. A lack of sleep has rather cramped my hobbies, and not wanting to move my arms much because to do so causes stabbing pain.

Anyway, still recovering, but managed to apply some decals to these models.

Now I just need to matt varnish them, and then I can all them done. Well, almost done. The eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed one the mecha is missing an arm.

Yeah that was an oopsie.

Forgot I needed to rebuild the arm, modify the minigun casting to feed from so the ammo belt would hang properly, and lost track of it while I was prepping the rest of the models.

I still have some other models I finished, or have managed to finish that I need to take pictures of, but shingles. Just saying, shingles takes the fun out of everything.

Catch you all later.

Big Buster Mostly Finished

I've mostly finished the rebuild CAS-4CP model. It still needs a coat of gloss varnish before adding decals, and then afterwards I will need to spray matt varnish.

I'm so glad I've finished this rebuild because this rebuild has been a bit of a slog.

I think the added bulk really adds to the feel that the Buster is big, much bigger than the conventionally sized Ape and Dog combat armour suits that the Army and Marines use.

Kneeling Combat Armor Suit Mostly Finished

Mostly finished meaning that I need to spray some gloss varnish and then add decals and then spray again with some matt varnish.

So, this is the third Special Forces CAS-3-Mod-1 mech finished for my Combat Armor Suit Detachment Alpha  that appeared in my second novel, Strike Dog.

The remaining three mech models for my Special Forces unit are waiting some TLC on my workbench. As they say, watch this space.

The Big Scopedog: Blogoversary too!

I've got my new glasses and can see to start work again, but everything on the table is still very much a work in progress, where progress can be defined as close to zero as to make no difference.

Sucks to be me.

Still, I got my big 1/12th scale Takara Scopedog down off the shelf to dust it off, and reassemble the cockpit that had come astray when showing the mech off to friends.

Now dusted, and photographic proof to boot.

NB: Added as I just realised this is the same date as my first blog post that was 14 years ago. Doesn't time fly?

WIP: Magnetizing and Rebuilding

I finished the above model way back here, but I wanted to improve the arm joints, magnetize the weapon hardpoint, and rework the centre magnet to hold the torso to the legs better (more depth with deeper magnets).

Not only that, but updating the model will allow me to change out backpack missile pack.

You can see below (click to embiggen) the new recessed arm magnets, and the ball joints that allows for a wider range of movement and posing.

You may remember I broke the original model, which you can see here. Below on the left is the original build, and on the right the rebuilt comms array for the command variant of the CASE-2XC Dog.

So, slow work is slow, but it is what it is when one's joints ache.

Catch you all on the bounce.

Mostly Done

And these are nearly done. Just need to put decals on, but as luck would have it (me forgetting to check), I've run low on the necessary duplicates of warning labels etc. So I had to put an order in for more decals from Shiny Games.

I've also finished three new jump-off points too (terrain that can also be objectives for the opposition to capture).

And finally, a GW paint pot holder. Printed by my beloved to prevent the pots from being easily tipped over.

And the decals and a couple of 'mistakes' arrived on Wednesday from Shiny Games (by mistakes, purchases I hadn't intended to buy, but the shiny called out to me. So, now it's time to start cutting out the decals to ready the mecha for the table.

That's it for now. Catch you all on the bounce.

RAFM Conversion Portraits

CASE-2X Mod-1 Dog. Tachikoma's original ride from Bad Dog.

After months, what seems like forever to me, I've finally gotten around to finishing two conversions, and I took the time to run all my models through the studio (get the camera and terrain out), and take some portrait shots of my completed mecha suits.

CASE-2XC Mod-2. Tachikoma's new ride from Ghost Dog.

I haven't made Tachikoma's suit from Strike Dog, yet. I'm going to start working on it next, along with some other RAFM models that I want to convert for use with the rules I'm working on.

CAS-4CP Buster. Ferretti's suit from Ghost Dog.

And the rebuild of Espera's Army Ape suit that I finished before deciding that magnetized arms, head, and torso were the way to go.

CAS-3-Mod-1. Espera's ride as it appeared in Strike Dog.

This mech suit was featured in Strike Dog, where Espera made an appearance. This configuration of the Army Ape suit will appear in future stories as more people are recruited into MAPCOM.

Espera's CAS-3-Mod-1.

I'm not sure if Army Ape suits will make an appearance in Two Moons Prometheus yet as I'm currently still writing the book. Long delayed due to health issues that stymied my ability to imagine anything.

And finally, the running repose. 

CAS-3-Mod-1.

The above CAS-3-Mod-1 is running as if its existence depended on it, or for some other reason, yet to be decided. But there will be running, shooting, and no doubt screams too.

Just because really.

CAS-3-Mod-1.

It is the way of things.

Go to a new world they said.

Explore and have fun they said.

Really pleased how the placement of the danger decal, on the rear backpack, adds to the feel of the mech suit as a real machine. 

CAS-3-Mod-1.

Okay, these are nowhere near the Golden Demon award level, but I've surpassed myself and really upped my painting over the last year. It has been good to learn how, and as importantly, been good for me.

Catch you all on the bounce.