US seriously wounded (FoF)

Following on from my last post, here are 6 US Seriously Wounded markers for 15mm Force on Force.  Again, these are Peter Pig USMC figures that I've painted in the same scheme.  I used gloss varnish on the blood.

US Ranger force (FoF)

I spent a lot of time painting them up, but this weekend I finished my US Ranger force.  I'm quite pleased with the results, & these Peter Pig minis are particularly nicely sculpted.  After a bit of research into uniforms I went for 3-colour DCUs for the fatigues & helmet covers, with the Woodland pattern body armour.  Although technically during the Somalia intervention in 1993 the Rangers had the older (as seen in the Gulf War) 'chocolate chip' pattern helmet covers, this means I can use these figures for Day of the Rangers games right up to Road to Baghdad (2003), where they can be used as Rangers, USMC or US Army soldiers.  This force covers what is needed for the 'Objective Badger' mission from Road to Baghdad, where Rangers are providing a cordon around the Al Qadisiyah Research Centre whilst operatives fruitlessly search for evidence of WMDs:

After reading lots of online tips for painting modern 15mm figures, I opted for brighter tones rather than sticking slavishly to tonal accuracy - at this scale when you are looking over a table of 15mm figures, the effect seems better.  Below is the Combat Controller, the GPMG team & the sniper team:

...& here are some more photos showing the Ranger chalks:

Ruined building (FoF)

Below is a medium-size ruined building for 15mm Force on Force, which I finished yesterday.  It's made of foamboard & all-purpose filler over polystyrene chunks, with sand for the grit & small stones.  I had Road to Baghdad in mind when I painted this up, but it will be suitable for any setting really.

Saddam Fedayeen (FoF)

This week I put together & painted some 15mm Saddam Fedayeen for Force on Force Road to Baghdad scenarios.  Having reconsidered branching out into Chechen rebels due to taking on too many projects with limited time, & the fact I wasn't happy with how the 1p base surface was 'glinting' through the earth & grass that I'd used, I repainted most of the Rebel Minis Fedayeen Soldiers that I'd used.  These Fedayeen don't have the infamous 'Vader' helmets, but I've seen photos of Saddam's paramilitary wearing black balaclavas like these too.  I plan to add some Peter Pig figures wearing caps with material covering their necks, which can easily be modified to look like the Vader helmets.

I also added a Peter Pig PLO sniper & a beret-wearing figure to represent a Ba'ath Party official.  For easy-ID on the tabletop, the Fedayeen with green headbands are the cell leaders, the ones wearing headscarves either have an RPK or a Dragunov rifle.

Middle East buildings 9 (FoF)

I made a couple of ruined adobe buildings for 15mm Force on Force this week.  They are constructed from foamboard as usual, but with polystyrene chunks to bulk up the rubble before I added all-purpose filler, small blocks of foamboard, & sand for texture.  I've painted them up as burnt-out to indicate artillery bombardment or airstrike, rather than having them as simply being old buildings that have collapsed through shoddy construction & lack of maintenance.  Below is an IDF fireteam retreating through the ruins:

This week I also finally got round to ordering pretty much everything I'll need to play US Army / Rangers / Marines / Delta Force in missions from the Day of the Rangers (Somalia 1993) & Road to Baghdad (Iraq 2003) sourcebooks, including various Humvees, but barring helos & MBTs.  I'm particularly looking forward to playing the tense Mogadishu scenarios.

Middle East buildings 8 (FoF)

Below are a few more of my new batch of Middle East buildings.  They are still rather 'generic' at the moment as I'm bulking out my collection, but I've started to sketch-out plans for more interesting pieces, like warehouses & industrial plants.

The smaller buildings could represent adobe village dwellings, or slum housing in more urban settings.  I see the painted building as another 'semi-detached' house, but with the households back-to-back instead of side-by-side.

Middle East buildings 7 (FoF)

Here is the 1st of my new batch of buildings for Middle East Force on Force gaming (without removable roofs).  Much quicker to build when you don't fuss around with unnecessary internal details - I should have enough to represent Beirut (& Mogadishu..) soon. This one is a block of flats:

15mm Warhammer Quest part 2

My Copplestone Castings fantasy figures for my 15mm Warhammer Quest project arrived, & I have to say the quality is brilliant.  The poses are dynamic, the detail is very good, & there were only minimal mould lines/flash to clean up.  They are 'heroic' 15mm scale- that is to say the humans are about 17mm tall (but then they are barbarians!), & the Dwarves are about 14/15mm high, but I've allowed for a bit of scale creep in the 3D dungeon sections that I've been making.  I've concentrated on making the corridors & basic rooms so far, & plan to do the texturing & painting & other fancy details when I've got the set together- though I may get bored & dive into this fun stuff sooner!  Below is the 1st of the dungeon rooms, to represent the Torture Chamber card:

If my skills are up to it, I plan to add racks & possibly a crucifix-type-thing to make it more specific in appearance.  & of course plenty of bloodstains!  Chains may prove too challenging at 15mm scale, but ropes should be easier.  Any suggestions welcome!

15mm Warhammer Quest part 1

Imagine that you've wanted to get back into Warhammer Quest, & you've also been looking for an excuse to use these very cool 15mm scale fantasy figures from Copplestone Castings? (I really like the Hyborian look to them!)  Well, from within the ever-shifting Warp on my gaming plans - specifically my long-term want to make 3D WQ sections - the idea to make a 15mm scale WQ set manifested...

Below are some photos of WIP 15mm scale 3D Warhammer Quest corridors, which I built specifically with the above Copplestone Castings range in mind.  Over the course of a few days I've put together 3 door layout variants of the 1st corridor type, plus 1 of the more 'Dwarven' 2nd type, & yesterday I added the stair section shown in the 3rd photo.

Now imagine that you wanted to buy the following (or nearest equivalent) from Games Workshop.  Undoubtedly their miniatures are some of the finest out there, but how much would it cost for:

Trouble with Tau urban camo (W40K / TW)

Having hatched a plan with Tim to try out some skirmish games set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, but using Ambush Alley's Tomorrow's War rules, I've dusted off my Tau Fire Warriors, & have been attempting to sort out the urban camouflage scheme that I started many months ago.  Right from the start soon after the first Tau Codex came out, I've wanted to use the lush Hawk Turquoise colour in the overall paint scheme, but my poor minis have been through various guises (including a hideous purple/turquoise/orange combination at one point!) until I finally settled on a 'realistic' urban camo effect for the armour, but retaining the turquoise (which is the colour of my Battlefleet Gothic Tau fleet) for the undersuit.  Below is a run-through of the process I've been struggling with in finalising the urban camo pattern...

Syrian T-62 crews (FoF)

I've just finished these T-62 (Soviet) tank crewers for 15mm scale Force on Force.  These are miniatures from the excellent Peter Pig AK 47 Republic range. For when inevitable bailouts occur!

Ratings / Gangers (W40K)

A little diversion back into Warhammer 40,000 now.  Below are some photos of a group of ratings I've finished, intended to represent the lowly crewers of a Rogue Trader spaceship for my long-planned Inquisitor adventure campaign.  They were made using the Imperial Guard Catachan sprues, with the odd bit of Chaos Marauder & an Imperial Guard tanker's las-carbine.  I've painted them with a 'House Orlock' look, so they could double-up as hive city / urban gangers too.

Below are two less-well-equipped ratings / gangers, armed only with cudgels.  The one on the right has a device / remote made from part of the Cadian voxcaster backpack...

PLO fighters (FoF)

Next up are the first batch of 15mm scale PLO fighters that I've finally completed.  This group are wearing the so-called 'Black September' Palestinian camo pattern.  After experimenting with a heavier emphasis on civilian clothing, I decided that I prefered the look of a mix of camouflage schemes, as shown in the Osprey guides to the Arab-Israeli wars.  With the rest of my PLO, I'll probably paint a variety of fatigues including 'lizard' & 'leopard' patterns for a nice rag-tag - but still military - look.

IDF infantry (FoF)

I've painted up some more 15mm scale Israeli Defence Force infantry.  After extensive browsing of the colour plates from the Osprey guides featuring the IDF, I'm finally satisfied with the green tones - I'll have to repaint the webbing & flak jackets on my original batch of Israelis to match this.  I've also improved the sand/dusty earth hues on the bases, to match the scenery pieces that I've made, as the my original bases were a bit flat & dull in colour.

I'm intending my IDF infantry to represent the Golani Brigade, since they see the most action in Lebanon/along Israel's Northern border.  I need to discover a simple way to represent M203 grenade launchers on some of the Galils that these soldiers are carrying, but I haven't got an wire/rods thin enough for this scale available at the moment.  I also fancy painting up a small unit of 1980s Sayeret Mat'kal with AKs, but can't decide whether to go with the standard fatigues, or something to make them stand-out (I have seen one alledged photo of some Sayeret Mat'kal commandos wearing unusual tan-khaki uniforms).

Syrian T-62s (FoF)

I've painted-up all 3 of my T-62s for my Force on Force 1980s Syrian Army platoon.  The one in the centre is a main-production T-62, which I'll treat as the 'squadron leader' where needed, whilst the ones at the sides are less-common early-model T-62As (at least this is how QRF title them) I've seen contradictions on the exact differences, but most obvious is that the turret hatches & pericopes do not match, & T-62A commander's hatch has a raised welded-on cupola.  I haven't stuck the slightly-fiddly MGs on yet.  If I do, I think technically they should point to the rear, as this is the orientation that QRF appear to have modeled the commanders' hatches in.

So far my Syrian force consists of a (Mi-8 'Hip') heliborne commando force, backed up by these tanks & a 'Shilka' AA platform.  I'm thinking it might make more sense split into 2 distinct forces, but Tim, Dom & I have got enough factions as it is for our planned 'Lebanon 1982' campaign- Tim has French Foreign Legion peacekeepers, Dom has a Russian force, & I'm thinking we should each play 2 (more-or-less aligned) factions because of the sheer diversity of the historical combatants... Possibly PLO & Syrians for me, IDF & Foreign Legion for Tim.  I'd like to get Phalangists in there too, but I don't think they'd sit easily with Dom's Russians. Hmm...

Red Army Izhorski-Fiat armoured car

Sticking with the Russian Civil War, here is the armoured car that I've put together for my Red Army force - an Izhorski-Fiat.  In Force on Force rules terms it'll probably be identical to the Armstrong-Whitworth-Fiat from my last post.  Like that vehicle, I'm pleased with the way this one has turned-out.  Getting the hammer & sickle correct was the most fiddly part - the icon required multiple re-paints!

Getting the hammer & sickle correct was the most challenging part - the icon required multiple re-paints!  The name painted on the side reads "Freedom Fighter".

AFSR Armstrong-Whitworth-Fiat armoured car

I've finally completed the two 28mm scale Russian Civil War armour cars that I bought many months ago.  Here is the first of them, an Armstrong-Whitworth-Fiat of the Armed Forces of South Russia, (one of the most prominent 'White' armies that opposed the Bolsheviks following the revolution).  The model is from the Copplestone Castings 'Back of Beyond' range:

The Russian tricolour 'V' was originally the symbol for General Wrangel's Volunteer Army, but became the icon of the entire AFSR, before being replaced officially in 1920 by the tricolour roundel.  The name on the side reads "Centaur".  I think to truely finalise this model I'll have to spatter a mud effect across the wheels & lower portion, because it's looking a bit 'fresh from the metalworks' at the moment...

Escher juve (W40K)

I've been tinkering with a few Warhammer 40,000 models to get back onto my Inquistitor skirmish campaign plans.  Here is a House Escher juve with autopistol, that started life as one of my friend Nick's old minis.  I believe in her previous incarnation she was known as 'Hot Trigger' Tanya.  I kept Nick's urban camo pattern on her trousers, but changed the rest of her garb to a more toned-down palette:

She'll be used as a gang juve in any urban / hive city scenarios.

Chechen rebels (FoF)

I still haven't got my act together to order parts for a new PC, but I have been working on a few wargaming goodies.  This includes Night Goblins, Hobgoblins, Undead skeletons, & Chaos Warriors for Warhammer Quest; 28mm scale armoured cars for my Russian Civil War collection; plus Syrian T-62s, IDF Merkava Mk.1s, & lots of Chechen rebels for 15mm scale Force on Force.  I should have taken advantage of the brief sunny day yesterday to get decent photos of these in natural light, but I didn't, so please excuse these not-so-good photos which I've posted during one of my ailing PC's more worky phases:

I decided to do a Chechen force as some appropriate opponents to Dom's 1980s Russians. A couple of test games with Hotspots revealed I may need to add another 10 or so with AKs to the force to deal with particularly lucky reinforcement rolls by the insurgent player, but this force is more or less finished bar a few final painting touches.  They have the option of a pair of technicals with .30cals & 1 with a .50cal (I've made my 3 pickup trucks to have swapable gunners to avoid having to buy a 2nd set for my PLO).  Here are some more pics:

Warhammer Quest inventory

I've made an inventory of models I have for Warhammer Quest, ahead of probably starting a campaign with Tim, Dom, Hannah & co.  I have more than I thought, although a lot of it needs painting:

WARRIORS
Wood Elf
Dwarf Trollslayer
High Elf Ranger
Imperial Noble

I should also be able to put together a Barbarian using Chaos Marauder bits (with a lantern from the Dwarf Miner sprue), & also a Dwarf Warrior using the Dwarf Miner sprue.

MONSTERS
6 Orc Warriors
2 Orc 'Ard Boyz (maces & light armour)
4 Black Orcs (plate armour)
2 Black Orcs with battle axes (plate armour)
2 Black Orcs with maces (plate armour)
1 Black Orc Boss with battle axe (plate armour)
6 Night Goblins with spears
6 Night Goblin archers
3 Night Goblin netters
3 Night Goblins  (I'll probably group these with the Netters)
1 Goblin Boss
1 Goblin Shaman
6 Hobgoblin archers  (converted from the original WQ Goblins)
12 Snotlings  (although these look oversized next to the modern Night Goblins)
12 Skaven Clanrats
1 Skaven Warpfire Thrower team
1 Skaven Poison Globadier Champion
1 Skaven Assassin
5 Minotaurs
6 Beastmen Gors
6 Beastmen Ungors
3 Ogres
1 Necromancer
10 Skeleton spearmen
10 Zombies
6 Nurglings
12 Giant Rats
12 Giant Bats
12 Giant Spiders
3 Wild Cave Squigs
1 Gigantic Scorpion
1 River Troll

With Tim's help I'm still working out what parts to buy so that I can have a working PC again.

GW prices...

There were a few items I couldn't get through Buy For Less Online in a recent order, so I had to get them direct from Games Workshop.  Now before I go any further, I have to state that I love GW's settings (especially Warhammer 40,000).  The miniatures are brilliant quality sculpts, the background & artwork is fantastic.  I like Black Library's novels.  However, a while back I realised that (even as a moderately well-paid full-time worker) I couldn't keep-up with the (in my opinion & the opinion of gamers I know) ever escalating prices of GW miniatures; which is partly why I turned to collecting historicals/moderns & using some W40K stand-in minis from other, more reasonably-priced producers.  I do wonder sometimes who GW is aiming their prices at, because if I find it hard to financially justify buying a few of their minis every now & again, how do 14+ year-old beginners put together armies & keep the Warhammer/W40K hobbies going?

PC down

My PC is kaput at the moment, so unfortunately I have limited internet access, meaning it may be a little while before I can post photos of finished miniatures.  Over the past couple of weeks I've been busy putting together a band of Chechen rebels to fight Dom's Soviets in Force on Force.  Most of them are painted-up already :-)

Goblins with spears (WQ)

More Night Goblins finished - this time, 6 with spears.  I'm focusing on recreating the original monsters that came in that beloved box set from 1995, before I get carried away buying anything big or building 3D dungeon sections...  I'm really pleased with how the colour scheme came out on these:

Goblin netters (WQ)

Having devoted all my wargaming attentions to Force on Force recently, it's been a couple of months since I painted a 28mm scale figure.  Two years back I GMed a short Warhammer Quest campaign with my best mates out of nostalgia .  Unfortunately it petered-out due to time constraints & the difficulties of getting everyone together regularly, but for a long while I've fancied putting together a 3D dungeon for this gem of a game.  Before I get too involved with that I thought I should paint up some figures to test my resolve...

So I've been painting up some Night Goblins from the Warhammer sprues that had been stored in the attic.  First up, here are 3 Goblin netters:

The black-&-purple colour scheme looks more interesting on the Gobs with spears (coming soon).  I decided to go with a gloss finish on the cloaks as it gives that nice rich black tone:

Middle East buildings 6 (FoF)

I've completed a second semi-detached house.  This will probably be the last 15mm-scale building with interior detail that I do for a while.  Due to the extra time it takes to construct & paint internal stuff, & the fact that it's not really needed in the Force on Force rules (& flat Middle Eastern roofs are handy for miniature placement!), I'll be bulking-up my collection with some simpler single-piece buildings.

Below are views of the 1st floor & ground floor:

Middle East buildings 5 (FoF)

I finished this grubby semi-detached house today.  It's intended for arid urban settings.  I'm not entirely happy with the shed roof - Ideally I'd like to finish it off as corrugated metal if I can find some cardboard with small enough internal grooves.  Otherwise I might do a tile effect like on my 'Lebanese' garage.

The 1st floor & ground floor are shown below:

Middle East buildings 4 (FoF)

I've just finished painting another desert-themed building.  This one represents a community hall or perhaps a venue for a covered bazaar.

Below you can see the 1st floor & ground floor. Nothing too exciting - this one is open-plan: