28 Dice Later game: Fatal Collision

Frances & I recently tried the tweaked rules that I'd been working on for 15mm zombie apocalypse skirmishes.  These are essentially Osprey Wargames Black Ops by Guy Bowers, but with a few changes to suit the setting of a modern-day UK caught-up in a terrifying zombie pandemic.  This initial trial scenario was of my own devising, & as it was for testing the basics like card activation & turn structure, it didn't make use of the main feature of Black Ops that attracted me - that of the stealth rules.  I call my tweaked zombie survival version of these rules 28 Dice Later...

For this scenario, set during the initial hours of the apocalypse, I played the Infected, & Frances played the Uninfected.  In this setting, freshly-infected victims are known as 'Ragers' (28 Days Later-style zombies), while injured or decaying victims are known as 'Shamblers' & 'Crawlers' depending on their state (classic Romero-style zombies).

The story was that a speeding 4x4 had crashed into a tree in a narrow country lane.  Farmer Giles Scrumpy & his sheepdog Patch had got out of their tractor to help, & he had called an ambulance, as well his wife Rosie back at the farm to tell her about the collision.  The driver was badly injured, with a suspicious neck wound, while a passenger who had not been wearing a seat belt appeared to have been thrown through the windscreen & bisected (gruesomely, only their legs remained inside the 4x4).

Brain leaf tree

I recently finished painting this brain leaf tree & its victims, for games of Necromunda / 'Inquisimunda'.  I modeled the brain leaf tree using florist wire to create an armature on the base, with trailing wires positioned for the branch-tendrils.  As the rules state a 6" reach for brain leaf attacks, I based the dimensions on that.  Next I layered papier-mâché for the surface of the trunk.  Then I used Green Stuff putty to bulk-out the tendrils, texturing them to suggest 'bark' (or perhaps something flesh-like) with a craft knife.  Leaves clipped from a plastic aquarium plant were used for the brain leaves at the tip of each tendril - & for those embedded by the tree into its victims (an unfortunate House Orlock ganger & a scavvy mutant).

The brain leaf is a plant with a surprising instinctual intelligence & ability to transform the victims in which it embeds its leaves into slaves of its influence.  It is believed that the brain leaf plant may be native to the jungle death world of Catachan, & was transported to the hive world of Necromunda at some point in the distant past.  The brain leaf plants of Necromunda are described as having vine-like tendrils, with greyish colouring that allows them to blend with the chaotic industrial ruins of the Underhive.

Hospital zombies

This week I painted up some 15mm-scale hospital-themed zombies.  The miniatures are from the Rebel Minis Zombie Pack #4: Hospital.  They are mounted on 1p coins.  The ambulance in the background is a Corgi die-cast toy, & was featured in a previous post about a paramedic & stretcher that I painted.

I like to go for authenticity, so I did a bit of research into appropriate colour schemes, & as my zombie collection is themed for the UK, I painted these six patients in standard NHS smocks, & the medical personnel as a staff nurse (pale blue scrubs) & a pair of doctors in surgical scrubs (turquoise).  I went for a medium-blue wash on the white patient smocks before highlighting the folds, to represent the blue dot or line patterning that tends to feature on these in real life.  I'm quite pleased with how these came out, especially given the tiny size of these figures.  My favourite part of zombie-painting is always the finishing dabs of gloss varnish on that gore!

Zombie collection so far

It's been a busy month & I've got very little miniature stuff done.  So as a filler, here's a photo of my 15mm-scale zombie collection.  Survivors are at the front, followed by police, soldiers, & then Infected at the back - I have bags of zombies still to paint-up...

I'm still undecided as to rules to use for these.  I like a lot of the elements of Ambush Z, but I'm looking for something that focuses more on a group of survivors, & could be run with me as GM controlling the the Infected & authorities, whilst a group of players each take on the role of a single survivor.  I'd also like there to be an element of tactics within the combat itself, similar to in the Ronin rules where you can choose the balance of Attack/Defence in your combat, & also Enhance rolls at the cost of becoming won out.  I'll probably end up going for a home-brew rule set combining elements from different games.

Growing zombie horde

I've added a few more 'shamblers' to my growing 15mm-scale zombie horde.  These are the slow-moving traditional zombies of my post-apocalypse UK collection (there are also 'ragers' - fast moving, newly-infected zombies).  I've also repainted the edges of the bases in my zombie collection, so it's easier to quickly identify the different types of figures during games.  Shamblers have grey base edges, ragers have red, survivors have blue, non-combatants have white, & police/military have black.  The zombies pictured here are all from Khurasan's undead range, with the exception of a couple Rebel Minis figures (the riot police officer & the lady in the red dress).  They are all mounted on 1p coins.

Ambulance

Following-on from my air ambulance, here's a normal ambulance, shown here with the paramedic & stretcher patient from my previous post.  I will model another three medics & probably another stretcher so I have enough for both vehicles.  This is another Siku die-cast model at a scale that looks right, & conveniently pre-painted to a decent standard.

My growing collection of emergency services should be very useful in zombie apocalypse scenarios.  I think that patient on the stretcher suffering enraged spasms may prove to be a bit bitey...

Air ambulance

A few months ago I bought this air ambulance, along with several other vehicles that looked to be the right scale for my 15mm zombie apocalypse figures, & I've finally got round to painting a pilot & paramedic to crew it.  The helicopter appears to be modeled on the Eurocopter 135 G-WMAS, & other than the tail rotor configuration, it's very accurate to the air ambulances commonly seen in the UK - the colour scheme & markings are spot-on, which adds to the 'authenticity' that I'm aiming for with my rural English setting.

The die-cast air ambulance is manufactured by Siku (Model #1647), the pilot is actually an IDF vehicle commander from Peter Pig's AK-47 Range, & the paramedic is a lady from the Rebel Minis Modern Civilians pack.  I bulked-up the woman's handbag into a medical kit using Green Stuff, & had a go at using the same to sculpt a visor on the pilot's helmet, but it didn't look convincing, so I left the visor off.  I'm on the lookout for a suitable male figure for another paramedic to complete the crew now.  I also painted a bloke on a stretcher ready to be airlifted - another Peter Pig piece from the Heads and Odds range. The bases of both standing figures are 1 pence coins, whilst the stretcher is on a slightly larger laser-cut ply bases from Fenris Games.  All the bases are flocked using Gale Force Nine dirt & dead/winter static grass.

Street preacher

It's been tricky to find time for painting & miniature-making around the festive period, but I painted-up this street preacher for 15mm-scale zombie gaming a couple days ago.  The figure is from the Rebel Minis Modern Rioters pack (by-the-way, Rebel Minis have their 20% off everything Christmas Sale running until December 31st - use the code 'Rebel2015' when checking out).

Inspired by the graffiti inside the church at the beginning of 28 Days Later, I decided to paint this bloke up as a raving street preacher.  This is perhaps more of a character for pre-apocalypse or when everything kicks-off - I'm not sure he'd last long post-apocalypse if he doesn't stop ranting & start surviving.

A few months ago I bought some super-fine brushes, which made the free-hand writing on his placard easier.

Tractors

More vehicles for my rural English zombocalypse - two tractors!  They are about the right size for my 15mm-scale figures, & should do nicely as static scenery, or even as drivable vehicles in games of Ambush Z.  Here is a John Deere 7530, & a Claas Ares - both types that are commonly seen on the roads & farmland around where I live. They are made by Siku, & are Models 1009 & 1008 respectively.  They cost me £2 each from a garden centre toy department.  These will definitely need painting with plenty of mud.

Civilian vehicles

It's not really modelling, but here are some civilian vehicles for my zombie apocalypse survivors.  I've bought a few £2 toy vehicles for my 15mm-scale 'rural England' themed collection.  They are approximately the right scale - good enough for tabletop gaming.  Here are a Range Rover & a DHL delivery van, perfect for out-running (or running-down!) the infected/undead.  The Range Rover is made by Corgi (In The City #21), & the delivery van is by Siku (model 1085).  I found both for sale in the toy section of a local garden centre.  I'll probably add some weathering & splashed mud to these vehicles once I finish painting all these bloody zombies...  The figures shown are a mix of Rebel Minis & Khurasan Miniatures.

Dogs

Next up for my 15mm scale zombie apocalypse collection... 5 dogs!  These miniatures are from Peter Pig's Scenery range, & are only 6-7mm tall, but nevertheless very nicely detailed.  There are 3 unique sculpts in each 8-figure pack - I've painted them up as a golden retriever (or yellow labrador), border collie, labrador retriever, terrier cross-breed, & a German shepherd.  They are all mounted on 1p coins, which are flocked using Gale Force Nine dead/winter grass & dirt.  I really enjoyed painting these, & will probably pick up some farm animals to enhance my rural setting.

In Ambush Z rules terms some of these could be used as police or Military Working Dogs to sniff-out the zombies/Infected, but I'd like to add some house rules for encountering stray dogs as areas are searched - dogs which may be friendly, or alert the Infected with their barking...  Also, I think a scenario with guard dogs acting as alarms for survivors in a safe house could make for a good game.

I did consider painting one to represent my own dog (a cheeky Alaskan malamute), but it was too sad to think of her in an apocalyptic setting!  In the future I will paint another labrador & a German shepherd, but on desert bases, as MWDs for my Force on Force collection.  If I ever branch-out into Crufts miniature gaming, then I have a decent starting point!  :-D

Armed Response Unit

More UK police painted for 15mm scale zombie apocalypse this week.  Here is an Armed Response Unit - 12 specially-trained coppers, 6 with SMGs & 6 with assault rifles.  The figures are US SWAT from Rebel Minis.  They are true 15mm scale, & realistically proportioned, which means they look slightly diminutive next to the Khurasan British Police that I painted (particularly the stooping advancing figures with SMGs).  This pack has 20 miniatures, in 4 unique variants - For both the SMG & AR figures, there is a version with & without backpack & lots of pouches.

A couple more survivors

Sticking with 15mm scale, here are a couple more armed civilians for my growing band of zombie apocalypse survivors.  One is a hard-as-nails ex-military survivalist who is in his element, & has managed to get hold of some serious firepower in the form of a SAW (he may look familiar to fans of The Walking Dead...) This figure is from the Khurasan Miniatures 'The Living Set 2'.

The other is a university professor... with a lump hammer!  The original model had a small tool in his hand, but I Green-Stuffed that into a more formidable weapon for dealing with the Infected.  This miniature is from the Rebel Minis 'Civilian Hunters Pack 2'.

As with all my 15mm figures, they are mounted on 1p coins.

Police

I was back on my 15mm-scale zombie apocalypse project this weekend - I painted a group of police.  Being set in the UK where the police are not routinely armed, & regardless of emergency measures, even in a hypothetical zombie outbreak they would be short on firearms.  So I have painted 2 of these as armed with X26 Taser pistols, & 1 with an X12 Taser shotgun.  The others have been issued with/rustled-up/salvaged/stolen a selection of SMGs, pistols & a shotgun.  I think some scenarios set during the initial hours of the outbreak, with police armed only with tasers & truncheons could be entertaining.  These miniatures are a pack of British Police from Khurasan Miniatures (8 unique sculpts in each pack).  They are very nice minis, but a little chunky & tall (average 17mm high).   The Land Rover is a £2 Corgi die-cast toy, which is roughly the right scale - good enough for small-scale tabletop wargaming at least.

 I was in a quandary over how to paint the uniforms for a while - I'm aiming for an 'ultra-modern' setting, & as of 2008 UK police forces have been phasing-in dark blue/black shirts to replace the traditional white button-ups, which were apparently uncomfortable & less utilitarian.  Even the rural police where I live wear the new dark blue shirts.  However, already some forces are considering introducing a white version of the new shirt, due to officers & the public (myself included) preferring the traditional 'less militaristic' smart white shirt.  This, combined with making it easier to distinguish between riot police, Armed Response Units, & common patrol coppers on the tabletop, led me to opt for the iconic white.

The figures are mounted on 1p coins, flocked with Gale Force Nine dead/winter static grass & earth.

Cargo containers

Following on from the industrial units, here are 4 cargo containers that I've painted up, for 15mm-scale Force on Force / Tomorrow's War / Crossfire / zombie apocalypse games.  These nice castings are 'Medium Cargo Containers' from Rebel Minis - simple but effective for adding that touch of 'realism' to the tabletop battlefield.

Industrial units

It took a couple of weeks, but I finally finished the pair of industrial units that I've been building for 15mm-scale zombie apocalypse games.  The main material is 5mm thick foamboard, with 3mm foamboard for internal walls, sections of matchsticks for window sills & door lintels, & thick card doors.  The windows are cut from transparent plastic packaging, with thin cardboard windowframes stuck around the edges (very fiddly at this scale!).  The outer walls were textured with paint thickener (readymix filler).  The roller shutters are sections of H Scale corrugated sheet from a model railway supplier.  I'm planning on having some scatter terrain such as crates to break up the internal space, but didn't want to go completely overboard with integral desks, shelving, & machinery etc.  I haven't bothered making a roof as it would be tiled & inaccessible. Next, I want to build a supermarket...

Hedgerows

I put together these two 15mm-scale hedgerows whilst working on a large scratchbuilt double industrial unit for zombie apocalypse games.  They are based on large lolly sticks, & are made from strips of thick polystyrene that I picked into rough hedge-like shapes with my fingers, before smoothing over with paint thickener (basically ready-mixed all-purpose filler in a tube).  I then painted the whole thing dark brown, before flocking the bases with Gale Force Nine earth & dead/winter static grass, & dry-brushing the upper hedges through a few dark greens.

They looked decent enough for gaming purposes by that point, but I added the final touch of some small Gale Force Nine meadow flock to better represent the texture.  These were very quick to make & I'm happy with how they turned-out. I will definitely be making some more of these (maybe some with telegraph poles) for my UK countryside setting.

Rotting zombies

This post is not for the weak of stomach - I've painted up some rotting zombies.  These especially gribbly 'walkers' are from the Khurasan Miniatures pack 'The Dead Set 2', from their Modern Zombies range.  I'm pleased with how these turned out - once I got the gloss varnish on the gore, they really came alive! ...err became undead!

Ragers

I painted these 6 Rage zombies at the weekend.  These nice sculpts are Rebel Minis 15mm Zombie 'Ragers'.  The modern day zombie apocalypse collection that I am working on will feature 'Ragers' as freshly-infected victims, whilst traditional 'Shambler' zombies will make up the bulk of the infected horde.  Painting civilians always drags a bit because of the variation in clothes, but I'm please with how these tiny miniatures turned-out - especially once I got the gloss varnish on the blood!

Even more survivors

Another batch of 15mm scale zombocalypse survivors finished.  These are all figures from Khurasan Miniatures's excellent 'The Living Set 2', & fans of The Walking Dead will spot a few familiar characters here.  These sculpts are brilliant quality, with great detail, I really enjoyed painting them.  They are all mounted on 1p coins, flocked with Gale Force 9 earth & dead/winter static grass.