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Martian Structures

With the Martian force underway, I have been planning all my games with them as if they are on the offensive, on Earth.  It does mean that all the red Martian earth basing I have done is out of place on most boards though.  It would be nice to see them in their home environment instead of pillaging the resources of a Victorian country town.

A Google search (is that phrase old fashioned now?) is limited in its success.  A red earth base mat should be easy to source but any structures I plan to put on it would need to be suitably alien and, well…  Red!

Alien shapes that have been popping up in image searches are limited but a few have caught my eye.  Star formed structures are one idea.

I wont be using Lego to build them but the look is effective.

A similar shape is a mix of world war 2 bunker with habitation pods in the centre.

With such a harsh environment on the surface would most life survive below the surface?  Should I build lots of entry ways to a subterranean city?  Vents and shaft tops.   Hazard cleaning entryways and airlocks…

Are the Martians invading earth as a result of a collapse in their own city structures?  Having used all the resources on Mars they are aiming to recolonize elsewhere?

With no clear plan, and no skills for image finding, I am asking for ideas and images to be suggested.  How do you see a Tripod Era Mars City? (edit: Must look good in red!)

Suggestions please…

Salute 2018 Statue Completed

This years free commemorative Salute figure(s) were slated to become a set of statues for the gaming table.  They would never have been painted for anything else, as they don’t fit any period or style I collect.

A good bronzing and a dose of wash was a good start.

Far more oxide effect and bird poo than was needed helps to bring an extra touch of colour.

I now have the option to say that the town square sits squarely in the 20th century (see what I did there). Rather better than having Queen Victoria always looming sternly over the population.

I will have to source a couple of other plinths for the town (another idea for Coronasan’s lengthening MDF designs list methinks).

One more Salute ‘statue’ to go then I must get back to some real painting…

Scrappers – More Dog Faced Crew And Another Salute Statue

Another couple of items picked up at Salute, actually the first items I bought that day, are a pair of futuristic dogs from Hasslefree.  They got put together recently when I was doing about 3 or 4 other small jobs at the same time in the shed. If you tell the lady of the house that I can multi task I will never hear the end of it so, Hush!

I also dug out another older Salute figure, to get the statue treatment, while I was doing this years set. It proves I can be quite efficient with my time when I want to as well…

Hasslefree do a number of anthropomorphic animals (a posh term for animals in human poses – but only if I got the word right…)

These two are the same character in 2 differing guises.  I will be cheating and using them as a set of twins…  The first is Elite Smudgester with his ‘BFG’ (I will let you guess what that stands for) and a cigar and Zippo lighter.

The second is the alternate Smudgester, this time with a Pulse Carbine.  Both went together easily and had few, if any, mould lines or areas of flash to clean up.

Another clean and crisp miniature is the 2017 Salute figure. Supplied to the show last year by Warlord Games.  Soon to get the bronze statue treatment along with this years figure.

Control Tower

At Salute this year I caught up with a fairly local company The XLC.   Based in Northampton it seems quite local, but as all companies these days, it has an internet presence but no storefront.

I picked up an older piece, their security tower, a design from their first Kickstarter project. I invested in that kickstarter but have not done many since.  This company managed to get all the items out super quick and without hassle.  Other Kickstarters I have been part of have put me off since then… They have another Kickstarter running at the moment which is worth a look, as their stuff is reasonably priced and comes pre printed…

This will be a control tower for my planned airfield scenery (until Coronasan pulls his finger out and designs one himself in MDF).

A nice simple piece and big enough for 25 and 30mm bases to fit inside.

Steam Wars – Venusian War Barge

Shock Troopers need to get in close before they can be effective in combat.  The sleek lines of this Martian flier by Oshiro Models fits that look and purpose well.

My Venusians will now have a flier able to carry 2 units of troopers directly into dangers way.

Its stand allows it to soar above the Earthling houses.

I do still need to sort out some sails, for it to be powered by, and figure out a suitable paint scheme for the ship and the troopers.

The Martian forces are coming together in that lovely organic, happenstance, way that makes me believe in fate and a higher power: The mighty Games Master in the sky.

Steam Wars – Venusian Mercenaries

The Martian Empire stretches far and wide.  Its forces are a mixed bag of races that have been captured and controlled by the Martian Elite Caste.  Controlled forces are limited in their expertise and have little initiative on the battlefield.  Therefore some occasions may call for the use of other advanced races as Mercenary Shock Troopers.

Wild West Exodus is a game I have avoided due to the miniatures being slightly too large for my liking and never really capturing my imagination.  Their new race has some potential though.  Grey alien types who are smaller than their normal range (so in scale with most of my collection).

Every one of the figures has a different pose.  Something I like in a figure range.  Some leader types and some weapon difference adds to their usefulness.

The down side is the fact that some of the miniatures are made up of 9 tiny pieces… That said, they are so well moulded that all the pieces fit easily together, even if I cant physically fit and hold things quite that small.

Some pieces are so small that a random sneeze fired a couple of parts across the shed, and at least one tiny piece will now reside in a dark corner of the shed forever more! (Hence the far right trooper having nail art gems stuck on his back pack…)

Steam Wars – More Martian Reinforcements

My trip last weekend to Salute was expected to distract me away from my Martian Steam Wars project.  It may have actually refocussed me more than I expected though.

The Martians actually got a few reinforcements from the show this year, and also has me looking towards changing the army list a little and reviewing the paint queue to accommodate more of these figures.

I found a set of second hand Sanwar Infantry, from Ironclad Miniatures, that were similar paintjobs to my own troopers.  The set included a small field gun as well as crew.

My own field gun remains unfinished but has jumped up the queue, as has some more of the slave infantry.

The new pieces will need a touch up, and the bases need a Martian red repaint, but should fit in nicely with the original units when finished.

I also picked up a box of these chaps.  Grey alien types that will make effective allies to the Martians (and will be usable in any Sci-Fi game I want to field aliens in).  I suspect these will end up as Venusian Mercenary Shock Troopers. They may also be gifted the large Martian flier that I have, as a transport option, as it has always seemed a little out of style with the original, Tripod heavy, Martian force.

Salute Figure Statue

Salute usually distracts me from all the projects I am attempting to complete in the shed.  This year is no exception although we returned home without any ‘new game’ to pull our focus too far away from our planned games.

It also guarantees at least one figure will return home with me. Usually one I will never find a use for.  This year the Salute free figure is a small diorama of 3 WWI soldiers.  Such a nice piece should get some use, so I plan to get something done with it, super quick, before the urge leaves me.

I have a number of scenic pieces that I use in games, as objectives or centre pieces, for town squares etc.  Statues are great for these pieces.

One of my favourite so far is my gift shop statue of Queen Victoria. She is not attached to her plinth so I should be able to mount the new Salute figures on this as an alternate topper.

Size isn’t too bad, and a quick brass, tarnish and bird poo paint job shouldn’t take me too long.

I will look out for an alternate, rectangular plinth, but for now this base should get it some table top use.

I may even revisit some of the other Salute figures I have in the bits box and see if they will pass muster as statues for other periods…

Steam Wars – Mechanical Will

In Steam Wars we have a few special abilities and rules that have a more cinematic purpose.  Mechanical Will is one of those rules that will never win you a game but tries to enable you to field some of those obscure figures that would never make it to a table otherwise.

My robot crawlers, from the Terminator game, would be unlikely to do more than sit in a box if it were not for rules like this.  I used them last game and as the unit died so more crawlers dragged their remaining limbs towards the enemy.

Only problem was I could never see them on the busy cobble stone surface. The answer would be to base them so they fitted in with the army and showed up better on a table top.

Simple job done. Again, with a visit to Salute planned for the next day, and the knowledge that that trip would further distract me from anything unfinished… Best to keep all things simple.

Finishing simple tasks often gives me that sense of achievement we all crave, and that larger projects can certainly give you more of, if you don’t lose steam before they get completed…

Gaslands – Hotrod

So back home from our trip to Rome and I had a day to spare before Salute in London, so no time to get stuck into anything too complex.

Just time to tart up the new Vatican Hotrod. A simple silver pen and ink wash is all its getting.  Such a simple game only needs simple efforts (not everyones opinion I know.)

Rear facing MG and front end Ram should keep its look and allow me to deal with being anywhere on the starting grid.

A fun little car and nicely different from my other team members.

I do seem to think that I have a bit of an ‘Orange’ vibe going on with this team.  Its going to need a team name soon.