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Steam Wars – New Units For Next Game

A final draft of Steam Wars has again been created by Coronasan. So, happily, it is playtest time again.  I have a large Steam Navy force that serves me for this game but it remains unfinished at present.  As I pick up bits along the way and add units here and there the painting queue for this army seems to become quite static.

I have decided though, that as Coronasan has completed three armies for Steam Wars in the same amount of time, I shall try to get the Navy completed. If I get that done, I can then better focus on the Martian Invasion Force that I have also started for Steam Wars.

These painted Rollerbots are the product of that decision so far.  The first two were done at the start of the Navy project and I ran them as vehicles at first.  They are small figures for vehicles and had weak profiles.  They also took up a vehicle slot each in the army, which didn’t help either.

I plan to run them as a form of heavy cavalry (or bikers) in the next game.  That way they stay fast like vehicles but will use up an infantry slot (elite troops).

I have three light antitank bots and two HMG bots.  In Steam Wars, unit size is dictated by wounds (max 6 wounds to a unit). Therefore, as each will be profiled with two wounds, three bots will be the unit size.  I could do with one more of these models to give me the option to field them as a variety of different three bot unit configurations.

The figures are from The Lead Adventure Miniature range and the only one left, that I don’t have, is armed with a rocket launcher.  Maybe that’s the one to finish the set.

For our playtest session I plan to use a second new unit.  This time its some specialist heavy infantry.  They are coming along nicely at the moment.  More on those later…

A Small Console As An Ojective

So, at Salute I bought some small MDF kits from Crooked Dice.  Last I looked these guys were a small UK company doing just a few miniatures for their 7TV game.  They seem to have expanded somewhat…  Lots of very nice new toys to look at and a few I could not miss the opportunity to own.  That day I came home with three of their little 1970’s computer kits.

The first got made up recently as a bit of a test build.  None of these come with any instructions and one I couldn’t even find a photo of on their website.  They are however quite easy to build but are again slightly tricky as most parts need painting before building.  The backs of the dials for example are on a part that sticks to the inside edge of the top panel.  I painted this separately then found I needed to glue it in via the opening at the base.  Very badly planned by me…

Some great details are included and the nostalgia was palpable when I finished.  This close up shows the detail included but also my painting imperfections.

Luckily its going to be seen at this range for the most part.  Now we actually have a computer to hack when playing Rogue Stars (as long as the team remembered to bring along a reel to reel tape deck and a couple of aux cables).

Pirates From Other Places. 

I have been selling some items for a friend recently (good old eBay) as he has less time to game and has collected more ‘toys’ than anyone I know (well, maybe Coronasan can match him…)

In the on-going clear out of Veganman’s collection, I have been given these guys to sell.  However, I am hard pressed to sell things I might find a use for…

With a need for pirate crewmen, and two pirate ships to complete, adding painted pirates to the collection would allow me to focus on the ships without having to worry about where the next pirate crew is coming from.  I also think my 17 new pirates are likely to need reinforcing if Coronasan’s explanation of crew size in No Quarter is anything to go by.

Some may find their way to eBay, as these undead pirates are not present in large enough numbers to man a ship by themselves.

The remainder would reinforce my existing pirate collection and add enough men to my new Black Scorpion pirates to fully man a ship.  Many of these painted lads are the older metal Black Scorpion casts.

It would also add a number of musket men to the ranks so that those crows nests can be used to their fullest extent…

Do I need to convince myself any further?

New Rogue Stars/ Scrappers Crew

As the weather outside is less than perfect for undercoating, and as I haven’t been motivated to paint any of my prepped miniatures, I have been basing and cleaning up these lads.

They fit nicely together even though they come from three different manufacturers.

Steve is my favourite by far. A platypus in a space suit is always going to get noticed.

Add in a bionic eye and what’s not to like…

The Chipster is next in my order of likes.  Both have body armour and very big guns so these guys are likely to make up the central combat aspect of any crew.

Tech support and robot lackey.  Lots of options for game specific skills and abilities here.

More armour and guns.  A crew is always going to need more guns.

If they don’t get used soon for Rogue Stars then they are likely to feature as a mutant crew for Scrappers.

Scrappers was my only Salute purchase of new rules.  The latest Osprey book to be released (this time in hardback format so not one of their numbered blue ‘wargames’ rules).  It features a Post Apocalypse setting and uses between a 3 and 15 man crew in a campaign based system.  Not read as yet as I want to keep focussed on the games we are playing and not be distracted but that is unlikely to last long…

Pirates From Salute. 

Salute this year was all about buying figures.  As we have been playing pirate games, and as my new pirate ships will definitely need crews at some point, I had to find some more pirates to paint up.  Who does the best pirate figures?  That’s got to be Black Scorpion Miniatures!

This is what two packs of pirates a pirate captain and two packs of able seamen look like.  Seventeen men might be about enough for one pirate ship.  My older pirates will likely be drafted in to crew the other vessel.

Black Jack Davey is the pirate captain I picked out for this band of scoundrels, and he is a great example of the added details that Black Scorpion give to the majority of their figures.  With at least 2 pistols, as well as a sword and dagger, this one handed gent may find juggling all that weaponry a bit challenging. That’s before I start to wonder how he manages to undo all those straps and buckles with a hook.

A number of the other pirates look the part as captains and have the same excellent level of details too.  All I need to do now is wait for a fine day to get some undercoating done.

Salute 2017. 

As I have stated before, Salute in London is one of those shows we always tend to try to attend, and usually sets us on a new path.  This us most likely due to the number of new releases that various companies try to time to coincide with this show.

This years show seemed slightly less well supported. The crowds of people were just as big but a couple of names we expected to see were missing from the trader lists.  One company that was in attendance was TTCombat.  This is the manufacturing arm of The Troll Trader, a large wargame store based in Cornwall but with a heavy internet presence.  Under the TT brand they produce some very reasonable MDF terrain and had a few items I had been waiting to pick up.

These bus shelters were not on my list but came home with me all the same.

They are a great example of what TTCombat are trying to do with added textures and designs that are a mix of traditional MDF, card stock and Perspex.  I have built many MDF kits over the years and have usually painted them when completed.  I now find myself having to plan these builds, as the added levels of detail often mean that I have to paint more and more of them before I put them together.

I haven’t bought many figures at salute in the last 3 years but this year that changed.  These Lead adventure divers are perfect for my Steam Wars Navy force and the mechanics are likely to get used for a number of eras.

Scenery always gets noticed, especially when it is a novel idea like control panels.  These kits look like they might be more difficult to put together than I initially suspect as the control surfaces are likely to need some detailed attention and again the inclusion of Perspex parts means any sprayed layers are likely to need doing before construction starts.

These however need no construction and will be just as challenging in their detail painting.

These two Lead Adventure figures should fit anything from Steam Wars to Rogue Stars.

On the theme of Rogue Stars, these are Northstar figures and designed by them especially for the game itself.

Keeping with the Animal or Alien theme Hasselfree launched the next two figures just before Salute so were fresh in my mind.  Steve is an evolved Duckbilled Platipus

And the Chipster is their great little humanoid bulldog.  Both figures are perfectly cast and well modelled. The only down side is that I suspect I will not do them justice with my painting.

I did pick up some more bits from Salute, including a large bag of figures from Black Scorpion Miniatures, but that can wait until I find time to post again…

Steam Wars – Martian Flyer And A Little More Undercoating

I have had a small sort out and again moved some neglected items up the queue and made some small efforts at progressing some of them.

This Martian Skiff seemed apt to get some attention as I have been looking at boats in general of late.

Some parts now glued and some cleaned up…  No great progress but the 20 Martian crewmen are still somewhere towards the back of the queue at this point so no rush…

The weather being slightly better for 24 hours afforded me the chance to get some undercoating done too.  Six of my Martian Tripods have gone from grey plastic to silver basecoat, not that anyone would notice the difference greatly…

Its all a step forward though!

Pirate Ships. More Boats And Other Items. 

The more observant of you will have noticed these little boats a couple of posts ago.  When I introduced the larger pirate ships these were scattered about the harbour.

A couple have gone off to Coronasan as payment for services rendered and the remainder are left for me to plan a few conversions with.  I hope to use some as small gun boats that can be used to raid the coastlines of my harbour, while the larger ships stand off and bombard the shore.

Others will be static harbour scenery (old fishing vessels).

All are again Playmobile items and came with a range of extra gubbins…  Pallets and extra doors mainly which will be useful when converting the larger ships.

A few bits may not be quite so useful, but are likely to find their way into the bits box all the same.

Scale wise they are surprisingly good. They appear fit 3 pirates (or 4 men on smaller bases) per boat with room for a small cannon. I may need to sort the deck out so that the figures are more able to keep their feet but that shouldn’t be too hard.

Harbour Crane Gets A Face Lift

My Painting table has recently looked like a Thomas the Tank Engine horror movie set.  Poor old Cranky the Crane has had his face ripped off and other parts sliced and diced.

Plasticard and MDF parts have replaced his crank handle and signage.

His face plate was replaced by a large window as now he will be used as a regular crane.

Crane drivers do need doors and windows you know…

I just need to decide upon a suitable piece of signage and a colour scheme for the finished piece.

I kind of like the green and black look, but if I am going to have to repaint him completely, then why not go for another colour.

Any thoughts or suggestions..?

Pirate Ships. The Grand Plan. 

So, the pirate theme continues although Salute always distracts us and points our radar in another direction (you will need to wait just a little while to see what Salute brought me…)

I can tell you now that the postman brought me these beauties though.  Two large and brightly coloured pirate ships for that empty harbour of mine.

Playmobile ships are huge but not so huge as to be unusable.  Wide open decks and plenty of scope for a bit of a remodelling project.

I plan to raise the rear deck slightly and add some lower deck cannon ports so that they are usable in Coronasan’s, No Quarter, pirate ship games. Crows nests are a must too for sharp shooters.

When these will be finished is no ones guess but they will feature as they are in a couple of games before they get cut about I suspect.